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On the Degredation of Roleplaying

benneffectbenneffect Member Posts: 6 Arc User
This thread has been created to bring issues to the attention of game developers, and to gather opinions of the Neverwinter player community. Please be respectful and contstructive if you have input.
After weeks of a friends' pestering, I finally gave Neverwinter a try. It is my second MMORPG, preceded by Star Wars The Old Republic. Star Wars was fun, but Neverwiner was much more enjoyable to me. The main reason I liked Neverwinter was this: there were scores of paths you could take. Each class has dozens of choices to make when making and progressing your character, providing many styles of gameplay for any scenario, and multiple ways to role play. However, this amazing variety has been tarnished by the recent release of new content and the reworking of epic dungeons. The New dungeons restrict freedom of variation in gameplay, and the the new high-end armor is severely lacking in uniqueness. Gone are set bonuses, unique armor types, and roleplaying is now narrow-pathed. I firmly believe certain changes need to be made to the current game version, ushering back the fun.
Before the new content was released, my gaurdian fighter (GF) character had three armor sets. Draconic templar for solo playing or damage, often referred to as DPS, because it had better stats for my damage output. For casual to medium difficulty group runs I'd use the tier one (T1) set Valiant Warrior to boost my goup's defence and power, and for the most dificult scenarios I'd equip the Grand Regent armor set to ensure survivability. This three set rotation displays a great feature many games dont have, which also is no longer supported by the current content: variety. Variety in set bonuses, and in stat variations. It all played into the ability to play different roles, or even different options to take for any role. A key element for adding uniquenes and enjoyability is now gone.
Consider yourself lucky if you played early and long enough to acquire these sets, as the bonuses can still be useful in certain scenarios. Considere yourself wise if you held onto them. Many of my friends and I miss this element. Though it can be said there just as many new sets of armor as there are old, all the new sets have a bland presentation; no unique names for different classes, and most of the new sets are simply meant to get the player geared up enough to attempt dungeons; though you will need to equipe and improve artifacts and enchantments first, too. The higher level dungeon gear is also lackluster, offering very little difference between the small number of sets available. It is part of the dissapointment which makes me consider abandoning this game. Bring back different skins and titles gained from equiping full sets of unique armor.
This change in available equipment is annoying, but not frustrating as the reworked dungeons are. The hardest dungeons before the massive mod drops required a very narrow approach for each group members' role, but there were other dungeons which allowed for more freedem of style. This liberty added a great deal of replay value, removing the feeling of running chores. Chores aren't enjoyable; it's why I don't like most RPGs. Games like this remind me of days past when i had to solve everyone's problem because they are inept, lazy or foolish. I want a game where I feel I'm progressiong myself, while still beneffitting my friends. To gain sense of accomplishment; not grind, grind, grind.
These newer epic dungeon versions not bad, but the lack of "free style" dungeons is dissapointing. It is no longer fun to go dungeon delving, it's the daily chore. Do the dishes, take out the trash, run your dungeon. If you're lucky enough to be the class of low availability, you are also lucky enough to aid your friends by turning this benificial chore into a bore-fest. Two hours of the same encounter and at-will powers, no changes. I'll provide my GF as example, again.
My Gf always runs Knights' Valor (KV) in order to increase the survivability of my group members. Less worry for DPS characters means more DPS, but comes at a cost. If my GFs shield isn't up, it'll die enough times to give my whole party maximum injury status. Thus my gameply is drastically restricted. I now practically need to ensure the other two encounter powers restore stamina, else the shiled will drop. All powers need to focus on survivale, with very little wiggle, and a small margin allowed for error. But, be wary, that error will cost an injury kit; because the update brought buggs. The dungeons are mostly ok, excepting Cragmire Crypt's final boss fight.
ARC jus simply needs to bring back content variety. Not just produce old grinds with new skins. Christmas and the three month season of ne video game releases is now, and many paying gamers will not enough fondness to return to Neverwinter.
Does anyone else have similar or opposing thoughts? Please post if so. I also encourage posting of links to thread concernig game-play styles.

Comments

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    fastandfrivolousfastandfrivolous Member Posts: 52 Arc User
    My favorite time for a char is between lvl 1 and 20ish. You get significantly more stronger and focused (going up a lvl makes a big difference), lots of times you get drops that are actually useful, and skirmishes are mildly challenging but you have to be asleep at the wheel or in overlapping red zones to ever take any noticeable damage.

