DDOCast 463: DDO Debates: Reaper Mode

[pjstechie]

This week we take a look at the new Reaper Mode in our newest debate episode with Strimtom & Asheras!

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DDO Debates: Reaper Mode - 2:45
- What did they get right with Reaper Mode? - 3:29
-What did they miss on Reaper Mode? - 16:04
-Does Reaper Mode achieve its design goals? - 40:30
-Is Reaper Mode causing a bigger divide between players? - 56:32
-Is Reaper mode good for the game? - 1:05:17
-Pitch a new reaper! - 1:11:36
Game News - 1:14:53
Community News - 1:25:53
Lightning Post - 1:28:14
Closing - 1:43:34

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DDO Chronicle 225
DDO Gamer: Tower of Frost Review

[FuzzyDuck81]

I think reaper XP should be handled like the monster manual, so individual characters have to earn the enhancements but total reaper XP earned on account (for that server) is used to determine access to the rewards vendors for cosmetic goodies.

The way it works in with bravery streak I like overall - I've been going at basic level or only 1 over rather than 2 each time & it's making the low level stuff far more exciting for TRing, it's nice to have to use some tactics instead of just powering through - incidentally, reapers can be confused by the warlock past life feat, it makes sneaking even more fun since that won't break stealth.

My reaper pitch.. one that puts an aura on enemies which gives a chance for a spectre to appear on death, much like how spectres can spawn on player death from certain shadow enemies.

[Faltout]

Vendors:
Why would anyone want to "grind" for the vendor? Strimtom talks about "grinding those reaper xp in both characters". Why is it a "grind"? You are playing the game in a challenging mode and getting something extra on the side. And some player that plays only 1 character and many hours a day will get a cosmetic (or small power-up) reward.
If you actively strive for that last vendor and then see that the reward is only something like the last favor tier of the Twelve, wouldn't you be irritated? In that regard, it's good that that huge xp requirement is there to discourage those that would actively decide to grind towards it.

[Faltout]

Pitch a new reaper:
Famine reaper already has a slow aura and teleports to the players
Plague or Carnage reaper has a reaper slow touch when it hits.

A new reaper could have a new deflection aura. It deflects all projectiles and projectile spells. AOE spells and melee attacks go through. That reaper is a caster like famine reaper but without the slow aura.

[Steve_Howe]

Vendors:
Why would anyone want to "grind" for the vendor? Strimtom talks about "grinding those reaper xp in both characters". Why is it a "grind"?

It's a "grind" because, inevitably, you do the same dungeons (the best ones for XP, reaper or regular, per minute) over and over again. Grinds are terribly boring.

[McFlay]

The biggest thing you guys got right about reaper difficulty is making the difficulty setting and rewards apply across all levels. Reincarnating is obviously a major part of the game and now we have a little more challenge and reward during the reincarnation process and its not such an easy snooze fest anymore. Most of the games content had simply become ridiculously easy due to power creep over the years and said content not having seen an update in years.

Worst thing about reaper mode is the massive imbalance between builds that must do things at melee range and builds that can do things at range.

[GoldyGopher]

-Is Reaper mode good for the game? - 1:05:17

Back in the late 70's when I was learning to drive, when you engine started acting up you went the car shop plopped down $20 (about $80 today) and bought a jug of engine treatment. It was a supper thick oil that you dumped into you engine that hid your problems from anyone who wasn't a gear head or mechanic. Yes for the average driver it was heaven sent, an inexpensive fix, that hid your problems and let you drive around in your older car a few more months before you need to get a new used one or actually repair your engine.


To me Reaper sure feels like slapping a can on engine treatment into DDO engine and pretending everything is great for the next six months.
Yes there are lots of players running around on Khyber who haven't been around in a while, but almost everyone I have seen is a longtime premium player and they are just using their existing content packs they own without spend new money. If these returning players aren't putting new money into the game just surviving off their existing content it is not a lot of help.

Yes several old players are running around with their clerics who haven't seen the late of day since Update 17. There was a reason people stopped playing clerics (healers) that isn't being talked about and we are not just talking about the burnout of playing a cleric. As a player my Paladin earned three to four times the amount of loot / plat my cleric did because I spent all that on scrolls, pots, and other very necessary gear off the auction house. Two weeks into reaper and that all very true again.