Creature Handler Archive
Thread: Former MCH speaks out -- On many things.
Page 1 of 2
MuOne
Thu Oct 07, 2004 1:04 am
#1
I agree with some of the opinions here - I realise that creatures were nerfed to stop them being hell to kill even in groups - but oddly enough - it was the last ever excuse to group with anyone to fight somewhere HARD to complete - a form of fear and excitement - noone even goes to dath - till aurellia came out any way - always alone there more of less - not scary enough anymore - sad - i think they over did it a bit - made it too easy - every one solo's now -
not healthy for a group game.
Looks like we are all going to solo for the next 12 months at least - when the carrot dangling in front of the hamster wheel treadmill runs out and lots of people are high level jedi's they may ask - well what do we spend months solo grinding now - we need a new horizon to aim for.
Silly things like Pikemen going to do nightsisters to get some drop pikes - nice - so they put a rare new pikeweapon drop from a uber nightsister - still nice idea - pike have only 2 damage types - kinetic and electricity so they make a mob that drops their new weapon type (energy) great - but the mob is 100% immune to both kinetic and electricity - so they have no chance of killing it - its little things like this that make the game designers look foolish and create dissatisfaction - simpleton mistakes.
Maybe it is not our right to rant or such - it may be a privilige - but its certainly enjoyable to discuss ideas even argue with each other in a safe environment of an anonymous written forum where we cant really do anything worse that completely disagree with each other.
RobertGhent
Thu Oct 07, 2004 1:19 am
#2
Greetings,
I totally agree with you. Discussing the situation like civilized beings is the best way to get our ideas out there. I've seen and read so many good ideas for this profession. Matter of fact I have several rare creatures being held by a friend of mine while I work on jedi stuff.Going jedito open up my second account allowing me to go TKM/MCH again!
But your right. Back in the old days when creatures were dangerous to fight it was exciting to join up in groups. We could go after the larger kills like Rancors and provide support to one another. But to facilitateprogression in the professions they had to rework the game a bit. I remember it taking awhile for me to get from TKA novice to TKM back then.
You guys will find I am open minded. Just a little aggrivated at those quick to rant. I enjoyed the Creature Handler profession each time I progressed thru it. Hunting with gurrecks was one of the highlights for me, and lets not forget the unaltered Graul Mauler combo! Still a fan favorite on the boards.
Rare/Extinct Pets: Frenzied Graul, Merek's Death Head, Arachne Widow, Gaping Spider Queen, Mantigrue Screecher
SioBabble
Thu Oct 07, 2004 4:24 am
#3
Robert,
Jedi have RUINED this game. They've wrecked it, totally. This game was a BETTER gaming experience without them. More than a few players believe this. This game was a superior social experience before the Jedi arrived and ruined it in two ways: made the grind to Jedi the centerpiece of the game, not the GCW, and furthermore made them (and melee professions) the dominant force in PvP. This game is supposed to be set in a time period where Jedi are all but extinct, not openly displaying their lightsabers in the streets of Coronet, Theed, and Bestine. Where blasters, not hokey religions and ancient weapons, are the most commonly seen instruments of destruction on the battlefield.
CH was overpowered early, mainly because it worked and other elite professions did not, but now players are DRAMATICALLY overpowered, to the point where group hunting consists of "solo" groups in which a few players cut throuh enraged rancor lairs like they are gnorts or durni. There was a glorious time when players had to cooperate and use tactics to take on medium to high level content. Those were truly the days. Early on there was TREMENDOUS concern from Holocron that players were taking onred cons when they should not; nowadays it's routine to take on red cons to fall to players. There is no concern about this now. All those mobs that were supposed to be taken on by groups are not any more.
CH was meganerfed because it worked and players recognized it worked, so they flocked to it, because other professions were broken. I remember the day thedevs ungated the flamethrower, and commandogot some of the power it was supposed to have; that was the day that demands to nerf commando begain on the boards from the usually crybabies.Same with CH; because it worked, people hated it. Because it worked, it had to be nerfed.
