Anyoe have an opinion on the upcomming expansion?

[parvo]

Anyone have an opinion on the upcoming expansion as it relates to permadeath play? I haven't paid that much attention to the changes, yet two things I'm certain of. It will be easier/faster to progress characters. Play will become more generic. That's the history.

[donblas]

I posted this a few days ago but I'll repost here as I probably put it in the wrong thread and I've got some specific question that follow on from the OP.

"Hi I don't do permadeath (but would like to) or GIMP. I've respected that you people really like a challenge and the oooh! factor when you actually pull an item you can use must be awesome.

I'd like to know how any of the players of these cool styles feel they'll be impacted by the new combat system and other changes. Not much attention seems to have been directed at you guys during discussions about the new systems.

Obviously in the past, permadeath and GIMP have been pretty tough - will this get easier or much easier?

With restrictions on not using AH, etc, AC would have been lower than other toons, but now you are likely to be hit quite a lot less (especially as you get to higher level). You might have had problems hitting but you should be able to hit most things now. Loot is going to improve dramatically (eg bodyfeeder weapon from Korthos).

So better equipment, better damage mitigation, and much better hit capability.

Is this good for your play or not?"

[Gandalfs_Ghost]

Why would it be any different from any other content in regards to PD?

[donblas]

Why would it be any different from any other content in regards to PD?

It's not the content that will affect PD so much, it's the wholesale changes to the combat system which will affect all levels of play, all toons and all quests.

The changes should make things far easier for PD players.

[intruder1]

Anyone have an opinion on the upcoming expansion as it relates to permadeath play? I haven't paid that much attention to the changes, yet two things I'm certain of. It will be easier/faster to progress characters. Play will become more generic. That's the history.

As you are aware, THACO is not Permadeath, but our playstyles are somewhat similar.
I haven't paid too much attention to the changes either, except to read the occasional "discussion" on how higher level characters are going to lose their advantages with the new Combat Mechanics.

It would be a welcome sight to be able to play a module without wondering if the DDO version of an enemy may be inherently too difficult for characters that do NOT have a lot of DDO equipment.

Easier, Faster, Generic would be acceptable as long as it's not a pushover. IMO, Variety is the key to a good gaming session, not difficulty.

Just remember, without the "End Game" players who purchase LOTS of things from Turbine, We, the Moral Minority, won't have a place to play.

[yawumpus]

I fail to see how Turbine changing the entire game could somehow not affect PD. The game changes, PD players have to figure out what challenge they want and how to (typically by restrictions that appear draconian to non-PD players) achieve them.

I have to question why fast leveling is supposed to be such a big crime by Turbine. Various builds are buffed and nerfed every update, but players are supposed to somehow guess how a build is going to play by the time they cap and equip it. I suppose that this isn't a problem if you ran a monthly TR train before bb/tomes/insta-leveling, but planning a build has become much more possible (or will after umpteen rounds of patching the expansion). The game changes. You might be able to cap a character with almost the same rules you built him to, I fail to see the horror.

Personally, I'm taking a break from my non-PD toons. I'm tired of them, and Turbine seems eager to nerf the overpowered (my sorcerer) and nerf the already nerfed (melee ranger) and really have no wish to take a FVS into endgame and nannybotland.

Finally for PD, I'd have to say that the biggest change has to be dealing with the falling damage bug. I'm sure some guilds deal with it claiming "known bug, recall and retry" and some say "dead toon is dead". I can't see playing PD with that bug in there.

[Gkar]

Well the new AC system hurts high AC characters and helps low AC characters. I woudl think this would make most PD characters better off since you generally can't twink.

The spell power system is bound to be better for you because while the rest of us can go grind/twink/AH for "the best" in category items, you only can use what you find (generally). Thus power 48 (or whatever) probably is better than the more specialized items in our loot now.

[Magnyr_Delorn]

Finally for PD, I'd have to say that the biggest change has to be dealing with the falling damage bug. I'm sure some guilds deal with it claiming "known bug, recall and retry" and some say "dead toon is dead". I can't see playing PD with that bug in there.

Well, every guild has different rules. Some of them don't punish you for deaths you had no part in preventing. Fall bug is a common exemption, but there is a spectrum of guild rules. EE, for instance, doesn't punish you for lagging. You gotta be willing to search to find for the rules that fit your preferences.

