Hellgate: London – London 2038 Development Update #14

Following a couple months of radio silence, we get a new development update for Hellgate: London’s London 2038 multiplayer mod. With the holiday season fast approaching, we’re treated to some info on an upcoming Halloween event, as well as a detailed preview for the mod’s new patch. Check it out:

Hello, hello!

It has been a while, has it not. Well time has not been wasted, my fellow London survivors, so let’s waste no time with introductions and get right down to what’s being done!

Spooky Fawkes

First things first, since Halloween is fast approaching and this is being asked – yes! The Halloween events will be back on schedule this year. Last year was its own scare, as we transitioned to glorious Beta, but this year there will be spooky quests to scare your lv50 boots off. Or not, probably, but they’ll try.

So, if you’ve been waiting to get your hands into some Fawkes Flameguards for that spicy punch build, now’s the time.

Now,the patch…

…is long overdue, yes. So, as we strive to meet the Fawkes deadline or risk explosions at our HQ, here are the latest developments and what you can expect.

The floor gang is no more

First, I regret to inform you that the “floor” map is no more. It has indeed been replaced by a unique asset that FSS had inexplicably left unused, and so had that other Hellgate we don’t speak of. Now, it’s not fully complete on our end yet, but as of writing this diary it’s doing its best to greet you in time.

It hasn’t seen a soul in many many years, so please be gentle.

New content

Now, speaking of, what new content lies in wait? Well, our expansion has continued to edge along, but for now you can expect what we’ve teased manifold already:

• New SH quests. You know what these are – if not, diary #13 9 will illuminate this part.
• A new questline. This one I can’t reveal yet, but it will start at Holborn and conclude with a very popular player request – and an oddly familiar face.
• A new dungeon. Have we teased this before? I could’ve sworn we have. This dungeon’s gates will open for you early on, and continue to offer enticing items once you’re in shiny TC gear.

New items

What’s this about items, you say? Well now! This patch comes with a massive 67 new items, assuming more don’t make it in at the last minute. But no no, these won’t dilute the global pool. Specifically:

• 26 follow quest-bound rewards
• 29 will drop from the mystery dungeon
• 3 are an early-game baddie’s new gifts to you
• 6 are SH exclusives
• 3 are global drops

So rest assured, these items are very discreet and won’t get in your way unless you want them to. Save for the 3 last ones, of course.

New skills, old skills

Of course, new items need new skills to frame them. Well no, not really, but I’m trying to stitch together the illusion of structure.

So, the patch brings 5 new skills. Passives, mind you – I tried to suggest actives but was promptly slapped. I won’t spoil who they’re for, but they will offer something new and exciting.

Lastly, there’s the “old” component. Legends speak of ancient times, when the last patch brought some skill changes players disliked. These legends we’ll address, then, by reverting some such changes, and tweaking a few old skills accordingly. We do have the whole skillgroup initiative to support as well, do we not?

Armor line revamps

Next up, speaking of skillgroups, we’ve finally (nearly) completed armor line revamps. Remember these boring armor lines with minor to no distinguishing traits? Well no more!

To address this shortcoming, we’ve added new inherent bonuses for most, if not all, armor lines. Some intend to make them viable alternatives to BiS items (you know which ones they are), some frame our skillgroup initiative, and some support underused builds.

Finally, many of these also occupy the same slot. We heard you like RNG, so we put RNG in your RNG, as they say.

Swords

To conclude this text wall, swords of all shapes and speeds should find welcoming hands. To address this, we’ve added inherents based on attack speeds to make slower swords serve a different purpose. I won’t spoil this one either, but it’s a sweeping change – only Wart’s Peg Leg remained unaffected.

And now…

…having written the rough equivalent of 2 average Discord posts, I must leave, for my people need me.

All the best to you and yours, and may you have a pleasant, spooky October. For the living!