June 30, 2006

The State of Shadowbane

The team behind Shadowbane has released a statement considering the state of the MMORPG. The team states that contrary to the lull in news on the game, Shadowbane is very much alive, and will be receiving a series of new patches to improve the quality of the game.

Read the full statement below:

It has been quite a while since the last State of Shadowbane address, and if there was ever a time we desperately needed one, this is it.

If you are just tuning in, let me begin by officially stating that Shadowbane lives on!

There was a time there when the doomsayers were legion, prospects looked bleak, and the Twilight of Aerynth's Gods looked nigh. But the community spoke. The powers that be listened. Shadowbane survives!

All is not as it was, however; there have been some changes. Key developers from Wolfpack Studios have come together to form an independent development company called Stray Bullet Games, LLC. Stray Bullet Games is helping Ubisoft keep Shadowbane alive and well.

Many familiar faces over here that still work on Shadowbane, and in recent days you've seen us on the forums; Ben, Dave, Kellion, Meridian, and Nazgul are all still devoted to the game. We have lost Sachant, be we've picked up a new member on the Community Team for Shadowbane. Many of you may know Jinx as a member of the Frag Dolls and a Community Manager on Red Steel, but she is also a long-time member of the Shadowbane Community. Veterans of the game may recall her as Valkyrie from the Shadowbane Sanctum fan site and as Feyair of the original Bard and Herald program.

And then, of course, there is myself. I will be not only working on the Community Team but I have also taken on the role as leading up the design efforts for Shadowbane. I definitely have some big shoes to fill looking back at those who held the position previously.

In keeping with that tradition, in the months to come I will be bringing my own vision to the design for Shadowbane. Our updates to date have focused on new content and systems, but we also realize that we need to look backward, fixing bugs and refining issues that still interfere with the optimal Shadowbane experience.

We will soon implement the first of a new series of patches. Each patch will have several key components:

• Address pressing system issues, usually focused on one aspect of gameplay
• Class refinement and balance, targeting a segment of the player community
• Address additional issues presented by the community

The first patch will focus on issues that have cropped up over the last few months, many of which are siege specific; Bane Circle hit points, for one small example. Mages and Rogues are the first targets for the Base Class and Profession balancing.

Future targets for attention include:

• Shaking up Player vs. Player (PvP) combat
• Improving pets
• Vampires

And many more…

Rest assured that every patch will address at least some issues presented by the community. We hear your voices on the forums, and even if we may not agree with your proposed solutions, you can trust that we as developers see many of the same problems that you do, and we will be working to find solutions. We'll be posting our patch plans here as soon as they're approved. Expect the first one soon.

In closing, the entire Shadowbane Team wants to thank you for the support and patience you have shown us. Community and fan support helped make the dream called Shadowbane into a reality, and we know we would not be where we are today without you. Your continued support and satisfaction is our absolute goal, and we are doing everything in our power to make sure we do not lose your faith in the game, or in us. Spread the word: Stray Bullet Games is making the game stronger and more exciting than ever. We look forward to the battles.

Those who are about to PvP, we salute you!

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