Introducing: The Smuggler's Update

Welcome to the next iteration of all things NirvanaOnline!

You've heard its name, and you've been asking for it for a while. Some of you have even started a little early. The Smuggler's Update has finally arrived and has brought with it a huge infusion of content to NirvanaOnline to keep even the most devoted Keepers occupied for weeks and months to come. In the following article we'll break down each major chunk of the Smuggler's Update for your reading pleasure. Unsure about something contained in the update? Just scroll below and we'll try to shed some light on all of the things new and changed in NirvanaOnline as of today! Without further ado, welcome to the next evolution in NirvanaOnline.

The Great Guilds

The Great Guilds are the next evolution of player identity and sense of moral compass within the realm of NirvanaOnline. The Great Guilds once ruled the New American Wasteland, and now they've returned to power by setting up shop around Nirvana and they're ready to enlist the help of the Keepers! While all Keepers are technically already part of the Artificer's Order, one of the most essential Great Guilds, the next series of game updates will introduce new Guilds to the game. Guilds essentially act as "factions" that the Keepers may join and complete missions for. With the Smuggler's Guild the Keepers will be asked to run shipments of Strange Spice all over NirvanaOnline. Completing enough shipments will earn Merits which will in-turn unlock new content for the Keepers that pledge their time, efforts, and Credits to the Smuggler's Guild.

Merits

Merits are the newest progression system in NirvanaOnline. Otherwise known as "Lesser Echelons", Merits are a new way for Keepers to level up their affinity with a specific Great Guild or other faction type. Each activity completion for a Great Guild will reward a set number of Merits. Earn 100 Smuggler's Merits to unlock your first reward for the Smuggler's Guild in the form of a title. Collect enough Merits and you'll be rewarded with access to new adventures, content, Exotics, and even the coveted Smuggler Supreme Exotic Title!

The Smugglers Sanctum

Welcome to the Smugglers Sanctum, the newest Social Space in NirvanaOnline. This well-protected secret is a mystery to those who are not yet members of the Guild. Rumor has it that it's located somewhere in Etheria, though you'll need to complete the "Smuggle Me This" Quest before you're told the location of this illusive hideout. The famed headquarters of the Smuggler's Guild may look modest at first, but as more and more Merits are unlocked, new additions to the Smugglers Sanctum will be unlocked for all members of the Guild. For those of you who have loose-lipped associates, please be aware that in order to use any of the amenities available in the Smugglers Sanctum, you'll need to first complete the "Smuggle Me This" Quest to be invited to the Guild!

To begin your journey to being accepted into the Smuggler's Guild, first head down in the Monastery Catacombs and meet with a new NPC you'll find hanging out in the old bathrooms...

Smuggler Runs

Smuggler Runs are the essential activity of the Smuggler's Guild, and your main source of Smuggler's Merits. When you arrive in the Smugglers Sanctum for the first time you'll note a prominent-looking NPC named Smugglemaster Trixx. She's one of the top-ranking members of the Smuggler's Guild and he functions to send Smugglers out on shipment runs all over Nirvana. When you speak with her you'll be purchasing a shipment of Strange Spice for delivery around the realms of NirvanaOnline. Take a look at each bundle of Spice and you'll find that it's labeled with a delivery location. Head to the associated game world and begin the search for the Smugglers' delivery sites. They're scattered all throughout the game worlds, and different delivery sites will accept different types of Spice. It'll take some exploration and ingenuity to figure out how to fully optimize your Smuggling operation.

For this initial content offering, only Smuggler Runs to Etheria, the Arkoneux Sierra, Chernobyl Carnivale, and Sidewinder Springs will be available. More smuggling destinations will progressively be arranged by the Guild, and will be available in the coming weeks as they work to keep your Smuggling Missions fresh with new rewards and objectives...

Etheria: Remastered

EtheriaOnline was a triumph in the way that NirvanaOnline game worlds could be created, but with any creation there's always room for expansion and renovations. EtheriaOnline has been remastered and reworked from the ground up to make it much more accessible for players on lower-end computers to enjoy. The Questing system has been rebuilt and rewritten to be less buggy and much more precise. Strikes like the Tikamul Divide have been redesigned and given a new layer of polish. New temples and landmarks have appeared all throughout the jungles around Etheria. Areas of the world in which players would have previous experienced client-side lag have been reigned in. New areas of Etheria have opened up for the first time, like two new marshy areas to the east and south of the main city. There's an all-new diverse Enigma for players to begin solving and earning rewards from, should you dare. Additionally, there's an even bigger and darker threat looming beneath the surface...