Also, your history is revisionist in the extreme. Three rancors out was eliminated months before buffs and armor came into their own, which happened about 8 months ago. Three rancors out went away when the CL 70 cap was imposed in August of last year. CH underwent a series of nerfs: the first one was the imposition of the certification system which should have been in place at launch, but this game was launched about 3 months, minium, too early, because when beta wound up the first elite masters were showing up and they never were adequately playtested. This adjustment included the CL 70 cap that eliminated 3 rancors out. At about the same time medium armor on tamable pets was eliminated. Then in December the really big adjustment, phase I of the combat revamp, hit, which gave us the out of balance game we have now, where players fully buffed and armored ARE invincible in PvE, where before you HAD to group in order to take on high end content. At the same time conventional creatures were nerfed, stripped of armor and resists, the high end creatures were given much higher HAMs and had their resists strengthened. Also at the same time, CH was revamped again to make dabbling more difficult and to severely retard advancement in the profession by the elmination of additonal XP from a second creature. Nowadays, if you have two creatures out, and only one of the participates in battle, your XP is halved. Automatically. You're penalized for having two creatures out.
The only reason to group now is to raise the level of your missions, then you go out and solo them, because the CL system is totally borked, taking only damage dealing into account when calculating CLs, not the ability to absorb damage, which for players has dramatically increased with the advent of steady, reliable buffs and high quality composite armor. Two things that did not exist during the very brief three rancors out period.
As for the combat rebalance, which already started with the nerfing of creatures in December, and has been delayed again and again: it will be a nerf of everyone else aside from CH,which is why the devs are putting it off, along with paying more attention to what marketing and suits want than what the overall health ofthe game needs. Because the marketing twits and the suitsonly care about taking the money and running. Longterm health of the game is NOT their concern. They could care less, as long as they get the money.
Should the combat rebalance ever actually come, there will be MASSIVE account cancellations, because players have become addicted to their overpowered, out of balance state in PvE.
EttaBrummi
Thu Oct 07, 2004 4:39 am
#4
/agree 100% SioBabble
I still remember the time CH was nearly the only working profession. Well, that's a long time ago ...
Anyway, i have to agree with Robert in certain points. (Re-) balancing isn't just coding a few lines. It's a long way of brainstorming, discussing, planning, coding and testing and that more than one time. But when i see what happened during the last 13-14 months i don't think the current system allows a re-balance. Don't understand me wrong, i'm sure the Dev's have the knowledge and the motivation for doing it, but i think in the current state a rebalance or revamp would meana nearly complete rollback or even a full "restart".
Well, i'm still curious what the near future will bring. But to cite SioBabble
"Should the combat rebalance ever actually come, there will be MASSIVE account cancellations, because players have become addicted to their overpowered, out of balance state in PvE."
Let's hope the whole SWG team finds a way to re-balance this game without "forcing" a lot of ppl to cancel the accounts. Until then enjoy what's enjoyable in this game 
Message Edited by EttaBrummi on 10-07-2004 01:48 PM
Gyorgy
Thu Oct 07, 2004 6:00 am
#5
Nothing to add there SioBabble. I'd even say that armor makeover and buffs made the ch nerf almost useless (so much for the planning topic).
I'd even say that armor makeover and buffs made the ch nerf almost useless (so much for the planning topic).I do know how hard it is todevelop a client server programme, Robert. But this core system you were most likely refering to when talking about that client/server system should be working when you start selling a game (at least without any major problems). So, assuming that they don't have to completely rewrite the core system now, i don't see any hugeunsolvable problems in their way.What we are talking about here is adding new content for CH for example (like a quest or the coral by P9M). What has to be changed drastically in the client/server systemcore itself for that? We also ask for some bugfixes, which might be a bigger problem than just adding new content since errors in code are hard to find, especially in a network system. The only problem here is that the work that has to be done isn't done.
Like SioBabble stated, the devs are now trying not to make more people mad about the game (which sounds logical to you as well i guess?). They are working on the things that they think will keep most people in the game. They are caring about the whole jedi stuff bigtime now and not to forget JTL (Plz don't forget that developers from Empire Divided are working on JTL! And as i heard a not unsubstantial part of the devs of the game we are playing right now and paying for are working on that expansion pack).
Now talking about planning a software project, about design, test and so on and so forth. It's good if you do it right, but working on new projects with resources you dedicated to another projectbefore and hope nobody notices the major drawbacks of that is not very professional. It's simply hoping for the best andignore the rest.