    Seems like as you get higher up, everyone gets all uptight about item lvl and all of the exploration and experimental (just trying things for fun or to see what happens) get all stripped away. I dunno, it all comes down to oersonal preference, but have to agree that it would be nice if there was somewhat less focus on AD and max gear when you get in the higher lvls...
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    rockstargfurockstargfu Member Posts: 423 Arc User
    Ya this game is moving towards challanging which i like

    (Unless you enjoy being carried my Bubble Pallys and thier step child the cleric)

    I rock a GF and donr find survivability issues and boost teams dmg output alot.

    Good fun, its a stradegy game
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    destrowoddestrowod Member Posts: 484 Arc User
    Most players on this game agree that MOD6 is a mess and potentially a game killer for this game. The new content is fun sure, storywise its good !! but the increase of difficulty for dungeons, well of dragon and the removal of AD in a lot of stuff make the game now a choir.... I feel i can't really progress my GF in the current state, i was sadly not playing that much in the first months i got my X1 due to other games i wanted to do. Then i started playing NW a lot but by time i reach lev 60, the expensions and MOD6 came like 2 weeks after, so i never had time to enjoy WOD and the lev 60 epic dungeons and stuff, and even if i did... sadly the achievement was glitched anyway...

    Honestly i am at a crossroad right now. My first month VIP is running out in a couple days, and im thinking about

    1) Stop playing this game altogether
    2) Casually play and forget the T2 dungeons and highter(too hard) game stuff
    3) Give it another month and wait... (but im thinking about converting my AD that i stashed before MOD6 on my secondary (yes with leadership duh) on VIP rank 2 and not putting real money. I was saving this for a good mount... as i feel 30$ of real money is ridiculous... im never gonna pay this.
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    armadeonxarmadeonx Member Posts: 4,952 Arc User
    I think the new T2 dungeons need to be regarded as real end-game stuff and should be avoided until you have all your boons done, all artifacts to at least purple, done your customised jewellery, shirt & pants, at least a full set of T1 armor (going to T2 dungeons for the T2 armor ofc) or pvp Burning. Ofc you can bypass this with Dragonflight armor once guilds have their strongholds up.

    Also, your primary skills should have 4 points, your RI to 61% for dps or 41% for non-dps and Defence of at least 6.5k for squishy classes.

    I understand the point about players using fixed formats but they have to if everyone is under 3k IL. Imagine running dungeons where the average is 3.5k..? Then you can start to get creative.
    Please Do Not Feed The Trolls

    Xael De Armadeon: DC
    Xane De Armadeon: CW
    Zen De Armadeon: OP
    Zohar De Armadeon: TR
    Chrion De Armadeon: SW
    Gosti Big Belly: GWF
    Barney McRustbucket: GF
    Lt. Thackeray: HR
    Lucius De Armadeon: BD


    Member of Casual Dailies - XBox
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    arashjamarashjam Member Posts: 29 Arc User
    I have a CW and a DC (haste). imo the game has absolutely become ridiculous. My DC with two pally can do any dungeon in around 20 minutes without even using an injury kit. We are simply invincible. But with any other group it's hard as hell. I have to use way too many kits and if we are lucky and glitch the boss, we win. This is sooooo unfair to other characters. Before MOD6 everything was more level. You could do almost any dungeon with almost any group of good players. Now bubble pally and DC get all the stuff easily and the rest should be lucky enough to accompany them to get something out of it. I know some would say they have done the dungeons without pally and it is definitely doable but it's so much more difficult and takes a lot of time.

    Now, even for my DC, it has become boring! Just do BoH, DivGlow and I don't even use Astral Shield anymore as it has no effect! There is no nobility in it. We die a few time but I don't even bother to dodge. How come it is so easy for some classes but for others you get one hit and you're done. In less than a day I got most of Elemental gear with my DC and I am even sending extra to my CW! Btw, there was a GF in our group who died more than 10 times while I didn't lose a shred of my HP. GF is supposed to be the tough one and take the hits but now it's useless as hell. Again, I am sure some are happy with their GF (I have one level 62) but I am just talking about how these classes should supposedly work (and they were before MOD6).
    All is lost.
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    raymond00713raymond00713 Member Posts: 312 Arc User
    Get a new group arash. People are getting geared. The option you describe is not the only one anymore. Dungeons are easy

    You guys that are having such difficulty may be trying to tackle content before you're ready. One mediocre player may be carried through t1, but it's going to be difficult to do that on t2s.. for now anyway.

