With all this talk about whether or not preview should go away i think some things are being glossed over or not considered.
1. People give their free labor in testing the product because they love the game and want to support it even if they aren't cramming wads of cash down cryptic's throat. It is not about impatience. The dev team is small and maybe getting smaller as they are siphoned of to other projects and while it is not ideal it is the way things are so we donate our time to help a project we love so it can run longer. What is ideal and what is reality are different and i don't see cryptic devoting more resources to the project anytime soon, so players play test and pick up the slack. We are not forced to so i don't think us preview testers are really being exploited.
2. Preview gives content creators time to prepare the community for changes and give more detail than the devblogs do. I find the Devblogs sometimes leave out important details. Being prepared for change is better than being caught flat footed. If i had not put in my time one preview i think i would have just walked away the day i saw what was done to the game on launch day. Hell i still might, but it will be a less impulsive decision.
3. Informed Spending. The details available to us for through preveiw give us a good idea on what is or is not a good long term investment on live. People will know not to buy the chultan tiger since its benefits are being nerfed. If i dropped a bunch of cash only to be blindsided by my perchases being invalidated and there was no means to undo it i would be PISSED. With preveiw we have a greater chance of informed purchases though the information does not get to everyone so it is not prefect but it is better than having no idea.
Sure i would love to be rewarded in some small way for taking the time to test the game for them, it doesn't have to be much, a few zen, some keys or even a fist full of AD, but i am not really after that so i will gladly test anyway. I want information and i want to support the game. I also want to reiterate how bad of an idea it is to cut the power lists in half and de-incentivize solo play.
Ego etiam cupo recrari et amari diu post mortem meam I too wish to be recreated, and to be loved long after my death.
Yeah, I am am sensing some real defeatist attitudes here. It's fine to believe that if you are not "authorized" to control the game that you have no say and are just a number, a dot in a playtest matrix. But that is certainly not the truth, and I'm not sure why you are try to jam that idea at everyone else.
Firstly, any player help in playtesting is an extremely valuable asset to any game company. It really cant be underestimated. Luckily, enough players volunteer that a rudimentary job can be done at it.
Secondly, an open forum like this accomplishes many important objectives:
1) find bugs 2) gage player attitudes toward aspects of the game and its changes. This is used information, even if it does not result in a change a player is hoping for. 3) balance 4) players get a chance to improve their game while learning new things and getting a heads up on future content. 5) Devs learn and develop new ideas for future direction and change, and assemble mental priority lists and talking points.
Im sure there is a lot I missed. No one here expects their information to be acted upon in a literal immediate way, but that does not make suggestions meaningless. Far from it. The only limitations are time.
As far as Pay or Free... all players are valuable. The paying players are a little 'extra' valuable. Not one of us is indispensible. It is the totality of a player base that adds value to a game and helps self-advertise the game to others. A large, active, and happy player-base trumps money, because it is that which makes money possible. In otherwords, player base is the fertility of a field of dirt. Money is just the crop it is producing at the moment.
Feedback: Scaling in Barovia appears to be way off. On live server, I have very little issues with most of the mobs with any of my characters. On preview, my level 80 HR was chewed up by a group of scarecrows. If you're going to take away our lifesteal, please scale regular mobs in zones so that it isn't an issue. I shouldn't come anywhere near dieing to mobs that are no issue on the live server.
> @hercules125 said: > Feedback: > Scaling in Barovia appears to be way off. On live server, I have very little issues with most of the mobs with any of my characters. On preview, my level 80 HR was chewed up by a group of scarecrows. If you're going to take away our lifesteal, please scale regular mobs in zones so that it isn't an issue. I shouldn't come anywhere near dieing to mobs that are no issue on the live server.
Can you share your stats in Yawning Portal and Barovia?
Make sure to wait for the Bonding buff to kick in for each instance.
Obsidian Moonlight - Paladin Obsidian Oath - Warlock A whole lot of other Obsidian toons as well.
> Scaling in Barovia appears to be way off. On live server, I have very little issues with most of the mobs with any of my characters. On preview, my level 80 HR was chewed up by a group of scarecrows. If you're going to take away our lifesteal, please scale regular mobs in zones so that it isn't an issue. I shouldn't come anywhere near dieing to mobs that are no issue on the live server.
Can you share your stats in Yawning Portal and Barovia?
Make sure to wait for the Bonding buff to kick in for each instance.
even though i dont like how mod 16 changes the game. I spent $150.00usd on the mod 16 delvers pack (mainly for the rank 15 enchantmentx2 + toothsome) I spent another $250.00usd to buy all the enchantments i will need to thrive in mod 16.
price of an xbox one for a mod change it seems...
i have hope things will get better...
