Did you guess the right date of the summer update? Indeed, in the poll we are referring to almost 20% of the participants were on the right track and chose today's July 1st, 2009.
Now let us provide an overview of all the main changes and improvements that are part of this year's summer update. Lean back and enjoy the tour!
First of all, the legendary city of Carlin has undergone a fundamental revamp. It is now a true symbol of female elegance and has regained its medieval and dignified charm. The Carlin castle shines again in all its glory, so does Edron's castle which has been renovated together with several guildhalls and houses in and around Edron and Thais. Stop by as soon as your journey takes you past these cities. With their renewed looks they are really worth a visit.
Plenty of new quests are available for brave Tibian souls. Those who just started out their adventurer career are advised to do the Pilgrimage of Ashes, a guided round trip tour to meet five of the famous givers of blessings. Others might be interested in helping Eclesius, the scatterbrained sorcerer, with some of his most important tasks. He pays well and also rewards his helpers with some precious experience.
The more experienced adventurers can prove themselves by retrieving long lost artefacts of golem technology, and thereby facing the dangerous Shadows of Yalahar. Furthermore, Rapanaio, the dwarf, has some very weird stories to tell. Will you be courageous enough to set a foot on the Isle of Evil?
Moreover, a couple of new tasks are being offered by some elected citizens. They are looking for adventurers who help them fight threatening monster hordes that roam the lands. But be careful: you might take the risk to face the monsters' powerful bosses during your hunt!
Two new events are going to take place this year. In August, Jean Pierre, a true chef, is ready to share his most secret recipes with you. With his help you will be able to prepare some really delicate dishes which have quite amazing effects for the ones who eat them. Later, in November, the Lightbearer Event will take place, a huge spectacle that requires many people to actually work together. Your mission is to keep ten lights which are scattered throughout Tibia burning for five days. If you fail, evil will break loose and threaten Tibia's inhabitants.
Some very important modifications were made concerning the PvP system on regular PvP worlds. We removed the Tibia rule called "Player Killing", which was formerly rule number 5. Instead of banishing accounts for excessive unjustified player killing, we introduce the black skull which is a character-based ingame punishment. Characters that are marked with a black skull are neither able to target unmarked characters nor to use aggressive area spells or runes.
Furthermore, the kill count has been changed: the last 20 damage dealers who have done damage within the last 60 seconds before the death of a character are now being counted as killers and get displayed and linked on the character information page of the victim.
Other modifications were made with regards to protection zones: players who defend themselves from the attacks of other players do not get a protection zone block anymore. Having a protection zone block is being displayed by a new symbol: two crossed red blades, similar to the logout block symbol. Another new symbol is the white dove, signalising that you are standing within a protection zone.
Eternal protection to those who tie the knot cannot be guaranteed, though. However, the bond of life has become a reality now in Tibia, and all the best shall happen to the ones who decide to spend their Tibian lifes together. In Venore, you can buy beautiful wedding outfits and rings. With the right items at hand, either travel to Thais, Ab'Dendriel or Kazordoon to celebrate a wonderful marriage ceremony with your sweetheart. After that, take your time and enjoy an unforgettable and well-deserved honeymoon on the romantic island of Meluna.
Fearless hunters find new hunting grounds near Beregar and Liberty Bay, as well as some newly discovered amazing waterfalls in Tiquanda's underground areas. In the North of Darashia vicious beasts burn the grounds of a foremost hidden dungeon, so be aware of their breath of fire. Treasure Island, Demona, the Ankrahmun tombs and many more areas also have a new and spiced up look, so make sure to pay them a visit.
The monster balancing has been improved by changing the loot, behaviour, and strength of several Tibian creatures like, for example, hellspawns, water elementals, wisps, sea serpents, werewolves, fire devils, gargoyles, goblins, and many more. Medusa is a brandnew and powerful monster which has been unleashed with the summer update. Be careful if you come across a wild looking creature whose hair style is made of snakes.
Furthermore, a dozen new bosses have settled down in Tibia, for example Fahim the Wise, Esmeralda, The Many, or The Noxious Spawn. For others, like Demodras or The Horned Fox, alternative raid locations have been added that make them more difficult to find.
A couple of new equipment is also part of this update. Following the community's will we now introduce the demon backpack, crown backpack, and moon backpack. Several new amulets protect you from different kinds of elemental damage, and, finally, the mysterious packages which you receive in the secret service quest can now be opened. They contain quite interesting tools which might be useful in some special occasions.
Moreover, Rashid and some other NPCs are now willing to buy many more items from you. Stop by and ask them for a trade if you want to know more about it.
Last but not least, we added a new channel to the chat console which displays some of the messages that were formerly shown in the default channel. The server log channel keeps you updated with damage and loot messages, among others. Loot messages are displayed in green colour in order to set them apart from the rest of the channel information.
Further pictures and screenshots of this update can be found on our promoted and supported fansites, which are a good place to visit.
When you log into the game after our service is back online, your client will update itself automatically. Alternatively, you can download the new Tibia client 8.5.
Tomorrow, July 2nd, 2009, we are going to start a dedicated feedback thread for the PvP changes in this update. Please use the general news feedback thread to discuss any other update topics with us. Thank you!
Enjoy the summer update 2009!