Problems & things that might need attention vol. 2

[dwo]

party shares really aint that much of a broblem, i never had broblems partying with bigger dudes. Besides if you get into a party as a level twenty something char with lvl80++ dudes, you should get better exp than ever. Atleast i did when i was a noobie. I think exp share in parties is fine, been working for me atleast.

[moraq]

Hiyas.


Since the lack of a solid newbie helping system has been brought forward, I've been working on one for a while now. The ground system is pretty much finished (it isn't that much work anyway). Basically it is help request (´ticket´) based, in that players have access to a 'helper' command to list active newbie helping staff, create help requests and track its progress. Those who opt not to create a ticket (for a quick question or something) can always just send a tell or ask on the newbie channel. Helpers get ops on the channel as well so they're more visible.

Requests are mainly reserved for situations when a new player takes a hike into the outworld at night and cannot find his/her way back.

Once a newbie helper accepts to address a request, he then has a couple of special powers at his disposal, such as to look into the newbie's environment and even teleport there

There won't be any clear rewards from being a newbie helper. The amount of tickets cleared is stored and wizards get special statistics from the system. Of course, if you stand out and have cleared a great deal of requests, we'll see that you know the game and are a helpful guy. As such, you will have a higher chance in participating to the cool stuff than your average Yoz

Thanks for all the comments in this thread

[eysenc]

Few suggestions concerning psi casters:

- new damage type and/or buff spell(s). Now they have too few damage types to be real damage makers and too few buff spells to be real buffers.
- enforce entwined minds -mastery was nice add on in last conversion. Some new mastery/masteries like that. old masteries should also increase somewhat more slowly.
- all prestige mobs probeable (most of them are anyway)
- disintegration not to disintegrate eqs on eq mobs so it would be usable to ones that wear them
- fix metaconcert to actually raise pspr like description says rather than reduce it
- psychic venom should deal more damage or be faster (and cost less psp), not really worth training now
- uptune for telekinetic thrust, useless now once you've maxed the mastery
- criticals for disintegration, thrust, psychic venom and entropy to make casting them more interesting
- some feedback when using Thought lash
- able to cast unfold mind to several party members at once. like "evoke undold mind at x,y,z".
- fix psionic psy to work once again

[drakken]

I agree that Gaesati are completely boring. The thing that makes them more boring than other guilds is that they lack any special crits from their masteries. Yes, after spending months and months and months of playing you get a reward of 5th form from one of your masteries, but that's it.
I would like to see secrets of Gaesati rituals have the ability to crit during combat based on mastery. Something to add flavor to the guild. Also, it wouldn't be a bad idea to have the form of a xyz mastery do something else besides give a new form.
It sucks to see all the masteries go up, and never see something new come out during combat. Again, while it is great that one time every many months you get a new form, there are no special crits or changes that happen during combat from any of the 14 masteries. That's a huge amount of bordem, watching your masteries slowly go up and never seeing special crits or things in combat happen because of them.

[rotax]

Is it just me or does lure crafting take a horrendous amount of time to increase in skill?

[coregan]

I just decided to check the Icesus web page and forums for the first time in about six months and I have to admit it feels good to see that the game seems to be very much alive.

Probably the biggest thanks should be said to the wizards. I know that in stead of thanks they most of the time have to listen to a lot of whining from ignorant players like me who too seldom stop to think that the wizzes are actually doing this for free. And probably the main reason why they still keep coding new stuff and fixing the old is that they actually enjoy what they do. I can only speak for myself but I feel like too seldom they get enough appreciation for their work and dedication to this game.

This is probably the wrong thread to say this but since other players have also expressed their gratitude, I would like to do it as well: a big thank you to all the wizars for their work over the years.

I am also curious, how can a player with no knowledge in coding whatsoever contribute to the game?

[moraq]

I am also curious, how can a player with no knowledge in coding whatsoever contribute to the game?

There are many ways to support Icesus that require no talent in coding; you can participate by reporting bugs, typoes and giving ideas. You can spare some time to help a newbie to get a hang of this game. You can recruit your friends and vote for Icesus.

But perhaps the simplest way to show your support is to play the game itself, without players there wouldn't be Icesus.

[solar]

I am also curious, how can a player with no knowledge in coding whatsoever contribute to the game?

There are many ways to support Icesus that require no talent in coding; you can participate by reporting bugs, typoes and giving ideas. You can spare some time to help a newbie to get a hang of this game. You can recruit your friends and vote for Icesus.

But perhaps the simplest way to show your support is to play the game itself, without players there wouldn't be Icesus.

Aye, yet Moraq did not mention areacoding.