[parvo]

I fail to see how Turbine changing the entire game could somehow not affect PD. The game changes, PD players have to figure out what challenge they want and how to (typically by restrictions that appear draconian to non-PD players) achieve them.

I have to question why fast leveling is supposed to be such a big crime by Turbine. Various builds are buffed and nerfed every update, but players are supposed to somehow guess how a build is going to play by the time they cap and equip it. I suppose that this isn't a problem if you ran a monthly TR train before bb/tomes/insta-leveling, but planning a build has become much more possible (or will after umpteen rounds of patching the expansion). The game changes. You might be able to cap a character with almost the same rules you built him to, I fail to see the horror.

Personally, I'm taking a break from my non-PD toons. I'm tired of them, and Turbine seems eager to nerf the overpowered (my sorcerer) and nerf the already nerfed (melee ranger) and really have no wish to take a FVS into endgame and nannybotland.

Finally for PD, I'd have to say that the biggest change has to be dealing with the falling damage bug. I'm sure some guilds deal with it claiming "known bug, recall and retry" and some say "dead toon is dead". I can't see playing PD with that bug in there.

Honest question. How are sorcs and rangers getting nerfed?

[Chai]

Honest question. How are sorcs and rangers getting nerfed?

They are not.

The higher level spells will be more powerful. Right now this is not the case. Spell power changes that so if you cast a level 8 spell it will do more damage than a level 4 spell - I can think of several instances where this is not the case in the current game.

Rangers will get a decent boost, especially when they epic out.

[sirgog]

I expect the huge buffs to non-metamagiced damage spells (at the cost of modest nerfs to max-empped spells) will make a substantial difference in PD.

[Duncani_Daho]

My feelings toward the expansion are 90% very positive and 10% ambiguous. For example, regarding how the new loot tables might effect PD play, well I just pulled +3 dex gloves on my new Druid from Stealthy Repo. And that items follows other pulls that include a +1 holy scimitar (from New Ringleader), +3 leather, +3 wooden shield, and a few other things that are a bit ahead of the curve when compared to the old loot tables. With a 20 dex Mothistle has a 58% chance to avoid physical attack from at-level enemies. It doesn't seem overpowered. But I can see how the monty haul could be worrisome to some who favor a stripped down world.

Randomly, here are a few more random notes. Tempest rangers will benefit from the changes made to dodge, since they will have a truly decent chance to dodge physical attacks. Splash monk and things really get interesting. But I never will with my pug ranger because I want to play a "character", not a conglomeration of numbers some call a "build." In my idiosyncratic fantasy world, Nicomo served in the special vanguard forces of an ancient elven house where he was trained to excel in two weapon fighting, evasive hit and run tactics, and ranged combat. His training was complete when his mentor put him through kensai training with a longbow. His favored enemies reflect the timeless nemesis of his house: the drow (elf), undead, and other underdark overlords (aberrations).

About sorcerers and the new update I haven't a clue.

We have had two sessions so far in The Core with the Menace expansion. In the first one, we completed Beyond the Rift on normal. (Rather easy) And after that explored The King's Forest.

In the second one, today, we completed two short quests in Eveningstar (Murder By Night, and The Riddle), both on normal, and both were rather easier than we had expected. Since we are the only three level 20's in our guild, we had no choice but to try and 3-man them and what these quests lacked in challenge they made up for with their sheer coolness. I can't wait to go in on hard.

Now, the true gem of the new content are the HUGE explorer areas. I'll only really know how big they are once they are fully explored, but my initial impression is that one could go out into The Kings Forest for WEEKS and still have the sensation of getting lost, of seeing something odd and new, and having the living daylights scared out of you. The randomness of encounters and monsters make it far superior to any explorer area I've seen so far.

And that's just The King's Forest. While exploring it about 8 hours ago with Phunkudda and Stepsunofmog, we stumbled across a forboding entrance to The Underdark. Another HUGE explorer area. I'm telling you, it's jawdropping.

For what it's worth, I think that IF players are finding they are leveling uncomfortably fast in current PD guilds, they should ride the wave to Eveningstar. The new area is what I always thought of in terms of style, setting, and story when I imagined a world of Dungeons and Dragons.