Changes with the February Update: Developer Updates

Like in Eq2, heroic chars are given a tutorial and get average gear for their level. I assume it will be the same here.

Just a few thoughts on the new proposed changes. I know that giving and taking away things is never good for the game. I have real life friends who stopped their accounts when they nerfed argath for headshot.

I do understand that sometimes things can simply be to much and need modification. However; Going over things over the years like dire charm, HS, decap, assassinate, beams et al, I feel things should be done and taken in moderation.

This way you don't have people freaking out and angry, and are more likely to still pay for your game.

2 procs in 1 min is a complete nerf of the aa bought and spent for hs, decap and assassinate. Maybe look at halving its current status? I know about two active raid enchanters on Erollisi atm. Maybe make the class fun to play again? Not sure how to make beaming reasonable.

Cheers Skallagrim

But, but you agree with me right? I'm lovely! Say yes! Please!

@Yinla

I'm sure I'm not the only one with a bag full of illusion clickies and mounts (which can't be used with illusions) I never use. Make it something special!

Also granting rewards based on the total number of AAs acquired before the change would make more sense than doing it based on AAs acquired by "era" in my opinion; I'm willing to bet that many players with over 7500 AAs don't have any points spent in bind wound abilities or even innate stats, or all those useless AAs we were granted over the years.

If you are going to auto-grant AA's why not something like the following to reward existing players too:

• give all characters on paid accounts a pool of "core" AA's unlocked at certain milestones (your long-term paying customers have earned at least equal treatment)
• in the future if you choose to grant additional "core" AA's just add them to the pool

Option 1:

• these AA's can be spent freely on any glyphs or regular AA's the player chooses

Option 2:

• these AA's can only be spent on certain "core" abilities
• refund any regular AA points spent on the "core" abilities so they can be used for something else

Other ideas:

• create templates for each class so that new players can auto-buy a recommended set of abilities (helps the learning curve)
• lock some future AA's behind missions or achievements instead of XP grinding to encourage grouping and put the quest back in Everquest

I recognize that this will allow veteran players to maintain an edge over new players. Haven't they earned it? If you're trying to allow new players to participate in current content and flatten the AA mountain, great, I totally get it. If you're trying to somehow level the playing field and destroy hundreds if not thousands of hours spent advancing our characters, this is a bad idea.

I get the feeling this AA thing was a done deal from the get go. What you got from reading posts here was that giving people the option to not get the 4k AA's was what most people wanted? Really? That is junk and totally not a response to the actual feedback.

Here is my feedback.... I understand that classes get nerfed from time to time to even out game play, and I understand that it upsets people. I have no problem with that. 4k AA's for nothing? That is insane. People should still have to earn their AA's period. Honestly, if you enjoy playing the game (by the way, loads of content to enjoy as you progress through levels) earning your AA's as you go isn't even an issue. Horrible horrible horrible horrible idea!

It's very true this is basically a slap in the face to many. However this will also allow some new life into the game (for good or for bad). But it depends on exactly HOW they go about doing things. However I do believe some form of compensation given to those that have been here for years and years. As this will basically remove a huge portion of those struggles that people have already endured, something must be given of at least close to equal value, for each toon that's actually affected. This would help to smooth some of the ripples that this change brings about.
I do think the Devs and some of you Higher ups have forgotten the most fundamental aspect of Everquest. It's a game of struggle to advance, to earn your way, and in doing so therefore you earn your pride, self respect and respect of your peers; this is a game that's supposed to be hard, and therefore rewarding. The game is about questing, unlocking Lore, and the ability to travel to new places that otherwise would be blocked off due to flags and/or keys. The grind is simply a mechanic to allow the player to gain the abilities to do this stuff. Other mechanics are also built into the game, like questing, or tradeskills. Even these are used to help players advance.
Simply handing out AA all the way up and stopping for the last 4 current content (remember, this will go up each expansion), You remove a great part of the game, and you defile and pervert it at the same time, you are removing meaning to this aspect. I do not disagree with what you are doing, the reasons are valid. However I disagree with your method. Please read my earlier post on Page 45, it was post # 898.

