THRONE AND LIBERTY News

[p]Housing is about calling a small slice of Solisium your own. Once you purchase a house, you can display your crafted furniture, showcase your style, and hang out with friends. There’s even progression for Housing, letting you go from basement dweller to Kastleton or Vienta Village elite. Take a behind the scenes Housing tour with NCSOFT before this new feature releases on September 18.[/p][p][/p][h3]Q: What was the inspiration for Housing?[/h3][p]A: Since most of our content has traditionally been combat-focused, there was both internal and external demand for non-combat content. We wanted to offer players a space where they could express their individuality, set their own goals, and become immersed in a different kind of gameplay. If we could blend that with Solisium’s rich lore and beautifully detailed graphics, then all the better.[/p][p][/p][p]Housing is more than just decoration. It’s a feature that allows players to showcase their creativity and personal taste. There’s no single “correct” way to do it. That sense of limitless possibility was what made us especially excited to develop it.[/p][p][/p]

[p]These images were captured using NPC housing as an example. Actual player housing may differ in certain details.[/p]

[p]With the addition of features like gathering level progression, handcrafting, and customizable homes, we hope players can clearly feel our intentions behind the Housing content.[/p][p][/p][h3]Q: What was your goal when designing Housing?[/h3][p]A: We had three main goals when designing the Housing system.[/p]

• [p]First, we wanted Housing to feel naturally integrated into the overall game world. To achieve this, we designed village houses to be more than just background elements. They are now meaningful, interactive spaces for players.[/p]
• [p]Second, we focused on accessibility and usability. We wanted players to be exposed to Housing in a natural way and feel intrigued enough to give it a try.[/p]
• [p]Lastly, we aimed to foster player-to-player communication through Housing. Players can invite others to visit their featured homes. These social features will continue to evolve based on community feedback.[/p]

