FREE brand new DDO1.Z

[Aelonwy]

Oh, I understand what you're saying just fine and I disagree, as do the people running the ship.

The thing is the enormous power creep was NOT an accident or a mistake or even poor design choices. It was ABSOLUTELY INTENTIONAL by the people running the ship to maximize profits at the expense of players and game balance.

Yes bringing the game back into balance is a good thing. *shrug*

But if you honestly think its going to remain that way... well... I'm not sure what to say. But I fully expect if the game continues for the power-creep to come back maybe slowly, maybe in leaps and bounds again when they want to sell some new Legendary expansion or adventure pack. Because that has opened wallets in the past. I hope players have learned their lesson... but people like advantages, and many are willing to pay to have their advantages faster. Design will follow the money.

A long time ago I had a quote from another player in my signature, named Brannigan (IIRC) he said "Its not D&D anymore, its D$D." And that just becomes more obviously true every year.

[SheIsMiiiiiiinnnne]

* Soon to be sinking

Yes, the people who sold us the power creep, then nerfed it only to sell it back to us through a level cap increase most definatly do not agree with me.

Agree, we may be cynics but it looks like they sold us some power (and the level of power in RL/Sharn/Fey was fun and gave end game enjoyment), now are going to take it back off us, and then perhaps plan to sell it to us again.

If true, this is a nasty cynical strategy that is indefensible. And isn't going to go down well with the folk who have remained loyal through the years. Long term folk are pragmatic, dogged, and well invested, but don't like being taken for mugs. imo - disagree if you wish.

[Stravix]

Agree, we may be cynics but it looks like they sold us some power (and the level of power in RL/Sharn/Fey was fun and gave end game enjoyment), now are going to take it back off us, and then perhaps plan to sell it to us again.

If true, this is a nasty cynical strategy that is indefensible. And isn't going to go down well with the folk who have remained loyal through the years. Long term folk are pragmatic, dogged, and well invested, but don't like being taken for mugs. imo - disagree if you wish.

I will disagree, because you asked.

No power is being taken away. You are staying at the same relative power level, just with smaller on screen numbers

IMO, if you want big numbers from your loot Tetris game, diablo 3 is probably your best bet.

If you simply like the feel of DDo now, it will remain the same in u50.

[MacDubh]

...

No power is being taken away. You are staying at the same relative power level, just with smaller on screen numbers

...

I understand what you are trying to say but it no be that simple ...

In the current L29-L30 game, gear is a substantial part of player power, along with knowledge, past lives, reaper points, tomes etc.
This allows players without all the past lives and reaper points and tomes to join in with those who do. With decent gear you can join in R1-R4 quests even if you haven't farmed many reaper points and haven't splurged on tomes, and can have fun and contribute. It is a bit of a crutch and a feeling of satisfaction when you get to L29 and can access your gear. (conversely the Mid L20s before L29 can seem a trudge). And you can pass the gear between your alts as required, allowing you to 'power up' alts if needed, or if ur main is on TR.
Also any raid advertising for L29-L30 can be fairly sure of a certain level of power. (and note folk often swap EDs to fill roles better, something else we will lose)
Currently, imo, the L29-L30 scene is good and fun and has a working dynamic.

Now L29-L30 gear is being reduced to the mundacity of mid L20s. Past lives/reaper points/tomes will become much bigger factors. So the great leveller of outstanding gear at L29-L30 is gone, and this is likely to have impacts on grouping. Good that that the content is being lobotomised to cover for this, but some people may find what they were doing before a lot harder, and some may find what they were being doing before is somewhat trivialised, as the overall player power is changed (gear being just a part of player power). There is no way for the devs to replicate the current situation by adjusting the quests, they can only make best efforts - they will pick an 'average' - those below the average will find content harder than before, those above will find it easier. Hopefully the bulk are in the average zone and will find content much as it was before, as you posited.
This is likely to disperse the player base across difficulties again. Whether we end up with a working dynamic that is fun is hard to say, but it is all a risk, and a risk with no gain is daft.

[Theolin]

They have already talked about scrapping the charge system.

That would be very good news.

[SheIsMiiiiiiinnnne]

...

If you simply like the feel of DDo now, it will remain the same in u50.

personally I suspect U50 (and U51) will just not be fun, even if I bother reworking my toons.

