Prepare for Patch 1.6

So it looks like Patch 1.6 is going to land on the live servers on March 2nd (maybe). According to a developer response on the official forums the update was originally intended for release in the last week of February however due to an unresolved audio bug it had to be pushed back to the first week in March.

As most of you will realize, Patch 1.6 is a major, update and has been described as a “second launch” due to the introduction of new systems and the change to the in game numbers.

For a lot of players it may still come as a surprise, however, to wake up one day and discover that several things have occurred.

Skill Point Reset

All Skill Points are being returned to allow players to adjust and evaluate the many changes to skills and abilities. You will keep any Experience that you have earned towards that skill and if it was morphed you will be able to morph it again straight away.

Attribute Point Reset

Similar to Skill Points, Attribute Points are being reset. Also, Health Attribute Points will now only grant 10% more Health compared to Magicka and Stamina Attribute Points where previously they granted 50% more. This will also be the same for gear enchantments and bonuses so expect that your Health will decrease!

Game Number Change

All game numbers for things such as Max Health, Stamina Recovery, Spell Damage and Armor have been dramatically increased across the board which has produced much larger game numbers (around ten times larger). This was done with the introduction of the Champion System to demonstrate the value of small percentage increases to stats. So now 1% Health might give you 300 Health rather than just 30 Health even though the actual relative difference would be the same. It will take some time to adjust to the larger numbers!

Major Skill Changes

A lot of Skills have been changed or tweaked!

All Magicka Skills now scale with Max Magicka, Spell Damage and use Spell Critical.

All Stamina Skills now scale with Max Stamina, Weapon Damage and use Weapon Critical.

Some Class Skills have a morph which transforms the skill to use Stamina, Weapon Damage / Critical. Visit the Skills page to examine the Skills as they are in Patch 1.6!

Buffs and debuffs have also been standardized with Major and Minor varieties of each buff / debuff. A limit of 1 Major and 1 Minor buff / debuff can be active on a character at any time. Visit the Buffs page to take a look at all of the new buffs and debuffs and the Skills which can activate them.

Other Changes

Animations of abilities, weapons, stances and NPCs have changed.

Ultimate is generated for 8 seconds after a light or heavy attack instead of every time you deal damage or heal. This is quite a major change and will take a little while to adjust to. Also you won’t get any Ultimate just blocking so make sure you do a light or heavy attack every now and then to get that Ultimate up!

Pets and collectibles, such as the Skeletal Visage, will now reside in a new Collections UI (‘U’) and will be removed from your Inventory and Bank. Not everything goes into the new UI such as disguises and quest items.

All Food and Drink Recipes have changed and become standardized, as have ingredients. Old ingredients which are not going to be used any more will change to “old” versions which can be traded in to a grocer or brewer for the same amount of gold as the price of a new ingredient. The rare ingredients are remaining however they may be used in completely different recipes!

All raw and refined crafting materials will now stack to 200, up from 100, which is great news for Inventory management!

It is possible to steal, pickpocket and murder with the introduction of the Justice System! Champion Points are earned once Veteran Rank 1 or above. Visit the Champion System and Justice System pages to learn more about these two new systems.

That’s a lot of changes for just one patch! These changes, and more, are stuffed inside the 14GB update which has been on the PTS for the last few weeks.

It is probably important to be a little prepared for these changes to seamless transition to the new version.

Builds and Stats

You could consider noting down or taking a screenshot of your current Skills, Attributes and stats in order to remember them after the Patch is released however it is important to remember that the game numbers are being tweaked rather than just increased. The numbers for stats are not simply being “increased by a factor of ten” but are being altered somewhat to fit into the new scheme of things which includes things like the Champion System. It might not be possible to create your exact build after 1.6 is released.

It should be noted that Item Sets and Recipes have changed, especially the higher level versions, which may change your stats. Also, Health bonuses from Attribute Points, gear and sets will only give an extra 10% compared to Magicka and Stamina so your Health pool may decrease relative to the live game. In the live game Health bonuses are 50% more than Magicka and Stamina.

It is probably wise to think a bit about your character and the direction in which you want to go. You will have the chance to start fresh with new found Skill Points and Attribute Points and, if you are above Veteran Rank 1, Champion Points. You could use this to your advantage and plan out your character for the future, or perhaps take a new turn and try a new role. It is up to you. You may feel the need to experiment a little before you go too far so remember that you can always respec in the future and change your mind. Champion Points can also be respecced so don’t worry too much. You probably shouldn’t feel to bad if all of your stats seem lower (when including the change of numbers) as the entire system has changed which includes enemies and other players.

Champion System

With the introduction of the Champion System you will earn Champion Points after Veteran Rank 1 which can be spent of bonus passives to various stats and abilities. Check out the Champion System Guide or the list of Champion System Passives for more information. It might be helpful to map out a general plan for your Champion Points so that they the bonuses that you choose are the best for your current build and future goals. Remember that Champion Points are earned in each of the three Constellations so you can’t spend all of your Point in one area alone. You might also want to consider your Attribute Points and Item Sets and how they can work in with how you spend your Champion Points.

Justice System

The Justice System is also coming in 1.6 and features the new Legerdemain Skill Line and the ability to steal, pickpocket and murder from NPCs. Visit the Justice System Guide for more information. Remember that guards patrol the cities and will chase you down and demand you pay your Bounty if you have committed crimes which have been witnessed. If you have enough Bounty or Heat the guards will simply attack you, kill you, and take your Bounty from any carried gold. Guards can not be killed, even by large groups of players, however you can escape them if you run far enough.

Also note that previously safe activities such as looting chests, wardrobes, cupboards, nightstands and drawers which are in a house or building now will be considered stealing and you will accrue Bounty if you are witnessed. This may mean that ingredients for food and drink, motifs and other lootable objects may rise in value and become slightly more difficult to find.

Things To Do Before 1.6

Sort out your inventory! Most of the current food and drink ingredients are being converted into “old” versions of themselves as the new recipes in 1.6 will use all new ingredients. Some ingredients are remaining (the rare ones) but they may be used in completely new recipes. For a full list of the new recipes and new ingredients check out the Recipes page. Sneak-Thief from Artisans Guild has also made a 1.5 to 1.6 recipes conversion spreadsheet which can be found here. This is a great tool to check which ingredients are converting to “old” versions and which are remaining for use.

On the topic on Inventory, make sure that you leave some empty space, maybe 10 slots, in your Inventory before the patch. Mounts are changing and a new Riding Skill is being introduced. If you have items which are currently using the extra capacity that your mount has those items may vanish among all of the changes. No items should vanish but it is better to be safe!

All in all a lot of things have changed, even if some things are only tweaks. Make sure you familiarize yourself with the news systems in place before making too many big decisions such as gear, Skill Points and Attribute Points.

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