CLOK BBS

Per the changelog: It is now required to pass through a portion of the ruins of Valeria in order to cross the river it straddles, rather than inexplicably crossing the river without passing through the ruins at all. The wilderness immediately surrounding Valeria has been altered slightly as a result.

The Valeria crossroads were always a little goofy about not requiring entry into the ruins, since they're meant to go through the city itself. Those who were able to enter Valeria at some point in the past may have noted the descriptions about the river running through the center of the ruined city. Valeria was presumably built with the intent to funnel travelers through it as they traveled that road from north to south or vice-versa.

There's an auto-travel stop point on either side so people don't just blow past it without realizing it's a crossroads of sorts.

Regarding Valeria being closed off at various points in the past: We'll have to slight-retcon and say that the closed off areas were only a portion of the area within the ruins, rather than the entirety of the ruins. In fact, that section of Valeria is still barricaded off, per the lore. But the construction quality and integrity of that barricade might not be wholly sound ...

So, I have one concern, a pretty major one and this is with the knowing I may be missing something here.

Going past Valeria has been how characters who can't handle the dangerous ebon pass get around it to be able to access a good portion of the wilderness. I just brought Alia through valeria to see if, like on cogg, you could at least make the run through without hostiles. I ran into phantom citizens everywhere. The first way through was okay enough but, on the way back, I got rooted and was very close to death by the time I was able to get away.

Last I knew, ebon pass bandits can mesmorize. Phantoms can root. This means that, even going through with a guard, it's risky either place.

I guess my question is, is it intentional that a good portion of the map is now blocked off to lower skill characters unless they can get a guard? I don't even want to think about corpse retrievals with such limited conveyance points. Am I missing another path around?

I can understand the initial concern when first encountering the place and looking around. The phantoms are meant to be more about flavor than posing a significant threat, but still problematic enough to discourage people from doing something goofy like ... hosting a social gathering in the ruins of Valeria, or something. With their meager 160ish combat rolls (equating to about 50 in combat skills), extremely low energy pool, and low-damage attacks, they shouldn't be anything too problematic for people just passing through. On top of that, they don't actually attack until they've become agitated first, which means unless someone stops to hang around next to one, the phantoms shouldn't act against someone at all. If you just move right through the room they don't have enough time to first become agitated and then make following attacks afterward. If you stop to linger or take a good look around, then they can be an issue with their effects and their attacks, and that's by intent.

I'm aware of four different ways to get past the mountains and to the northwesternmost part of the map, one of those being Ebon Pass and the other three having no dangers involved at all (though that might not always be the case). None of them strictly require traveling through Valeria, as there are alternate routes to get around it and to the opposite side of the river. It just takes some extra travel!

Okay, good to know about the alternate routes. I'll have to learn a new one if for no other reason so I can tell others.

As for the phantoms, the delayed attacks did make me think it would be fine at first. On the way back, however, as soon as I entered the first room from the wilderness and before I could type the next direction, I was rooted. There were two in the room and a third came in, so I got multiple energy drains and by the time the rooting was gone, I got away with 53 energy. The injuries weren't bad, it was that energy drain combined with rooting that had me in trouble.

Perhaps they attacked right away because I'd just gone through there before? Or perhaps, the rooting isn't delayed like the rest? Maybe they could be set so that only one is in a room at a time, to avoid the getting ganged up on routine when people are going through? Just some thoughts. I do appreciate knowing I can seek out another way around, though.

I think part of why Valeria is easier to travel on Cogg is because phantoms don't attack right away just because you stand there, and their perception sucks so you can sneak past them easily with low stealth.
Adding a countdown the same way road shades have might help with the problem, I think. Valeria phantoms on Cogg do have countdown of some sort so they don't outright attack when they see you in the room. Stay for a few seconds and they will, though.

That's the agitation system I mentioned, Artus. It and the Valeria phantoms are the same here as they were on COGG. I believe the issue is that the mobs aren't de-agitating when an area "freezes" from no PCs being around, so if the area becomes empty of PCs when a phantom is currently agitated (such as leaving one agitated right at an entry/exit point, it won't have time to de-agitate before the area is frozen so it's still agitated when another PC walks back in later. Working on a solution!

Adresin actually didn't even know there were phantoms in Cogg Valeria, strangely, which contributed to her being massively unprepared on here because she didn't know they were there. I have no idea how she never encountered one given how often she walked past there. Thank you for the fix in advance. A bit of challenge is always fun.

Agreed. How I *never* saw them in valeria on cogg is confusing as anything. Anyway, I echo Artus's thanks for the fix in advance. Had they not rooted me the second I stepped back in, it would have been just fine. 25 to 40 energy drain per hit with three on you is intense! ha.

Right, I don't expect anyone to know the details of new areas beforehand (even if they're recycled such as in this case), I was just responding to your (Artus') suggestion that it be made like it was in COGG and clarifying that it is already that way, there's just a specific-case issue with mobs potentially not being given the chance to de-agitate when the area is empty of PCs. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!