The new pack.

[Zorth]

As soon as we enter there is a key on a table with two doors that we can use this key on.

Why not just make the doors unlocked and forget the key.

Then we have to find another key. (long pause....really).

IMO this quest seemed like it was put together too fast and the Dev's just went with the basic key and door idea that so many other quests already use. It almost makes me think they were stressed for time and through this quest together at the last minute.

[Carkolda]

In their defense, look at it from an IC Perspective. If something was trying to get out, you wouldn't leave the doors unlocked. So the mechanic with the key to open the doors works if you are coming from that perspective.

[Zorth]

Yah I know. True that, but it is so redundant to use this concept in a quest.

[MrkGrismer]

Wait, you are complaining about having to find the right 'key' to unlock a 'door' being overused in a videogame? Really?

Admittedly, some 'keys' are more fun than others... notably the hookshot.

[TrinityTurtle]

Yah I know. True that, but it is so redundant to use this concept in a quest.

Oh, I didn't realize that realism and logic were redundant concepts. :)

[Ertay]

-"Friends, at the end of our path, we are about to face our direst enemy now. Our journey has been long and full of hardships and sacrifices, and now, when we stand ready for this battle of truly epic proportions, I can feel a rage boiling within me that rivals that of a full grown dragon, stand back while I unleash my barely bridled fury now, for my thousand year-old axe has been known to cut through stone and steel, the very earth is trembling in my path, I could shatter a mountain with with my fist, when I -

-"Dude. The door. It is locked."

-"Oh **** really?! Did anyone... did you pick up the key? I'm sure I've seen it around here, look inside your other bag, yea this one, ..."

[Ranncore]

Actually I wish there was a little bit more realism in quests - it's kind of what brings a roleplaying element to a game, and this one is seriously lacking that. I expected more from a Dungeons and Dragons game, honestly. In too many quests, I've said, "Where do these people sleep? What do they eat? The ecosystem here would never be able to support itself." Doors should have keys.

[Ranncore]

-"Friends, at the end of our path, we are about to face our direst enemy now. Our journey has been long and full of hardships and sacrifices, and now, when we stand ready for this battle of truly epic proportions, I can feel a rage boiling within me that rivals that of a full grown dragon, stand back while I unleash my barely bridled fury now, for my thousand year-old axe has been known to cut through stone and steel, the very earth is trembling in my path, I could shatter a mountain with with my fist, when I -

-"Dude. The door. It is locked."

-"Oh **** really?! Did anyone... did you pick up the key? I'm sure I've seen it around here, look inside your other bag, yea this one, ..."

lol

[Cyndrome]

The first infirmary quest was pretty lame, but it had werewolves... This one is a repeat with stupid plant zombies, and the get a second key trick. Sometimes the devs consciously overuse a trope just to comment on it. In this entire pack I kept waiting for the joke to come together, and for it all to seem clever. It never happened though, as far as I am concerned it's a dud.

[samthedagger]

I ran through the new chain on epic hard yesterday and it was a complete let-down. It was a re-hashed formula of Harbor-esque quest design. Run around and kill stuff, occasionally look for stuff, and fight a bag of hit points at the end. The whole pack was uninspired. The story was okay, but not very well played out by the voice acting. There just wasn't anything noteworthy about it at all. It doesn't matter if the reason for the key being there is a good one. The chain was weak on almost every level.

[Ertay]

Actually I wish there was a little bit more realism in quests - it's kind of what brings a roleplaying element to a game, and this one is seriously lacking that. I expected more from a Dungeons and Dragons game, honestly. In too many quests, I've said, "Where do these people sleep? What do they eat? The ecosystem here would never be able to support itself." Doors should have keys.

I share this sentiment somewhat, but I guess level design has to accommodate gameplay more then realism most of the time.

-"So this is the impregnable fortress of the masterful demonic strategist we ought to face, cunning schemer and victor of countless battles, by means of his vast intellect unfathomable by mere mortals. Do you see how he placed his complete guardforce in convenient little groups of no more then 5 in each post, easily accessable through those long, unpopulated and mostly undecorated corridors that seem to make up most of his keep? It's right there, on the only way that eventually leads to him, so that they might all one by one get slaughtered like cattle, with no way to retaliate or retreat."

-"Yea, wonder why they all do that."

[Zorth]

Oh, I didn't realize that realism and logic were redundant concepts. :)

I meant there is already too many quests in, 'This Game', that make us find key(s) to open a door.

I am sure there are a million other ways the Dev's could have made this quest is all I am saying.

Thanks.

[Fistalis]

-"Friends, at the end of our path, we are about to face our direst enemy now. Our journey has been long and full of hardships and sacrifices, and now, when we stand ready for this battle of truly epic proportions, I can feel a rage boiling within me that rivals that of a full grown dragon, stand back while I unleash my barely bridled fury now, for my thousand year-old axe has been known to cut through stone and steel, the very earth is trembling in my path, I could shatter a mountain with with my fist, when I -

-"Dude. The door. It is locked."

-"Oh **** really?! Did anyone... did you pick up the key? I'm sure I've seen it around here, look inside your other bag, yea this one, ..."

