Summer 2016 Ethereals Begin!

No one actually needs this gear. The content was designed prior to the bump in heroic/raid gear so we are all much more powerful than what was intended when they made the content. And that's without the eth effects because they can't balance content on items that not everyone could get easily.

But anyone who cares about developing their character wants them. Soloers and all. But as this is a MMO, I am on the side that argues that collaboration with others should yield better rewards, so I don't think people that only solo should feel entitled to get the best items in the game.

It appears that the assumption is that everyone that doesn't raid just plays solo and that is incorrect, just as not all raiders only raid. Some of us solo, duo, and small group (3-4 players) as well. This is the same argument that has occurred since MMOs launched all the way back to Ultima Online, pvp vs non-pvp, crafter vs adventurer, Tram vs Fel (UO), quester vs raider, it will never be settled as a fair amount prefer to believe that their playstyle is the only one that should be played.

This game has always been based on "Play your way" as mentioned earlier, which implies that all playstyles are valid and will be given the same consideration when developing content.

Cyrrena

I call bull. This game is based around solo, duo, 6 person groups, 12 person raids and 24 person raids.

The content is balanced around that, and rewards should scale appropriately.

If you decide to handicap yourself by only playing with 2 others, then don't cry that you can't get the rewards from 6 people content. Play your way is a slogan, it doesn't mean if you play a certain way you're entitled to everything.

Solo and duo have not been included in this Ethereal event so the content isn't balanced they have been totally excluded.Instead of the ethereals being 'ubber' maybe instead they were on par/just under with raid/heroic items that way all could 'choose' to get them the way they play or pass them up,be actual quest rewards instead of dungeon runs.
Only people I see who think they are entitled to the best gear are raiders..Solo/small group for the most part earn the best for them through running numerous adv solo dungeons hoping for the top drop from chest.

Fine and dandy, "Play your way" is only a slogan, but I bet you would be the first to cry foul if you went to your local Burger King and ordered a Whopper with everything on it and when you received your order there was a burger patty and a bun and nothing else. You say to the cashier that you ordered everything on it and nothing is on it, the slogan is "Have it your way", the cashier tells you "that is only a slogan, you are not entitled to everything".

I don't personally recall ever saying I am entitled to anything. I believe everything should be obtainable by every player regardless of playstyle, although it may take solo, duo, and/or small group players longer to achieve it.

It is obtainable, indefinitely, through key quests or small grouping in contested KP.

Burger Kings slogan is "where taste is king". We can all interpret that differently. I think they don't taste very good.

Play your way to me is "you can play how you like, solo, craft, molo, group, raid or just stand there". It doesn't to me say "however you play, you will get the same rewards"

I agree this is bad with no trade hate it.

Yeah it is a good idea to make them no-trade. that way i have to run this stuff on all my toons i want the stuff on, still others have to do this too and their alts may not be as well geared.(i'll take an alt that know the zone who is slightly under the zone req over someone with the gear but doesn't know teamwork any day)

it's also a bit of a pain in the **** with MC and other zones when you get people that don't normally group and don't listen in VC/chat.

it's frustrating beating your head against the wall because these people aren't properly geared for MC and they don't listen or act properly on the scripts.

some zones i can plow down easy because the group knows what they are doing, other times i have to smash my head against a wall due to idiots or something i can't put my finger on screwing up the fight.



FYI players who come back to play aren't all bad, it's the ones that want the ethereal and never grp and don't listen and treat it like a solo that are bad, I ran a friend through scourge on my tank that hasn't played since before zek or so and he did brilliantly, had to run the starter quest to get to zek and all.

I don't like incompetents and flaky players, i guess i ahve been lucky though that i have only come across a couple of bad tanks and a terribad healer so far.

grouping should get better rewards over a soloist because the group content is harder and requires teamwork.

(getting in a group and focus firing is not teamwork, teamwork is listening, learning the scripts, responding and acting when people say in VC X has the curse/det, do Y and using your brain)

P.S

Ethereals dropping in heroics for heroic players that raider desire as well is good, it is nice getting good gear from heroics that raiders want because it's so good, it allows heroic and raid players to mingle even if they don't normally do so 'because the gear is so good'.

if someone is good enough to raid and do raid scripts then you know when you explain the scripts if it is new to them or call something out they will respond.

raiders should not be the only players to get nice things, the belts and cloaks you can combine from AoM fabled, SK solo (includingh eroic versions) and ethereals are a good example of this.

I will respectfully disagree. I pay the same amount of money as you (for multiple accounts) and spend a considerable amount of my free time (not a lot) trying to earn rewards. I understand you argument is centered around having the ability to earn the same rewards over a long period of time, but in all fairness; having those items would completely trivialize the way you enjoy the game.
If you're anything like me, running solo zones is a bit of chore, but with a silver lining in having rewards for the effort (easier to get through said zones). Even if you were equipped in full adv solo gear from last expansion, you can run all of the available advanced solo zones and reset each one by the time you were finished with the last.
I think it's daybreak trying to save you your enjoyment. If you had Ethereal Conduit on a necromancer, for example. I'm willing to bet, that even with ToT solo gear, you'd trivialize the entire solo experience and bore yourself.
It's tiered to push you into grouping, and after grouping, push you into raiding. The system is to have you advance levels to save yourself from boredom.

I firmly believe the model of the game is to have you constantly and consistently trying to better your character, which is why I implied the self-limiting model of your gameplay style.

I understand what you're saying, and I'm not saying there's anything wrong with the idea of working harder to achieve an end. In fact, I applaud the idea. The issue arises when you achieve those goals. What will you do with it? Will you not complain about how trivial content is at your level of play?

