Devs: about Soul Gems. One more time.

[Lithic]

Sorry to steal your thunder. Mass Charm is back in Mod 9.

Aaaaaaaaaaand.... all mobs are now immune to charm. Right?

While you're here, any word on fixing the shroud collectable quests (portal frags, healing totems, bladestorm thingies, etc) so that they are actually completeable within less than 5 years?

[Vorn]

The design theory behind the Dragontouched Armor was that it would be essentially randomly generated armor with three enchantments (instead of the "prefix / suffix" system that normal randomly generated armor has) that gives the owner the option to "reroll" each enchantment individually until the owner gets things that they find "good enough".

Once you have a "good enough" piece of armor, it was expected that people would then try to make a second one that was "perfect".

This is, in fact, what I decided to do. Still trying to get that perfect one on the third character I've started this on.

Some folks I hang out with absolutely hate the randomness. Some folks love it as they find the shroud raid crafting too complicated, especially with no in-game resource to explain how to do it.

I don't mind it so much--have run lots of quests repeatedly in order to obtain named items.

[Gordo]

I get you, but your last sentence there is exactly why the SoS run is better for the casual gamer than the Shroud. One run through SoS ad you get DT armor. Not perfect armor, but something. Then you can modify that armor by running a single quest. (for tier one and tier 2.)

My thing is that I don't think the way the shroud crafting played out is good for the game. The end creations get very uniform, varying by character builds, of course, but very little real variety.

With the DT stuff, I do get the frustration of "downgrading" your item... I'd like to be able to avoid that. Maybe even be able to trade runes in the chest (if they were visible) but nothing beyond that.

Bogen

Getting a +3 Intel addition on a Barb is about as useful as **** on a bull. Being able to "get" something and being able to "use" something are two entirely different things.

[Karters]

thats all i want from the runes, is to be able to see what they are so we can trade them in the chest.

[Barumar]

Sorry to steal your thunder. Mass Charm is back in Mod 9.

Just back - or Back Fixed ?

[juniorpfactors]

The design theory behind the Dragontouched Armor was that it would be essentially randomly generated armor with three enchantments (instead of the "prefix / suffix" system that normal randomly generated armor has) that gives the owner the option to "reroll" each enchantment individually until the owner gets things that they find "good enough".

Once you have a "good enough" piece of armor, it was expected that people would then try to make a second one that was "perfect".

it was then expected that players would want to reflag and reflag until they wanted to well... ya know......not want to play the REFLAG anymore....well then nicely done

jrp

[vtecfiend99]

Aaaaaaaaaaand.... all mobs are now immune to charm. Right?

This is what i was thinking,

[Bronko]

The design theory behind the Dragontouched Armor was that it would be essentially randomly generated armor with three enchantments (instead of the "prefix / suffix" system that normal randomly generated armor has) that gives the owner the option to "reroll" each enchantment individually until the owner gets things that they find "good enough".

Once you have a "good enough" piece of armor, it was expected that people would then try to make a second one that was "perfect".

I'm sorry Eladrin, but the DT system needs to be addressed.

I have only one character that has armor in the "good enough" category and FOUR that have sets armor that aren't even close to usable.

I like the base concept of DT armor, but the randomness is too random. For example, I think it's insulting to have Improved False Life and Greater False life both in the same tier. That creates nothing more than excessive grind.

I apologize for hijacking a thread on Soul Gems with a response regarding DT armor but this topic is one I'd like to see addressed. Randomness in crafting should at least be mitigated, if not removed, so we can enjoy the fruits our labor instead of making it our sole focus for run after run.

[Ranmaru2]

I'm sorry Eladrin, but the DT system needs to be addressed.

I have only one character that has armor in the "good enough" category and FOUR that have sets armor that aren't even close to usable.

I like the base concept of DT armor, but the randomness is too random. For example, I think it's insulting to have Improved False Life and Greater False life both in the same tier. That creates nothing more than excessive grind.

