eVale

[UurlockYgmeov]

some thoughts and ideas.



Arahi (http://ddowiki.com/edit/Arahi?redlink=1) - Scholar of the Planes (Portal Fragment Collector)
Shilhi (http://ddowiki.com/edit/Shilhi?redlink=1) - Artisan of Vitality
Marala (http://ddowiki.com/edit/Marala?redlink=1) - Bane of the Barbazu
Harboni (http://ddowiki.com/page/Harboni) - Reforger of Blades (Blade Storm Fragment Collector)
Helema (http://ddowiki.com/edit/Helema?redlink=1) - Holistic Practitioner (Healing Totem Collector)


Let's actually make these do something.

Do fast travel like with 3bc, both ship portal and npc to quests.

In the wilderness, do something like the ships in scale and randomness.

Just some rough brainstorming ideas.

[Saekee]

But it is orchard of the macabre (http://ddowiki.com/page/Orchard_of_the_Macabre) that they are planning to epify, not the Vale of Twilight

[UurlockYgmeov]

But it is orchard of the macabre (http://ddowiki.com/page/Orchard_of_the_Macabre) that they are planning to epify, not the Vale of Twilight

eOrchard is slated for U23; eVale is slated for U25-27; probably sometime around the time the cap is brought up to 30 and sentient weapons (if they come) arrive.

eVale is coming.

[Atremus]

Looking forward to seeing Epic Vale. The Epic Necro stuff should give plot and story background for epic.

[Saekee]

eOrchard is slated for U23; eVale is slated for U25-27; probably sometime around the time the cap is brought up to 30 and sentient weapons (if they come) arrive.

eVale is coming.

Glad to learn of this; I stand corrected!

[UurlockYgmeov]

Looking forward to seeing Epic Vale. The Epic Necro stuff should give plot and story background for epic.

Agree! eOrchard should rock - and set up eVale nicely! Just wanted to get some very early rough ideas out there.


Glad to learn of this; I stand corrected!

I still might be wrong. :P But hopefully (and probably) not wrong.

[Zasral]

I wasn't around when shroud was endgame. It's still my favorite content in game, even tho I'm just making tr gear. eVale would be great, but I hope they stick as close to current as possible. I would like shroud to stay exactly the same just harder like they did with demon queen.

[Psiandron]

They actually already made an eShroud a year or year and a half ago. It was only on Lammania. I think, iirc, that one or two groups were able to complete part I.

[HastyPudding]

I really don't see the point in epic vale. We have thunderforged crafting, which is basically epic greensteel/alchemical. Orchard, I can see being epic'd, because a lot of the gear from there used to be top tier when the cap was 20 and, more importantly, it has a variety of gear to be had (not just crafted stuff). Epic staff of the petitioner, epic litany, epic breeze; I can't wait to see what they're going to do.

[hunterjwizard]

I really don't see the point in epic vale. We have thunderforged crafting, which is basically epic greensteel/alchemical. Orchard, I can see being epic'd, because a lot of the gear from there used to be top tier when the cap was 20 and, more importantly, it has a variety of gear to be had (not just crafted stuff). Epic staff of the petitioner, epic litany, epic breeze; I can't wait to see what they're going to do.

Thunderforged is NOT "epic greensteel". The primary selling-point of greensteel is as TR-"twink" gear - the low ML makes it ideal for making and then recycling next life. Tier III Thunderforged weapons are ML28.

ML28 items are not TR gear in any stretch of the imagination.

[Sam1313]

Epic Vale of Twilight would be EPIC. I know some quests in there that on Heroic Elite still give "some" epic characters a rough time.

[Nestroy]

Epic Vale of Twilight would be EPIC. I know some quests in there that on Heroic Elite still give "some" epic characters a rough time.

Especially since the Archon lights went away ^^.

[hunterjwizard]

Epic Vale of Twilight would be EPIC. I know some quests in there that on Heroic Elite still give "some" epic characters a rough time.

Just as long as they don't actually change the Shroud raid :P that is still hands-down the best, balanced, and msot entertaining raid the game has to offer.

[UurlockYgmeov]

Thunderforged is NOT "epic greensteel". The primary selling-point of greensteel is as TR-"twink" gear - the low ML makes it ideal for making and then recycling next life. Tier III Thunderforged weapons are ML28.

ML28 items are not TR gear in any stretch of the imagination.

well said and been my biggest gripe

[Sam1313]

Just as long as they don't actually change the Shroud raid :P that is still hands-down the best, balanced, and msot entertaining raid the game has to offer.

Totally agree with you on this. I have ran every raid in the game and none of them compares to the Shroud.

[Thar]

But it is orchard of the macabre (http://ddowiki.com/page/Orchard_of_the_Macabre) that they are planning to epify, not the Vale of Twilight

and that is another epic failure.

no one has asked for epic abbott ever.

