New Server Type for the US Game

[everz]

These look like fun.. Mana Ments will be useful again :cowgif:

[Alexandrinus]

ToA is good because you can get good armor and weapons without having a farming char.
AC cost tons of money

and good luck to all the farmers out there, farming without FOP

[Briannon]

ToA is good because you can get good armor and weapons without having a farming char.
AC cost tons of money

and good luck to all the farmers out there, farming without FOP

Bah, the FoP is nothing more than the DAoC equivalent of the Common Agricultural Policy and like rl farmers I'm sure DAoC farmers will cope very well without it.

Et tu Chirac!!

[Alexandrinus]

people will find out that the good old days not exist,games need progress or they die,and the good old days are there imagine from the game 2 weeks ago

[Cernos]

Well well well, rather a case of closing the stable door after the horse has bolted, but at least Mythic are brave enough to admit they might have got it wrong with ToA and buffbots and offer their customers a taste of how a signficant portion of their customer base feel the game should have progressed.

There's a few problems as I see it though:

1) The current class balance is largely based on buffbots being available. The most obvious example of this is the new Catacombs classes which are beefed up to exist in a buffbot dominated game. Many of the Catacombs classes will be very powerful on the new server type, Vampiirs especially.

2) Whilst 1v1 stealth wars might get interesting again (no longer a case of best buffbot and ToA template wins) soloers will no longer be able to go up against anyone grouped (as the grouped person will probably have buffs) which is why buffbots started being used in the first place. Assassin classes especially are going to feel very underpowered on the new servers (but many will say that's no bad thing).

3) Some ToA ML abilities were introduced to correct certain class weaknesses (e.g. FOP) or provide counter measures to potentially overpowered abilities or gameplay techniques (e.g. cure nearsight, group cure disease, bodyguard etc). Removing them will simply re-expose these problems.

4) If you're a new or returning player and wish to only play on this server type but have access to Catacombs, you'll still need to buy ToA even though everything other than the ToA races has been disabled.

Despite the problems, I feel that New Frontiers without all the overpowered artifacts, TOA bonuses and ML abilities might prove be very interesting.

Must admit I'm tempted to re-open my US account to try the new server type out, but don't know if I can face the level grind again (though levelling in the lower BGs can be fun and there'd be lots doing it on a brand new server).

I'd be more tempted if GOA offered such a server as I could play alongside friends. Sadly, it's highly unlikely GOA will launch such a server because of player base problems. But they should consider it as I have a feeling a lot of players who left post the buffbot explosion and post ToA might be tempted back.

[Argyleyn]

I'll give you a hint. The new det ra compare that too any mage that is not toa-ed and BG is out of the window. Dark age of Tankalot to the max

Actually, iirc the 2 patches before toa weren't so bad, i remember we were running a pbaoe-based squad and did pretty well, despite the obvious advantages of tanks and our lack of rr. It was 90% asd and 10% berserker/savage damage being off the roof that made the game frustrating at the time, not determination imo. But ofc we had 2-3X group purge then...Dunno really..Just wait and see.

[VegetaFH1]

Now if only they prohibited the use of BB's on this server, now THAT wood rule, but the idea still is cool

The idea now is, can we transport our charactors - the artis and - the MLs and see what happens

[everz]

BB's are bad.. good ol unbuffed duels .. yeeey :cowgif:

[Xest]

New server is a stupid waste of resources, the no-ToA thing rocks but the no buffs thing is stupid, buffs are too much of an important part of game balance nowadays with vamps and warlocks. Champs, Rangers, Friars will be gods with their self buffs etc. also. The other issue will be things like sorcs running round with their DI bots.

Essentially the only difference between the current and the new servers will be the types of classes in RvR, instead of now where you see a lot of classes, you'll just see classes that can work well with a buffbot stuck to them or classes that can buff themselves somewhere.

I find it kinda frustrating when a no-buffs option only got 5% of the original vote compared to 28% for home invasion and 23% for no-ToA, basically the new server is poorly thought out, unbalanced and not what the playerbase wanted. The only people who wanted it are ones who quit crying about buffs years ago, however I guarantee you they wont stay longer than a month or two when they get hit by a sorc with a DI bot attached to it and full cast speed bonuses and stat caps from Catacombs items.

[Ankh Morpork]

Would be nice to fight necro pets without 2 tons of buffs

/Ankh