I know Shadow pips make quite a few people upset because of their randomness and sometimes unfairness that can turn a fun duel into one that makes you want to quit playing wizard101. This idea that I am proposing would be PvP only, ( this will not affect PvE, the shadow pip system will be the same in PvE as it is now) The system is, instead of making shadow pips be totally random as they are now, what if everyone got a shadow pip every say every 4 turns or something. This would prevent one player from being lucky and getting two shadow pips in the first two turns of the match, while the second player doesn't get any tell round number 5. This would help people be able to know when to shield, because shadow pips would be awarded every 4 turns. As it is now, its super hard to know if your enemy will get a shadow pip, and if they do and your second they get an open shot on you. For example, I went second on my balance wizard to a life wizard that got a shadow pip first turn and she also was first, she just hungry pillared me and did half my health, I couldnt do anything to counter it at all, this is unbalanced and causes frustration. I just logged out lol. Another example, I went second to a death wizard on my ice wizard and he got 4 shadow pips in the time I only got 1, this is a huge disadvantage because all he had to do was shrike and spam shadow hits, and I wouldnt be able to kill him in time because I didnt get lucky with my shadow pips. This new system that I'm proposing makes each player get a shadow pip every 4 turns so its not random, and its not uncounterable. It's just an idea, once again this would NOT be put into the PvE part of the game, only PvP. I feel this will help the game feel fair and more fun, and not make people frustrated as much, because it doesnt feel good to lose to luck, when you know there is nothing better you could have done, you feel as if your opponent didnt out play you, the game did.
I like it! I would also propose an option to remove Shadow Pips from a duel. It would only pair you with people who have enabled the same option. This alone would make PvP more likable. Other possible balances would include:
No Criticals
No Transformations
No Enchantments
I can just hear Diego shouting about "These unfair luck based things that should never have come into my ring!" PvP would be much like the way it was in 2007, before Astral Spells made the trouble begin...
I know Shadow pips make quite a few people upset because of their randomness and sometimes unfairness that can turn a fun duel into one that makes you want to quit playing wizard101. This idea that I am proposing would be PvP only, ( this will not affect PvE, the shadow pip system will be the same in PvE as it is now) The system is, instead of making shadow pips be totally random as they are now, what if everyone got a shadow pip every say every 4 turns or something. This would prevent one player from being lucky and getting two shadow pips in the first two turns of the match, while the second player doesn't get any tell round number 5. This would help people be able to know when to shield, because shadow pips would be awarded every 4 turns. As it is now, its super hard to know if your enemy will get a shadow pip, and if they do and your second they get an open shot on you. For example, I went second on my balance wizard to a life wizard that got a shadow pip first turn and she also was first, she just hungry pillared me and did half my health, I couldnt do anything to counter it at all, this is unbalanced and causes frustration. I just logged out lol. Another example, I went second to a death wizard on my ice wizard and he got 4 shadow pips in the time I only got 1, this is a huge disadvantage because all he had to do was shrike and spam shadow hits, and I wouldnt be able to kill him in time because I didnt get lucky with my shadow pips. This new system that I'm proposing makes each player get a shadow pip every 4 turns so its not random, and its not uncounterable. It's just an idea, once again this would NOT be put into the PvE part of the game, only PvP. I feel this will help the game feel fair and more fun, and not make people frustrated as much, because it doesnt feel good to lose to luck, when you know there is nothing better you could have done, you feel as if your opponent didnt out play you, the game did.
Or, ya know...just remove all the Mirage spells from PVP. Although I think your idea has merit. Why not both? Regardless, preventing a first turn shadow enhanced spell would make things fairer. Lots of people are also suggesting Turn Based PVP.
I couldn't agree more, changing PVP to Turn Based only and correcting the Random Shadow Pip Flaw would help PVP a great deal. The extreme unfair balance of Shadow pips as it is now, makes PVP too skill-less to mean anything.
This still would not rectify the going first-second scenario if people were actually expecting shadow pips on the fourth round give or take then it would come down to the shield spam dot scenario, which again some school doesn't have. Access to small dot which every school should except balance. Ice would still be a formidable opponent. generally, I have a thing against high resist high damage schools. and it would make outcomes more predictable and guaranteed a win if they set right. The importance of don't in pvp right now is truly astonishing.
Although I don't hate this idea I do think it would backfire. I can just see shield spamming and match being waited out and just shadow spells being used. Less non shadow spells may become a thing knowing that I can get a shadow pip just by waiting. I mean people do that now so that would just encourage them to do it more. The idea isn't bad just would backfire. X_X sadly idk if there's really a way to balance shadow pips. I just hate the RNG aspect of it so much. ESPECIALLY from second.