[p]In terms of usability, our goal was to make furniture placement simple and intuitive while still offering enough freedom for players to express their creativity. To support this, we implemented features like snap alignment for easier placement, as well as the ability to finely adjust furniture using pitch, roll, and yaw. Players can even elevate and overlap items to create more detailed layouts.[/p][p][/p][h3]Q: How did you decide on the visuals?[/h3][p]A: We wanted the towns – places players have always passed through – to feel like more than just background scenery. Our goal was to make them spaces players would actually want to stay in. With that in mind, we designed the houses to reflect the unique charm of each village.[/p][p][/p][p]For example, in Kastleton we incorporated elements like plazas, markets, harbors, the sea, and city views to capture the lively atmosphere of the town. In contrast, Vienta was inspired by highland terrain. We designed the interiors with many stairs and gave the impression that the houses are perched somewhere along a cliffside, making players feel as if they truly live within that region.[/p][p][/p][h3]Q: What was the greatest challenge in designing this feature?[/h3][p]A: The biggest challenge was aligning the team’s ambitions and dreams for what Housing should be. There were so many things we wanted to include, and even during the prototyping phase, the direction shifted multiple times. Housing needs to be a living, evolving feature, a space where memories are built over time and creativity turns into personal expression.[/p][p][/p][p]We’re constantly weighing two key values: freedom and longevity. We ask ourselves how much freedom is enough to fully capture a player’s individuality? How can we keep adding new layers of enjoyment to make Housing something players continue to come back to?[/p][p][/p][h3]Q: How did Housing change from original concept throughout development?[/h3][p]A: What should a Housing space actually look like?[/p][p][/p][p]This was the question we wrestled with the most and it went through many changes throughout development. After much discussion, we ultimately decided on something familiar yet refreshing: the villages of the Solisium continent, now reimagined through the lens of Housing.[/p][p][/p][p]Our vision doesn’t end with villages. We dream of a future where players can build a home on a hill once scarred by battle, or in the heart of a quiet forest and look out the window at a world that feels truly theirs. Bringing that exciting future to life is our next goal.[/p][p][/p][h3]Q: Why should players that typically don’t use Housing features in video games give this one a try?[/h3][p]A: Housing in THRONE AND LIBERTY was designed to be accessible and easy to enjoy through the Extra Codex system. Even players who haven’t traditionally been interested in Housing content will find it simple to create their own personal space and from there, begin crafting new stories of their own.[/p][p][/p][p]From the revamped gathering experience to decorating your home, we believe this will offer a fresh and engaging side of THRONE AND LIBERTY that hasn’t been seen before. It’s a new layer of gameplay worth exploring.[/p][p][/p][h3]Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share with players?[/h3][p]A: Here are some additional thoughts from various members of the Development Team:[/p][p][/p][p]There were so many things I wanted to do and there still are. We’ll continue updating the Housing system so it can become a space where players can truly express themselves. Thank you![/p][p][/p][p]To all the players who love TL, we offer you a heartfelt gift: your very own space. With the newly added Housing system, you can gather materials from across the world, craft your own furniture, and decorate a space that reflects your personality and story. We hope this helps you bring your long-held dreams to life. Through your journey to craft furniture, we also hope you rediscover the beautiful landscapes and hidden charms of TL you may have once passed by.[/p][p][/p][p]We hope that every moment you spend decorating your home brings both immersion and a sense of accomplishment. From a perfectly placed piece of furniture to wallpaper that glows softly under the light, every detail holds a part of your taste. We want Housing to become a place where even small joys build into a source of pride. This system will continue to evolve. Beyond decorating, we’re thinking about how it can expand into a space for collecting, sharing, and connecting with others.[/p][p][/p][p]We’ve worked hard to make it possible for you to have your own home in the beautiful landscapes of TL. Furnish it with trophies from your adventures and enjoy peaceful moments in your own personal space. We believe this will become a whole new way to enjoy life in the TL universe. We hope you’ll create lasting memories and enjoy your own fantasy lifestyle here. More customization options will be added in the future, so please look forward to it![/p][p][/p][p]When I heard the team say things like “the backgrounds are so beautiful” and “I want to actually live in these towns,” I started imagining TL’s villages as real places where players live and thrive. While designing houses in these towns, I wanted to convey a warm feeling. A feeling of a “healing space that’s truly yours,” or “a home you love.” I hope that feeling comes through.[/p][p][/p][p]Thanks for your support! We look forward to seeing what types of homes everyone will design when Housing releases alongside the Orb, Hyperboost Feature Set, Dimensional Trials revamp, and Battlegrounds as part of the Solisium's Awakening update on September 18.[/p]

[p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]Solisium's Awakening will release on September 18. Join Tico for a packed episode of Tico Talks where the THRONE AND LIBERTY Globalization Design Manager covers every major feature, plus a few new surprises, coming in the next major update.[/p][p][/p][p]Thanks for your support and we'll see you in Solisium![/p]

[p]We’ve teased the Hyperboost Server, Orb weapon, Housing system, Battlegrounds, and Dimensional Trials revamp, but are finally ready to discuss each new feature in more detail. Which one are you most excited to experience on September 18? Join Creators Grobs, Whelps, and Aragon as they share their thoughts with Tico about the next major update.[/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][p]Each week we’ll spotlight a different key feature from the September update alongside interviews with NCSOFT. This week included a behind the scenes look at the Orb. Stay tuned for more details as we get closer to release.[/p][p]Thanks for your support! We’ll see you in Solisium.[/p]

[p]THRONE AND LIBERTY Update 2.24.0 downtime will begin at 10:30 p.m. PT (5:30 a.m. UTC) on August 20 and last approximately 4 hours. Prepare for your fiercest adversary yet in Altar of Calanthia Nightmare Difficulty, plus the introduction of customizable Headstones. How will you be remembered? Special rewards will also be available through the Solisium Grand Morph Festival, Mystic Portal: Lucky Pouch, and Call to Arms Archboss Guild Raid events. Here are the full list of changes.[/p][p][/p][h3]Altar of Calanthia: Nightmare Difficulty Unlocked[/h3]

