Interview with Lead Designer Akil “Lyndro” Hooper on Game Update 63: SKYSHRINE

By Eric “Piestro” Cleaver

Lead Designer Akil "Lyndro" Hooper
With the announcement of Game Update 63: SKYSHRINE, players have been speculating on the details. In the interest of answering some questions that were on players’ minds, I sat down with Lead Designer Akil “Lyndro” Hooper to ask a few questions about general design related topics for GU 63. We’ll continue to get into the meat of this game update in the coming weeks with specific subjects like Tradeskilling and more.
[Piestro] I’ve been looking over lists of items included with this Game Update, it’s a lot! How does it feel for you personally that GU 63 has gone to test?
[AH] I’m feeling good. We have a good bit of fun and interesting content going into this update, and we have a nice long time with the update on Test Server to respond to any issues and fix bugs.
[Piestro] The big thing that jumps out in my mind is the level increase. This is a little different than how we’ve released new levels before. What was the reasoning on the design side?
[AH] There were a few reasons. The biggest was that it opens up a lot of content to our players, aside from all the new content that we’re putting in with this Game Update, the extra levels will give more access to more content for more people. We also wanted to introduce the new Prestige System (more on this below), and we needed levels in order to do that. As we increase levels past 92 in the future, we’re planning on expanding the Prestige System, growing the trees and giving you more points to spend as you earn more levels, right now 2 levels and 10 points to spend gave us a firm base to build upon.
[Piestro] Is the level increase just for adventure levels, or are crafting levels going to be increasing as well?
[AH] Both Adventure and Crafting levels will be increasing.
[Piestro] Let’s talk a bit more about the Prestige System. This is something brand new, and from the talk around the office, people are quite excited. What can you tell us?
[AH] We’re considering all the adventure levels past 90 as “Prestige Levels.” Each level is going to take more time than you are used to in order to complete and you’re going to have to meet minimum AA level requirements in order to start earning experience past 90, but you’re going to earn Prestige Points at every 20% (Every other “mini-ding”). Prestige Points are going to go into a new pool and be spent in a new tab. The Prestige Tab is split down two branches that we hope complement some of the different ways that players like to play the various classes in the game.
[Piestro] What message do you have for players while we wait for April 17 and the launch of GU 63?
[AH] We would love our players to play through the new content on Test Copy. We’re looking forward to hearing the feedback and I’m excited to be able to offer so much great stuff as part of a Game Update for all players that own Velious. Please copy your character to Test Copy and let us know what you think: send us feedback, bugs, post on the forums, we’re anticipating your input.
[Piestro] Thanks Lyndro!

This post has moved: /eq2/posts/preList.m?topic_id=499962&post_id=5734588 Trolling is not permitted

I actually wanted to say thanks for this. We have actually had more feedback with this than in the past and Piestro has been very active in the forums. I think its great to see.

CleeGrahamx2099 wrote:

I agree, but this interview itself has absolutely no information that was not previously available.
Edit: maybe I should lrn2read, I missed the part about AA requirements and harder leveling, skipped over the prestige points question because I didn't think it was anything new.

Piestro wrote:

This is actually good information to have .... Thanks You (am I allow ed say that?)

This post has moved: /eq2/posts/preList.m?topic_id=499962&post_id=5734614 Let's not bring other issues into this thread please

Keep these comming Pie guy!

Piestro wrote:

What about Guild levels will they increase to

Each level is going to take more time than you are used to in order to complete and you’re going to have to meet minimum AA level requirements in order to start earning experience past 90, but you’re going to earn Prestige Points at every 20%
This is new. Wondering 300? 320? I kind of enjoy this to be honest because I know a lot of lazy people in the game that has level 90's but only like 230 AAs but yet they think they should be able to raid and do everything that someone with 300+ can do.

Piestro wrote:

How is that going to work when the content offers nothing other than scenery?
Are you (meaning Lyndro) commited to making all the DoV content worth running once we get to 92? If not, what portion of the content ( list of zones) do see as being worthwhile to run, meaning it will offer gear that is worth wearing over the new quest rewards?

