Re: Critical and Block Rating Decay in Mirage, Why?
AmberRavenSong7 on Dec 25, 2016 wrote:
Judgemental players like you are ruining the game. I have had it with being labeled "hardcore" or the even more condescending "try hard" because I am willing to put effort into strategy and friend making. My pets and gear have all come about because I made friends in Team Up or in questing in crowded realms. Teaming up with strangers for Darkmoor,crazy idea, I know. Yet, players like me do it all the time.Players that insist on questing only alone or only with a few select friends in quiet realms, then find the game hard, then tell me I am stuck up for succeeding. smh. No, I am willing to make friends and take a risk on strangers. Teamwork is Key in Darkmoor and above. Sometimes, team finding goes horribly and you waste some time, but that is part of the game. Really. I have just about had it. I already ended my membership, and I doubt the self described "casual" players will be taking up the slack and helping the newer players like my friends and I do. There are a few truly hardcore posters here, that loudly want the dumbed down spiral all to their elitist, game soloing, selves. They are the ones who will be mad if a stranger joins their battle. They will never lower themselves to ask a stranger for a hatch. You will never see them in Ambrose or in team up, but you will hear them whine about how its tooooo hard until the end of the spiral. Stick whatever labels you want on me, I speak the truth. Amber
You've pretty much called yourself out by assuming my post(s) are about you. I am not being judgemental. I was pointing out facts. There is a difference between the types of players on how they post. Intelligent vs snarky. Helpful vs condescending. Viable solutions vs suck it up.
I talk with and see a lot of 'average' players in the game. I have a full friend list. I have several perfect stat (with a variety of talents) pets for each of my 12 wizards. I've tried team-up with Darkmoor and it stinks every.single.time. My Ice is L120 and has finished Mirage. Did I die at all or found it too difficult (for me)? NO. But that's MY character.
As I went through Mirage, I took a hard look at what the 'AVERAGE' player would need to wear, or what type of pet they would need, or how they would need to play to be able to SURVIVE to the end. This is what I post about. This is what I SEE all around me.
It's time for the average casual player to finally speak up, and they are. What is typical in games and on the boards is the elitist attitudes that hardcore(s) bring. They believe the game should be catered to them, not the general population. I see it as being extremely selfish. They are not willing to see the forest through the trees, or take the blinders off and look around at how other players are doing. I see it, you don't.
Re: Critical and Block Rating Decay in Mirage, Why?
AmberRavenSong7 on Dec 25, 2016 wrote:
Judgemental players like you are ruining the game. I have had it with being labeled "hardcore" or the even more condescending "try hard" because I am willing to put effort into strategy and friend making. My pets and gear have all come about because I made friends in Team Up or in questing in crowded realms. Teaming up with strangers for Darkmoor,crazy idea, I know. Yet, players like me do it all the time.Players that insist on questing only alone or only with a few select friends in quiet realms, then find the game hard, then tell me I am stuck up for succeeding. smh. No, I am willing to make friends and take a risk on strangers. Teamwork is Key in Darkmoor and above. Sometimes, team finding goes horribly and you waste some time, but that is part of the game. Really. I have just about had it. I already ended my membership, and I doubt the self described "casual" players will be taking up the slack and helping the newer players like my friends and I do. There are a few truly hardcore posters here, that loudly want the dumbed down spiral all to their elitist, game soloing, selves. They are the ones who will be mad if a stranger joins their battle. They will never lower themselves to ask a stranger for a hatch. You will never see them in Ambrose or in team up, but you will hear them whine about how its tooooo hard until the end of the spiral. Stick whatever labels you want on me, I speak the truth. Amber
no, attitudes like yours are ruining the game.
brynnerofreign is a good friend of mine, both in and out of game. we have quested together for years, and i have seen for myself just how much effort she puts into things. the fact that you've chosen to interpret her words as condescending says more about you than it does about her.
"Players that insist on questing only alone or only with a few select friends in quiet realms, then find the game hard, then tell me I am stuck up for succeeding."
uh, have you never heard of these things called time zones? we all live in them, i think.
i have a full buddy list. so full, in fact, that i have to delete people just to make room for more. but if no one is on, well, i suppose i should just cancel my memberships and "stick to the lower levels", right?
(also no, you aren't stuck-up for "succeeding". i'm sure i don't have to quote specifics, but you passed more judgment than anyone on this board and then played the victim card whenever someone called you on it.)