You dont need to nerf the Clerics............These arent the droids your looking for...........move along.

Maybe it's because all you learned to do on your SK was swarm?
Maybe if you'd spent time learning to tank as an SK you'd know how to tank instead?

So much contradiction in one paragraph it makes my eyes bleed.

Elidroth

Have you and the other developers checked out my post on the melee forums at all? Piestro said he would mention it yet I haven't seen any replies or feedback to it. Just wanted to be sure and hopefully get your opinion/open a dialogue about it.

https://forums.station.sony.com/eq/...es-feel-free-to-weigh-in.207340/#post-3045993

I have spent a lot of time reading complaints. Seems like a lot of players want "PUSH BUTTON" warfare. I wave my wand and the zone disappears. I always liked the fact that I could get wasted if I happened upon too many "ORCS", or whatever. Had to use some skill to survive. I soloed and got
very good at pulling 1 mob with my bow. It was fun.

I think the AA thing is good because there are players who can't play 12 hours a day. It takes a lot of
time to grind AA's. There was an acceleration curve a few years back. Was supposed to be a "catch up" thing. Not sure what happed to it. All of my toons are above L85 None have 4K or 5K AA's. Best
is 2260 for my L90 Rogue. He could use the AA's. Solo task in FEERROTT is nasty.

Has the actual date for all of the changes been announced? I have only seen "FEBRUARY" update.

The big question is how Shadow Knight tanking abilities is going to be affected with the lifetap nerfing ? Damn SK can't tank . I box my shadow Knight with my Necromancer and I just don't understand why is that my Sk is full group Callen of the Forsaken Geared with all abilities 12500 and still I have to send necro pet to tank Nameds. Can you explain me? anyone can explain me why I have to send my necro's pet to tank nameds?? Now , shadow Knight is going to be a worst tank.This is just crazy.

I got it ^.^

I agree with Cevil's you need ta back off an stop flaming every bodies comment if someone says if this happens they are quitting its not a debate an sure as hell isn't your place ti try an make it one.

Really? I know literally dozens, many dozens, of players who have left over the past few years. They were almost all real old-timers. They almost all had at least three accounts.
All, bar one or two whose lifestyles had changed, left because there was nothing left to do. No endgame raids they hadn't farmed for weeks/months. No AAs they needed to get.
Those people are the lifeblood of your business model.
They are the people who paid for two years at a time upfront (when we could do that) on each account.
Some of them have popped back over the years. They now buy 1 month subs. They do the AAs; get back in a raiding guild, do the raids, finish all the new quests - and have completed the lot before their 1 month sub has run out. Others look at how little content the new expansion has and decide it's just not worth paying for.

This isn't something I'm making up - you know as well as I do of all the big-name guilds that have folded. They folded because they ran out of stuff to do/players who could find stuff outside of raids to do.

EQ is never going to get back to the subscription base of its heyday. So how about looking after those of us who have stuck with all the nerfs and changes we don't like?
We know some of your changes have been dealbreakers and people have left in the past. Well I've never seen an outpouring as big as this one so you can be pretty sure you'll lose some more of those veterans on this.
You can only do that so many times before it really is lights out for all of us

WIAT!? What did you do with Rose!? Did she let go?? :-D

Maybe if you ready the original post I quoted you would not be posting this now.

In the original post I made the point that the shaman Sloth line of spells didn't lag the servers and that a nerf was not needed.
Please expound on this line of thinking that led you to the conclusion to change this bread and butter Shaman spell that has a very real and already appropriate set of limitations.
Thanks in advance.

Each class has a different number of AA's which makes deciding on a reward per AA count difficult.

As for clickies, outdoor zones I play with mounts, indoor zones I play with illusions....using an illusions seems to make me die more I need to die more so I have a reason to play outside raids.