Spiral Knights - The server will now reboot! - A recap on the year's updates

The server will now reboot! - A recap on the year's updates

11 replies [Last post]

Thu, 04/05/2012 - 22:07

Espeonage

So yesterday or two marked Spiral's 1 year anniversary to its public launch on April 4th, 2011. Time sure flies like heck!

Since then, the community has blossomed (etc.), as did the grand deal of content Spiral Knights has come to offer;
did you know that SK started with two boss stratums and no piercing swords?
Below, you'll find a quick rundown of the numerous, impacting updates launched within the past year:
(After typing this, I decided to provide links to the patch notes for each :>)

- 1st Arsenal Expansion
(Flourish, revamped Brandish)

- Haven Expansion
(Auction House, Training Hall, re-conomy)

- Roar of the Snarbolax

- Game Mechanics
(Piercing mobs, revamped Gate system)

- Built To Destroy
(Roarmulus, Handgun/Haze rebalance)

- Vendor Expansion
(Punch/Vise, Preview function)

- Blast Network
(Coliseum, Modules, mini-arsenal expansion)

- Monster Expansion
(Polyps/Howlitzers)

- Clockworks Expansion
(Candlestick, Danger Rooms 2.0)

- Lockdown

- Accessories

- Shadows Over Cradle
(Dark Harvest, Shadow Lairs)

- Game Mechanics II
(Arsenal Stations, Revive blast)

- Winterfest
(Scenario Rooms, EU server)

- Drones

- Mission System
(Missions, Supply Depot, revamped Antigua)

- Crimson Hammer

- Vanguard
(T3 Missions)

- Item Balance I
(Armory rebalance, Troika charge v2, Spur v2)

That's about 18 major updates over the year's course!
Much appreciation, OOO. I've personally had such a great and impacting year, and it's practical all stemmed from being introduced to Spiral Knights that charmingly-quiet january 'noon.

Now, any of you folks biting for some 'ol discussion?
(And out of curiosity, polling points for general 'patch of the year')
Lockdown: 1

Fri, 04/06/2012 - 05:58

Asukalan

Wow, those first updates look

Wow, those first updates look epic.

It had to be amazing to read in update note "sixteen new weapons added...."

Fri, 04/06/2012 - 11:03

Heavy-Duty

...

I remember when I first started playing, the Menu said "Roar of the Snarbolax!" I thought- "snorlax?" but then some one threw me into the arcade vs. the new guy. :D

Fri, 04/06/2012 - 11:23

Starlight-Serenade

The link to the drones update

The link to the drones update goes to the mission update.

Fri, 04/06/2012 - 11:23

Xombie

Good post, Espeonage.

Fri, 04/06/2012 - 12:49

Treizeknight

Surprised you didn't include

Surprised you didn't include the (not really) controversial monster rebalancing patch or Steam's introduction.

Fri, 04/06/2012 - 13:04

Bopp

thanks

Thanks for a great list, Espeonage. I agree with Treizeknight, that there are a couple more updates worth mentioning. The patch that raised crafting costs is worth mentioning, just for the insane uproar that it caused, which of course evaporated almost immediately and is now forgotten.

Fri, 04/06/2012 - 13:08

Espeonage

@Treize Steam release didn't

@Treize
Steam release didn't introduce any new content unless you count the gasmask, but it was definitely a welcome community expansion of sorts.

@Starlight
Thanks, I knew I posted one of the links twice and thought I corrected it.

@Bopp
Crafting costs and etc. are in the Haven Expansion notes. I just noted highlights, and the rest of the important bits are mostly in the listed pages.

Fri, 04/06/2012 - 13:26

Bopp

hmm, I guess you're right

"Crafting costs and etc. are in the Haven Expansion notes. I just noted highlights, and the rest of the important bits are mostly in the listed pages."

I'd thought that the crafting cost increases occurred earlier than that. But I guess I was wrong. Certainly you're right, just to note the highlights. Cheers.

Fri, 04/06/2012 - 13:58

Culture

Hmm

Vote for patch of the year - Lockdown. Added an entirely new meta to the game, and it is still something I regularly come back to. I can play Lockdown for hours, doing FSC for hours gets tedious.

Worst patch of the year (which isn't listed since it isn't a content patch) - Monster Nerf - which changed the game from "easy" to "very easy." With the subsequent Greaver vapor nerf, the only remaining enemy that can be considered challenging is the Devilite, and that is mostly due to lag. I really, truly hope the Core/T4 reintroduces monster that know how to fight.

Sat, 04/07/2012 - 01:30

#10

Asukalan

I wonder if we will ever see

I wonder if we will ever see patches like that, with great addition for everyone.. and not only for P2P, something avaliable to everyone OR BUYABLE WITH CE from vendors (steam trade =/= buyable with CE)

Unfortunatly from what i saw its unlikely to happen..

Sat, 04/07/2012 - 04:48

#11

Severage

This game...

I could play it on Dial-Up without getting hurt, unless I was fighting a Devilite.

Really, they built the game assuming everyone has horrible internet. Zombies did have a slightly large damage area, for a 'swipe', but it was mostly only noticeable when you were lagging. The Greaver Vapor nerf made them far easier than they were before. It's surprising how they went from challenging to easy with such a small thing; but the shield-locking that the vapor did was really deadly. Not to mention the high-risk high-reward Retrode attacks are now very high-risk low-reward.

In other news, I'd have to say that the Auction House is by far the most useful update in this game since the Preview Event. Okay, maybe not, but it's a very substantial update. LD (despite mass rage) is also a great update since it provides a competitive side to a casual MMO, and causes people to come back (or never stop playing at all) after they get bored with Missions/Clockworks.

The Missions update was very fun, though unfortunately only for a limited time. Though it was nice to know there was a reason I went down to the CW to slaughter hopeless enemies, besides picking up Indiana Jones artifacts (Minerals).

The item balance was extremely pleasing as well, since many of those had been begged for time and again on various threads. Gunners now have little to complain about.

Punch is also a very, very useful update. Not just because you can get UVs with him, but he's a truly awesome crown sink. Without having the slightest clue of the numbers of crowns which people spend on NPCs/Taxes/LD/etc., I believe I can say he's the largest crown sink. HoH and LD are other good ones.

All in all, there was only the nerf patch, the ever-so-unloved OCH patch, and the Christmas Event patches that were kinda lame (Very lame on the nerfs). The Christmas event introduced the (worst) new map in LD, which we can't get rid of due to the achievement. I have to say though, that Achievement's name is awesome. Other than those, very nice year OOO!

A toast to a successful 'new year', despite the real world.

~Sev

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The server will now reboot! - A recap on the year's updates