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Trivia |
This page lists content that was unimplemented, unfinished, unreleased, or in some other way unavailable to players on the retail servers. This page has been split into several sections, covering various eras of Asheron's Call:
- Beta Era - earliest development to October 1999
- Asheron's Call Era - November 1999 to September 2001
- Dark Majesty Era - October 2001 to June 2005
- Throne of Destiny Erea - July 2005 to July 2008
- Ancient Powers Era - August 2008 to May 2015
Beta Era
Rennaj
The Rennaj were a planned 4th heritage group. On Turbine's Beta page Sketches, there was an image with the file name rennajcity.gif, which in the image was labeled Rennaj City.
This was later referenced in a dev chat.
Q: SageMadHatter> First, Lillith (yes from CoD) and I would like to extend congrats on a great job done with the windmills! We only found out recently when lookup to the ceiling, that you can actually see the gears and sprockets turning in sync with each other! Great work.
All right, and now for the question/suggestion. Originally you guys had planned 4 heritage groups, for one of these heritage groups you have some concept art of a city (Rennaj City) Although the 4th heritage was drop... Could you guys look into perhaps in the distance future (okay, well maybe not years from now! but sometime...) considering bringing Rennaj City to life? :) It's a wonderful concept and I'm sure many of the fans would love to see a floating city :) Preferably a hidden secret floating city! I know I asked this before on the boards, but wanted to ask it in the semi-unofficial chat, who needs balance?
A: jason@Turbine> thanks..
jason@Turbine> if your gonna do windmills...
jason@Turbine> burn them..
letoile@turbine> More than four, in fact.
letoile@turbine> I'm not sure we could easily do the floating city in the current engine. Buildings themselves take a long time. In order to do this properly, we'd have to make the city a bunch of multiple floating buildings that all fit together. Jason, you want to add something to my fumbling here?
jason@Turbine> a large one would be hard, but small ones would just be a time suck.. perhaps one day, but I don't know when we'd have the time to work it in..
This developer chat, which occurred in June of 2000, may have been the inspiration for the Floating City Quest, which was added in October of 2000.
Witch Cave
This was the first quest designed by Stormwaltz, based around the first dungeon he created, called Witch Cave.
In an interview, Stormwaltz gave a few details about the quest:
Q: Is there a quest you made for AC that didn't get put in?
A: Several, in fact. My very first quest was to based around my very first dungeon, called the Witch Cave. It rapidly ballooned until it involved half of Dereth, and got lost in the press of immediate needs. One day I'll get it in. Some of the characters involved are actually already in the game, as part of other quests, but the dungeon itself is still hibernating on my hard drive.
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Chris "Stormwaltz" L'Etoile |
In the Stormwaltz quote On Harlune and the Storyline, he mentions it again, however, he now seems to be thankful it did not make it in:
When I created Harlune, I had no plan in mind beyond "he was a powerful life mage." But I created him early in beta, when I just tossed stuff out without considering the broader ramifications. I hadn't fully familiarized myself with the world yet. In retrospect, it's a good thing Witch Cave never made it in.
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Chris "Stormwaltz" L'Etoile |
Asheron's Call Era
Eastern Island
In the original version of the game, there was a large island to the east of Dereth, beyond Asheron's Island. In the original AC Explorer database, there are two points of interest listed on the island:
- 55.6N, 90.9E - A castle. It is described as having vines on the sides, with energy shooting out of the center. A Dark Wisp was located here.
- 52.5N, 85.9E - A lifestone. It is said that Sclavi, including the Essa variety, were nearby.
It is unknown how explorers managed to reach the island, but it may have been possible to be portal stormed here. Later on, the island was modified and then removed entirely and replaced with Aphus Lassel.
The island was clipped around two years ago. Clipped meaning that we ran some tests on the island by carving large valleys through the landmass... Then we decided to add Aphus Lassel and erased a fair majority of the island, replacing it with the land of Tuskers.
So ultimately it was removed. And no, Asheron's Island was not part of that enormous island. Asheron's Island has always been in the same spot just off the coast of Eastham, so far as I can remember.
