More engaging raid boss dynamics

[HarveyMilk]

It really is great that upper level and end-game content is headed our way. Because that's what I want for this game more than anything right now.

This is not a complaint. I like the current ones fine. There's some fun variety. But, most of that variety is based on the lay-out. In HoX, most people run around the circle and kill adds, a few stand in the middle and dog sit. In ToD, you tank and spank x2.5 and watch for adds. And someone has to kite mobs in the earlier fight.

There are tactical varieties that are quite fun.

But, overall I'd like to see more demands on players, both in terms of movement and offensive action.

1) Burst dps:

I want a reason for all melee with manyshot, and all arcane/divines to pop everything they have and kill something ASAP to avoid a wipe, or something very difficult that could result in a wipe, or some kind of extra hurdle (like an extra puzzle if the group doesn't kill an add fast enough)

2) Follow the right path:

I want to see more pathing requirements while fighting a raid boss. For example, don't step on the black tiles.

3) Alternative CC:

Give us some adds that are immune to all CC except trip and/or greater command. Could you imagine "need tripper with +10 vert or offensive divine" in the LFM?

4) Boss encounter weapons:

No one picks up the special weapons in shroud, or in any of the quests, for the most part. Boss encounters that require special weapons to be used at certain points are a fun dynamic for the pure barbs/fighters. I'd love to see a boss that really needs to be stat dmged, or that has to be hit with an encounter-specific named maul a bunch of times to lower its shield, before swapping to normal weapons and laying on burst dps. All fighters/barbs grab the named mauls from earlier in the quest.

5) Time windows:

Chrono's last boss was a good example of time windows. Immune to one element, and takes extra dmg from another. Plus a dangerous effect. It's a great boss mechanic. I just want more.

For example: For the next minute, all divine healing spells damage players instead of heal them, but also damage the boss. (repair spells are immune)

For the next minute, all players get a -30 str. So casters and rogue mechanics do the most dmg during that window. Best weapon for melees could be an epic hellfire crossbow.

Etc...

I know none of this is new. Just venting =D

[Bobthesponge]

/signed and +1

i quite like this idea - especially about the temporary immunities/effects. until the lag monster is tamed i don't see the "don't step on a black tile" suggestion catching on. many of the abbot fails i have seen come down to tile fails as people lag at the wrong time.

[Stonen]

I like the idea of some variety during boss fights. I don't like it when you can switch on autoattack and all you can do is hope the healers keep up.

But please keep all players involved. Waiting around while other players do the quest is even less fun (VoN and Titan).

[sirgog]

/signed to most of these.

Mostly, IMO, we need more enemy abilities (particularly from raid bosses) that require players to take immediate evasive action (or do something else like actively block) or die.

Things like Velah's breath (break line of sight or die unless you stacked Fire Absorb), Abbot Inferno or the New Invasion endboss's tile shuffle (probably the two best of these mechanics in game), Cojoined Abashai Devastator's Ice Shards, or something new - perhaps a boss that fires off a cloud of spikes, making a specific 'mini' ranged attack 500 times in one second (each attack dealing 1d6 damage; actively block or die unless you have 5+ DR, this attack is 'telegraphed' like Velah's breath), or an additional mob that ignores fortification and deals tremendous sneak attack damage, forcing players to face them instead of the boss for a while.

[HarveyMilk]

Sirgog, yes! Love those ideas.

I also think it'd be nice to have another lower level raid that encourages other good playing habits. I like how Chrono gets people thinking about DR breakers. I'd like to see a boss that forces you to equip a shield (regardless of what class you are) and block with it, to get past an attack. And another part where everyone needs a ranged weapon. It'd help get lower level characters thinking more about the well-rounded nature of a character in a D&D MMO (where, yes, even 'healers' have to kill things).

And, I agree with you Stonen about Titan/VoN, and I think the devs here would, too. Raids are fun when everyone has something to contribute.

And the question of lag when it comes to "don't step on the black tile" mechanics is important. But, I think the answer is in changing raids into a more non-linear approach. Instead of 5 successive parts like Shroud, how about 7 or 8 parts in any order, and if there's a part you can't or don't want to complete, that's fine. Just make the completion of the whole thing give you a bonus treasure that's available in the other parts. Some people like more movement mechanics, some people don't. How about options, rather than requirements?

While on the subject, I am disappointed that there is little to no incentive to run raids on anything harder than normal or hard. I also don't like how hard/elite is an annoying drain on healing when people don't have DR breakers, rather than a more difficult encounter. I'd like to see different difficulties change the encounter and make it harder, rather than just be a gear check for DR breakers.

[sirgog]

While on the subject, I am disappointed that there is little to no incentive to run raids on anything harder than normal or hard. I also don't like how hard/elite is an annoying drain on healing when people don't have DR breakers, rather than a more difficult encounter. I'd like to see different difficulties change the encounter and make it harder, rather than just be a gear check for DR breakers.

VoD and Hound have excellent incentives to run them on higher difficulties.

First, Tomes just don't drop on Normal at all.

Second, the VoD bracers and the HoX shields have ultra-low drop rates on Normal, low-ish drop rates on Hard, and really high drop rates on Elite.

And whilst noone cares about Tharne's Bracers, the other three of those items are quite sought after by a wide range of toons, especially the Glacial Bracers, which are OK on casters and also a must-have item (albeit for situational use only) for melees that use Madstone Boots or Barbarian Rage (and thus can't UMD/clickie Fireshield Cold).

It's really only Shroud, VON5 and the Titan preraid that noone runs above Normal except for laughs, and ToD isn't run much on Elite, mainly because Elite is still very resource-intensive for most groups.