test content
Logo
What is the Arc Client?
Install Arc
Content balance vs Class Balance
lukejones77
Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 282 Arc User
Right now (April 1), there's discussion which is basically about Content Balance, and several ways to address that.
At the end-game, there's virtually no challenge anywhere - no risk, and rewards that build very slowly.
The April Fool's Day post is talking about nerfing things that restore Content Balance - overpowered damage from an offensive perspective, and party invulnerability from a defensive perspective.
We absolutely need Content Balance, and the post explanations of it being far more practical to nerf powers than to boost content difficulty do make sense.
It's been a long time since we had class nerfs, and I'm guessing that the mass exit of players from game at time of the last big nerf is the reason for that. This was the CW nerf that happened the day before the that big PvP tourney. Following a long string of nerfs to the CW class, this seemed to be the straw that broke the camels back for a great many CWs, who disappeared from the game within a couple of days.
That's probably what's so clever about an April Fool's day post. You can test the water with nerf announcements, and if you get a reaction bad enough to likely cause exits that would effect the game bottom line - you have plausible deniability, and can just move on as if nothing happened!
My suggestion is that you must carefully work Class Balance in with Content Balance. I don't believe that people leave the game because primarily because their powers get a nerf. I believe that they leave because of where they sit in terms of viability compared to other classes. You can place a huge amount of time, effort and even money, only to find that it's wasted.
The game now officially recognizes 3 roles - healer, tank, and DPS. It's built right into the heart of concern for class viability - the queuing system constraints. If you don't heal, and you don't tank - then you are DPS. If you are The Anointed DPS Class (massive power, massive at-will DPS, strong, fast, outperforming other DPS classes with about 1000 less gear score - so quick and cheap to build), then lucky you!
If you are DPS and not The Anointed DPS class, then I suggest that the only reason you are currently viable is that the current content is too trivial, and parties can currently afford to take you along. But, when the Content Balance is fixed and non-trivial, expect that Class Balance to become very, very important.
The irony here is that the Lostmauth set benefits the Anointed DPS class less than the also-ran DPS classes. The also-ran DPS classes were forced to abandon their class sets (the ones where the belt benefited their abilities), because it gives so much more DPS than anything else happening for them. The Anointed DPS class will actually less affected by a nerf than the also-ran DPS classes.
Spot fixing Content Balance in the way described will go someways to fixing Content Balance, but will make Class Balance worse, in a way that will make also-ran DPS classes wonder where their fun in the game went.
I expect that when the Content Balance is finally challenging again, also-ran DPS classes are going to struggle for those invites.
At the end-game, there's virtually no challenge anywhere - no risk, and rewards that build very slowly.
The April Fool's Day post is talking about nerfing things that restore Content Balance - overpowered damage from an offensive perspective, and party invulnerability from a defensive perspective.
We absolutely need Content Balance, and the post explanations of it being far more practical to nerf powers than to boost content difficulty do make sense.
It's been a long time since we had class nerfs, and I'm guessing that the mass exit of players from game at time of the last big nerf is the reason for that. This was the CW nerf that happened the day before the that big PvP tourney. Following a long string of nerfs to the CW class, this seemed to be the straw that broke the camels back for a great many CWs, who disappeared from the game within a couple of days.
That's probably what's so clever about an April Fool's day post. You can test the water with nerf announcements, and if you get a reaction bad enough to likely cause exits that would effect the game bottom line - you have plausible deniability, and can just move on as if nothing happened!
My suggestion is that you must carefully work Class Balance in with Content Balance. I don't believe that people leave the game because primarily because their powers get a nerf. I believe that they leave because of where they sit in terms of viability compared to other classes. You can place a huge amount of time, effort and even money, only to find that it's wasted.
The game now officially recognizes 3 roles - healer, tank, and DPS. It's built right into the heart of concern for class viability - the queuing system constraints. If you don't heal, and you don't tank - then you are DPS. If you are The Anointed DPS Class (massive power, massive at-will DPS, strong, fast, outperforming other DPS classes with about 1000 less gear score - so quick and cheap to build), then lucky you!
If you are DPS and not The Anointed DPS class, then I suggest that the only reason you are currently viable is that the current content is too trivial, and parties can currently afford to take you along. But, when the Content Balance is fixed and non-trivial, expect that Class Balance to become very, very important.
