Changes with the February Update: Developer Updates

Discussion in 'News and Announcements' started by Prathun, Feb 5, 2014.

  1. Sinestra Augur

    How exactly is it harming regular servers? If you can't come up with specific numbers and facts, then it is all just assumption. I play on Test. There are just as many drawbacks on test as there are incentives.

    Test gets pulled down a lot for work and changes even during US primetime.

    Things bug there first and often take a while to fix so that they are more likely to be ready on Live when things are released there.

    Some things stay broken even after things have changed on live servers.

    We often have a ton of issues with not being able to get into our guild halls.

    There is a much smaller population on Test than most live servers.

    The economy on Test is horrific. You can't find much for sale, and what is for sale if most often far over the price you would find on other servers. For an example, I bought about 10 items on Povar (my old server) for around 2-10k per piece, when on test they were selling for 400k each.

    You can't transfer off of test as far as I know.

    So yes, there are incentives, but they offset the negatives. If you fix ALL the negatives, you are welcome to change the incentives, but until then you can keep your changes to yourself. It isn't your server.
    Gyurika Godofwar likes this.
  2. Kiresa New Member

    Baragash Test Server needs people too. When the one time only transfer happened almost every raider or those wanting to raid left Test Server. This one time transfer was allowed because we couldn't get enough of the right classes to properly do the raids. Test server lost a huge chunk of it's population that day. People can Test copy from any server by using the /test command. I dont understand why your harping on FV server about this function. It's not a transfer its a copy.

    Yes i know raid gear and exp potions can be sent to test server this way, I didn't like it much but it does help Test get equipped people which is needed for raiding there. Anyone can make a lvl 1 on FV and have raid gear wait for them at lvl 100. they just need to know someone on FV or make deals with someone there. It's not crushing live servers as you claim.

    Leave test server alone, they need people too in order to make live servers function more smoothly.
    Gyurika Godofwar and Yinla like this.
  3. Disapointed Lorekeeper

    At the end of the day, I have no doubt that these changes will be marginal at best in regard to the overall impact to the game.

    Mass killing will not be removed, it will simply be left to those powerful enough to muscle through it, and those smart enough to figure out a modified way of doing it.

    While the 4 primary functions of the game (Soloing, Grouping, Raiding, High End Raiding) will change slightly, auto granting mass AA (while disgusting in it's nature) won't change the mechanics of the game, or how likely you are to be welcome in a group/guild/raid. Just because you put a 6" long turd onto a hotdog roll, doesn't make it a hotdog.

    Good players will still be good, and crap players will still be crap, and the elite will stay elite.

    What's the difference between a tank who loots everything they wear out of a chest, and puts crap augments into it... And a character who does similar, but takes the time to acquire the best augments available? One is a corpse, and one is laughing while it tanks the "killer" mob on top of that corpse.

    No amount of healing will make up for your lack of effort, no amount of free AA is going to make you a "God", or teach you how to actually play your class. The days of "X lvl/#### AA LFG" being desirable have long since passed. Today's EQ is about warm bodies or mercs, the population has reduced itself to the point where people don't have the desire or ability to be overly picky about those they group with... with the exception of cliques, and elitists.You either take what you can get, or you settle for a unpredictable merc.

    You either play this game because:
    A) You love it.
    B) Nothing better has ever been released.

    Do these changes have the potential to chase players away? YES
    Do these changes have the potential to bring new/returning players to EQ? YES
    Does anyone know which number will be greater, and in the games best interest? NO

    *** Disclaimer: Adding summoning features would have had the same desired effect. i.e. the reduction in the amount of mass killing without half of the headaches this course of action has brought to the game. You can say what you will about how summoning would have a greater impact then changing the basic and core fundamentals of some classes. At least that "change" would only effect the "problem" zones like: Kaesora, Field of Scale, Ferrott, Erudin Burning, Plane of Fire, etc... NOT EverQuest as a whole.
  4. blood & gufts Augur

    Original post by Piestro

    Beastlord
    The target limit on the Flurry of Claws line was not increased or decreased.


