My LEGO Nexus Organization

LEGO News Network wrote:
Release Notes August

August 9 Release Notes (v 1.9)

Release Date
• The Power of the Nexus Force release, including the changes below, is expected to release Tuesday, August 9, 2011.

Spider Queen
• New players now have a quest line in Avant Gardens that ends with a fight on the Block Yard Property fighting the Spider Queen.
• Current players will be able to experience this early-to-mid-level battle by going to the launch pad in the Spider Cave in Avant Gardens.
• All players can experience the Spider Cave, knee deep with Spiderlings.

Rocket Contest Winner
• The January Rocket Contest Winner has been added to vendor Ace Warprider in Nexus Tower.

LEGO Club Car and Rocket
• A new LEGO Club themed rocket and car will be available for purchase from the vendor in the LEGO Club zone.

Achievements
• 75+ new achievements have been added throughout LEGO Universe.

Missions
• We have added 15+ new daily missions to Avant Gardens and 1 to Nimbus Station.
• We have added 20+ new missions to the Venture Explorer, Avant Gardens & Nimbus Station.

Join the Nexus Force Path
• The path to join the Nexus Force and join a Faction has been changed for new minifigures.
• Existing minifigures who have landed in Avant Gardens or Nimbus Plaza and not joined a Faction, will find all of the Avant Gardens quests completed for them and the rewards sent to their in-game mail box. They will be ready to join a Faction in Nimbus Station.
• For existing minifigures who are already part of a Faction, the new missions will be completed for them and the rewards sent to their in-game mailbox.

Venture Explorer and Avant Gardens
• There have been several changes to the mission flow in the Venture Explorer and Avant Gardens for new minifigures.
• A new Ninjago emissary, Rocco Sirocco has a mission teaching players how to use their mailbox. As a reward, he shows off the power of Spinjitzu!
• The Venture Explorer now features several new Classic Rockets in a mix of colors (with achievements for getting them all). Existing players can collect them in the Return to Venture Explorer instance or purchase them in Avant Gardens. The Pod and Steampunk rocket modules now drop when smashing Stromling Mechs in Avant Gardens.
• New tutorial voiceovers guide the player in the early stages.
• Players logging in to a map that has been revised will be reset to the nearest respawn point.

Crux Prime
• Good news! The Nexus Force initiative in Crux Prime is succeeding. Fewer Maelstrom monsters will now spawn as a result.
• The amount of coins and tokens dropped by monsters in Crux Prime have been increased.
• Named Maelstrom monsters will now spawn a bit more often to inspire their troops.
• Daily missions to smash named Maelstrom monsters have been replaced by Achievements.

Leveling and Progression
• A new Leveling system based on player U-Score has been added to the game.
• Existing players will have their old U-Score converted the first time they log into their minifigures.
• Any rewards granted by levels will be placed in the minifigure's backpack or mailed to them if they do not have the room.
• Players will see their own level in the top corner of the screen, including a new bar to track how much more U-Score they need to go up a level.
• All existing achievements and missions have had their U-Score rebalanced.

Items
• Paradox Shinobi Faction Gear is now available. Rank 1 and 2 are available from the Paradox vendor in Nimbus Plaza. Rank 3 is available from the Paradox vendor in Nexus Tower.
• Assembly Inventor Faction Gear is now available. Rank 1 and 2 are available from the Assembly vendor in Nimbus Plaza. Rank 3 is available from the Assembly vendor in Nexus Tower.
• Sentinel Space Ranger Faction Gear is now available. Rank 1 and 2 are available from the Paradox vendor in Nimbus Plaza. Rank 3 is available from the Paradox vendor in Nexus Tower.
• Venture League Adventurer Faction Gear is now available. Rank 1 and 2 are available from the Venture League vendor in Nimbus Plaza. Rank 3 is available from the Venture League vendor in Nexus Tower.
• Capes are now available. Capes are worn in the shoulder/neck slot and are available in a variety of colors.
• Valiant Capes for all Rank 3 Faction Kits are also available. These capes count towards the Faction Kit set bonuses.
• Some capes are available as rewards for reaching certain levels, including the Nexus Force Cape.
• Several items have had their stats changed and as a result have had their price and/or rarity changed. Here are a few examples:
• The Firecracker now deals 3 damage instead of 1.
• The Dragon Helm Mk 1 has been changed to 2 Armor, 1 Imagination.
• The Faction Token cost of Rank 2 gear pieces has been lowered from 80 tokens to 60 tokens.

