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it was the best of times...It was the worst of times

rockkk52rockkk52 Member Posts: 19 Arc User
I'm bored because the game server is down atm and i have been reading some forum posts. The strong reactions are very interesting. Some say they love it and some say they hate it. Some say it caters to elites and ignores the new players. My personal opinion is that I'm finally thankful for some content that needs mechanical knowledge and implementing skill, not just gear and stats. I haven't cleared it yet as i have been working a lot lately but ill try my hand at it over the weekend. I have also heard some things said about elitists that do a lot of testing and preview/closed beta work. About how they have helped the game so much so why shouldn't they use their knowledge to their own beneift. Well i personally haven't seen any good the elitist do for the community. They use all their knowledge gained during for personal gain and status. I love how their were "exp" party requests on day 1 of the trial dropping on live. I guess even the gaming world is getting to be cutthroat. It's why i only run with friends. At this point in the game all i care about is running with good ppl, whether we clear at top speed or not. So to finish its not cryptic's fault that the game is turning out this way. I say keep making challenging content. There's not much that can be done with this current top tier elite.
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Comments

  • arazith07arazith07 Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 1,719 Arc User
    I for one am very appreciative of all the hard work that people like @micky1p00, @thefabricant, Rainer, Viral, and all others that I missed who spent all that time in preview testing, for writing out in depth guides, streaming dungeon how to runs, and for trying to put up with the community who repeatedly questions/trolls everything they do.
  • karvarekarvare Member Posts: 264 Arc User
    I have no idea what was said, and I don't care. Thanks to all of y'all for the work done previewing the skirmish. With out y'all it would be so much harder for those that follow.
  • lantern22lantern22 Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 1,111 Arc User
    Big difference between elite players and elitists

    Any scrub can spam the channels asking for 26k exp players only, doesn't make them an elite player themselves.

    Who cares if some players want to exclude others from the group they are forming? Whether its IL, class etc. - its a free world, they have that right. Form your own group if you don't like it.

    Also, its just a game, chill out ppls
  • devilxjkdevilxjk Member Posts: 97 Arc User
    edited August 2019
    " thankful for some content that needs mechanical knowledge and implementing skill" yes i love this fight,

    BUT i can only see a BIG GEAR check...a lot of stats (HP)(take a legendary mount to play a content isn't fair), a Class check for specific role, and i cant see over cause i cant go over this wall.

    before releasing the trial, they would have to balance classes, There are no excuses for this mistake.

    p.s. MOD17 without the trial is totaly empty, there's no content, 0!
  • planestrider#4331 planestrider Member Posts: 60 Arc User
    Exactly @lantern22: elite players are simply very good players, elitist players are the ones who feel themselves soaring above the lousy masses who cannot play the game or complain about the game being broken.

    That does not make the game any better in these respects. The majority of these "lousy masses" does understand the rules fairly well, but the game feeds them false information (ilvl for queues / dungeons / areas) and hopes (broken classes, balancing totally off). Yet if they follow the information and hope to end up in a group which actually allows them to run new content at all and get a chance on the gear they need in order to run it themselves at a better ilvl, then being shunned by elitists who only hoped for a quick run and blame them (the latter is the actual point which makes one elitist: "lowlevel players are at fault") their patience also runs thin.

    I understand why yours runs thin @micky1p00, but please consider that others are no better off and the game is still broken. The only difference is that you have the level to beat it, others do not, feel left out, shunned and even blamed up to "dumb bunch of idiots", and while now and then a group is actually unable to grasp a fight's mechanics, most know them and still fail. It's easy to turn on them instead of pointing at the actual problem when the latter means to question one's own state in comparison to these lowlevel critters. For if the game were fair, they could beat it, they have the ilvl and grasp the rules. The elite player's progress would be diminished in comparison. And elitists are the ones who cannot live with that.
    I don't want to call you out as one, I'm honestly ambivalent about the way you address others in this matter and I don't want to kill this discussion by being offensive; I simply want to point out what widens the gap between elitist (sic) players and those who threaten their lofty position while having so much less level.
    It's not like the low level alone causes some to fail or not even being able to give a try and thus learn about mechanics, it's also that many leave without even that or kick them immediately from a group. This would not happen if the game would not give false information and leave them to deal with bad balancing, feeling inept even without some conversational brick aiming censored words at them in the chat or being passive aggressive for the whole run.

    This is a multiplayer game, it requires a certain amount of fairness from the game itself. If the system is unfair, so will be its players.
  • tom#6998 tom Member Posts: 952 Arc User

    Exactly @lantern22: and while now and then a group is actually unable to grasp a fight's mechanics, most know them and still fail. It's easy to turn on them instead of pointing at the actual problem when the latter means to question one's own state in comparison to these lowlevel critters. For if the game were fair, they could beat it, they have the ilvl and grasp the rules.


    Show me a group that has the IL, plays all the mechanics perfectly, and doenst finish it. Also its about how u use that 24k IL, so if someone builds his character in the worst way, and reaches 24k IL should he be able to finish it?
  • lantern22lantern22 Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 1,111 Arc User
    edited August 2019
    tom#6998 said:

    Exactly @lantern22: and while now and then a group is actually unable to grasp a fight's mechanics, most know them and still fail. It's easy to turn on them instead of pointing at the actual problem when the latter means to question one's own state in comparison to these lowlevel critters. For if the game were fair, they could beat it, they have the ilvl and grasp the rules.