    Level: 87 Flurry of Claws Rk. III -> 3 targets
    Name Class Effect(s) Mana Skill Target Type
    spell icon Flurry of Claws Rk. III BST/87
    1: Hand To Hand Attack for 176 with 300% Accuracy Mod
    2: Hand To Hand Attack for 176 with 275% Accuracy Mod
    3: Hand To Hand Attack for 211 with 200% Accuracy Mod
    4: Hand To Hand Attack for 194 with 225% Accuracy Mod

    Level: 92 Tumult of Claws Rk. III -> 3 targets
    Name Class Effect(s) Mana Skill Target Type
    spell icon Tumult of Claws Rk. III BST/92
    1: Hand To Hand Attack for 214 with 300% Accuracy Mod
    2: Hand To Hand Attack for 214 with 275% Accuracy Mod
    3: Hand To Hand Attack for 256 with 200% Accuracy Mod
    4: Hand To Hand Attack for 235 with 225% Accuracy Mod

    Level: 97 Clamor of Claws Rk. III -> 3 targets
    Name Class Effect(s) Mana Skill Target Type
    spell icon Clamor of Claws Rk. III BST/97
    1: Hand To Hand Attack for 256 with 300% Accuracy Mod
    2: Hand To Hand Attack for 256 with 275% Accuracy Mod
    3: Hand To Hand Attack for 307 with 200% Accuracy Mod
    4: Hand To Hand Attack for 281 with 225% Accuracy Mod

    Level: 98 Focused Clamor of Claws Rk. III
    Name Class Effect(s) Mana Skill Target Type
    spell icon Focused Clamor of Claws Rk. III BST/98
    1: Hand To Hand Attack for 217 with 300% Accuracy Mod
    2: Hand To Hand Attack for 230 with 275% Accuracy Mod
    3: Hand To Hand Attack for 276 with 225% Accuracy Mod

    Cast time instant, reuse 30 sec

    Ranger
    (CotF)
    lvl 96 Storm of Blades Rk. III -> 8 targets
    1: 1H Slashing Attack for 264 with 10000% Accuracy Mod
    2: 1H Slashing Attack for 264 with 10000% Accuracy Mod
    3: 1H Slashing Attack for 264 with 10000% Accuracy Mod
    4: 1H Slashing Attack for 264 with 10000% Accuracy Mod

    Focused Storm of Blades Rk. III -> 1 target
    1: 1H Slashing Attack for 264 with 10000% Accuracy Mod
    2: 1H Slashing Attack for 264 with 10000% Accuracy Mod
    3: 1H Slashing Attack for 264 with 10000% Accuracy Mod
    4: 1H Slashing Attack for 264 with 10000% Accuracy Mod

    Cast time 0,5 sec, reuse 12 sec

    Ranger storm of blades vs Beast Clamor of Claws
    Ranger = 8 targets, beast = 3.
    Ranger = 4 hits with 10k% acc
    Beast = 4 hits with 300% acc.

    Focused version,
    Ranger = 4 hits with 10k acc
    Beast = 3 hits with 300,275,225% accuracy

    Beastlord reuse 30(27) sec, ranger 12.
    Beastlord cast time instant, ranger 0,5
    Seems a bit low on beastlord parts

    Should beastlords not have their version up a bit toward rangers ?

    Suggestions could be:

    Decrease reuse to be 13 and with the type 3 aug it would be 12 sec like rangers.
    Increase accuracy to 10k like rangers
    Increase number of targets on the none focused version to 4.
    Not up to number of targets as ranger version due to being "claws" which
    does not have same range
    Increase number of hits on the focused version to 4
  5. Yinla Ye Ol' Dragon

    No that solution would have caused issues for classes who have already had their abilities nerfed and impact on them soloing single mobs and that was a sure fire way of getting those nerfed already to quit, due to 1 rule for 1 class and another for others. This change is the same across the board no one has had any special treatment.
    Pirouette and Sinestra like this.
  6. Kromeollie New Member


    Honest question. Don't BL warders make up for the diff in DPS? I've never played a high end BL so I wouldn't know.
  7. Symbius Augur

    This thread is so freaking huge.

