In the lands of Evolution there are many wonderful, and strange, things happening without our understanding. While we are softly asleep in our beds, or adventuring out and about the realms, or just beginning to ponder our day to day; there is magic afoot. It starts off simply so; a dabbling of thought, a scribble of notes, and the final touch… a vision --- by: Kane.

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Sturger:  Hello Kane, are you ready for some questions?
Kane: Hello. Yes, I am!


Sturger:  I’d like to begin today with some questions about: “The Myth of Kane”
Kane: (laughs) Okay.

  Sturger: Like in all good stories there is at least one character, or group of characters, that stands out above the rest. With regards to the story of Evolution (UOE), I’d have to point out that you happen to be one of those characters. What I find lacking, however— and I’m sure it is a likewise feeling of many— are details which describe you, the myth, in better detail.

Sturger: That said; how long have you been playing Ultima Online?
Kane: I have enjoyed playing ‘Ultima Online’ since the first day I played it, pretty much since the game was open to the public, back in 1997. UO is a great game still, even 20 years after the fact, just like it probably still will be 5 years from now.

 Sturger: Indeed! UO has always been a great game!


Sturger: Do you remember what brought you to the Evolution shard, way back when?
Kane: I was playing Ultima on another free shard, about four years ago, and decided I had had enough of the staff’s corrupt, and questionable, gimmicks.Since moving on from there, I have spent two years on Evolution as a player, and the rest of that time as its main content developer.


Sturger: Have you enjoyed it thus far, being the sole developer that is?
Kane: Yes. Ultimately I love the coding aspect. I like being able to take a vision, of my own design—which is often a restructured idea I saw floating around in global chat— and turn it into code which pushes beyond your everyday Run-UO content.  Don’t get me wrong, free shard content has to start somewhere, but I dislike the idea of there being X amount of UO free shards, available to the public, and all of them are running pretty much the same content. I wanted more for the shard I developed. The first big difference, here on Evolution, was my idea to put out a fresh game patch each week. This is something unheard of even during OSI days; but here we are and it’s happening every Friday. There have been a few snags along the way, a couple hardware issues, one or two life issues, and of course several selfish people ruining the game by exploiting it. But that’s life, and nothing, and no one, is perfect. So, yeah I enjoy the vision & the coding process…


Sturger: I would have to agree with that last statement, especially considering how many patches you have put out thus far. 150+ patches to date, if my numbers are right, which is quiet impressive by the way. Does that number sound correct?
Kane: That number sounds about right, though there might be a few more than that, but I’ve lost count a long time ago.


Sturger: (smirks) Kane, if you don’t mind me asking, how many years of coding experience do you have under your belt?
Kane: I started learning basic computer code right after I retired from the army in 1991. I believe that’s about 25 years of computer coding Evolution, if you see what I did there.

  Sturger: Yes (roles eyes with a smile as he shakes his head) I did. 


Sturger:  As I mentioned before, you have done, about 150+small— and large— Evolution game patches; if you had to pick one thing, which you’ve added/created, from that list. What would be your favorite— by: Kane— addition to the shard, and why?
Kane: That is a good question. I’d have to choose the new pet trait system— as it stands— thus far created for my favorite (by: Kane) addition. Spoiler alert though, the pet trait system is not complete. There is more to come, so keep an eye out, in future patches, for all your taming extra’s.   


Sturger:  Exciting news to be sure, is there a why?
Kane: Simple. I want players to expect better, and to dream of limitless bounds when they play here. Again, like I mentioned before, I dislike the same old thing, day in day out. The new pet trait system, the new merchant contract system, and the new dungeon “The Tomb of Vecna”— we are about to launch in October— are all at a higher measure of that limitless boundary of better I’m speaking of. When new players come here—or an old veteran returns— they will see that we have moved beyond the boundaries of yesterday; and that is what will make Evolution different from other shards. Do I think it makes us a better free shard than others; who knows. What matters to me is that Evolution is evolving into something unlike the rest.


Sturger: Moving on, if asked to choose between the following game play styles: player verses monster, player versus player, or house decorating… which style would you choose as your current favorite? Why?
Kane: I would have to choose player versus monster because, in my opinion, player versus player is dead—due to all the combat related scripts out there— and because I am not very good at house decorating. True story, when Dante asked me to join the team to develop shard content I told him we were going to need someone to cover the decorating aspects of UO. Lucky for all of us— staff and players alike— Domino has stepped into that role, and is doing an awesome job by providing the shard with both new décor and fun new quests to indulge in.


