Update: Ruined with the Devils

[Lithic]

I just ran this for the first time after the last update. Others had told me all they did was remove the shortcuts. It's worse than that.

1) They removed the shortcut to the switch, which eliminated at best 10mobs worth of fighting. Problem was that 2 of those mobs are efreeties (or Air Elemental Light, as I like to call them), and 4 are actual air elemental.

2) The second shortcut near the shrine has been blocked off. This also bypassed at best 15 monsters. None were particularly dangerous, with the exception of one or two more gaele clerics, so this is particularly puzzling why someone would bother changing this quest almost a year later.

3) Worst of all, they made all the efreeties RED NAMED, with their corresponding immunities. They use to be bad enough when a failed destruction meant they often got deathward, but now you can guarantee they live long enough to turn into a whirlwind and keep you on your back while the rest of thier friends use their +5 spiked maces of greater sodomy on you.

This use to be a decent quest. The self healing red named guy near the end made sure it was a challenge for most level appropriate parties, and the shortcuts and non-named efreeti allowed groups of melees to enjoy themselves. Nodoby enjoys being knocked down for 5minutes at a time as the bad guys slowly drain your health.

This quest has officially been put on "Lithics list of quests to never bother with if you lack finger of death or destruction". Title is a work in progress.

Next thing you know, the trog archers in coal will be air elementals. The spiders in dust will be air elementals. Ritual sacrifice will be Windscar Air Elementals, with a few rune traps spawning gnolls. Rainbow in the dark will be renamed "rainbow in the air elemental".

Come on devs, I don't usually mind nerfs to make things challenging, but the mess you've made in Running is just the last in a long list of serious blunders that have been pointed out on the forums for years. NOBODY LIKES AN AIR ELEMENTAL. Want to make us like air elementals? Give us a 5second knockdown immunity when we get knocked down. Give the knockdown attack a 30second cooldown. There have been many good ideas to fix the )*(&(_#& elementlas, but for the love of the flame, don't just put air elementals everywhere, and wonder why the player base hates those quests.

And don't then just jack up their saves, put in MORE elementals and wonder why people hate the quest more *cough*reaverraid*cough*.

The way things are going, the next raid is a purple named air elemental immune to fire, that casts area effect disjunction in a room covered in a beholder antimagic beam.

[FluffyCalico]

Hm doesnt sound like a good change.

[Samadhi]

Come On Devs, I Don't Usually Mind Nerfs To Make Things Challenging, But The Mess You've Made In Running Is Just The Last In A Long List Of Serious Blunders That Have Been Pointed Out On The Forums For Years. Nobody Likes An Air Elemental. Want To Make Us Like Air Elementals? Give Us A 5second Knockdown Immunity When We Get Knocked Down. Give The Knockdown Attack A 30second Cooldown. There Have Been Many Good Ideas To Fix The )*(&(_#& Elementlas, But For The Love Of The Flame, Don't Just Put Air Elementals Everywhere, And Wonder Why The Player Base Hates Those Quests.
.

Qft

[Borror0]

The way things are going, the next raid is a purple named air elemental immune to fire, that casts area effect disjunction in a room covered in a beholder antimagic beam.

[lugoman]

I wouldnt mind all the air elementals if they would add pinball sounds when you bounce off a wall or stalagtite.

[HeavenlyCloud]

I wouldnt mind all the air elementals if they would add pinball sounds when you bounce off a wall or stalagtite.

/signed.

[SableShadow]

Excellent post.

[dragonruler]

I wouldnt mind all the air elementals if they would add pinball sounds when you bounce off a wall or stalagtite.

Who says the old arcade games have died out....we still are affected by em everyday :P

[rest]

3) Worst of all, they made all the efreeties RED NAMED, with their corresponding immunities. They use to be bad enough when a failed destruction meant they often got deathward, but now you can guarantee they live long enough to turn into a whirlwind and keep you on your back while the rest of thier friends use their +5 spiked maces of greater sodomy on you.

Seriously? Wow that is friggin lame.




and lol @ +5 spiked mace of greater sodomy.

[abull74]

/signed


The air eles are a pain in the a$$. I think the devs lack of imagination is getting redundant.

"How can we make this more challenging?"
"More air eles!!!"

You might as well just make all the quests from now on full of air eles and then you should never have any complaints about the quests being to easy.

Of course you might pi$$ some people off that way. Oh, wait....you are pi$$ing people off......hmmmm

what a delima...


I AM THE FPOON!!!

[sirgog]

I wouldnt mind all the air elementals if they would add pinball sounds when you bounce off a wall or stalagtite.

so true!

Seriously, this is a stupid change though. The 'monk jump' was a brilliant part of that quest's design.

[lanthan]

I just did this quest on my solo on my monk. I did not see any air elementals. Admittedly I used abundant step to get to the two levers to open the door without triggering the first set of air elementals, but I did not run into any later in the quest.

[FluffyCalico]

so true!

Seriously, this is a stupid change though. The 'monk jump' was a brilliant part of that quest's design.

Monk jump? Even my cleric with a jump spell can make that jump...

[Lithic]

I just did this quest on my solo on my monk. I did not see any air elementals. Admittedly I used abundant step to get to the two levers to open the door without triggering the first set of air elementals, but I did not run into any later in the quest.

Was this since the new mod (Oct 28th)? I just ran it a couple hours back and the usual jumping spot was gone. Its possible there is another spot on the old mushroom jump, though i didnt check when I was in there. Even so, the old spot was accessible to anyone with haste, featherfall and a 34 jump (use to be able to do it with 32 jump, but their "haste/jump" nerf that supposedly didn't happen upped the minimum jump you needed).


Edit: Just played around. There still is a spot where a monk or FvS can access the first door levers. No chance for anyone else, though, and fvs don't usually worry about the air eles anyway. I'm guessing the hotfix will turn all the mushrooms you need to jump on into more air elementals though.

[brlftz]

might this be part of an effort to make casters relevant again?

[ariel7]

Come on devs, I don't usually mind nerfs to make things challenging, but the mess you've made in Running is just the last in a long list of serious blunders that have been pointed out on the forums for years. NOBODY LIKES AN AIR ELEMENTAL. Want to make us like air elementals? Give us a 5second knockdown immunity when we get knocked down. Give the knockdown attack a 30second cooldown. There have been many good ideas to fix the )*(&(_#& elementlas, but for the love of the flame, don't just put air elementals everywhere, and wonder why the player base hates those quests.

And don't then just jack up their saves, put in MORE elementals and wonder why people hate the quest more *cough*reaverraid*cough*.

The way things are going, the next raid is a purple named air elemental immune to fire, that casts area effect disjunction in a room covered in a beholder antimagic beam.

I remember when I thought the devs really listened to players.

[dasein18]

Be careful or they will say.. players do not like Air Elles.... lets put Shadow Fiends instead..

[Strakeln]

Stop tinkering with quests that have nothing wrong with them!

Sheesh! Tinker tinker tinker tinker... how about you start tinkering with the bugs instead...

[bobbryan2]

Yeah, I'm gonna flip out if you guys keep tinkering with quests that have already been out for months and years.

You have much less than a 50/50 chance of doing something halfway enjoyable with them. Most quests just become a little worse for the attention.

[KoboldKiller]

Air eles FTL