Trials of the Braves (which, yes, includes farming ATMA stones) Part I

[Kokai]

I realize that it is not possible to make everyone happy, really I do. I know it is a constant challenge for developers to keep things new and interesting and difficult for the hard core raiders, while providing adequately interesting and amply rewarding content for the casual players. Game developers have always sought to slow progression (why I don't know, but I accept it as part of every game I have played to date.)

Your game, to date, has done this extremely well compared to other games I played (Everquest for far too many years for one lol) in that you can get up to current content level and gear at a fairly decent rate, and casuals are not lacking compared to the hard core raid type players.

However, this relic upgrade quest has been atrocious in just the short time since release. I realize the flack you are getting is disoriented and angry, but that is born of the absolute frustration we as your player base are suffering at the moment.

[Kokai]

1. ATMA stone drop rates are completely random in that not every fate grants one, and the person getting it when it does drop is completely random as well. So, someone who has done every fate in the zone and got gold (some people are not getting gold and I don't think they realize that they had zero chance when that occurs) 8-10 times are still waiting for a drop, and someone zones in, joins their group, and gets it on the first fate, because RNG is random!

Possible resolutions: Tie it to completing every fate in a zone with gold even the rare spawn fates; Keep the fate that drops one random but give it to the highest contributor of that fate; Tie it to the completion of 100 fates in a zone with gold.

[Kokai]

2. Trials of the Brave fate completion: Forcing someone (and please spare me your "hard work"adage oh posters of the page as I don't see how time invested=hard work-tell that to your boss in construction when someone completes their assignment in 2 hours while you put in 10 hours and never complete the same task and see if you get paid or even have a job that you "worked hard because hours") to sit in front of a computer for 2-4 hours watching a map just for a fate to spawn is cruel and unusual punishment.

Possible resolutions: Have them spawn once a day or twice a day at specified times to slow your precious progression but allow us time to get there and complete it without suffering numbness of the arse and legs; Have them cycle on their own timer, once per hour.

[Kokai]

Time sinks do indeed slow down progression, but judging by the posts on your boards, obviously frustrate and irritate your player base. This game has been fun and challenging so far, it is a pity that you sought to add in pointless time sinks to slow progression when tangible goals with lock outs or identified time delays would have slowed progression without frustrating people to this degree.

Sad to say, but I am pretty much considering finding better things to do now than play for hours for no reason as well as some of your other posters. While the lack of response so far, in addressing these issues seriously is not helping, the GM Maskee ( I think) was very responsive and reassuring this morning. I hope he is listened to, as he seemed to understand completely my feelings on the matter.

[Nova_Dresden]

The 1000 character limit only applies to your first post. Edits have no character limit. Next time instead of posting 4 separate posts just post one and then edit it with everything else.

[Bombast]

1. ATMA stone drop rates are completely random in that not every fate grants one, and the person getting it when it does drop is completely random as well. So, someone who has done every fate in the zone and got gold (some people are not getting gold and I don't think they realize that they had zero chance when that occurs) 8-10 times are still waiting for a drop, and someone zones in, joins their group, and gets it on the first fate, because RNG is random!

Possible resolutions: Tie it to completing every fate in a zone with gold even the rare spawn fates; Keep the fate that drops one random but give it to the highest contributor of that fate; Tie it to the completion of 100 fates in a zone with gold.

Atma drops are personal, not grouped - Every time someone finishes a FATE, they get a roll for one. Multiple people can get an Atma from one FATE, or no one at all.

Also, you don't need gold to get an Atma drop. Multiple conformations from the forums, my FC mates, and myself.

2. Trials of the Brave fate completion: Forcing someone (and please spare me your "hard work"adage oh posters of the page as I don't see how time invested=hard work-tell that to your boss in construction when someone completes their assignment in 2 hours while you put in 10 hours and never complete the same task and see if you get paid or even have a job that you "worked hard because hours") to sit in front of a computer for 2-4 hours watching a map just for a fate to spawn is cruel and unusual punishment.

Possible resolutions: Have them spawn once a day or twice a day at specified times to slow your precious progression but allow us time to get there and complete it without suffering numbness of the arse and legs; Have them cycle on their own timer, once per hour.

Only some of the FATES chosen for the books have outrageous timers. This seems to be more of an oversight then a planned road block. I'm willing to bet that if anything in the Atma chain gets fixed, its this.

Time sinks do indeed slow down progression, but judging by the posts on your boards, obviously frustrate and irritate your player base. This game has been fun and challenging so far, it is a pity that you sought to add in pointless time sinks to slow progression when tangible goals with lock outs or identified time delays would have slowed progression without frustrating people to this degree.

Sad to say, but I am pretty much considering finding better things to do now than play for hours for no reason as well as some of your other posters. While the lack of response so far, in addressing these issues seriously is not helping, the GM Maskee ( I think) was very responsive and reassuring this morning. I hope he is listened to, as he seemed to understand completely my feelings on the matter.

/shrug

[stuscott]

Key word = "forcing someone" - no one is forcing you to do anything. This is a game - you don't have to do anything you don't CHOOSE to do.

[Norondor]

Key word = "forcing someone" - no one is forcing you to do anything. This is a game - you don't have to do anything you don't CHOOSE to do.

this is true; we don't have to play it at all, really, and certainly don't have to pay for the privilege.

if we want to operate from the assumption that this IS a game that people want to play, and not one that should be taken offline right away, then maybe we can start talking about ways to improve it?

[Sarlazzar]

The only thing made this atma quest sooooo bad, is the decision to use random number generator (RNG) for the drop, IMO anything RNG related is just bad, after all, if players done one fate, why does one player deserve to get the atma more then others doing the same? If SE just made the quest like complete 30 or 40 fates in each area to get an atma, there would be a lost less people complaining, yet the hardcore players can still get their atma faster then normal casual players by doing all the fates required in 12 hrs or whatever without rest

[krazyrs]

have finished 2 books and about to buy #3 and havent hit once of the "long" timers yet. (prolly will now)
ive just run into "Four Winds" in Coerthas which i could not solo in the 15m timer(got 2 NMs down with 2 left over with rank8 healer choco), i had to get 3 ppl from my LS to help out on next spawn tho