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Orion |
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Island as it originally appeared.
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Island after being modified (green areas are modified area that were not downloaded).
Frozen Wasteland Island
From Taste of Twilight: Stormwaltz Comments on the Aerlinthe Quest:
I'd also like to take a moment to note that the “frozen wasteland” island was not supposed to be open for play for some time yet, and it is only reachable through a bug. It is still in a very early stage of construction, as evidenced by the extreme performance hit in the ice gardens - the degrade art for those beautiful ice upwellings has not been completed, so everyone on the screen is rendering at full detail, no matter how far from it you are.
There are no plans to open the ice island anytime in the near future, although its construction began at the same time Aerlinthe's was. The landscapes of the new islands were designed by artists Pete “Obsidian Span” McDonald, Sean “Shadow Spire” Turbitt, and Bil “End of Beta Comet” Mauritsen.
- ChrisL (Stormwaltz}
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Chris "Stormwaltz" L'Etoile |
Tumerok War Spear
During The Changing of the Ways event, a new interaction was added to the Exploration Society Letters quest. After turning in a stamped letter, players would receive the Exploration Society Token. The NPCs would direct you to bring this token to Bach Lien, in the Explorer Society Outpost on the road between Rithwic and Dryreach. Unfortunately, no such NPC or outpost existed. Turbine confirmed this was a bug:
The search for Bach Lien is a bug. We apologize for the inconvenience that is has caused any of you. Perhaps some time in the future the complete iteration of her tale will reach the loremasters of Dereth but for now she will remain a mystery.
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Allan Maki Community Representative Turbine Entertainment Software |
This was later reiterated in the Flesh and Blood State of the Code:
Q: I have heard some reference to a mysterious Bach Lien. However, I can find no such person anywhere in the game. Does she really exist?
A: Although she is mentioned as an extension to the Exploration Society Letters quests, the search for Bach Lien is a bug, as she does not appear in the game. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Perhaps some time in the future the complete iteration of her tale will reach the loremasters of Dereth but for now she remains a mystery.
This quest may have been the inspiration for the Tumerok Banners Quest or the Aun Tanua's War Taiaha Quest.
Fourth Sending of Darkness Live Events
In an interview with Warcry, Stormwaltz mentioned some ideas that were scrapped from the first story arc. From Asherons Call: 4 Years of AC and Counting, Part 2 - L'etoile, Part 2:
Q: Things change in a game like Asheron's Call, change every month infact. What were some things that you wanted to impliment but just didn't have the time,tech or whatever else to get in the game?
A: So many things I'm sure I can't remember. Everything you do under a deadline undergoes a heavy-handed process of winnowing. You start with a grandiose vision and then cut it down to something that's feasible. A major event that I alluded to before was Isin Dule's contribution to the regional invasions of Black Ferah and Ler Rhan. He was supposed to be the climax, but that entire phase of the event was cut because it was taking too long to test all the generators (this was our first major use of triggered spawns). That worked out for the better of the story in the end, with Dule turning his coat.
Another abandoned thread was having Dave Namerow create and level a character named Saresh to build a monarchy that would throw its allegiance to Bael'Zharon upon his release. The fiction was that "Saresh" was the Shadow General Ferah in disguise. This was a too much work to maintain on all servers, and we never had a solid idea of how it could be leveraged into the main storyline.
