Friday with Means - Sept. 23rd, 2011: Initiative Data

[byteflush]

Can I have the Oct 5th rollback t-shirt you're about to introduce? Please?

[AGPEcko]

Means.
Can we please get a grid directly to John Smith, who as you may know, hands out the Battlestation dailies, so that we can skip the cesspool that is known as Borealis?

[Kopecz]

(To the tune of The Star Spangled Banner)

Oh say can you see
That there's nothing new here
Just some more of Means' sighs
Proly a pic of a Tir highrise
And the engine's not done
It's been 3 years of our whines

And Kintaii's unjust bans for Funcom's biggest fans
Gave proof through the night, that FC just don't care

Oh say will that rebalance ever see light?
And from Rubi-ka 1!
Here til the servers die.

[Keldros]

First in a long time

[Lheann]

Changes should only effect mobs with over the 1213 initiatives cap so this should only really effect mid to end game play. Or at least that is what it seems like it should be anyway.

The patch Means referred to setting this cap was in 2002 which was SL release time. So lets look at what mobs would have under 1213 inits. Well basically all RK content pre-SL. Any new RK mobs in the 210 and under range most likely. Though I bet Mercs get a boost from this.

As for SL content. Well I suspect SL mobs in the 180-200 and up range to all get a boost. Specifically side mobs since they tend to buff themselves up. So with all the power out there today we will have players in the 120+ range running into mobs with inits that now work over 1213. Yes I am thinking Ely hecks at 180 might get some effect off this. Hecks from Ado up most likely as well.

But since we don't have those numbers it will be a go hunt and see.

[algoreith]

hearing that inits debuffs are overpowered by means itself is a bit scary, specially when knowing theses facts:
that bureaucrats are one of the less played prof (4 to 5% population)
takes repetitive cast to reach total debuff, witch in pvp is too slow.
Isnt debuff nanos been already done according to actual init cap?
If the mobs attack faster will they slow em more as well?
Can i hear a fresh explanation about that OP situation thats been there for so long? Can i have one example?
I havent heard people complain like "Hey did u see how much he debuffed inits on that soldier or agent''
Isnt FA, burst etc instant OP?
Why don't make these nanos according to level like the others with total init debuff so it gives a chance in pvp.
THis ''stackable'' feature is rather unique for something that much important for pvp aspect.
WTB point of view of bureaucrat professionnal on this.

[Prosthetics]

Means.
Can we please get a grid directly to John Smith, who as you may know, hands out the Battlestation dailies, so that we can skip the cesspool that is known as Borealis?

You can't expect to have a grid exit to every one, do you? There aren't grid exits to Daily Agencies, so why the Barkeeper? It's not like it's that far of a run.

[Cepacia]

Whoa, a good FWM. What is this world coming to?

[Exodul]

hearing that inits debuffs are overpowered by means itself is a bit scary, specially when knowing theses facts:
that bureaucrats are one of the less played prof (4 to 5% population)
takes repetitive cast to reach total debuff, witch in pvp is too slow.
Isnt debuff nanos been already done according to actual init cap?
If the mobs attack faster will they slow em more as well?
Can i hear a fresh explanation about that OP situation thats been there for so long? Can i have one example?
I havent heard people complain like "Hey did u see how much he debuffed inits on that soldier or agent''
Isnt FA, burst etc instant OP?
Why don't make these nanos according to level like the others with total init debuff so it gives a chance in pvp.
THis ''stackable'' feature is rather unique for something that much important for pvp aspect.
WTB point of view of bureaucrat professionnal on this.

Or you can just go back to warcraft.

[Demoder]

hearing that inits debuffs are overpowered by means itself is a bit scary, specially when knowing theses facts:

I think you missed the context. The way I read it, init debuffs are primarily OP against NPCs.

