Changes with the February Update: Developer Updates

I don't understand the rush to get to the end game, why skip past so much good content to sit at level 100 and be bored while waiting for new content to come out. We lose a couple of guild members every month due to lack of content, not the AA mountain.

Wizards never had a beam with a cast time. Version 1.0 recoursed a DD, which could (and did) kill the caster if it was used on enough targets. Version 2.0 recoursed a DoT, and for a brief time, beam-kiting entire zones was possible and quite popular. Version 3.0 had a target limit imposed to prevent the beam-kiting. I gave a presentation at GDC Austin where, among other things, we discussed Beam of Solteris and I have the powerpoint slide around here somewhere...

In class-based games (some examples would be EverQuest, Team Fortress, Dungeons and Dragons, Battlefield, Planetside 2) each class operates in a vastly different way, sometimes even within the same archetype. This has the benefit of promoting cooperation, and ensuring that the classes feel unique. I understand that sometimes the differences between classes look inequitable, but we feel that this is an important component of a successful and compelling game.

I don't care, I mean that's my stance on the AA issue and I feel they are actually aiming low. Really though these toons are going to be 5 years behind current content, that's still a significant amount of work to get them ready for anything plus they wont have the benefit of the bonus exp curve to buy only the essentials like people who skip this or did it before.

Yep, and this is why the ranger AE got nerfed at the same time as wizards and despite doing less damage than either is not getting its hit limit increased and to even come close to their damage we need a full party and we can only do it for a short time every 20 minutes. But hey that's fair. Wait no that's not fair, it's the definition of not fair.

Let me think on this a bit I confused myself.

I would personally love to see OMMs gain exp again. I recall the biggest problem with it being that you could buy armor with it, on top of massive platinum + AA gains + lower level players could join you and still contribute. Basically all of these factors combined made the real content irrelevant. Well now the armor isn't relevant any more, and the AA xp could be tuned lower than what it used to be. If you tune them to 2-3 AA per then there will still only be a niche crowd playing them (a good thing) but doing them for the items (mask of the lost guktan, tash orb) won't feel like a chore. To help a little with the balancing: A well-coordinated, unboxed group of 3-5 finishes them in 15 minutes, the average duo that would likely be doing them will finish in 30-45 minutes. So even in the best of conditions all 3 tasks won't compare to a single daily, and itll take 3* as long.

These are not really soloable or boxable tasks in the sense of efficiency, so it would really help out for people trying to get those items + to relive classic dungeons in their original state of balance.

I'm saying that we are being honest and transparent about the changes (Machiavellian means cunning and scheming, which was implied by the person I was responding to and my response was meant as lighthearted but I feel like it's now lost something in the 'telephone game'-esque reply to the reply to the reply). We knew this was a controversial change and that's why we did our best to explain in detail the problem we were trying to solve and how we were trying to solve it.

How can a wizard feel unique when they are being penalized for using said spells while mages are able to use these spells with no ill effects? I will again rehash that a well seasoned mage can use these spells to have a almost continuous killing spree, I as a mage have the ability to regain approx 60% of my mana in 4 short clicks aside for the mana regen effect(buffs ect.).. I still say remove then give mages a snare and they can use normal aoe spells to quad kite only able to hit x4 targets per cast.

You did explain the problem with beaming and swarming, no one really argued. We as a player base are fine with it and agree.

The assassinate/decap/headshot changes are a whole different monster and have not been explained. They were not causing the same issues and should not be lumped in with the rest. Those 3 classes already draw the short straw in many ways, this was a very small way we could make up for it to gain AA for ourselves.

I am an sk, and I don't want to be nerfed.

In a normal group situation your group can get a bad pull, Weird mob warping, Train, etc etc and all of a sudden you have multiple mobs and it all goes to hell, and its going to be a wipe.....then the SK Goes Visage, Epic, AE Agro and all is well with the world and for just a few minutes the SK is the Hero!!!

If the real problem is swarming...then lets fix the mechanics that make it possible.

Make the mobs smarter - maybe they realize the RED con PC, really would take more than an army to defeat, and they are really no match and they wont agro unless u deliberately agro and start beating on them....or they drop agro after 10 mobs on the hatelist....or they drop agro after moving 500' from their spawn point or a combination.

By fixing the basics - you stop the Trains, Swarms, and Beaming without breaking the toons.

Szazor Sharptooth
100 SK - TALISMAN

PS - Watch for Talisman on EQN

And no need to worry about lack of aa bonus cause youll get the free aa's by the next expansion anyhow no matter your current aa number

But SOE is dropping them a few feet from the top of everest. and then they will quit when they realize the downhill climb is a challenge. Anyway, the id that this is helping new or returning players is not what soe is trying to do. they are merely trying to get a 1 month subscription surge from players going from silver to gold in the hopes that it is enough money to continue their employment for a few more months.

It doesn't matter if people bought krono with plat, the only source of krono is $18 from Sony. Krono are win win regardless of what you're doing to get them inside the game.

Where did you see that they'll be adding to this with every expansion? I read it as a one-time thing.

Not sure if already mentioned, but might you consider to exclude the following AA from the autogrant:


-Innate Agility
-Innate Charisma
-Innate Dexterity
-Innate Intelligence
-Innate Stamina
-Innate Strength
-Innate Wisdom

These are pretty useless to anyone these days as even at 51 everyone is already at the stat cap with items alone. Besides that not every stat is relevant to every class.
These AAs would only add up to the 4000 cap and do nothing at all for the players.

Same for

-Innate Lung Capacity
-Innate See Invis

At 51 everyone should already have this abilities on an item effect like Faerune.

-Packrat
With money no weight and the high STR stat carrying capacity this is not an issue anymore

- Bandage Wounds
- First Aid

Seriously - who in his right mind would doing bandages since the inventions of healder mercs ?

Might even throw in the innate resistances, though they might have some effect occasionally.

This would take a couple of AAs from the 4000 cap and not hurt anyone.

Iuwene

they said at begining before they went to this second thread aa grants will be - last four expansions that was from red.

Yeah cause in other games when I run into retired eq players they say it was the psychologically daunting task of gaining aa that made them quit. Not one. Ever.None.

Some did quit over the above nerfs tho. Some did quit because of lack of new content. Some quit because of class nerfs an corpse summoning. An Some quit because of the mercs taking their role in groups.

People liked the game because it was hard. An the easier it gets notice how fewer players you have? An you do not see the irony in the above quote?

I might have misunderstood also, but they way i read it was when next exp hit those players joining would then get aa through HOT I could be wrong but this is how I understood it.

They said grant aa's - last 4 expansions so next expansion you'll get the next gift wrapped aa some ppl were saying just rinse and repeat on gold everytime expanion comes out i was thinking wait 2 years then save 45 bucks or whatever from the rinse and repeat on buying gold every expansion to get yer free aa's hehe

AA Grant for Gold Members

Our current plan is to automatically grant AAs up to four expansions behind the current expansion, if the player opts to do so. Clicking a checkbox in the AA window will enable the granting option and any eligible AAs will be applied the next time the character zones or levels. The option can be disabled at any time if you no longer wish to receive granted AAs, though any AA received via auto-granting will be retained should you decide to later disable this functionality.


it is vague but?