Fixes
• Miscellaneous tweaks and bug fixes have been made, including:
• The amount of coins dropped when a player is smashed has been reduced by 50%.
• Performance has improved in the Venture Explorer, Avant Gardens and Nimbus Station (higher framerate and less hitching).
• Dragging a brick or model from your Backpack will cause your minifigure to equip his Thinking Hat automatically.
• Property load times have been improved.
• Using consumable items from slot 5 on the Action Bar will now take items from the smallest stack first instead of the first stack it finds.
• When the last item of a stack is consumed, its icon will disappear from Slot 5 on the Action Bar.
• Music should now play for all players on a Property, instead of just the owner.
• Players can no longer delete a mail that has an undeletable attachment (such as a mission item); they must first remove the item into their backpack and then can delete the mail.
• Daily missions to visit Properties in Avant Gardens and Nimbus Station now include Avant Grove and Nimbus Isle.
• Players can now complete the final Nexus Tower Achiever Achievement.
• Coin and Faction Token drops have been decreased in Gnarled Forest.
• Changes have been made to limit the abuse of sending invites to become Friends Team up, and Trade.
• Clicking on the mission icon for a completed mission now shows the orange “return to mission giver” pop-up.
• Nimbus Station features new signage to help guide players.
• Treehouse and Space Fort reward model sets are available for sale in the Avant Garden picnic area.
• If you try to whisper or team chat with certain players, a message will appear that they cannot receive your chat because they are playing on Free to Play accounts.
• If you try to Best Friend certain players, you will get a message that they cannot because they are playing on Free to Play accounts.
• If you try to trade with certain players, you will get a message that they are unavailable for trade.

Known Issues
• New top tiers for the Nexus Force Commendation and LEGO Universe Commendation achievements will not be complete-able by all players until future content comes on-line.
• Some icons may not appear immediately if “Download During Play” is selected.
• Loading each world will take longer the first time after this update is downloaded, but will be quicker than before on subsequent times.

Wow... It seems we're getting an entirely new game in a few days! Where to start??

Oh, glad they're fixing that.

I can hardly wait for free mode (even though I know we will be extremely limited). It'll be great to roam around again anyway, and see what is different since alpha and beta.

I hate that FTP players will not be able to talk to PTP players.

Can we not on chat? Or will we not be able to at all?

I am not sure...

• If you try to whisper or team chat with certain players, a message will appear that they cannot receive your chat because they are playing on Free to Play accounts.
• If you try to Best Friend certain players, you will get a message that they cannot because they are playing on Free to Play accounts.

I'm pretty sure Truth already posted a topic about this in LU General Discussion.

Checking around the forum helps.

I'm just as annoyed. >_> I think they nerfed the Free Play members a little too much with that. =/ I mean, if you want it to be because of safety, add some options; don't just out and out remove it all for the Free Players... it might not be their fault that they have to rely on the Free Play Mode.(Also annoyed that you very likely can't join a faction... It should've stopped at Nimbus Station, not Avant Gardens. =/)

I think that, like Blade said, it should've gone to Nimbus station. That way, you could still join a faction, but only up to level two. And as for chat... I guess that's just mean. =P

I believe that LEGO just trolled the free players, looking over the release notes again. You can only go up to Avant Gardens, yet it taunts you with the factions, and Spinjitzu, and all that sorta stuff... And most of it is new additions to Avant Gardens. =/

I hope that, at the least, the Free Players and Normal Players have the same level cap. Or that the Free Player cap goes up to at least the level where you get the permanent Speed Boost.

I thought your computer couldn't run LU?

Also, the reason it doesn't go to NS is that they want the factions to be a membership-only thing.

([cough (http://www.mlno.org/index.php/topic,7204.0.html))

1. My comp can't; but I'm not sure of the other computers. Besides, that might not be the only reason I haven't attempted to play LU.

2. Yet they taunt the free players by including stuff from the factions in one of the quests...

As it is; this is more of a demo than even half the other games that have a similar free mode. When you take away one of the biggest parts of the game...

Hey skrief, did you read my above suggestion about joining factions? As an addition to it, I would think that free to play would only have one or two minifigures to choose from. Which reminds me of my brilliant plan... ;D

And where was that said?

I do believe an article stated that even FTP players could battle the Spider Queen.

Exactly my point, Skrief. >_> You're able to borrow the weapons from the factions that were released; which essentially gives Free Players a glimpse at how awesome the Factions are; but takes it away quickly without being able to even join the first stage of the factions.