    I'm not even close to best in slot (3k even item level) and things are getting out of hand with my damage. Imagine BiS SWs, GWFs and maybe a a buff class thrown in for fun. Ridiculous.
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    apathy408apathy408 Member Posts: 81 Arc User
    Well said Ben. What I will say is sharp and a few of the others really seem to be spinning their wheels and not doing themselves any favors. Lots of messing around and no serious character progression. Also, I really think sharp doesn't understand the kind of effort required to get your stronghold leveled up..... Or the amount of pvp required to progress the other side of things. For most of you the pvp won't matter but I know atmosphere plays and the new set bonuses are insanely good when compared to the boring burning HAMSTER we have now. If he hopes to remain relevant he will need a guild to help progress the pvp side of things as well as pve and that requires a ton of people. I've already told sharp that I would break my back to get you guys into paragon. Since I've been there it's improved the game for me substantially. Being able to breeze through my dungeons without having to wait an hour to assemble a group has made the game feel a lot less like a chore. Dailies now are the only thing that really bore me but I've considered just spending my time grinding ad instead and buying genie gifts. Soon I'm going to look what kinda ad were talking to buy my way thru the campaigns. Anyways Ben I hope it doesn't get too stale for you cuz while I do plan on playing halo 5 with you I'm not ready to bounce on neverwinter. I'm gonna stick it out till mod 8 and if this new expansion they're designing doesn't fix some of the bottlenecks currently in play then yes..... I will take my leave from neverwinter. You'll know when it happens. It will be the same day I get myself banned from the forums. :smiley:
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    drexcidrexci Member Posts: 93 Arc User
    Bring back:

    Dungeon delves
    Skirmishes
    set bonus armor
    Rhix daily quests, (I miss talking to that little guy)
    Protector weekly quests
    All the t1 and t2 dungeons
    The same salvage rate
    weapon and armor shards in chests and drops from bosses
    drops from t2 bosses you can actually auction.

    If you want to find out the state of the game go to the pc forums. I wouldn't be surprised if that's what these forums are like once people get through strongholds ie, complaints about it being too grindy, not enough dungeons, AD sinks, lack of making AD, class balancing. Considering there have been bugs in this game for years and mod 6 shipped with the same bugs when it shipped on pc months ago goes to show how little crypic care about the player base experience.

    The amount of recycling in mod 6 is ridiculous. I was wearing draconic armor on my cleric all the way to 70, did the t1 dungeons, got my seals and guess what I got for my troubles... My draconic armor back again with no set bonus!

    The t1.5 that drops from bosses in t2 dungeons is still draconic armor but blue!

    A lot of people will leave when fall out, battlefront and halo come out and I doubt the brutal monotonous lure of grinding rp for artifacts or resources in strongholds is going to bring people back.
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    deathbringer#1709 deathbringer Member Posts: 242 Arc User
    Too many issues, too many people leaving, too many people have already left, game is dying, game will be dead by years end. Which does suck because I like the game, probably because I can actually run everything with no issues.
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    benneffectbenneffect Member Posts: 6 Arc User
    Almost have full set of Elven armor now, still wish this game had more mid level content.
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    grandpaxxxgrandpaxxx Member Posts: 34 Arc User
    All I have to say... LTP GF is doing great I love him can do any dungeon fast and easy and no OP needed!

    Game is only shedding the weak players I say good!

    Don't let the door hit you on the way out.
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    kitaarkitaar Member Posts: 48 Arc User

    All I have to say... LTP GF is doing great I love him can do any dungeon fast and easy and no OP needed!



    Game is only shedding the weak players I say good!



    Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

    You can't be serious...

    Xbox GT Shredboy
    Neverwinter Toons:
    Archael 70 HR
    Stajans 70 GF
    Member of Timed Out
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    arashjamarashjam Member Posts: 29 Arc User
    My main concern is the balance. Classes like CW and GF (especially CW) have lost their importance. Nobody wants a CW now because of the nerf. Most of the times my CW finishes worse than any DPS class even when I have more ArP. Now with pally, no one needs the mobs to get frozen, just bring a DPS and they do the trick. Look at the LFG messages and you never see anyone asking for a CW. It's not fair at all. ELoL is designed so that it doesn't need a CW in anyway. No crowd to control! In Valindra Tower or Castle, CW does a good job, but in T2s the design is not that CW friendly! Also, Ice Wind Dale quests were so hard for me for the same reason (now with 2.2k IL it's easier though). You only get a few points to increase your encounters to fourth level and you put it on crowd controls and single targets don't get any naturally. But in Ice Wind Dale or ELoL that's the only thing that you need (especially when you want to kill those damn bears and yetis).
    All is lost.
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    xalorusxalorus Member Posts: 107 Arc User
    Well said Benneffect. Arashjam I totally agree my main was a cw until this update and I felt fine until endgame. LS seems to work when it wants and that was our means of survival. I have moved on to gwf now that it has some aoe choices (also with buffs). Maybe one day CW will be relevant again it sure was a fun class to play (yes bears 3 shot you even with 2.6 item level.) Also currently working on a OP and have a 61 TR I may run up for Pvp.