    Has it been mentioned that the Auto Grant does not change the "Assigned/Total Spent" numbers on the AA window? Isn't that what would rule the AA bonus?

    I copied over an 85 Beastlord with 518 AA's, hit auto grant, zoned and he still showed 518 AA's. All of the granted AA's were filled in, but the total remained the same and no achievements were gained.
  8. Astehroth Elder

    The key word is marketplace, ie you pay cash for them. Nerf swarming to increase in game micro transactions. Capiche?
  9. Sinestra Augur

    There is a bug right now that if you opt into the auto granting and zone it will give you all the AAs, but not show them in your total. If you zone again, they will show in your total. They do not alter achievements so people can feel they are special.
  10. Raynard Augur

    If you enable AA granting and zone, you get all the abilities but your assigned and spent totals do not change. Once you zone again, the full cost of all those granted AA is added to your assigned total (but not spent total) and you are granted all the achievements for that total. I believe I heard the intent was to not award achievements for granted AA though, so this must be a bug.
  11. Pirouette Augur

    You heard right. I would suggest forwarding this on to the Test Patch Notes thread where it will get noticed.
  12. Pirouette Augur

    Elidroth has said over and over again that their intention is for the AA grant to exhaust the AA exp bonus. If it isn't exhausting the EXP bonus, I would suggest forwarding that information on. For comparison, the level 85 daily gives 4 AA, 90s each give 6 AA without the bonus exp.
    Gyurika Godofwar likes this.
  13. gcubed Augur

    Zone a second time, with or without auto-grant checked. You will lose the AA XP bonus.
  14. Beldan_VZ Journeyman

    ok, not really sure if I should post this, but I do this on the assumption that dev's are not stupid and sony doesn't make decisions in ignorance (BUAHAHAHAHA hehehehehe *snort*). I went on the test server today to see whats what. I swarm, I like to swarm, I like to feel invincible as a have an army of mobs trying to kill me and then I laugh in their faces and take their loot. So I tested my "swarm grounds" in Mechanical guardian. (92-95 SK) boxing 90 clr and 90 chanter)

    First, I gotta say in defence of my clr, I hope Bertoxxulous takes you and your souls to the deepest, darkest crypt in his domain, and pours boiling puss in your faces forever and ever for what you've done to shining rampart. its freaking USELESS. I mean come on its the CLR version of Mortal Coil it should proc at the same rate as mortal coil. change it back to 40 charges, heck guys change to 25 charges, but give it back the same proc rate. I would much rather cast Shining rampart in chain succession trying to keep it on someone, then be stuck with this boarderline useless thing. I mean shining rampart was the ONE thing my cleric as a PC can cast that a merc could not, it defined my cleric as not something that any merc could just replace and you've gone and made my poor frog clr cry! (crying frogs are scary). Also Shining rampart (which im sure was another thing not intended, even though u GAVE people golems in Guild halls just for this purpose) is that a person can stand in once place for a bit (like my chanter) get smacked around by light blue mobs, and lvl up defensive stuff without fear of losing agro or dieing.

    Which brings me to SK's, which is frankly I don't see the problem with what they've done with SK's. The epic gives a lot of charges, plunty to save his butt if he's in trouble, and more then enough to keep him up long enough to get lots of agro.

    Mortal coil is just fine too, sure you need some spot healage from time to time even when u have it running, but it still keeps you up mostly and stays up long enough for you to kill something else and hope u get another MC process.

    But if you don't have MC, or your epic running, can you still swarm, yup. takes 2 merc healers and my main healer to keep a body up by spaming like mad, but it still works (can't try it trying to box and swarm 2 PC clr's cuase there's no way I know of to copy my character to another account and im not lvling a toon up on test to 85 and gearing him just for this), and naturally it takes the tank in question to keep the swarm pissed at him so the healer's get no agro.

    So all in all, Swarm farming has taken some hits, you gotta pay attention, you can't go all godlike Rambo and massacre things solo (but then I never did anyway, ive never charged a set rate for plvlage, but only took donations and constantly lvled people for free, assuming they weren't lvling another stupid twink), you gotta have back up, you gotta have your healers pay attention. However given that with the auto-AA grant basicly just lands you pre-formed twinks, lvling the support you need shouldn't be all that hard.