    Show me a group that has the IL, plays all the mechanics perfectly, and doenst finish it. Also its about how u use that 24k IL, so if someone builds his character in the worst way, and reaches 24k IL should he be able to finish it?
    No, you shouldn't be able to complete the hardest content in the game unless you have the gear, the build and the brains to beat it.
  • planestrider#4331 planestrider Member Posts: 60 Arc User
    tom#6998 said:


    Show me a group that has the IL, plays all the mechanics perfectly, and doenst finish it. Also its about how u use that 24k IL, so if someone builds his character in the worst way, and reaches 24k IL should he be able to finish it?

    If you only consider 24k, you've missed the point completely.

    I could name you many groups I ran dungeons with as the weakest dps: Went through Ravenloft like a knife through butter, failed at the boss. The others three ranged from 22.5 to 24.5k, the game implied that I, at 19.5 back then, should be able to do it ... actually it said 15k (Mod 16). All were informed on the mechanics or already beat Strahd a couple times. It wasn't possible in the least this time.

    I went with mediocre up to good groups (18-24k) through ToNG several times. After Mod 17, it was no possible any more to beat Ras Nsi with a group of four of 21k+ and me at 20.5k. The dungeon said 16k earlier, now 17k. Excuse my hollow laughter. I love this dungeon, but its balancing is so off that it frustrates most people. Oft enough players quit on entering.

    I went on a three-hour run with all weakling characters (below 22k) through Master Spellplague Caverns once. It worked, the boss needed merely two tries. (This one is in my opinion a serious RAQ dungeon). Still, the threshold which the game sets is much too low.

    What I'm leaving out here are the random parties in which someone does not read the chat, rushes forward alone and leaves all others to deal with critters, only to leave annoyed. There are enough others who actually failed at bad balancing; including the ones where everyone quits instantly since the game constantly provides groups with a much too low, but proclaimed "minimum" item level. This drives players apart from each other and pisses of everyone. This is why RAQ is as dead as a zombie without a necromancer.
  • lantern22lantern22 Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 1,111 Arc User

    tom#6998 said:


    Show me a group that has the IL, plays all the mechanics perfectly, and doenst finish it. Also its about how u use that 24k IL, so if someone builds his character in the worst way, and reaches 24k IL should he be able to finish it?

    If you only consider 24k, you've missed the point completely.

    I could name you many groups I ran dungeons with as the weakest dps: Went through Ravenloft like a knife through butter, failed at the boss. The others three ranged from 22.5 to 24.5k, the game implied that I, at 19.5 back then, should be able to do it ... actually it said 15k (Mod 16). All were informed on the mechanics or already beat Strahd a couple times. It wasn't possible in the least this time.

    I went with mediocre up to good groups (18-24k) through ToNG several times. After Mod 17, it was no possible any more to beat Ras Nsi with a group of four of 21k+ and me at 20.5k. The dungeon said 16k earlier, now 17k. Excuse my hollow laughter. I love this dungeon, but its balancing is so off that it frustrates most people. Oft enough players quit on entering.

    I went on a three-hour run with all weakling characters (below 22k) through Master Spellplague Caverns once. It worked, the boss needed merely two tries. (This one is in my opinion a serious RAQ dungeon). Still, the threshold which the game sets is much too low.

    What I'm leaving out here are the random parties in which someone does not read the chat, rushes forward alone and leaves all others to deal with critters, only to leave annoyed. There are enough others who actually failed at bad balancing; including the ones where everyone quits instantly since the game constantly provides groups with a much too low, but proclaimed "minimum" item level. This drives players apart from each other and pisses of everyone. This is why RAQ is as dead as a zombie without a necromancer.
    yes but if they set the IL requirement too high, then it means that good parties can't carry a "newb" friend through and help them gear up

    there is no perfect answer that will suit everyone

    just deal with it, its a game
  • jules#6770 jules Member Posts: 709 Arc User
    edited August 2019
    There is plenty of content that so many new or rather new players are already neglecting, simply because the access to "endgame content" until now (Lomm, MEs, the new MEs with different drops) was far too easy in M16.
    There are people running Lomm that have never seen Shar, Dread, Chult.
    In my opinion tomm is a good thing in this regard.
    But to assume that a big part of the playerbase will be completely okay with having no real access to the only really new content in quite a while is faulty in my eyes.
    There are enough people that could theoretically run it (stats, IL, class for dps) but won't. And thats not because they are some idiots that won't learn <font color="orange">HAMSTER</font> for themselves...

    For me, even tho I have been around sometime and do have a 24k+, there was talk I call elitism simply because there was talk like... Its a walk in the park to get 3 R15 Bondings, you get all the necessary gear through content, everybody already got all boons, if you run out of AD gearing up for tomm you don't understand the game. Stuff like that.

    Not everybody got the time, the resources, the group.
    And while its fine imo to have content for already maxed chars with all r15, a leg power mount and a lot of shiny things that are worth a lot of grinding, the newer content for other people is pretty much nonexistent. I got the message, yeah, just run MEFEWE and whatever til I get some drop to make up for it (unlikely) and bore myself out of the game.

