At 14:47:47, forum time (which is completely different to any timezone I know of), DM Zeruel posted what he calls a "TINY Sample" of the upcoming changes. We still do not have an estimate of a date for the server to come back up but in my opinion the sooner the better. Everyone on the forum needs their DCX fix! Of course we don't want the server to come back before the changes have been fully implemented and whatnot. Take your time guys. :)

Anyway, onto the announcement. Here is the list of changes that DM Z posted. Remember that it is but a tiny sample; you will have to log on when the server returns to find out the full list of changes. By the way, documentation regarding these changes is expected to be available just before the server's re-launch so it may be possible to discover the full list of changes from these docs... (As before, our comments are in italics).

• Equipping and removing gloves boots belts changes your actual appearance (put on a pair of boots, your armor appearance changes based on the style of the boot you are wearing. Remove them, and you walk around bare foot. Same with gloves and belts.)
  Sounds good. Although if this can be achieved with scripting why doesn't NWN do so automagically? Lazy Bioware coders ;) (Peter) They won't do it because people would complain "Why isn't it in the game resources?" because it's done through coding and not the engine, not everybody would be able to use it and would get MEGA whiney. Besides, they can probably squeeze some more money out of it before NWN2 with another expansion (even if not commercially released, they were talking about the pay-for-download system for new official content)
  
  
• Rebalanced spell DC and Save equations along with drastically rebalanced spells
  I don't really have any comments about this one although no doubt Peter will. (Hint, Peter: Edit this page and comment on this, in bold or another font if you feel the need) (Peter) Fool! This obviously means that saving throws are no longer things that always happen to other people! hopefully this will stop Roltons saving against level 20 spells and make spidermen or something more hardened to it? dunno.
  
  
• HUNDREDS of new areas monsters items
  Wooyay. Let's just hope that these aren't all for the Zehaves among us and that the newer characters will be able to experience them.(Peter) Yeah, those Zehave(s) must be punished for their efficient character-moulding antics!
  
  
• New spawn system that drastically improves the speed of the server and also adds alot of unpredictable elements to hunting (no more of the same exact orc spawning at the same exact spot with the same exact equipment every 5 minutes...)
  I suppose this has good or bad consequences depending on your opinion. From the RP perspective it's much better and much more realistic. It also adds a touch of excitement in the way of finding out what you're going to get from this particular monster. Of course combined with the character clothing effects above I should imagine we'll be able to see easily enough what we're likely to pick up from each monster. However from the Power-gamer's perspective (love them or loathe them, I'm just catering for them and providing a perspective ;)) you will not always get the exact same stuff from the monsters. While the Lesser Red Orcs may still be good for some quick low-level cash they won't all be carrying the same items. It will also make for some nice variety. (Peter) Just watch out for the ultrabadass one with the rocket launcher +5 (The one next to the tree)
  
  
• Every monster rebalanced
  Speaks for itself really. You can't have unbalanced creatures wandering around the server. Except the DMs of course ;). (Peter) This is the most ambiguous one; rebalanced for people with termites in their wooden legs? Hopefully kobolds are less of a n00b killer... not pleasant strolling along killing rolton and coming face to club with a kobold or two.
  
  
• New chest system (disarming the trap, and picking the chest back up, leaves the chest disarmed, along with several other improvements, including a chance of unique items spawning in chests)
  Peter's already commented on this over in the Server Update rumour page. One thing we weren't informed of before was the chance of unique items being in the chests. We can only assume that by "unique" DM Z doesn't just mean Polished Gold Rings and suchlike seeing as that chance already exists from what I can gather. (Peter) No chance, Polished gold rings are Zehave-fodder. Two of the new unique items, I have predicted, are in fact Swineherd's garb with a walking stick, a quarterstaff with minus enchantment as a weapon, that nonetheless gives you monk speed. Then, on removal of said garb, you become a handsome prince who has been in disguise all this time and at last the princess wants to marry you but after you see her phone bill you go back to swineherding.
  
  
• To sum it up, the big update is about well thought out balance, tons and tons of new content, code optimization (the last time the Test module was tested it was using 1/20 the CPU useage of the old module), tons of bug fixes (the "disk bug" is one of the more well known that was fixed) and dozens of new features and enhancements of all kinds.
  Less CPU usage hopefully = less lag! Of course, as Krynshaw pointed out to me on the forums, we can never eliminate all lag, especially for those of us on this side of the Atlantic (I'm in Europe, despite where this server is located..). Anyway, less CPU is still a good thing. Even in minute ways (saving DM Z's electricity costs, maybe...). Less CPU also equals speed though, and we all, as gamers, know the importance of speed. I'm also worshipping the bug fixes, even if I don't know what they are (except the Disk Bug of course). New Features I can't really comment on because I don't know what they are, except the ones detailed to us by the "Naughty DM" ;) over on the Server Update page! (Peter) Electricity costs... you shouldn't clutch at straws, Andrew. In fact, now that Zeruel's processor is going to be working at 1/20th the strain before, he can obviously affort to implement lots of new pretty things, like pink cows which fly!

[Page Author: Andrew (MoRiA) and Peter (Sword Raven) changed the spellings to rumour :P]