[EllisDee37]

I really don't see the point in epic vale. We have thunderforged crafting, which is basically epic greensteel/alchemical.Only for weapons. Greensteel is also for accessories, which have no analogue in either alchemical or thunderforged.

[Atremus]

no one has asked for epic abbott ever.

Free EpicXP if you own the pack though. Pretty hard to not like that. And the last few quests we have gotten (post shadowfall) have been decent. And maybe the gear in the new epic Orchard will be real good like back when eGH was released.

[Purkilius]

I think you are right Epic Vale is coming and I think the crafting will stay the same just converted into augments.

[the_one_dwarfforged]

I really don't see the point in epic vale. We have thunderforged crafting, which is basically epic greensteel/alchemical. Orchard, I can see being epic'd, because a lot of the gear from there used to be top tier when the cap was 20 and, more importantly, it has a variety of gear to be had (not just crafted stuff). Epic staff of the petitioner, epic litany, epic breeze; I can't wait to see what they're going to do.

this, also epic coal chamber.

outside of shroud does anyone actually like the vale quests anyway? i dont hear many people hoo ing and ha ing about how much they love ritual sacrifice, or dust, or rainbow, but i do hear lots of complaining about devils and coal. so maybe they should just epify shroud by itself and have it drop tf crafting ingredients to satisfy the misty eyed dreamers and be done with it.

[relenttless]

Its not rocket surgery to predict how it's (intended) to roll out.

Vale and Shroud are probably the "flagship" raid and quest area for the whole game, among the best designed, extremely popular quests, has a crafting system which has survived and still produces items of desirability.

Sentient weapons were proposed a while back, and touted as the new Greensteel, either to run alongside the current system or as a replacement. These went quite quickly onto the back-burner, but are still promised

Level cap will rise to 30 at some point in the next year (summer 2015, maybe?). Again, this is a result of postponment (for once, a wise decision).

Updated Shroud and/or Vale will roll out with the lvl 30 and will contain sentient weapons- and it will probably be an expansion pack- nice earner for Turbine.

[nivarch]

First I disagree that Shroud is the best designed raid in the game...
Most people like it either for nostalgia or because the loot is just great (and still somehow relevant either for TRs or for the accessories).
But otherwise gameplaywise it is not that good:
- Part 1 is a snooze fest and is sufficient enough for me not to run the raid
- Part 2 is good. It actually takes some communication and coordination.
- Part 3 is useless... Yay let's solve stupid puzzles and run back and forth
- Part 4 & 5 are basically training dummy bashing with some small twists, and almost only a DPS check, and do not require so much tactics (and never did, even when it was real endgame)

If you compare it to LoB for example... it's not that good for gameplay
If they epifiy it, I hope they completely rework it. Get rid of part 1 and 3, make ; and add some spice to part 4 and 5.


Second ... The side quests are not that amazing either.
- Coal chamber is among the most hated quests in the game.
- Rainbow in the dark... forces you to carry a stupid light stick... Especially now...
- Let the sleeping dust lie makes a huge discrimination against THF... how nice is that?
- Running with the devils and Ritual sacrifice are descent

They carry decent XP at that level, and are quite easy, so they still get run. Mostly because more modern quests in the same level range have either less XP or are much more difficult.


Third I won't say anything against the explorer. It is nice. It has a lot of hidden things. It has variety with the different zones (gnolls, devils and lamannia parts). It is not too large to make it empty or a pain to cross (King's forest and Underdark I am talking about you there!).


Fourth... remember that VoD and HoX raids have not been released at the same time than vale; and therefore may, or may not, be part of the epified.
But if they are, VoD is a stupid cheap raid (I think there should be more of such raids because they probably don't take much development time and keep players busy, but it's still a stupid cheap raid)
HoX is a bit more interesting, but has screwed up mechanism and I would bet a lot of money it will never be epified (or will need a completed revamp).


However the pack has a lot of advantages: no undead (yay!), quests and raids that are kinda straightforward and therefore easy to understand by a large audience (except you coal chamber) but still learn you tricks, a large variety of mobs (not just orcs and giants!) with a variety of strengths and weaknesses.

Finally I doubt eVale will come that quickly. It is (and despite all the flaws of the pack) probably the most awaited epic pack... partly by nostalgia, partly because the loot is great; but these high expectations means they have to deliver.
That's why I think it will come later, when they have stabilized level 30 characters, are done with major system changes (armor revamp, urgent classes revamp); etc.

So in my opinion, 1.5 to 2 years.
Just my opinion, I am not a Turbine employee :) and I don't have any forecasting abilities.

[psteen1]

I like part 3.

Part 1 is dull and pointless-- and part 4 is also lacking.

But part 3 rocks! Bring on the multipart puzzle where everyone needs to pull their weight!