Game overall difficulty.

[Vampirefix]

I've noticed, that since the release of Shadowlands, everyone has been enticed to difficult content. But, as you continued releasing expansions, the game started to become easier (Excluding DB3, which is your way of covering up).

Shadowlands released, Penumbra, Inferno, Pandemonium added. The Beast added.

But, this was several years ago. And since then, every monster in each zone, has stayed the exact same. It's come down to, from needing a whole raid force to kill The Beast, to only needing four people, (Doc Crat Enf Sold or Engi). That's not how this game should be working.

Since the release of Lost Eden, as many people have said, the game has been very broken. Everyone has gotten extremely improved in the way of PvM, but the PvM content has stayed the same. So, what you have now, are people running around with 3,500 - 4,000 attack rating, 20,000+ HP, a couple thousand more AC's than previous years.

So, the point comes down to, while updating to new content, and adding things that buff more armor, health, and attack rating, buff the monsters in the game as well.

DB3 is a joke of an excuse to try and make the game harder, you don't insert content that is nearly impossible to do, and then say "here is your hard content, enjoy!"

[drainbamage]

That's only a problem because FC insists on trying to keep old content relevant.

edit: Also DB3 is hardly impossible, I don't know where people come up with this stuff.

[Merit]

edit: Also DB3 is hardly impossible, I don't know where people come up with this stuff.

But is it fun, is it what you want to do relaxing after work?

[Notcrattey]

But is it fun

yes

[Kuegen]

I'm glad that they keep content relevant. It's annoying having to constantly have your gear become obsolete, and sad that instances become deserted.

This game has plenty of PvM challenges left. I don't think its right to expect a challenge when you use such OP pvm classes as enfo/crat/doc/sold. Pande with an all shade raidforce was pretty tough. Try makeshift teams rather than the cookicutter types. What would pande be like with traders and advs healing the team? Plenty of challenges. You just have to do them.

[MassDebater]

But OP, PVMers don't want a challenge.

[drainbamage]

But is it fun, is it what you want to do relaxing after work?

More fun than most endgame PVM in AO.

I'm glad that they keep content relevant. It's annoying having to constantly have your gear become obsolete, and sad that instances become deserted.

This game has plenty of PvM challenges left. I don't think its right to expect a challenge when you use such OP pvm classes as enfo/crat/doc/sold. Pande with an all shade raidforce was pretty tough. Try makeshift teams rather than the cookicutter types. What would pande be like with traders and advs healing the team? Plenty of challenges. You just have to do them.

We shouldn't have to rely on self-imposed gimmicks to have challenging raids.

[Seoin]

We shouldn't have to rely on self-imposed gimmicks to have challenging raids.

As hard as it is to find the cookie cutter pvm proffs due to low population, it's not really self-imposed to go with a makeshift team.

But I do agree, encounters that are actually seriously hard like s42 and db3 are welcome.

[Vampirefix]

As hard as it is to find the cookie cutter pvm proffs due to low population, it's not really self-imposed to go with a makeshift team.

But I do agree, encounters that are actually seriously hard like s42 and db3 are welcome.

Well, the problem with Sector 42, is nobody does it since they added the top drop from there, Alien Combat Directive Controller, to the loot tables of The Collector, which wasn't the best idea. They want to add new challenging content, but they persuade people to stop doing old hard content when they do things like that.

[Kuegen]

We shouldn't have to rely on self-imposed gimmicks to have challenging raids.

Yes, you should.

If you're going to run with the perfect team, it should be easy. If you just pick up people off lft, you're gonna die.

If we demand that FC make all challenges tougher, than that only further segregates professions that arent soldier/crat/doc/enfo. There's already way to much demand (and players) for those.

Now, adding raids that utilize other professions? Sure. 12 man can be tough without a keeper. Now keepers have a place in at least one instance. If MP's NSD had use other than PBs, i'm sure they would find spots in more teams as well.

Right now, hard = {soldier, doctor, enfo, crat, DD (optional), ....., DD(still optional)} Increasing difficulty just means we need more DD tbh.

Lastly, in a realistic environment, challenges dont always simply occur. Parkour is a hobby specialized on getting from A to B in a challenging and difficult way. Theres the 3-heart challenge in which you play a legend of zelda game without ever picking up a heart piece or container.

Making instances harder is really only going to make it more of a hassle. I want to see every profession gain viability (rebalance), and no penalties for having a bigger raid force (raid token system), then making them more challenging would be nice.

[Mongoose]

Since the release of Lost Eden, as many people have said, the game has been very broken. Everyone has gotten extremely improved in the way of PvM, but the PvM content has stayed the same. So, what you have now, are people running around with 3,500 - 4,000 attack rating, 20,000+ HP, a couple thousand more AC's than previous years.

Entirely agreed. But... How could it have been possible for FC to add content worth grinding for without the items that drop being significantly better than the ones currently ingame?

I personally disagree with the whole concept of adding an expansion, or new content, with equipment that far outclasses what was available previously. However I would guess the majority of players like this kind of thing, cos they have the desire to constantly improve their endgame character(s) as opposed to trying out new level ranges and profs etc.

This is why I have decided not to play endgame too much, I instead prefer to play at lower levels. Less grind, more twinking possibilities. Level 200 is almost the equivalent of 220s in the old days.

[Vampirefix]

Well, that's not what I'm trying to suggest. Funcom can add new stuff. But by not updating the old stuff, it becomes too easy. "The Beast" was intended to be the final encounter of the game. But when you can sit down there with less than a full team, it gets kind of ridiculous.

[Kuegen]

then AI came out then, and then LE and then LoX. Pande is no longer the most difficult encounter. Mercenaries can be solo'd and they used to be some of the toughest content afaik.

If you add a difficult encounter, it better have great loot, else noone will do it. If you put great loot, everyone complains they cant get the endgame loot they need (assuming it's actually doable).

What if they added difficult encounters for lower levels? It wouldn't mess with endgame too much, but could still be fun.