    But yeah, I just got to wait... And get lectured to gg and suck it up til then.
    - bye bye -
  • planestrider#4331 planestrider Member Posts: 60 Arc User
    edited August 2019
    @lantern22, I don't want them to set the requirement up. Right now it is, in my experience, in the most criticised dungeons impossible to carry a newb through; ToNG, CoDG, CR, Manycoins, I think I forgot one. CR is imo the worst, considering that it has the highest discrepancy between requirements and the actual need of IL.

    LoMM is also a problem: Entering it at 20k usually has the rest of the group leave / laugh / get miffed and telling one to leave. Rightfully so, since it's impossible to get past Arcturia with just two 20k players in the group.

    What the devs need to fix is this discrepancy, and if they decide that dungeon content actually levels with the players who are currently in the instance (above a minimum). Yes, it's hard to get that done and balanced, but unlike the current content, it's at least possible to provide a challenging and fun experience to all who are supposedly able to play that content. Right now, it's blocked for the "lowlevel" players by an immesurable grind, and a fixed level for an endgame dungeon comes along with the problem that it will always be too hard for some and too easy for others. The system for these dungeons is broken in its very core.

    Personally, while I agree that it is "just a game", I find it haughty by someone who does not face these difficulties to tell this to others who lose their fun playing. I don't mean to personally critizise you, but to point out that it sounds like "stop complaining, just eat what's thrown your way", with the follow-up problem that this only encourages people to eventually leave. And I guess that's something nobody wants, least of all the devs.

    @jules, thanks!
  • micky1p00micky1p00 Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 3,594 Arc User
    edited August 2019


    That does not make the game any better in these respects. The majority of these "lousy masses" does understand the rules fairly well, but the game feeds them false information (ilvl for queues / dungeons / areas) and hopes (broken classes, balancing totally off).

    I'll refer to two types of information, one is the overall, class, game mechanics, etc:

    The game has its information, but there is a limit to spoon feeding, the information is there, a google click away, or a question away.
    You need basic mechanics? NP.
    You need dungeon? NP.
    A class guide / build? You have those.

    Long ago, in general, any good information was really hard to come buy, expensive books, or go drive hours to a major library, or find some expert in whatever you look for. From specific fields, to even cooling recipe. Today?! Everything is a click away, so to blame any lack of information is just an excuse, absolving the person from any responsibility for the failure.


    The second will be, item level requirements, etc.:

    I don't see why it is false information, if a queue says it has some minimal requirement, does it mean that every group as this item level must complete it at the allotted time?
    Information has context, and inferred things, what it says and what it doesn't, it is a minimal requirement, set by some goal/average, for which the devs even didn't have a good telemetry system for years, but it is not a contract, have this and you get that.


    Balancing:
    True, and for a very long time I was posting repeatedly, that class balance should be much more frequent with much finer changes. Not a sledge hammer with a whole rework that leaves one class top of the hill for 6 mods and another in she slums.


    But whatever class issues there, there is room to adapt, or at least try, when a group can do phase 1 without deaths, gets all the gear it can get, synergyzes all the debuffs and can't get past phase 2, then it's time to look to classes and skill, but I don't see any group in that state.
    More so, in many groups who are open minded, there is compromise... swap role, swap class if a person players several, etc.. to allow their friends and them for a better chance. Ofc within the limits of each person capability, investment, and agreement.


    Yet if they follow the information and hope to end up in a group which actually allows them to run new content at all and get a chance on the gear they need in order to run it themselves at a better ilvl, then being shunned by elitists who only hoped for a quick run and blame them (the latter is the actual point which makes one elitist: "lowlevel players are at fault") their patience also runs thin.

    I don't get this "hope to get", every alliance I've seen groups without IL, guilds group without IL, there are channels that group without IL, etc...
    Everyone can form a group based on the criteria they set up. The fact that some people set some criteria, doesn't automatically makes it a "must have" criteria for everyone who makes groups.
    This became an excuse: "X people don't invite me", well let me tell you something, no one invites me either, and more so many mods ago, when I was a noob.
    We noobs, grouped up, and tried, learned, died, until we were no longer noobs. We didn't ask for IL then, and do not ask now.

    So it wasn't quick runs, until they were. This is how I've met most of the people with whom I still play.


    I understand why yours runs thin @micky1p00, but please consider that others are no better off and the game is still broken. The only difference is that you have the level to beat it, others do not, feel left out, shunned and even blamed up to "dumb bunch of idiots", and while now and then a group is actually unable to grasp a fight's mechanics, most know them and still fail.

    I apologize if there is some misunderstanding, but I haven't finished it, not even close, I fail like the rest who fail.
    But if you ask why I have been posting in favor of this content for a while now, because finally in my guild and friends have a good reason to login, to play together, to fail together.

    Oh And fail we do, repeatedly, and you know what.. We have fun while doing so. And that what matters.

    There is a goal, a reason to progress, gear, do stuff, for 16 mods now, I've always geared a step behind, mod4 BiS was 18k? I was 15k.
    Today 25k? I was 22k just enough to get buy with minimal needed investment, because why bother? Waste of time and resources. Now there is a reason to actually get things right, and not only for the sake of some title "BiS"


    It's easy to turn on them instead of pointing at the actual problem when the latter means to question one's own state in comparison to these lowlevel critters. For if the game were fair, they could beat it, they have the ilvl and grasp the rules.

    I sure hope so that if people have the IL, and understand whatever needs understanding, they can beat it, I'm counting on it to beat it.