And furthermore as a sidenote. Is this how you treat customers? Leaving them in the dark for months just hoping they find something else to do meanwhile? That's ridiculous if you ask me. I'm the first one who understands if they devs encounter problems with the game and need more time to solve them. Butright now(with most of the people being busy with another project like JTL) i don't understand the devs decisions and i won't support them either in any way.
I'm just waiting for one sign of goodwill. I think it's not too impudent to ask for that is it? I'm a very patient person, but professionals like SOE should know when they are pulling things too far. And SOE is not the first company to make an MMPORG. The don't have to reinvent the wheel, they just need to do their job right, as simple as that.
Nobody is asking for a bugfree game, nobody wants his profession in focus all the time. All that's needed is some healthy evolution of the game where every lil bird in the nest gets his worm from time to time. Then everyone is more or less happy. THAT'S how you do it right. But at this point i don't see this happening. I only see people flooding forums with good ideas that are marginally implemented if ever really commented by anyone working on the game.
Message Edited by Gyorgy on 10-07-2004 06:02 AM
Wallach1
Thu Oct 07, 2004 6:32 am
#6
most, not all, but most of these ideas have been presented before, and still, they are good ideas. I have no problems with the ideas, whatI havea problem with is that the communication stinks.
Ideas are great, but what good are they if we never find out if they are being looked at?
Skuzz
Thu Oct 07, 2004 8:07 am
#7
Great posts folks, I love calm & rational forum posts. =)
Personaly i think the upcoming combat revamp/balance is pretty much not going to touch Creature handlers at all and by default that will make us shine (because buffs & armor will be getting nerfed hardcore we will become the tank of choise again). And in turn, sadly, that will bring hordes of players to us once again. Although... that could be a good thing. Maybe it means we would actually get some attention from the devs. Hmmm. Wait thats probably not the kind of attention we want. hehehe.
Jedi in SWG...
I do think that Jedi are nescesary to make star wars feel like star wars, but i 'dont' think that it should be players controlling them. So far Jedi have only had a very negative effect on SWG sadly. And the village is only going to magnify this dramatically.
The solo player
If the devs arent careful this may be THE single thing that ultimately snuffs SWG in the long haul. It's incredibly corrosive to longterm play potential. Dont get me wrong, I love to hunt solo as well as with friends. But i think that as a solo player you need to realize that there should be things you cant fight. This is a good thing. Hunting with people builds friendships, makes you learn tactics (gasp!) and is a very healthy thing for a game like SWG. Im not quite sure why so many folks pay to play a MMORPG and then do everything they can to not interact with others playing, it boggles my mind.
Armor & Buffs
I dont think anybody argues that these arent over powerful as they are now. Its absurd really. if you get fully buffed it renders like half of SWG's game mechanics useless. Cost for specials? who cares. Damage taken? im healing faster then i can be hurt, so who cares. I think you get the point. And i have to agree with an above poster who stated that the devs arent real anxious to get moving on the combat revamp cuz its going to be the biggest nerf of all time to everyone but us (maybe). And the l33t dood players are going to lose their minds and immediately cancel so they can go play something that requires a bit less thought.
But thats just my 3 cents.
Personaly i think the upcoming combat revamp/balance is pretty much not going to touch Creature handlers at all and by default that will make us shine (because buffs & armor will be getting nerfed hardcore we will become the tank of choise again). And in turn, sadly, that will bring hordes of players to us once again. Although... that could be a good thing. Maybe it means we would actually get some attention from the devs. Hmmm. Wait thats probably not the kind of attention we want. hehehe.
Jedi in SWG...
I do think that Jedi are nescesary to make star wars feel like star wars, but i 'dont' think that it should be players controlling them. So far Jedi have only had a very negative effect on SWG sadly. And the village is only going to magnify this dramatically.
The solo player
If the devs arent careful this may be THE single thing that ultimately snuffs SWG in the long haul. It's incredibly corrosive to longterm play potential. Dont get me wrong, I love to hunt solo as well as with friends. But i think that as a solo player you need to realize that there should be things you cant fight. This is a good thing. Hunting with people builds friendships, makes you learn tactics (gasp!) and is a very healthy thing for a game like SWG. Im not quite sure why so many folks pay to play a MMORPG and then do everything they can to not interact with others playing, it boggles my mind.