I strongly disagree - if you do that you negate the effects of risk vs reward and if you raise everyone to an equal level you also kill eagerness to obtain something special.
If it doesn`t matter how you do it, you don`t value it - if you don`t value it, you get bored and will quit.

Worst thing in MMORPGs during the past years was that catering to everyone - virtual communism is not the way a game works - its competition and reward for effort you put in - everything else is just lazyness to get the best for free.

Let me expand on your Burger King analogy amd paint an accurate picture of this debate. Can you work at Burger King flipping burgers and make $250k per year? No? Doctors make that kind of money don't they? The guy flipping burgers gets up every morning and goes to work just like the doctor...but the skill needed to do both these jobs is the same?

Come on folks...the reward for working harder, being more skilled, and accomplishing more difficult tasks are and should always come with a greater reward. Unless this is now Bernie-quest?

That is pretty much exactly what is happening. Learning your character is one thing and learning communication/cooperation skills is a whole other ball game. You can have one and not the others and have an unsuccessful or rough group. Solo/duo only players either pick that play style because they can't put enough time in the game, don't like to socialize, or because they enjoy their play style and what it has to offer them and their duo partner. The thing about these ethereals is you have to have all 3 of these things to get them or at least enough dps to trivialize them. This is why it is an entirely different play style from heroic/progression. Same goes for heroic people wanting end-content Raider items. They have to advance on all 3 learning curves even further.

Promoting reward for time invested is how video games have always been up until the recent years due to finances. More money can be made from pay to win but just because other games have this embedded in them doesn't mean a 12 year old game created before this era should have to adapt to "fit in." Not to mention that all of the information is on these forums, Wikia/Zam, youtube, and other lesser recognized resources. If you want to advance to the next level you gotta dig a little bit, not complain in the forums til you get your way.

LOL exactly !
I hate those "races" where everyone who is participating gets the same trophy ... really ? Why they call that a race is beyond me.

And this was a really good idea finally of DBG there is people again on my server lfg, and ppl are busy !
Good work.

Can we really not trade in the Eth Runes for coins or other Eth runes?

Had the only useless mage one drop me me last night *yay /sarcasm*. i was optimistic thinking that i could atleast get a few extra coins for it, or trade it in for another.... but nope.... examining it does nothing....

I know there are clases out there where all 3 runes are actually very useful.... can we please please please get an option to trade them in, exchange them, or just make the rune do something useful please? make it siphon AB mod up to 30k... would make it comparable to the daily clicky charm.... 30 group potency isnt "etherial" caliber... we can literally make war runes that have a similar effect.

imho... Lets not let the debate over shadow the fact the devs actually did a good thing here. Philosophical differences aside. The devs listened to community feedback over the last couple of ethereal events and changed it up by providing the vendor and tokens concept this go-round.

Looking back at EQ2 history, the best implementation of new gear items may have been when Moors of Ykesha rolled out.

They introduced "shard armor" in that content. It was considered BiS for both end game heroic zones and entry level raiding. They did however make the meta so there was a variety of ways to obtain and collect shards. You could group and do the daily/weekly heroic zone missions for piles of shards and gear up quicker. Or, there were 2 solo dailies for a single shard each. If I recall correctly there was a weekly raid mission as well.

Crafters were doing the daily craft zone quests to get recipe books and make the gear for their guildies and for personal use. The armor was available on a merchant or you could save a couple of shards and have a crafter make you a piece of gear via the "commission crafting" UI.

The same age old MMO debate raged on back then too but eventually everyone settled in understanding that everyone had a bit of fun enjoying and participating in whatever way made the game fun for them and their play style.

TL/DR: Its possible for everyone to enjoy a slice of the pie.

I think we play a different game or something. If a rune is what makes you group worthy then you shouldn't be grouping. Successful groups happened in the same zones long before this new currency/wave. This statement tells me that maybe they are telling you this but if that is truly what is "keeping" you out of groups you may want to look for other party members who don't have a shallow view of the game.

By the time people get these tokens changed to heirloom they could have already earned runes.

I understand the damage increase and the need to clear a zone in 50 seconds (pointless). But the simple thing you need to realize is if that if you are being turned down to run with said elitist, then you should be looking for those not in that category.

I am so confused why there are so many problems with this system. First off everyone complained that they should be more readily available. Done. They complained there should be a way to earn them. Done. Guess what the same group issues are still happening. If you don't play to compete, you will not compete. Its actually really simple. So being a casual myself I chose to surround myself with people who want to play at the same level as me not gripe because I can't get in the 50 second group. There are tons of guilds on every server ranging from RP-Hardcore. Honestly if you want these runes and want to set your pace, then the cut and dry option for you is to actively find your fit. I know at least 3-4 casual guilds including mine that are actively recruiting and are willing to help those who want to learn more and advance their characters.

I'll say this, anyone who refuses to let you group because you aren't an extreme min-maxer is not worth the time, effort or hassle. as you have said find people in your style of play, running PUGs and doing well on one of your toons will introduce you to other people who may be good (your level or better) or really good (above your performance) that aren't elitist about it.

This opens the doors for you to run things because they know you are good with X charater, when you want something on Y charater they will take you with them if you have a reasonable level of gear for that toon.

I'm working on my tank first, now i've added quite a few people to my list of friends to recruit for zones and run them on main and alts, i get invites because my tank is good at running the zones and my alts are reasonably geared even if they only do upto 50m dps compared to conji and necros.

being good with a class opens doors that are normally closed, as they remember you are good with a class and will bring your alts for zones because some of that skill in one class translates into another(knowing scripts, communication, positioning) they know you are dependable so they'll want you over a blind random invitee.