I apologize for hijacking a thread on Soul Gems with a response regarding DT armor but this topic is one I'd like to see addressed. Randomness in crafting should at least be mitigated, if not removed, so we can enjoy the fruits our labor instead of making it our sole focus for run after run.

Runes of the same bloody effect stack up on top of each other in a large bag.....

[Naash]

Eladrin,
along with the soul gem crafting are any more rituals planned using collectibles or higher tier versions of current rituals?

[Venar]

I wake up from my slumber, and there is an answer.
Awesome.
Of course, the worst of the 3: i must keep collecting, but i still dont know why!
Oh well, at least i am having fun doing it, just yesterday, i captured my first Strong Gnoll essence. Gota catch em all

As for cheese, for those who didn't know, Giant souls smell of cheese.


In closing, a request.
Could you ask someone, quickly, before the release of mod 9, to program into the game a medium or even large Soul Bag, OR to remove the exclusivity from the small Soul Bag?

Thanks again.

[QuintonReece]

Wow, looks like you got the *crickets*.

[Hafeal]

Sorry to steal your thunder. Mass Charm is back in Mod 9.

El - Ms. P has cast the Summoned Monster XII and you are required to now depart to her office where she shall inform you that you are to be punished for giving yet more unauthorized detail about Mod 9!

No fruit cup for you!

[Junts]

The design theory behind the Dragontouched Armor was that it would be essentially randomly generated armor with three enchantments (instead of the "prefix / suffix" system that normal randomly generated armor has) that gives the owner the option to "reroll" each enchantment individually until the owner gets things that they find "good enough".

Once you have a "good enough" piece of armor, it was expected that people would then try to make a second one that was "perfect".

Even with that considered and it (stealer of souls) being a repeatable quest, do the amount of mean runs required for people to get a specific effect fall within the range of what you feel is acceptable? I have had the best and worst of this situation: one character has now gone through over 50 runes looking for Levik's Defender (and has not seen it, nor the chattering 3 dodge which I no longer want, but many would), whereas my sorceror came out of his very first run with Glacial Assault.

Unlike a raid, stealer (and the others) are repeatable, but equally unlike a raid, there are no breakpoints at which one has any spike opportunity to acquire a specific effect/item (the way that 20/40ths work in the raiding system). Anything, however difficult in practice, that assisted in providing some kind of potential cap - a goalpost, like 20ths can be - to knowing that, even if all else fails, you can eventually get what you want from 'x', would be a welcome addition to the reaver's refuge system and, imo (and i was a big advocate at release and still design it into characters despite my frustration) would vastly improve people's willingness to partake in the content. There are a lot of suggestions, but mine would be to allow a very massive quantity of draconic runes (1000 or 1500 for sovereign, successively less on the other tiers) that would allow for a psuedo-20th raid effect: turning in your massive amount of runes gives you a listing of 1/2 or so of all the rune effects on that tier, which is in no way a guarantee (just like some people are going to 80 titans for the belt) but provides some goalposts and a reasonable expectation of being done if you focus on it; I have run the quest 5 times a week for over a month, and am no closer to my original goal than I started, and that is extremely discouraging. The incremental nature of raid timers is a huge part of raid popularity, in my opinion, and frequently what drives me back to running raids I have marginal, at best, gains from.

[Soul-Shaker]

The design theory behind the Dragontouched Armor was that it would be essentially randomly generated armor with three enchantments (instead of the "prefix / suffix" system that normal randomly generated armor has) that gives the owner the option to "reroll" each enchantment individually until the owner gets things that they find "good enough".

Once you have a "good enough" piece of armor, it was expected that people would then try to make a second one that was "perfect".

Haha but do you really expect me to use 80-90 runes to get 1 effect on the proper toon every time I want to make a perfect armor. I think this is the complaint about DT.

As of now I spent about 80-90 Sov runes on just my sorc alone just to get a Glacial set and have yet to roll a Sup Comb 7 buff from a sov rune which I would now put on another armor already used about 10 more sov runes since getting glacial and no Sup comb.

This plus the reflagging makes this "random" elemental so much more painful then shroud ingred crafting.