  • micky1p00micky1p00 Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 3,594 Arc User
    edited August 2019


    The elite player's progress would be diminished in comparison. And elitists are the ones who cannot live with that.

    And here is one of the reasons why my patience runs thin.

    In the last mods, I've probably spent more time in-game and especially outside the game getting any needed information accessible and to promote people who are willing to actually learn and progress.

    Each page, test, takes hours, upon hours to make, paying for it, answering PMs, where people wouldn't even say "Thanks" after you spend an hour 1-on-1 answering them..

    But lets go further, other people, and look for the ToMM guides, and videos, class guides, how that argument holds any water???

    Really how? Where you or someone asked actual question, that is not answered in detail already and didn't get help? People do not look for information or help, they look to complain and blame others for their failure.


    I don't want to call you out as one, I'm honestly ambivalent about the way you address others in this matter and I don't want to kill this discussion by being offensive; I simply want to point out what widens the gap between elitist (sic) players and those who threaten their lofty position while having so much less level.

    Low level?

    Item Level? Where you ever saw me compare item level?

    Preview is gear free... You can get all the item level you want, try there. You know how many players I see there trying... yeah.... Maybe it's a time zone issue, everyone is trying when I'm not online.
    Live? Again when any single time you saw me make a group and ask an item level?

    Skill level? Where there was any argument that I'm mediocre at best. I've explained it multiple times.. bad reaction times, low APM, reason I don't play RTS anymore.
    But does it make me feel intimidated by much more skilled players? No. They good at one thing, I'm good at other things. And if I won't be able to finish the Trial with my skill level, then that is fine too, but it is my skill level that is the issue, not the world at large, and I'm enjoying the attempts.

    And I while we progress, there is hope.


    It's not like the low level alone causes some to fail or not even being able to give a try and thus learn about mechanics, it's also that many leave without even that or kick them immediately from a group.

    And Ironically this is done by people who didn't complete it, didn't spend time to learn the mechanics, didn't read a guide, didn't watch a video, and think that with better gear or more skilled players they can be carried.
    What is new? I saw this groups in mod0, and do not pug since.

    Yes, some people mentality sucks, or they have been "thought" by experience that this is how they get things done. Why are they even a discussion, those are not elite nor elitists, or anything.

    They. think, that some criteria will allow them to get it done, and without it they will more likely to fail, and that is it. There aren't many ways to measure success chances, Item Level is one of the only few.

    Am I saying that it is the best thing to do? no. Am I joining this tendency? Also no.. And so are many of those who do end-game. You just not see us make groups in zerg channels...

    My criteria is different, I'm looking for people who are willing to communicate, understand the common goal of the party, compromise where relevant, with patience, regardless of their item level, or skills, or what not..
    Does this criteria makes me an Elitist? If so then we are an entire guild of proud elitists, and I will wear this badge with honor.


    This would not happen if the game would not give false information and leave them to deal with bad balancing, feeling inept even without some conversational brick aiming censored words at them in the chat or being passive aggressive for the whole run.

    I 100% disagree. There will be always social issues. Class balance has nothing to do with this.

    "Please use smoke bomb to help the party on this boss" - "How dare you tell me what to do"

    middle of the fight "aggro" / "adds" - "How dare you not fluff this entire paragraph with 'please, if you may take aggro of me, these adds chasing me all over and I'm with 5 HP left, but only if it doesn't bother you, and on your free time, I wouldn't want to disturb you"

    There are always better build, worse, better choices, and worse, a game will be dull without choices, and there will be always discontent over those choices. Or capability.

    Nothing in the game will change this. Take few hours to play much more competitive team oriented and yet much more balanced games like Dota, counter strike etc..
    I will be very surprised If half of your pug party is not muted by by the first 15 minutes..


    This is a multiplayer game, it requires a certain amount of fairness from the game itself. If the system is unfair, so will be its players.

    No, this is the second thing (well sort off) that runs my patience thin. Yes people sucks. Yet we are all on the same playing field more or less.
    Some choose to blame the game (which indeed has more flaws than I can type in a single post) but some do what they can with what they have.
    In this case, I have X friends, with what classes they have and try the best to do get it done.

    Long ago, I didn't like that grouping that went in other places, the criteria, so I've made my channel.we didn't like how a guild worked, we made our own.

    And in many cases, we started with nothing, while today, the information is there, the channels are there, guilds are all over, yet, there are still more excuses of why we the world is unfair.
    Yes, it's unfair, but from there to posts like "DC is useless"? Really? Every run I organize I need to make sure we have a DC or I'm screwed and we are 9 (hopefully) people waiting to find one.

    So I'm sorry if I'm tired of this entitlement and whining, I would be the first to agree that classes need balance and many changes need, and oh.. I did so, and pushed for it, posted about it, for classes I haven't played, practically never, like GWF.

    But any such issues do not absolve people from getting whom ever they have, and try to form groups, go and try, learn, die, maybe gods forbid, to have fun.