Sturger: A vast majority of others use it in general chat, and I myself have pondered its true meaning often enough. So, we were all wondering, can you provide us with a basic understanding of what it means to be ‘Kane’n’ized’?
Kane: In simple terms ‘Kane’n’ized’ is one part randomness and two parts unexpected. Often times the coined phrase—Kane’n’ized—is me sticking to the vision in my head and coding new content accordingly. From [A] to [Z] if I plan to code something a certain way I stick to that vision. Examples might be random loot determined by which way you are facing when you loot the corpse box. Or imagine a grand list of 40 possibilities. Now, randomly, pick 10 items off of that list and paste them all into a 1 hour window of time. This is a Kane’n’ized loot table, and once that time limit is up the whole process begins anew.
 
  [Formula] First start off with a base list of 40 items. Then pick 10 items from that list, at random. Once this is accomplished, allow the randomly picked, loot choices, to be possibilities for about an hour. Finally, after the time limit has expired repeat the process over, until the event has run it's course.

  Sturger: Woah! This might be the first Q & A to ever include formulas… (nerds!)


Sturger: Truthfully now, (laughs) do you like hearing player character death throes?
Kane: (laughs) No, but the player base seems to enjoy the sounds made by their character’s death. Every time I have need of players to test out dangerous new content, with the possibility of death, I only have to ask once for volunteers. Each request manages to net me about 50 to 60+ potential casualties. Dying is another piece to the UO equation of fun. Eventually everyone is going to have their first— or one hundredth— death; it makes staying alive that much more of an enjoyable challenge in tough areas.



Sturger: We talked a little bit about the changes to the Rock dungeon, prior to this official Q & A session. You called it the ‘Tomb of Vecna’ as I recall and I must admit it was exciting news. In that informative conversation you mentioned two things which I wanted to highlight for our readers in more detail.

  Sturger: The first highlight, which I wanted to touch base on, was about [PvE] areas attuned to a player’s skill level.

Sturger: Does this mean there will be an area for beginners, and an area for veterans, within the Tomb of Vecna?
Kane: Yes. But it will be less restrictive then that sounds. Remove the idea of room [C] being for less experienced players to delve through, and room [D] for the more experienced players to conquer by the skin of their teeth. Instead the areas inside of “The Tomb of Vecna” are set up to be taken on as a progressive challenge. When any player is ready to move further into the dungeon they are encouraged to do so, but be prepared to be tested often— and be up to the tombs many challenges— along the way. Otherwise, you might find your journey hindered until you can overcome that obstacle which is slowing down your progress towards completion, and potential loot. I mentioned loot right?!. (laughs evil like)
 Sturger: Ha-ha. Yes you did mention loot would be inside somewhere, (looks nervous) but I only have one clean death robe, left, in my closet.   


Sturger: As a follow up question, will the two areas be linked in progression. I.E. the beginner area must be completed by a veteran before they can go on to the area designed to challenge their acquired skill/gear set?
Kane: No. The idea is for the players to be able to go at their own pace and have fun doing so. See a door, open it; a magic portal, jump right in; a dangerous looking creature, best it along the way. Seek, and discover, what lies within “The Tomb of Vecna,” & what your character is capable of doing once unleashed inside. Meet the challenges which I have provided, along the way, to discover the rich rewards that Kaz, or Vecna, have discarded/died clutching in hand/forgotten.


Sturger: The second highlight I wanted to mention was about what you called an ‘Instant Dungeon’; can you explain to the reader what exactly you are coding here?
Kane: Instant dungeons are dungeons that are unique in their: design, monster/loot selection, and replay ability. Currently, these dungeons are designed for the solo adventurer who is looking for something beyond the current selection of static dungeons to adventure in. First let’s understand that each time a player enters this type of dungeon—which I will refer to as dungeon X— they will find themselves alone. (No group/party mode feature, yet) Should someone else enter dungeon X they will be inside their own version, of  “The Tomb of Vecna,” which has been randomly created from scratch. Next, we add Kane’n’ized monsters & loot tables, before closing all the doors, double checking their locks, and adding Domino’s decorations. Finally, after completing your first 'Instant Dungeon’, you realize you can go again. However, once back inside you realize everything is out of place or just plain wrong. Where once there were of few skeletons you now find a giant black dragon gnawing on some yellowed bones. A narrow passage leading to a locked door has now turned into a dead end. And wait just a minute; is Lord Vecna wearing a tiara, with matching earrings, this time through?!.  You never know what you might find within, but you can always take another peak, if you're so inclined to do so.


