14.2 - Profession Changes

[Cosmik]

Profession Changes:

*The Agent now has the ability to swap sides without losing tokens. This is done using an "undercover" kit. Note: Although you keep your tokens (and can even swap to neutral!) you cannot keep wearing your Merit Board. You can put it back on when swapping back. There is also a skill lock on the swap, just as with the normal side change application forms.

*Agents are now able to learn and use all the agent-specific nano programs (except for the False/Assume/Mimic profession line) when in a false profession. Essentially you can now execute nanos from two professions - the Agent nanos and the ones from the false profession.

*Agents: added two new lines of self-only critical hit increase buffs - Concentration and Sureshot. Check out the boss monsters in team missions, they might be carrying one.

*The Agent is no longer able to execute the higher-level Meta-Physicist pet summoning nanos. For the combat pet, the Enmity and Demon lines are no longer executable. For the healing pet, the last 4 pets are no longer executable (The Vivificator, Altumus, Curatem the Grand and Belamorte). The agent can still summon the other combat and healing Meta-Physicist pets.

*Agents: added a second line of damage buffs (these are self-only) - the Executioner line of nanos. These stack with the Agent's existing damage buff line. Check out the boss monsters in team missions, they might be carrying one.

*Agents: added some Team Concealment buffs - they do not stack with the existing Agent Concealment buffs, but have a lower NCU cost (so they won't override Ruse 1 until they provide a higher Concealment benefit). Check out the boss monsters in team missions, they might be carrying one.

*Martial Artist: There has been a change to the existing MA critical increase buff line. These are now self-only and can only be executed by Martial Artists (not Agents under false profession). Three new MA critical increase buffs have been added that can be executed on others, but are less powerful than the existing buffs (this new line does not stack with the older versions).

[Cenelia]

WHOO-HOO! agents are getting better spies

[Astador]

This aint ment to be a Rant or anything, BUT.

It was my impression, that this patch would only concern OE/Ip Reset, and that was the reason why Adventureres would have to wait with the "love" from Funcom.
But reading all these changes made to Agents, giving them new spell lines, letting them use both Agent/Special class spells, switching sides and all it seems to be a bit wierd there could not be SOME form of help for adventurers, anything, just a bit to make us want to take them out of retirement again.

But there is NOTHING, only Agent, and the MA which have already received ALOT of help gains anything from this.

Granted both MA and Agent needed and deserved these changes, but i can't help feeling a bit..overlooked.

Heck in NO place in the entire patch notes, you even mention adventurers.
Not at all.

Oh well, maybe it became a Rant.
This aint the best thing i have ever written, but i just needed to get it out, i have a lvl 111 Adventurer and i SUCK.

Got lvl 100-150 Implants, got ql120 Omni-Pol Elite Assault armor, 2 ql140 Riders and i have truble beating green mobs.

I have to cast heal 2-3 times in a fight against a green, i loose against 3 grey mobs....
If i try a yellow or Orange i loose.

For all you Agents out there, GRATS this was some needed stuff you finaly got, enjoy it.

"The Greatest Trick The Devil Ever Pulled......

Was To Convince The World He Didnt Exist..."

C.F.H

111 Adventurer (Retired until...)
85 Meta (Still working)
28 Soldier (FRY RODENT FRY)
27 Adventurer (Whats this, a gun ?)
24 Enforcer (Big Hammer)

[__________Spacegipsy]

Originally posted by Cosmik
Profession Changes:

*The Agent is no longer able to execute the higher-level Meta-Physicist pet summoning nanos. For the combat pet, the Enmity and Demon lines are no longer executable. For the healing pet, the last 4 pets are no longer executable (The Vivificator, Altumus, Curatem the Grand and Belamorte). The agent can still summon the other combat and healing Meta-Physicist pets.

I really could care less about all the little *toys* you're throwing us..
By taking away the higher level MP pets (especially the heal pet) you're destroying our chance of survival.
*As is* I can only survive a 50% mission if I have at least a healpet, sometimes even that won't do the trick.
Sure I can still cast a lower lvl pet - ha! - as if that's gonna help me much?
Moreover you've reduced our effectivity in teams as well - whereas right now we're mostly wanted to replace the MA (for critbuff) - who is gonna want us after this patch?
I assume that the new MA buffs for others will not be castable by agents - so who wants us?
Maybe I'm wrong... I really hope so... I really hope that the new stuff will be more than just *toys* and really useful - but right now I just don't have any trust in that.
And I'm not even talking about the money and effort I put in getting those MP nanos and the implants to buff up the nano skills for them. At least I can reset the IPs - but this is only a small comfort.