I hope things don't get worse..
Wow... Thats alot of money... It doesnt matter what ench u have, if u play lower content ur ench automaticly will be level 9 i believe they said.. Sorry to see u waste this much money
I have a CW who is 17.4 on live with all R14's. I absolutely will be benching her in the new mod. All of that effort and gear will go to waste.
Why? Simple. She's specifically built for CC and the mod absolutely obliterates her build. I tested it. Total loss.
On live, as a CC build, she relies on the ability to keep control powers up all the time. That's how squishy controllers stay alive. As such, she has a Will O' Wisp, Red Slaad, and Cantankerous Mage active to give control bonus. All of them -- yes, ALL -- will lose that bonus in Mod 16.
Now, bear in mind that all three also originate one way or another from the Zen store. I paid actual Zen bought with real money to acquire them, and specifically for the control bonus they give.
Poof. Gone. If any other vendor did that with something I bought I'd sue. Imagine if Ford decided to push out an OTA update to nerf part of my car -- say, to mess with my radio reception or make it less responsive. The car is still driveable, but the change is intended to annoy the hell out of me -- who knows, maybe I'll walk into the dealership and they can convince me to "upgrade" to a newer vehicle.
Boy, oh, boy -- imagine what would happen.
Having something you bought for a specific purpose taken away for seemingly no good reason feels underhanded because it *is* underhanded.
So, there's the one matter of losing active bonuses that are vital for my build to be in any way viable. That, plus the removal of recovery mean two things: her control powers don't last for squat and it takes an eternity to recast them.
Build: nuked. Obliterated. Eviscerated.
So Miri is a casualty of Mod 16 and will have to be benched.
So, dear devs, how do you think I feel about this impending forced retirement? Am I to be to tickled pink about it?
Take a wild guess.
Post edited by hustin1 on
Harper Chronicles: Cap Snatchers (RELEASED) - NW-DPUTABC6X Blood Magic (RELEASED) - NW-DUU2P7HCO Children of the Fey (RELEASED) - NW-DKSSAPFPF Buried Under Blacklake (WIP) - NW-DEDV2PAEP The Redcap Rebels (WIP) - NW-DO23AFHFH
My Foundry playthrough channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Ruskaga/featured
In terms of damage out put the only stat of these 3 that is on target is Crit.
That's not to say there are not problems with scaling (I agree), but if you are already below the level 70 ArP and Acc goal by a significant amount at level 80 it is only going to get worse once it is scaled. All 3 of those stats need to rise to 60k+, then when you go to the level 70 zones they will be scaled similarly to how Crit is now, and then the zones will be playable.
You may want to pass on HEs in Barovia while solo though, they are pretty harsh in what amounts to Vistani gear with Rank 9s.
Obsidian Moonlight - Paladin Obsidian Oath - Warlock A whole lot of other Obsidian toons as well.
I have a CW who is 17.4 on live with all R14's. I absolutely will be benching her in the new mod. All of that effort and gear will go to waste.
Why? Simple. She's specifically built for CC and the mod absolutely obliterates her build. Total loss.
I get the problem with the companions.
But I don't understand what you are saying about CC. Thaumaturge CC works great for playing Zones and Expeditions in my experience playing my 14k iL on live Wiz through. Arcanist is a different story.
Obsidian Moonlight - Paladin Obsidian Oath - Warlock A whole lot of other Obsidian toons as well.
I have a CW who is 17.4 on live with all R14's. I absolutely will be benching her in the new mod. All of that effort and gear will go to waste.
Why? Simple. She's specifically built for CC and the mod absolutely obliterates her build. Total loss.
I get the problem with the companions.
But I don't understand what you are saying about CC. Thaumaturge CC works great for playing Zones and Expeditions in my experience playing my 14k iL on live Wiz through. Arcanist is a different story.
She is a Thaumaturge. As I said, I tested it. She even has the Valindra set for extra CC. If a CC item exists, rest assured she has it. Six out of fifteen mount insignia are purple Insignia of Mastery. On live she is at or very near the theoretical maximum for control bonus. She has so much control bonus on live that I can't cast Arcane Singularity on anything less powerful than a Heroic Encounter enemy because it pulls so hard that it launches everything in all directions. On Preview, her control powers are pathetic.