Sturger: Amazing news, Kane! However, what about dungeons for players, with accounts, just above 21 days old?
Kane: ‘The Tomb of Vecna’ is the key to answering that question.  It will be the foundation for creating many more fun filled ‘Instant Dungeons’ to come in future patches. The tomb itself has an ultimate end goal, which a player must decide on before entry is allowed. Players must choose to be a follower of Kaz or a follower of Vecna. After this choice is made players start the long journey of leveling up the hand, or the eye, of Vecna artifact. The potential power of these finished artifacts depends on what kinds of creatures were slain during the leveling up process. Veteran players will likely have stronger versions of these artifacts when they are finally completed, but this fact suits their needs in gear/item advancement. Fret not, however, if you are not among the paragon veteran elite, the less experienced/poorer equipped players will find their way to artifact completion as well, and be rewarded grandly. Though, the reward might not be as powerful an artifact granted to the paragon veteran, it will certainly suit the needs of an up and coming champion of the realm. Simply put, kill what you can to complete the tasks involved, and be rewarded according to the difficulty of what befell during that epic journey.


Two  symbols, surrounding word text, represents where a revision was needed. The revisions, which I noted here, can be read about in: "The Kane Files" [Chapter Two], which is coming soon. 

--Sturger Quotable-- “I’m not for the people, I’m by the people; there is a suggested difference... no?”

Sturger: I am sure you get all types players, suggesting this, & that, be added to the shard. Can you name a few player suggested items, or additions, which have been added to the shard?
Kane: (pauses for a moment) Well, there are many player suggested ideas, involved in pages worth of patched content. that come to mind; the ‘Everlasting’ series of items for starters. To name a few more: there is the Kas gear set, the new merchant contract system, and of course the pet trait system I talked about earlier. Yes, the pet trait system is my own design/vision, but it stems from several players idea’s I overheard—or read somewhere— and thought I could build upon. You may not believe me, but I have a note book full of player suggestions, or ideas of my own, which were brought about by player suggestions. All I need is time, and I’ll get around to all 1001 of them. (laughs with a sigh) Time…


Sturger: Well said, Sir. Might you share your views on what makes a suggestion, a good one, worthy of consideration?
Kane: I find that good (organized) detail and reasonable balance are a few of the things that come to mind when I’m considering a suggestion. If only I could read minds…

   Sturger:  Indeed!!   

Sturger: Let’s continue on; Shinangyo asks if it is possible to add the necromancy reagents to the Evolution Key? If the answer is no, could you please explain why for the readers?
Kane: The answer is no, unfortunately, for Shinangyo. I believe, from a gamer and devolopers point of view, my reasoning is due to a player's need for both power progression & a balanced economy. In my opinion fun is derived from both of these categories, and one, or both, lend themselves to a player’s enjoyment of any MMORPG game out there. At the end of the day who knew that players wanted to better themselves, and sell their wares to get rich? Sounds like a familiar game, that I used to play, but I can’t remember what the name of it was. (playful, sarcastic tone)  Oh yeah… Life!


Sturger: The splendidly named, Jiggyfiggy, wants to know if a 'Master Runebook' can be added to the shard. His idea is to have a master rune book which will hold more than 16 runes, at a time.  Is this something there are plans for already, or that might be coded in the future?
Kane: Yes. The ‘Master Runebook’ is something I’ve wanted to add, but keep in mind the Run-UO version will not be what the player's get in the end. I have my own ideas on how to make a ‘Master Runebook‘ and the one I’m planning on making won’t be unstable or cause the server to crash.

   Sturger: True enough, Kane, down time is frown time. At least, it is for me.

Sturger: Jiggyfiggy also suggests a public vendor stone. Is there anything in the works, like this, to benefit all players who have vendors pedaling their wares throughout the realms?
Kane: Yes, I am up for making improvements to the vendor system; however I have seen/used public vendor stones/systems on other shards, and the search and undercut mentality is the main reason why I am saying no to a public vendor stone---for the time being. A vendor system, with a search feature, allows players to search for items and undercut item prices already listed. Eventually, items of value are being sold for a mere fraction of their worth. Evolution needs its economy healthy in order to thrive. So, at the end of the day, player economy is a must for the shard to prosper; there is just nothing else to be said about it.

Sturger: Recently there was a petition, written on the forums, concerning the recent changes to marking runes, and recalling, inside Trammel dungeons. Can you explain to me, in simple terms, why this change was done?
Kane: The Evolution free shard has about 400+ active accounts. That’s a lot of dungeon foot traffic on a daily basis. A good measure of that dungeon traffic is from new accounts traversing old stomping grounds, being invigorated by nostalgia, and getting a feel for their new UO-home, on 'Evolution'. Throughout all of these goings on, a situation arose which needed looking into. Needless to say I took the time to do so; and while I was considering possible resolutions to the issue, the situation escalated from a few complaints, here and there, to about 7 to 8 complaints a day. This was all due in part to one common dungeon reoccurrence. Veteran players, with grandfathered runes, were recalling into the depths of dungeons where newer players, without their own sets of grandfathered runes, were fighting hard to explore. Once inside the dungeon, Veterans would down a few choice kills and recall out. It was an unfair advantage, towards players without their own grandfathered rune sets, and the best  solution—at the time— was to even the playing field by turning off those grand fathered runes. Thus, we have dungeons in both Trammel--and Felucca-- with the ability to recall within their depths, set to off.