Armor & Buffs
I dont think anybody argues that these arent over powerful as they are now. Its absurd really. if you get fully buffed it renders like half of SWG's game mechanics useless. Cost for specials? who cares. Damage taken? im healing faster then i can be hurt, so who cares. I think you get the point. And i have to agree with an above poster who stated that the devs arent real anxious to get moving on the combat revamp cuz its going to be the biggest nerf of all time to everyone but us (maybe). And the l33t dood players are going to lose their minds and immediately cancel so they can go play something that requires a bit less thought.
But thats just my 3 cents.
Tstorm
Thu Oct 07, 2004 8:29 am
#8
RobertGhent wrote:Hey folks,I know I have not posted very much on the boards.
Very well written post. You should post more often!
jopenack
Thu Oct 07, 2004 8:32 am
#9
Most people in this forum would agree with you on most of what you say
Please keep in mind that for over 10 months they posted (TH/Devs) threads and reply's saying they were working on rebalances, smuggler proffessions... they even named a month and publish for much of this.
Flashforward 8 months - Th announces that nothing will be done untill after Jedi revamps and JTL
Community explodes and ever single post with dates and publishing promises is copied to his thread, the editing starts and post disapear, erasing things they had been saying for over 8 months. community is now enraged emails fly to magazines, websites ... Mr Blackman has an interview and states they never said anything about a combat balance and the forum people are an unhappy minority.
I could go on for an hour about the past hystory here but it wont matter.
You speak of us having the privlage to play this game, a game we pay to play. In your honest opinion do you believe that what has transpired in the last 10 months shows a company that cares about its customer base.
The simple truth is a company and a game like this should consider itself privlaged to have a group of players who give ideas, help on TCenters and buggs with such dillegence.
Its not the game state that bothers many of us as much as the mistreatment and fabrications that have become policy here for the last year. A little honesty and less secrecy will go along way for the majority of the malcontents. I have posted pos & neg depending on the subject and in anger have raved/ranted I make no excuses im guilty. guilty of caring, guilty of believing lies, guilty of playing since day one with trust and passion in a proffesion thatswayed me tobuy the game in the first place.
Its easy to say leave if you dont like something and its easy to think its time to go, (I may be gone by weeks end) but i ask myself if I quit evrything i didnt agree with then I would be homeless today living under a bridge alone with nothing to my name and no selfworth.
KzinKiller
Thu Oct 07, 2004 9:42 am
#10
I've never met a CH who wouldn't agree that the class needed to be tweaked due to obvious balance issues in the initial months of the game .... yet just as obviously they completely broke the class as a valid participant in PvP/GCW in 'pre-balancing' moves for a balance that never happened. It's not that a fix wasn't needed, but that the fix implemented was a complete disaster that was then ignored.
The legitimate concern of paying customers in this project is that there is no sign of progress in management practices. Bad decisions are still made due to ignoring valid customer input during testing, and then those bad decisions linger for months. Code broken since release remains broken. Communication on direction is sporadic and frequently inaccurate when it comes to schedule and direction.
Nobody expects perfection ... they just want a sense that things are generally getting better, that there is steady improvement. We're not getting it. The Jedi Plague is just the latest sign that they haven't learned much from all the mistakes. The continued irrelevance of CH in PvP/GCW is discouraging because we have so little reason to think that any change is coming soon, or that the changes that do eventually come will actually be well thought out and positive.
The legitimate concern of paying customers in this project is that there is no sign of progress in management practices. Bad decisions are still made due to ignoring valid customer input during testing, and then those bad decisions linger for months. Code broken since release remains broken. Communication on direction is sporadic and frequently inaccurate when it comes to schedule and direction.
Nobody expects perfection ... they just want a sense that things are generally getting better, that there is steady improvement. We're not getting it. The Jedi Plague is just the latest sign that they haven't learned much from all the mistakes. The continued irrelevance of CH in PvP/GCW is discouraging because we have so little reason to think that any change is coming soon, or that the changes that do eventually come will actually be well thought out and positive.