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Chris "Stormwaltz" L'Etoile |
Dark Majesty Era
AC:DM Unreleased Armor
The Asheron's Call Dark Majesty: Sybex Official Strategies and Secrets contained the stats for numerous pieces of armor which never appeared in the final release of Dark Majesty. This includes:
| coverage | Armor | Notes |
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| Head | Alatar's Helm | Never introduced. |
| Head | Fiery Helm | Never introduced. |
| Head | Heaume of the Inscrutable Mind | Never introduced. |
| Chest | Acid Yoroi Breastplate | Never introduced. |
| Chest | Asheron's Jumpsuit | Possibly an NPC/admin weapon. |
| Chest | Empyrean Jumpsuit | Possibly an NPC/admin weapon. |
| Chest | Featherlight Plate Breastplate | Never introduced. |
| Chest | Sentinel Jumpsuit | An NPC/admin weapon. |
| Chest, Upper Arms, Lower Arms | Alatar's Platemail Hauberk | Never Introduced. |
| Chest, Upper Arms, Lower Arms | Weaver's Coat | Never Introduced. |
| Chest, Abdomen, Upper Arms, Lower Arms | Kimono Top | Never Introduced. This was also listed in Asheron's Call: Sybex Official Strategies and Secrets. |
| Lower Arms | Fire Bracers | Never introduced. |
| Hands | Soft Leather Gloves | Never introduced. |
| Abdomen | Featherlight Plate Girth | Never introduced. |
| Abdomen, Upper Legs | Towel | Never introduced. Clean, Dry Towel is listed separately. |
| Abdomen, Upper Legs, Lower Legs | Weaver's Leggings | Never introduced. |
| Lower Legs | Featherlight Plate Greaves | Never introduced. |
| Lower Legs, Feet | Insulated Boots | Never introduced. |
| Shield | Cold Shield | Never introduced. |
| Shield | Fire Shield | Never introduced. Fiery Shield is listed separately. |
AC:DM Unreleased Creatures
The Asheron's Call Dark Majesty: Sybex Official Strategies and Secrets contained the stats for numerous creatures which never appeared in the final release of Dark Majesty. This includes:
| Type | Creature | Level | Notes |
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| Armoredillo | Hoary Armoredillo | 15 | Introduced in The Slumbering Giant. |
| Armoredillo | Plate Armoredillo | 15 | Introduced in The Slumbering Giant. |
| Armoredillo | Titanium Armoredillo | 15 | Introduced in That Which Is Ours. |
| Chittick | Horned Chittick | 16 | Introduced in The Iron Coast. |
| Chittick | Sharp Chittick | 12 | Never introduced. |
| Chittick | Stinging Chittick | 20 | Introduced in The Iron Coast. |
| Deru | Full Deru | 20 | Never introduced. |
| Deru | Green Deru | 13 | Never introduced. |
| Deru | Old Deru | 20 | Never introduced. |
| Deru | Tall Deru | 17 | Never introduced. |
| Golem | Gold Golem | 173 / 200 | There are two entries for this creature. Introduced in That Which Is Ours. |
| Golem | Platinum Golem | 232 / 300 | There are two entries for this creature. Introduced in Verdict. |
| Golem | Mega Magma Golem | 597 | Never introduced. This may be the Behemoth of Tenkarrdun. |
| Moarsman | Ashen Moarsman | 20 | Introduced in That Which Is Ours. |
| Moarsman | Desolation Moarsman | 20 | Introduced in That Which Is Ours. |
| Moarsman | Lava Moarsman | 20 | Never introduced. |
| Monouga | Colossal Monouga | 107 | Never introduced. This is not the Tremendous Monouga, which is listed separately. |
| Mu-Miyah | Emperor Geraine I | 42 | Never introduced. |
| Mu-Miyah | Guardian Mu-miyah | 42 | Introduced in That Which Is Ours. |
| Mu-Miyah | High Mu-miyah | 42 | Introduced in That Which Is Ours. |
| Mu-Miyah | Imperial Mu-miyah | 42 | Introduced in That Which Is Ours. |
| Mu-Miyah | Royal Mu-miyah | 42 | Introduced in A Perfect Paradox. |
| Olthoi | Olthoi Crawler | 24 | Never introduced. |
| Olthoi | Olthoi Grub | 18 | Introduced in Heart of Woe. |
| Olthoi | Olthoi Worm | 14 | Never introduced. |
| Shreth | Gauloth Shreth | 14 | Introduced in Heart of Woe. |
| Shreth | Rendeath Shreth | 14 | Introduced in Heart of Woe. |
| Slithis | Slith | Unknown | Never introduced. |
| Tumerok | Tumerok Honor Guard | 18 | Never introduced. |
| Tusker | Albino Tusker | 27 | Never introduced. |
| Ursuin | Dire Ursuin Cub | Unknown | Never introduced. |
| Ursuin | Epser Ursuin Cub | Unknown | Never introduced. |
| Ursuin | Field Ursuin Cub | Unknown | Introduced in A New Threat. |
| Ursuin | Glacier Ursuin | Unknown | Never introduced. |
| Ursuin | Glacier Ursuin Cub | Unknown | Never introduced. |
| Ursuin | Linvak Ursuin Cub | Unknown | Introduced in A New Threat. |
| Ursuin | Tiofor Ursuin Cub | Unknown | Introduced in A New Threat. |
| Virindi | Virindi Controller | Unknown. | Never introduced. Listed as dropping an Orange as a trophy. Potentially a typo, and is supposed to be an orange virindi gem? |
AC:DM Unreleased Major Quest
In an interview with Warcry, Stormwaltz shared the overall design for a major quest that didn't make the cut for Dark Majesty. From Asherons Call: 4 Years of AC and Counting, Part 2 - L'etoile, Part 2:
Q: Things change in a game like Asheron's Call, change every month infact. What were some things that you wanted to impliment but just didn't have the time,tech or whatever else to get in the game?