Sturger: Fair enough, though, some readers might wonder why the new players didn’t mark recall runes of their own. That being said, I guess it is left to me to ask the ultimate question--one more time-- and for the record: “Why was the ability to mark runes, within any of the trammel dungeons, turned off?”
Kane: The short answer comes down to bugs, and exploits. A few examples, from my list of reasons, include: runes being marked in the hue room, players marking runes inside the archeology tombs-- then looting them at will-- and finally the druid soil spell. This spell is buggy, and allows players to mark runes, and thus recall back, to places which were never meant to be interacted with in such a way. Don’t lose hope just yet, there are a few ideas in the works to allow players to recall in and out of dungeons once again —and when the need arises— those ideas might be put into play. As of now, things are working as they were intended. Walking isn’t so bad you know… though running might be a better choice in some cases.   

Sturger: We have come to this reporter’s favorite part of the Q & A session. In this section I’ll be asking a final question—or three—which concern my interests in UO, as a player, or on the forums, as an author/reporter.


Sturger: For today’s ‘Reporters Choice’ I’d like to point out that the cleric book quest is a difficult quest to complete these days. Is there anything in the works to make the quest more complete-able?
Kane: The answer to that is both yes and no. Please let me explain. First let me say I never liked that quest, and in the future I’d like to change it into something more fun and challenging. This is the yes part. The no part is that I will not be changing the way the current quest mechanics work. In the mean time, however, I do have plans to remold this quest in the future, but until that time comes I am, instead, focusing my coding time on important up and coming matters; like 'The Tomb of Vecna'. Somewhere in there you might find a potential Halloween invasion to start things off. This invasion is planned for some time around the 31st, and if things happen according to plan, it should be a fun time for all who attend.
Sturger: The last question, of this evenings Q & A session, has finally found its way onto the page. Someone, on the forums, wants to know if it is possible to add the magic books [I.E. Spell book, Necromancy book] to the paper doll as a worn item. The purpose would be to gain the ‘Worn Item’ benefits while being able to wield a melee/ranged weapon?


Kane: Currently, the answer to that situation, is no. The way the client is structured prevents the situaion, being asked for, from occuring without a sloppy work being created. In order to cast a spell, the game client requires the spell book to be in your main backpack; or in the characters hands. Sure, I can code it so a characters paper doll has an additional slot on it to hold the spell book, but you as the player would have to change all of your macros to read [CS {insert spell name here} in order to cast any Mage, or Necromancy, spells successfully.

   Kane: As of right now I am working on the new item creation system, which includes the creation of spell books and much more. Once I have this item creation system in play, and working without issue, I might concern myself with adding additional slots to the paper doll to hold spell books. However, it is fairly unlikely; a wizard should be surrounded by—and supplied with— wizardy items, and the like. So, for now, just wear the spell book in your main hand to get its added affects… it still works that way you know.  (laughs)


Sturger: Thanks for your time Kane. It has been quiet the evening!
Kane: Yeah no problem, it was fun.


   Sturger:  Until next time, this has been: ‘The Kane Files’
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In closing, disregard, if you must, this reporter’s side banter—and anything in parentheses— but try to remember that things of fantasy must need a certain element of entertainment attached, to them, at their core. It is how I tend to write so... (coughs)


  Doing this interview has brought to light a whole plethora of unimagined imaginings due in part to the man of the hour, Kane. It is said, often in dark corners of private teamspeak chat rooms: “You either love him, or hate him,” and this is probably truth to some degree. I’ll admit it; I’m a big fan of the myth we know as Kane. To me he plays the villain, and hero, so smoothly, and without concern for his prides reputation. Hard choices must be made, and new adventures need a humble code master, to sit in a room, making things happen for others to enjoy. Let us never forget his genius, which has brought to the screen so much of what we love today, or all the hours he spent cleaning up the place after a cataclysm, of sorts, brought what we loved, in the past, to ruin. Each week he provides us with good news: something broken is fixed, often improved upon, or brought to being for the first time. This, in its self, allows all of us a new way to be entertained, by UO, and once again left with endless bouts of fantastical fun. Of course, he doesn’t do it alone, and he admitted it to me often during our teamspeak interview. On behalf of Kane, and myself, I would like to take this time to thank Dante, Domino, Zoe, Expo, and all the rest of the staff, present and past, for keeping UO alive for us nerds. Without all of them there would only be unkindled embers, smoldering amongst the ashes, of what UO used to be for the rest of us. It is through their separate, and joined, passions for UO that each of our dying embers has come to be rebuilt into a healthy flame; which shines its light as a steady beacon for those who are seeking to evolve and add their embers to the blaze which is EVOLUTION.

