Please consider giving to players the option to run dungeons and skirmish solo. Almost 9 out of 10 runs random groups are made up from freeloaders with no gear. I dont mind carrying them but I do mind when they make a run last 3 or 4 times as it would normally last by either staying afk, disconnecting, getting lost or just for the sake of trolling others.
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Any player who arrives at the boss gate 5 minutes ahead of the rest of the party, has obviously taken off and abandoned everybody else (and perhaps left behind mobs for the following players to contend with?).
Some players and I'm talking about speed runners who are only running dungeons for the AD's, are often only interested in the AD reward upon completion, not every other player is so cavalier as to their reasons for running dungeons.
Just because some players are faster or better able to dispatch opponents in a dungeon run, that doesn’t mean their reason for running the dungeon takes precedence over the reason other players run the dungeon.
If some players are frustrated or annoyed by players who don’t have the gear you think they should have or move as fast as you think they should, or don't have the patience to wait for the kick timer to expel a party member who actually deserves it – that sounds like a personal problem, not a game problem to me.
Just my opinion.
Just for fun why don't you create a new character, use only what gear and enchantments you can pick up doing regular game content, don't activate any of the player boons and queue for the Cloak Tower - then come back and tell us how long it takes to run a dungeon from random queue?
We got it the first time, you were able to get to the final boss gate in about 3 minutes and while you were standing there the other two party members arrived 5 minutes later, yet you would have us believe it was the other two people in the party who are the problem and not you.
From your posted statement, that was not the impression I got. If people want to buy three computers to log onto three different accounts or find some other way to be able to log onto more than one account at a time on the same computer to run a dungeon solo, more power to them. Nothing like people deciding to spending a few hundred dollars in real world money to make pretend game money.
By the way if this is what you're doing instead of kicking the other two charcters in the party out why don't you just have the other character as least run up and collect the contents of the chest at the end so they get at least some benefit from the run... oh I forgot, it's only about the AD's.
Disgruntled players can either resign from the instance and take the time out hit, or they can I believe still run private content without the AD reward.
However if players want their AD rewards for running dungeons or skirmishes instead of attempting to earn AD's in some other fashion (according to the Neverwinter Wiki, there presently appear to be about six or more different methods for acquiring AD's), there some "inconveniences" (not to be construed as anyone being "forced" to do anything) players have to be willing to accept.
I believe it has already been explained that previously under the allowed private/solo runs for AD's there were some popular content which required extensive wait times for most people wanting to run that content, the random queues appear to have resolved that particular problem, even if it has appeared to spawn other unrelated problems.
Higher level better equipped players have always "carried" lower level and less experienced players in group content, for example CTA content, this isn't anything new and there have always been some few players who appear to be taking advantage of the system (which I was recently reminded is more of an "exploit" than an actual "abuse") and other players in group content, so this isn't new either...
But the complaints about having to put up with those common exploits or abuses seem to have increased when some player's ability to more quickly and easily amass large quantities of AD's on their own was hampered - coincidence?
I think not.
The problem was extensive wait time for the un-popular content. RQ helps this problem and not the one that did not have problem.
However if some of that unpopular content is being accessed more frequently now than it was prior to the RQ, I'd say that problem has been resolved as well, but I'm not sure who would have the actual figures to support or reject either statement.
Where did you hear about that problem? What is the definition of "extensive"? 15 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes or something like half an hour.
RQ was meant to solve the 2nd problem. It was dev's man date. The first one was not the case because it was not a problem.
Did you have "extensive" queue time problem for any private queue for any dungeon/skirmish regardless solo or party before RQ? I certainly did not and also did not hear any complaint about that.
Presently having to run random queues necessitate having to run with a variety of other players with diverse character levels and gear scores... some players are now required to pay the piper instead of dancing for free as I see it.
As I mentioned, according to the Neverwinter Wiki there are at least six different methods for players to earn astral diamonds and all of that content is much easier for level 70 characters with higher gear scores to run than it is for pre-level 70 characters who are still leveling, many who have to complete those leveling dungeons as they are assigned to them to complete certain content... but higher level players, even players with gear scores in quintuple digits like to run random queues because for them it is quick and easy, I understand that but one might think being able to run a random dungeon in less than 30 minutes instead of having to take nearly an hour or more to earn the same amount of AD's in other content would be accompanied with a lot less bellyaching... not so apparently.
This one? https://neverwinter.gamepedia.com/Astral_Diamond
I tried to count 6 from that page. Do you mean these 6 (or 7)?
1. Salvaging certain items in Protectors Enclave.
2. Rough Astral Diamonds can be acquired by completing skirmishes, dungeons, and PvP (The Rough Astral Diamonds will be automatically sent to you after successfully completing the activity).A Kobold NPC named Rhix (Located next to Wylie's Wondrous Bazaar in Protector's Enclave) will inform you about this method of collecting rough astral diamonds.
