Weekly Dev Activities 1/14/08

[Xaxx]

With the changes to the death penalty, and now the news that level 17 and above quests they are taking the gloves off and pulling out the big guns, maybe we will see groups slowing down and not zerging through quests? Uber gear is never a substitue for smart play.

actually no all them pulling off the gloves will do is make the zerging puggers moan at the poor cleric who decided to pug about not healing them fast enough or something else.

You know I have to laugh at all the "casters are to powerful" threads now, because with the change in mod 5 I never believed for a second they didnt do it for a reason... if they really make the changes that big, those people who have been moaning over and over and over and making so many posts it could choke a whale about it will start screaming for casters to shoot the stuff thats hitting them for 120+ on a non crit.

I do feal sorry for any cleric who pugs any of the new stuff now.... those 450 to 500 hp barbs are gonna make those clerics very very sad or very very broke.... maybe i'll finally be able to pull out my battle cleric and play him again (oh my god a tank who can heal himself... holy ****)

not that i'm complaining... people need to play smarter... if they zerg and get their rear handed to them enough that thier plat starts to dry out... well... maybe they'll finally learn.

[Aspenor]

It shouldn't be. I mean you can make an army of trolls all be your friend, one after another and they will all be at full health.

I think they may have an issue with AI ques again. You know how you'll make it your friend but it will continue to try to hit you constantly the next 3 seconds.

I bet the ques get messed up and they don't know how to fix it. However, I've always been an advocate of dumping the que whenever a target changes even though the Devs seem not to think that way. I figure they have a reason due to coding that I just don't know.

Maybe, I never got the chance to mess with the spell on Risia so I couldn't tell ya what the problem is....

I do know that an enchantment specced caster with mass charm monster would be a major force to be reckoned with once this spell went live, though.

[Missing_Minds]

Maybe, I never got the chance to mess with the spell on Risia so I couldn't tell ya what the problem is....

I do know that an enchantment specced caster with mass charm monster would be a major force to be reckoned with once this spell went live, though.

yes and no at the same time. I've played with mass charm person. The one reason why I don't like it is because when one breaks, they all break. And when they all break, they all want YOU. So my own personal agro managment style, I create friends that can break free and just let the rest of my friends deal with the "traitor". I make my army one friend at a time so as to control the mass break you are squish syndrome.

But in the other manner, it kind of makes up for the fact that summoned creatures just... only one pet and you can't cast it again until after a duration is up, not when they are gone? bleh... I've never liked the summon mechanic in DDO.

[Aspenor]

yes and no at the same time. I've played with mass charm person. The one reason why I don't like it is because when one breaks, they all break. And when they all break, they all want YOU. So my own personal agro managment style, I create friends that can break free and just let the rest of my friends deal with the "traitor". I make my army one friend at a time so as to control the mass break you are squish syndrome.

But in the other manner, it kind of makes up for the fact that summoned creatures just... only one pet and you can't cast it again until after a duration is up, not when they are gone? bleh... I've never liked the summon mechanic in DDO.

You mean mass suggestion? Because yeah, that's the problem with mass suggestion...they all break at one time.

Charm Monster is not a static length spell per caster level as suggestion is. The monsters much each make their own individual saves, so Mass Charm Monster would make for monsters breaking in 1s and 2s at a time.

[Yaga_Nub]

While I can see your point, i think it is somewhat splitting hairs. If you are a good player, then odds are you have fairly good equipment that you picked up while becoming a good player. So odds are you are fairly twinket out anyway.

On the flip side, I doubt that just having a twinked out toon will be enough. Being a good player and being in a strong group is what will end up making the difference in the end. No amount of equipment will ever make up for experience and "Know How".

I think it is a good change. It will add a new challenge to the game and that is good. Should also making grinding out favor a new adventure too. :-)

My point is one does not beget the other.

So being fully twinked out doesn't mean that you're a good player. I've known of way to many idiots in this game that think because they have a raid item in every slot that means they are elite. For the most part, in my experience, it just meant they were in a guild that didn't mind them and made up for their shortcomings during a raid.

Nor does being a good player mean that you are twinked. Sure they probably have some good stuff but I know of some great melees that still don't have any of the Power 5 weapons much less a Greater Bane of every variety.

[Impaqt]

Weekly Development Activities
[*]NEW Items that are bound no longer take permanent damage when repaired. The chance for unbound items to take permanent damage when repaired has been cut in half.[/LIST]

Is this right? Seems to me the death penalty has changed fromt his already. Last I saw, Eladrin said Damage rate was NOT changing at all on Unbound items since the Perm damage was negated from death.

