Changes with the February Update: Developer Updates

My druid is still amazingly awesome and living a happy life

Does anyone else feel like this? That the devs effort to retain veterans is proportionally inverse to the effort one has put forward in accumulating a massive amount of AA on their toons?

No. I have put around 16000 aas on my toon. The best way to retain me as a player is twofold. Raid game and group game. One of the biggest things that lacks for me in the group game is an adequate pool of players to PUG with. Decrease the amount of time it takes a player to reach 100 and be able to group with me, and I am more likely to hang out in the group game..rather than log off.

I do not care how someone else levels up their toon. It is physically impossible for a toon's XP intake history to effect me in a negative way. There are only positive for my gameplay by shortening the way for someone's toon to reach a point where I can regularly group with it.

Am I saying the autogrant is the ideal or perfect solution? No

I am merely saying its an acceptable one given the restraints applied.

I do not believe its crap.

PLing has been accepted since the dawn of EQ. Paying someone while you sit AFK is no different than an autogrant, imo. You aren't earning them. Since I do not feel this is a "crap" option ( and judging by how I have never seen people on the forums calling for blood in the PL area..like they have in the autogrant area ) I can only assume others are not bothered by it that much either.

If I think PLing is acceptable, I must think the autogrant is ok. Else I am a hypocrite.

Hey, I got an idea is it possible to grant an item such as a sign or flag type banner to put up in our houses and or guild halls to show we completed the amount of AA's Before the AA grant. This would at least let people feel like they have something showing the time and effort spent in accomplishing them through fighting. We had the same type of issue when you un-keyed a lot of the keyed zone. People worked days if not weeks and months to gain access. I still hear people talking about that one. I know it may sound self serving and maybe a little selfish but the bottom line is we just want a little recognition for our accomplishments .

I was wondering why you have decided to grant huge DPS increases for Zerkers (and sometimes Rogues and Rangers if the mobs are humoniod). Properly raid buffed Zerkers can Decap for up to 900k, My 95 Ranger has hit over 600k on a HS with Disc going, i assume rogues are comparable. Trash clearing will become so much easier with these classes being able to hit numbers that high. I have suggested this before and now ask again for a crippling blow type effect to go off with these effect and to leave thier trigger rate as it currently is. Crippling blows are much lower DPS but still worth buying the AAs to receive the added DPS.

A Dev once said Decap works on every type of mob because all mobs have heads (not 100 percent true) but using that logic shouldn't HS function the same? Pretty sure using the same logic you could say all mobs have backs for Rogues to BS for thier Assassinate skills, both classes should not be limited to Humoniods for thier effect to work. If the current change which devs suggest is made you will see groups of rangers and Zerkers either rooting our kiting current group (nonsummoning) mobs using HS and Decap to ruin games content.

As it stand now SKs Harm Touch ability that can be used every 18ish minutes hits for around 318k, the suggested change by Devs will allow these other classes to hit for an extra 500k+ every minute against DB con mobs? I'm not trying to be insulting but it doesnt sound like a well thought out plan. A standard crippling blow effect with the current trigger rate appear to be a less overpowering solution.

Allot of players have issues with Rangers HSing only because Rangers (Rogues too) are limited to the places they can go for HS to function, they tend to hog camps where HS is effective. That will not change if they are not allow along with rogues to use HS and Assassinate on all mobs. I know I have repeated stuff, sorry for that, just tryig to make my point.

so i was having this discussion with in chat and someone shouting out #easymode on. it got me thinking, we would haven't nearly as many complains from people if there was some kinda reward to the people that DIDN"T use the AA boost. Their toons are a little tougher, take a little more damage, deal a little more damage. there could be a little brand or title "the hardcore" that lets people know that you lvled ur toon from the ground up (even if a lot of it was plvlage maybe). Ofcourse there will be people that just don't care, but im sure some guilds will spit on people that use the AA boost, but that's life.

However on the topic of #easymode. Why can't we get #hardmode. Ya i know you offered that once when progression first went live, and there were a greater number of (insert demeaning word here) that opted for #easymode. However there's no good reason why there can't be a #hardmode for the glory hounds. something that once activated like with the preist of discord back in the day, it would take a Gm or Guide to remove from your character (ya more work, sorriez)

if its so insignificant than why not scale it based off tier 1 or 2 group gear.

Screu said: ↑

“can someone break down exactly how a brand new account no money no friends goes 1 to 51 in 12 hours and then how they get to 85 in a month with no help? id find this useful information”

12 hours feels a bit long, would guess 5-7 range, depending on class, all assuming you don't get the occasional buff here and there... If you want exact details PM me over on EQ Interface.

Actually the occasional /ooc anyone have a suggestion for .... works wonders people still send helpful tells. Side note you actually gain coin in the process.

This might have SOME small way to ease the ...feeling of direct insult.... that the way these "Fixes" are being rammed at the customers...

Like DoN progression, was set up something that is mutually exclusive you may Opt IN to the AA grant OR gain something else solidly beneficial..(hmm like Grinders AA of Effort, +3% to all criticals, HME.)