    If there are so many people who get kicked, can't group and what not, group up, shouldn't they be able to form numerous groups on their own?
    I know they can, because that what we did long long long ago. But do I see posts of people trying to form such "training groups"? does anyone?
    I'm sorry if I missed it, I'm on most discord, reddit, forums, etc... and I don't see any (except the one with the requirements by a single person)


  • planestrider#4331 planestrider Member Posts: 60 Arc User
    edited August 2019
    @micky2p00, whatever you do outside the game is up to you and you alone. Nothing which other players complain about that game does have to do anything with it. This does not mean that I deem guides etc worthless and would not appreciate the work that goes into them, but I write this not only from a player's perspective, but also as former game dev (not this game). This means I try to figure out what might fix the issues for *all* players, and I do *not* consider content I have no influence in and can neither regard nor require ... that includes guides as well as preview.
    This is a major rule in game design: The game, and only the game, needs to provide everything, information, balance, fun.
    Additional content is still great and won't be rendered useless, since a game will never be able to provide as detailed information as a guide or video.

    I will not answer on every single quote due to time (that's why I play casual) and because I've experienced discussions like this to explode in every meaning but the fiery one; I don't mean to disregard your answers by that.
    micky1p00 said:

    I don't see why it is false information, if a queue says it has some minimal requirement, does it mean that every group as this item level must complete it at the allotted time?

    You added sth here which I never said: Time. My complaint is that the minimal requirements render the current dungeons impossible at all if only a part of a random group just fulfills them. With raq, this will happen all the time, so not only the dungeon is broken, but subsequently the queue. This is obvious, and no discussion that it is not like that and that lowlevel (I mean ilvl) players need to grind / wait / etc will change it. Please try not to twist what I said in order to make a point that never was the point.

    Do you want to forbid players to run a queue which *should* be possible for them by what the game implies, of which they can handle half of the content in an average random party, while the other (random!) half remains impossible? It's clearly not the players' fault, but the badly balanced content.
    I see that many discussions on the forums circle around the subject of entitlement and a gap between players with very high gear level and those below. And I'm still sure that, while I agree that we are all in the same boat and that social issues will always exist, the game itself needs to provide fairness through honest information and being fair to everyone: It's both unfair to imply something can be done when it's not true, and it is unfair to randomly throw a group together who cannot win - also unfair towards the players with 24k+. Yes, all are in the same boat. But not all are getting looked down upon, kicked on a whim from a party and called hamsterly things on the chat.
    People turn on each other when their surroundings and situation kindle such behavior, this has always been like that and will never change. The change can be made on the system, which in this case, means the game. This will minimize the amount of offensive and discouraging behavior.

    Casual players are usually the ones with the least time to grind and the most money to spend (since most of them have not much time due to work). In an f2p game, that's an important thing to consider.

    And one more note: I tire as well from entitlement of others telling me I don't understand a thing and whining about me naming the problems I perceive.
    If you may complain, so may I. That's fairness.
  • micky1p00micky1p00 Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 3,594 Arc User
    I'll reply to this post here, because it is on topic here, and off topic there:

    So this causes one major problem: Casual players may grind as hard as they want, they're left out. In theory, a random party needs to be able to run the content. All that happens otherwise is the same as here: Those left behind lifting their voice, and those who are able to run the top tier content (not all, but an obvious and loud amount) telling them to shut up, blaming them in the process.
    Seriously, the ingame situation is bad enough as it is, but comments like "the problem is you" and "do you have everything maxed out?", passive aggression, gaslighting and half-hidden provocation all over the place, really makes me want to quit. And while I'm aware that some people never change, the game in its current state is at fault as well due to its structures kindling such behavior.

    Is running means completing?

    1. No, by what premise a random group must be able to complete everything? Why is that mandatory?

    2. Left behind by whom? What prevents them from forming and going in.. Where comes this necessity to be "invited". Everyone want to be invited, but no one want to form groups..

    3. That thread was a blatant click bait and a lie. Look at the title.. So what reaction should be expected?! Want help? Ask for help? Yesterday I saw someone asking to join a group for ToMM training on one discord, I can't promise them, but If I have a spot, I'll be happy to invite them.

    4. Yes. Why it is so hard to accept that there is personal responsibility here too. Why people only look at external faults, but never on what they can do, or what they can change or improve. Easier? I don't know..

    5. I guess some people will never change indeed. Some will try do the best they can to make things work, while other only blame whoever..

    6. Challenge and failure surface up social issues. It is all nice and pleasant, until failure or hardship, this is not something special to the game or any other situation. But should we avoid any game challenge and ask for only mindless easy content just to avoid handling the need for any team work and communication? I hope not.



  • planestrider#4331 planestrider Member Posts: 60 Arc User
    Mandatory: Because it's what causes the current problem of raq, which I explained in my posting above (once more).
    During the leveling quests, the game tells: "This area might be too difficult" for a long time. Of course that's also but estimation, but it gives an idea. Yet if the game tells me that at 16k I can start trying my luck at CR, I want to do that. I wouldn't complain if I manage at least parts of it and can run with a much better group. But as it is, this is top tier content, so groups shun everone who keeps them from doing so.

    Try exchanging your gear for some 18-20k stuff and running raq frequently for a week or two, and you'll get the full experience I speak about, about being left behind. Now try to grind your way up without using your good stuff. Consider the time you're stuck without even being able to enter LoMM, and consider that you do not even know how long it takes since you've never done it before. That's the experience of being "left behind": Constant bad feedback. And that, again, is a big No in game design. (I don't say it should be all easy and fluffy, but what part of the player base face here is discouraging enough to not even try the grind, and that means to lose a player).
    Challenges are gread, failure and hardship happen, but these go beyond the game while being encouraged by its setup. If you're through the hardship or did not have to go through the current, leave people their voices and complaints. I don't know whether you see it that much black and white that they want all easy content (I could understand that you would feel cheated then, both of the past work you put in your characters and the basically broken, because boring game), but if so, I don't believe it'll happen if people ask for a hint more fairness. Rendering player's efforts worthless in the process would be just as well a very bad decision.
    One can also do their best *and* point out flaws in the system.

