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Balance - Gear vs Skill Suggestion
ArchivedUser
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I created a new topic to voice my thoughts because the forum glitch deleted the original and will not let me re-post it where it belongs. This started as a response to people arguing in another thread about whether the game should be gear grind or skill based - in relation to pvp.
I don't like this word: Balance. Not in the MMO genre. A mage should kill a warrior. A warrior should kill a rogue. A rogue should kill a mage. Insofar as these classes should not easily be able to defeat their antithesis there must be balance, but if they're facing off with equal access to their best class traits and comparable gear you should expect the outcomes I've listed. But a young untrained warrior with a rusty sword and battered leather armor is not going to beat the experienced Duke of Marburg, who was raised with access to the best training and education, with financial resources capable of buying the finest work of the finest blacksmith in all the land. Fairness and balance went out the window once we evolved into primates and learned to use tools, but even then genetics played a part in who survived and who did not.
I guess before you get really angry and rage at me I should disclaim that I'm married with children and a full time job. I'm never going to be the guy who has all the best gear. I do not make these arguments so sometime down the line I'll be that guy you can't kill because I have all the gear you wish you had. I'll be the guy cussing at the avatar of a college student who is probably getting all Ds because he'd rather play AoC than do his homework or go to class. College boy will be the one who decides that, instead of planning for the future and doing good in school, he'd rather grind resources for crafting consumables 4 hours a day so he can raid 4 hours a night, then he can pvp against you and me and rip us a new one. And I'll admire his gear. I hope there's an inspect feature so I can drool over his acquisitions.
Just because I can't be that guy at this stage of my life doesn't mean nobody should. But I sure would like to have the option to try. In many games the hardest of the hardcore players hit a wall early in each release of new content. For most that's not the case. Sometimes you can't even complete all the content before new content makes some of the old content obsolete. I think that's the way it should be. But that's not really possible if a game is based on skill and vertical gear progression is not an objective.
The game is a business venture with the intent of profit. And in order for that to happen and a lasting world to exist that we can all enjoy for a decade or more we'll need some options. I'd much rather Intrepid Studios develop some really good competitive scenarios where skill reigns over gear. Like a martial arts tournament, everyone is wearing cloth and may the best gender undefined person win. That would be a good atmosphere the devs could use to evaluate balance among the classes pre-gear grind. They could have ladder competitions with occasional resets and special rewards for competing and better rewards for winning.
If you want a lore reason to make these things possible the devs could create a node or nodes in which enchantment magic is null and anyone who enters the borders has all magical enchantments removed from their gear. Bam! Gear no longer defines anything.
They could add some interesting bonuses to entice players to venture into that area, and stay there. Maybe it's even prettier with better housing options, there's a unique material in high demand for the null magic property, which could help in high magic battles in the non-null world. Maybe include an increase in the coin acquired by killing NPCs (because there are more gold and silver mines there than anywhere else, obviously). And because people like to quantify, add a ranking system so we all know who is the best. And here there is no corruption, if you enter you're fair game.
This is a partially developed game. Right now ideas are more valuable than critiques of other failed games. Let's try and provide suggestions the devs may use to create a world where people who like different aspects of the MMORPG genre can gather and flourish each in their own way instead of limiting the development to exclude a group.
I don't like this word: Balance. Not in the MMO genre. A mage should kill a warrior. A warrior should kill a rogue. A rogue should kill a mage. Insofar as these classes should not easily be able to defeat their antithesis there must be balance, but if they're facing off with equal access to their best class traits and comparable gear you should expect the outcomes I've listed. But a young untrained warrior with a rusty sword and battered leather armor is not going to beat the experienced Duke of Marburg, who was raised with access to the best training and education, with financial resources capable of buying the finest work of the finest blacksmith in all the land. Fairness and balance went out the window once we evolved into primates and learned to use tools, but even then genetics played a part in who survived and who did not.
I guess before you get really angry and rage at me I should disclaim that I'm married with children and a full time job. I'm never going to be the guy who has all the best gear. I do not make these arguments so sometime down the line I'll be that guy you can't kill because I have all the gear you wish you had. I'll be the guy cussing at the avatar of a college student who is probably getting all Ds because he'd rather play AoC than do his homework or go to class. College boy will be the one who decides that, instead of planning for the future and doing good in school, he'd rather grind resources for crafting consumables 4 hours a day so he can raid 4 hours a night, then he can pvp against you and me and rip us a new one. And I'll admire his gear. I hope there's an inspect feature so I can drool over his acquisitions.
Just because I can't be that guy at this stage of my life doesn't mean nobody should. But I sure would like to have the option to try. In many games the hardest of the hardcore players hit a wall early in each release of new content. For most that's not the case. Sometimes you can't even complete all the content before new content makes some of the old content obsolete. I think that's the way it should be. But that's not really possible if a game is based on skill and vertical gear progression is not an objective.
The game is a business venture with the intent of profit. And in order for that to happen and a lasting world to exist that we can all enjoy for a decade or more we'll need some options. I'd much rather Intrepid Studios develop some really good competitive scenarios where skill reigns over gear. Like a martial arts tournament, everyone is wearing cloth and may the best gender undefined person win. That would be a good atmosphere the devs could use to evaluate balance among the classes pre-gear grind. They could have ladder competitions with occasional resets and special rewards for competing and better rewards for winning.
If you want a lore reason to make these things possible the devs could create a node or nodes in which enchantment magic is null and anyone who enters the borders has all magical enchantments removed from their gear. Bam! Gear no longer defines anything.
They could add some interesting bonuses to entice players to venture into that area, and stay there. Maybe it's even prettier with better housing options, there's a unique material in high demand for the null magic property, which could help in high magic battles in the non-null world. Maybe include an increase in the coin acquired by killing NPCs (because there are more gold and silver mines there than anywhere else, obviously). And because people like to quantify, add a ranking system so we all know who is the best. And here there is no corruption, if you enter you're fair game.
This is a partially developed game. Right now ideas are more valuable than critiques of other failed games. Let's try and provide suggestions the devs may use to create a world where people who like different aspects of the MMORPG genre can gather and flourish each in their own way instead of limiting the development to exclude a group.
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I know what Steven has said about their plans in the past, but I'm hopeful the devs will read my suggestions and find something useful. I'm particularly enthusiastic about my null enchantment node idea to appease the hardcore skill pvpers. I feel like giving them an area that meets the skill only criteria they long for might be able to give the devs additional flexibility with vertical gear progression for the pve focused players. It's not my project to direct, but I will admit that I'd like the game to have enough gear progression that an epically geared max level character would be evenly matched with say 4 fresh max level characters who have not yet filled all slots with max level magic gear.
I miss the days in EQ when an epic bard could kite outdoor boss mobs, insane monks could solo Nagafen (but couldn't carry more than a pair of sandals), and druids could kite 4 mobs that could 2 shot non-tanks, and one shot the druid. For players to be able to perform such amazing feats against boss NPCs they have amazing gear and skill.