Coding (AKA "writing") an area does not require any coding skills whatsoever - I would know :)

It is mostly about coming up with a doable idea, and writing descs in English to a basic copypasta format. You can do all this as a devwiz. If you need something spectacular for your area project, there are other people/wizards/devwizards who are willing to help, as well as a pretty decent bundle of helpfiledocuments with examples. Even though coding skills are not required, they can be of some help, if you're into complex stuff (anything beyond a killing ground).

For example, my bronze-age crypt and black tower are very simple areas as far as real coding is concerned, so don't let lack of coding skills discourage you from providing good content to all players, present and future.

[iluth]

Maybe a solution to the mid/low level eq problem is not creating eq mobs as such. But tweaking the glow system to now and then drop something fairly rare and useful to players. This system would save coding areas and eq mobs.

A drop system where "rare" and "epic" gear, which would always be useful to some guild or another, would be awesome sauce. All the time you get some random greens, once every couple of years you even find a useful piece. But most of the time the material is bad and the quality is guaranteed bad.

My idea basically: plate shouldn't drop with +regen stats, everyone carries light regen gear. Silk shouldn't drop with constitution. Stuff like that.

Or if coding a not so random drop system is a lot of hassle. I'm sure there's a bunch of players around who are willing to design a items which would be useful to midbies, which could be thrown into the drop lottery.

[goderic]

Nice idea Iluth, although once in a while it is already possible to get a random glow that is spectacularly good. I once got an item giving +3 to each of 2 different stats from a 40k mob. Still, more glows makes for more interesting play, and gives the Identify Item skill even more value. The only drawback I see is that df might be a little too easy to get.

[phadreous]

I like this idea. I don't see this as being common enough that someone will go in search of random glows for df, if they can kill df on their own. It could be a boost to the df supply for midbies beyond that of junk run/buy from someone else. There was 3 df sources for midbies: one has been removed, one is quite risky without chrono and is so commoned by everyone requires camping, and one requires getting by enough guards it is almost too much trouble depending on how big the midbie in question is.

Ultimately I think this will provide a wealth of new items to the market, while the only harm would _a slight_ pinch to those who find themselves able to solo lots of df or take the time to camp 20x galina necklaces on sales and keep the oh so common booth full of df.

On a related note, I haven't really gotten into craftsmen so I really don't know whats going on with that. Maybe there are just fewer people doing it, but what happened to all the leatherworked items with glows? I haven't been in the game for a few weeks, but last i was, +2 clothes were even rare.

[goderic]

Re: glowies - does anyone else think that it would be interesting to have more glowies with negative effects alongside positive ones? An item giving, for instance +5dex but -3wis might be highly sought after by one player but useless to another.

[eysenc]

Psi casters would really need new damage type spell(s) against big (eq) mobs. Mages have 4 damagetypes, so do covens (poison,asphyx,acid,psychic) and they get archery skills too. Psis only got 2-3 (psychic, phys, magic that can be used only when mob doesn't wear eq) and they are often resisted. Buff/debuff spells they have are ok imo but there could be more of them. Now they don't compensate the lack of damage types.

[durmuk]

Something to done to shapeshifters. I have more masteries and better eq in shiftus than any other guild and they still suck pretty hard. The amount of damage they take since phys ress change is ridiculous. Also the damage they make compared to for example scions is pretty sucky. Maybe scale damage up a bit or make pain tolerance to work some other way. Some way to make this guild even remotely playable for 20lvlish players would be cool too.

[belannaer]

Something to done to shapeshifters. I have more masteries and better eq in shiftus than any other guild and they still suck pretty hard. The amount of damage they take since phys ress change is ridiculous. Also the damage they make compared to for example scions is pretty sucky. Maybe scale damage up a bit or make pain tolerance to work some other way. Some way to make this guild even remotely playable for 20lvlish players would be cool too.

Changing pain tolerance from phys resistance into natural armor would probably be a very good idea. It would offer better protection and also be more logical. Also scions are in too good tune, they shouldn't be used as a measuring stick for balance.

Psi casters would really need new damage type spell(s) against big (eq) mobs. Mages have 4 damagetypes, so do covens (poison,asphyx,acid,psychic) and they get archery skills too. Psis only got 2-3 (psychic, phys, magic that can be used only when mob doesn't wear eq) and they are often resisted. Buff/debuff spells they have are ok imo but there could be more of them. Now they don't compensate the lack of damage types.

Yeah I'm going to change the disintegrate so that it won't destroy eq and adding a crit to it, but I also need to balance it someway that it doesn't become the number one nuke for them. Also a high-damage telekinetic spell could be useful since the current ones aren't very comparable damagewise to mages (the measure stick for eq damage dealers).

<glow items blablablaa..>

New shards probably fixed this pretty nicely