I guess you could fight the spider queen over and over and over, just to constantly be in use of the weapons. =P

That's true. =P Or attempt to try and take them away while no-one's looking. =P

 Why don't you have a "Steal" expression in LU? ::)

You can't steal items in LU.

Skrief, you just entirely missed the point. -_-;

Guys, just remember, this is an MMOG, things can change! LEGO may, after a month, decide to allow FTP players to access nimbus station, you can't just take what they have said now, and freak out over it like its the end.

They're trying to tell the free players "The game is fun now, but just imagine how great it will be if you pay!".

Not that great. I have almost everything, achievements and all, and I only have about 12 hours of gameplay time. =P

Jayko: That's true; however, I'm not exactly all that optimistic, given the mess ups different video game companies made this year, with different things. =P Hopefully it'll happen; but for now, this is what we have.

Truth: That's the thing I dislike about MMOs, or other subscription based games; they tease you with stuff, and then go, 'But wait! if you order such and such now, you'll get this!'; never factoring in the people who either don't want to pay upwards of 100 dollars a year to continue playing for a long while; or the ones who simply can't pay for even a monthly subscription. I fall into the latter category, though I'm not sure if they have those game cards here. That might be the one redeeming quality; especially if you can simply run an update on the Free Play version, instead of having to go out and also get the disk.(Though, if that still includes the free month, it might be a good idea to anyway... But you'd still have to install the files, no? =/)

That one liner that said it was not news?? I saw it.
Indeed... look at all the things they have changed from what we were originally told about what LU would be...

True, Somethings have been good, while others bad. Everyone makes their mistakes though, and I think we give LEGO a hard time far too often.

Indeed.. and since many of their decisions are based on feedback....we should remember to give some positive feedback about the things we like, and provide constructive suggestions for improvement about the things we don't.

BUMP..


The Update is complete, and FTP is open!!!

I see the new place to find it(Kinda outta the way, don't you think? >_>); and I'll try and see if I can get it downloaded sometime today.

Don't expect me to be on all too much, however. Given that said computer isn't mine; that should explain it all. =P Plus, no guarantees it'll actually work...

I have to second Blade's sentiments.

Plus, the game froze constantly and the combat honestly sucked. I was hoping for an improvement over Beta, but there wasn't one.

I wanted to love it, but I just can't.

Maybe I'll buy a month of subscription and see if it gets better.

-Canama

The new update is nice, but I'm a little upset that they released some new quests that only new players can complete.
Plus, they added a few bugs in this release. :P

Going to play for a few minutes, then give my opinion when I get back from an appointment this afternoon.

And, I'm sure the bugs are an intentional part of re-theming Avant Gardens around the Spider Queen.  ;D [/horriblejoke]

OK, the bugs make the game unplayable.
A warning: do NOT build the Club Rocket. I built it, and since then, LU has closed every time I open my model bag.

 I am currently downloading... I have about 40 minutes left. :X

I played most of today. I hung out with a few friends, and laughed at the limitations. One of the ways they chose to limit us was by only allowing us to have 10,000 coins at once (therefore you cannot buy a few items at stores). You obviously cannot complete certain missions, and cute little, untamable pets begging to be tamed never will be. Oh yeah, and there is a giant "Buy LEGO Universe" button that is constantly on the screen. I don't care at all though... at least they let us have small faction packs for a limited amount of time. I also thought it was cool to see the updates since alpha and beta testing. The nearly unclimbable steps in the ship you start out in are gone (thank goodness!), and the bridge leading to the monument race seems to hold longer. And I love the cute little birds that you have to frighten away on the monument!  :D

Something else I like is the leveling up. When I alpha and beta tested, it seemed that the "U" points were useless. There was no motivation to complete challenges for just a few coins, which you could get from smashing a few stromlings anyway. Now you are actually completing missions to earn "U"s to level up. And, you have to admit, the capes just look awesome. Has anyone gotten a cape yet? Do they give you extra shield or imagination? Or are they just for looks?

Well, now that I have completed my unintended review, I must let you all know... my username in LU is GalacticSpaceBuilder. Yes, not the most awesome name out there, but it seems that we aren't allowed to have our own name moderated either. Oh well, I must settle with the result of my impatient character trying to think of a name quickly so that I could play LU. Just thought I would let everyone know my username in case we see each other around the Universe.  ;)

ugh, the glitch where suddenly animations stop playing?  A-NOY-ing!  Seriously, if you suddenly dont do attack animations, just leave the world.  Seriously, the game becomes unplayable.

