The new minigame is known as - The Call of Jhebbal Sag - and takes place in the Pictish Wilderness, where players will fight over control of a strategic region of the wilderness. The new Conquest mode plays out in a different way to the existing mini-games. We really tried to aim for something more dynamic that would concentrate on the combat. In this rule-set, each side starts with a certain amount of resources. Resources are then lost for each capture point that the enemy holds for a certain time or if your allies fall in battle. If a side runs out of resources they can not continue and their opponents are victorious and they are forced to retreat, to attempt to fight for this region another day. Each side in this minigame has two teams. So the battle is a 12 versus 12 encounter. Victory is defined by forcing your opponent down to zero resource points. There are several capture points on the map that you have to fight over. The more points your side holds more resources the other team loses every ‘tick’ of progression. The points will have different resource values depending on their location and proximity to a respawn point. The further afield you venture the greater the gain. Players can also bring their mounts to this mini-game, which will add another different mechanic to the area that you haven’t seen in the other mini-games. Finally there are also random buffs/debuffs located around the mini-game that can tip the tide of battle. Each node though is not guaranteed to be beneficial. Will you receive the blessing of Jhebbal Sag or his curse? Hopefully it will all add up to a pretty exciting new game mode that will also come with a suitable selection of associated quests. Lastly, and this is something we know players have wanted, we are also taking the opportunity to address how the sign-up queue works. We will be ensuring that single teams cannot dominate a queue and that the new sign-up queue always evenly distributes players between the teams, regardless of whether they were in a group when signing up. That will apply to all the old mini-games as well.
The Guild Events are new social mini-games held in guild city taverns ("outdoor") or in the guild city cultural retreats ("indoor"). There are five Event types introduced in this patch: Treasure Hunt - (outdoor only) Pick up randomly scattered treasures across the zone for the highest point total. Demon Hunt - (outdoor only) Find your compatriots that have become demons and catch them for points. As a demon, survive without being caught for points. Ymir's Hunt - (indoor only) Freezetag! Run away from the Ymirish or you'll be frozen. Survive or unfreeze others for points. Storytelling - (indoor or outdoor) Take turns telling a story and vote for the finest storyteller over multiple elimination rounds. Insult Contest - (indoor or outdoor) Skillfully insult a given target using the theme provided and vote for whoever you feel is the best at slinging the proverbial mud to give them points.
Horse Racing is for groups in Old Tarantia. Some of the more observant amongst you may have noticed the area being prepared some time ago! Any group may pay Marcellus, the racetrack owner, to use his course for whatever race they like - it is up to the group to decide what kind of steeds (if any) to use for their race. We expect the typical race setup to be three laps with a random assortment of obstacles and speed boosts, but players may also choose one-lap or no-obstacle variants. Keep an eye out for barrels, sticky mud, and horse-spooking adders - and stockpile carrots and sugar sold nearby to keep your steed up to speed.
Renowned players can learn the dances of other races by seeking out quests across the world. Old Tarantia hosts a "VIP Area" on the rooftops near the tradepost, complete with drinks, dancing, and fireworks, accessible only by members of the top-ranked guild and their guests. In addition an assortment of over 30 new city decorations is also available in Khitai, from a few different sources.