Hello and welcome back to the weekly roundup, your one stop shop for any info on the workings and happenings of Valence SMP!

📣 META 📣

Before we get into the fun bits, we’ve got some general workings we want to keep everyone in the loop on.

Villagers

As I’m sure you’ve all noticed, we’ve neutered Villager trades almost entirely. This was a really difficult decision to make, but we believe that moving forward this will greatly assist us in properly balancing the item meta and the bartering economy in-game - but don’t fret! Villager trading will be making a more controlled return with some cool bonuses to promote travel and trade, so keep your ears peeled for more info!

Emerald Coins

Exciting news! We’re expecting to officially roll out E as a proper in-game item! The intention with this is to have a stronger baseline for bartering and trade, and it’s our cool way of keeping coin purses on character. We’re still figuring out some nuance with a keepinventory system that will take some risk away from general travel, but there will be more on that to come.

Dungeons

We began testing some of the mob mechanics we’ll be featuring in the First Dungeon this weekend! Select players were taken through the tomb of Hrothr for the first time! As we amp up for the release of our first proper dungeon, we’d like to bring communication to the forefront - What did you think of our test material? What do you want in these dungeons? As always, my DMs are open for any player feedback. As well, I will be providing an anonymous survey upon the release of the first dungeon so we can directly hear your thoughts!

Custom Content

As we move forward, in order to give value to those who support the server we will be providing an avenue of custom content creation, so you can best get items that fit you and your character. We will provide a custom questline for you to acquire such items, allowing us to make hand-tailored experiences for you that directly support the server! Further information can be provided for such services upon request through me or @Doc (Ulysses I). Don't fret if you're not able to donate though, as unique and exciting items will be available through engaging with in-world events!

📜 STONE BAY PRESS 📜

Big news in the city this week! The streets of Stonebay have been alive with court cases, ceremonies, and meetings!

🐟 Have you noticed something fishy? 🏛️

Masahiro Uchida of Uchida Fortress was tried and acquitted of suspicious fish handling! This has been on the forefront of city authorities' concerns, as compared to last year’s Crime and Justice Statistics fishy handling has scaled up 67%! The Crown will continue its efforts in stopping this Cod-Man.

💸 E! 💸

The currently unnamed Bank of Stonebay has finally started construction and production. Demand for a federal currency has been high, and the Duke of Fugging intends to supply it! Expect to hear more news about Coin Denominations within the week.

💀 Echoes from the past! 🗡️

Hrothr’s tomb was unearthed this weekend by a band led by Danias of Mhede! The Dragonslayer’s grave proved to be treacherous. The party emerged victorious, with many of its members donning the skulls of his Paladins in victory. It’s rumored the Arch Archanist made an appearance, but we couldn’t possibly comment on this speculation.

🏚️ Morgantown left in Ruins! 🔥

After a brief visit from several council members led by the traveler Loranwin, our sources have reported the razing of several houses and buildings in the sleepy hamlet of Morgantown. We interviewed a survivor who preferred to remain anonymous, but upon treasonous and groundless accusations against the crown they were immediately executed. One can only wonder what sort of unfortunate fate the townspeople met...

👑 Local Royal named Champion of the City! ⚔️

We are proud to announce the victory and crowning of Lord James Barker of Dunwall in the Tournament of Stone Bay! The city’s return to gladiatorial combat for entertainment was a grand success, and numerous citizens leaving the venue commented on how excited they are of the promise of future bloodshed.

🌙 CLOSING REMARKS 🌜

Finally I want to thank you all for being a part of this journey with us, and for all the incredible feedback you've given. The level of dedication you've shown in just a short time has been absolutely inspiring, and the team has been hard at work behind the scenes making something truly fantastic for you all. We can't wait to finally loop you in.

On that note, I'd like to give special thanks to the Operator, Support, and Moderator Teams for all they've done in making this server what it is. We've still got a ways to go, but the identity and culture of this server has been forged by you and all the work you've done. Thank you, truly.

Catch us next week on the player's resource for everything Valence SMP, thanks for reading!

Jude / Kov

Communications Manager

Valence SMP