Weekly Developer Activities - 2/18/08

[GreenGurgler]

[*]NEW Ring of Troll's Regeneration description has been updated to mention that it heals via positive energy.

Um, why ?? Is this item coming back to the game? Last I checked (over a year ago) this item was pulled out of the game because the Devs didnt feel it fit in with the 'intent' of the game. So why fix an item that almost noone has and noone can get again??
Unless this is some new item in the game again?? Anyone?

Also, any plans on adding Green Steel Axes of ANY kind? My Dwarf wants to know if I should be holding my breath or sell all the ingredients at the AH.
(I realize this is the start of crafting, but to not include ANY kind of axe is unbelievable to me and many others).

Otherwise, great to see more stuff coming!

[llevenbaxx]

I have one more thing to add to this Multi-class vs pure class debate we got going here...

Until they add prestige classes to help offset the problems with multiclassing powers into DDO I will not Multi-class...

Someone mentioned add Multiclass enhancements.. that Is an acceptable compromise for current builds until they add prestige classes.. But not acceptable to me.

They need Prestige classes in DDO to help the Multiclasses...

Only problem is that by the time they add them it will be to late for current multi-classes unless they allow a respec in some form.

LOL hey Haddar, I just ran with you last night on Fahl... or maybe llev.

OK say they are just waiting to balance things back out with PrC type enhancements. Why go out of their way to completely gimp many MC trapsmith builds on elite content right now? Why inflate these DCs and then right after pad the the only advantage of pure rogues to match it. Its an untimely/unwise(to put it nicely) move. This game is regressing back to AD&D(or possibly progessing to every other MMO out there) as the level cap rises.

[MysticTheurge]

Furtheremore in the quote above, first bullet: Weapons with Good Burst, Evil Burst, etc... you quote the "BURST" term in the first sentence but under the same bullet you then use the term "BLAST".

Is this a Typo? Did you intend to rather say "In addition, the BURSTS now do damage on criticals and additional damage on natural 20's"

My interpretation was more like this:

X - Does damage on regular hits.
X burst - Does the same damage on regular hits and more on a critical hit.
X blast - Does the same damage on regular hits, the same damage on a critical hit and even more damage on a natural 20.

The note is saying that Blast is to Burst as Burst it to Regular. Or at least that's what I got from it.

[wiglin]

I would also like to see the dc of elite traps lowered. I do not agree that pure rogues should be the best trapsmiths. Trapsmithing is a skill not an ability like casting or sneak attack. Rogues already get more abilities through their enhancements and skills being 1:1. The whole pure is better is not in the spirit of 3.5. I could care less about the symbol by your name. I want to know what you bring to the table as a character. It seems this game is getting more and more less like dnd and more like the cookie cutter world of mmo's. I am not saying that is a bad thing, but it is not what this game was advertised to be.

Currently we do not have many options of finish a quest other than combat. Few quests allow you to sneak to the end, and talk to the boss instead of killing them. Turbine should go play fallout and fallout 2 if they want skill based trapsmith rogues. Implement more skill based ways to finish a quest much like fallout had, so the new super reflex rogue is not gimp outside of that one ability.

[dragnmoon]

LOL hey Haddar, I just ran with you last night on Fahl... or maybe llev.

OK say they are just waiting to balance things back out with PrC type enhancements. Why go out of their way to completely gimp many MC trapsmith builds on elite content right now? Why inflate these DCs and then right after pad the the only advantage of pure rogues to match it. Its an untimely/unwise(to put it nicely) move. This game is regressing back to AD&D(or possibly progessing to every other MMO out there) as the level cap rises.

The problem is as you stated... they are doing exactly what they are supposed to do for pure classes... give them abilities that make their class abilities better because that is what they do...but not at the same time compensating for the reduction of power for multiclasses...

Still a Pure class still will better... but your right thy are making it almost impossible for multiclass... they should only make it very difficult for multiclass

Edit: Call me Tolith... That is my Main...And it is Heddar!!!

[artvan_delet]

8 ap for bulwark 4. Are they kidding? Who can spare 8 ap for 1 more AC? I think the dev massively overestimate AC. HP are much more valuable. This isn't paladin love.

As stated by dev, if someone "really wanted it" they might pay, but this costs way too much.

[Petro]

"NEW The General Vendor in Meridia, Belline Toulia, has learned the secrets required to repair dragonscale armor. She does not demand any special components to repair such armor, but does charge a premium for her repairs as though she were an expert smith."

cool

[Turial]

Implement more skill based ways to finish a quest much like fallout had, so the new super reflex rogue is not gimp outside of that one ability.

