Exploits, Nerfs, Banning and Overequipping - A foray into the difficult.

[_____________Krystka]

Originally posted by Dumbasbricks

TAKE IT ALL AWAY! Fine with me. I won't be bothered much. Because in the end the ones who cry and whine about over equiping will still be whining about it. WHY? Because they still will be below standard to the players who work hard and devote the time to tweak their characters to the very edge of the limit as the game would allow. One thing is guaranteed below average players will still be out equip'd because they don't devote the time to get their character to par or over.
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Amen to that.

The only thing I would object to really is implants. Since you have to surgically implant them I think they shoudl never be bumped out. If someoen debuffs me and an implant tears out of my body.. I dont see how that is really.. umm realistic?

Armor and weapons go for it. I can buff myself into everything I wear. So I dont mind.

And yes they will still whine.

[_____________Soareen]

... in the sense that Ao will always greet the meticulous planers that spend a lot of time in a power run , than thoose who try to roleplay .

Personally i do care a little because i'd like that pvp takes more place in this game , that we may play the conflict , not see it in movies , and that overcome some player that will be as much as great sides figure and great warrior or healer or whatever they are .

I'd like that character we follow will be great charism player , not supermen or funcom's own characters , will be us in a way .

That's my old fashion view of RPG , u must be award of your roleplay very more than at your ability to follow the single way to level .

[________Dumbasbricks]

Originally posted by Tirtanael
... in the sense that Ao will always greet the meticulous planers that spend a lot of time in a power run , than thoose who try to roleplay .

Personally i do care a little because i'd like that pvp takes more place in this game , that we may play the conflict , not see it in movies , and that overcome some player that will be as much as great sides figure and great warrior or healer or whatever they are .

I'd like that character we follow will be great charism player , not supermen or funcom's own characters , will be us in a way .

That's my old fashion view of RPG , u must be award of your roleplay very more than at your ability to follow the single way to level .

OOC:

Tirtanael -- Role Playing in AO's environment has nothing to do with how one builds his character. Role Playing in part is 'acting' as to how your character would be shaped and viewed by others, by story only. I do Role Play as much as the next character permits me to. This MMORPG is not built and will not be formated like any tabletop RPG. There are no active GM/DM to provide each player points based on their character development. Thus rewards are gained thru the pace each player sets him/her self. These are 2 different factors and are not inertwined.

Having stated that a 'player' can roleplay as much as he/she wants and it is not based on PVP conflicts only or the attainment of 'uber' or 'prime' equipment.

Have fun out there.

[_____________Soareen]

May be i 'd gone a little too far , i apologize for this .

But i'm still to find uneasy with that way of playing RPG , for two reasons :

1- The run for lvl and ql that play everybody , that seems to me a great limitation to roleplay . If you hear some people there is a single 'good' way to spend money and ip , the most efficient . Then overequiping . For me it's only a bad inheritage of sologame , when you can't wait for reaching the end sequence .

2- That ql system , i'd prefere a system where you chose a weapon and you use it better with the time , and sometime u find some good one on a big monster or on quest of it . May be a way to left overequiping behind us ...

But it seems that was not the view funcom had of the game , so i may spenek a little in the wind ...

[____________Gurthang]

OE is a problem.. even if you don't realize it.. In a game that makes such a big deal about PvP and this great "conflit" to come. Balance is an issue... a VERY big issue. The ideal would be 2 combat types with equaly maxed skills, implants, etc. and who are equaly as good with their characters should only be able to win 50% of the time. (I left out support type classes since their true power is only revailed in teams.) The other problem is that the character "maxes" much earlier than would be normal hence the cry for QL200+ items. In a perfect game w/o buffs a solitus (a.k.a. Mr. Average) attempting to use a item for wich they have "light blue" affinity,that has been maxed, using no buffs should only be able to equip a QL = their level. (Implants are a debateable point here but many maxed skills top out before you hit 200 so implants could be considered a way for Joe Average are there to keep you going up.)

From a game mechanics standpoint OE is the unpenalized use of an item/NF that you no longer meet the requirements for. (Now to be a nitpick this only applys to requirements to "use" and not ones to "apply", "equip", or "install") So while you are buffed and posses the skill to use a given item/NF you are not OE. But if you retain the use of said item without some additional cost or penality once the "buffs" have worn off you have broken game's internal balance. This is because the "cost" to overequip that item/NF while buffed was the NCUs used by the buff which prevented you from potentially using other buffs. Now that the buff is gone you can now add additional buffs without loosing the "buff" you got from the item/NF.

Now what to do with OE.. Well as has been stated before Funcom does not allow OE on NFs its a all or nothing cut-off. They tried to apply this simple method to many other items but it was fought with great ferocity by the community at large. So the imblance they tried to correct still exists and in an attempt to create balance we see sillyness like artificial damage caps, uber MoBs.. etc.

So to end at least part of this insanity we need to add some additional "cost" to those that wish to continue to use a item that they should no longer be able to use and thus achieve "balance".

But what cost should there be?

The most popular method that I have seen for weapons is reducing their effectivness. It accomplishes the desired effect but to do it properly might be a tad complex. After all giving a complete novice a better weapon should in most cases actually help them but not to the same degree as a master. So your skill should be just a multiplier of the given item's damage potential.

As to armor personally IMHO having the armor's protection be reduced because you aren't strong enough is silly. So we either have to make it all or nothing or come up with some other cost. I am in favor of the latter or just leaving armor alone since the benifits of a OE'ed armor's protection does not as strongly effect game balance. But if I had to choose then a skill penality "cost" would be my choice. Likely penalities to physical initatives for str/stam armor, nano costs/ initatives for int/psy armor, reduced run speed and evades for agy types etc.

As to implants and NCUs... I see them as passive items like armor that don't require "skill" to use (only to install) and therefore do not see the need for additional "costs".

These methods would bring balance back to the game and therefore add value to the already existing de-buff lines, the skills to counter them, in addition we could actually begin looking into comparisions to balance NF to weapon damage potential, and then professions in general.