3. Selling items on the Auction House.
4. Selling items from the Zen Store on the Auction House.
5. Selling Zen on the Astral Diamond Exchange.
6. Idols such as the [Jeweled Idol] given to Rhix (Acquired by spending Zen to open lockboxes) - 40k or 50k each depending on which lockbox.
7. Foundry authors may receive Astral Diamonds as tips from other players. Up to 500 Astral Diamonds may be given (optionally) each time a foundry mission is completed.
I don't think the #6 is still available. I also don't know which one "much easier" for level 70 besides #2.
There are other ways but they are not in this wiki.
I guess there is another wiki page.
Most level 70's can access and more easily deal with content where Rare and Epic items can be obtained and either sold on the AH or salvaged for RAD, many pre level 70 characters can't even access some of those areas let alone as easily deal with the mobs there as a level 70 character usually can. If you can't figure out what content can be more easily accomplished by level 70 characters -vs- pre level 70 characters, maybe it's because you aren't trying.
Second, that wiki page is out-dated and I hope people do not believe these are the ways to earn alternative AD (except the first 3). That was why I suspected there might be another web page.
Sure, some of them can be useful but buying stuff using Zen to sell? Buy Zen using $, sell Zen to buy AD? Making Foundry and earn tips? Playing Foundry?
Well, I guess they can work but I don't consider them as a normal regular way (except the first 3) for most players.
I honestly asked if there is another wiki page because that wiki page for sure does not list many other ways to earn AD when it should. I noticed it was updated in 2018.
Now, I know there is no such web page.
Odd I've done both of those things just recently and I also found running with my level 70 character to accumulate items to sell on the AH much easier than trying to do the same thing with my level 32 character.
And as to the page specifically, it list 7 methods, as you pointed out one of them no longer appears to apply that still leaves 6 which is again exactly what I referenced in my post. Taking #2 as three separate methods (dungeon, skirmish and PVP) instead of a singular method, that would increase the methods on that one page to 9 hence the "6 or more" Then as you said there are more methods aside from those listed on that one page, Sharandar's Arcane Reservoir just for one... and again usually easier for a level 70 character to accomplish than most pre-level 70 characters.
As for the exchange it is a common concept, "buy low and sell high" a player can (if the exchange is working properly) buy lesser valued zen then re-sell them for more AD's than they were purchased for and tends to be easier for my level 70 character to attempt something like that as they usually have more easily obtainable AD's available than my level 32 character..
The foundry still exists, hence the opportunity to earn AD's for foundry content still exists and although that it too appears to be temporarily messed up, it does not disavow the possibility of earning AD's when the foundry is up and running, however on that one I'll concede character level probably doesn't make a lot of difference.
What you or I consider "the normal way" was never a part of the discussion until you just now brought it up...
Until now the discussion has been about how to earn astral diamonds - not how you consider the normal way to earn astral diamonds and for the most part I still maintain it is (usually) easier for level 70 characters to more easily accomplish most of those different venues than it is for a pre-70 character.
Continue to try to argue the point if you wish, but to me at least it appears you're losing ground.
Yes, you can spend $ to buy Zen to get AD (#4 in my list and not #5). But, it is counter productive as it is not exactly earning AD. Do you really consider that as a way to tell user to do so? We are talking about earning AD, right?
The exchange has stay as 500 for a long time. You can wait for it to go low once in a blue moon to earn a few AD difference but is it really something you would do normally?
Pushing ONE char to BIS or near BIS level takes more, then 100 million AD or the equivalent in time RP etc. Do you really think, that these players need RQ ADs, no. But taking away the possibility, to earn AD by using solo or duo que is annoying. This new que system rewards abusers and leechers and makes the legit players waste their time.
You dont like carrying alt number 43, bots or AFK leechers, stop using RQ or take the leavers peanty, this is your answer and obviously the answer of the Devs, too. The answer of most geared players I know is either leaving the game or not using RQ anymore. RQ a success story, but for whom?
I am in the category of "not using RQ anymore".
No one said anything about "spending $ to buy Zen" - I did however specifically say "buy low and sell high" and since zen can be purchased for AD's, the spending real world currency doesn't even enter into the conversation... unless by way of an attempted deflection.
And as I already mentioned I've purchased zen for a low price (I didn't say using AD's, but "using AD's") and sold them for a higher price and yes, I think that counts as "earning AD's", and yes it is something I regularly, or more accurately "frequently".
As to the actual technique, I'll let you figure that out for yourself.
The current top price of AD's in the exchange is not only irrelevant, but again seems to be little more than another attempt to deflect the current discussion to something else entirely.
And, selling in AH is #3 which is part of the first 3.
So for your updated:
So you are saying people can no longer get AD's from selling items on the auction house (#3-corrected)
No, I did not say people no longer get AD from selling items on the AH.
for the 2nd part of the question:
or by selling zen on the zen exchange (#5)?
I don't consider that as earning AD but you do and that is fine.
Earn is defined as obtain (in this case currency) in return for labor or services and since for each of those labors or services a person can obtain astral diamonds, that pretty much matches my definition of earning... I'm not responsible for your particular considerations of what earning is.