[Mastablasta]

First in a long time

Keldros

[Mastablasta]

The patch Means referred to setting this cap was in 2002 which was SL release time. So lets look at what mobs would have under 1213 inits. Well basically all RK content pre-SL. Any new RK mobs in the 210 and under range most likely. Though I bet Mercs get a boost from this.

SL wasn't released till late 2003.

[Neista]

Uh... won't this make basically all content in the game quite a bit harder? Seems like everything has been balanced (if unknowingly) around the existing mob initiative cap, no?

This 100%

Sounds like a typical FC fix, i.e one that doesn't take in the larger consequences. From this point on any complaints will likely be answered 'It was broken before, now you are all screwed over because its fixed, live with it'

*Watches balance fly out the window*

[Gatester]

hearing that inits debuffs are overpowered by means itself is a bit scary, specially when knowing theses facts:
that bureaucrats are one of the less played prof (4 to 5% population)
takes repetitive cast to reach total debuff, witch in pvp is too slow.
Isnt debuff nanos been already done according to actual init cap?
If the mobs attack faster will they slow em more as well?
Can i hear a fresh explanation about that OP situation thats been there for so long? Can i have one example?
I havent heard people complain like "Hey did u see how much he debuffed inits on that soldier or agent''
Isnt FA, burst etc instant OP?
Why don't make these nanos according to level like the others with total init debuff so it gives a chance in pvp.
THis ''stackable'' feature is rather unique for something that much important for pvp aspect.
WTB point of view of bureaucrat professionnal on this.

Exactly why would you be ranting about pvp when the changes will only effect pvm aspects? Aren't crats busy enough AOE fearing, rooting, snaring, and occasionally nuking for 6k in pvp?

[algoreith]

i am just talking about nerfing on pvm whats the main reason why people roll bureaucrats and spend millions creds getting red tapes.
To Gatester thanks for the quote but that seem to be opposed to your post
"Means: Ranged professions enjoy a significant advantage everywhere and more so against pet professions."

[Roswell]

Update Coming October 5th: I will be posting more extensive update notes during the day today where they should be.

Lag?

[haavarst]

So thats why those adds inn DB on test a while back seem to be on speed, your screwing around again. Wtb Patch Crash Helmet, we might take some fall damage?

and patch notes where it should be.

[If6was9]

This 100%

Sounds like a typical FC fix, i.e one that doesn't take in the larger consequences. From this point on any complaints will likely be answered 'It was broken before, now you are all screwed over because its fixed, live with it'

*Watches balance fly out the window*

My impression of a lot of FC's AO fixes is that a) FC staff didn't understand the chain reactions caused by a fix because a lot of the core of the game was frantically cobbled together, undocumented, during launch, but b) FC did test the consequences of their fixes and tweaks along the way before they implemented them - they fudged a lot. This mob init factor may be one of those deliberately fudged things.

I've noticed peculiar things - like inits in one skill set affecting my defenses in another - for years. I am concerned that in fixing this undocumented feature (especially since it doesn't show itself till it's on live) that FC may be opening up an unexpected can of worms... like it was intentionally balanced with the present configuration once upon a time. If mob inits are up does that mean their defenses are down - as with agg/def - or do they just attack faster? I know the logical answer (mobs will just hit faster) but the question is 'how will the change actually manifest?'

Still worth it to fix it and see - just because - but I think FC should be ready to either address the side implications or reverse the 'fix' quickly.

[Kron]

Do the new heal kits that are on testlive get implemented?

[Mastablasta]

This 100%

Sounds like a typical FC fix, i.e one that doesn't take in the larger consequences. From this point on any complaints will likely be answered 'It was broken before, now you are all screwed over because its fixed, live with it'

*Watches balance fly out the window*

So the ridiculously easy content that is basically the entire game past lvl 150 is considered totally balanced and so hard that mobs dealing, what, if we go on the high side and say 25% more dmg, will make it impossible? I doubt it. Maybe now the various sectors will be slightly challenging.

Especially since he said that the mobs were balanced on a server where the inits were correct.