High-Risk Reborn
Laughing Skull Releases as a Brand New High-Risk Experience
Heroes!
High-risk realms are a core part of Ascension--the thrill of being able to hunt and slay players for their gear is an incredible rush, and it’s one we want everyone who plays on a high-risk realm to experience as they roam the world of Azeroth. We are always looking for ways to improve this experience: to pull real emotion from, and provide real adrenaline to, our players. Sargeras is an amazing realm for that adrenaline, but it’s got a very high load and we need to alleviate it. For that reason, we are thrilled to make the following announcement:
Laughing Skull, our newest High-Risk realm, will be releasing Saturday, February 3rd, at 4:00pm UCT (Universal Coordinated time)! It will be releasing with brand new, experimental changes to the high-risk system, offering an incredible new experience to all players.
Laughing Skull will be the newest realm to hit Ascension’s lineup. As a brand new high-risk realm, it will have all of the features that you’re familiar with on Sargeras. However, it will also have a few additional enormous, experimental changes that are unique to the realm. These changes will only be available on Laughing Skull at first, but we’re open to implementing them on all of our High-Risk realms if they prove their worth.
With that said, get ready for the coolest damn change you’ve ever seen:
Laughing Skull Unique Feature #1
Monsters Drop Dungeon and Raid Items
You heard that right, heroes. You want a reason to risk life and limb out in the open world? How about being able to loot a [Brutality Blade]off monsters in Eastern Plaguelands?
Our first Laughing Skull exclusive feature is that we’ve added a new loot table to all world mobs level 50+. On Laughing Skull, all monsters level 50+ have a chance to drop items previously only found in Dungeons and Raids. That’s it; plain and simple. You could be grinding mobs in Hearthglen and, if you’re lucky, find a pair of [Magister’s Robes]; you could be slaying Giants in Winterspring and loot a pair of [Shadowcraft Spaulders]. You might even, if you’re REALLY lucky, find loot from Molten Core.
Here’s a list of why this is the most badass change we’ve ever done:
- Players who risk venturing out into the world have a chance to gain massive power boosts from dungeon and raid Rare and Epic items.
- Losing gear isn’t the end of the world--a raid epic could be on the next mob you kill.
- Powerful gear will be made more readily available to all players--with more loot drops and no soulbound items, no gear is wasted. Players who no longer need a piece of gear can place it on the Auction House, and players who do have a rough patch can re-gear and get back into the fray sooner.
- This change encourages players, above all else, to immerse themselves in the open world and truly identify as high-risk players, engaging in world PvP, player interaction, and adrenaline; becoming both the hunter and the hunted, and striving to cement your place as the former.
Laughing Skull Unique Feature #2
A new set of improved Common Gear will be implemented for players to purchase at their leisure.
We’re adding a new set of common items to vendors on Laughing Skull that will be drastically better than current white sets. Now, at a bare minimum, players who really hit rock bottom will have the option to suit up in these white quality items to score some quick kills or slay monsters, potentially netting them a handful of upgrades to get back on their feet. We’ve implemented this as another incentive to venture out of cities and into the fray of battle in the open world.
But What the Heck is High Risk?
High-Risk realms are a unique experience on Project Ascension. They are for players who want to experience the true highs and lows of PvP--of both losing their hard earned gear as well as snatching it from others in the ultimate test of PvP superiority.
Laughing Skull, our newest Hardcore Realm, will offer the following features:
- Player Loot-Drop-on-Death - Playing on Laughing Skull means you’ll be flagged permanently for PvP after level 20. At any time level 20+, you may freely attack players of any faction outside of an Inn or Major City. If you manage to slay a player, they will drop a chest containing their own items, which can be looted by you. But be warned; if you’re slain, you’ll drop your items just the same. Be careful who you trust.
- Free For All, Factionless PvP - Though the Horde and Alliance still exist on Laughing Skull, your opposing faction is hardly your biggest threat. High-Risk means FFA PvP, and you can attack and be attacked by members of your own faction at any time. The only times you are truly safe is in a major city, an inn, a dungeon, or in a party--and be careful, heroes; being in a party means you’re only one /kick away from a 1v4.
- Cross-Faction Features - In a world where anyone can be friend or foe, the labels of Horde and Alliance have lost much of their meaning. Laughing Skull offers a plethora of cross-faction features, which allow players from both the Horde and Alliance to communicate and form partnerships. Players will be able to chat with each other, as well as form groups for dungeons, raids, quests, and leveling. Battlegrounds and the auction house are also cross-faction, allowing you to battle, as well as buy and trade goods with any player in the game.
- No Soulbound Items - Player loot drop on death means that progress is constantly rolling back and springing forward. For that reason, Laughing Skull will have no soulbound items. This means that no matter what you loot or where you farm, no gear is wasted. Every time a player nets an upgrade, from a dungeon, raid, or world drop, they can place the gear they were using onto the auction house. This creates a dynamic, thriving economy where gold is constantly shifting hands. It also means that player you just took gear from is twice as likely to buy it back from you…
- True Emotional Exhilaration - Our High-Risk servers offer real thrill, heroes; when your time and progress are on the line, when your hard earned gear could be lost if you’re not careful, when finding another player could mean MASSIVE upgrades for you, the excitement is like nothing you’ve ever experienced on Azeroth. You will spend your time here as both the hunter and the hunted; take care in all that you do--the friends you forge, and the enemies you encounter.
- An Amazing Leveling Experience - Complete with accelerated leveling and increased EXP gain from our new Leveling Overhaul, start building your hero right from level one! (Read more here)!
- Your Hero, Your Fantasy - Wear any armor, wield any weapon, and choose from every spell, ability, talent in the game, to create your UNIQUE character!
- Explore Random Enchantments - Enter a world where looting gear might net you powerful and elusive Random Enchantments--unique enchantments on gear that alter the way your spells and abilities function, allowing you to further customize your hero.
- Azeroth Unbound - Explore Azeroth like you never have before; your custom character will embark on quests, explore dungeons, and write their story--all while you shape them into the Hero they’ll become.
Laughing Skull is an emotional rollercoaster, Heroes. We guarantee a rush of excitement, dread, and thrill like you’ve never experienced before. Our High-Risk realms are some of the most adrenaline fueled gaming experiences out there, and when your gear is on the line, you’ll know what we’re talking about. High-Risk is not for the faint of heart; only the dedicated survive here; only those who thrive in tragedy as well as glory.