"Sometimes, team finding goes horribly and you waste some time, but that is part of the game."
yes, but some of us don't have time to waste. if i lose 2 hours failing at team up, that's 2 hours i could have put to much better use elsewhere. "I already ended my membership, and I doubt the self described "casual" players will be taking up the slack and helping the newer players like my friends and I do."
given that my friends and i have been around longer, i can attest that we have helped many who needed it and will continue to do so, long after you leave.
i won't even dignify the last few lines of your post with a response, since all of those statements are untrue. believe what you like, but your thinly veiled insults are more of a reflection on you than on any of us.
Re: Critical and Block Rating Decay in Mirage, Why?
BrynnerOfReign on Dec 28, 2016 wrote:
You've pretty much called yourself out by assuming my post(s) are about you. I am not being judgemental. I was pointing out facts. There is a difference between the types of players on how they post. Intelligent vs snarky. Helpful vs condescending. Viable solutions vs suck it up.
I talk with and see a lot of 'average' players in the game. I have a full friend list. I have several perfect stat (with a variety of talents) pets for each of my 12 wizards. I've tried team-up with Darkmoor and it stinks every.single.time. My Ice is L120 and has finished Mirage. Did I die at all or found it too difficult (for me)? NO. But that's MY character.
As I went through Mirage, I took a hard look at what the 'AVERAGE' player would need to wear, or what type of pet they would need, or how they would need to play to be able to SURVIVE to the end. This is what I post about. This is what I SEE all around me.
It's time for the average casual player to finally speak up, and they are. What is typical in games and on the boards is the elitist attitudes that hardcore(s) bring. They believe the game should be catered to them, not the general population. I see it as being extremely selfish. They are not willing to see the forest through the trees, or take the blinders off and look around at how other players are doing. I see it, you don't.
Elitist attitudes come from both ends of the spectrum not only hardcore players. There was a lot of Elitism from Casual players on a DM thread I remember participating in which many Casual players were shouting down hardcore players who were disappointed that one of the very few areas designed to appeal to them was nerfed.
Apparently, there is a view by some of these Casuals that simply because the game is marketed as Family Friendly it should not include ANY content to appeal to those who seek a greater challenge. This game appeals to many different types of players and all players deserve content that appeals to their tastes. I will vigorously defend Casual players right to an easy questline but I will similarly defend the right of hardcores to have side content that appeals to their tastes as well.
Re: Critical and Block Rating Decay in Mirage, Why?
I am actually perfectly fine with this critical and block decay, it hasn't caused much problems for me so far. This stops the op from getting more op. This is a challenge that I enjoy and it doesn't allow you to complete the game in five seconds. All it feels like to me is the way I felt when critical was introduced in Celestia.
Re: Critical and Block Rating Decay in Mirage, Why?
Eric Stormbringer on Dec 29, 2016 wrote:
Elitist attitudes come from both ends of the spectrum not only hardcore players. There was a lot of Elitism from Casual players on a DM thread I remember participating in which many Casual players were shouting down hardcore players who were disappointed that one of the very few areas designed to appeal to them was nerfed.
Apparently, there is a view by some of these Casuals that simply because the game is marketed as Family Friendly it should not include ANY content to appeal to those who seek a greater challenge. This game appeals to many different types of players and all players deserve content that appeals to their tastes. I will vigorously defend Casual players right to an easy questline but I will similarly defend the right of hardcores to have side content that appeals to their tastes as well.
I also agree that all players deserve content that appeals to their taste. I am a firm believer in soloable main content and awesomely hard side content. I have played WoW to level 100 (I stopped playing due to expense) and soloed all the story line content. Of course for the optional raids and harder side dungeons I needed a team, but if I wanted I could just stick to story line and never deal with those dungeons. I wish W101 worked that way.
The only problem is that the gear is held hostage in dungeons like DM, which is a problem for casual players since there is no other way to get gear. There hasn't been crafting since KR. I feel that needs to be addressed by KI.
I think that the reason a lot of casuals say the hardcore are elitist is that many of them (not all), just tell them to suck it up if they don't like it. When casual players talk about options like the one above it isn't good enough for them. They seem to want everything really difficult. Many of them are not willing to compromise at all for the good of all players and the game.
When DM came out the casuals were told its optional, we don't HAVE to do it etc. But since that's the only way to get decent gear now since there is no crafting, it isn't so optional anymore. Imo, that's a KI problem, not a hardcore problem. They should never have made a hardcore dungeon a place to hold gear hostage without other options (crafting for example). I feel this stuff just divides players more.
Bottom line is I feel that KI needs to give more options to players of both sides of the spectrum. I think your idea of easy main content and hard dungeons (like what a lot of successful MMOs do) is a great option.