    I also wished we had more options for more epic gear as well. It seems to be very limited. We have all these mass expansions (I like new goodies but it can overwelm some) and a lot of nice amenities you would have figured we woud have had a ton of gear options yet the fashion industry seems to get more love. I also agree that the dungeons need to be backed off a little. I understand some expressing that you should be forced to gear out prior to running them and I do agree to extent. That being said I would like to be able to run with pugs instead of having to wait for my guild mates (believe me you aren't doing T2's and in a lot of cases T1's with anybodies and in my opinion runs should be difficult but not where common players can't come in and contribute effectively). I'm here to enjoy a game not go to work. I play this to escape that in my every day life.

    @grandpaxxx I hope you are a kid. Not sure any moral adult would belittle their peers in a not so subtle way with that kind of rhetoric. I never understood how a game can make a person feel as though they live on a more prestigious plain of existence with an empowerment that resonates from a controller.

    Tc and have fun
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    pedsnurse2012pedsnurse2012 Member Posts: 30 Arc User
    I find with those people that they need to put others down because they don't feel great about themselves. I think Ben has brought up great points. I have had the pleasure of running content with him and he's a great tank/cleric. If Neverwinter doesn't clean up their act, I feel that many great players like Ben will leave.
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    raymond00713raymond00713 Member Posts: 312 Arc User
    Arashjm that can be said about any class. Double pally doesn't need anything but double pally. There are ways to gain ground again if your concern is damage chart. You're a control wizard, though, so a happy medium is the best you can hope for. Classes like yours and mine (rogue) are not supposed to have the cake and eat it too.
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    kriptical1kriptical1 Member Posts: 284 Arc User
    arashjam said:

    My main concern is the balance. Classes like CW and GF (especially CW) have lost their importance. Nobody wants a CW now because of the nerf. Most of the times my CW finishes worse than any DPS class even when I have more ArP. Now with pally, no one needs the mobs to get frozen, just bring a DPS and they do the trick. Look at the LFG messages and you never see anyone asking for a CW. It's not fair at all. ELoL is designed so that it doesn't need a CW in anyway. No crowd to control! In Valindra Tower or Castle, CW does a good job, but in T2s the design is not that CW friendly! Also, Ice Wind Dale quests were so hard for me for the same reason (now with 2.2k IL it's easier though). You only get a few points to increase your encounters to fourth level and you put it on crowd controls and single targets don't get any naturally. But in Ice Wind Dale or ELoL that's the only thing that you need (especially when you want to kill those damn bears and yetis).

    I run an non traditional build on my cw, so my experiences might be different. Up until a week ago, I would have agreed with the lack of DPS. However, since then, I've finally raised a few stats, getting my gear score to the 2.5k range which has resulted in topping the paingiver more times than not. A happy surprise considering much of my damage gets spread out to the other classes. Granted a lot of that is how my timing is going that day. If I'm a little off I can be 3rd on pain pretty easily, but if I'm on its gravy!
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    grandpaxxxgrandpaxxx Member Posts: 34 Arc User
    xalorus said:

    Well said Benneffect. Arashjam I totally agree my main was a cw until this update and I felt fine until endgame. LS seems to work when it wants and that was our means of survival. I have moved on to gwf now that it has some aoe choices (also with buffs). Maybe one day CW will be relevant again it sure was a fun class to play (yes bears 3 shot you even with 2.6 item level.) Also currently working on a OP and have a 61 TR I may run up for Pvp.



    I also wished we had more options for more epic gear as well. It seems to be very limited. We have all these mass expansions (I like new goodies but it can overwelm some) and a lot of nice amenities you would have figured we woud have had a ton of gear options yet the fashion industry seems to get more love. I also agree that the dungeons need to be backed off a little. I understand some expressing that you should be forced to gear out prior to running them and I do agree to extent. That being said I would like to be able to run with pugs instead of having to wait for my guild mates (believe me you aren't doing T2's and in a lot of cases T1's with anybodies and in my opinion runs should be difficult but not where common players can't come in and contribute effectively). I'm here to enjoy a game not go to work. I play this to escape that in my every day life.