I'm already starting to build up an engie, and will start a MA next - the new uber-class - is that what's intended? Everybody and their brother only playing 2 or 3 classes?

*Much disappointed*

[___________Comador64]

Cosmik why is all the new Agent stuff only dropped by Boss MoB´s?
How about having it for sale in the shops aswell..?

[Raik]

Originally posted by Cosmik
Profession Changes:

*The Agent now has the ability to swap sides without losing tokens. This is done using an "undercover" kit. Note: Although you keep your tokens (and can even swap to neutral!) you cannot keep wearing your Merit Board. You can put it back on when swapping back. There is also a skill lock on the swap, just as with the normal side change application forms.

This idea was brought to you by "The Fixer-Board"(TM)

Stealing Ideas from other professions must get old

[_____________Maelyan]

Item #1. Switching sides. Nifty, but doesnt in general help agents. I like it though.

Item #2. Casting agent nanos while in FP. This could be helpful, but wouldnt the agent nanos still be slow as heck? Thus, nearly uncastable during combat?

Item #3. Crits. This'll help. =)

Item #4. No higher lvl pets. Unless Item #3 and #5 are substantial, this is going to be fairly disastorous.

Item #5. More damage. About time. =)

Item #6. Team concealment. Huh? Where'd that huge atrox with the beam go? Oh there he is! Bam Bam Bam!

[-Zagadka-]

Originally posted by Maelyan
Item #1. Switching sides. Nifty, but doesnt in general help agents. I like it though.

Not helpful? I love it, and I'm not an Agent! :-)

Agents are going to make 25% zones their *****es, though.

"Hm, a Clanner. I should be safe."

*look the other way*

*look back*

"Gee, wonder where he went off t-"

*reclaim*

[cellestron]

So all of our new useful items will be dropped by boss MOB's in team missions.......

This means that 1% of agents will be viable.....the rest of us are SOL.

Don't get me wrong.....I like the changes, but considering the difficulty we are having soloing anything over 40%, we kinda need more help than that.

Other comments.....

Can someone explain what a Team Concealment buff is going to do? I am dead serious with this and not trying to be sarcastic.....I would like to know why a team would want their concealment buffed (outside of PvP, which is only a small percentage of players anyway).

Finally......why are we getting an item the directs aggro away from us? With our poor AS damage, that is not the problem.....Getting Mob's off the doctors is.......How about something that causes a MOB to reselect aggro or skip it's current target. That would be great and actually make us useful in a team



Anyway.....aside from that......looking good.

[-Zagadka-]

Boss mobs - Yea, I'm sick of selective dropping of items... but I think they will be fairly common.

Team conceal - If I understood correctly, it takes less NCU and steps differently. So, say, one will have a conceal bonus in between Ruses.

Aggro - DAMN STRAIGHT. :-) I think that it is because Agents die so easily, and crit a lot (post-14.2 speaking).

[Mrevil]

What???
Im stunned?!?!
No changes for The Adventurers??? How come, they really need a tweak or two.

Come on, do something for the adventurers...

[______________Squick]

I think the removal of the heal pets is a very very bad idea. Anyone that has tried to solo an agent past level 90 knows it is completely impossible to take even 3 GREY mobs without a heal pet.

Removing the heal pets past Restite means that no agent will be able to solo at all past level 120.

And I highly dislike the idea that all of the agent's new nanos can only be found on team mission bosses, less then 1% of all agents will have them.

Unless you make nanos available to all, they can not be considered a "buff" for agents.

How about you only remove high level heal pets for agent's that get the new nanos? Thats absurd? Well so is taking away a vital part of the agent and presumming that an ultra-rare item is a good exchange.

Squick

[Lazz]

Don't put the items/nanos/stuff that is supposed to be a fix for a profession in team missions only or on unique MOBs!

Repeat what I have written above and make it a mantra for yourself.

If not in shops they should at least be availible through mission rewards. Why? Because otherwise you lower the soloability of the game even further. Think about it, these things you put in to the game to 'fix' a profession, they shouldn't be so very hard to aquire.

I don't even want to think about how many team mission Boss MOBs you have to kill to get the particular item you so desperatly want. When it finally drops, then you will have the little share problem within teams. It is not just fun, it creates frustration and anger. That is two bad things.

