Replays are Killing This Game.

Wassup Allen. So here is my question, and mind you I have no horse in this race. I could care less if we went back to the way the game was at Alpha, Beta, and Launch, where there were no Replay Badges. Replays can help an individual to gear up faster. It's not that people cannot beat the content, or that Replays are helping them to beat the content, it's all about acquiring gear quicker. Thus, removing or toning down the use of Replay's is making people wait, to beat content that they CAN beat with no issues. That doesn't make any sense to me. If the content was harder, not able to be finished on day 1, then people wouldn't want to use them, because the difficulty would make people more careful regarding how they used Replay's.

I personally do not abuse them. However, I see there place. My issue is when a person abuses them and then comes on the forums and says that they have nothing to do. That is asinine and ridiculous. Conversely, there is a guy in my league that literally spends a good $200-500 a month on this game. We tease him that he is funding the US Server. However, he runs everything, never gets bored of it, never takes breaks, and never complains that he has nothing to do, and is at he top with Skill points. Why would you stop him from using them ? I think the format we are using now is the medium. Let's wait until stats matters drop and then re-assess this topic.

I think you are looking at two different things here.

The hyperbole that usually has the word "killed" or "killing" in it does paint a dreary picture. On the other hand, a lot of players are noticing the addition to replays before, during, and after. We do see differences that are developed on the game end that changed player progression drastically.

Before replays, the lockouts were definite. You couldn't rush. If you missed a lockout, you had no way of catching up, but development was based around the whole acquisition. During replays, that had to change, since playing content was not limited to one time a day/week. After development changed, things got significantly worse. The whole "elite" concept is a good example. There is no way to do it w/o unlocking.

So to say it has killed the game is a misnomer, but it has made it a money sink which turns players away.

The changes could have been avoided if they limited the number of replays you could do, but they chose to open it up. Thus created a "I did it all and I got nothing to do." concept. T4 seemed long, but it really wasn't only because players were already full gear from all 4 sets. T5 had a difficulty wall, which ended up having to change to a replayable bounty.

I both like and hate replays. I really do think they should limit it somehow. Shortening their own content defeats the purpose of the content.

I do admit one thing, challenging content that you need to progress for is necessary, but they have changed the progression to self contain within a DLC. Instead of over time. Like it was T4 and lower. Thus allowing for more need to replay.

B I get it. (See I got it right this time LOL) I think just adding lockouts or toning down replay's is a band aid at best, It's not enough. As we are both saying,the content needs to be more challenging, if you want people to slow down there use of Replay's. Making me wait a week to beat Trigon's Prison, Themyscira Divided, A & B, BBS, KCT, and we can go on and on, is a slap in the face when an infant can beat them. What's the point ? We needed a complete overhaul of the game, or should I say, we needed to take a step back (by returning to the day's of yesteryear ), in order to move forward. All I say is, let's wait until stats matters and then revisit.

I would like to make sure we are on the same page here, because I don't ever want to see OC which was just big hits to create artificial difficulty. You mean content like Inner and FOS2, right? Where strategy is needed to completion, not simply twitch reflexes and a good graphics card and good DPS.

But again, I don't think adding harder content will change it. Yes, they wont replay it, but I can guarantee if it's the only place to progress they will choose to walk away instead. Happened in OC.

On the other hand, I do think that a lot of the content that is deemed "too easy" on launch is because we were already out geared because of the self contained system we have now. To progress, you have to be at minimum CR of the next DLC, but by the end of the previous DLC you are already max level. Which is another reason why CR Differential was bad for the game.

Stating stats matter changes will fix problems, hopefully it will, because they mentioned they are limited on development. But I don't think it will fix the issue with challenge and replays.

Here is the formula for attuning your gear:
Formula: *courtesy of Elusian* of Odyssey League
Gear Drop Item Level = (Overall CR / 1.15) + 2/3/4 (green/blue/purple)
174 = 153/154/155
175 = 154/155/156
176 = 155/156/157
177 = 155/156/157 (same cr, but higher stats if I remember right*, do the math and you'll see why this happens)
178 = 156/157/158
179 = 157/158/159
180 = 158/159/160
181 = 159/160/161
182 = 160/161/162
183 = 161/162/163
184 = 162/163/164

The shields in the final room of Nexus? Learning to dodge the Oppressor ball? Learning to move when a boss charges/stomps? Those are big hits instead of mechanics? They were completely avoidable...if you did mechanics. Every time mechanics are introduced into this game, people QQ. If they can't queue in the on duty and run it in a completely random group with no communication, they call it "impossible." And let me be clear, by "they" I mean the folks who come to the forums and cry for nerfs, not necessarily specific people, just a generalization of threads that have cropped up loads of times.

Back on the topic at hand, I don't know that I ever see the devs getting rid of replays. While the game could likely survive without them, you KNOW they're making oodles off them. I agree there could be brainstorming around phasing them out...other MMOs sometimes unlock old content so you can farm styles/cash (DCUO did this), have minimal lockouts on easier content that has low-tier rewards (I'm thinking solo/duo if they dropped 1 mark and plans or something...the scaling gear makes me skeptical on this being a good idea), and weekly lockouts on top-tier content (which accompanies the best gear drops or the marks to get the best gear). However, I've also played other games with "elite" versions of content...which allow you to run the elite version only after completing the normal that week...but you don't have to "reset" to get loot.

I've never been a fan of the replay badges...but I think content at this point is being designed around the idea that folks will use them. The raids are not hard enough anymore that you're only going to do them once per week. People complete them, on drop day, in less than an hour. Personally, I want them harder, something to work towards, inch your way to beating it and having it take a chunk of time each week even after you have it down. But...I'm the minority. That would hurt the game and so...quick raids...people need stuff to do...replays. -_-

One shots, enrage timers, 0.1 second to avoid, can't see, you name it, this DLC had it. All the while it pushed out 2 healers, pushed for more damage and completely altered the game's mentality.

The bubble mechanic in Nexus was probably the only mechanic that was very complex to the game, but more than half the time, players didn't even get to the first bubble phase because they all died because things didn't render around them. We were on PC, but I can't imagine how bad it was on most of the PS3 players.

I'm sorry, I don't agree with you and I don't ever want to see that kind of artificial "difficulty" again. It pushed away more players than anything added to the game.

To keep it on topic, it also played into the replayers. As there was only so many players that could beat it, they were the ones loving to replay too. (Not counting door glitch replays either.)

Thank you for the chart but it is incorrect of actualife reality. A 177CR is getting 158 gear to drop and until I purchased the neck from the vendor I was not advancing at all I was getting 152 and 153 gear only now opened boxes after said purchase is a 155 for myself but others are reporting different numbers then your scale

Replays are not killing the game. They are however going to make it boring for those who used them to gear up will fast and those players have no reason to run the content anymore.

And the comment about 175s not getting accepted into raids, that is not true. I've been in the raids with 173-188 CR players and ran them with ease.

Pay to win at its best

The scale was working for me...but I was also using Odyssey's CR Calculator to confirm what is actually holding you back. Use both together and you should see better results.

this has been a problem since they were released and its not going to change. it makes them money fishing for the whales but that is not the majority of the community just the try hards that aren't good to begin with who need the inflated CR to feel special ( I personally think its from lack of hugs)

It is!

Hold me ...