Piestro wrote:

What is the minimum AA requirement and why would you require that?
Please at the least give us what the requirement is... I can't fathom why this would be brought up and then not stated when it's not an NDA'd beta or something.

CleeGrahamx2099 wrote:

The requirement is probably 300AA or less. The beta buff item on test copy that enables above level 90 advancement sets you to level 90 with 300AA. It could very easily be fewer AAs than 300, though that can't be tested currently by players.

Well isn't that special. Prestige levels what a neat way to get the anon tags off lol Gear can't show at first glance you are uber anymore so now level can sweet.

canned questions. canned responses. no details.

I take back my statement. Not going to cause trouble with people. This was not a statement towards you SoE.

Hey folks,

I know that much of this is information that you already knew, but we wanted to get everything in a centralized place, so people don't have to dig around to try and find the answers to these questions.

The AA requirement won't be 320 for sure (We don't want to require AoD), the bar for earning XP in 90 is going to be 280, because you have your heroic endlines at that point (and I hate large primes so 277 wasn't going to work). The requirement exists so we (the developers) and you (the players) have a little more information about what a level 91+ player is. Right now if you form a pick up group, you really don't have an idea whether your tank has 65 AAs or 317 AAs. The same goes for us, content for a level 90 with few AAs is pretty different than content for a level 90 with a whole lot of them.

Lyndro-EQ2 wrote:

So it's been made ridiculously fast to level, and now people are being pentalized for that? I have to agree with another comment above that this is just a way to gear score people, and I hope the other devs filled you in with how well THAT went over during DoV beta.
My main char who has been around since 2005 is only at 285 AAs because I take my time with content, don't have time to just sit around and grind out AAs and also try to diversify my playtime with various activities and alts. I've spent a lot of my adventuring time flipping between all AA and all XP, revisiting older content and so on. I've been 90 for quite some time but my AAs have never been at max (yes, I understand that current cap is not the requirement). I also didn't own KoS until my 40s or 50s so my main missed out on a lot of potential AA (decided to get DoF first when I had to choose between the two after coming back from a break).
Sure, I'll be able to level past 90 (barely) but how many other people that play casually like me don't have 280 yet? Just thinking of my three alts now very close to 90, they won't be able to level past 90 for a looooooong time with this. I only group with family and friends and I don't care how many AAs they have, so the reasoning that "you really don't have an idea whether your tank has 65 AAs or 317 AAs" means squat to me. Let me reiterate--you're punishing the casual player who purchased this expansion and should be entitled to all content and features unlocked by it, by not allowing them to level past 90.
Sorry, it's a bad decision IMO. Normally I can rationalize and accept the various decisions over the years but this one I think is just bad.

edit: Some more examples:

• My guild leader's only level 90 character has 150 AAs. She purchased DoV.
• Two other guildies that frequently play with multiple 90s characters have between 140-180 AAs on those characters. They both purchased DoV.
• My husband's only level 90 character has 241 AAs. He purchased DoV. At least he's close, but the rest of my guild is foobared.

That's just with checking with currently online guildmates.

Thank you Lyndro. When I said 300 or 320, I realized I was making a mistake with the 320 because this next GU is for DoV and 320 was AoD, so I apologize for that. I would have liked to see 300 since that is the DoV max but 280 sounds alright too. Only reason I say I would like to see 300 is because I know a lot of 90s that gets to 90 then bam, they are done. They are too lazy to get those AA's up and they think they are great just because they hit 90. I am a casual player by the way, but I know how important those AA's can be. Anyway, now I am just going on about nothing, but thank you Lyndro for coming out and saying this.

CleeGrahamx2099 wrote:

My main toon on live had done 1000 quests and every HQ before AAs were even introduced the game and of course they weren't retroactive. Name chasing and Hole grinding for AA was never my choice so my AA won't meet your level and most likely never will.
Laziness has nothing to do with it.

Then my post was not towards you Cloudrat. I personally know a lot of people on my server that has hit 90, then just sits there and thinks they don't NEED to get more AAs. I know a lot of 90s that don't even have 150 AAs but yet they say they are so great and what not so they don't need to level up their AA's. Then they wonder why someone with 300 AA's is doing better than them. If you are not this type of player, than my post does not target you.