The Underspire Expansion Pack

Originally planned to release in July of 2020, the Underspire Expansion Pack was canceled due to unfortunate circumstances in development related to the pandemic. Fortunately, it's back and even bigger and better than ever before! The Underspire Expansion Pack is our latest and greatest NirvanaNet subscriber-exclusive Expansion Pack set in the underground cave network known as Underspire. This winding, twisting menagerie of caves and crevasses is known to the local population as a place of dark intent. A slew of new content awaits our treasured subscribers down in the depths of Underspire. A new Arena, two new Strikes, two new Dungeons, a Pulsis Ritual, a massive new Zone, several new World Bosses, and a fiery new Parkour Course await you beneath Etheria. Additionally, a new tale untold, darker than anything you've seen in EtheriaOnline lurks within Underspire for those who are cunning enough to crack open the gates to an ancient castle of perdition...

Subscribers can immediately start exploring Underspire at their leisure. It's a great new way to get around Etheria, and the plethora of tunnels and cave systems underneath Etheria make for a great adventure you're never to forget. If you're keen to jump into Underspire, you may want to consider opening one of the iron trapdoors in the EtheriaOnline spawn room. Another tantalizing way to enter the dark domain is to enter through the hole in the wall of the Housing Shop...

Chimera's Kiln 12-player Vault

For those of you who have pre-ordered the Chimera's Kiln Vault Pack, you're in luck! Descend into the heart of an ancient, fiery kiln to uncover the secrets of those mystic ancestors who are said to have been able to create their own Vexation Relics! This storied pottery kiln is the subject of a new investigation within the Artificer's Order, and the Acolytes at the Monastery demand that you descend on Chimera's Kiln to investigate! Chimera's Kiln will open its doors on Friday, November 5th for those that purchase the Chimera's Kiln Vault Pack for 1500 Vegnacite!

Please note: Those that purchase the Chimera's Kiln Vault Pack will be able to open the doors to Chimera's Kiln when it opens. They will also be able to obtain any Vault Gear, Exotic Gear, and Heirloom Chests that the Vault rewards upon completion. Those that choose not to purchase this Vault Pack may still participate in the Vault once one of their friends opens the front door of the Vault. Those who do not purchase the Vault Pack may still receive Credits, Crowns, and Echelon rewards from the Vault, though they will not be able to complete any Vault Gear, Exotic Gear, or Heirloom Chests from the final loot pool.

Whispers of Etheria Enigma

For those of you that enjoy uncovering the most salacious of secrets around NirvanaOnline, you're in for a treat with this one. The Whispers are seeking to converse with Keepers that find themselves roaming around EtheriaOnline. Hang around the game world for enough time and they might choose to reach out to you. When you receive the call, make sure to be careful to answer it in the right way. You'll be expected to carry out a task, but watching you figure out which one is all part of their fun!...

New Etheria Zones

Two new Marsh Zones of Etheria have popped up to the east and south of Etheria with the intention of concealing new mysteries and activities. Adventure and carefully trek through these Zones as you never know what dangers lurk within the swamp. Additionally, new structures have appeared all over Etheria. It might be worth your while to check out anything that you don't remember being there before...

Vault NPC Update

Similar to the NPCs you've seen popping up all over NirvanaOnline as of late, our 12-player Vaults are in the process of receiving the same treatment! New NPCs are already showing up at the beginning of different Vaults around Nirvana in the interest of onboarding you to the story and narrative that's already woven into the fabric of every Vault we've ever built. With this next leap forward, we're working even harder to push the ever-evolving story of NirvanaOnline even further out into the forefront.

The Deconstruction Shop

So let's just say that you've finally beaten your favorite Vault and unfortunately you weren't able to get your preferred piece of gear from the Vault. The Deconstruction Shop is a new area of the Monastery located within the Shop that's here to remedy your Vault Gear-related woes. Take your unwanted diamond- or netherite-level gear to the Deconstruction Shop. Here you'll find a variety of different stations that may look a little similar to the Repair Stations you're used to seeing in the Blacksmith Shop. These Deconstruction Stations serve to take any unwanted gear and break it down into its core components so that you may use them to create any manner of gear that you might prefer. Take your netherite scraps to the Peregrine Emporium and convert them to Vault Tickets, or take your newfound diamonds to a crafting table and make your own gear from scratch if you'd prefer!

The Bond Chip Shop

Until now, the only way to transfer Credits between players is to convert them to emeralds or emerald blocks and hand them to one another. This has worked fine and dandy in the past, but as more and more rare loot begins to make its way into the wild of NirvanaOnline, the need has arisen for players to be able to more efficiently transfer Credits between each other. Bond Chips are your new method of transferring Credits in larger quantities. Transfer 10 Credits with the lowest-value Chip, or transfer 1,000,000 Credits with the highest-value Chip. The choice is yours. Just be sure not to lose your Bond Chip before you're able to redeem it at the Bond Chip Shop to get all of your Credits back!

