AGS and Smilegate have given an update explaining why they decided to hold off on releasing the patch for a little while longer. This comes as the initial date by which we were supposed to receive the June Update passes without our having received it. Because of these delays, they were able to include some additional gifts in addition to a highly requested player addition to the stronghold research. In addition to this, the delays did not affect the overall game experience.
The content update referred to as Wrath of the Covetous Legion will be made available in Arkesia on the 30th of this month. The upcoming battles against Legion Commander Vykas and the Guardian Kungelanium, as well as the individual victories that players achieve while putting their skills to the test in the solo Thronespire dungeon, are both events that we are very excited to witness. In addition, we are overjoyed to let you know that we have worked closely with Smilegate RPG in order to incorporate a top player request into the June update. This player request was for a Stronghold Research, which will become available at Item Level 1460. When it does become available, it will improve the honing rates of alternate characters as they progress toward Item Level 1415. However, the full release notes won't be accessible until the 29th of June because we were unable to contain our excitement long enough to keep this one a secret.
We had planned to publish the June update earlier in the month, but due to a number of unforeseen circumstances, we were forced to push it back until the end of the month instead
1. These factors included our collaboration with Smilegate RPG to implement the much-requested addition of Stronghold Research, the concentration of our teams on clearing Arkesia of bots (and the associated increase in queue times), the review of other content that was scheduled to arrive, and the addition of a few player gifts
2. All of these factors contributed to the delay in the release of the content
3. When we released the roadmap for June and July earlier this month, we also made the announcement that the Yoz's Jar cosmetic system would be coming to the game with the June update
4. This was done at the beginning of this month
5. As a result of us taking another look at the design of the system and taking into consideration the feedback given by players, Yoz's Jar will no longer be an option for players to select when playing the game
To start, a little bit of historical context. It is of the utmost importance to us that players have access to a method that allows them to purchase US East Ladon Lost Ark Gold from our in-game store without having to spend actual money from the outside world. Crystals are a form of currency that can be acquired by trading them in at the player-operated Currency Exchange. They can be put toward the purchase of virtually anything in the shop's inventory. The player-to-player Market enables players to buy and sell Lost Ark Gold Una that have previously been purchased with Royal Crystals. Items can be anything from clothing to mounts. The Market grants the community the ability to take an active part in the process of determining the value of Lost Ark Gold Una and grants the economy of Arkesia a great deal of flexibility by allowing players to trade US East Ladon Lost Ark Gold in any way they see fit. In addition, the Market grants the community the ability to take an active part in the process of determining the value of items. There are a few account-level exceptions, such as changing your name, but through these channels, nearly all items can be obtained in exchange for in-game currencies that can be earned by playing the game. Changing your name is one of these account-level exceptions.
Our Contemplations
It is wonderful that they were able to sneak in the 1460 Stronghold Research. This makes it more feasible to bring alts to 1415 and begin challenging Valtan, which is a huge step forward. In addition to gaining entry to Hard Mode of the Vykas Legion Raid, this also adds a substantial goal and purpose to the process of reaching level 1460 prior to the release of this update.
We are overjoyed that they decided to prioritize dealing with bots before releasing the update, as this brings us even more joy. Additionally, we are overjoyed that they made the decision to release the update. We have a strong suspicion that this was the primary factor behind their decision to postpone and eliminate Yoz's Jar from this update before going back to the drawing board to reconsider including it in the game.
It would appear that the cost and obtainability of Legendary cosmetics for players who do not spend a lot of money is something that they have prioritized more. This is the case even though Legendary cosmetics do not provide a significant increase in any of the game's stats. This is a smart choice, but it seems like an odd justification to delay the addition of it. At the very least, it was made with the intention of preventing players who pay in Royal Crystals from having almost completely exclusive access to cosmetics. This intention was the driving force behind its creation.
Let's talk about Yoz's Jar now, bearing all of this information in mind. This aesthetic system offers each Advanced Class not one, but two signature Legendary skins, in addition to a selection of Epic skins from which to choose. We are ecstatic to present a wide selection of one-of-a-kind looks because clothing plays a significant part in the defeat of Kazeros's Demon Legions, and because of this, you will not find these looks anywhere else. On the other hand, the Epic and Legendary skins each have additional functionality in addition to their aesthetic impact. They provide only a marginal boost in attack power, ranging from 1% to 2% more Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence, respectively. When taking part in difficult activities within Lost Ark, such as the Legion Raids that were just recently implemented, players need every advantage they can get their hands on. Epic and Legendary skins from Yoz's Jar would have been available to players through Crystals and the player-to-player Market; however, data and feedback suggested that these skins would fetch extremely high Gold prices, which would have made it difficult for players to acquire a Legendary skin, let alone a matching set. As a result of this, Epic and Legendary skins from Yoz's Jar were removed from the game.
We did not want the players to get the impression that the skins that could be found in Yoz's Jar were required for gameplay, especially if the skins were behind a significant barrier of either real-world money or in-game currency that could only be purchased with real-world money. As a result of this, we have come to the conclusion that the Wrath of the Covetous Legion Update should not include Yoz's Jar or the skins. Because we want to ensure that players are able to enjoy Lost Ark and play it however they see fit, one of the primary motivations behind the partnership that exists between our two teams has always been to provide players with as much flexibility and fairness as is humanly possible.
It is highly unlikely that players would have pursued the skin sets for any reason other than their aesthetic value. This is because the skin sets offered bonuses to the players' stats; however, it is highly unlikely that players would have pursued them for any reason. Even though there are some people who will try to acquire as much power as they possibly can, there is very little reason to spend what is likely to be an absurd amount for such a negligible amount of gain. This is despite the fact that there are some people who will try to acquire as much power as they possibly can.
It is essential to emphasize one more time that they are delaying them in order to make it simpler for a larger proportion of the community to gain access to them once they are finally made available. This is one of the most important reasons why the delay is occurring. Despite the fact that I do not particularly support the decision, I can comprehend the factors that led to it being made. It is still strange, especially when one considers how frequently members of the community gripe about a dearth of personalization options for their characters.