Seiryuu
Thu Oct 07, 2004 11:07 am
#11
While I agree with certain points other have made (SioBabble especially, whose views are almost always the same as mine), I must disagree with the orginal poster on a lot of issues:
1) The skill revamp was good. Not perfect, but close to how it should have been initially. Cutting the xp for multiple pets was perhaps too much, but I have no direct experience with it as I was capped by then.
The devs most certainly did NOT make creatures weaker because players were having a hard time. They were still too weak according to them. What they did was try to make creatures fit a more linear difficulty curve. Prior to that, a CL 35 might be an order of magnitude better than a CL 50 (Frenzied Graul or Kliknik Queens in comparison to a Rancor).
The balance was done purely with the intent to make the rest of the player base follow this same curve, players topping out at CL 25, a few months after the creature change. Take a look at CL 25 creatures -- Ancient Reptilian Fliers, Bordok Foals, Crystal Snakes... Players are supposed to have a 50/50 chance when fighting one of these alone. That is a maxxed out combat character.
Jedi had nothing to do with the changes. We already know that they have been partially revamped and currently have a huge (and temporary) damage modifier to make them equivalent to other professions. It will be removed when the Combat Update is concluded.
2) We were balance early because everything revolves around creatures. They needed them set first, otherwise you would have the reverse of the situation we have today -- players would be crushed by CL 10 critters. That would have caused riots.
3) These suggestions are a start. I doubt you will see anything to improve Handlers until the Balance though.
4) You are correct about the development process. Let me draw your attention to one statement though:
After changing the creatures, they realized the rest of the Balance's systems would not be sufficient. So they delayed it. Then they delayed it again. Then once more. Haden Blackman then claims they were never doing it. Now they are openly admitting it will be next year.
They completely and undisputedly botched this, and the entire game has been suffering since then.
Creature Handler was made weaker. All combat professions were made to solo, in some instances, CL 300 creatures. While Holocrons are blamed for a lot of problems, I would argue that if creatures had not changed, at least groups would be out there helping one another grind. The changes to creatures without the other systems being in balance enabled hologrinding to become the mess it did. They most certainly did not do this right.
5) They should not have told us the documents will be released in "a few weeks" if that meant months. They are stringing us along. We were promised a separate document stating what roles professions would have before the Correspondent Summit. It still has yet to be presented.
If they want to wait until they are perfect to release them, fine, but don't tell us 'tomorrow' if they are not going to deliver anything.
6) You are correct here.
However, the attitudes shown are out of pure frustration. It was the dev's own mess that put the community into the state it is in today. Having their Community Relations people sticking their foot in their mouth certainly doesn't help.
I have also taken to your solution. I've discussed the problems ad nauseum and tiring of their competence, I am leaving.
7) My conclusion -- the game does have potential. It will be years before it is realized, if ever, with the current direction it is taking.
My biggest problem, is that MMORPGs, especially this one with so much emphasis on social interation, are more than a game. They are a service and a community. The service we get in return for our money is lacking. Yes they fulfilled their obligation, and maybe I'm old fashioned, but I expect at least an attempt to go beyond the necessary contractual obligations. It shows pride in your product and a concern for your customer. Further it fosters a healthy relationship and a strong community.
Yet they treat this as just a game and people like you encourage them to.
I'm sure all the friends I made, the significant other I found, would like to know they are all just a part of the game.
1) The skill revamp was good. Not perfect, but close to how it should have been initially. Cutting the xp for multiple pets was perhaps too much, but I have no direct experience with it as I was capped by then.
The devs most certainly did NOT make creatures weaker because players were having a hard time. They were still too weak according to them. What they did was try to make creatures fit a more linear difficulty curve. Prior to that, a CL 35 might be an order of magnitude better than a CL 50 (Frenzied Graul or Kliknik Queens in comparison to a Rancor).
The balance was done purely with the intent to make the rest of the player base follow this same curve, players topping out at CL 25, a few months after the creature change. Take a look at CL 25 creatures -- Ancient Reptilian Fliers, Bordok Foals, Crystal Snakes... Players are supposed to have a 50/50 chance when fighting one of these alone. That is a maxxed out combat character.
Jedi had nothing to do with the changes. We already know that they have been partially revamped and currently have a huge (and temporary) damage modifier to make them equivalent to other professions. It will be removed when the Combat Update is concluded.