Post edited by hustin1 on
Harper Chronicles: Cap Snatchers (RELEASED) - NW-DPUTABC6X Blood Magic (RELEASED) - NW-DUU2P7HCO Children of the Fey (RELEASED) - NW-DKSSAPFPF Buried Under Blacklake (WIP) - NW-DEDV2PAEP The Redcap Rebels (WIP) - NW-DO23AFHFH
My Foundry playthrough channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Ruskaga/featured
3
dread4moorMember, NW M9 PlaytestPosts: 1,154Arc User
> > @hustin1 said: > I have a CW who is 17.4 on live with all R14's. I absolutely will be benching her in the new mod.... > > Why? Simple. She's specifically built for CC and the mod absolutely obliterates her build. Total loss. > ...On Preview, her control powers are pathetic.
This is a good example of the false narrative re: "Mod 16 removes useless builds." The Meta shunned Oppressor builds. Not because they were bad... they work fine. But because they were not optimal DPS.
But here you have it: a player making choices. Opting for a choice that was not mainstream because he enjoyed it. Having choices (good, bad or indifferent) is an important part of a good MMORPG.
Hey about something that doesn't have anything to do with scaling: the Workshop isn't a location on the travel portals anymore. Is there a reason for that, or just to HAMSTER off more player, having to load the Protector's Enclave each time?
Edit: It appears that it's a VIP-only location, so of course not available on preview. Been VIP for ages and didn't check professions on preview for a long time, didn't see it before
Yeah, I know that, but it doesn't appear on the travel portals at the entrance of zones either that's my concern. Or was it since the beginning a VIP-only option on the travel portals?
In terms of damage out put the only stat of these 3 that is on target is Crit.
That's not to say there are not problems with scaling (I agree), but if you are already below the level 70 ArP and Acc goal by a significant amount at level 80 it is only going to get worse once it is scaled. All 3 of those stats need to rise to 60k+, then when you go to the level 70 zones they will be scaled similarly to how Crit is now, and then the zones will be playable.
You may want to pass on HEs in Barovia while solo though, they are pretty harsh in what amounts to Vistani gear with Rank 9s.
I am using exactly what the game his given me from quest rewards and from doing master expeditions. If I have to have "optimal" stats to do what used to be fairly trivial zone content, the game is borked.
I have a CW who is 17.4 on live with all R14's. I absolutely will be benching her in the new mod. All of that effort and gear will go to waste.
Why? Simple. She's specifically built for CC and the mod absolutely obliterates her build. I tested it. Total loss.
....
So, dear devs, how do you think I feel about this impending forced retirement? Am I to be to tickled pink about it?
Take a wild guess.
I have several toons in the same situation. I have a GF I completely built around LifeSteal, a TR built around Movement as well as a CC focused CW that had a LOT of recovery. For each I made companion purchases, pursued specific mount insignia and refined specific enchants - millions upon millions of RP dedicated to upgrading.
In testing these builds on Preview....ugh - the replacement bonuses for these builds are...less than optimal. And really, really boring. You can imagine how I feel about M16 then, at least insofar as these focused builds are concerned.
But on the bright side - I also have an HR archer build that still looks like he is going to be at least as good, if not better, on M16. And an SW that, with some tweaking, will also still be pretty viable.
4
adinosiiMember, NW M9 PlaytestPosts: 4,294Arc User
> @hercules125 said: > I am using exactly what the game his given me from quest rewards and from doing master expeditions. If I have to have "optimal" stats to do what used to be fairly trivial zone content, the game is borked.
That's the problem right there. You shouldn't blindly use every random drop and quest reward. You need to think, and only use them if they improve the stats you need.
Specifically, you have to prioritize stats, and maxing out ArPen should be at the top of the list.
> I am using exactly what the game his given me from quest rewards and from doing master expeditions. If I have to have "optimal" stats to do what used to be fairly trivial zone content, the game is borked.
That's the problem right there. You shouldn't blindly use every random drop and quest reward. You need to think, and only use them if they improve the stats you need.
Specifically, you have to prioritize stats, and maxing out ArPen should be at the top of the list.
And if I followed this methodology, i'd still be sitting there with my original level 70 BIS gear, getting my teeth kicked in while doing level 80 content. Sorry, but we're going to have to agree to disagree, I absolutely should not have to worry about maxing out stats when doing normal content - only when doing what is the current end game dungeon or skirmish should that be a consideration.
I read from dev blogs that recharge speed is a stat in utility slots and furthermore all weapon enchantments are basically the same. Lightning enchantment is the only chance for encounter cooldowns, which doesn't have 2% encounters cooldowns. Intelligence ability is all I have for recharge speed, which is artifacts is the only way?! How much will Elixir Of Fate and campfire do? Also dev blog stated adjust the curves down for growth room, which nerfs everyone. Also stated it keeps the game more healthy. How is it healthy by nerfing all players? Cryptic I can go pages how bad thought out Mod 16 is, but this is short version.