Re: Critical and Block Rating Decay in Mirage, Why?
Eric Stormbringer on Dec 29, 2016 wrote:
Elitist attitudes come from both ends of the spectrum not only hardcore players. There was a lot of Elitism from Casual players on a DM thread I remember participating in which many Casual players were shouting down hardcore players who were disappointed that one of the very few areas designed to appeal to them was nerfed.
Apparently, there is a view by some of these Casuals that simply because the game is marketed as Family Friendly it should not include ANY content to appeal to those who seek a greater challenge. This game appeals to many different types of players and all players deserve content that appeals to their tastes. I will vigorously defend Casual players right to an easy questline but I will similarly defend the right of hardcores to have side content that appeals to their tastes as well.
I did not mean to include all hardcore players under the elitist category. I should have rechecked my post in regards to that.
In regards to DM, there was a lot of stuff on both sides. I think for the casual player, the best gear was in DM (without any real options outside of it), plus the DM spells. Even though DM was tagged as 'optional', I and several of my friends KNEW it wasn't going to end up being 'optional' for long. The options for gear outside of DM has dried up. DM gear has become a necessity for many players. Heck, I would love to have some DM gear to boost some of my horribly lacking stats (power pips, crit, block, accuracy, resist, health, pierce).
The main storyline should be easy to get through - with side content that is/can be much harder. Most, if not all of the casuals I talk to want this. They don't want the whole game 'nerfed'. They have a right to complete content in a reasonably easy manner and have a choice on whether to do much harder side quests.
BUT, KI leaves things extremely unbalanced, and now we have severe degradation of crit and block. We are much weaker wizards than we have ever been going in and coming out of a world. No crafting options and not even decent basic gear drops add to the frustration of the game.
Re: Critical and Block Rating Decay in Mirage, Why?
AmberRavenSong7 on Dec 25, 2016 wrote:
Judgemental players like you are ruining the game. I have had it with being labeled "hardcore" or the even more condescending "try hard" because I am willing to put effort into strategy and friend making. My pets and gear have all come about because I made friends in Team Up or in questing in crowded realms. Teaming up with strangers for Darkmoor,crazy idea, I know. Yet, players like me do it all the time.Players that insist on questing only alone or only with a few select friends in quiet realms, then find the game hard, then tell me I am stuck up for succeeding. smh. No, I am willing to make friends and take a risk on strangers. Teamwork is Key in Darkmoor and above. Sometimes, team finding goes horribly and you waste some time, but that is part of the game. Really. I have just about had it. I already ended my membership, and I doubt the self described "casual" players will be taking up the slack and helping the newer players like my friends and I do. There are a few truly hardcore posters here, that loudly want the dumbed down spiral all to their elitist, game soloing, selves. They are the ones who will be mad if a stranger joins their battle. They will never lower themselves to ask a stranger for a hatch. You will never see them in Ambrose or in team up, but you will hear them whine about how its tooooo hard until the end of the spiral. Stick whatever labels you want on me, I speak the truth. Amber
Huh. I'm a casual player, and I help out lower levels all the time. And the "dumbed down spiral?" What, pray tell, is that? Where is this "dumbed down" spiral of which you speak?
Fun fact: When you generalize the way you did in your post, you kind of negate your own defense. You're snide, mean, insulting, and condescending (again).
And finally, ending your extremely hostile post with a little heart is really passive aggressive.
Re: Critical and Block Rating Decay in Mirage, Why?
BrynnerOfReign on Dec 28, 2016 wrote:
You've pretty much called yourself out by assuming my post(s) are about you. I am not being judgemental. I was pointing out facts. There is a difference between the types of players on how they post. Intelligent vs snarky. Helpful vs condescending. Viable solutions vs suck it up.
I talk with and see a lot of 'average' players in the game. I have a full friend list. I have several perfect stat (with a variety of talents) pets for each of my 12 wizards. I've tried team-up with Darkmoor and it stinks every.single.time. My Ice is L120 and has finished Mirage. Did I die at all or found it too difficult (for me)? NO. But that's MY character.
As I went through Mirage, I took a hard look at what the 'AVERAGE' player would need to wear, or what type of pet they would need, or how they would need to play to be able to SURVIVE to the end. This is what I post about. This is what I SEE all around me.
It's time for the average casual player to finally speak up, and they are. What is typical in games and on the boards is the elitist attitudes that hardcore(s) bring. They believe the game should be catered to them, not the general population. I see it as being extremely selfish. They are not willing to see the forest through the trees, or take the blinders off and look around at how other players are doing. I see it, you don't.