2) We were balance early because everything revolves around creatures. They needed them set first, otherwise you would have the reverse of the situation we have today -- players would be crushed by CL 10 critters. That would have caused riots.
3) These suggestions are a start. I doubt you will see anything to improve Handlers until the Balance though.
4) You are correct about the development process. Let me draw your attention to one statement though:
If you want to do something right you have to take the time to do it right.
After changing the creatures, they realized the rest of the Balance's systems would not be sufficient. So they delayed it. Then they delayed it again. Then once more. Haden Blackman then claims they were never doing it. Now they are openly admitting it will be next year.
They completely and undisputedly botched this, and the entire game has been suffering since then.
Creature Handler was made weaker. All combat professions were made to solo, in some instances, CL 300 creatures. While Holocrons are blamed for a lot of problems, I would argue that if creatures had not changed, at least groups would be out there helping one another grind. The changes to creatures without the other systems being in balance enabled hologrinding to become the mess it did. They most certainly did not do this right.
5) They should not have told us the documents will be released in "a few weeks" if that meant months. They are stringing us along. We were promised a separate document stating what roles professions would have before the Correspondent Summit. It still has yet to be presented.
If they want to wait until they are perfect to release them, fine, but don't tell us 'tomorrow' if they are not going to deliver anything.
6) You are correct here.
However, the attitudes shown are out of pure frustration. It was the dev's own mess that put the community into the state it is in today. Having their Community Relations people sticking their foot in their mouth certainly doesn't help.
I have also taken to your solution. I've discussed the problems ad nauseum and tiring of their competence, I am leaving.
7) My conclusion -- the game does have potential. It will be years before it is realized, if ever, with the current direction it is taking.
My biggest problem, is that MMORPGs, especially this one with so much emphasis on social interation, are more than a game. They are a service and a community. The service we get in return for our money is lacking. Yes they fulfilled their obligation, and maybe I'm old fashioned, but I expect at least an attempt to go beyond the necessary contractual obligations. It shows pride in your product and a concern for your customer. Further it fosters a healthy relationship and a strong community.
Yet they treat this as just a game and people like you encourage them to.
I'm sure all the friends I made, the significant other I found, would like to know they are all just a part of the game.
RobertGhent
Thu Oct 07, 2004 12:12 pm
#12
Hey folks,
I know I have not posted very much on the boards. Usually I just read what everyone else has to say. But tonight I thought I would share my personal thoughtsfor this favored profession. As a former three time MCH on Eclipse server I can relate to the frustration everyone has been experiencing.
Fixes for the profession from a programmer's point of view are relatively simple. But in order for everyone to understand the necessity of game balance I will answer some previously asked questions below.
1. Why wasthe creature overhaulinstituted in the first place?
In short, there were far too many people taking up the CH profession due to its massive advantages. The ability to call out three rancors at master level made a person almost invincible if they were armored and buffed. From the dev's stand point this was unacceptable. Any profession(s) that result in a major unbalancing of the overall system have to be corrected to prevent everyone from jumping in. Those of you who have played RPGs such as D&D, Rifts, Vampire the Masquerade know what I am referring to here. Whenthere aretoo my overpowered charactersthe endresult iszero diversity and an extremly boring game.
Another reason would be the fact that creatures were so strong in the wild it took the average player longer to level due to the risk of death. Group hunts were required to get any decent xp plus a medic to revive in the event of incapacitation. This is one of the pluses it brought to the game. People are now able to solo build their characters.
Directly linked with the statement above is the fledgling jedi system. Had corrections not been made to the system jedis would have taken alot longer to come into the game. This system is pivotal to the Galaxies experience. You simply can't have Star Wars without jedi. Doesn't work.
2. Why were we "balanced" so early?
This is self explanatory. If you recall the statistics that were displayed for each server during the first six months of gaming there was a massive amount of creature handlers.This in turn resulted in a natural imbalance within the core game.
3. Problem and Resolution:
Problem: Creatures are too weak/too slow. They use the same numbers that their wild counterparts do. This results in an imbalanced atmosphere. If they are weak in the wild what good are they tamed?