[MacDubh]

REJOICE!
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This exciting new game will emerge from the existing DDO you know and love, with the addition of U50 and U51!

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• The key to DDO1.Z - Simplicity and streamlining. All the woo hoo, fun, flexible, interesting bits you loved will be ripped out and replaced with bland but really, really cool stuff (honestly). But it will be so much easier as you will have less choice!
• All the items and stats stuff will finally be sorted so that everyone will be able to have the same enriching experience. No need to farm for that pesky named item to make your build viable as RNG gear will only be slightly worse. But no worries if you already have the cool gear, it will still be slightly better to compensate for the money and hours you spent gathering it. The team look after your interests all the time
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*Note this Free offer is compulsory and you will totally be getting it

Are you getting excited yet?

Remember, as nobody wants to overload you with too much joy (wouldn't want a mess on the front of your strides*), DDO1.Z is going to be provided over two updates - U50 and U51!

The team will be plopping U50 on you as a great pile of steaming goodness first. They then expect to polish it until it's shiney and moist and steaming properly.

Then, just when you've revamped everything and got yourself going again, they'll dump U51 on you! The full smorgasborg of goodness that is DDO1.Z will be yours to experience and cherish! All of your toons can be reworked in the epic levels, in a brand new and totally awesome way. Such fun to be had as the game will be so totally reinvigorated from L20 to L30. With a bonus extra free side game of Ultimate Armageddon Gear Tetris.

The beauty of all public areas will be enhanced with animated tumbleweed^TM -you will be able to spend hours watching it move around as you wait for your LFM to fill. Awesome!

And don't forget you will also be enabled to buy the latest content pack as a super mini expansion The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh. Classic overpriced fun for all - even VIPs can pay, nobody should miss out.

And look out for extra paid for goodness soon .... all that power you paid and worked for then unfortunately lost can be yours again for a modest fee. Just wait and see.

_{(*note strides is vernacular for trousers - or pantaloonar garments/pants in USA speak)}

[Halciet]

... even if I bother reworking my toons.

How many would want to continue playing D&D with a DM when each session you don't know whether you will get to play or instead be required to spend the session rebuilding your character in order to hopefully be able to play it next time?

[Stravix]

Such fun to be had as the game will be so totally reinvigorated from L20 to L30. With a bonus extra free side game of Ultimate Armageddon Gear Tetris.

Wait, are people legitimately complaining that we are getting more loot options?

Like, your old loot will be just as good, but now you have other ways to gear yourself up, and you are insinuating that as a bad thing. Am I missing something?

[Cantor]

I think it's the micro management of builders and spenders. Currently one only
has to watch cooldowns. With the new system one also has to manage charges.

Many people felt this was tedious and not fun.

I'm not a big fan of the charges system either (although I think having it in a few destinies would be a good option for those that want it).

But the thing is: You can go on playing like always watching only cooldowns if you want to. You will only need to watch charges to optimize, the people who care to optimize have been tracking things to this extent already and it will not hurt them. The only change is a feeling that you need to do it... well if you weren't already doing just as much coordinating of your skills, you already weren't optimizing so ?.?

[Certon]

Of course not, how can they profit from it again without removing it first? /s

What the devs developth, the producers taketh away in the name of future revenue.

[Certon]

Wait, are people legitimately complaining that we are getting more loot options?

Like, your old loot will be just as good, but now you have other ways to gear yourself up, and you are insinuating that as a bad thing. Am I missing something?

um. gear's getting nerfed. you really should read it all.

[Stravix]

um. gear's getting nerfed. you really should read it all.

Gear is getting nerfed, but so is the content.

This means relatively speaking, nothing has changed (in the grand scheme, some interclass balance will shuffle around). You will still be just as powerful after the update, as you were before, relative to enemies. You will just visually have smaller numbers.

[Tlorrd]

Gear is getting nerfed, but so is the content.

This means relatively speaking, nothing has changed (in the grand scheme, some interclass balance will shuffle around). You will still be just as powerful after the update, as you were before, relative to enemies. You will just visually have smaller numbers.

It's not 1:1 though. The testing on Lama has shown this. And the level gating of EDs will also reduce one's power level significantly until level 30. It's going to be a total mess on live. I'd suggest working on racial and heroic past lives until a few patches because epics are going to be a disaster.

[Stravix]

It's not 1:1 though. The testing on Lama has shown this.