I can see it now...Mod 7 the cheese grater mod. Players can now finish quests without fighting things....the rogue just needs to survive passing though a cheese grater, a blender, and the stomach of a small mammal. All in good fun.

There was a dev that posted that their advice would be to never, ever multiclass. I guess we are starting to see that with rogues, which would be fine, if players for the most part weren't at level 16 or too new to the game to build rogues to do traps, massive saves, and skilled combat.

[Turial]

8 ap for bulwark 4. Are they kidding? Who can spare 8 ap for 1 more AC? I think the dev massively overestimate AC. HP are much more valuable. This isn't paladin love.

Agreed, even if it was another 6 ap for the 4th tier its still a bit much. They need to redo the cost for the whole line to 1/2/4/6 or something of the like to bring it inline with its power/utility.

[dungeonrat07]

Gang, this is not the way to start your week off with me...

On topic, sans personal attacks plz

Hi there, and I want to say that in a lot of ways you guys at DDO are doing a great Job! I know that it takes time to build the game and that every thing can not be brought in at once. I am even sure that there are some thing that the DVs want in the game but are not in as of yet!

Also I know that you guys take a lot of abuse from others in the game, and from me as well! Thank for acting and reacting a lot better than the rest of us!

I hope you guys will stick with freedom, flexibility, and personal choice! That there is no right way and no wrong way int he game just choice!

I would like to see more wizard spell and I do not think they need to mainly be blaster type! Thanks for the two new first level spells Master's Touch and merfolk's Blessing. maybe soon spells like ventriloquism and wizard site which adds to the wizards spot and search skills!

That if you guys stick with Freedom, flexibility, and personal choice that DDO will be bigger than WOW! I am starting to believe that WOW has sent secret agents to DDO to disrupt and sabotage this game!!!!

[rimble]

I can see it now...Mod 7 the cheese grater mod. Players can now finish quests without fighting things....the rogue just needs to survive passing though a cheese grater, a blender, and the stomach of a small mammal. All in good fun.

There was a dev that posted that their advice would be to never, ever multiclass. I guess we are starting to see that with rogues, which would be fine, if players for the most part weren't at level 16 or too new to the game to build rogues to do traps, massive saves, and skilled combat.

Encouraging multi-classing by building it into the system (as it has been in D&D for a long time) and then discouraging it with silly restrictions/requirements on Enhancements (an entirely new addition to the game system that they've created) is insanely bi-polar.

Come play DDO! Enjoy infinite character possibilities!**





** Infinite possibilities, but only eight that actually work. Turbine does not support/recommend multi-classing.

[dungeonrat07]

I am a wizard, proud of it, why so I just have a wand when I can have a bag of tricks!
I am not a blaster but don't you push me!
Just because I can solo that it makes me anything uber or god like. I am just play the game the way I like!
Wizards are not the only ones that can power build Tanks can to!
I am a wizard and I leave the moral and ethical question to the Clerics
That when I transgress for a donations to the Cleric I know all is forgiven!

[EinarMal]

There was a dev that posted that their advice would be to never, ever multiclass. I guess we are starting to see that with rogues, which would be fine, if players for the most part weren't at level 16 or too new to the game to build rogues to do traps, massive saves, and skilled combat.

It would not be fine at all in my opinion and many others and does not at all reflect the spirit of DnD. The best thing going for this game is all of the fun builds that you can make to get the job done. In the last several mods they are narrowing build choices more and more by the way they are overpowering the enhancement system.

Not everyone wants to make the flavor of the month Dwarf Fighter, Drow Sorcerer, or Warforged Wizard, and now I guess we can add Halfling Rogue to the Turbine approved character list. A big thumbs down from me....

[llevenbaxx]

** Infinite possibilities, but only eight that actually work. Turbine does not support/recommend multi-classing.

I so wish I would have come across this. At least then I would have known they based it on AD&D, not 3.5.

[Garth_of_Sarlona]

My interpretation was more like this:

X - Does damage on regular hits.
X burst - Does the same damage on regular hits and more on a critical hit.
X blast - Does the same damage on regular hits, the same damage on a critical hit and even more damage on a natural 20.

The note is saying that Blast is to Burst as Burst it to Regular. Or at least that's what I got from it.

The problem is that the description for the positive/negative BURST (2nd tier upgrade) says that you get base 1d6 damage PLUS the burst damage. However, the description for the acid/fire/shock/cold BURST (again, 2nd tier upgrade) says that you only get the burst damage and not the base damage.