   In the lands of Evolution there are many wonderful and strange things happening without your understanding. While you are softly asleep in your bed, adventuring out and about, or just beginning to ponder your day to day; there is magic afoot. It starts off simply so: a dabbling of thought, a scribble of notes, and the final touch; a vision… by: Kane.

Sturger:  Hello Kane, are you ready for some more questions?
Kane: Hello. Yes, I am!


Sturger:  Our first venture into ‘The Kane Files’ helped to clarify a few misunderstood topics, stir up the communities imagination, and cause a little excitement all at the same time. Since it was originally posted last month ‘The Kane Files’ [Chapter One] has been viewed about 200+ times. A good start I would say; wouldn’t you?
Kane: I’d like to think so.


Sturger: Good to hear Kane. I was wondering what you thought about the article, we put out, in October?
Kane: I truly enjoyed it, and thought it was a great read. The staff, and a few players—whom I talked with about the article— felt the same way. You did a good job, so keep it up.

   Sturger:  Thank you Kane. I hope I remain worthy of such praise from all who enjoy my writing style. It is humbling, and exciting, to know I bring a little entertainment to the Evolution community.

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Sturger:  Now, to begin “The Kane Files” Chapter Two, I thought I would gather some questions from our forums reader base. The following questionnaire encompasses a small fraction of what they wanted to know.


--Sturger Quotable-- “Just because I chew my nails, while waiting for people on the forums to respond to my latest blathering’s, doesn’t mean I am nervous at all… maybe I’m just hungry!?.”


Sturger: We shall begin with the recent changes to the Archeology System; were Smilingdeath, and jurppa, wanted to know the following:

Sturger: Will players be allowed to select which type of artifact—normal versus priceless—they can dig up, when at a potential archeological dig site?
Kane: The answer to their first question is no; archeological digging will always be random. To explain further I would begin with my need to create a certain vastness within the archeology system. Currently, what is seen in game, with regards to archeology, is only the beginning. In the future, players will find other rare items, when out digging, that will be tied into the ‘Dragon Content’ coming out next year.


Sturger: Very interesting news, about the ‘Dragon Content’, Kane. My next question is concerning the whereabouts of a certain lost, yet rather important, someone. The readers want to know, when will the NPC, that purchases the priceless artifacts, be placed into the realms of Evolution?
Kane: I actually thought he was in game already, but things tend to get forgotten when I find myself in the end of the year crunch. The answer to when the 'Artefact Dealer' will be put into game is this week—possibly next week— sometime.  All that is left to do, before patching him in, is a little more testing to make sure he functions correctly.


Sturger: I am sure several people will be happy to hear that. Where will the ‘Priceless Artefacts Dealer’ be placed, when he is ready to set up shop?
Kane: The TerMur facet will play host to the ‘Artefact Dealer's’ shop; and when he is finally up & running it will be announced in game. So, make sure to look for information on his arrival both in general game chat, and in future patch logs, which will be coming soon. 


~~Before we move on, Kane also mentions that when the newly revamped, Shame, dungeon came out it wasn’t by chance, but rather by his own design. Shame is truthfully the first of many links in a long chain—he provides— one which lends itself to the Archeology system. Kane can be sneaky—'Lava Elementals' anyone— but it is often in an enjoyable, challenging, way.  The Sash of the Pit, or rather the item it levels up to become, is no different. The item can obtain a few magical properties which might play a huge role in digging around in archeological dig sites, and the lost tombs some sites are secretly connected to. He didn’t mention much more than that, and since I became lax in the development of my Pit item, I can only imagine the potential which lies dormant within its magical creases~~ Sturger:  Alright Kane, lets change it up, and go right into my new favorite topic. Last time we talked about the Instant Dungeon system in: ’The Kane Files’ [Chapter One]. In [Chapter Two] readers want to know: “Will ‘The Tomb of Vecna’ be ready soon, or held back another month?”
Kane: The ‘Instant Dungeon’ system is nearly in its finished state and ready for testing. I plan to focus on its completion after Christmas day, following the Sunday auction, which follows. So, look for an ‘Instant Dungeon’ patch sometime as early as January. But please remember: life happenings, my continued good health, unplanned for bugs, exploits, and server/ISP issues will always take precedence over new content patches. It’s just the way it is, and more than likely always will be, while I’m allowed to Kane’n’ize the shard. 

