Changes with the February Update: Alternate Ability Grants for Gold Members and Ability Changes

Then I pity them. Poor guys. Piestro, this is what they pay you for!!!! I foresee a demotion to donut-getter in your future!

Auto-granting just won't work. Just increase the rate of AA gain, for example give out a year-0 "veteran reward" that doubles AA gains up to 2k AA - in other words, leave the scaling multiplier in place, just grant one free AA for each one earned, that will let anyone get to 2k AA in a few weeks.
Auto-granting is simply too complex and has too many side-effects.

This change has the potential of polarizing the community. In an extreme example, forcing free players out of grouping opportunities because of a lack of thousands of AA that a Gold member would innately have.

Creating such a segregation in your player base is not the best move, Although it may be the most cost effective decision.

Can we entertain the idea of further consolidating AA? I know many were consolidated when the expansion tabs were removed, but I'm thinking it may be time for 'rank' consolidation.

As an example Combat Agility. Without a doubt a corner stone AA for any tank class. Currently there are 54 ranks and 18 of them are available for purchase to a level 75 character. And it takes pretty dang close to all 18 ranks at 75 to be a stable tank in this level bracket.

There are many other AA that are in similar situations as Combat Agility. They are AA that are essential to filling a role and there are dozens of ranks. A possible solution to reduce the AA gap for new and returning players would be to cut the number of ranks needed to get the same (or close) effect from these AA. In the example of Combat Agility, why not 6 ranks instead of 18 at level 75?

If the solution above has the potential of requiring too many man hours to implement. Another idea could be to reduce the price of these past expansion AA's across the board (again in the case of some).

A possible third solution would be to grant early ranks of role essential AA to all players.

In the end, I think the solution of granting such a large number of AA to gold members alone has more potential to hurt rather than help. Regardless, I look forward to seeing what changes the team decides to implement.

The ones that are required to do your job. Give a level 85 1000 aa and they have plenty to get what they "need" to be minimally functional. They do not need 6000 aa.

So compromise to those that see the big number and get discouraged. Make INNATE all the junk that is nothing but an AA exp sink (few thousand aa on just those), auto grant while leveling 3-4 AA lines per class as they level.

For example, dump all the bind wound, hp regen, stat aa etc. Make them innate and given to everyone (no longer as aa so they don't affect the aa bonus curve). Then, for example, a paladin could get Combat Agility, Combat Stability, Natural Durability, and the Divine Stun (hastening, FoD and DP related aa) for free as you level (or whatever, just a quick example).

Then focus your work on giving people opportunities to level that are more reasonable, and quit worrying about some raider with 20k aa doing the mission in 5 minutes because you aimed it for an average grouper.

It's taxing on the server, because their servers are old. Like windows 95 status. Make changes to the game that matter, not the way classes work.

Please don't auto grant AAs, this is a terrible idea. If you must make it faster to earn AAs, then up the bonus cap from 4k to 6k or something.

Auto grant those babies. I can't wait to try out some new classes.

so someone could go gold for one month, be granted 4k aa or whatever the number is, go back silver and keep all that aa, and the point of being able to do this is? it cant be to make pple want play, cause for some classes u max out the good aa pretty fast, so what are u to do with your char if u dont have aa it etc. I was fine with speeding up aa for lower aa pple but just giving them aa, takes away all feeling of accomplishment ive had from aaing my chars, basicly any newbie can be powerlvled up to 85 be given 4k aa without ever having to learn there class, having to actually earn the aa meant u least had practice of the class.

I'm saying they don't even need to spend money now. A new load entered the database and it's causing a performance issue. Cmon DBAs !! Up and at em SP_WhoIsActive to the rescue.

Hi, Piestro. I know I haven't been as active on the new boards as I was on the old ones, but here's my 2 cp. For reference for the rest of you, been here since 1999, I have a 12k aa ranger and a 6k aa shaman.

I love the autogrant. I have a neglected cleric that I've been levelling up. I open the AA window and look at the AAs that I don't have and need, and it gets a little frustrating. The hill just with innate stat boosts and heal aa is intimidating as it is, much less CA/CS and the class tab. I welcome it with open arms.

As for the rest of it, I'm never happy with a nerf, but something HAD to be done about the mass killing abilities. They're every bit as much of a detriment to the game as the easy enemies and instant respawns from the Fadnare task in Loping, and they've been allowed to remain a lot longer than Fadnare's wereorcs were. Am I going to miss Headshot as it is? Yeah. I do old raid content a lot with groups, it's going to suck knowing that it's not going to be there in as dependable a form as it is now, but the dependability is the part that's bad about it.

I took a break a few months ago, my first significant voluntary break since 1999. I was concerned that the devs were halfassing it and that no one was really caring about the health of Everquest. This set of changes is all for the better in my eyes, and I'm really glad I did decide to return. Now, gotta get CotF I guess.

Looks like Rogues will be nerfed again with no gain. WTG sony for under-powering a non PLing class. SMH.... Why don't you nerf every class back to 2001 while you are at it and make everyone hate your game again. Idiots. Nerf the PLING CLASSES!!!!

Well, as a subscriber since '99, and after seeing tons of nerfs, it looks like this one will be the final nail in the EQ coffin. I've played my rogue since day 1 and only really been able to solo since the "anatomy line combined with a healer merc" was made available and viable. Before that I was lucky to solo a gray.

I guess I could hold out for an AA refund for the first 4 expansions, but I doubt EQ devs are going to do that. Looks like this will be the final nail in the SOE coffin as well. I won't be continuing with my EQN experience. Too bad I can't get a refund on the money wasted on the EQN Alpha.

I guess we'll see after the patch...

I am willing to bet the programers don't even play the god damn game.

i just want an opt out option (for aa) i dont care how others play but i do care how i play

How about the chump AAs like the innates in general and all the +1 regen stuff.

I will definitely resub if this change goes live. Auto-granting the AA up to underfoot is an absolutely wonderful idea.

Im just sitting here, staring at my monitor, my cleric I love so much just standing there, I have no will to go out and hunt, Im not even talking to my guildies, I feel like I want to cry, make fun if you want, but everything Ive worked so hard for you just trashed. We love our characters Sony.

I really do not like the idea of giving out free aa's. I've been working on them since PoP and feel that all my hard work is devalued. I like the other changes for the most part because I understand why. I don't get why give someone new to the game all the experience and rewards for all the hard work I've done for ... nothing?

no, i'm not.

no, i'm not - i'm saying that the entire point of giving auto-granted AAs is to allow people to get to the point where they can play their class in the first place, and thus "just increase the xp modifier" is a stupid argument because THAT is what ignores the point.

Not really fair or true. People do complain a lot about the "mountain" of AA, and Elidroth had mentioned many times the intention to auto grant specific AA lines. Maybe just granting them all was easier.