[Yaga_Nub]

You mean mass suggestion? Because yeah, that's the problem with mass suggestion...they all break at one time.

Charm Monster is not a static length spell per caster level as suggestion is. The monsters much each make their own individual saves, so Mass Charm Monster would make for monsters breaking in 1s and 2s at a time.

Unless he was saying that he tried Mass Charm Monster and it was using the Mass Suggestion spell mechanic. That would be a fairly large problem.

[Aspenor]

Is this right? Seems to me the death penalty has changed fromt his already. Last I saw, Eladrin said Damage rate was NOT changing at all on Unbound items since the Perm damage was negated from death.

I don't remember him taking that out, I thought he was leaving the reduced damage chance in, as well.

[smatt]

Orange Juice makes my soul happy.

Hmm some nice changes... But as far as the sig line goes Q... I think it's the vitamin V (vodka) really

[Jondallar]

I don't think you should have to be twinked out to do elite.

You should only need to be a good player.

True,
but Good Player eventually = "Twinked Out"

[Impaqt]

I don't remember him taking that out, I thought he was leaving the reduced damage chance in, as well.

Look at the current description of the death penalty system (THread right below this one)
It no longer makes any mention of reduced cost or chance of damage. I asked about that in Respnse 10, and Response 14 from Eladrin seemed to be in response to me.

Damage and Cost was reverted back to the current system.

THe devs realy need to get on the same page here....... THis is a significant change and we now have 2 completely different descriptions of whats happeneing.

[Aspenor]

Look at the current description of the death penalty system (THread right below this one)
It no longer makes any mention of reduced cost or chance of damage. I asked about that in Respnse 10, and Response 14 from Eladrin seemed to be in response to me.

Damage and Cost was reverted back to the current system.

THe devs realy need to get on the same page here....... THis is a significant change and we now have 2 completely different descriptions of whats happeneing.

Hmmmm I see, well hopefully Eladrin will poke his nose in and give us some clarification.

[Pellegro]

NEW Starting in Module 6, the hard and elite monsters in new quests at very high level (CR 16 and up) will be getting tougher as their starting CR rises. Hard will become increasingly more difficult and elite will become a real challenge. Be prepared to start facing some particularly tough bosses on elite CR 16 and higher quests.

Love this direction ...

Separately ... Can anyone tell me what the Black Abbott Prophecy book is for? I have been holding onto it wondering. Also, there is another book I picked up somewhere that says I can't read it but maybe someone else can ....

Are these for the Abbott raid?

Thanks.

[Strykersz]

[/URL]


Do you know what ladder this change refers to?

The only ladder in von5 I can think of that has been shortened without a release note is the one in the lava room otw to the Rust Emperor. I believe you used to be able to make it on to it with a 40 jump while standing at it's base and you currently have to jump from the chest ledge to make it.

[Cowdenicus]

Just wow. Still no update on clerics (lack of) spells.

[CSFurious]

if you play this game long enough, you should eventually become good & your in-game time should result in your characters becoming twinked

& since all of this content will still be repeated & is not randomly generated, it will once again be conquered by the player-base

however, it is a good idea to not put quests on Risia, let's keep the cat in the bag for as long as we can

True,
but Good Player eventually = "Twinked Out"

[Mercules]

I am guessing maybe it is the ladder in the lava room where the chest is at the bottom? I would think this is more likely since they purposefully shortened the other one didn't they?

It looks like they shortened ALL ladders across Stormreach. I believe that is where the ladder bugs are coming from. I noticed last night by turning my view to just the right angle while climbing that the points where I get stuck on ladders there is an intersection between one ladder graphic, and another. You are getting stuck switching from one "ladder" section to another "ladder" section.

[Mercules]

True,
but Good Player eventually = "Twinked Out"

False,
You could be a good player, with good tactics, but not loot run and thus never become "Twinked Out".

[Eladrin]

Is this right? Seems to me the death penalty has changed fromt his already. Last I saw, Eladrin said Damage rate was NOT changing at all on Unbound items since the Perm damage was negated from death.

That's my bad, and what I get for making so many changes to the system in a short period of time.

The complete and accurate future death penalty is available here.

[Eladrin]

Hmmmm I see, well hopefully Eladrin will poke his nose in and give us some clarification.

Now is the chance to heap shame on me for missing that patch note! Quick! Do it now!