Downtime Notice: 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM Eastern (-4 GMT) Thursday, October 22nd

[patang01]

Bye is the correct answer. The casualization of the game has lead to the decline in player base. If all the people that don't want a challenge left the game while the devs ignored them, we'd have a much higher population than we do now. Here's a hint, there isn't a single MMO on the market that is easier than DDO. Why? Because they don't last.

Not true.

Most of the so called 'decline' came number wise from several missteps. None of the more than dozen guild members from my guild moved on because they thought things were too casual. The challenge thing is purely driven by elite players usually completionists that have all the gear and goodies and want something to challenge their incremental power. It's not driven by your average player who don't fly through or play EE. Simply not true.

I bet that raid bypasses have had more impact on the day to day player population and the lack of a upper cap and goal than anything. When you got everything and you can blow through content 20 runs in 2-3 days for the 20th there's really no longterm stability. Most of the base are now running content through guild and a small friend list which hurts average gamers play. If anything the xp group event is a resounding success since it expands upper end players to invite anyone instead of their regular small clique.

Feel free to ignore that dynamic and think that if you just put the thumb screws on and drag everyone through glass there's going to be a magic influx of players. To me the answer is really simple. Reintroduce a long term goal for everyone and things like xp grouping events to have the entire base from top to bottom enjoy gaming. The challenge piece you're talking about only effects a small vocal clique. Most others simply see very little point running on empty LFMs with little group dynamic and having already accomplished most things they set out to do.

Personally I look forward to E shroud as a longterm goal and I hope that Turbine nukes the raid bypasses for all new raids for at least 6 months. If they don't E shroud will be another fail event where everyone bombs through it in a month or 2 and then it's completely dead.

[FestusHood]

LOL and who are you calling a kid? I'd like to think I'm young...certainly don't feel it :P You just must be old or something. I'll be 35 in two weeks....I passed being called a kid a long time ago.

Meh. I'm 51. If you've never worn jeans that were wider at the ankle than they were at the thigh, you're a kid to me.

[JDCrowell]

Meh. I'm 51. If you've never worn jeans that were wider at the ankle than they were at the thigh, you're a kid to me.

Ok...I'll accept that. LOL

The earliest fashion trend I remember as a kid was rolling my pant legs up in the 80's. So yes, you have me beat by a few years.

[patang01]

Apologies but I cant hold back here. its the same math used when they nerfed blitrz, people like yourself putting up equations saying its not a nerf blah blah blah. and what happened to blitz? NERFED!!!!!!!!!
Then the next one to drop what the holy sword, look at the math... NERFED!!!!!!
Before that was to Quivering Palm, and monks are broken since the PRR/MRR introduction.
and now you put up new math equations and people are saying its not too bad and I know after the update it will be NERFED!!!!

Now I know I am being negative here, and apologies, as yes I am angry. but I would like to say 2 things that are lacking here which needs to be addressed.
Number 1, concentrate on spending time boosting the classes that that are behind, this is achieving balance rather than nerf everything so that everything is not working or worth investing in.
Number 2, If you want to stop the splash classes from being OP, then concentrate on the pure classes. This means that a pure rogue should have the best achievable evasion and saves. because the player has specialized in the class. ALL 20 LEVELS. So a splash class can not achieve this as they didn't specialize in the class.

Anyways, will see after the patch update to see what is working and not working.
Thanks guys see you ingame.

Hunzi

I'm going to be honest here. The nerf of dps (and blitz is still really nice, better now to maintain) is not that big. Sure, the fix to threat range stings certain weapons - but the real pain will be felt on the armor side. To the extent that you're not one of the many who haven't the additional MRR gear or 9 divine destiny reinc.

DPS wise Warlocks got the most trite nerf while it was slightly scaled back elsewhere. Manyshot hurts tempest rangers since they will most likely don't have a deep invest in AA. Overall, other than the smack to armor, it's across the board reduction that most regular builds can adjust too.

I checked my numbers live and preview server and pally splash skirmish builds with low PRR and MRR will hurt the most. Primarily from damage mitigation. Pally's got smacked, particularly if you're an armor hybrid, but 2wf and 2hf will do fine.

The most tedious part is of course that for those affected hybrids outside pure builds it'll be more time wasted redoing for a more useful build.

I'm looking forward to go back to full vanguard fighter thank tho with those armor feats and dc feats. But I'm sad to say my tempest ranger gotta change substantially, prolly pure AA. I was so excited after the tempest enhancement tree update - he was finally good again. My second toon I ever created.