    Right now you ask players to take personal responsibility and not to blame something / someone else while doing so yourself. You beat the game, so it must be okay. It's their fault, that is what comes across, when there is actually a problem with the game (which you said yourself). So why blame other players? I might blame those who leave CR in an instant, but I can also understand them for doing so.

    I guess due to what you write above, we have similar and even the same complaints about the game after all, and from different perspectives as well; you as a long-time dedicated player who puts a lot of effort in extra content, and me as a casual. If this weren't a D&D game and I weren't a longtime tabletop player, I might not complain, but simply grow bored and quit. But I like this game despite its flaws.
  • micky1p00micky1p00 Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 3,594 Arc User

    whatever you do outside the game is up to you and you alone. Nothing which other players complain about that game does have to do anything with it.

    Your claim was the Elite players hide information
    "The elite player's progress would be diminished in comparison. And elitists are the ones who cannot live with that."

    To prevent others reaching their level. My response is directly to that. What information the game provides is of no concern to the interaction described. My response is simple, players put countless hours promoting other players to become better. Hence that claim is false.


    You added sth here which I never said: Time. My complaint is that the minimal requirements render the current dungeons impossible at all if only a part of a random group just fulfills them. With raq, this will happen all the time, so not only the dungeon is broken, but subsequently the queue. This is obvious, and no discussion that it is not like that and that lowlevel (I mean ilvl) players need to grind / wait / etc will change it. Please try not to twist what I said in order to make a point that never was the point.

    I'm 100% comfortable with the same claim without time, but instead "at all". I was in the mind that arguing a stronger definition will prove the weaker. but it is not important and not done to twist anything.


    Do you want to forbid players to run a queue which *should* be possible for them by what the game implies, of which they can handle half of the content in an average random party, while the other (random!) half remains impossible? It's clearly not the players' fault, but the badly balanced content.

    Forbid? Why it should be possible? The player base has a normal distribution, at any item level there will be a difference of build, skill, connection, language and what not, in the end, we will have some sort of a bell curve of a random player capability.

    Same with a group of such people but with a wider margin.

    The item level set, is a design compromise, that should allow higher skilled, better build, geared etc.. players still not trample it (and perhaps carry a player), and yet the average of that curve to get it done.
    By this normal distribution we are practically assured that there will be groups that fail. Is that the end of the world? no. It's is impossible to do a static design that will fit everyone, the sides of the curve will always be in trouble, but for different reasons.


    I see that many discussions on the forums circle around the subject of entitlement and a gap between players with very high gear level and those below. And I'm still sure that, while I agree that we are all in the same boat and that social issues will always exist, the game itself needs to provide fairness through honest information and being fair to everyone: It's both unfair to imply something can be done when it's not true, and it is unfair to randomly throw a group together who cannot win - also unfair towards the players with 24k+. Yes, all are in the same boat. But not all are getting looked down upon, kicked on a whim from a party and called hamsterly things on the chat.

    I think there is some hypocrisy in this (I mean it at face value, not insult), you don't like when people kick by item level, but at the same time not happy with the too low item level set on the queues.
    Aren't what the people who kick do exactly that? Move the criteria higher?

    I run with people who meet the minimal criteria in guild, to get them geared faster, so why would it be fair to prevent this from me to allow that some percent that fails high chance?
    We need to talk numbers here. How many actually fail...

    BTW for this you should look at the post by no worries, he posted completion rates, and that they do rise some IL on some queues. But having said so, there will always be a group to fail, will it be "false information" for them too?


    People turn on each other when their surroundings and situation kindle such behavior, this has always been like that and will never change. The change can be made on the system, which in this case, means the game. This will minimize the amount of offensive and discouraging behavior.

    Casual players are usually the ones with the least time to grind and the most money to spend (since most of them have not much time due to work). In an f2p game, that's an important thing to consider.

    Yes, no argument here, but does this mean that all content must cater to the most casual player too?

    Not all content meant for everyone, there are design choices. Wouldn't it be great if in a single mod the devs could release an entire set of things fitting for every single sub section of the population? I don't think anyone will disagree.
    This is the first time that something of this type released since the existence of old CN. So yes, the same way mod 15 was not for me, and anyone I know, this is not for other people.

    My gripe is that too many people make it like it's not for them for various not so true reasons.


    And one more note: I tire as well from entitlement of others telling me I don't understand a thing and whining about me naming the problems I perceive.
    If you may complain, so may I. That's fairness.

