Insta-Level 85 (280 AA?) (Heroic Characters)

Discussion in 'General Gameplay Discussion' started by Daray, Aug 3, 2013.

  1. Daray Well-Known Member

    So, while we still don't have the full details of how this system will work, I do understand why SOE wish to offer a short-cut to the high-end content for new players. However, is overwhelming new players with, potentially, 50+ abilities at once the best way to achieve this? If anything, throwing this level of complexity at a new player would surely be more of a turn off ...

    Why not just significantly shorten the journey from level 1 to high levels instead? As just one random example, you could offer a certain number of AA points automatically as people level (per level).

    At least, this way, people would be able to digest new character advancements in more managable chunks without the grind taking a disproportionate amount of time. So many better ways to handle this "problem" imo, and I don't think "Heroic" characters are the solution, though I shall reserve judgment until I see the details.
  2. flameweaver Well-Known Member

    FWIW I believe the only reason this is being done is get in a bunch of new players to get them hooked in EQN. SoE have just about dumbed down this game as far as they can, and are pandering the "I want it all and I want it now crowd".

    Depending of which of the varying estimates you believe there are between 3 & 5 Million ex WoW players who may just take a bite at EQN via EQ2's "heroic" characters and any number of "returning" EQ2 players who are likely try this out. All of them are potential EQN customers.
    Lunazen likes this.
  3. Mohee Active Member

    most new people who solo level from 1-85 don't know what most their abilities do anyways. Seeing how everything under that dies in 1-2 hits, and there's no groups, therefore not giving the chance to learn their class.

    just sayin...
    Kraeref likes this.
  4. Tattoo Active Member

    Well for the AA's they stated they were going to put templates in for the characters so that wouldn't really be a problem.

    They also said they were going to revamp the leveling zones for those areas so im sure a tutorial explaining spells and such will be amongst those things. I think this feature is great because 85-95 is really when the game starts these days and already even before this implementation I have seeing huge amounts of new players in the game. I have tried to get many friends to play this game but they have all said that the game is just to hard to get into. Everquest 2 really needs this to get new players and to centralize the population.

    Personally I cant wait for this and going to try to get my friends to try it again when these come out!
  5. Fetish Well-Known Member

    This pretty much sums it up for me also. The lack of grouping, in any meaningful fashion, pre-90 makes "learning" your toon before then counter intuitive. Many class abilities are things like single target buffs meant for other people, temp buffs specific to a group function (spell/melee dps, power regen, ...) and the play style and or role of that class in a group, opposed to solo, can change drastically. The lowbie game is no longer 1-50...or even 60, 70, or 80...it is now 1-90. Since it is apparent that virtually all recent game changes have been of the form that encourage soloing, then this seems the only choice SOE has left; mercs, nerfing old group content, statflation, nerfing old solo content, nerfing PvP, crap...nerfing everything...it seems almost pointless to say "I told you so...", but that's what it distills to. This is the effect of those actions.

    I think it is a wise move for them...I mean it isn't like they could go back in time and do something simple like just make it so that at certain level ranges, or expansions' content, that you gained a XP bonus to help you level faster, at whatever rate that they thought was "needed" for the "new generation" of gamers.
  6. Mimixx(2) Member

    Dont agree with this lol:)

    Maybe they should make so that only those that got 2 high lvl toons (90+) would be given that ability.
    Alenna likes this.
  7. Praaji Member

    If you've never played before 1-90 is a long road to catch up. More people might give it a try if they can play with their friends without grinding to 95. More players means more sales in the cash shop. It's always about the money.
  8. Mae- Well-Known Member

    No one even knows if someone can roll these heroic characters as their first toon. Holly's words were that they would be available to everyone, for free. I take that to mean it's available even to bronze/silver accounts, and it won't cost SC. There is no mention of what, if any, restrictions would be applied (like requiring a high level character on the account before being able to do it).
  9. Elostirion Well-Known Member

    This is nothing more or less than the dev's admitting that they don't have the resources allocated on this title to even attempt to make any content fun except whatever the most recent expac is.

    That means that everything but the most recent expac should be free for signing up, at any account level.

    This means that there are no if's, and's or but's, this game is in maintenance mode, and dont expect anything to be developed here which isnt a test-case for EQnext.
  10. Deveryn Well-Known Member

    I think we're past the point of testing things for Next. If EQ is any indication, things are going to start coming over here from Next, though I honestly don't know what that would be, aside from a class or two? (Hail, a channeler)
  11. Elostirion Well-Known Member


    That's what I meant. Like this new Channeler, and stuff like it. They'll bring stuff from EQnext that they want to run up the flagpole, tweaked just enough to look like it fits over here, to get some data about it.
  12. Quabi Active Member

    Yeah, Heroic Characters are better than nothing, but I think there are better ways to handle it.

    I think it would be cool to have like a guided tour of Norrath from 20-90 (or 10-90 if people are quitting before 20). Give a massive quest exp bonus (like 500% or something) and trigger a map popup every time they reach a level threshold with the option to travel to one of several zones that are appropriate for their new level (or stay in the existing zone and temporarily disable exp). You could access the "tour" UI at any time, similar to daily objectives?
    Indigo23 likes this.
  13. Estal Well-Known Member

    QFT, I've seen everything in pickup groups from Wizards with +hate gain adorns, to tanks who don't know what a taunt is and Necros getting beaten by a Defiler on the parser.
  14. Filly67 Well-Known Member

    Truthfully it's just one more thing to discuss that just doesn't matter. If you like it do, if you don't want to then don't. The game is what it is and most play with friends only. Those who do enjoy pugs know what they are getting into.
    Lunazen likes this.
  15. Elestria Member

    So since they be selling instant level 85 characters soon, will there be instant 85 crafters too?

    I have Np with either.
    At this point if these gets us more players with the cap at 95 maybe going to 100 soon they will still have to learn to play there class to get from 280 to 340 aa as well as 85-90.

    Hell I might even buy few of the 85s cause wanted to level some my alts but it would take to much time on the ones have left to do. as well as boring solo 20-85 etc.

    If this gets us more players and makes them more money to keep our game going then I am for it.
  16. Wingrider01 Well-Known Member

    long road?

    1- 90 adventure
    1-95 crafting

    total time invested 8 days, now if it was 30 or more you would be correct
    Lunazen likes this.
  17. Skarab New Member

    I personally enjoy rolling alts and starting over. It's more of a nostalgic learn a new class thing

    Some people are in such a rush to get to the end game only to stand around complaining about how boring the end game is.
    Lunazen, Kurisutaru, Raff and 2 others like this.
  18. Deago Well-Known Member

    I do not mind the new bought/free/whatever 85/aa/gear toons as long as the people that actually leveled and grinded the aa and earned the gear have some recognition that a given 85 does not. Ex. A title or item that clearly states "I worked for my stuff." Even give those that manually leveled a slight advantage with a buff or clicky etc..

    Give folks at least some incentive to still manually level a toon. Just saying..

    Perhaps a better merc buff?
    Lunazen and Feara like this.
  19. Praaji Member


    Learn to read.
    I said people new to the game. Not longtime players who know all the shortcuts and get the bonus exp.
    People who just start don't know how to plvl in 8 days.
    Griffon Lady and Feara like this.
  20. Wingrider01 Well-Known Member

    that was without power leveling at all, no double xp potions, no double xp weekends, master crafted gear and drops - 8 days played time
    Lunazen likes this.