A: One major thing I personally regret being unable to do was a large quest axed in the process of making Marae Lassel for ACDM. Before I'd even started implementing it, it became clear that I would not have time to make the dungeons and content for it and Long Live the Queen. I had wanted the broken machines in the dams to be repairable, which would cause waterfalls to spawn in front of them - the same sort of weenie object particle emitter trickery I used in the caldera of Mount Tenkarrdun.
The gameplay would need Boolean event logic, which there was no time to do while housing was under development. If all three dams were repaired at once (if A and B and C are true, then...), a huge, immobile whirlpool mob would have spawned at the junction of the three rivers. It would have been kind of like a huge Slithis made of Water Golem particles. Killing that mob would have opened a temporary horizontal portal on the surface of the water that led to His Eternal Splendor's redoubt. Yes, I'll say it outright; Geraine IV was the evil under Marae Lassel.
At that point I was very impressed by the sheer cojones of the Sleeper's Tomb quest in the EQ's Velious expansion. I was going to blatantly rip it off by having the questers bludgeon their way through a series of increasingly difficult guards, all of whom warned, "You know not what you do. Let the Master of Killiakta sleep!" Once they had awakened Geraine, he would have been the focus of a story arc in which the undead warred against each other, Winds faction versus Lords faction, culminating in Geraine, Aerfalle, Rytheran, and their more powerful followers sailing away to the west to Dericost.
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Chris "Stormwaltz" L'Etoile |
Remnants of this quest still exist. The most notable are The Great Machines found in the damns on Marae Lassel, which were to play a key role in this quest. Some of the Tall Tree utterances make reference to this quest. The Ossuary found in the East Fork Dam Hive may also be related. Finally, the Asheron's Call Dark Majesty: Sybex Official Strategies and Secrets contained the stats for numerous creatures which never appeared in the final release of Dark Majesty, among these creatures was Emperor Geraine I (possibly a typo as in the official lore he is Geraine IV). The Undead Story arc would later appear, slightly modified, in Asheron's Call 2.