The Vespasian Assistants

In the last major NirvanaOnline update we introduced the official NirvanaOnline tutorial. We've been closely monitoring players' usage of this new introductory utility and we've noticed a rather strange and unusual trend. The main portion of players that have utilized the new NirvanaOnline tutorial have been mostly players who have played Nirvana religiously over the past couple of years, and players who are just logging in for the first time would rather just jump right into the content before learning how the whole system works. This is perfectly fine, and we're always happy to adjust our methods to cater to how our players would like to experience Nirvana. The Vespasian Assistants are our answer to the average player's desire to skip the tutorial and learn on the go. Find these new talkative NPCs all over the Monastery and in particularly important areas of NirvanaOnline. They are there to explain all of the ins and outs of Nirvana to anyone who would like to learn more. In any situation in which more explanation might be required, head to the nearest Vespasian Assistant to seek the answers to all of your questions. We're continuing to monitor this new feature, and we're taking specific note of any questions that players still have after speaking with the Vespasian Assistants. We'll be altering their scripts regularly to make sure they give the most accurate, comprehensive, and in-depth information regarding their respective subjects!

The Revenge of Dr. Chickenstein

The Revenge of Dr. Chickenstein has returned to NirvanaOnline today and brings with it a few new quality-of-life updates! We've tweaked a couple of the interiors around Dr. Chickenstein's Castle to make them more aesthetically pleasing, and even tweaked the mob generation inside the castle. More importantly, we altered the beginning of the Raid so that it no longer requires the Pulsis Ritual activation. Eventually, activating Jekyllspire and Hyderender will provide players with a chest containing a range of goodies, but for now players can head straight into Dr. Chickenstein's Castle and begin their first experiment! Additionally, we're happy to announce that the Revenge of Dr. Chickenstein will be NirvanaOnline's first Raid to contain an Heirloom Chest at the end. All players that complete the Raid will obtain a new Chickenstein Chest with special rewards. 16% of completions will award players with a new Clucking Catastrophe Heirloom Chest, and 4% of completions will award players with an all-new Exotic Sword that's the best single-target boss DPS weapon in the game! Get out there, and start farming those mad science experiments!

Trick or Treat Token Changes

Trick or Treat Tokens are changing, and how you'll obtain them from the NirvanaOnline loot pool has also undergone a huge revision. Trick or Treat Chests are now more prominent than ever in the general randomized chest pool, while Trick or Treat Keys are now slightly more rare. We've moved your main source of Trick or Treat Keys to the end of all of Chernobyl Carnivale's Tower Trials. Whenever you obtain a Trick or Treat Chest from a random chest around NirvanaOnline, head over to Chernobyl Carnivale and climb to the top floor of your favorite Tower Trial to get the key to open it. When you're ready, head to that giant skull statue that's appeared in the Monastic Badlands to open up your Trick or Treat Chest and obtain your newly-formatted Trick or Treat Tokens!

Vegnalixor

So we've heard the overwhelmingly positive feedback regarding the various flavors of Vegna-Cola on sale around Zombies In Paradise, and thus we're excited to announce the first perk of aligning with the Smuggler's Guild: Vegnalixor! Vegnalixor is the newest and most refreshing beverage devised by Pete Morgan, the original inventor of the now-famous Vegna-Cola formula. Pete Morgan resided in Sidewinder Springs back in his day, so if players are keen to acquire a few bottles of his prized creation, they'll want to go poking around Sidewinder Springs. This flavor never made it to market for "legal reasons" and the Smuggler's Guild has secured and cornered the market on this special recipe of Vegna-Cola, so they're only giving it out to those who have accrued 1500 Smuggler's Merits. Once you've acquired the Merits, take a stroll through the most secretive crannies of Sidewinder Springs to find a Vegnalixor vendor! You'll find the taste tangy and refreshing, and the effects may not be as potent as Vegna-Cola itself, but it's long-lasting positive effects are certainly worth the bootleg price!

New Exotics

Exotics are the most efficient way to change up your play styles and try out new ways to take down your favorite Vaults and Raids! Two new Exotics have been added to NirvanaOnline with this update. One of the Exotics can be found by completing the Revenge of Dr. Chickenstein Raid (as we mentioned above), and the other has a small chance to drop while opening up Trick or Treat Chests from the new skull statue found out in the Monastic Badlands. Use these two new Exotics to chance up how you approach combat situations with two of the highest single-target DPS weapons ever introduced to the game!

Coming Soon...

There's always more content on the horizon for NirvanaOnline. The Smuggler's Guild is just the first of many of the Great Guilds that will be introduced to NirvanaOnline over the next year. We've got it on good faith that the next Guild to enter the game will have something to do with those hunting contracts that players have been acquiring from the Monastery. Additionally, make sure to keep a close eye on our social channels as our founder, TJ Nissen, will be dropping some sweet hints regarding next year's major game world in his presentation to Dakota State University: "From Bedroom to Boardroom: How I Created A Gaming Empire"

Thank you for reading, and we hope you enjoy the Smugglers Update as much as we enjoyed creating it! The Smuggler's Update is now live in NirvanaOnline and free for all players!