Are those the Double Jump Stairs? If so; woot. Those were part of the reason I never made it off the Venture Explorer during Beta. =P

What. What... what? Seriously, LEGO? >_< I want to defend your treatment of Free Players by agreeing with 'oh they can expand it', or 'oh it's because they ain't paying'... But seriously?! You take out both chat and custom names? Are you begging for people to just get frustrated? This needs to change. Very soon.


Needless to say, this post indicates I haven't played yet; which is correct, stupid admin privileges requirements. ::)(Though this time I have an excuse, it's not mine. =P)

We need to think about it from a new person's standpoint. It seems everyone here had the game, or at least played beta. It just sounds to me like a bunch of spoiled children complaining that there is only 5 chocolate chips in the cookies instead of 10. You pretty much have full access to 2 whole worlds, vs. very little access to all of them. I prefer the former, thats why I hated club penguin when I played.

Oh, and this game is targeted toward 8-12 year olds. So they made the FTP based around that.

Just my 2-cents worth on this topic.

PS. I did notice the lag first day the content was out, but last night I was playing, with virtually none. I think they are working it out.

1. I played literally 30 minutes of a basically unplayable first... fifth of the Venture Explorer. I literally could not get past those Double Jump stairs, no matter what I tried. =P(And then HGSS came out and by the time I tried it next, it complained about my computer being too fail. =P) And I think what we're trying to say is that we don't literally have full access to two worlds; just one, because you can't return to the Venture Explorer after you finish the tutorial. You have full access while you're there, but once you complete the missions and leave, it's gone, from my understanding.(Since the Return level was an upgraded different world of sorts) And I haven't been asking for access to all of them; just Nimbus Station. They could very easily put in a second lock to prevent Free Players from heading to any of the other worlds.
(In other words; I am thinking about this from a new person's perspective; since I played almost nothing of the Beta. But that doesn't change the fact that you only have one world to fully explore permanently.)

2. It's targeted to everyone, though of course those are targeted; they're the target audience for the rest of the sets, which LU has basically been an advert for in some cases. However, basing the Free Play around one exclusive age is not a good idea; because it's not just the kids that are using Free Play now; I'm no kid anymore; but I'm playing it, because it's a waste of time and money to get the full thing if I can't even play it. =P However, is that really a valid reason for not allowing custom names? Chat I understand; even if it's already something that could be set off for certain people in the main game(And the chat is still very restrictive, last I heard)... But why not names? The team mods them anyway; so it's not like people would have bad stuff in their names...

As I said last time; I can defend some of the things... Chat, they're being over-protective as usual; factions, they can add on, and might want to keep member-only for some silly reason, even though you get one of the most recent packs to try out... But what logical reason is there for keeping custom names out? If you're playing this game, you already have a LEGO Account name; and if it's to prevent the little kids from using their real names; I'd say a lot put their names into their accounts regardless, though there are obvious exceptions(Tahu9999932842985348 and the sort). So there's not really any purpose for the names to be member-only... =/

I am going to agree with you there.

And honestly, a lot of the people in this topic, were either talking about the actual stuff for the members(Because they are members)/lag, or were finding the stuff that they left out(Like the names) odd. =P

But yeah. When I get a chance, I'm gonna check it out, and I probably won't complain, since it'll be farther than I've ever gotten, but...

I do hope the name stuff's a glitch or something... =/

No... the name isn't a glitch. When you try to type in a custom name, I giant message pops up saying something like, "This feature is for members only! Become a member now!" I do hope they change it though... I hate the fact that there could be someone else wondering around LU with my name.

... *Sighs* Well... They could have accidentally included it... But really; how do you explain away including a core feature like names as a special feature for members? >_>

And yeah; there was a Blade in Beta I believe, so I had to resort to a Blademan series name. =P(Were you the one who asked if I was in Alpha/Beta back when LU was first was coming out? I remember someone did, but I forget who it was... And can't check now for obvious reasons. =P)

A glitch. Is keeping. Me from building. On my own property.

Lego, I am paying for this. It had better work.

-Canama

Okay, was gonna ask in CTAM in an edit, but... What's the glitch?

I selected a model, but it was invisible and couldn't be placed or put away.

Fortunately it seems to be fixed now.

-Canama

Wow, it's sad reading through this thread and hearing 90% complaints about free-to-play. I'm not sure I've ever complained about something that is free.

1.) Restricted chat for FTP players - Chat moderation costs money
2.) Restricting pet taming for FTP players - Pet name moderation costs money
3.) Restricting properties for FTP players so others cannot visit them - Property moderation costs money
4.) Restricted minifig name for FTP players - Name moderation costs money. However once you become a full member you get a chance to get a custom name.

