In This Newsletter: Meridian 59 Client Update Near Death Studios Goes To Gen Con 2003 Psychochild Interviewed At HomeLan Fed Upcoming Update Notes Sign-up to download and play now!

Meridian 59 Client Update As many of you know we're working on a complete overhaul of Meridian 59's world rendering engine. This engine will provide advanced visual effects while still using the game's existing level and art resources. This means it will be a small download and won't be required to play. Since it uses all existing data players can choose to play with the new game client or the current one. Check out the Work in Progress section of the official website for screenshots and updates.

Near Death Studios Goes To Gen Con 2003 Yep, that's right, your humble band of misfits are going to Gen Con in Indianapolis, Indiana to show off the game we all love. We've reserved a booth in the exhibition hall and everything. Gen Con is the mother of paper RPG conventions. Lots of computer game companies head there to show off games. We'll be showing off Meridian 59 there, hopefully with the new graphics engine. More information about Gen Con can be found at the Gen Con Indianapolis website. You can come visit all the faces behind the names! Get a cool mini-CD to add to your collection! Tell random passers by how much fun the game is! More details as they become available....

Psychochild Interviewed At HomeLan Fed Brian talks with HomeLan Fed about how the game and the company have progressed since launch and what might be in store for the future in this interview.

Upcoming Update Notes Here are some of the changes going into the latest update. We are expecting to release the update this weekend. This update contains gameplay changes only, containing the items below and similar gameplay type changes and additions. The update will not include the new client with enhance world rendering engine. Changed Rescue so that if you're guilded with a guild hall, you'll teleport to your guild hall. Made guild hall weapons always give a bonus as long as wielder's guild has the hall. Added a feature so that if someone in the top three ranks of a guild says the name of another guild member in front of Frular, he will say if the guildmember is active or not (IE, has logged on in the last 60 days). Added more safe logoff spots on island. Added 2 new types of bows. Increased the storage capacty of chests in guild halls. Added rebel faction special weapon attribute. Changed it so that faction weapons will give bonuses against monsters and neutral factioned targets. Changed it so that if one person in an offer can't carry all the items offered, the offer will fail and not be completed. Changed it so that items dropped by logoff penalties cannot be picked up by angeled characters. Fixed it so that if you are wearing a robe you can use another robe to wear it immediately. Added messages for token deaths, mutually declared guild wars deaths, and deaths caused by soldiers. Will not count as "murders". Changed Shatterlock to have a more reasonable time requirement. Changed Truce so that it will not be castable in towns by an unguilded character unless there is a monster in the room. Spell is still castable by a DM, however. Changed Flash to have a chance to stun monsters in the room very briefly. Due to new monster effect, spell is now allowed on Sacred Haven. Changed wall spell elements to affect players as determined by the normal safety rules for outlaws and murderers. Increased the damage cap on bonus damage caused by Might. Changed to allow use of bow with soldier shields. Added Jala statue to the Ko'catan Hall of Heroes.

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Source: Near Death Studios - info@neardeathstudios.com