Next hotfix will include an online dating service, at a minimum charge, for those of you that are lonely-hearted.
If it was purely meant for people who met in game it wouldn't need to be literally the best buff in the game. Even the "OP fervor procs" average out to just 20 static fervor. It also wouldn't need to be only a 30 minute duration. This went from a cute thing couples in game could do to "lol git gud, heartbound or quit pleb"
I was hoping for something utilitarian like that as well. Back when Recruit-a-Friend was around, you were able to right-click on a recruited friend's frame in the group window and go to them using one of the RAF functions, it would've been cool to have that back.
OMGOMGOMGOMG YES! That would have been super awesome and useful, yet not so OP as to make arranged marriages a thing. Something that is cool, special, and useful only between people who actually enjoy playing together.
Because it has enough of an impact to effectively become mandatory for grouping / raiding. Worse, the devs will have to balance the mobs around the existence of that buff, which means they will have to give all future mobs 30% more hitpoints and as a result it will just add more fuel to the already absurd number inflation.
Why does it have to be just someone who met in the game? Hubby and I started playing the game together. It was my first time ever playing one of these games. And one of the reasons I do not raid, is that I don't "owe" a raid my time or anything else. I hate that mentality.
I have noticed, that as is typical, it's those who raid who always do the most complaining when anyone who ::::gasps:::: dares not to raid gets anything. And as is typical, it will probably get nerfed to placate them. They like to say the game is not called EverCraft or EverDecorate. Well it's not called EverRaid either. It's called EverQuest and that is what most of us do, even those who don't raid.
You are completely missing the point if you think this is raiders being upset non-raiders are getting fervor. I would submit you haven't even read the posts, or at the very least failed or refused to comprehend them. You are the only person in this entire thread that even vaguely mentions raiders not wanting non-raiders having this buff. That argument isn't here so stop taking up a side for it. If anything raiders are upset other raiders have and will expect this buff to be on 100% of the time in any sort of serious raid setting since its LITERALLY THE BEST BUFF IN THE GAME. Casuals/non-raiders don't even enter into it. And it wouldn't be NEARLY as much of a problem if it didn't require a subscribed alternate account to efficiently maintain due to needing refresh every 30 min and both characters being online. Heartbound = $30 a month for 30 fervor. I'd love to see the duration LENGTHENED and it persist even if one party is offline. Unfortunately since this would torpedo their little trick to get people to subscribe an additional account just for the buff, its not very likely.
Yes, I'm sure this 'best buff in the game' will stress out you 'omg min/max if you're 1% weaker then the other guy of your class you will be replaced' raiders. the kind you expect in guilds like Revelations, or Fatality. for most the rest of us, it's a nice bonus for people who actually like to play together for more reasons then world firsts or super uber loot. I raid because I enjoy the group I raid with. and I don't care if we never kill the Captains, or a Forge golem, or get Flawless on any raid kill. if it dies, wonderful, if not, we adjust and try again till it does. I am not in the military. the raidleader is not my commanding officer, nor is the stat set of my toon some life or death needs to be mathmatically parsed out to the nth degree or else thing. can it help? I'm sure it would, yes. will it be game changing in most fights? I doubt it. and I'm pretty sure our raid force would leave if the raidleader pulled a stunt like you have to be heartbound to another raid member and every 30 minutes we need to stop so half the raid can go to the hall to rekindle it.
Okay. You do realize that scenario was never implied, right? From the general mood I am feeling out from raiders they are more likely to quit thanks to this since its a sign of very poor design choices on the part of the team to squeeze money out of the game as fast as possible before they put it out of its misery. This is not a 'long term' design choice, its extremely short term, disturbingly so. Plus you completely glazed over the point that was made that the most efficient way to utilize this buff by a far margin is to pay for two accounts, one of which being little more than a house item clickbot. This also tacitly condones various forms of botting that have been happening and will apparently continue to be allowed until they shutter the servers. You also severely downplayed the buff. Fervor is a percentage boost, so 30 fervor is closer to a 30% boost than a dismissive 1%. So of course you don't think its a big deal, you don't seem to have a grasp on its real impact.
