Lamannia Update 59 Preview 1 Feedback: Diplomatic Impunity

[The_Human_Cypher]

So, we're asking SSG to reconsider this decision to purge Wildmen from the game. Nearly everyone in the community believes this is a waste of developer time and resources and many players actively object to removing the Wildmen.

As has been pointed out in this thread, taking the Wildmen out of the Restless Isles leaves a gaping plot hole that can't be filled by bullywugs or some other incongruous humanoid species. The Restless Isles is one of my favorite places in the game and I would weep softly for a few moments if this happens. You don't want to make a 51 year old man cry, now do you?

Even as it is, the 'Diplomatic Impunity' quest is significantly tarnished by swapping out the Wildmen for bullywugs who are a poor fit. It would take less effort to put the Wildmen back into this quest with the original text and DM narration than to eventually remove the Wildmen from at least a half dozen locations in DDO. Here's hoping you listen to the community.

[Mindos]

Here's hoping you listen to the community.

They are. There's more than one community. Alignment to the correct one brings accolades and contentment. All others are incorrect and "problematic".
Which community is which changes over time. But aggresive historical safety reviews by whichever secure you from noticing. For your protection.

[Mindos]

Why not empower the Wildmen? Surely they are aware of themselves and their world. Are they not insulted and "awoken" by the player characters' call to violence?

They do not need to be removed from existence for their or for our protection. NAY! They need support! A heavy military reinforcement. Imagine a world where wildmen were not to be trifled with. Where the wrong choice of words led not to shortcuts throught a decimated village but instead to the players' own demise.

We should strengthen not minimize the wildmen. They should be truely formidable enemies of the travelling murder hobo's we call the "players". Every contact should end almost always in the players death or nearly so. Every quest with wildmen should be the stuff of legends. An utterly insane level of difficulty representing their rise to power.

Keep the wildmen. Raise up the wildmen. Fear the wildmen.

A fun filled tale of tables turned- educating and challenging the modern player!
Or you know, just delete them. Whatever.

[Annex]

Anyone wishing to understand what is going on here needs to do some research. You will quickly discover the underlying issue. If you want to discuss that issue in a meaningful way, you will need to find a forum outside the control of Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast management.

[Madja]

Anyone wishing to understand what is going on here needs to do some research. You will quickly discover the underlying issue. If you want to discuss that issue in a meaningful way, you will need to find a forum outside the control of Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast management.

I am still very confused as to what the issue with them is... Is it with their appearance or is it their culture that is the issue?

[Captain_Wizbang]

As we were updating Diplomatic Impunity for u59 and needed to update all of the monsters anyway, we decided to move forward with replacing the Wildmen in this dungeon. We have not yet replaced Wildmen in other parts of the game, but we intend to do so in the future. DDO's Wildmen enemies are problematic on several levels, and while this could and probably should have been taken care of years ago, we're replacing them now that we have an opportunity to re-focus on this content.

Wildmen and the depiction of them in DDO are not tied to a specific pen-and-paper D&D monster to begin with, giving even less reason for them to remain. As for why Bullywugs as the replacement, we determined that they were a fitting replacement in this dungeon that would cause minimal need to rework the story and other elements that would be difficult to change as part of this Update's revamp.

orcs, bugbears, trogs, would be my choices. Bullywugs are about as exciting as wildmen are.

I don't like your choice, but I get it. So I'll stand behind your collective reasoning.

Looking forward to performance changes really, monster types are way down on my list.