See these two captures for what I mean:


Fig.1: 2nd tier acid burst

Says that it should only do damage on a burst, but ACTUALLY does damage on both a hit AND a crit. This has been confirmed by several people, e.g. going +DM//EDM gives Holy and acid burst and three numbers are being seen on a non critical hit (base+holy+acid) with four in a crit (base+holy+acid+burst)


Fig.2: 2nd tier good burst

Says that it should do damage on both a base hit, and a crit, but ACTUALLY only does damage on a crit.

I need to know whether the status-quo (where acid burst is nice, and good burst isn't so nice) is going to stay, or whether my +5 holy acid burst khopesh is going to be 'nerfed' in a future patch. Considering the amount of investment I am putting into this weapon I think it deserves an answer.

Garth

[HumanJHawkins]

NEW Randomly generated treasure accessories (necklaces, bracers, boots, rings, cloaks, etc.) that have a plus equivalence of +6 (which typically require minlevel 13) should now get their increased durability and hardness.

Does this include +5 Protection items? Or is it strictly +6 items as stated? I have seen a few +5 Protection neclaces with very low durability and hardness too...

[Blazer]

NEW Randomly generated treasure accessories (necklaces, bracers, boots, rings, cloaks, etc.) that have a plus equivalence of +6 (which typically require minlevel 13) should now get their increased durability and hardness. On average, they will have a hardness of 8 and a durability of 70. The items that have already been generated without the increases cannot get the increases retroactively, but can still get a boost to their hardness and durability by going through the adamantine ritual at the Stone of Change.

Thanks for fixing this, but I would still like to see the ones I have already looted get retroactively fixed. If someone can correct me, doesn't performing the adamantine ritual mean the item becomes bound to that character? If so, while I can run around and collect lots of shards and increase the sad hardness (2) and durability (10) that I've got on freshly looted +6 stat rings, this means they're bound to one character forever and can never be traded to another character of mine as gear gets upgraded.

[Drith]

My interpretation was more like this:

X - Does damage on regular hits.
X burst - Does the same damage on regular hits and more on a critical hit.
X blast - Does the same damage on regular hits, the same damage on a critical hit and even more damage on a natural 20.

The note is saying that Blast is to Burst as Burst it to Regular. Or at least that's what I got from it.

Hey Mystic. Don't take this the wrong way but what your wrote above is not your interpretation. It is what you think would be a logical progression of the 3 different effects. The actual text that the DEVS have posted is no where CLOSE to indicating the arguments that you have made above. I agree 100 % with what you wrote above as to how it SHOULD be. However unfortuantely the in-game descriptions are all over the place and do not reflect your logic above nor does the post from Quarion match the logic that you have said above.

For instance Quarion has said that BURST is changing to do additional damage on a 20... however then in the same sentence he says it's BLAST even though they have an additional Bullet explaining the changes with BLAST. So we're all left staring at our screens reading the WDA over a few times going ? Huh ?

*tilts head sideways like a confused puppy watching a nature show on the Discovery channel*

[Kerr]

So now I cant do the trapsmithing I was once fully specced and able to do and obviously cant handle the role of a full caster due to my MC levels in most situations and you think this is a good thing. Ive never had any problem getting a group for my rogues, making trapsmith pure only isnt going to help you, trust me. lol

On Elite quests? Yes. Elite being the operative word. Not just "dabbler folks" but actual Elite characters. I'm sure you'll continue to be able to disable traps and such on Normal, and probably even Hard content.

[EinarMal]

On Elite quests? Yes. Elite being the operative word. Not just "dabbler folks" but actual Elite characters. I'm sure you'll continue to be able to disable traps and such on Normal, and probably even Hard content.

Yeah well that's fine so dabbler melee classes like ROGUES/Bards/Clerics should not be able to hit mobs on Elite either. So jack up all the mob AC's to 60+ Turbine so only pure Barbs/Fighters with maxed out buffs can hit them. It's only fair. While you are at it balance all mob saves to 25-30+ with 20+ SR so that only really dedicated casters with maxed out gear can hope to land a spell on them.

So great I will delete my Bard since they only dabble in both casting/melee, and all rogues can be trapsmiths only on elite since they can't hit anything anymore. Maybe if people can figure out a way around traps they will invite you to their groups and then hope you die and carry your stone around until they find another trap then they *might* rez you. Maybe my Bard can come along and cast haste and buff up the "non-dabbler folks" so that they can kill things a little quicker.

Thanks great direction of the game....