Change to Master Damage

[Ryak]

I'm super glad that master mobs and master damage were downed. There's too much handholding for oldbies. It's such an ass-backwards system - Oh you've played for 10+ years and have masters and fades and gaidin? Lets make the game even easier for you! Oh you're new? Well in addition to not knowing how to play everyone you're playing against is going to have free bonuses, some of which are super OP and unless you play for 5+ more years you're incredibly unlikely to get them!

Good game design would involve masters & remorts getting new & interesting alternate playstyles that still have a similar power level to new players. Any 'OP' potential could be gated by a high skill-ceiling on that alternate playstyle to enable some sick moves if you play really well.

There have certainly been some higher skill tactics enabled by master & remort abilities, but in general they always have a strict bonus to them so that they just make the game easier for low-skill and high-skill players alike.

I'm not against the principle of having some ultra powerful characters in a wheel of time game - asymmetrical multiplayer game mechanics are super interesting and it certainly makes it extra special to take down a Lykan, but it gets way out of whack when all the wholist in PK are remorts and masters. IMO asymmetrically powerful player characters should be rare enough that they aren't deciding the flow of literally every group PK session.

[Hope]

IMO asymmetrically powerful player characters should be rare enough that they aren't deciding the flow of literally every group PK session.

Like FCs! They destroy pk. I don’t disagree with you at all. I like the master damage being downed. I like how close it is across the board now. I hate how mastering a character then remorting them loses the master bonus no matter how small it is.

[Raiste]

Master damage with respect to stab comes out to +3 to your roll at rank 7. Down from 22-160 pre-master stab nerf and down from 2-10 after that nerf that left the 2d5 after the stab damage was computed. So yes, stab has been absolutely downed. Given how easy it is to avoid being stabbed and how dung the land rate is, it just makes stalking people and ending their miserable lives much more satisfying when the stars align. You know you absolutely deserved to die if you die to one of these weak inconsistent stabs. In fact, with this change to master damage it is clear that adding the roll back in to the part that get's multiplied is more reasonable. It would now mean at rank 6-7 your stabs are doing +33-48 more damage, much more reasonable than the former range (compare: rank 4-5 (+22-32)).

Also, spamming backstab isn't an exploit... can't tell if people are alluding to that tongue in cheek or are simply 100% uninformed about the mechanics on this game in general (or for classes they don't play in particular). Based on the feels over reals that populate these discussions and the Discord discussions, I'll lean toward the former.

In any case as one of the newest players on the MUD I have to say I'm a fan of every change to date. I don't need bonuses to compete or enjoy climbing the learning curve of PK on this game. Bonuses never motivated me and now the playing field is a little more level. Have fun.

[Tusty]

Honestly I really like the change. To echo what many have said, there is no good reason why the most experienced players in the game should also play near invincible chars. That’s boring all the way around. Kind of like playing Madden on Rookie and then turning your sliders to 99 and the computer to 1. Sure you will win 200-0 but who cares?
As the the issue of remorts, I have for a long time questioned why there are so many in the game. Sure, everyone should get a fair shake at one but it’s an odd world when DS wholist is all fades and one trolloc.
I’ve always thought big time char accomplishments should be more along passive skill bonuses that doesn’t majorly tip the balance of the game because eventually it’s just impossible to balance all the variables.

Examples such as being able to lead 1 or 2 more in a group...
The zone sense is a good bonus IMO..
Maybe receiving a boost in base moves
A +1 to a mental stat.
Idk just some ideas.

[Hope]

There is a fair shake at who remorts. It takes a LOT of time and effort. Some fly thru because they are skilled. Others, like me struggled for 15 years because I’m not very good. There are a lot of remorts because there are a lot of old players who have put in the time. Just like there are a lot of sedai and a lot of warders and a lot of wolfbrothers. Because people enjoy logging on and building their characters and working towards goals. In this game, remorting, mastering a tower alt or going for r8 is really all you can do. There’s nothing to work towards after that so people bottleneck at the top and game becomes top heavy.

[Kryyg]

Honestly I really like the change. To echo what many have said, there is no good reason why the most experienced players in the game should also play near invincible chars. That’s boring all the way around. Kind of like playing Madden on Rookie and then turning your sliders to 99 and the computer to 1. Sure you will win 200-0 but who cares?
As the the issue of remorts, I have for a long time questioned why there are so many in the game. Sure, everyone should get a fair shake at one but it’s an odd world when DS wholist is all fades and one trolloc.
I’ve always thought big time char accomplishments should be more along passive skill bonuses that doesn’t majorly tip the balance of the game because eventually it’s just impossible to balance all the variables.

Examples such as being able to lead 1 or 2 more in a group...
The zone sense is a good bonus IMO..
Maybe receiving a boost in base moves
A +1 to a mental stat.
Idk just some ideas.

Lol. Fades already get most of those. MVs, huge bumps to mentals, prac bonuses, attack serk, fading, fearing, compelling, ride, inky cloaks, fade shirts, EQ preference during split. But yes, most are trash and dependent on all of the above. Also, the recent warriors changes spiking fades. I'm all for fades but I guess the whole earned it thing is out of the question when you can buff every city head with 2-3 trollocs.

Anyways, my number 1 gripe is LAG. Let me know when Jestin and I can buy the game and just pay for a better server

[Raiste]

In my opinion much of the perceived lag comes from the main loop of the game only running 4 times a second. Modern MUDs run polling 10 times a second imo. Do it up Kryyg.

[Skurk]

IMO asymmetrically powerful player characters should be rare enough that they aren't deciding the flow of literally every group PK session.

Like FCs! They destroy pk. I don’t disagree with you at all. I like the master damage being downed. I like how close it is across the board now. I hate how mastering a character then remorting them loses the master bonus no matter how small it is.

Try not to think of remorts as a step upwards but more of a "reset progression but now on a far better character". You go from being a master troll to a completely new remort. Your rank is reset at 1 but the character is better overall. You can work your now rank 1 character back up to rank 4 with a little effort and suddenly you are only literally 1 damage less than master. And you're a freeking dreadlord so lmfao if that 1 damage matters at all.

Also yeah thats why I rarely play my FC - it takes up too much space in pk. Is very fun and very strong but unless we're outnumbered or against dreadlords it just kills pk.

[Kryyg]

After PKing a bit yesterday. I do wish EVeRYONeS damage was upped to master damage rather than masters being downed. Shits going to take forever to kill.

Bring back more damage for all!! We need more people dying!! Screw the bonuses! High damage for all. Maybe then people will play their regular unclanned Alts too!

[Hope]

IMO asymmetrically powerful player characters should be rare enough that they aren't deciding the flow of literally every group PK session.

Like FCs! They destroy pk. I don’t disagree with you at all. I like the master damage being downed. I like how close it is across the board now. I hate how mastering a character then remorting them loses the master bonus no matter how small it is.

Try not to think of remorts as a step upwards but more of a "reset progression but now on a far better character". You go from being a master troll to a completely new remort. Your rank is reset at 1 but the character is better overall. You can work your now rank 1 character back up to rank 4 with a little effort and suddenly you are only literally 1 damage less than master. And you're a freeking dreadlord so lmfao if that 1 damage matters at all.

Also yeah thats why I rarely play my FC - it takes up too much space in pk. Is very fun and very strong but unless we're outnumbered or against dreadlords it just kills pk.

I get what you’re saying and it’s a very small thing, but a character should never move backwards as reward for time and work put in. This isn’t call of duty where you prestige and basically start over. Also, a dreadlord should be on par with a master sedai damage wise. I mean a dreadlord is already basically a glorified accepted without rules and a few more spells.