AC:DM Unreleased Weapons
The Asheron's Call Dark Majesty: Sybex Official Strategies and Secrets contained the stats for numerous weapons which never appeared in the final release of Dark Majesty. This includes:
| Type | Weapon | Damage | Notes |
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| Axe | Alatar's Battle Axe | 6 - 14, Slashing | Never introduced. |
| Axe | Fast Axe | 5 - 10, Slashing | Possibly a creature weapon. |
| Axe | Ko | 7 - 13, Slashing | Never introduced. |
| Axe | Staff | 5 - 10, Slashing | Perhaps a typo? |
| Axe | Wari's Silifi | 5 - 13, Slashing | Possibly a creature weapon for the Undead Defender, before it was replaced by Wari al Sha'im? |
| Mace | Kotiae | 30 - 60, Bludgeoning | Never introduced |
| Spear | Tumerok War Taiaha | 2 - 8, Piercing | This is different from the Tumerok Spear and Aun Tanua's War Taiaha. Possibly a creature weapon. |
| Sword | Defender's Sword | 5 - 9, Slashing/Piercing | 20% melee defense modifier. Never introduced. |
| Sword | EmoteTest Sword | 5 - 13, Slashing/Piercing | An admin weapon. |
| Sword | Fast Shamshir | 2 - 9, Slashing/Piercing | Possibly a creature weapon. |
| Sword | Koji's Tachi | 25 - 50, Slashing/Piercing | Never introduced. |
| Thrown Weapon | Slithis Spine | 11 - 16, Piercing | Most likely a creature weapon. |
| Thrown Weapon | Slithis Splinter | 7 - 10, Piercing | Most likely a creature weapon. |
| Thrown Weapon | Spitball | 8 - 10, Acid | Possibly a creature weapon. |
| Thrown Weapon | Stone | 1 - 2, Bludgeoning | Possibly a creature weapon. |
| Bow | Dericostian Longbow | x 2.5 | Possibly a creature weapon. |
| Bow | Elysa's Longbow | x 2.8 | Possibly an NPC/admin weapon. |
| Crossbow | Pariah's Heavy Crossbow | x 1.25 | Never introduced. |
| Unknown | Sling | x 1.0 | Never introduced. There is a note that reads, "A slingstone's damage depends on the stone you're flinging." This may have been an abandoned type of thrown weapon. |
| Ammunition (bow) | Arrow of Frore | 11 - 14, Cold | Never introduced. Possibly a creature weapon. |
| Ammunition (bow) | Causting Arrow | 5 - 9, Acid | Never introduced. Possibly a creature weapon. |
| Ammunition (bow) | Practice Arrow | 5 - 6, Piercing | Never introduced. |
| Ammunition (crossbow) | Ice Quarrel | 5 - 8, Cold | Never introduced. Possibly a creature weapon. |
| Ammunition (crossbow) | Practice Quarrel | 7 - 8, Piercing | Never introduced. |
| Ammunition (crystal crossbow) | Hollow Point Armor Piercing Arrow | 25 - 27, Piercing | Never introduced. Possibly an admin weapon. |
| Ammunition (crystal crossbow) | Hollow Point Explosive Arrow | 34 - 37, Slashing | Never introduced. Possibly an admin weapon. |
Obsidian Plains Mansion
Before mansions were activated and purchasable, a mansion existed briefly on the Obsidian Plains at 71.2S, 56.1W. It was removed during the The Gathering Storm event with the following note in the Dev Notes:
- "The Mansion placed in the Dires has been removed. At present all housing will be placed in Osteth."
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Obsidian Plains Mansion
Settlement Portal Gems
In the Across the Vast Divide Letter to the Players Follow-Up, Turbine announced the following plans:
Settlement Portals
For some time, the Settlement Portal Hubs have been found outside almost all of the towns and cities of Dereth. These Hubs provided fast transportation all across Dereth, but many players have complained that... well, they just look ugly.
In April, we are planning to introduce the first phase of a two-phase process to remove the Settlement Portals. The first phase is the creation of portal summoning gems for all of the Settlements that are currently linked to the Hubs. Each Settlement will have a vendor who will sell that Settlement's gem.
The second phase, currently planned for May, is the removal of the Settlement Portal Hubs entirely.
The goal of these changes is to remove the ugliness of the Hubs, as well as encourage exploration and travel through Dereth's wilderness. If there are several Settlements that you visit regularly, you have the opportunity to purchase gems for these Settlements in the month of April, before the Hubs are removed. If you wish to visit your friend's home, you can ask you friend to purchase that Settlement's gem for you. We would not be surprised to see gems for particularly popular Settlement destinations being traded in the Marketplace!
The following month, in the A New Threat Letter to the Players, Turbine followed up:
Settlement Portals
After discussing several proposed changes, we have decided not to make any change to the Settlement Portals in May. We will still consider changes for the future, but will ask for your feedback before any implementation.