Brynner,
Tell me more about your pets, please, as I am desperately searching for a double damage, double resist ice pet.
And great response, BTW. Quick question: I'm intelligent, helpful, AND snarky; is that okay? :D
Re: Critical and Block Rating Decay in Mirage, Why?
Dr Von on Dec 29, 2016 wrote:
no, attitudes like yours are ruining the game.
brynnerofreign is a good friend of mine, both in and out of game. we have quested together for years, and i have seen for myself just how much effort she puts into things. the fact that you've chosen to interpret her words as condescending says more about you than it does about her.
"Players that insist on questing only alone or only with a few select friends in quiet realms, then find the game hard, then tell me I am stuck up for succeeding."
uh, have you never heard of these things called time zones? we all live in them, i think.
i have a full buddy list. so full, in fact, that i have to delete people just to make room for more. but if no one is on, well, i suppose i should just cancel my memberships and "stick to the lower levels", right?
(also no, you aren't stuck-up for "succeeding". i'm sure i don't have to quote specifics, but you passed more judgment than anyone on this board and then played the victim card whenever someone called you on it.)
"Sometimes, team finding goes horribly and you waste some time, but that is part of the game."
yes, but some of us don't have time to waste. if i lose 2 hours failing at team up, that's 2 hours i could have put to much better use elsewhere. "I already ended my membership, and I doubt the self described "casual" players will be taking up the slack and helping the newer players like my friends and I do."
given that my friends and i have been around longer, i can attest that we have helped many who needed it and will continue to do so, long after you leave.
i won't even dignify the last few lines of your post with a response, since all of those statements are untrue. believe what you like, but your thinly veiled insults are more of a reflection on you than on any of us.
-von
This this this. As usual, Von, right on the money.
I wish I could find you in game-I would love to quest with you, chat with you, share decorating tips with you, and get all snarky with our bad selves.
Re: Critical and Block Rating Decay in Mirage, Why?
I have been playing quite awhile now, back in the day I was probably considered a casual player (not lazy, just played here and there after work when I could). I did not know much about gear, etc. etc. I did manage to make it through pre nerf avalon and azteca however, without any pet talents, because they were not a thing really and I never could even get sprite lol. It was not easy, but as a casual player it was no big deal, because eventually it would work out.
Anyway, I guess my point is they nerf everything eventually (even the dark fairies in wizard city!). To me casual means you do not play a lot, it really has nothing to do with gear, pets, etc. In which case, there is really no hurry and I am sure stuff will be nerfed before truly casual players get to mirage.
Now if you want to talk average players, that may be a different story. But lets admit that KI nerfed Darkmoor at least twice, maybe three times I am not sure so that the "average" player could get top end gear. If you do not have it I am going to call you lazy, sorry. This is an MMO, regardless of your time zone there are people around, since people play from all different countries, try going outside your comfort zone and making some friends, the game really will be much more enjoyable.
Having said all that, yes there should be some gear in Mirage worth getting, however the average player has already stated they do not want to farm gear, so not sure how that would help.
Re: Critical and Block Rating Decay in Mirage, Why?
Jasmine3429 on Dec 30, 2016 wrote:
I have been playing quite awhile now, back in the day I was probably considered a casual player (not lazy, just played here and there after work when I could). I did not know much about gear, etc. etc. I did manage to make it through pre nerf avalon and azteca however, without any pet talents, because they were not a thing really and I never could even get sprite lol. It was not easy, but as a casual player it was no big deal, because eventually it would work out.
Anyway, I guess my point is they nerf everything eventually (even the dark fairies in wizard city!). To me casual means you do not play a lot, it really has nothing to do with gear, pets, etc. In which case, there is really no hurry and I am sure stuff will be nerfed before truly casual players get to mirage.
Now if you want to talk average players, that may be a different story. But lets admit that KI nerfed Darkmoor at least twice, maybe three times I am not sure so that the "average" player could get top end gear. If you do not have it I am going to call you lazy, sorry. This is an MMO, regardless of your time zone there are people around, since people play from all different countries, try going outside your comfort zone and making some friends, the game really will be much more enjoyable.
Having said all that, yes there should be some gear in Mirage worth getting, however the average player has already stated they do not want to farm gear, so not sure how that would help.
Casual players and even hardcore players use the team up option for Darkmoor. This comes from lots of experiences using the team up button, it will still take a few hours. I don't think it's right to call someone lazy for not wanting to farm Darkmoor gear, being on this game for some people a few hours straight is just too much. Also, adding gear to Mirage would be nice because it would still give the players to get the gear while questing through the world.
