Don't have an account yet? You can create one. As a registered user you have some advantages like theme manager, comments configuration and post comments with your name.
I know there has been a lot of debate, often heated, on the subject of the rewards for the new classic monster missions. I'm not really going to touch on those discussions right now, except to say that the massive threads on the topic were certainly successful in bringing the issue to my attention. In this post, I just want to talk about game design and the serious issues these items cause and the steps that we need to take quickly to correct them.
The issue facing us as game designers about this gear is pretty simple. The gear is better than most items we plan to give to groupers at the top end of Underfoot. With some of those items it's possible that a group player may never see an item that good again in standard content.
Like it or not, a lot of folks are driven to do content to gain better gear. So players tend to move to where the best gear is that they can get. Once they get enough gear to go to the next better gear drop, they move there.
Simply put, if this gear remains as it is, non-raiders will have little motivation to do any of the content in Underfoot. They probably won't be motivated to do the next several expansions. If the best gear comes from the classic mission, that's where folks will go to advance.
The high reward versus risk in the monster missions encourages players to focus heavily on a shallow slice of what EverQuest has to offer. If grinding a monster mission for gear is the most efficient means of advancement, there will be less of a reason to explore and experience the world. Obviously, we would like players to see as much of the game as possible. It’s important to design to ensure all of our content has a niche.
So, we have no real choice but to make a change.
Unfortunately it will be a big change. All of the "raid" gear will be getting nerfed. I'll let one of the items guys explain in more detail. All I can tell you is that the gear will be very good group gear. It will not be raid-equivalent gear. This will be a change to the existing gear, so the items you already have will change.
Also, we'll be tweaking (lowering) the by-back prices on the items, and we'll be changing the raids to require at least 12 characters in the zone. The chests in the raids will not open unless you have 12 people in the zone. That means that 12 people will be getting the lockouts when they get their loot.
There really isn't a way that I can apologize enough for this. We obviously didn't do our homework on this one, and I'm sorry about that. But we just can't leave things as they are or the health of the game will suffer greatly.
We expect the changes to be in place for our next update in October. If you'd like to check out the changes to the gear, it should be on the Test server in a few days.
Alan "Absor" VanCouvering
Assistant Lead Designer - EverQuest
Ouch, well have to say that is a bummer. Hope no one is attached to there nice new niffty ancient item. _________________ 85 Ranger|85 Shaman
Plus 85 Cleric
Joined: Dec 13, 2006 Posts: 131 Location: El Cajon, CA
Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 10:32 am Post subject:
Someday, wouldn't it be nice for SoE to actually think ahead instead of having to backtrack once again. it just boggles the mind that EQ may actually last for a few more years with these morons in charge. Can't say that it makes me very likely to buy the upcoming expansion and I have yet to not buy one in nine years.
Joined: Apr 01, 2005 Posts: 1202 Location: West Virginia
Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 10:42 am Post subject:
I feel bad for the people that thought this was going to actually stay live and equiped the armor as upgrades, moved their augs, destoryed their purity augs/symbols and then destroyed the old armor. Yea, that is gonna SUCK big ones if their "new upgrade" actually turns out to be a downgrade. Thank goodness I was not lvl 85 or that could have easily happened to me. _________________ 85 Ranger|85 Shaman
Plus 85 Cleric
For all those that have made major changes in their gear... After the next patch n' nerf, if you are unhappy, simply file a /petition to have your original gear/augs reinstated. Typically, I use a drop down menu to state that gear was inadvertantly deleted. The CSR's will check your inventory history to verify that you did indeed once own the piece then return it to you in a day or so. _________________
Joined: Apr 01, 2005 Posts: 1202 Location: West Virginia
Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 12:37 pm Post subject:
Vahlaura wrote:
For all those that have made major changes in their gear... After the next patch n' nerf, if you are unhappy, simply file a /petition to have your original gear/augs reinstated. Typically, I use a drop down menu to state that gear was inadvertantly deleted. The CSR's will check your inventory history to verify that you did indeed once own the piece then return it to you in a day or so.
That is nice, lets hope so seeing as the thread was 68 pages long last time I checked it with lots of freak out whiners all over it. _________________ 85 Ranger|85 Shaman
Plus 85 Cleric
Honestly anybody who didnt see this coming and deleted their gear is just silly. No risk mm's dropping gear equal to earth theme raids is just off the wall.
Joined: Apr 01, 2005 Posts: 1202 Location: West Virginia
Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 5:13 am Post subject:
Suegar wrote:
Honestly anybody who didnt see this coming and deleted their gear is just silly. No risk mm's dropping gear equal to earth theme raids is just off the wall.
No sillier than the people one grouping rallos returns to farm that loot. I would have thought that would have been "fixed" more so than this.
Oh yea, forgot, MM benefit everyone the Rallos raid really only benefits raiding type people, once again they are focusing on the few over the many.
Go Go gadget SoE>
zacatac wrote:
I imagine the quality of the loot will still be sufficient to be an upgrade for most people, just not quite as high as it was.
Would love to replace my gnollish chain armor that I am still wearing for the dragonscale and the mithril legs, big upgrade even after the nerf bat swings through for me I bet. _________________ 85 Ranger|85 Shaman
Plus 85 Cleric
Oh yea, forgot, MM benefit everyone the Rallos raid really only benefits raiding type people, once again they are focusing on the few over the many.
Actually it sounds like they are focusing on what effects the many rather than the few. Summed up, the reason given for the change is this:
Quote:
The gear is better than most items we plan to give to groupers at the top end of Underfoot. With some of those items it's possible that a group player may never see an item that good again in standard content.
Personally, I'm all for this nerf, and while I may have pretty extreme playing hours (which will be cut back since I start my new job on monday ), I'm far from a hard core raider. _________________
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum