Post by Delfestra Ruinvorn on May 18, 2006 17:32:52 GMT
I've had some thoughts recently on uber-ness and the continued rise in power of the server.
I'm worried. I'm worried that things are getting too powerful, and too immune.
One of the things I dislike is walking around in super-immunity suits, uneffected by everything and able to crush things with out fear - which makes the need for tougher monsters that with scripted attacks that work around super immunity suits, in addition to hitting hard enough to make a 10% vulnerability feel the bite - which means instant death for people WITHOUT super immunity suits, and forces people to all get super-immunity gear to even have a chance at survival.
There is a point where too much is too much. I like the scaling and balanc when you could ONLY have 100% immunity to three things at once - One being negative energy by potion or spell, which could be dispelled, wear off, or dropped when you died. The other two being dachy immunity rings - which you could only wear one of most of the time underwater, and took a long time to get.
It made you choose, and made immunity special, and since we managed to fight lightning snakes WITHOUT 100% immunity - my first 10 ssithrak raids were without lightning immunity or ice immunity. It was hard, but doable.
Now, you can have 100% immunity to four, possibly five, elemental damages at the same time...and full negative energy immunity...and immunity to certain scripted effects...and 100% bludgeoning immunity, and maybe what, 75%-80% physical immunity? ALL at the same time?
Meaning monsters get rougher to make people wearing the best gear still feel the bite - which means people without it die instantly and must get the best to compete, which means the next monsters must be worse, so the next gear has to be better, which means the next monsters have to be even worse, and so the next gear has to be even better...and the spiral goes onwards.
Now, with the possibility of level 60 equipment, things will move that way I think - because just making equipment, there are only so many things you can toss into it.
Now, with the % exotic immunity, it shows how the previously left holes in the defenses are beginning to close - IMO there should always be holes in defenses. Too much immunity gets boring and absurd, and makes people who don't have the same immunity completely useless.
I'm worried that we've passed the point of good scaling and our defenses are becoming too strong.
Now, thats different from offense because as we increase offensively, that just means we pack more punch. Like casters - level 55 bracer from illithids is mostly spells and AC - I may be harder to hit, but once hit I die just as fast as before. I can just do more with before I have to rest.
For %immunity, thats not true - since it stacks, and it is defensive. Someone with better immunity lives longer, and can ignore more outright.
I think we're reaching a point where GEAR means more than TEAMWORK and player skill. When we don't have to work together because we count on our gear to keep us alive...something I think is moving away from what is best about HG, into what is bad.
I personally had more fun walking carefully, scared, through Ssithrak with no immunity rings and good teamwork than I have realizing that I can probably solo there with only the need to rest slowing me down.
Stupidity and sloppy teamwork should hurt - and immunity allows it not to hurt. And since we're going in the direction of more immunity, more defensive power, bigger items that do more things, more loot with less story, more greed over URs and less explorable areas...I worry.
I think we need more areas, not more equipment, and not more powerful stuff. There has to be a top for power, and continually making that top higher doesn't necessarily help - cause once you get there, you're actually more limited in what you can do for fun.
I mean, when was the last time you went as a level 60 to the blood moor? Strange tower? Arctic? The need for exploration is gone, and you know you're just too buff for those zones, and there's nothing there for you. Thats because power outstrips areas. More areas with less power gain might be better.
Anyway, thats just a few thoughts I've had recently. And a worry.
I'm worried. I'm worried that things are getting too powerful, and too immune.
One of the things I dislike is walking around in super-immunity suits, uneffected by everything and able to crush things with out fear - which makes the need for tougher monsters that with scripted attacks that work around super immunity suits, in addition to hitting hard enough to make a 10% vulnerability feel the bite - which means instant death for people WITHOUT super immunity suits, and forces people to all get super-immunity gear to even have a chance at survival.
There is a point where too much is too much. I like the scaling and balanc when you could ONLY have 100% immunity to three things at once - One being negative energy by potion or spell, which could be dispelled, wear off, or dropped when you died. The other two being dachy immunity rings - which you could only wear one of most of the time underwater, and took a long time to get.
It made you choose, and made immunity special, and since we managed to fight lightning snakes WITHOUT 100% immunity - my first 10 ssithrak raids were without lightning immunity or ice immunity. It was hard, but doable.
Now, you can have 100% immunity to four, possibly five, elemental damages at the same time...and full negative energy immunity...and immunity to certain scripted effects...and 100% bludgeoning immunity, and maybe what, 75%-80% physical immunity? ALL at the same time?
Meaning monsters get rougher to make people wearing the best gear still feel the bite - which means people without it die instantly and must get the best to compete, which means the next monsters must be worse, so the next gear has to be better, which means the next monsters have to be even worse, and so the next gear has to be even better...and the spiral goes onwards.
Now, with the possibility of level 60 equipment, things will move that way I think - because just making equipment, there are only so many things you can toss into it.
Now, with the % exotic immunity, it shows how the previously left holes in the defenses are beginning to close - IMO there should always be holes in defenses. Too much immunity gets boring and absurd, and makes people who don't have the same immunity completely useless.
I'm worried that we've passed the point of good scaling and our defenses are becoming too strong.
Now, thats different from offense because as we increase offensively, that just means we pack more punch. Like casters - level 55 bracer from illithids is mostly spells and AC - I may be harder to hit, but once hit I die just as fast as before. I can just do more with before I have to rest.
For %immunity, thats not true - since it stacks, and it is defensive. Someone with better immunity lives longer, and can ignore more outright.
I think we're reaching a point where GEAR means more than TEAMWORK and player skill. When we don't have to work together because we count on our gear to keep us alive...something I think is moving away from what is best about HG, into what is bad.
I personally had more fun walking carefully, scared, through Ssithrak with no immunity rings and good teamwork than I have realizing that I can probably solo there with only the need to rest slowing me down.
Stupidity and sloppy teamwork should hurt - and immunity allows it not to hurt. And since we're going in the direction of more immunity, more defensive power, bigger items that do more things, more loot with less story, more greed over URs and less explorable areas...I worry.
I think we need more areas, not more equipment, and not more powerful stuff. There has to be a top for power, and continually making that top higher doesn't necessarily help - cause once you get there, you're actually more limited in what you can do for fun.
I mean, when was the last time you went as a level 60 to the blood moor? Strange tower? Arctic? The need for exploration is gone, and you know you're just too buff for those zones, and there's nothing there for you. Thats because power outstrips areas. More areas with less power gain might be better.
Anyway, thats just a few thoughts I've had recently. And a worry.