Weekly Dev Activities: 8/20/07

[Master_of_None]

The majority of vendors don't really care about the value of the item you are selling them. They'll buy anything.

There are a few vendors, primarily brokers, that only buy items within a certain value range. For those vendors you will have to find the broker that buys an item in a range that matches the item's "adjusted base value". So be careful when you find that +5 Flaming Burst sword on the +2 weapons broker. It probably has 10 points of Durability.

And how about returning throwing weapons? Any chance the brokers are going to start buying those?

[MathGeek]

The majority of vendors don't really care about the value of the item you are selling them. They'll buy anything.

There are a few vendors, primarily brokers, that only buy items within a certain value range. For those vendors you will have to find the broker that buys an item in a range that matches the item's "adjusted base value". So be careful when you find that +5 Flaming Burst sword on the +2 weapons broker. It probably has 10 points of Durability.

Will the "adjusted base value" affect the default price for auctions? It looks like most people don't change the default price for wands. Auctioning a Wand of Cure Light Wounds with 20 charges left for 750 GP (about what it would cost to buy a new one in the market tent with 50 charges) doesn't make sense to me.

[Gornin]

Just thought I would add my DAO to the mix. It would be great if after the 20 times if every time you complete the raid there would be raid loot in the reward. Running the grind again to get that shot is a little much for me, but at least there is a small chance that some raid loot will drop in the chest, so that makes it pretty nice. Especially for some one who only has 1 piece of raid loot on 3 capped toons. I am the bad luck king when it comes to loot. Guild charity case here.



But what I really want to know, ARE THERE MONKS IN THIS UPDATE???????? I can't seem to find any info and the scuttlebutt is they got bumped for later update. Let me know someone. I would appreciate it.

Signed - Waiting Patiently

[WilbyZ]

No Monks! Monks are far far FAR away. Wait till early next year!

Here's my opinion.
* Mod 5 is now (September)
* Mod 6 is Novemeber/December (Perhaps Level cap raise, quite a crucial Level raise with New Level spells, New Feats, New Stats for Lev15 & Lev16!)
* Mod 7 Feb/March 08 - Orcs/Monks... Guild Housing/Guild Banks

I purposefully missed Jan 08 as this will be School Holidays, not much work normally gets done here. Jan 08 will be more of a 'catchup' development (for those unlcuky enough to be left behind)

[cdbd3rd]

Good stuff all around.

I like the raid stuff.

Getting cursed is really only a hassle for low level characters, or characters who are actually new to the game. I remember back in the day when getting cursed was a HUGE deal (although that was before the tavern brothers). Higher level characters are not goign to have to /death to get rid of it, and lower levels will find life a little easier. Good all aorund.

LOL. Actually, the biggest problem I have with curses is not being able to see the field as well through the big flower floaty.

I sure wouldn't "/death" over it, but can see where some folks would. Lotsa RC clickies out there making it available to solo's and non-clericed groups.

I really like the timer concept mentioned above as an alternative.

The mail timer reductions.... Is database storage space really getting that rare?

Still, overall, of the changes that will affect my chars, most are looking favorable.

[Gornin]

Thanks for the answer WilbyZ. Well, I guess I just have be patient longer. I'm not complaining about current content or proposed updates. I'm pretty happy with the way things are, and I know they are working to improve and update things as we go along, and I have a decent idea how hard it is to do what they do. I just wish the class and race upgrades would be just as important as the content and cap upgrades. I think it would give people more reason to stick around and play. One thing I think they need to address though is that scimitars are supposed to be on the finessable weapon list. Hope one of the devs or some one who can talk to them gets this to them, but I am sure they already have heard it and know about it. Thanks again.

[WilbyZ]

The mail timer reductions.... Is database storage space really getting that rare?

I wouldn't say 'lack of storage space'... I would say something more to do with the fact that most players subscribe on a monthly basis (ie, 4 weeks).

Why have the Mail items timing out at the same time as your account expires? With the Timer reduced, your items will be returned to you before the Monthly accounts expire, so people can hopefully 'get a chance' to act on it.

[Naso24]

Did anybody else notice this:

Plane of Night

• Velah has informed the guardians of the islands within the Plane of Night that if they leave the areas they are supposed to be protecting, she will eat them.
• The bridges within the Vault of Night should no longer occasionally be ethereal.