Re: Critical and Block Rating Decay in Mirage, Why?
frostednutella on Jan 1, 2017 wrote:
Casual players and even hardcore players use the team up option for Darkmoor. This comes from lots of experiences using the team up button, it will still take a few hours. I don't think it's right to call someone lazy for not wanting to farm Darkmoor gear, being on this game for some people a few hours straight is just too much. Also, adding gear to Mirage would be nice because it would still give the players to get the gear while questing through the world.
I agree. I don't understand why KI can't have different tiers of gear, with different options for getting them, according to how great the gear is. One game I play is rated M and actually gives you gear more than suitable to get thru their story line content. The gear is good enough to actually solo that content. After that, there is gear in endgame dungeons. The gear quality is determined by the difficulty and level of the dungeon, but even the low tier of dungeon gear makes it very easy to solo story line. They also have crafted gear for those who prefer to do that. This game keeps both the average player and the hardcore player engaged. There is so much difficult endgame content that those who want a big challenge are kept interested, while story line is easy enough for average and busy players to solo if they want or need to. There are also elixirs that will take you within 5 levels of max for those who find the questing too easy or boring.
I don't understand why Mirage has no decent gear drops and no crafting. Every other game I play has options and they are not even family games. They are rated T and M.
I bet most of the people who tell someone to farm like a hamster on a wheel, or dare to call us lazy, belong to a guild, or have lots of friends and time. I know there are no official guilds on this game, but I know people form impromptu ones anyway. Not all, but many, have very elitist attitudes and requirements. I challenge those people to use team up every time they want to farm difficult instances. No friends, just people they don't know. They cannot flee if they don't like what gear the other players are wearing. Also they can only play, at max, 2 hours at a time. They have to slog it out just like most average players, without connections, would have to do. Only when they HONESTLY do that can they even begin to judge us. As much as they farm I'm sure that would drive them crazy. They need to walk a mile in the average player's shoes.
Re: Critical and Block Rating Decay in Mirage, Why?
"Players that insist on questing only alone or only with a few select friends in quiet realms, then find the game hard, then tell me I am stuck up for succeeding."
Okay, I need to respond to this.
It's not your success that's the problem, it's your attitude.
Yes, I'm one of those players who "insists on soloing or playing with a single friend." You know why? It's a CHALLENGE.
Yes, that's right.
I like the challenge of doing it by myself, of having to experiment with various strategies that will get one or two wizards through a dungeon when the strategy guides almost universally suggest teams of three and four. Getting by with one or two feels like a major accomplishment. Look at it this way: I could just as easily sneer that you've taken "the easy route" by teaming up. Right? I could disrespect your choice to work in a larger team and put you down for that. But please note that I'm not saying that - I'm simply asking that you consider the various ways that players challenge themselves before you start putting playing styles down.
Re: Critical and Block Rating Decay in Mirage, Why?
On a different note....
I've managed to solo or duo every single fight in this game up until the Rat and the end of Darkmoor, and I will join with the others on this thread who've noted that a serious lack of dropped and crafted gear is contributing to our problems. Used to be we could upgrade our gear every 5 levels or so, but my poor 112 Balance wizard is stuck with crafted 86 gear because, other than Darkmoor, there have been no decent, well-rounded 2nd tier gear alternatives since Azteca!
(The Crowns gear at level 95 is OK, but only if you're willing to sacrifice defense. The Crowns gear after that costs too much in terms of degraded pips, accuracy, damage and defense. And the post-100 dropped gear is equivalent in stats to stuff we were getting in Zafaria!)
Alia's critical stats are degrading rapidly as she advances. The critical decay is a huge problem when she has no gear to compensate for it.
I don't want Darkmoor or the Rat nerfed for my benefit - but I do want actual 2nd tier gear options. The Polaris drops were frankly dismal and from what I've seen of Mirage gear so far, it's also pretty much pet chow. Crafted gear has been non-existent since level 95. Dismal gear options persisting for 25 levels is a serious flaw in game design.
Re: Critical and Block Rating Decay in Mirage, Why?
"Now if you want to talk average players, that may be a different story. But lets admit that KI nerfed Darkmoor at least twice, maybe three times I am not sure so that the "average" player could get top end gear. If you do not have it I am going to call you lazy, sorry. This is an MMO, regardless of your time zone there are people around, since people play from all different countries, try going outside your comfort zone and making some friends, the game really will be much more enjoyable."