Resolution: A toughness modifier that was also suggested for the jedi robes. This modifier would improve both offensive and defensive capabilities. As you gain a skill box you would acquire points the same way you do with creature level limits. Why bother with yet another revamp of the system when the current system works? In this way tamed creatures would gain bonuses as the creature handler moved up in ranks. Organic is the term the dev's use. Well, this follows suit with their organic system.
Problem: Pet specials do very little against a buffed/armored opponent.
Resolution: Modifier works with these the same way it does with damage and natural defenses. Boost the effectiveness of tamed pets to bring them inline with player characters. Your CH rating will determine how much damage your pets do. But devs are not just limited to the actual damage done. They could also implimentunique abilities allowing advanced pet regeneration, armor piercing attacks, attack mimicking... Just to name a few. CH is a profession that has almost limitless possibilities. Just needs some fine tuning.
My suggestion is not the end-all solution for the problems. But it would provide those who are creature handlers a chance toenjoy the game againwhile allowing for future options to remain present.
4. Why don't we seeimmediate fixes in game?
When developing a game you have to consider the balance of the game first, then comes the programming part. Before the devs even modify a system they have to go over all the other professions to see if the changes will result in imbalances. If so, they have to work out a way to minimalize it. Coordination between professions is a must in all games.
Once they have the rough draft they proceed to the painstaking process of coding. Now for those who have not had the privilege of writing a client->server interface, its not a piece of cake. Yes there are plenty of coding resources as well as tools to help butthe code is still largely formed by the people writing it. I challenge anyone who thinks debugging several million lines of code is easy to try it for themselves. Then see how fast they go silent when someone trashes their work in forums.
Bugs are a pain in the butt... Pure and simple. The problem is tracking down the precise problem(s) causing them. You might patch a bug up in creature handler, fix something in teras kasi artista, come back and find your bug has reappeared. Been there, done that.... HATE IT!
If you want to do something right you have to take the time to do it right. Planning, discussion, Coding, discussion, bug testing + revisions, fine tuning, release.There are usually more cycles in the process but I have simplified it for easy understanding.
Always research the work involved in an undertaking such as this before slinging mud in someone's eyes. You'll appreciate just how much work has been put into a game like this.
5. Why has there been no attempts made at explaining the upcoming combat rebalance changes?
We all know they cannot discuss this. If you have never had to sign a non-disclosure agreement then its real simple. While under the terms of the agreement you cannot discuss, make reference to, or even hint to any information that it covers. Doing so can land you in court with stiff penalties. Large corporations like SOE, Microsoft, Symantec require these to protect their interests. Minors are no exception to this rule.
Now I can understand why the developers have held off on releasing materials. If the information they collected during the summit was merely the structure then expect tons of additional changes. Releasing that data prematurely could result in further user dismay/forum issues. As they said its not written in stone. Would you rather get a bunch of information that is already dated or wait for an official release? Choice is yours.
6. We have a right to question the developer's motives because we "pay to play".
Wepay for the privilege of playing the game.Thats it. The Usage Agreement when the client loads explains your rights as an enduser. Do take the time and read over it before posting.
Wedo not have the right to rant, slander, bash, or otherwise defamethe game or its staff.
Thanks to the developers we have had the opportunity to voice opinions on game mechanics. But this is at their discretion. What people fail to see is that this is a privilege not a right.
All software and data are the sole property of the perspective companies. Their code, their way. Simple as that.
Now we do have the right to report bugs, obtain customer service aid, and offer testing assistance when new features become available. We pay to be able to play the game, even when it has internal problems. Unacceptable? Then discuss it like a rational person or just leave.
7. Conclusion.
I feel this game has potential. Yes we have problems. Yes they have been going on for a long time.Do I agree with everything the developers have done? No...But as with all gaming experiences expectproblems. Some people will dislike what I have to say, some will agree. Thats up to the individual reading. But for those folks who have put the time and effort into providing this game with ideas deserve an applause. You know who you are. For those who wish to bash just relax, quit complaining, and enjoy the game for what it is... Just a game...
DarkJediLady
Thu Oct 07, 2004 3:45 pm
#13
/agree 100% with RobertGhent
I really enjoyed reading your insightful perspective on the problems and resolutions for the CH profession, as well as your explanations from a programmer's point of view on coding and the software development process. I agree with Tstorm, you should post more often!
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