Mod 16 explained to people is cause and affecting upon many players. This Mod 16 is a cripple!
Where is recharge speed stat in utility? It was stated in dev blog, after I re-read it more carefully with my own eyes. So where or how?
can we have a toggle to NOT progress past 70? ie choose to level up or not?
^² Can I just stay lv 70 until I finish all campaigns? Because of the classes change I'm switching main and it's pretty obvious that the downscale made the game a pain for new toons.
Comments
1. People give their free labor in testing the product because they love the game and want to support it even if they aren't cramming wads of cash down cryptic's throat. It is not about impatience. The dev team is small and maybe getting smaller as they are siphoned of to other projects and while it is not ideal it is the way things are so we donate our time to help a project we love so it can run longer. What is ideal and what is reality are different and i don't see cryptic devoting more resources to the project anytime soon, so players play test and pick up the slack. We are not forced to so i don't think us preview testers are really being exploited.
2. Preview gives content creators time to prepare the community for changes and give more detail than the devblogs do. I find the Devblogs sometimes leave out important details. Being prepared for change is better than being caught flat footed. If i had not put in my time one preview i think i would have just walked away the day i saw what was done to the game on launch day. Hell i still might, but it will be a less impulsive decision.
3. Informed Spending. The details available to us for through preveiw give us a good idea on what is or is not a good long term investment on live. People will know not to buy the chultan tiger since its benefits are being nerfed. If i dropped a bunch of cash only to be blindsided by my perchases being invalidated and there was no means to undo it i would be PISSED. With preveiw we have a greater chance of informed purchases though the information does not get to everyone so it is not prefect but it is better than having no idea.
Sure i would love to be rewarded in some small way for taking the time to test the game for them, it doesn't have to be much, a few zen, some keys or even a fist full of AD, but i am not really after that so i will gladly test anyway. I want information and i want to support the game.
I also want to reiterate how bad of an idea it is to cut the power lists in half and de-incentivize solo play.
I too wish to be recreated, and to be loved long after my death.
Firstly, any player help in playtesting is an extremely valuable asset to any game company. It really cant be underestimated. Luckily, enough players volunteer that a rudimentary job can be done at it.
Secondly, an open forum like this accomplishes many important objectives:
1) find bugs
2) gage player attitudes toward aspects of the game and its changes. This is used information, even if it does not result in a change a player is hoping for.
3) balance
4) players get a chance to improve their game while learning new things and getting a heads up on future content.
5) Devs learn and develop new ideas for future direction and change, and assemble mental priority lists and talking points.
Im sure there is a lot I missed. No one here expects their information to be acted upon in a literal immediate way, but that does not make suggestions meaningless. Far from it. The only limitations are time.
As far as Pay or Free... all players are valuable. The paying players are a little 'extra' valuable. Not one of us is indispensible. It is the totality of a player base that adds value to a game and helps self-advertise the game to others. A large, active, and happy player-base trumps money, because it is that which makes money possible. In otherwords, player base is the fertility of a field of dirt. Money is just the crop it is producing at the moment.
Scaling in Barovia appears to be way off. On live server, I have very little issues with most of the mobs with any of my characters. On preview, my level 80 HR was chewed up by a group of scarecrows. If you're going to take away our lifesteal, please scale regular mobs in zones so that it isn't an issue. I shouldn't come anywhere near dieing to mobs that are no issue on the live server.
> Feedback:
> Scaling in Barovia appears to be way off. On live server, I have very little issues with most of the mobs with any of my characters. On preview, my level 80 HR was chewed up by a group of scarecrows. If you're going to take away our lifesteal, please scale regular mobs in zones so that it isn't an issue. I shouldn't come anywhere near dieing to mobs that are no issue on the live server.
Can you share your stats in Yawning Portal and Barovia?
Make sure to wait for the Bonding buff to kick in for each instance.
Obsidian Oath - Warlock
A whole lot of other Obsidian toons as well.
Why? Simple. She's specifically built for CC and the mod absolutely obliterates her build. I tested it. Total loss.
On live, as a CC build, she relies on the ability to keep control powers up all the time. That's how squishy controllers stay alive. As such, she has a Will O' Wisp, Red Slaad, and Cantankerous Mage active to give control bonus. All of them -- yes, ALL -- will lose that bonus in Mod 16.
Now, bear in mind that all three also originate one way or another from the Zen store. I paid actual Zen bought with real money to acquire them, and specifically for the control bonus they give.