Not everyone has the copious amounts of time to farm as you apparently do. Team-up doesn't work most of the time. Friends are not online. Time zone constraints. Farming is a boring, tedious, monotonous, a slogfest, time-consuming, and a waste of time. Why? Because the RNG is so incredibly bad, it's not worth the effort. Darkmoor is allegedly optional. So, if someone doesn't want to farm it, they should not be called "lazy". There are plenty of people who also don't like to craft gear. Should they be called names? NO! Farming in W101 is horrible. If the RNG gear drops were better, even I might consider hitting a dungeon or two to get what I need.
BUT, to get the chance to farm DM, you have to finish 3 dungeons. There are many who are unable to get through the first two because other teammates leave in the middle of it, or the team-up was so bad everyone died, they don't have enough time to dedicate 2+ hours ..... etc, etc, etc. Then, once you finally get your gear (could be a year, BTW), you find that the gear has been NERFED so that you have to fight that much harder in the new worlds because the higher your level gets, the worse your gear gets. Now, compare non-high gear that many players have, and it is devastating to try and get through the new worlds.
There need to be more gear options. Period. Gear should not decay. Period. Gear drops in dungeons should be better. Period. The list goes on
Re: Critical and Block Rating Decay in Mirage, Why?
Jasmine3429 on Dec 30, 2016 wrote:
I have been playing quite awhile now, back in the day I was probably considered a casual player (not lazy, just played here and there after work when I could). I did not know much about gear, etc. etc. I did manage to make it through pre nerf avalon and azteca however, without any pet talents, because they were not a thing really and I never could even get sprite lol. It was not easy, but as a casual player it was no big deal, because eventually it would work out.
Anyway, I guess my point is they nerf everything eventually (even the dark fairies in wizard city!). To me casual means you do not play a lot, it really has nothing to do with gear, pets, etc. In which case, there is really no hurry and I am sure stuff will be nerfed before truly casual players get to mirage.
Now if you want to talk average players, that may be a different story. But lets admit that KI nerfed Darkmoor at least twice, maybe three times I am not sure so that the "average" player could get top end gear. If you do not have it I am going to call you lazy, sorry. This is an MMO, regardless of your time zone there are people around, since people play from all different countries, try going outside your comfort zone and making some friends, the game really will be much more enjoyable.
Having said all that, yes there should be some gear in Mirage worth getting, however the average player has already stated they do not want to farm gear, so not sure how that would help.
I consider myself casual to average player. Casual because I don't quest everyday and sometimes it might be weeks. I tend gardens more than anything right now in order to have them ready for Double Rewards. I also train pets. Most of my questing pets right now are adequate... I don't have top notch pets right now but have a couple of possibles.
I for one am not going to waste hours farming DM or any other dungeon that as @BrynnerOf Reign stated, could take as long as a year to get all the gear. I have seen others posting the number of runs they have done in DM without getting a SINGLE piece of that gear. I have better and more important things in my life than farming till I am brain numb with the frustration. I have farmed WW a few months ago with friends and NONE of us got the gear. I did get a bit lucky about a month ago when I dual boxed to get my Death lvl 70 through WW and just happened to get the Hat and Robe on the first and only run...My intent was to run it to get WW out of my logs. The remaining 7 wizards will run it just to clear it out of my logs.
As for being LAZY, I don't think so. Just because I refuse to waste my time for something that is already being degraded isn't in my category of NEED to do. Just because this game is a MMO doesn't mean we have to team up. If my friends are on and not already in a battle and I need help, I am sure I can get it. I have been outside my comfort zone in this game a few times already and I am NOT going down that road again.
The game will be more enjoyable IF and when it is PLAYABLE AND ENJOYABLE by ALL players, not just a few.
Re: Critical and Block Rating Decay in Mirage, Why?
This entire thread has turned into something nasty. A simple question turned into a huge debate over one sassy comment, which then converted into more snarky and sassy comments.
Getting back to the original topic, I'm not sure as to why critical decay happens. I've learned to bypass it, especially since I PvP a lot and critical basically means nothing in PvP now.
I am disappointed to see that this thread has turned into a name-calling, nasty, snarky, sassy, and rude fest from a simple and rather thought provoking question. Casual player or "hardcore" player, this is an important question that needs to be answered. Please, don't be petty and just be caring to each other. Thanks!
Re: Critical and Block Rating Decay in Mirage, Why?
Freshta on Jan 2, 2017 wrote:
On a different note....
I've managed to solo or duo every single fight in this game up until the Rat and the end of Darkmoor, and I will join with the others on this thread who've noted that a serious lack of dropped and crafted gear is contributing to our problems. Used to be we could upgrade our gear every 5 levels or so, but my poor 112 Balance wizard is stuck with crafted 86 gear because, other than Darkmoor, there have been no decent, well-rounded 2nd tier gear alternatives since Azteca!