This may mean the dragon raid on elite will be very difficult, if she blows up bridges with more than one person on them, and you have to fight the island guardians on the island solo. I can't imagine how a tank would survive without crowd control unless they have killed the respawn. An extreme change in tactics may be in order.

[Hakushi]

This may mean the dragon raid on elite will be very difficult, if she blows up bridges with more than one person on them, and you have to fight the island guardians on the island solo. I can't imagine how a tank would survive without crowd control unless they have killed the respawn. An extreme change in tactics may be in order.

They don't realize it, but drastic changes to a more than a year old content like this is getting players very angry and unhappy. To most everyone, it seems to be a waste of Dev time and should be invested instead on new content and bug fixes. In my opinion, this change was unneeded and will only affect pugs and causual players.

[MathGeek]

One thing I think they need to address though is that scimitars are supposed to be on the finessable weapon list. Hope one of the devs or some one who can talk to them gets this to them, but I am sure they already have heard it and know about it. Thanks again.

Scimitars should not be affected by Weapon Finesse. They are not a light weapon, and they are not on the list of exceptions given by the Weapon Finesse feat.

From the SRD description of the Weapon Finesse feat:

With a light weapon, rapier, whip, or spiked chain made for a creature of your size category, you may use your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier on attack rolls. If you carry a shield, its armor check penalty applies to your attack rolls.

[Gornin]

My mistake, not wep finesse, but the game needs to have the Ambidexterity and Twin swords style feats along with the 2 wep and imp 2 wep style so that we can build characters that can use 2 longswords or scimitars. I also keep forgetting that while scimitars are a medium weapon, their design is to take advantage of quickness and nimbleness, which is the reason I keep thinking they are usable under that feat. I know - sigh - like drow. Another reason is, I have allowed in my campaigns for that reason to allow scimitars under the wep finesse feat with the prereq of 2 wep, improved 2 wep, ambi and twin sword style feats to use them as such. It gives a character some thing to work for and the weapon damage is in line with rapiers, so I made it tougher to do without saying no. Just an idea for those of you still playing the PnP version, that may want to add it to their campaign(s). So, my mistake and thanks for the reality check. Let me know what you think.

[bobbryan2]

Scimitars should not be affected by Weapon Finesse. They are not a light weapon, and they are not on the list of exceptions given by the Weapon Finesse feat.

From the SRD description of the Weapon Finesse feat:

It's a common house rule... but yeah.

[Gornin]

I wasn't as clear on the wep finesse subject as I should have been. My point was basically just because a weapon is considered medium doesn't mean it is designed for hack and slash. Longswords and scimitars and several martial arts weapons and styles can be used in either manner, especially martial arts weps like pheonix eye swords, even katanas can used in a fencing manner effectively with the right training. My point is the weapon design is just as important as the weight/size class. Spiked chains are personally not a light weapon, they weigh in the range of 4 pounds similar to long swords and scimitars, but because of their design they are usable with the wep finesse feat, and I think that the feat should be required to use chains. But that is my DAO, and I hope I made my point a little better this time. And I am sure I read some where in the rule books that there is a way that scimitars and longswords can be considered usable under the wep finesse feat, but I can't remember where or maybe I am just wrong.

[MathGeek]

I wasn't as clear on the wep finesse subject as I should have been. My point was basically just because a weapon is considered medium doesn't mean it is designed for hack and slash. Longswords and scimitars and several martial arts weapons and styles can be used in either manner, especially martial arts weps like pheonix eye swords, even katanas can used in a fencing manner effectively with the right training. My point is the weapon design is just as important as the weight/size class. Spiked chains are personally not a light weapon, they weigh in the range of 4 pounds similar to long swords and scimitars, but because of their design they are usable with the wep finesse feat, and I think that the feat should be required to use chains. But that is my DAO, and I hope I made my point a little better this time. And I am sure I read some where in the rule books that there is a way that scimitars and longswords can be considered usable under the wep finesse feat, but I can't remember where or maybe I am just wrong.

As much as I like reality (and I think you have a valid point there), I think the list of finessable weapons is more about game balance than about reality. I suppose that in a table-top game, you could get a Halfling-sized scimitar for your Human rogue and use weapon finesse. In that case, the weapon would move down one size category but would also lose some damage (there are rules for such things somewhere in the DMG.) You would probably want to resize the handles to better fit your hands, and you would have to think about whether you would look silly wielding little scimitars.