As far as the bugs, please just file bug complains within the game and they'll get fixed. I've downloaded FTP on four different computers, from 3 different locations and I have yet to see a single issue that wasn't there before this patch. People should understand there are tens of thousands of possible PC hardware and software configurations, it's literally impossible to test all of them, so although there is a lot of testing before a patch is released, LEGO still relies on bug feedback from players for the issues they cannot find during testing.

Negative feedback is helpful but only if it's constructive, saying something like "combat sucks" does not help LEGO identify which part of combat players would like things to be improved upon. Also realize while some people are complaining about combat there are many others saying they love it, so it can be difficult to identify which changes will be liked the most, they don't want to make a change that makes more people angry than it does happy.

0. I've lightened up my stance on a lot of it, though I had still been slightly confused by the name restrictions. I understand a lot of it is restricted so that people will buy the full game; but given that only some of the restrictions had been actually mentioned beforehand(Like the chat); that caused most of the reaction here. =P Like, the name thing hadn't been mentioned before the Free Play was released.

Another thing is that one of the reasons that the posts are mostly complaints about Free Play... is because a lot of the people don't have the full version, and therefore can't talk about the rest of the update. =P

1. One question about that mention about chat... Wouldn't it simply be included in everyone else's chat?(Not that I had any expectations for that. =P) Plus, there is the whitelist... Also, this is simply a question, for anyone at all, but... Is there a method of chatting available to the Free Players similar at all to MLN's system? That requires no modding, so that would, IMO, be the perfect system for the Free Players, and would reduce the amount of people upset about that. It's just a suggestion, but...

2. That one makes a little sense, though it could always be restricted to simply being the default. Unless the pets have individual entries, instead of being tied to an account, then that does make perfect sense.

3. I hadn't heard about that one... However, that does make sense. The only question I'd have about that one, is if you can't let people view your properties, why are they in the Free Play? Granted, a lot of people would want to try that feature out, but another part of building stuff with LEGO, is being able to show those creations off. Which it sounds like you can't do until you become a Member...

4. That makes sense. I hadn't fully considered that part. However, is it actually possible to retroactively name a mini-fig? I haven't played since Beta, and even that was a very short time, so I honestly don't know about that one. However, another question, and the main thing that was making me go 'wait, what?'... Are the choices for the placeholder name large? As in, large enough that you don't end up with multiple mini-figs with the same name, or someone accidentally taking your preferred alternate name? I'm simply curious on that one.

6. That does make sense. It's hard to know what to change, if you have no idea what the people are complaining about.

1.) The whitelist helps, but even with a whitelist people can still say things that are no allowed, like trying to give out a phone number, or bully someone. Moderation is still required for this reason.

2.) Players also cannot even tame pets until they speak take they learn the whistle emote from Coalessa, so we just let players know they can't use pets until they're a full member so that they're not running around trying to figure out how to do it within AG.

3.) You can still do a lot on a property without others being able to see it, you can learn about behaviors, building in brick mode and model mode, etc. Also, while property moderation costs money, so does model optimization. The models you build are optimized by LEGO to have nice lighting and shadowing to make them look more realistic, and it also lets properties run more efficiently on your computer so you'll have a smoother play experience. But the optimization process costs money. If a property had to be moderated and optimized for FTP players that could cost quite a bit as MMOs that offer FTP generally have 90% of FTP players that never sign up, so you can imagine that 90% of the properties that existed would've cost LEGO money.

4.) It is possible to retroactively name a minifig, it was just never something players could do on their own until now because it was never needed.

1. Well, again, I haven't played since Beta, so, forgive me if this is already general knowledge or an otherwise silly question... But; aren't the chat messages posted instantly? I'm just curious how that can be modded, unless there are faster modders on LU than the LMBs. =P But you have a point there.

2. Ah, I see. I figured it was something that required something further than you can get in Free Play; but I wasn't sure on the details. Just that you needed Pet Cove(Or what it's post-Beta name is... >_>; ), which seemed to be past Nimbus Station. But yeah, that does make a lot of sense. =P

3. I see. I hadn't known that before. But, does that optimization process only work after the approval process, or in others' properties or so? Also, just curious, but does this mean you can't save models either, since they'd need to be modded and approved as well?