The vast majority of feedback in the official thread is saying the balancing is pretty darn good for U50 as of preview 2. Where are you seeing otherwise?

And the level gating of EDs will also reduce one's power level significantly until level 30. It's going to be a total mess on live. I'd suggest working on racial and heroic past lives until a few patches because epics are going to be a disaster.

That is a U51 thing, which will come with another round of rebalancing (aimed at lower epics), which going off of what I said above (about how the balancing is pretty good as of this preview) would mean it would likely be fine.

[MacDubh]

The vast majority of feedback in the official thread is saying the balancing is pretty darn good for U50 as of preview 2. Where are you seeing otherwise?



That is a U51 thing, which will come with another round of rebalancing (aimed at lower epics), which going off of what I said above (about how the balancing is pretty good as of this preview) would mean it would likely be fine.

e.g. here ?

Though ofc you are right and everything is perfect, nothing to worry about, ...

"The happy clappers sang 'The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, ...' from the back of the DDO bus as it plunged into the abyss."

[MacDubh]

Are you getting excited yet?

Remember, as nobody wants to overload you with too much joy (wouldn't want a mess on the front of your strides*), DDO1.Z is going to be provided over two updates - U50 and U51!

The team will be plopping U50 on you as a great pile of steaming goodness first. They then expect to polish it until it's shiney and moist and steaming properly.

Then, just when you've revamped everything and got yourself going again, they'll dump U51 on you! The full smorgasborg of goodness that is DDO1.Z will be yours to experience and cherish! All of your toons can be reworked in the epic levels, in a brand new and totally awesome way. Such fun to be had as the game will be so totally reinvigorated from L20 to L30. With a bonus extra free side game of Ultimate Armageddon Gear Tetris.

The beauty of all public areas will be enhanced with animated tumbleweed^TM -you will be able to spend hours watching it move around as you wait for your LFM to fill. Awesome!

And don't forget you will also be enabled to buy the latest content pack as a super mini expansion The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh. Classic overpriced fun for all - even VIPs can pay, nobody should miss out.

And look out for extra paid for goodness soon .... all that power you paid and worked for then unfortunately lost can be yours again for a modest fee. Just wait and see.

_{(*note strides is vernacular for trousers - or pantaloonar garments/pants in USA speak)}

UTTER REJOICING!

... now you can get extra super powerful filigrees with the new The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh. Just pay the money, you know it makes sense ...

[WarDestroyer]

I understand what you are trying to say but it no be that simple ...

Currently, imo, the L29-L30 scene is good and fun and has a working dynamic.

Now L29-L30 gear is being reduced to the mundacity of mid L20s. Past lives/reaper points/tomes will become much bigger factors. So the great leveller of outstanding gear at L29-L30 is gone, and this is likely to have impacts on grouping. Good that that the content is being lobotomised to cover for this, but some people may find what they were doing before a lot harder, and some may find what they were being doing before is somewhat trivialised, as the overall player power is changed (gear being just a part of player power). There is no way for the devs to replicate the current situation by adjusting the quests, they can only make best efforts.

This summarizes my worries pretty much. Current endgame is the most diverse it's been since level 20 cap, and an average player can feel well when playing along full completionists: just farm the appropriate gear. I'm afraid part of this will disappear on U50, or at least that the bridge between newbs and veterans will increase much.

[Stravix]

e.g. here ?

Though ofc you are right and everything is perfect, nothing to worry about, ...

"The happy clappers sang 'The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, ...' from the back of the DDO bus as it plunged into the abyss."

And most of the feedback shows it looks good. Damage casters are still a little behind, even after nerfing mob MRR, so that need will likely be pushed even further.

The only cognitive dissonance I am seeing is in threads like these, but who knows, maybe I am just hypnotized by a catchy song like you suggest.

But no, it isn't perfect, and I never said it was, but that it was good. Not great, not ideal, just good.

[MacDubh]

This summarizes my worries pretty much. Current endgame is the most diverse it's been since level 20 cap, and an average player can feel well when playing along full completionists: just farm the appropriate gear. I'm afraid part of this will disappear on U50, or at least that the bridge between newbs and veterans will increase much.

For such as G-land as well any drop in population at end game levels due to discontentment/disgust/disgruntlement/despair/exasperation is going to hurt. Don't know where critical mass is but we're heading that way. But perhaps we can hope for some returning players enthused by the new mechanics and content, which would help.