• [p]The increased difficulty "Nightmare" mode for the Altar of Calanthia raid is now available.[/p]
• [p]Featuring increased boss stats and new mechanics, Nightmare mode also offers new and unique rewards for overcoming its challenge.[/p]
• [p]Players must have 7,000 combat power or higher to enter Nightmare mode.[/p]
• [p]Defeating Nightmare mode Calanthia guarantees a Heroic accessory drop and a chance to acquire a Nightmare-specific Morph.[/p]
• [p]Players who defeat Calanthia in Nightmare mode will receive a specially-colored title, 'Calanthia's Nightmare'.[/p]
• [p]For raid groups who defeat all three phases of the raid with no single player death, they will also receive a specially-colored title, "Total Nightmare".[/p]
• [p]Five new Heroic grade accessories have been added to the Raid currency shop.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Altar of Calanthia: Difficult Mode Adjustments[/h3]

• [p]Resolve of the Star Fragment: When a team is fully defeated on any boss in Difficult Mode, all players will receive a damage and HP buffs for additional attempts. This buff stacks up to 5 times and can only be applied once every 3 minutes.[/p]
• [p]Dragar'yle: In phase 2, the number of lightning summoning devices required to be placed on the statue has been changed from 2 to 1.[/p]
• [p]Dragar'yle: Added an effect that pulls the lightning summoner during the Dragaryle pattern (allowing the use of summoners attached to walls).[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Solisium Grand Morph Festival[/h3]

• [p]From August 21 through September 18, the Solisium Grand Morph Festival comes to town![/p]
• [p]Take part in Morph Races throughout the event to collect Festival Commemorative Medals. Trade in your Medals for event-specific rewards including an updated Morph, Gesture, Profile Frame, and Title.[/p]
• [p]Collect special meal ingredients through daily check-ins, Amitoi Expeditions and Fishing to craft a limited-time event meal that provides bonus Sollant and weapon specialization gain as well as increased Abyssal coin efficiency.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Call to Arms: Archboss Guild Raid Event - Queen Bellandir[/h3]

• [p]Between August 21 and September 3, guilds will have access to a special version of the Arch Boss Queen Bellandir fight as a Guild Raid.[/p]
• [p]The Guild Raid version of Queen Bellandir has adjusted mechanics and is balanced for a smaller group of players to tackle.[/p]
• [p]Guilds may enter the Queen Bellandir guild raid up to twice per week while the event is active![/p]
• [p]Defeating the Guild Raid version of Queen Bellandir will always drop a Tier 2 armor, a Tier 2 accessory, a non-boss Nebula Island accessory, and may drop Arch Boss Weapons or Accessories.[/p]
• [p]In this run of the Call to Arms event, Guild Raid Queen Bellandir will also drop the new material used in upgrading Bellandir weapons.[/p]
• [p]Punishment Stones purchased for the Tevent Guild Raid event will be removed during maintenance, and cannot be used for the Queen Bellandir event.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Mystic Portal: Lucky Pouch Event[/h3]

• [p]From August 21 through September 3, receive a Plentiful Lucky Pouch when opening Mystic Portals and Mystic Globes. Lucky Pouches contain varying amounts of Sollant, including a chance at a 100,000,000 Sollant prize.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Custom Headstones[/h3]

• [p]Customized Headstones are all the rage in Solisium! Decease in a style that suits your personality. Pull fast, die often, and leave a pretty grave.[/p]
• [p]Dying in PvE encounters will leave behind the headstone you've selected through customization.[/p]
• [p]Dying in PvP will display the customized headstone choice of your killer.[/p]
• [p]Custom Headstones are set in the new section of the Mirror Boutique, under 'Appearance Effect'.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]General[/h3]