Sturger:  Again, concerning the ‘Tomb of Vecna’; Smilingdeath wanted to know if there will be a set of armor—found within ‘The Tomb of Vecna’— that is comparable to some of the existing armor sets; such as Kas, Magi, or the current Vecna set?
Kane: Yes. There is a new Vecna set coming out with the release of ‘The Tomb of Vecna’ patch; which, as I mentioned earlier, is slotted for as early as January. However, as of this question, only the new ‘Skull of Vecna’ is available, from the new Vecna set, for those willing enough to seek it out. With the release of TToV, players will also have access to the ‘Hand, and Eye, of Vecna’, which are levelable pieces of that set.  Also, be on the lookout for more Vecna set pieces, possibly 3, in future patches throughout next year. 

   Sturger:  Yay! More things for me to haz! I mean… the final question I have, regarding the ‘Tomb of Vecna’, is potentially reserved for top secret clearance; but I’ll ask it anyways.

Sturger:  Will there be any new monster types, in ‘The Tomb of Vecna,’ unimagined even in our worst nightmares?
Kane: *laughs evil like, before he mentions* Yes, I intend to reveal a new monster mechanic which I call a levelable monster. To be more precise; just don’t die while in ‘The Tomb of Vecna’ and you will have -Kane’n’ized- the master at his own game. Character death is what triggers a levelable monsters special ability, which of course—as the name would imply— happens to be the ability to level up its difficulty/challenge rating. Players should expect increases in stats, minimum & maximum damage output, increases in elemental & physical resistances; and the likely hood that doom has found them & tomorrow might be a better day for solo adventure.


~~Kane did go into more detail about what to expect inside, TTOV; but as a good writer I wanted to leave a little bit for the players to find out on their own. I will say this though; we did talk about something not often discussed on the forums, a need to dust off the party system. Though either way you look at it, partied up or solo ran, the 'Tomb of Vecna’s’ levelable monsters are a double edge sword~~


------------------------- [Time for a revision] 
Sturger: It became clear to me that I had jumbled two thoughts, expressed by Kane, in our first Q & A session shortly after revisiting this topic—The Tomb of Vecna—with him. In truth ‘The Tomb of Vecna’ is not an ‘Instant Dungeon’ at all. Instead, it is the rock dungeon, revamped into what will be known as “The Tomb of Vecna’, which will eventually be classified—in the end— as custom dungeon [insert number/letter].  In Kane’s original description he used the phrase “Vecna’s Study” which is where I misinterpreted his meaning, by assuming it was a room inside of ‘The Tomb of Vecna’. Please forgive my error, and not fret overly much, Kane’s ‘Instant Dungeon’ is still on the way.

Sturger: What was once great news, to my ears, is now a step beyond epic in nature. Kane has taken the concept of monster spawner’s and rehashed the idea to make computer code not only spawn monsters, but a mini dungeon around them. This is what I missed the first time around, but he made it clear to me that a gate— or something like it— inside of a dungeon, out in the world environment, or potentially inside of an NPC’s house would signify the appearance of an ‘Instant Dungeon’. These dungeons can happen anywhere in an instant, and may only last twice as long. If you should be lucky enough to stumble across one, get inside very quickly, before your first chance—in a long while— at real adventure, is gone in an instant.
------------------------- [Revision ends] 

--Sturger Quotable-- “Evolve your crafting potential and  Evolution will grow beyond… “.

Sturger: I’ve talk with a lot of people on both team-speak—and the forums— and everyone is excited about the changes you intend to make with the revamped ‘Item Crafting System’. Some are leery while others are excited—it’s just in their nature—and of course many have a few questions, too.

Sturger: For starters Kane; what is the status of the upcoming ‘Item Crafting System, which we talked about in [Chapter One]?
Kane: The item crafting system is on hold at the moment due to Christmas being right around the corner. The way I see it, I have 1 month for Christmas, and 11 months for everything else. Lately, my time has been spent recoding the ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ holiday event in order to make the change over from one day’s event—to the next— automated.  In addition to that, Domino has created tons of new Christmas decorations this year. Apparently she is into snow. But don’t forget there might be a few hidden surprises, or gifts, from all of us along the way.

Sturger: Did someone say all new items in every gift box this year?
Kane: Maybe. But Santa told me not to tell anyone until the 25th of December.

Sturger: Well then! I’ll have to have a good long chat with Santa. While we wait, for Christmas, our good friend, Smilingdeath, wanted to know if the old special recipes—for weapons and armor— were being updated in the new ‘Item Crafting System’; or will that, older, system be left as it is?
Kane: Smilingdeath’s answer is no. The ‘Item Crafting System’ does not use a recipe based system like the old ‘Mondain’s Legacy’ system, which he is referring to, does. Instead it relies on players collecting, potential, item crafting ingredients and then trying to craft something useful out of them. The new ICS looks at three things when ascertaining the likelihood of successful item construction. What ingredients the character is trying to craft with, what core focus is being used to fuse with those crafting materials, and does the character meet the skill requirements, necessary, for crafting with the materials selected in the attempt at item creation. In the end the need for a single recipe scroll, to craft a specific item, is highly redundant, with regards to the new ‘Item Crafting System’. This is largely due to the endless number of possibilities—within the new item crafting system— which a player can choose from to craft. Again, no recipes are necessary to craft with the new system, but maybe a new key to hold all the ingredients players are bound to find, and save for a rainy day.