Oh well.

[ForumFrenzy]

The whining is strong with this one. You're getting 2 free +5 hearts and all you can do is *****. Please please please just leave the game and **** on something else I don't play.

You sure about that 2 free +5 hearts (BTW per account which sort of stinks for someone with 28 toons - 10ish of which are played regularly)? I saw nothing in the release notes about this. Additionally, considering they stated five days of Fred, what makes you think they aren't going to short-change the 2 free hearts too?

[patang01]

The primary reason people leave is because they don't have time to play DDO. The primary reason people don't have time to play DDO is because they are playing another game they like more. The primary reason people like a game more is because it is newer and shinier. Star Wars Battleground and Fallout 4 will be VERY shiny indeed.

Too simplistic. It's like saying I bought a new car and now I don't drive the old. There was a reason. It didn't just happen. Fallout 4 will be sweet for sure. Battlegrounds - looks nice. Better than the old game but not my cup of tea. I'm already saving my bottle caps tho.

[RumbIe]

I think I'd agree that the worst thing to happen to this game, this patch included, is the raid timers. Gaming adjustments players get used to and find new builds. If they decide the nerf is too much then they'll adjust in a future pass. They always do. Plus I'm sure they will focus on other classes and as they reduce the effectiveness of current flavor of the months then other classes and builds may become more appealing. The player base always adapts. If not for changes 'd still be playing my Exploiter build dual kopesh wielding ranger/rogue/monk from when the game first went F2P. Oh wait the last update just possibly made that build viable again. Talk about full circle.

In any case what the player case can't adapt to is the raid timer fiasco. They went and made new items and gear and made it super easy to get. Well not easy by drop rate, but we'll let you run this as frequently as you like to pay and you can get your items. What happens is that now all of a sudden people stop running the new content after a month because they have all they need. So now they need new content again and Turbine has to focus on pushing out new quests and weapons focused on end game as opposed to adding more feat/enhancement content or revamping and adding variety to lower end stuff.

As an example I can't tell you how sick of Korthos and the Harbor I am. Wouldn't it be great if there was a seocnd or third starter area option? I whole new chain of quests that run parallel to the level 1-20 TR grind that we have done so many times. Options upon options. It's good that new content seems to have a heroic set, but it seems forced. No one has taken a whole new plot line from start to finish. Now to me that would be cool. Then you could drop an end game content pack once or twice a year and have people grind that out some with no timers so no one rushes it and balance it with a viable reason to TR besides bragging rights on 20th time completionnist.

[patang01]

You sure about that 2 free +5 hearts (BTW per account which sort of stinks for someone with 28 toons - 10ish of which are played regularly)? I saw nothing in the release notes about this. Additionally, considering they stated five days of Fred, what makes you think they aren't going to short-change the 2 free hearts too?

I'm sure when they release the discounted deals for the week there will be something about the free hearts per account and the code to use. That's usually how that work.

[drathdragon]

to continue to nerf classes is not the correct way to add more fun to the game and honestly i am pretty tired to read
people whining about the warlock class.

It's ridiculous

[Hoglum]

Most of the base are now running content through guild and a small friend list which hurts average gamers play.

Since most of the base run with guilds and friends, I'd think that makes them the average player.

[Sunnie]

Are the servers open yet?

[Nyata]

Are the servers open yet?

2 more hours of downtime announced (if my math is correct - I do hate time zones)

[Mojo_d]

but i'm a pale master! The sun hurts!!!! Hissssssssthththththt.

xd

[Vellrad]

release notes lol

[M113k7262]

Are they still hoping to bring the servers up at 3pm Eastern?

[Kamode_Corebasher]

"Deepwood Stalker's Improved Weapon Finesse now works with scimitars if they are considered light weapons for your character."

Which races or classes does this apply to??

[Nyata]

Are they still hoping to bring the servers up at 3pm Eastern?

well, nothing to the contrary has been announced as far as I can see... but yeh, a status update would be nice, specially since my client has not started to download any updates yet...

[jalont]

well, nothing to the contrary has been announced as far as I can see... but yeh, a status update would be nice, specially since my client has not started to download any updates yet...

This. There's no reason to think it's postponed, but at the same time, the client should be downloading the patch by now if we're going by past updates. So maybe there will be a delay.

[Tom.JonesJr]

Update servers have just come online.

[oweieie]

Update servers have just come online.

Thanks. Was a quick update.