Maybe consider another way for those that REALLY want to catch up...
If i remember reading some of the patch changes a while back, SOE had made an adjustment on purchasing the SILVER AA Cap Increase...
Sell AA's in the soe store... even at $2.00 per expansion (thats what 32.00 per account?)

XP pots are sold for that boost, not that far off.... just put the typical clause that pre-required AA's are still needed....

Careful that opens the door to selling regular xp also and that would be such a major stab in the back to all those that SOE told the marketplace would NEVER sell an unfair advantage. People with the money to spend get the AAs those without, that still pay the monthly sub (which is all I can afford) get shafted.
I for one am still pissed they removed potions of adventure from revamps and started only selling them in the marketplace one of the LOWEST things they have done so far in the name of making money!!
Don't give them incentive to do another backstab to their loyal customers!

As some of you may or may not know, I'm on the test server.

All this stuff went active today.

I logged into my level 100SK. Did a /resetaa. Then I check the Auto-Grant AA box. Zoned from guild hall to guild lobby. Once in guild lobby I had all the AA up through House of Thule (level 90). I then zoned back into guild hall. Lots of spam as I got all the AA achievements up to 7K AA. I got about 7100ish AA from the Auto-Grant check box. I then went and assigned most of my 5Kish AA. I'm sitting at a little over 11250 AA now with another 1K still left to assign.

I did the same thing on my 95 Shaman and 88 Mage.

95 Shaman got all AA up through House of Thule. I had 3.5Kish AA. Assigned everything I could. Nothing left to get. I still have a few hundred AAs left to use once I level.

88 Mag has 2Kish AA. Auto-Grant got all AAs available. Nothing left for me to get as I still have two more levels of Auto-Grant AAs. All AAs I got from exp is sitting banked waiting to spend.

There were a few AA lines that were not part of the Auto-Grant... All the trade skill lines, forage, identify and bind affinity.

Not sure how all the skill changes are working. I haven't had a chance to kill stuff yet. But a guy in my guild was on his 88 ranger and said he not longer was able to head shot for exp; he didn't go into any details.

I'm real excited to have all these new AAs. I feel no matter what changes were made to our sklls; I'm still coming out ahead. I can't wait to go kill some stuff!

Oh side note. Before I logged in I check, and you can make Wood Elf Beastlords and Frog Monks now. I didn't make any new toons, so I'm not sure how to select the heroic level 85 toons yet.

There Devs, /resetAA to all your veterans. Fair enough, let the noobs get their 4k and i'll stack my 7k on top of it.

I believe that would be far too.

But I have to say one thing... It's not a blanket flat 4K AA across the board.

I got every AA from 51 to 90 (other than a TS line, etc). All AAs up to and including the House of Thule AA. 91+ AAs I had to spend the ones I had on.

Each class will have a different amount of AA they will get auto granted. You will also get a different amount based on your level.

Like I said in my previous post. @ level 100 on a SK I got 7.1Kish AA from the auto grant. @ level 95 on a Shaman I got right around 7K AA from the auto grant. @ level 88 on a Mage I got 5.6kish AA.

Identify and Bind Affinity are tagged to Call of the Forsaken. At least in my UI...

It's closer to 5k for every class, even without it being bugged and awarding all HoT AA instead of just the level 85 ones.

How about an option to delete AA rather than refund? That way you can simply just add all the AA upto and including UF and people can delete whatever AA they do not want.

Ok, that answers that. Thanks!

Is it a bug?

I know they said it was going to go up to Underfoot. I was just hoping they changed their minds. =)

Just a thought here.....

With granted AA's, hopfully the class balance/stagnation issues get a little more attention than currently and in the past. Considering that when your class ends up broken, nerfed or stagnated, the path of least resistance after the patch might be to just role a class that isn't broken, nerfed or stagnated. I have no idea how that would play out. Ideally if a player is good than even a broken class will do well enough, but then again good players will be able to play whatever God Class class de jour just as well as what they used to before their previous class got broken/nerfed/stagnated.

Bottom line is this might amplify the hangover of when class balance goes wrong and guilds who want to maintain an ideal roster might make it a "Voluntold" scenario where classes that are in favor be worked up in favor of classes that are broken/nerfed/stagnated. Granted, most guilds can't gear multiple characters of the same member per expac release, so typically a broken class stops playing (that member goes AFK)and then a preferred class gets recruited to take their place. There might end up being more turnover than guilds want. Pretty much what already goes on, only more so.

I know no way to sugar coat this but to be blunt, Life is not fair... some will have better computers, some will have better isp's, others may be able to play more than others...
That said, I do see your point, though the door is already been opened, as with the purchase of potions some now may sustain 150% xp vs the normal 100 everyone else gets, and with the basic xp already modifed might as well go all in.

For if things are to be fair, then no aa, should ever be granted, as some one had to earn it... but this has already been decided that grants and give-a-ways are the future of EQ. Just off the top of my head, we had AA grant take place once with origin, Requirements to EARN keys removed (many expansions), Requirements to EARN flags removed. Requirements removed to even pay to play.