~~In Kane’s example, he mentions that it all begins with a core focus—pretty much a specific item—which can either be found as loot, or potentially crafted by the players themselves. The next step is where things get interesting. Kane mentions that a brain from a lich could be “one of five material sources’’, and that this material source could provide a “Spell Damage Increase” bonus to the core focus when fused together in the crafting process. The last step is for the item crafter to meet the correct Magery skill requirement check. Once this requirement is met, the item is likely to be successfully crafted into a new item which carries the SDI bonus mentioned earlier. I am sure there are more details, even a few I have forgotten, to come on this topic; but be patient & we will learn them all, together, in time~~


Sturger: Newly returned, Emperor Norton wanted to ask about jewelry crafting. Apparently, he is into man bling, or whatever the kids are calling it these days. But more specifically, he wants to know if the new item crafting system would allow him to craft the old jewelry recipes, once again?
Kane: Again, the answer is no; but only to cover the possibility that me saying yes, now, turns out to be wrong in the near future. All characters will have the potential to craft new jewelry pieces when using the new ICS, after it is patched in. Though, it is possible that an older, recipe related, jewelry item can be crafted by a player using the new ICS; it is unlikely that the newly crafted item would be an exact match. The potential, for players, to pick and choose what bonuses are being applied to the finished product means that unwanted values will, undoubtedly, be left out.


~~Kane had a lot to say about the new ‘Item Crafting System’—which will be coming out sometime next year—and that is why I kept his answers, to questions about it, short and to the point. The truth is I got confused a few times—among other things—while he spoke about the system in greater detail, and length. It was clear to me, in his voice at least, that the new ICS excites him. There will be much fun to discover within the new ICS; a system— at least from my standpoint— that has endless potential. That mirror shield, or warlock staff, not good enough anymore? Very well, then, you have the power now—when it comes to future item crafting at least— do something about it. Make something truly better, I dare all of you~~


Sturger: Before we wrap up this section; I have been getting a lot of positive feedback about the, recently remade, craftable ‘Blackstaff’. People I’ve talk to want to know if there are more items, on your list of 1001, ready to undergo similar changes. Perhaps the Scythe is next?
Kane: No. There are none at the moment. As a matter of fact, until recently, I was unaware that the ‘Blackstaff’ was broken & in need of fixing. If other items—such as the Scythe— are in need of a fix, I will get around to fixing them eventually; but only after I am made aware that there is an issue with the item. The old saying: “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it,” comes to mind; but as that saying rings of truth, I imagine the following thought holds true as well: “If I don’t know it’s broken, how will I know it needs fixing”. Just keep in mind when asking about in game items, that I don’t play UO anymore. None of the Evolution staff holds an active player account on Evolution, it is against the rules---one of which I required in order to be head of content development.

   Sturger: Thank you Kane, on behalf of all of us. I know simple things, like the Blackstaff’s return to greatness, means a lot to the player base. By the way, does that mean you won’t tank for me next Sin Dungeon Run?
Kane: … (laughs)

Sturger: Kane, is it possible to go over the current mechanics of the Bushido formula, and flesh out a simple—yet accurate—understanding of it?
Kane: The simple answer is found in the parrying section, which lists the changes made to bushido and parrying. Most of what is needed, mechanics wise, is listed there. In Evolution— unlike OSI— the Bushido and the Parrying skills work independently of each other. In order to figure out which formula to use; ask yourself if you are using a shield. If your character has a shield in hand, then the parrying formula is being used. If no shield is involved, in a characters combat set up, it is only a matter of how many hands are required to wield the weapon being held by the character. Once a player has a clear grasp on which formula they are subjecting their character to, while in combat—and understands how that formula works— all that remains is their opponent’s combat prowess, to consider. A common orc will be easily defeated by a player with a high amount of ‘Bushido’ at their disposal. However, a Ronin might be a tougher assignment to contend with. Following this line of thought, farther, should lead to a complete understanding of ‘Bushido’s’ vast array of moving parts.