    @grandpaxxx I hope you are a kid. Not sure any moral adult would belittle their peers in a not so subtle way with that kind of rhetoric. I never understood how a game can make a person feel as though they live on a more prestigious plain of existence with an empowerment that resonates from a controller.



    Tc and have fun

    For one all I ever hear on these forums is a bunch of self entitled children complaining mostly! Instead of finding a way to make it work. If you can't do something or accomplish something obviously the game is broken. Instead of approaching the issue from another angle. No MMO is perfect glitches and issues happen you don't whine you find a way to overcome your shortcoming. If you don't like it then leave no one is forcing you to stay and whine. You post it let them know and move on. The Devs will know what's wrong but they have to approach it the right way, not your way. 80% percent of you have never written complex code and have no idea how small changes can screw up a lot if not done right.

    I didn't belittle anyone, the cream always rises to the top!

    I learn how the glitches happen so I don't get 1 shot. I know using certain items or certain powers can cause elite mobs to glitch and 1 shot you. Same way a certain combo of enchantments can kill a Player in just a few seconds.


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    zman81420zman81420 Member Posts: 972 Arc User
    arashjam said:

    My main concern is the balance. Classes like CW and GF (especially CW) have lost their importance. Nobody wants a CW now because of the nerf. Most of the times my CW finishes worse than any DPS class even when I have more ArP. Now with pally, no one needs the mobs to get frozen, just bring a DPS and they do the trick. Look at the LFG messages and you never see anyone asking for a CW. It's not fair at all. ELoL is designed so that it doesn't need a CW in anyway. No crowd to control! In Valindra Tower or Castle, CW does a good job, but in T2s the design is not that CW friendly! Also, Ice Wind Dale quests were so hard for me for the same reason (now with 2.2k IL it's easier though). You only get a few points to increase your encounters to fourth level and you put it on crowd controls and single targets don't get any naturally. But in Ice Wind Dale or ELoL that's the only thing that you need (especially when you want to kill those damn bears and yetis).

    Myself being a guardian fighter will have to disagree here. In fact I get harassed trying to go to bed at 230 am because I am the center cog of every dungeon run. And without success in CC from our CW making my job easier we would not be as successful. Every class is still relevant you just need to run with a guild that realizes this. I make eCC runs with 4 ppl no OP or healer all the time. Games not hard enough tbh. I always see chat spams for DC haste and 2x bubble, its for the lazy people of the game who are striving for easy seals. How do I get my easy seals by using no skill at all is ruining people ability to function on their own and being worth a damn when they run without it. We also have monumental fast runs just running a GF,OP,HR,SW,CW. If you need a guild you know where to find us!
    Guardian Fighter: SM Conqueror

    []Full Metal Witch[]
    4149 TiL
    Guild: (X1) The Legendary Outlaws

    "The Best of the Best"
    "Nobody does it better"
    #TLO BiS
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    sharpassassin1sharpassassin1 Member Posts: 70 Arc User

    Game is only shedding the weak players I say good!



    Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

    That's the worst possible attitude to have in an MMO as the size of the community is everything....the moment the player base dies is the moment funds stop rolling in and the servers are shut down. You will always have people who're unhappy with change or who don't agree with the direction the game is heading in...however the only way any MMO can flourish is with a large robust community.

    I learn how the glitches happen so I don't get 1 shot. I know using certain items or certain powers can cause elite mobs to glitch and 1 shot you. Same way a certain combo of enchantments can kill a Player in just a few seconds.

    The problem is you shouldn't need to.....I don't envy the devs job in coding these games, however at the end of the day the player base shouldn't have to rely on understanding glitches to achieve success.
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    armwaldarmwald Member Posts: 117 Arc User
    kitaar said:

    All I have to say... LTP GF is doing great I love him can do any dungeon fast and easy and no OP needed!



    Game is only shedding the weak players I say good!



    Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

    You can't be serious...

    A good GF makes everything easier. I wish we had more in the Guild....even one would be better ...lol

    2 examples

    1) PuG of ELoL team was HR, CW, DC, GWF, GF 3 runs in about an hour ( sorry I had to go as they cued for a fourth ) iLevel 1800 to 2700 it was the fasted I have seen the Scorpions killed as the tank kited one no problem and we burned the other ( almost as fast as the doublebubbles )

    2) Epic Malabog team HR 2CW, Pally, GF Ilevel 1800 to 2700 only one wipe at the first boss no wipes anywhere else

    Fighting dragons in Stronghold a good GF is key IMHO

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