This just reminds me that they gave up on having any semblance to DnD long ago, whatever happened to options. Sure you could find a key, pick the lock or GASP someone with a 40 str SHOULD be able to just break the thing down. So often you only get 1 of those 3 options, which means its really not an option.

How many doors are unpickable because you HAVE to find the key to advance a quest?
How many doors are breakable but you can't pick them and there is no key.
How many doors can you Pick but cant break down even with a 99 str.

DDO my arse..more like Generic railroaded through instances MMO with the DnD name.

and don't even get me on blanket immunities, i mean just about every red name is immune to SLOW.. really? REALLY?? its usless on trash mobs and any mob its useful on is immune. This is pretty much true for 99% of debuff spells. I mean really when you parse the spell list probably a full third of them are pretty much useless due to design decisions. Flesh to stone has a duration... i mean *** people. Someone thought it was good idea to nerf 50% of wizard spells and pigeonhole them into Insta killing and buffing.

/endrant
really i enjoy this game but the design decisions that have constantly eroded player choice is infuriating. Can't have players using tactics we didn't think of, so lets give immunities to everything for anything we didn't specifically design for.

[Dunklerlindwurm]

Have to agree..

Its really obvious the new pack was made in a rush (like alot of things lately)

Especially the first Quest is one of the lamest reused maps i have seen in the game.

Same with the "new" challenge Daybreak ritual. They just replaced the mobs with different mobs. Even the rare encounters and optionals are exactly the same with exactly the same mechanics.

Quest 2 is again an indoor area like Quest 1 but at least its a new map....

Only part 3 and 4 feel like new Quests.

[Xilth]

For me that new chain isn't that bad, i had lots of fun running it. Not all high lv quest must be maze where you run around for 1 hour searching for "something". I like that chain for the same reasons i like werewolves... i can jump in one of them when i don't have much time, while waiting for friends or when im bored and just want to kill few mobs :D

That chain has alsow good variety of mobs... its rather hard to run it using only one tactic. Keys in first quests... ok, is little lame but its just game i can live with stuff like that in one or two places.

[Capt_Ahab]

I like that the new chain adds some quick, short quests right next to the quest giver, which adds some options and variety when you don't feel like an epic trek to the dungeon entrance.

In defense of the new chain, the innovation in these quests weren't quest mechanics (as in U14) but in new mobs. It takes different tactics to fight the Woads, wisps, and vine stalkers, and I feel that combat is much more dynamic in the new dungeons as a result.

Additionally, the new named loot mechanic introduced in this chain is a great innovation.

So yeah, many of the basic quest mechanics are the same. But that doesn't mean that the new dungeons are copy-and-paste of the old dungeons or that the devs are out of ideas. You just only want to change a few things at a time.

Also, if I am injured, just triage me. It will be much more merciful than interring me at EWH.

[dopey69]

-"Friends, at the end of our path, we are about to face our direst enemy now. Our journey has been long and full of hardships and sacrifices, and now, when we stand ready for this battle of truly epic proportions, I can feel a rage boiling within me that rivals that of a full grown dragon, stand back while I unleash my barely bridled fury now, for my thousand year-old axe has been known to cut through stone and steel, the very earth is trembling in my path, I could shatter a mountain with with my fist, when I -

-"Dude. The door. It is locked."

-"Oh **** really?! Did anyone... did you pick up the key? I'm sure I've seen it around here, look inside your other bag, yea this one, ..."

good one :)

[AuraAten]

-"friends, at the end of our path, we are about to face our direst enemy now. Our journey has been long and full of hardships and sacrifices, and now, when we stand ready for this battle of truly epic proportions, i can feel a rage boiling within me that rivals that of a full grown dragon, stand back while i unleash my barely bridled fury now, for my thousand year-old axe has been known to cut through stone and steel, the very earth is trembling in my path, i could shatter a mountain with with my fist, when i -

-"dude. The door. It is locked."

-"oh **** really?! Did anyone... Did you pick up the key? I'm sure i've seen it around here, look inside your other bag, yea this one, ..."

lolzz

[Hambo]

I meant there is already too many quests in, 'This Game', that make us find key(s) to open a door.

I am sure there are a million other ways the Dev's could have made this quest is all I am saying.

Thanks.

This game is being "streamlined" for those who want to complete all the new content two days before it is released to live... :)

Many of those players are the ones who complain the loudest when they have to stop and apply some brain power to figure out a complex puzzle, or when traps and other obstacles are ramped up so they can't be ignored, because it impacts their "XP/Minute" ratio, hence the "overuse" of certain simple mechanisms.

[Ytteri]

Actually I wish there was a little bit more realism in quests - it's kind of what brings a roleplaying element to a game, and this one is seriously lacking that. I expected more from a Dungeons and Dragons game, honestly. In too many quests, I've said, "Where do these people sleep? What do they eat? The ecosystem here would never be able to support itself." Doors should have keys.

Well why stop at quests, extend this to the entire game world. Shouldn't our characters have the opportunity to give up adventuring and take up a civilian trade if they want? Work as farmers, lumberjacks, whatever, because slaying kobolds can get tiresome.

I'd be a carpenter/cooper. Seriously think about how many barrels and crates get smashed in the average day. Making barrels would rake in way more cash than slaying dragons.