fter a bit of a break from publishing newsletters, we are back. With this newsletter we will be introducing a new section for MyAoA users. The Dev Diaries section will be used to peek into the minds of our developers, artists and content designers. Our first installment comes from our lead programmer, David Loeser (Dak Lozar). In this edition he talks about the issues surrounding the networking layer that we, at times, take for granted. The Developer Diary #1 can be found on our official web site and is accessible to all MyAoA members.

peaking of MyAoA... The entire site is undergoing a redesign to support the bulletin boards that we are creating and to support future integration into the client that we are working on. Our official boards have entered the internal testing phase. As soon as we have them stable and more fully featured, we plan on beta testing them. Details on how you can be part of the beta test for the MyAoA portal and boards will be forthcoming. Just thought I would let everyone know that things are moving along nicely.

his newsletter begins a three part series on what makes up a character in Athiria. We'll discuss the attributes of a character, the skill system and some of the mechanics involved in the their design. Each installment will come with FAQ updates and will be followed by answers using the IGN boards until we get our official boards out of beta. Enjoy.

- Kressilac

he Silar woman crouched by the banks of the pond, gathering berries from bushes and watching the waterfall cascade down the side of the cliff face. A warm breeze blew through her long blonde hair making it flutter and wave at the trees behind her. She blinked as hundreds of tiny water droplets began to break off from the main flow of the waterfall and hover in mid air as though they were holding a discussion with each other. The droplets began to coalesce into the translucent shapes of a man and woman, finally solidifying as they stepped forward out of the waterfall. Both had long white hair and wore long flowing robes of an unknown material. Turning toward the woman, she gasped and dropped her pouch of berries, freezing motionless. Their gaze piercing her very soul, she fell to her knees, prostrating herself in the soft dirt of the forest floor. Nodding slowly, the pair smiled as they walked across the surface of the water to greet her...

o their knowledge, no Caluvian had ever assumed form in the Material Plane. They weren't even certain it could be done anywhere but here on Athiria where the concentration of ethereal energy was so strong. The idea of shaping their energies into something physical had never before entered their minds. Inspired by the exhilarating calarite present in this world, they knew it was possible. With a suitable location chosen, they began to form an image in their mind that would be pleasing to the humanoids. With the fluidity of the water in which they stood, their energies shifted, flowing into the desired physical forms. Where previously there was only a stoic awareness of their surroundings, there were now additional sensations available to them. Quickly adapting to their new forms, they greeted the surprised woman that had witnessed their transformation.

To view the entire expanded history, click here. You will notice that the racial graphics are no longer on the site. These will be replaced in the near future.

n AoA, a player interacts with the world of Athiria and participates in the events of the world through a character. These characters are called player character's (PCs). What makes up a character is important to any role-playing game and this is no different in AoA. In the following couple of newsletters, we will begin to introduce the attributes, skills, and abilities of characters in the world of Athiria.

very character, be they non-player characters (NPCs) or player characters, has a set of attributes that physically and mentally define that character. AoA uses a system of eight individual attributes and three health status bars. The eight attributes define physical and mental capabilities of the character. The three health status bars define the current state of health that the character is in. The former changes very infrequently and the latter is constantly changing depending on the activities of the player controlling the character and various other factors such as skill tests.

The Physical Attributes

Strength - Strength is used to define anything requiring muscle to perform. It measures carrying and lifting capacity, as well as anything else in the world that requires muscle or leverage to perform. The higher this attribute, the more able your character is to perform actions such as moving rocks, swinging a hammer, bashing a door, or forging a sword.

Dexterity - This attribute describes the character's hand-eye coordination and overall ability to use their hands to manipulate objects in the world. Dexterous characters will excel in tasks requiring the use of hand-eye coordination, such as clock making, gem cutting, archery and lock picking.

Body - The body attribute represents how well built a character is. A lower rating in this attribute equates to a more frail character whereas a higher rating in this attribute would represent a hardy, particularly healthy character. The body attribute factors into resisting damage in combat, resisting the effects of poison and disease, and the character's ability to recover from damage.

Agility - Agility is a counterpart to the body attribute. Agility controls the character's balance. A particularly agile character will be able to move silently, dodge combat attacks, and sneak effectively. There is an inverse relationship between body and agility at the extreme ratings. It is not possible to be both agile and have a high body rating.



The Mental Attributes (or non-physical)

Will - This is the primary attribute used in casting magical spells. It is a measure of will power, or, in other words, a measure of determination and concentration that a character can achieve. Its primary purpose is for determining if concentration can be maintained during a particularly arduous task or distracting event. It is the primary attribute used in resisting the backlash effects of casting spells.

Intelligence - Intelligent characters can get their minds around a significant amount of information. This attribute, therefore, is a measure of a character's capacity for reading and learning. It factors into the number of languages one may learn, the total knowledge a character can maintain and the number of skills able to be realistically trained in parallel.

Charisma - Simply put, this is a measure of not only the looks of the character, but the character's capacity for influencing others. This attribute is a factor in summoning, singing, bartering, military command, and many other skills where interaction between the character and an NPC occurs. NPCs will respond more favorably to highly charismatic PCs than they will to PCs with little charisma.

Luck - This grab bag attribute is used throughout the game to influence various events. Nearly every event and skill will take advantage of this attribute in some form. The effects of luck are typically small in nature and usually not immediately detectable by a player. Of all the character's attributes, luck is the only one that cannot be seen by the player.



The Health Bars

Physical Health - Every character has a fixed amount of physical health, determined by the race of that character. The physical health bar is used to tell the difference between a live and a dead character. If it is completely empty, the character has died. While it is full, the character remains alive. Combat damage can reduce physical health whereas magical healing, rest or bandaging can increase the value of physical health.

Physical Stamina - Every character has a fixed amount of physical stamina, determined by the race of that character. This meter represents the character's endurance. Physical actions in the world that require exertion can cause this meter to decrease. When the physical stamina bar is empty, any further actions that require physical exertion may begin to adversely effect the character's physical health. Swinging a hammer, moving a rock and lifting heavy objects are all examples of these types of activities. Rest will replenish this meter over time.

Mental Stamina - Every character has a fixed amount of mental stamina, determined by the race of that character. Mental stamina is a measure of the character's state of mind. Any skill requiring the use of the mind stands a chance of reducing this meter. Casting spells is a skill that immediately comes to mind and this meter is the primary meter used during casting spells. When one runs out of mental stamina further actions may adversely affect physical stamina. Rest will replenish this meter over time.