~~Kane was unable, or unwilling, to give me the hidden math, talked about, in the Bushido combat equations, mentioned in the parrying section of the EVO-Wiki.  Whatever any of us come to believe about the meaning of this secret; I believe the secret is not a secret at all, but rather a safeguard. Not putting a number into the equation allows Kane to change the number to reflect what he, and staff, feel is a stable, yet, balanced Bushido aspect of Evolutions combat structure. At the end of the day, a little trial and error, using real life math, might just be the answer to figuring out what the correct mathematical equation is being used for Bushido related combat. Then again, it might just be the correct hidden number for the day~~


Sturger: In our next question, Smilingdeath has concerns about throwing weapons and their primary & secondary abilities. He wants to know if the correct abilities are being used during a ranged attack, versus, a melee attack.
Kane: The answer to that is no. As of right now, throwing weapons, need their—RunUO— to hit mechanics recoded, for their, primary and secondary, abilities to display & function properly.  I am aware of this issue and will be working on a fix sometime after Christmas. As I’ve said, Christmas is a busy time of year for us.



Sturger: In this next section, dubbed the P.Y.N. section, we will be going over questions which only require an answer of: yes, no, or plausible/possibly. However, more detail, concerning the answer to the question, will never be turned away by this reporter.

   Sturger: Once again, good ole, Smilingdeath--who is this guy-- wants to know about the following:

Sturger: Will, or have, throwing weapons been looked at to make sure they are functioning as intend?
Kane: Yes, they have been looked at. No, they are not working as intended.

Sturger: Will items—similar to the +20 Swordsmanship hat— grant a ‘Throwing’ skill, ‘Mace Fighting’ skill, or ‘Fencing’ skill bonus be added to Evolution’s equipment list at some point? 
Kane: Yes, items like the new ‘Skull of Vecna’ have this option, with the use of skull chips, which can add skill bonuses, like Smilingdeath mentions.

Sturger: Will items be added for the other less used combat skills?
Kane: Yes, again. Any of the skills, from the skills tab on the paper doll, are possible. This includes items that do, and don’t, use skull chips. In the future anything can be possible.

Sturger: Will armor sets, without the battle worn tag, be added in the future?
Kane: Yes, there are plans to add more item sets in the future. Soon more pieces of the new Vecna set will be released—which includes the already obtainable 'Skull of Vecna'— but there are plans for more armor sets, in the future, with and without the: "Worn" tag.

Sturger: Today, in the interviewer’s choice section, I wanted to talk about the mechanics behind calculating character hit points, what a character’s maximum allotment of hit points is at the moment, and finally, cover why gear related bonuses, and magical means, play no role in determining a characters hit point pool.

Sturger: The formula, according to the OSI/EA standards for calculating hit points, is (Strength/2) + 50. However, I’ve noticed this is not true on UOE. In fact, the correct formula for hit points—when playing on Evolution—is 2 for 1. I.E. every point of strength gained, towards a characters maximum base stat pool, grants them 2 hit points; a potential maximum hit point total of 250, before gear related bonuses. Do these observations sound correct, and are they as intended?
Kane: Plausible, but not coded by me.

Sturger: According to my findings, while using the mechanics I mentioned above plus relevant gear related bonuses, 300 is a character’s maximum hit point’s allotment. Does this sound correct, and as before, is this working as intended?
Kane: Again plausible, but not coded by me.

Sturger: Evolution is full of magic, and cluttered with all sorts of potential gear to wear; why is it then that these two factors neither help nor hinder a players hit point pool; while the same is not true in regards to a characters stamina and mana pools?
Kane: At the moment, the formula for calculating hit points is either broken, or altered by X amount of variables which allow for some items to change the formulas end sum. At this time, I intend to leave the way hit points are calculated alone. What you mentioned, above, seems to be correct; though I would have to look into it before I could be 100% positive.

Sturger: I want to thank you Kane for not smiting me down, with a 10k lightning bolt, for asking you all  these tough questions tonight. Every new understanding helps the reader sleep at night you know. .. at least it lets me do so. *Laughs*
~~With all of my questions asked, and the answer jotted down in short hand before my eyes, Kane  left me with the following thoughts before we logged off Teamspeak for the night~~



--Kane-- “The biggest thing to remember about projects, mentioned in development, is that new content will come; but it requires patience from both sides. Again, I repeat, content will come; it just takes time to code---and for the staff to hurdle any obstacles which get in the way of the finish line”.

--Kane-- “Oh yeah, by the way, Domino is taking charge with the new contract system! She is going, above and beyond, to learn the system and create new merchant contract vendors for everyone to enjoy. Domino is just plain awesome, and because of her I get to focus more of my coding time on other things, like ‘The Tomb of Vecna’, which is great.”


~~There you have it, another chapter, with an interesting file to read. Hope you enjoyed this installment of ‘The Kane Files’. Until next time, keep up the adventure, and remember:   “The game has evolved...”~~


                                            --Sturger, of Skara Brea; reporter at large, EVO-Herald—