Its not even a couple thing. There is nothing applied to other than what 2 people agree to make it. Just a nice buff that 2 people can get. My wife and I Heartbind when we play. She Heartbinds with a someone else when I'm away. Cause Heartbound is a thing in RL....not some silly game buff. And raiders threatening to leave if some minor mechanic or buff is not changed to their liking is nothing new, lol
What I find funny. Game breaking hammer....Raiders rejoice. Yay I equipped a hammer and doubled or even tripled my DPS. I am better than thou mentality increased 10 fold. In game buff....Raiding whining and complaining. Yes I say raiders because I've read several threads and the VAST majority have a raider sig in the bottom with their raid toon in their HC raid guild with their profile hidden. (Really I will never understand why raiders hide their profile. Makes me wonder what you are hiding). I'm sorry if you think that going back and forth to get a buff is the only way you can win a raid fight is the way to go. The 15% alone is enough. But, I'm not a hardcore raider and my Epeen doesn't depend on posting 9 digit parses. Because unlike the VAST majority of you people, I just enjoy raiding with people. I don't need big numbers to lay my epeen on the table. Get over your damn selves. Wanna quit? Then quit. Nobody. Gives. A. Tonga. ****.
Using gross generalizations to prove a point is poor form. Some of the people in this thread contesting the power of this buff also recognized how overpowered the hammer was and argued against it, but at some point they had to accept it wasn't going away and had to roll with it. Edit: By the way, I'll add that I myself haven't raided in EQ2 in years, nor do I care about anyone having access to 30% Fervor (though that is an insane amount of such a powerful stat to be given to any type of player, raiders included) -- my main problem is that it's bound to this mechanic, especially given the other particulars (F2P vs Gold, thirty minute renewal, etc.).
Lets face it perma 15 fervor buff is A LOT (consider this as combination mythical hat relic belt), now on top of that you can double this. I am not mind that paying for subscription will earn me extra 15/30 fervor - but why the hell in was necessary to do this stupid way? Why not simply implement subs buff - 15 Fervor as a perm (add it to the membership buff) and house item that give another 15 every 30 minutes?
I no longer actively raid and I think its a bit much. It should have been a xp boost or a cov type deal, Fervor should be left on gear from zones or raids. Or make it a bind and done deal so the 15 is always in effect regardless if your heartbind is on and get rid of the double buff crap
How is this a reward for people who met in game? All people will use it for is the buff. When it's such an easy thing to get (and it isn't too difficult) it will be just another buff everyone will be expected to have. It loses all meaning and instead of being a 'fun little thing for couples/friends/family in game, it's just another stat slot. No meaning beyond increasing power and as someone else pointed out, it's just another stats devs will tune around. Remember back when food and drink didn't have much in the way of stats and we used it mostly for the regen? Now it's another slot for stat items. Remember back when charm slot items were just useful things like potions, torches and poison vials? Once again, now just another slot for stats. Mounts used to just be for the run speed. Now, they are a stat slot. IMO the devs dropped the ball on this one. If they wanted everyone to have access to a fervor buff, they could have very easily added it in as a recipe for an alchemist's potion or woodworker totem. Heartbound could have been and should have been more than just a massive buff.
here I'll give you the in-game lore reason it's a fervor Buff: Calum. you know, the guy that was near dead, then rushed to save his (later betrayed him) woman from a bunch of Bloodsabers taking massive fatal wounds but slaughtering everyone before him even though he could barely stand not 2 minutes before that. you non-lore folks know him as the Steward of Drinal, and his woman as Ullorruuk, the demi-goddess of betrayal. Fervor is an increase in power, yes. and as Heartbound, it only applies when the one you are Heartbound too is online. it is meant to show the power of Love, the willingness and ability to do extraordinary things for them, or with them at your side. this buff was not considered for raiding. it was not intended to be a 'look raiders, neat buff! heartbound now plsthx!' it was meant as a 'if you and your bf/gf/wife/hubby/bestest pal in the whole world' play together all the time, and are nearly attached at the hip, here's a buff for you if you want to 'marry' the two characters. if your raid force is that **** that you NEED this thing on every raid member because of a parsing number, then you've completely overlooked the spirit of the buff and it's intention. it's meant so duos can do a little more. it's meant so a solid group of friends might be able to beat a harder heroic zone that they are just shy of (probably due to what you hard core raiders would consider a 'crap group makeup'). IF it proved to be some kind of massive imbalance to the raid game, I'm sure they'll nerf it into worthlessness. like most every single other house item clicky buff that is just collecting dust because they effect is meaningless (even when they first arrived). now we can get 'married' and get a nice buff while we play together. Quit trying to destory it into just another item in the guildhall that no one touches because meh, why should I even waste the 30 seconds it takes to heartbound.
On a side note, you get the fervor buff as long as both toons are online. They don't need to be grouped or in zone.. just online.