    As for headshot, assassinate, and decap, well I can't speak to those cuase I don't have toons of that type that I use for that purpose. however from what ive heard from test server, HS at least is annoying but not impossible.
  15. Mynithril New Member

    I'm not sure how, but all too often I hear " oh this group brings back memories of the old days ". I like doing the crawls with toons in my level range and the element of possible failure. Yes, i do get in a groups now and then with a raid geared toon and its a cake walk. There is no excitement, there is no test of skill. Recently i've taken to starting a new toon every year and really playing without taking any Power level offer from friends. The most enjoyable part is before hitting lvl 80. After 80 is slow grind with minor increases to skills I already have.

    This whole argument is over a character's ability to slay mass amounts of NPC's and the strain on the servers resources.

    " IF " the grind wasn't so tedious, then the argument for power wouldn't be in question.
    " IF " this is all for the good of the game environment, then limit the amount of targets a directional attack can effect.
    " IF " the intent is allow newer characters to gain AA points faster, then move the AA bonus slider to the 8K mark verses its current 4k mark or double the AA experience.

    With HC coming and giving away AA's, everquest is catering to the short sighted spoiled brats the parents of today are creating. I don't think my suggestions will change what is planned for EQ's future, but i can' only hope EQNext doesn't follow that same path. SoE won't gain the interest of the loyal EQ/EQ2 subscribers by offering a upgraded version of WoW. We want difficult ( progression servers ), interesting, and in Depth stories.
  16. jklmno New Member

    Amazing that they have time to mess with this.Theres broken content,lack of new content,the new expansions have 5 minutes of gameplay in them but they have unlimited time to ...fix...what THEY created.
    Once again they give and take away and then wonder why we hate sony and have zero urge to try eqn. or purchase your I need a hug expansions.
    Some of the stuff that gets nerfed was probably selling points for older expansions even.
    SONY...the reason we hate you is because of the non stop nerfing.
    It's time for this game to die and i just helped by cancelling all accounts.You try to lure people back yet you continue to piss everyone off.What;s wrong with you people?
    Time to put eq to sleep and move on.
    Buy the new expansion so you can raise your headshot level....then we will nerf it like we always do to everything.Not falling for your bs ever again.
    You want to give away a million aa...then the next day you want to nerf everything...I swear whoever is in charge is mentally challenged.
  17. code-zero Augur

    Let's see, with the AA grant and Heroes Journey gear you'd have a character that's maxed out as of 3 years and 4 months ago...

    Sure sounds like pay to win to me o_O
  18. Caray Journeyman

    Don't you just love going and playing (or at least trying to play) old content only to find that the stuff is bugged, and has been for a long time? Yeah neither do I. I've always been extremely annoyed that instead of trying to fix and optimize existing content they would rather release expansion after expansion, and almost always ignore old content unless they decide to revamp old zones. I hate to say it, but it seems like the EQ expansions are getting to be about the same as the free updates they do in Warcraft. Minor content does not need a paid expansion, I'm sure this game makes enough money that there could be content added for free.

    Speaking of expansions, will we need to have all of them in order to make use of this February Update? I'm missing the last few expansions with pretty much no need for them as a casual player, I want the mercenary AA and offline trader mode but I'm not buying expansions just for that. Hopefully this update is for everyone and not just those that have every expansion. Also in regards to the thing with the AA, if I don't own all of the expansions does that mean the AA I can get will be up to four expansions behind my current expansion? Something just tells me that I won't be able to make full use of this update without having to buy the rest of the expansions I don't have.
  19. Beldan_VZ Journeyman

    dude,
    this means NOTHING. ive canceled my accounts again and again, but I come back when my rage subsides and my craving returns. If you want to prove you mean it. cancel your accounts and DELETE all your characters.
  20. Nalinee New Member

    IMO< fixing the broken content and maybe UPDATING epics to current expansions would be best. Free AA and lvl 85 toons, nerfing the other classes isnt really the way to keep people in game. Though, making old school zones instanced for hi lvls is a nice idea
    Gyurika Godofwar likes this.