Hey Aincradians. NIGHT as PST GM here. Need an address today on two fronts.

1. 3.0 Conversion Compensation

This is a change that affects a minority of our players. Also, to clarify, while this compensation was discussed and approved internally with staff, this is a move I am choosing to make as PST GM.

At the start of 3.0, the Paragon Rewards table used to look as such:

Lv. 25 | Gleaming Scale (3), Equipment Change Ticket (1), Free SP Reset (1)
Lv. 50 | Custom Sword Art/Skill Creation.
Lv. 60 | Paragon Tier Up Tickets (3), Demonic Shards (3)

As time progressed, the Lv. 50 reward for players to submit a Custom Sword Art/Skill was removed from the table and the game. This resulted in a gap between Lv. 25 and Lv. 60 where players were missing rewards. Not many players were able to acquire a Custom Sword Art/Skill during this period, and in addition, the duration of their existence for players who managed to acquire them was short lived.

In 3.1, the Paragon Rewards table saw a redistribution of Gleaming Scales and Demonic Shards across the different tiers. Players that fell into the Lv. 25 / Lv. 60 gap in 3.0 mentioned earlier would not have a chance of collecting the shards that previous rewards had offered, especially with the introduction of a new reward listed at Lv. 50, hence the call for compensation.

Players that met the following criteria during 3.0 Conversion will receive x1 Gleaming Scale and x1 Demonic Shard:

• Were eligible to submit a Customs Skills/Sword Art request,
• Were under Paragon Lv. 60.

The reason behind these specific rewards being distributed is because they match 3.1's current Paragon Rewards at Lv. 50. 

I understand that this does not entirely address the Demonic Shard shortage in players that fall into this reward gap. This also circulates more Gleaming Scales in the player base than should be necessary in Paragon Rewards distribution. However, in the interest of fairness to players from previous tiers that did not receive Demonic Shard compensation for conversion during 3.0, this quantity will be kept at 1. Similarly, it is my hope that the additional Gleaming Scale helps in justifying the value of this compensation.

To the players, I seek your understanding as I make this move.

2. Acquisition of Extra Skills tied to Quests 

During the transition to 3.0, some 2.6 quests were updated with the added reward of offering new Extra Skills that players could attain via quest recompletion (seen here). This was intended to be maintained as the status quo. However, due to staff miscommunication and a bit of player pressure, this system went undermined. 

As PST GM, I'd like to sincerely apologize for this move. Because clarity in the game's rules and regulations are under my jurisdiction, a misinterpretation from me on behalf of staff can drastically alter the workings of the game. The sole responsibility of this fault should be on my shoulders alone, and to the players, I ask for your forgiveness, co-operation and understanding in moving forward.

To reiterate, Extra Skills may only be unlocked upon Quest completion in 3.0. The following Extra Skills and Quest pairings count as exceptions, meaning players will retain these skills had they completed their corresponding quests in 2.6:

• Meditation, from Calming the Soul
• Survival, from The Traveller
• Forgotten King's Authority, from Betrayal of the King
• Concentration or Disguise (depending on your past outcome), from The Gemini

More information regarding quest completion in past content may be seen here.

I understand that past threads in 3.0/3.1 had been closed in our understanding of the alternative. By GM powers on my behalf, the mistakes on these thread closures shall be waived. I'd also like to ask players to abide by the rule of quest recompletion to attain these Extra Skills. This will be reinforced by my PST team in the approvals to come.

Should there be any questions or concerns regarding the topics addressed above, please direct your feedback to #ask-a-staff and/or #feedback channels on the SAO-RPG Discord server. The route of submitting a ticket via #modmail is also encouraged.

In addition, I appreciate all complaints (if any) be directed towards me specifically, rather than the whole or another representative of staff. As I had mentioned in both sections of this address, these are moves that I am taking sole responsibility for.

Once again, this has been NIGHT as PST GM. Thank you very much for your time.