4. Ah, that would explain why I hadn't heard of it before. =P Okay, that makes sense then.

5. Just a quick question, since no-one has likely had a chance to test it yet... Can you use Free Play after your subscription expires? So you could just play around AG, for the situation of people who simply can't afford to continue playing for that month? Or is it simply a one time thing for people who haven't upgraded or purchased the full game at all?

1.) The messages are allowed to go through if they pass through the whitelist, however they're still logged and moderators read through the logs for any malicious activity.


3.) You can save models in FTP, they just aren't moderated or optimized until they become a member. Whenever you visit another property you're seeing the optimized version, whenever a property is locked then it's not finished being optimized and moderated.

5.) You cannot play free-to-play with an account that has been a member, however if your subscription expires you can start a new free-to-play account and play on that.

1. Yeah, that makes sense then. So, basically, if free players were allowed to chat, it would take up more money for the moderation? Is it because of the mass amount of messages that would be sent, like on the LMBs?

Also, an off-shoot of the original question; you also can't use the mailbox, correct?

3. Ah, I see then. Now, I have a question about the optimization process; you mention they look as they do after approval because of the process... But, what do they look like beforehand? Is it like LDD bricks and models, somewhere in between, or even different? Just curious on that one, since I have to figure some stuff out before I can install FTP...(And even then, there's no guarantee it'll allow me to play, since I have no clue on the graphics capability of the computer I'll need to use...)

5. Alright... I can see the reasons for that, even if it's something that seems complex. However; I do have a question about that; the accounts you mention are the LEGO.Com accounts, right? Just wondering about that, since in the terms of service(I forget if it's from MLN or DRC or just in general), I had recalled something about no multiple accounts... Not that it was followed, given the dupe accounts on MLN. =P I just wish for some clarification on that statement there. =)

3.  A suggestion: while I understand the optimization of the model shapes for faster loading, there are some property model Ideas I have that would look lame in LU lighting but would look great in LDD lighting.  Perhaps there could be an option on the property control pad allowing players to choose between different types/complexities of lighting, thus potentially speeding the optimization process and saving Lego money.  As an added bonus, players with lower-end computers could set their properties to use less complex lighting effects, thus speeding up performance. [/rambling]

Specifically, I'm thinking about a property that is based on a certain type of enclosed amusement park attraction; the interior lighting in said attractions is almost always artificial, and thus the property would be enhanced by having unrealistic/unenhanced lighting.  LDD models usually look artificial; but since the objects on this property are supposed to look artificial, that would be a good thing.

1. @ Blade: Imagine having to read through the entirety of the DoaH posts in less than a couple of hours.  That's the amount of chat that goes through small MMOs; now imagine it on a Much.  Larger.  Scale.  Yeah.  I think you're gonna need a bigger box moderation team. :P

Flipz: Ooh. OOOH. Yeah; that makes a lot lot more sense now.

I take it back; chat can definitely be member only forever. =P I've only experienced a few MMOs, and those have typically been only one area, or very small scale... Now that I have an example, I understand exactly the problems that would be opened by making chat a privilege for Free Players...

 The new content is decent, and while the levels could be good, they're really just kinda annoying. LEGO needs to include more to the levels, to give a better insentive to continue playing the game. Maybe restrict certain areas until you level up, unlock more weapon slots, or pretty much just upgrade your minifigure. The update was on the right track, but it still needs some major improvement.

Areas are restricted by skill, for example you can't go to Crux Prime unless you've taken the missions from Duke to defeat a Dark Ronin and Pirate Admiral. And even Nexus Tower is blocked until you at least finish the mission to become a faction member. Also Rank 2 and 3 gear now have level requirements, so I've currently go the Rank 3 Shinobi book but I'm only level 23 so I can't use it. A lot of these things were recently added and if you're an existing player it won't affect you. Upgrading your minifigure is done through new gear, and those now have level requirements on them so there is incentive to level up for that reason. I'm sure the leveling system will balance itself out with the rest of the game more over time, just like any new system introduced.

I'd just like to report a glitch: the Adventurer Valiant Cape is not yet available, but the capes for the three other recently introduced specialties are.

I also assume that soon enough that like with the other already existing specialties we'll get different colors and Valiant Weapons for Adventurer. Shinobi, Space Ranger and Inventor in time. Along with other possible actual non-mini bosses which will provide a challenge based on the world they are based in.

There should be a bug fix patch coming soon, although I don't know which bugs will and won't be fixed by it.

Oh, thanks for the info. I'm assuming it'll fix most of them, like the ones immediately obvious and the ones the players are complaining most about.

 When do you think that LU will come out with Valiants for the new faction suits?