    If this refers to whining I've mention, mine was in general and not specific. Nor I've implied anyone doesn't understand something (I don't think this falls under entitlement in any form), but a point/argument is made with all its reasons, if it is known and understood, great, I'm not mind reading what is and what not.
    And ofc, you can complain, and I, like you may reply.
  • wylonuswylonus Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 2,376 Arc User
    edited August 2019
    with this Mod 16 and so call mod 17, i am getting fed up with "forced updates on stats requirements", so yes, i have seen some who have "elitist attidues", saying i am not ready for this, blah blah blah this or that, i am literally tired of "catching ups" or retrain some builds. what it does for me, it push me away further and further from NWO.

    this games wasnt like this before Mod 6 when nerf went non-stop since. this mod 16 and mod 17 made this game almost unrecognizable with stat requirements for Lomm or other newer hardcore tales of the old which are terrible bugged and broken.
  • micky1p00micky1p00 Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 3,594 Arc User

    Mandatory: Because it's what causes the current problem of raq, which I explained in my posting above (once more).
    During the leveling quests, the game tells: "This area might be too difficult" for a long time. Of course that's also but estimation, but it gives an idea. Yet if the game tells me that at 16k I can start trying my luck at CR, I want to do that. I wouldn't complain if I manage at least parts of it and can run with a much better group. But as it is, this is top tier content, so groups shun everone who keeps them from doing so.

    1. The topic in both threads here and there is ToMM not one of the random queues, those are vastly different.

    2. Like I've described, it can't be mandatory, there is always a group that can fail. If a number is set that 5 monkeys banging random keys can pass the content, then the content is worthless. There is statistical average for completion rate, the rest will fail.

    3. Like I wrote, numbers were adjusted, look for no worries post at the Impossible Queue thread or some such, but this is not ToMM and the complain there. And while ofc there are parallels, these are not the same.


    Try exchanging your gear for some 18-20k stuff and running raq frequently for a week or two, and you'll get the full experience I speak about, about being left behind.

    1. But 1 I don't need too, we are all scaled to the same IL.

    2. I've addressed this endlessly, this has nothing to do with content, this has everything to do with pugging. OR more correctly, if the content is so easy that anyone in every constellation can complete it and without a risk of failure then what is the point, and on the other hand, if there is any risk of failure some who do not care about you or any other random person will try to minimize that risk at the cost of your progress.
    The only practical way to avoid this as I know it, is to not pug, this is what guilds, alliances, and so on are for. And I want to see such behavior of kicking in such context, I'll flay someone alive.


    Now try to grind your way up without using your good stuff. Consider the time you're stuck without even being able to enter LoMM, and consider that you do not even know how long it takes since you've never done it before. That's the experience of being "left behind": Constant bad feedback. And that, again, is a big No in game design. (I don't say it should be all easy and fluffy, but what part of the player base face here is discouraging enough to not even try the grind, and that means to lose a player).

    And this is why I try to take every single guild member on private queue runs at least few runs (and repeatedly ask them to say if they want / need to run it and not go straight pug)

    And put endless effort to create a community where pugging is not needed.

    There is no argument that this is how puging is, but the reasons and solutions are different, you seem to think that item levels are the fault and cause.
    The problem as I see it, this will not change basic issues in such groups, and the first moment it will fail, and there will always be groups that fail, it will result in the same.
    The solution is more fundamental, not pugging whenever possible.

    Yet again, I'm afraid we mix different issues, ToMM is not aimed to random players, nor part of the random queue.


    Challenges are gread, failure and hardship happen, but these go beyond the game while being encouraged by its setup. If you're through the hardship or did not have to go through the current, leave people their voices and complaints. I don't know whether you see it that much black and white that they want all easy content (I could understand that you would feel cheated then, both of the past work you put in your characters and the basically broken, because boring game), but if so, I don't believe it'll happen if people ask for a hint more fairness. Rendering player's efforts worthless in the process would be just as well a very bad decision.
    One can also do their best *and* point out flaws in the system.

    In point I've aimed to argue against any issues for RAQ or similar, as I've said, there are a bunch of changes to RAQ and other queues, that you can find in another thread, you may notice that I comment a lot on things, yet I have not commented there, as I have no objections what so ever.

    My response is related to ToMM and only to end-game content (like ToMM).


    Right now you ask players to take personal responsibility and not to blame something / someone else while doing so yourself. You beat the game, so it must be okay. It's their fault, that is what comes across, when there is actually a problem with the game (which you said yourself). So why blame other players? I might blame those who leave CR in an instant, but I can also understand them for doing so.

    While the game has many flaws, this is in no way the topic in these threads. At the same time all the game flaws, of which some will not be resolved due to fundamental concepts, it doesn't absolve the players from the minimal effort, like making a group in alliance, guild, and not repeatedly doing the same public Q, and getting kicked. (I don't know you, this is general statement about people I've observed)


    I guess due to what you write above, we have similar and even the same complaints about the game after all, and from different perspectives as well; you as a long-time dedicated player who puts a lot of effort in extra content, and me as a casual. If this weren't a D&D game and I weren't a longtime tabletop player, I might not complain, but simply grow bored and quit. But I like this game despite its flaws.