Poof. Gone. If any other vendor did that with something I bought I'd sue. Imagine if Ford decided to push out an OTA update to nerf part of my car -- say, to mess with my radio reception or make it less responsive. The car is still driveable, but the change is intended to annoy the hell out of me -- who knows, maybe I'll walk into the dealership and they can convince me to "upgrade" to a newer vehicle.
Boy, oh, boy -- imagine what would happen.
Having something you bought for a specific purpose taken away for seemingly no good reason feels underhanded because it *is* underhanded.
So, there's the one matter of losing active bonuses that are vital for my build to be in any way viable. That, plus the removal of recovery mean two things: her control powers don't last for squat and it takes an eternity to recast them.
Build: nuked. Obliterated. Eviscerated.
So Miri is a casualty of Mod 16 and will have to be benched.
So, dear devs, how do you think I feel about this impending forced retirement? Am I to be to tickled pink about it?
Take a wild guess.
Blood Magic (RELEASED) - NW-DUU2P7HCO
Children of the Fey (RELEASED) - NW-DKSSAPFPF
Buried Under Blacklake (WIP) - NW-DEDV2PAEP
The Redcap Rebels (WIP) - NW-DO23AFHFH
My Foundry playthrough channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Ruskaga/featured
That's not to say there are not problems with scaling (I agree), but if you are already below the level 70 ArP and Acc goal by a significant amount at level 80 it is only going to get worse once it is scaled. All 3 of those stats need to rise to 60k+, then when you go to the level 70 zones they will be scaled similarly to how Crit is now, and then the zones will be playable.
You may want to pass on HEs in Barovia while solo though, they are pretty harsh in what amounts to Vistani gear with Rank 9s.
Obsidian Oath - Warlock
A whole lot of other Obsidian toons as well.
But I don't understand what you are saying about CC. Thaumaturge CC works great for playing Zones and Expeditions in my experience playing my 14k iL on live Wiz through. Arcanist is a different story.
Obsidian Oath - Warlock
A whole lot of other Obsidian toons as well.
Blood Magic (RELEASED) - NW-DUU2P7HCO
Children of the Fey (RELEASED) - NW-DKSSAPFPF
Buried Under Blacklake (WIP) - NW-DEDV2PAEP
The Redcap Rebels (WIP) - NW-DO23AFHFH
My Foundry playthrough channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Ruskaga/featured
> @hustin1 said:
> I have a CW who is 17.4 on live with all R14's. I absolutely will be benching her in the new mod....
>
> Why? Simple. She's specifically built for CC and the mod absolutely obliterates her build. Total loss.
> ...On Preview, her control powers are pathetic.
This is a good example of the false narrative re: "Mod 16 removes useless builds."
The Meta shunned Oppressor builds.
Not because they were bad... they work fine. But because they were not optimal DPS.
But here you have it: a player making choices.
Opting for a choice that was not mainstream because he enjoyed it.
Having choices (good, bad or indifferent) is an important part of a good MMORPG.
Remove all choice, and this is what you get:
https://www.arcgames.com/en/forums/neverwinter#/discussion/1246612/mod-17-proposal-nw-gauntlet
I am Took.
"Full plate and packing steel" in NW since 2013.
Hey about something that doesn't have anything to do with scaling: the Workshop isn't a location on the travel portals anymore. Is there a reason for that, or just to HAMSTER off more player, having to load the Protector's Enclave each time?Edit: It appears that it's a VIP-only location, so of course not available on preview. Been VIP for ages and didn't check professions on preview for a long time, didn't see it before
Or was it since the beginning a VIP-only option on the travel portals?
In testing these builds on Preview....ugh - the replacement bonuses for these builds are...less than optimal. And really, really boring. You can imagine how I feel about M16 then, at least insofar as these focused builds are concerned.
But on the bright side - I also have an HR archer build that still looks like he is going to be at least as good, if not better, on M16. And an SW that, with some tweaking, will also still be pretty viable.
> I am using exactly what the game his given me from quest rewards and from doing master expeditions. If I have to have "optimal" stats to do what used to be fairly trivial zone content, the game is borked.
That's the problem right there. You shouldn't blindly use every random drop and quest reward. You need to think, and only use them if they improve the stats you need.
Specifically, you have to prioritize stats, and maxing out ArPen should be at the top of the list.
Mod 16 explained to people is cause and affecting upon many players. This Mod 16 is a cripple!
Where is recharge speed stat in utility? It was stated in dev blog, after I re-read it more carefully with my own eyes. So where or how?
honestly I'd be a lot better about these changes if i could halt my progress and just play as a 70 on most toons and like take one to 80.
Can I just stay lv 70 until I finish all campaigns? Because of the classes change I'm switching main and it's pretty obvious that the downscale made the game a pain for new toons.