Sure, some 'extra' things you can keep as unique stuff by placing them on Boss MOBs but those things should NOT be the ones that is supposed to correct issues with a profession.

PS. I'm not playing an Agent...

Edit: When is the ETA? You got to have one, right?

[-Zagadka-]

I think the goal is for people to sell the new nanos to people... we'll see how well THAT works. :-)

Advents - yea, lovin'... 14.4... sigh.

[______________Squick]

Lazz said exactly what I was thinking, just he worded it better...

If something is being added to fix a profession it should be available to all members of that profession.

[___________Comador64]

Originally posted by Lazz
Don't put the items/nanos/stuff that is supposed to be a fix for a profession in team missions only or on unique MOBs!

Repeat what I have written above and make it a mantra for yourself.

If not in shops they should at least be availible through mission rewards. Why? Because otherwise you lower the soloability of the game even further. Think about it, these things you put in to the game to 'fix' a profession, they shouldn't be so very hard to aquire.

I don't even want to think about how many team mission Boss MOBs you have to kill to get the particular item you so desperatly want. When it finally drops, then you will have the little share problem within teams. It is not just fun, it creates frustration and anger. That is two bad things.

Sure, some 'extra' things you can keep as unique stuff by placing them on Boss MOBs but those things should NOT be the ones that is supposed to correct issues with a profession.

PS. I'm not playing an Agent...

Edit: When is the ETA? You got to have one, right?

What he sayd!
BUMP!

[__________Spacegipsy]

In addition to my earlier complaint or *whine* or whatever you wanna call it.. I want to add some ideas/suggestions:

1) Just take the higher Lvl attack pets away - I could live with that, if you let us keep the high lvl healpets.

2) The *new* MA crit buff - please, p l e a s e, P L E A S E make it castable by agents as well.

Why? Because it will be our main chance to get accepted into a team. What else can we do for the group?
Damage? - Enforcers, Soldiers are better
Root/Calm? - Crats, NTs, Traders are better
Back-up Healer with Pet? - Taken away with 14.2 at least for higher lvls.
Warp ppl out of mission? - Plenty profs can do it.

I don't want to be *uber*, I don't want to be able to solo 100%, 75% or even 60% missions, 40 - 50% and I'm ok.
And I want to be needed in a team, just like we all do.

I can feel with the other profs that are hurting.. and I really don't think this is the way to balancing.

[__________synchronic]

I guess what I don't understand is why agents are so upset about losing "their" pets. They sound like MP's. Hm. I think what Funcom is doing... and rightly... is making the agent more dependent on his agenty stuff. This cannot be but a good thing. You will find a better way to play. Didn't you become an agent to sneak around, snipe people off, gather info from the other side? I know I did. And I know I stopped playing an Agent when I found I couldn't do those things... Now, I'm gonna bring her back. If you didn't choose an agent for these things (or other agenty stuff that I haven't mentioned) then I'd say you chose the wrong profession. If I wanted to be dependent on pets, I'd have chosen a pet class. If it so happens that this game still isn't realistic for agents, or worse because of the taking away of the high level pets, funcom will certainly hear about it (agents are some of the more vocal players) people will quit, and eventually, they'll get around to fixing it once again. Hopefully, it won't come to this.

All in all I'm excited to see the changes.

good things are happening in Rubi-Ka

Synchronic

[______________DocNec]

And so the army of shotgun ma twinks begins.

I've got mine

[Myga]

Synchronic while I could agree with you I dont because:

- Mimic is only alternative to pets and only way you can stay alive, mimics you wont be able to cast before you hit lvl 161. Agents supposed to survive to 161 with Restite?

- You want to snipe people off eh? Well good thing you snipe is capped to 40% of opponents hp then, and since you can no longer cast crit buff your dmg output will suck beyond belief. Heal? Yeah right 3sec cast time on nanos the other professions instacast.

- New crit buffs from bosses in team mission? Hello? You take away our pets, our ability to cast MA crit buff and what do we get in return? New nanos we cant even acquire without a team! YAY! Will most teams even attempt these bosses now that only MAs have crit buffs? And how many are willing to bet these new nanos will be about as common as grid armor or nullity?

When you take away everything agents have used to survive up until now you better make the replacements easy to get because you are making this profession unplayable at least until they can get them. Put the damn new nanos in solo missions so we can get it the usual agentish way!