    Complaining is great, just please aim it at the correct target, in the correct context..
    The recent 'fire' is all about different scale of information, different issues, different 'elite', different options (I would never suggest for someone go and try any other content other than ToMM on preview instead of live), though I hope for your benefit, and piece of mind you will find a guild/alliance/ group of people that you don't need to think about kicks and what not in.
  • markhawkmanmarkhawkman Member Posts: 117 Arc User
    I do randoms regularly and vote kick is almost never used. I've only seen it actually kick someone once. That was because the party needed to pass a gate requiring the entire party to gather, and he was somehow in Protector's Enclave! We had to kick him just to continue the mission. Last time was someone being annoying in ToDG. Only the person who initiated the vote kick actually voted to kick him though.
    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
    My character Tsin'xing
  • mebengalsfan#9264 mebengalsfan Member Posts: 3,169 Arc User
    rockkk52 said:

    I'm bored because the game server is down atm and i have been reading some forum posts. The strong reactions are very interesting. Some say they love it and some say they hate it. Some say it caters to elites and ignores the new players. My personal opinion is that I'm finally thankful for some content that needs mechanical knowledge and implementing skill, not just gear and stats. I haven't cleared it yet as i have been working a lot lately but ill try my hand at it over the weekend. I have also heard some things said about elitists that do a lot of testing and preview/closed beta work. About how they have helped the game so much so why shouldn't they use their knowledge to their own beneift. Well i personally haven't seen any good the elitist do for the community. They use all their knowledge gained during for personal gain and status. I love how their were "exp" party requests on day 1 of the trial dropping on live. I guess even the gaming world is getting to be cutthroat. It's why i only run with friends. At this point in the game all i care about is running with good ppl, whether we clear at top speed or not. So to finish its not cryptic's fault that the game is turning out this way. I say keep making challenging content. There's not much that can be done with this current top tier elite.

    ToMM should be turned off until Cryptic can get the issue resolved around the class imbalance that exist in the game; this imbalance will leave some good players out of ToMM because they are not playing one of the three top damage dealer classes that are currently over producing for damage. Yet the elite players think they are beating ToMM but most are running with Wizards, Rogues and Rangers which are all broken and producing more damage than expected compared to the other classes.

    There are other bugs I have come across and seeing how these players build their character they can easily take advantage of these bugs and gain additional bonus damage from them, which I already shared with the developers.

    IMO all items awarded should be removed from the player and ToMM placed on hold until it can fixed for all damage dealers.

    Right now ToMM isn't for everyone and its not because of IL, gear or stats; its also because of the class we play.

    Developers failed the community IMO and there is only one way to correct it: Remove ToMM until they can fix the class balance issue or at least resolve the current underlying problem of how buffs, CA, etc... is applied.

  • tom#6998 tom Member Posts: 952 Arc User
    edited August 2019

    rockkk52 said:

    I'm bored because the game server is down atm and i have been reading some forum posts. The strong reactions are very interesting. Some say they love it and some say they hate it. Some say it caters to elites and ignores the new players. My personal opinion is that I'm finally thankful for some content that needs mechanical knowledge and implementing skill, not just gear and stats. I haven't cleared it yet as i have been working a lot lately but ill try my hand at it over the weekend. I have also heard some things said about elitists that do a lot of testing and preview/closed beta work. About how they have helped the game so much so why shouldn't they use their knowledge to their own beneift. Well i personally haven't seen any good the elitist do for the community. They use all their knowledge gained during for personal gain and status. I love how their were "exp" party requests on day 1 of the trial dropping on live. I guess even the gaming world is getting to be cutthroat. It's why i only run with friends. At this point in the game all i care about is running with good ppl, whether we clear at top speed or not. So to finish its not cryptic's fault that the game is turning out this way. I say keep making challenging content. There's not much that can be done with this current top tier elite.

    ToMM should be turned off until Cryptic can get the issue resolved around the class imbalance that exist in the game; this imbalance will leave some good players out of ToMM because they are not playing one of the three top damage dealer classes that are currently over producing for damage. Yet the elite players think they are beating ToMM but most are running with Wizards, Rogues and Rangers which are all broken and producing more damage than expected compared to the other classes.

    There are other bugs I have come across and seeing how these players build their character they can easily take advantage of these bugs and gain additional bonus damage from them, which I already shared with the developers.

    IMO all items awarded should be removed from the player and ToMM placed on hold until it can fixed for all damage dealers.

    Right now ToMM isn't for everyone and its not because of IL, gear or stats; its also because of the class we play.

    Developers failed the community IMO and there is only one way to correct it: Remove ToMM until they can fix the class balance issue or at least resolve the current underlying problem of how buffs, CA, etc... is applied.

    nvm, its not even worth it.
  • mebengalsfan#9264 mebengalsfan Member Posts: 3,169 Arc User

    Whilst I have (admittedly) been a little less graceful in completing the trial than I should have been, none of those of us who have beaten the trial are spamming channels asking for, "exp" players. In fact, when people do do that, we have taken the time to call them out for it every so often, when we see it happen. We have ran with the people we trained with because we spent days worth of time practicing on preview (I think my black ice overloads ran out of time 5 times on preview, that is 40h of time) as a group and when the trial came to live, we stuck with that group, because we had committed a lot of work into forming it.

    We also took the time to write guides on how to beat the trial, for anyone else who wants to give it a try. I won't lie, it won't be easy and you will also fail a lot before you succeed, but it isn't like anything is hidden. You can see how we did it and from there try to replicate our successes.

    I thank you all for the work you and everyone has done for the new trial. At the same time, the trial should be removed until the developers can make it so that all dd are on closer footing with the fix they have mentioned. Until that is done the damage dealers in every ToMM runs will be Ranger, Rogue and Wizard as they offer the highest damage potential.

    I don't expect Cryptic to do anything with ToMM; however, the game current states makes it unfair for four of the seven damage dealer classes. You know that and even admitted that Cleric DD were bad in ToMM. Its not that Clerics are bad its just that Wizards do to much damage.
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