Chapter III: The Elder Kingdoms

Next week we’re introducing Phase One of Chapter III: The Elder Kingdoms! Phase One, also known as Patch 3.0.0, will include portions of the fantastic continent of Zandorya. The picturesque City of Dalanis awaits courageous heroes seeking adventure, fame and riches. You can also look forward to many gameplay improvements, and you will be able to join an exciting, new in-game event.

Remember, this is only Phase One of Chapter III: The Elder Kingdoms. As we approach the launch of the new chapter, you can expect a great deal of excitement with special events and new features dropping in the coming weeks, including a new skill system, undiscovered zones, instance challenges and more than a hundred new quests.

No time to rest, heroes. Adventure awaits!

Phase One Patch 3.0.0 Features

• Level cap: Begin making your way to 60
• New Zone: Thunderhoof Hills
• Special Leveling Promotion: "Expedition 60!"
• New Collectible Card System
• Introducing Instance Difficulty Levels
• Interface Upgrades: Party Recruitment and Public Encounters
• New Guild Castle Features
• New Guild Castle Minigames
• The Spring Festival Event

Thunderhoof Hills (55-57)

Behold this magnificent region of far-reaching, diverse landscapes.

Special Leveling Promotion: "Expedition 60!"

With all the new content coming and the level cap being raised, we want you to have a fighting chance to experience all the fun. To do so, you are going to have to get your character in fighting shape, because it is going to be an epic expedition to level 60. Let us be your guide and your trainer.

Over the next 10 weeks, we will be running special promotions and events geared toward toughening up the heroes of Taborea.

Week 1: Get 50% more XP starting Friday, April 16, 2010, at 9 a.m. PST, and ending Sunday, April 18, 2010, at 2:59 p.m. PST.

We will give you weekly updates regarding your training plan.

New Collectible Card System

The Phase One patch introduces an important new aspect to the Monster Cards. Now the cards left behind by slain monsters will provide specific attribute point bonuses. So, in addition to the monster information, the cards will now improve your character's statistics. There are about 800 different monsters in the Monster Compendium, making Monster Cards a great way to strengthen your character!

Instance Difficulty Levels

Phase One gives you the option to choose between normal and easy difficulty levels for the Hall of Survivors and Heart of the Ocean dungeons. The choice of difficulty will determine the quality of the item drops you receive; if you choose the normal difficulty level, you will receive more valuable loot, and if you choose easy, you will still be handsomely rewarded for your efforts. It's about playing the way you want to play.

Interface Upgrades: Party Recruitment and Public Encounters

The new Party Recruitment Interface makes looking for groups and guild members easier. The recruitment interface will open when you click the icon next to your character display where you can enter the desired requirements for finding the ideal member for an instance, a quest or a battlefield.

You will also be able to use a new interface whenever you approach a Public Encounter. The interface will give you current information on the encounter, such as score, remaining time, etc.

Guild Castle Features

New upgrades for guild castles will be available with the Phase One patch 3.0.0. You and your guild will now be able to upgrade buildings within the castle to higher levels and construct stone fortifications. Since constructing guild castles requires resources, we’re also introducing new guild quests. Guild quests will be available from Guild Level 11.

Guild Castle Minigames

Spirit Warrior

In Spirit Warrior, you have to kill as many evil monstrous creatures as possible within the set 15-minute time period on an enclosed training ground. Whoever survives the two waves of attacks will come face-to-face with a fierce boss opponent. You will be rewarded for successfully completing the Spirit Warrior trial with honor points, which can be exchanged for valuable armor parts with special NPCs in the Obsidian Stronghold.

Needle Drill

The minigame Needle Drill transports players into a quadratic obstacle course consisting of 25 fields. Steel spike rise randomly from the floor and drain players of their HP. The more needles you manage to avoid in this minigame, the more honor points you can collect.

Call of the Horns

Guild members will be launched into battle in Call of the Horns. In this minigame, you must choose the side on which you want to fight: the weaker but good-natured White Furs or the stronger but evil Black Horns. After choosing your team, all hell will break loose, and whoever destroys the opposing team’s flag within 10 minutes wins.

The Spring Festival

Spring has sprung! The sun is shining, flowers are blooming and bees are buzzing, so the natives are getting restless. Jump into all the exciting activities waiting for you in Varanas and the Obsidian Stronghold. It's time for the Spring Festival: find the lost wabbits, collect rainbow eggs or fight dastardly goblins.

This News has been brought to you Courtesy of LAZLOWE via the RunesofMagic.com Official Website!