• [p]Dimensional Trial Season End Date: Corrected the display of the current Dimensional Trial Season ending date in the UI.[/p]
• [p]Rewards will be sent automatically at the completion of the current Dimensional Trial season.[/p]
• [p]Sword and Shield: Fixed an issue allowing Counter Barrier to block some skills every 0.1 seconds instead of 0.5 seconds.[/p]
• [p]Wand: Ray of Disaster now damages multiple targets when the Targets Expanded Specialization is applied.[/p]
• [p]Spear: Fixed an issue causing Rising Slash to not go on cooldown when blocking at the same time it was used while Deluzhnoa's Serrated Shard was equipped.[/p]
• [p]Archboss: Fixed an issue allowing Tevent to be attacked from a Safe zone in PvP events.[/p]
• [p]Combat Settings: Fixed an issue preventing some options from being changed within the 'Current' Comat Settings tab.[/p]
• [p]Chat: Arrow keys can once again be used to navigate the list of chat commands.[/p]
• [p]Runes: Chaos Rune favorites are now saved when relaunching.[/p]
• [p]Controller: Controller users can now use the "Follow" option (foot icon) from the Party HUD to quickly move to another player's instance.[/p]
• [p]Performance: Fixed an issue causing the client to hitch when changing body types in the Change Appearance menu.[/p]
• [p]Shop: Fixed an issue causing all Shop offers to be displayed in English when launching the game after previously selecting a non-English language.[/p]
• [p]Localization: Fixed an issue causing Korean text to be displayed in the Sync menu if opened before reaching level 50.[/p]

[p][/p][p]Thanks for your support! We'll see you in Solisium.[/p]

[p]Go behind the scenes with NCSOFT on the Orb, a new magic-based support/DPS weapon coming in the next major update. Orbs can be placed and remotely triggered depending on your situation. How will you take control of combat through this new playstyle?[/p][p][/p][h3]Q: How did your team decide on the size of the Orb?[/h3][p]A: We spent a lot of time adjusting the size back and forth with each test, trying to find that perfect balance where the Orbs felt visually present, but didn’t interfere with the player's field of view. In the end, we arrived at a size that gives the Orbs a strong presence in combat without disrupting the overall flow of gameplay.[/p][p][/p][h3]Q: How did you determine its abilities and mechanics?[/h3][p]A: The goal of the Orb goes beyond raw damage output. The Orb’s abilities and mechanics were built around the core concept of a weapon that lets players shape the battlefield and shift the flow of combat. Unlike traditional weapons that focus on direct damage or instant healing, the Orb was designed to function as a tactical tool.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]With up to three Spheres, the Orb’s unique resource, players can protect allies, block enemy advances, and create openings for advantageous engagements. The effectiveness of each skill would then vary depending on the placement and number of these Spheres on the field. Through extensive playtesting, we refined the system into one that is easy to learn yet offers game-changing potential in the hands of skilled players. Another goal was to introduce a new playstyle that rewards not only quick reflexes and precise aim, but also strategic planning and strong team coordination.[/p][p][/p][h3]Q: What was the visual inspiration for the Orb?[/h3][p]A: The name Orb was chosen because it perfectly captures both the physical form of a sphere and the cosmic energy concentrated within it. The visual concept was inspired by celestial gravity, orbital movement, and fantasy concepts where magical constructs have the power to distort space itself. We wanted it to feel like a conduit through which players could harness the power of the universe — both functionally and visually evoking themes of astronomy, galaxies, and warped space. With that in mind, we aimed to visually express that the Orb is not just a physical object, but a force that dominates the battlefield by shaping space itself.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Q: What was your greatest challenge in designing this weapon?[/h3][p]A: The biggest challenge in designing the Orb was creating a combat flow that balances offense, defense, and area control within a single weapon. A key question was how to make Spheres feel both intuitive to use and rich in strategic depth. We also aimed to build a skill shot-based playstyle that’s easy for newcomers to pick up, yet offers endless tactical possibilities for advanced players.[/p][p]To overcome these challenges, we went through countless prototypes and playtests. As a result, the Orb has become a weapon that’s easy to start with but deeply rewarding to master.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Q: How did the Orb change from its original concept throughout development?[/h3][p]A: From the early stages of development, the Orb was built around a clear concept: area control and protection using summoned Spheres. We stayed true to this core idea throughout development, focusing on refining the details, from numerical tuning and skill synergy to visual effects, to elevate its overall polish.[/p][p][/p][p]As a result, the final version isn’t drastically different from the original concept. This reflects how clearly defined the weapon’s direction was from the start, and how carefully we worked to preserve and perfect that vision.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Thanks for your support! We can’t wait for players to experience the Orb firsthand when it releases alongside Housing, the Hyperboost Server, the Dimensional Trials revamp, and Battlegrounds as part of the next major update.[/p]