This game has lost it's identity again.... (Ranting Thread)

[ShannaraFan]

I don't play healers much so I don't have much to add there, but your point about the game remaining the same after all these years is spot on, and it's a bit frustrating. I've returned to the game 5 times now, 3 of those times was at the start of a new expansion. I don't know why but for whatever reason, each time I return I expect some fundamental change that's different from the established formula, and I'm always left disappointed. The sheer refusal to move outside the box is maddening, and the reasons they provide for them are even more so.

- No diversity across the same jobs. The idea that every single Bard, Paladin, Black Mage etc are identical to one another. No paths to choose, no skill trees etc.

- No special stats, set bonuses, unique gear. For example, a shield that improves the effect of cover

And many more things like this. And the reasoning behind it? They think we'll establish a meta and then start to discriminate against those that don't follow it. It's like we're children who need to have our hands held. I mean I understand the logic, but people are still facing discrimination and/or harassment anyway. You'll never be able to shield us from everything so please, enough of the status quo in the name of equality. The game has become a hamster wheel of MSQ, tome farming, and Savage raids

[Razard]

I don't play healers much so I don't have much to add there, but your point about the game remaining the same after all these years is spot on, and it's a bit frustrating. I've returned to the game 5 times now, 3 of those times was at the start of a new expansion. I don't know why but for whatever reason, each time I return I expect some fundamental change that's different from the established formula, and I'm always left disappointed. The sheer refusal to move outside the box is maddening, and the reasons they provide for them are even more so.

- No diversity across the same jobs. The idea that every single Bard, Paladin, Black Mage etc are identical to one another. No paths to choose, no skill trees etc.

- No special stats, set bonuses, unique gear. For example, a shield that improves the effect of cover

And many more things like this. And the reasoning behind it? They think we'll establish a meta and then start to discriminate against those that don't follow it. It's like we're children who need to have our hands held. I mean I understand the logic, but people are still facing discrimination and/or harassment anyway. You'll never be able to shield us from everything so please, enough of the status quo in the name of equality. The game has become a hamster wheel of MSQ, tome farming, and Savage raids

You answered your own question there buddy. Their design philosophy has been "any Job can complete any content". They wan't to avoid the "leper class" or "Balanced so poorly having this Job in your party is an active detriment (looking at you FFXI)" phenomenon endemic in other MMO's. We do have it slightly better because you can change classes on the fly, but no one want's their favorite class to be on the bottom.

Also "Meta exists so lets just make it worse" isn't the answer.

[Hatstand]

You answered your own question there buddy. Their design philosophy has been "any Job can complete any content". They wan't to avoid the "leper class" or "Balanced so poorly having this Job in your party is an active detriment (looking at you FFXI)" phenomenon endemic in other MMO's. We do have it slightly better because you can change classes on the fly, but no one want's their favorite class to be on the bottom.

Also "Meta exists so lets just make it worse" isn't the answer.

Yeah, but they majorly stuffed up when they decided it was acceptable for some classes to engage with a good portion of the content (all solo content) with approximately 4 buttons (1 dot, 1 nuke, 1 aoe, and your heal of choice). I’m not about to jump ship, but I’m certainly considering jumping role. All metrics suggest that the majority of AST and SCH players are pretty upset with SE at the moment.

AST and SCH might not be lepers for other people to include (although I’ve seen some suggestions that ASTs are at the moment) but they feel like lepers to play, especially when compared to what the jobs used to be.