Please reward those that do the mission 10 or 20 times with a identified rune list even if the list is only 1/2 of the possible runes. The idea of 3 diff runes allowing reroll of each buff is great, just how we get the runes with a 1/30 or 1/40 weighted chance on certain buffs makes it terrible.

[Ganak]

The design theory behind the Dragontouched Armor was that it would be essentially randomly generated armor with three enchantments (instead of the "prefix / suffix" system that normal randomly generated armor has) that gives the owner the option to "reroll" each enchantment individually until the owner gets things that they find "good enough".

Once you have a "good enough" piece of armor, it was expected that people would then try to make a second one that was "perfect".

This is such an interesting comment because in my case it turned out to be nearly true.

First, I swung for the fences, planning on the perfect armor. After running for a while, decided to go for "good enough" armor. I've been tempted to go for the "perfect" set of late.

The problem is that this type of crafting has not been a big hit, and Sorjek groups are not common. Thus, the "perfect" set state is not being reached.

[Lorien_the_First_One]

Once you have a "good enough" piece of armor, it was expected that people would then try to make a second one that was "perfect".

Did you read the label on the DDO box about no grinding?

I know the uber with 40hours/wk of gaming do exactly that you say, but I know I'm not the only one who won't even flag for Sorjek because of this mechanic.

[Gryphton]

Did you read the label on the DDO box about no grinding?

LOL BWAHAHAHA!!!!

That really is my favorite. The MMO that offers a no grinding playing system. I thought shroud was a grind, but the DT is about as redic as you can get. I don't mind shroud, I can take all of my toons and collect stuff and make the stuff that I want on the toon that I want.

I think the problem, IMO, with DDO is that they try to keep the power gamer and the casual gamer on equal par. If the power gamers want to spend 60 hours a week playing the game and have super uber toons, well, so what let them. The casual players can go hang out together and the power gamers can do the like.

Stop making random grinding. You released a mod that in all honesty does not get played. Bottom line is the player base got bored with this content and the loot table is just as bad. I actually pulled a wand of cure light wounds out of Enter the Kobal last night.

The few people who got lucky and got what they were after never go back. Once I have what I want on my 3 sets on my main toon I won't ever go back. Once you have what you want you never have a reason to go back. The loot sucks, the grind sucks, if you aren't helping a frined there is zero reason to do it after that point.

I honestly do view this as one of the worse mistakes DDO has made to date ( next to out sourcing the servers )

[crschoen]

And that is why I love it and it wigs out the folks that want something specific. Not being able to get the *perfect* combo is a very very good thing. I ever so wish the shroud items were this way.

The very definition of "crafting" is to create your own items which are bespoken to your specifications. Implementing a random system like you are suggestion would deviate from the intention of crafting.

However I think there is plenty of room for improvement. For instance you could tie the randomness of the DT runes into a character skill. Since we don't have standard p&p skills like "Knowledge Arcana" perhaps it could be tied to wisom or intelligence. Someone with a high enough skill check could get a faint glimpse of what power the rune held.

With regard to the current disappointment with Trap the Soul. I always thought the intention here was to use the spell to create gems that could give desired effects to weapons or equipment. For example, one could trap a greater fire elemental into a soul gem and use that gem to imbue your sword with fire damage. Maybe one day that will be the idea. As it stands the spell has gone to waste, which is quite a shame, as it seems like the high level spells are so difficult to implement that we barely get any of them.

[crschoen]

LOL BWAHAHAHA!!!!

That really is my favorite. The MMO that offers a no grinding playing system. I thought shroud was a grind, but the DT is about as redic as you can get. I don't mind shroud, I can take all of my toons and collect stuff and make the stuff that I want on the toon that I want.

I also do find the irony with grinding rather amusing. I remember in beta, when I first talked to the quest givers for the Depths series, laughing out loud, as one of them is basically making fun of other MMOs that make you collect and grind for things.

Funny to fast forward 3 years later and DDO has turned into the very grind and collect game that it used to poke fun at.