Anniversary Update: Invasion Atlas & New Nightmares

The anniversary update brings with it a few major changes that will affect the way adventures are completed. They are the Invasion Atlas and an updated Nightmare difficulty. Today we will tell you more about these changes.

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Invasion Atlas

When the Phytonide invasion begins, Flavius's Laboratory will be removed from the game, and players will get access to a new system of character development – the Invasion Atlas. The atlas is different for every invasion. It changes from season to season, and players can pick a new development path every time. The atlas has more than a hundred nodes, and it depends on you which path you will take and which bonuses will be unlocked first. Some nodes will strengthen certain classes, others will replace the bonuses of Flavius's Laboratory. You can decide what's more important to you – increased damage to enemies from the invasion army or boosting some of your classes. Or perhaps upgrading your companion or receive some Might.

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How do I unlock nodes?

Fulfilling directives and completing operations will earn you a special currency that can be used to unlock atlas nodes. The cost depends on the bonus – some are cheaper, others are more expensive. Plan your development and think ahead. The atlas has no limitations – with a bit of effort, it should be possible to fully develop it and unlock all its bonuses over the course of an invasion. Operations at Nightmare difficulty are the best source of the new currency...

New nightmares

It's time to talk about another new feature. The anniversary update will include changes to the difficulty system. "Nightmare" will have several levels, and each will be more difficult than the last. Are you interested? We'll share more details with you.

How the new Nightmare works

After installing the update, logging in, and selecting a group adventure, players will see two main modes: warm-up and trial (depending on the adventure type, character's rank, and schedule, of course).

To access the Nightmare difficulty, players will need to prove their skill by completing a trial. If they succeed, each character in the group will receive a special key that unlocks the first level of the Nightmare difficulty for one of the adventures depending on the current schedule. You can have up to two keys – one for a Squad adventure, the other for a Group one. Every night, these adventures change according to the server schedule, which makes it easier to find a group. After completing the first level of Nightmare, all characters in the group receive new keys that unlock the second level.

A player that has a key to the Nightmare difficulty can invite other players to their group regardless of their level and whether they have a key or not. If they succeed, all characters in the group get a key, its level matching the Nightmare level +1.

The higher the Nightmare level, the harder the adventure will be. Every day, adventures will have different Maledictions that add variety and make them more challenging. Enemies will get extra bonuses or have their mechanics slightly changed, and players will have to switch tactics and look for ways to take them down. For example, one of the Maledictions forbids using divine form, but the bosses will drop sparks that allow you to activate it for a short time. Other Maledictions grant certain enemies an aura that increases the health and damage of their allies. Another Malediction multiplies the threat generated by one of the immortals and increases damage dealt to them. Each Malediction will impact the tactics and play style of players, forcing them to make an effort if they want to access the next level of Nightmare.

Maledictions
First Group
Last Hope: Divine form lasts 60 seconds. Divine form can be activated by only one group member once per adventure. Maintaining a divine form consumes Faith every second.
Divine Twilight: Using divine forms is prohibited. Whenever a boss is defeated, they drop a spark that activates divine form for 30 seconds. Maintaining it consumes Faith every second.
Second Group
Inconstancy: During the fight, all monsters may gain a random effect at the same time: improved defense or increased incoming damage. The power of the effects changes over time.
Oasis: When dying or losing a significant amount of health, the monster may create an area where monsters recover health and immortals take damage over time.
Ritual: During a fight, several monsters may form links between each other to become invulnerable and emit an energy surge that deals damage in a large radius. Links are broken if they all get control effects applied to them at the same time.
Vengeance: When a monster dies, it applies an effect to allies that deals damage in the area around them several times.
Strength of the Pack: After losing half their health, strong monsters activate an aura that increases health and damage of their nearby allies. The effects of several auras stack.
Third Group
Thirst for Battle: Immortals lose part of their health every few seconds out of combat. Passive health regeneration out of combat is disabled.
Priority Target: After every fight, a random immortal gains an effect that increases threat generated by them and their damage taken. When they die, the effect is transferred to another random immortal.
High Voltage: In combat, a random immortal will occasionally gain an effect that deals damage to all creatures in a large area, stunning them.
Fourth Group
Will to Live: Monsters can be killed only by finishing attacks. A hostile Phytonide will occasionally appear in the spot where monsters have died.

Where does this new system work?

After the update, Nightmare difficulty will be disabled for Party adventures. It will remain the same for the other types. But we have changed certain adventures from Squad to Group. Thais Temple, Lanber Catacombs, Factorium, Saffire Air Dockyard, Donholk Glacier, Port Usuni, Phoreus Test Area, Thetin Rift, and Darnic Village have become more difficult. It adds variety to the game and allows players to get equipment in group adventures. Each equipment piece can now be obtained in two Group adventures.

Operations should be completed on Nightmare difficulty – the higher the difficulty, the more operation points you can earn. And the higher the chance to win and receive a great reward.

Updated Nightmares and Invasion Atlas are connected. These changes are meant to add more variety to the game. When completing adventures on Nightmare difficulty, you will earn currency for unlocking atlas nodes. Unlocking atlas nodes will make completing these adventures much easier.

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We can't wait until players can try these new systems. Let us know what you think. We will try to incorporate your suggestions.

Good luck!
03/30/2020