(The Crowns gear at level 95 is OK, but only if you're willing to sacrifice defense. The Crowns gear after that costs too much in terms of degraded pips, accuracy, damage and defense. And the post-100 dropped gear is equivalent in stats to stuff we were getting in Zafaria!)
Alia's critical stats are degrading rapidly as she advances. The critical decay is a huge problem when she has no gear to compensate for it.
I don't want Darkmoor or the Rat nerfed for my benefit - but I do want actual 2nd tier gear options. The Polaris drops were frankly dismal and from what I've seen of Mirage gear so far, it's also pretty much pet chow. Crafted gear has been non-existent since level 95. Dismal gear options persisting for 25 levels is a serious flaw in game design.
Re: Critical and Block Rating Decay in Mirage, Why?
TheUltimateFireWiz on Jan 4, 2017 wrote:
This entire thread has turned into something nasty. A simple question turned into a huge debate over one sassy comment, which then converted into more snarky and sassy comments.
Getting back to the original topic, I'm not sure as to why critical decay happens. I've learned to bypass it, especially since I PvP a lot and critical basically means nothing in PvP now.
I am disappointed to see that this thread has turned into a name-calling, nasty, snarky, sassy, and rude fest from a simple and rather thought provoking question. Casual player or "hardcore" player, this is an important question that needs to be answered. Please, don't be petty and just be caring to each other. Thanks!
i agree completely, and i have also noticed that this sort of thing has become more and more common on the boards ever since the shift in difficulty/changes to stats. is ki trying to divide us? but i digress.
back to the original topic: i think that a huge part of the problem is that there's no gear that "works" with this new system. basically all that darkmoor gear people farmed hours and hours for is now useless, its effects almost completely nullified, and there has been no good crafted gear since level 56 (i main a balance wizard, and almost every world requires her to craft 2 sets of gear, both of which are subpar).
i'm all for challenges, as long as they are truly optional (and, as i've said before: if there is no crafted/purchasable alternative that's comparable to what's locked behind some cheat dungeon like darkmoor, then said dungeon is not optional).
as a student, i can only play during school breaks, meaning that timing is absolutely of the essence. i don't have endless hours to spend failing at team up or farming for "the best", and i can't afford to get stuck; yet there are people who truly believe that these are not valid concerns because they do have loads of free time, and that is where i have a problem.
all i have ever asked is that main-arc content be doable by all; i don't think that's unreasonable.
Re: Critical and Block Rating Decay in Mirage, Why?
Snee432 on Dec 30, 2016 wrote:
This this this. As usual, Von, right on the money.
I wish I could find you in game-I would love to quest with you, chat with you, share decorating tips with you, and get all snarky with our bad selves.
hi erin~ i would love to meet you too!
my membership is done (pretty sure the only reason i can still post for a few more days is because i bought crowns over the break). but i will likely be back when the term ends.
or maybe we could meet up somewhere (i own a few areas here and there), and you're always welcome to join me for a gearless mally fight or exalted gauntlets at my house in the meantime.
Re: Critical and Block Rating Decay in Mirage, Why?
Jasmine3429 on Dec 30, 2016 wrote:
I have been playing quite awhile now, back in the day I was probably considered a casual player (not lazy, just played here and there after work when I could). I did not know much about gear, etc. etc. I did manage to make it through pre nerf avalon and azteca however, without any pet talents, because they were not a thing really and I never could even get sprite lol. It was not easy, but as a casual player it was no big deal, because eventually it would work out.
Anyway, I guess my point is they nerf everything eventually (even the dark fairies in wizard city!). To me casual means you do not play a lot, it really has nothing to do with gear, pets, etc. In which case, there is really no hurry and I am sure stuff will be nerfed before truly casual players get to mirage.
Now if you want to talk average players, that may be a different story. But lets admit that KI nerfed Darkmoor at least twice, maybe three times I am not sure so that the "average" player could get top end gear. If you do not have it I am going to call you lazy, sorry. This is an MMO, regardless of your time zone there are people around, since people play from all different countries, try going outside your comfort zone and making some friends, the game really will be much more enjoyable.