The irony here is that the Lostmauth set benefits the Anointed DPS class less than the also-ran DPS classes. The also-ran DPS classes were forced to abandon their class sets (the ones where the belt benefited their abilities), because it gives so much more DPS than anything else happening for them. The Anointed DPS class will actually less affected by a nerf than the also-ran DPS classes.
Spot fixing Content Balance in the way described will go someways to fixing Content Balance, but will make Class Balance worse, in a way that will make also-ran DPS classes wonder where their fun in the game went.
I expect that when the Content Balance is finally challenging again, also-ran DPS classes are going to struggle for those invites.
0
Comments
They've stated that beefing the content is technically too challenging for them, and nobody wants to go back to those frustrating days of constant bugs. Another bout of that would probably kill the game.
If they nerf cleverly, they *can* scale the difficulty up, without encouraging/forcing people to respec in expensive ways. It's simply harder all-around. Let's hope that's what we get.
Signature [WIP] - tyvm John
And PvP with the D&D IP is a no-win scenario.
D&D is supposed to have unbalanced classed because they're unique skill-sets/abilities bring survivability and adventure to the group. But PvP'ers are a good portion of the cash cows (and a very vocal minority) so their constant bickering of `nerf this`, `buff that`, rinse repeat, spills over into the rest of the game.
Try pugging CN without a OP and you will have a "No More Players will join this queue" message on top of the screen before long.. It is sad that this game is now only meant for big guild end 3k+ players. Taking away the one thing that still helped smaller guilds and players below 3k is just dumb.
I have 3k Characters and find no problem playing EDemo, CN, Tiamat. When I switch to a character lower level than 3k (Same player same, game experience) I have 0% chance of doing EDemo, CN, Tiamat. I am in a small guild meaning It is near impossible to get a full Tiamat or Edemo group together (definitely on a regular basis). Take away the one option that helped us survive in environment designed for BIG guilds is just going to cause another exodus even worst than when they had that repeated nerf of the CW. It seems that "the Powers that be" only listen to their friends that are in big guilds and never take characters through the game on the live server using SOLO or small guilds. I really recommend they start doing that so they see why the majority of they're player base is unhappy.
RIP Real Tiamat, RIP Real Demogorgon RIP real Temple of the spider. Why remove non bis content to give to bis players ????
FORCING the majority of your player base to play 4 mod old dungeons and trial will have a bad result on player base
Changes are getting so bad i would rather prefer no new changes (RIP ICE FISHING in winter fest)
--
I'll never retrace my steps.
Some of my best friends are Imaginary.
DO any of you ever run (with your lvl 70) any of the "BABY dungeons" ? They are a walk through with no chance to fail. Most run them for the quick AD... but you get no other rewards as a 70. In CN/ToS/GWD you actually get decent rewards so yes, they should be harder.. but NOT impossible. Take away ANY chance to win, even with a 3k IL and this game will become what Mod 6 did to it.
I have a 2.9k CW that has gone through CN no less the 10 times and has NEVER WON.. players have quit on me because some of the other players were either to weak or we lacked a Pally, so I have completely given up even trying. Once the OP is nerfed, say goodbye to the Pally because a lot of them will be stored or deleted...
Tell me about it. Classes were implemented to fill most roles in one and got this and that bonuses to provide overly self-healing apparently have a lot to do with quest design and PvP. The pattern of quest design needs an reevaluation. Keeping adding soloing quests can only prevent classes from having class diversity and can hardly help the game to become more challenging and fun. And PvP might also need to be made a parallel world as if it is another game so that it wouldn't continue to affect PvE.
A SW fury and a SW tempt are two different animals: the former is an anointed dps, the latter is an unknown object despite some players are playing it and trying to make it viable.
Before the nerf, the main meta was immortality and insane dps. Controllers, pure healers, even GF tank to some extent didn't have a relevant role in any party as it's hard to measure their efficiency when a perma-bubble and brutal dps are the only things that are needed.
There are intra-class paths that are dead or played by few players: there nerfs make this aspect even more visible.
Oltreverso guild leader
Maga Othelma - DC | Svalvolo - SW | Dente Avvelenato- GWF