Fred, just so you know, although the pips are random, the chance of pips does depend on your gear. There are shadow pip hematite triangle gems that give +2 or 3% (I think) shadow pip chance. So you might be facing an opponent whose gear gives him a +15% shadow pip chance while your gear is going along at +4%.
Shadow is a part of the game and shadow pip chance is in your control to some degree.
I like and dislike this idea. I like it because I agree something needs to be done about shadow pips. I dislike it because like a couple of the other posts in this thread I can see how it will backfire with what would become a shield war.
The best option in my opinion is like someone else mentioned, make an option to do pvp fights for rank without shadow pips. This not only solves the problem with the spells being too powerful but solves the shrike problem too. With that option everyone (who has a problem with just shadow anyway) is happy and doing the fights with shadow still exists for those who like to take their chances or have strategies dependent on shadow pips.
I also saw someone mention the percentage you can get on things like your gear to up your shadow pip chance. I don't recall the name but I do remember reading somewhere that that particular stat had been proven useless. Someone actually took the time to get the highest possible shadow pip chance stat they could get using gear and jewels then went into pvp wearing it. They didn't get shadow pips anymore often than usual. In fact If I'm remembering correctly they even had a fight they lost because their opponent got 2 shadow pips while they had none.
When you think about it this makes sense. If your percentage is out of 100 then you have to get a very big percentage for it to make any difference at all in how often you get shadow pips. Since most gear good for pvp doesn't give much you still end up with less than 15% chance and more often than not less than 10% chance. Out of a 100 that is not enough of a difference for it to affect your battle. Even if you raised it to over 20% to say 25 or 28% you still wouldn't get shadow pips over two thirds of the time. I imagine if you manage this then other stats will suffer and you will lose because of that instead too.So what gear your wear doesn't really give you any control over how often you get shadow pips.
I like and dislike this idea. I like it because I agree something needs to be done about shadow pips. I dislike it because like a couple of the other posts in this thread I can see how it will backfire with what would become a shield war.
The best option in my opinion is like someone else mentioned, make an option to do pvp fights for rank without shadow pips. This not only solves the problem with the spells being too powerful but solves the shrike problem too. With that option everyone (who has a problem with just shadow anyway) is happy and doing the fights with shadow still exists for those who like to take their chances or have strategies dependent on shadow pips.
I also saw someone mention the percentage you can get on things like your gear to up your shadow pip chance. I don't recall the name but I do remember reading somewhere that that particular stat had been proven useless. Someone actually took the time to get the highest possible shadow pip chance stat they could get using gear and jewels then went into pvp wearing it. They didn't get shadow pips anymore often than usual. In fact If I'm remembering correctly they even had a fight they lost because their opponent got 2 shadow pips while they had none.
When you think about it this makes sense. If your percentage is out of 100 then you have to get a very big percentage for it to make any difference at all in how often you get shadow pips. Since most gear good for pvp doesn't give much you still end up with less than 15% chance and more often than not less than 10% chance. Out of a 100 that is not enough of a difference for it to affect your battle. Even if you raised it to over 20% to say 25 or 28% you still wouldn't get shadow pips over two thirds of the time. I imagine if you manage this then other stats will suffer and you will lose because of that instead too.So what gear your wear doesn't really give you any control over how often you get shadow pips.
If the option of giving a non-shadow PVP rank match at max level would be available which I agree is a good start. Then resist would have to be cut back because shrike was the only way to pierce the high end resist. Ice and balance and fire would still dominate pvp unless lore spells are banned. I also saw one of your recent posts on a burning rampage and I agree but the same can be said for spells like loremaster and every other loremaster obtainable spell however the level restriction should be left at level 70+. Ward pets and jade gears should also be restricted. But i highly doubt any of these changes would happen anytime soon.
Although I don't hate this idea I do think it would backfire. I can just see shield spamming and match being waited out and just shadow spells being used. Less non shadow spells may become a thing knowing that I can get a shadow pip just by waiting. I mean people do that now so that would just encourage them to do it more. The idea isn't bad just would backfire. X_X sadly idk if there's really a way to balance shadow pips. I just hate the RNG aspect of it so much. ESPECIALLY from second.
I can see your concern but I honestly think that might be better then the current unfair randomness that we have now. At least with that system people could figure out strategies to counter shield spamming and waiting for a shadow pip, right now the random system with one person getting 4 shadow pips before the other person gets any is impossible to deal with unless your jade. I saw a match where the person going first got 4 shadow pips before the person going second got one. The player going first just had to shrike and spam mirage spells. This is a serious problem and needs to be fixed.