Having said all that, yes there should be some gear in Mirage worth getting, however the average player has already stated they do not want to farm gear, so not sure how that would help.
there are different categories of casual players. skilled casual players (like me, and many others on this board) have decent gear/pets and can strategize beyond the obvious. however, we often play sporadically and are limited by the amount of time we can spend in-game.
as i've said, i am a university student, and i work part-time on top of a full course load. i can only play during breaks and can't sacrifice my grades/work performance/sleep in order to farm for "the best". but, if it's summer break, when i have extra time that i don't have during the year, and i feel up to something like *insert cheat dungeon here*, i will either try team up or make a date with friends.
before i went back to school, i had more free time. i soloed every world pre-nerf (minus some of the obvious cheat dungeons) on all of my wizards, and i do have one character in full darkmoor gear. it took me nearly a year to get, thanks to many team-up fails, and it took so much out of me that i don't want to do it again.
i did darkmoor in test realm, back when the instance length was ~6-8 hours for a random team doing all 3 instances. so call me whatever names you will, but i don't find spending 4 hours in a dungeon/getting quit on numerous times and dying repeatedly because i can't find reliable teammates to be fun.
fyi: the same game is not played by people in different countries; those countries have their own servers, etc. and the one north american players use is a separate entity. there are times when i might be lucky to see one other person in whatever realm i happen to be in.
ps: i do have accounts on both the french and italian versions of wizard101; i am semi-fluent in both, if anyone wants to practice them with me in april lol)
-von laura shadowsong, laure bellefièvre, olivia mangiafuoco
Re: Critical and Block Rating Decay in Mirage, Why?
I recently learned that KI officially shared in an article that one of their biggest flaws in designing Wizard101 was using percentages for stats, because it gives them a cap of 100% which doesn't leave enough room for continued improvement. I'm assuming the critical and block decay is their solution for dealing with this problem, and creating more room for improvement. However, I don't agree with their way of doing it.
The critical and block nerf that happened a while ago was a pretty good way of dealing with the problem, since it happened to everyone at the same time. But critical and block decay happens as we level up, so it gives the incentive to not level up. You have a choice whether you will be punished or not, and it makes the leveling up process very conflicting. I hope KI can figure out a better way of dealing with their mistake than what they are currently doing via decay. You should never get weaker as you level up - I believe that should be the basic rule in any game.
Re: Critical and Block Rating Decay in Mirage, Why?
I find it very discouraging when trying to quest and seeing just how much crit/block is decaying. Most of us are doing everything we can to increase those stats even though we have been losing small amounts since the crit/block system began. Those small amounts weren't that noticeable but now the decay is 10-15% with nothing to compensate.
In order for us to increase those same stats, we have to take a loss on others but those are relatively minor in comparison.
The fact that no new gear was introduced with the Release of Mirage and the crafted gear for many is not available when some of the reagents are so rare as to be all but impossible to get has not helped any.
KI, PLEASE fix this issue. We need newer and better gear if many of us are going to have the least bit of a chance through the current content. Degrading gear stats such as what is happening from levels 110-120 doesn't appeal to most players when you give us nothing to replace it with. Mindless farming of DM or other dungeons is also another factor that is becoming not only frustrating but also discouraging.
Off Topic: Please stop with the rants. We need solutions to the crit/block decay issue.
Re: Critical and Block Rating Decay in Mirage, Why?
XxZexionxX on Jan 7, 2017 wrote:
I recently learned that KI officially shared in an article that one of their biggest flaws in designing Wizard101 was using percentages for stats, because it gives them a cap of 100% which doesn't leave enough room for continued improvement. I'm assuming the critical and block decay is their solution for dealing with this problem, and creating more room for improvement. However, I don't agree with their way of doing it.
The critical and block nerf that happened a while ago was a pretty good way of dealing with the problem, since it happened to everyone at the same time. But critical and block decay happens as we level up, so it gives the incentive to not level up. You have a choice whether you will be punished or not, and it makes the leveling up process very conflicting. I hope KI can figure out a better way of dealing with their mistake than what they are currently doing via decay. You should never get weaker as you level up - I believe that should be the basic rule in any game.
That sounds legit. And I agree, their way of "solving" the problem doesn't work. In fact it fails miserably.
The numbers may increase, but theoretically you're not improving at all with decay. It's a false promise. You're numbers go up, but your power only slightly increases if it doesn't plateau or decrease. The percentage is hidden behind some completely random and inflated numbers that only provide an illusion that you're more powerful without actually delivering that perceived power.
They'd be better off turning critical into a percentage like power pip percentage where you have a base percentage that improves as you level up, but eventually caps off. Then any gear modifiers are treated like every other percentage based stat enhancement.
I understand that there becomes a point in time with a system like that where you do run out of room for visual "improvement", but the decay on the current system has reached a point where it is actually offering little to no improvement anyway, so what are you really losing? All you lose is the obscurity.
Amber
