The Hidden Forest

I wasn't sure whether I should PM this or post it, but since so many people have donator's I think a post is warranted.

Lately people have been posting a lot about donator click effects and requesting changes. This is fine, if clicks don't suit the class role or if they are bugged then I am all for them being fixed. However, I do not agree with the clicks being nearly as powerful or more powerful than top tier raid items. The ratios in themselves are already well beyond tier 3 or even tier 4 raid drops.

I'm not saying the clickies should suck, because they shouldn't, but the "vision" of this server was always to make the best drops obtainable via raiding. If donating became an option then you would make the items desirable yet not how SoA donator items were.


I'm not trying to create drama, but I feel this needs to be said by someone. I've always been the one to say things that nobody else wants to say. It puts me in a tight spot, but hopefully the veteran's of the server will see my point.

The main purpose of this post is a nudge towards Tyler. One of the great things about this server is the dev responses and feedback. With this comes another side though where you need to be careful. I feel like with me you have no problem saying no if you think something is a bit too powerful. It's a good thing to do, because some requests are more in the moment requests rather than well thought out.

It just seems like with the new donators you're being more leniant than you normally would be, and I worry that it might trivialize what this server is offering. With better weapons, more powerful procs comes much quicker mob fights. With quicker mob fights comes speadier progression through tiers. With that comes a quick means to an end and defeating all raid encounters, being left with nothing.

Evolution hit this brick wall a while back, and lots of our members left. When the server was still in beta, ToV was the highest raid zone and ST was about a months away from completion. We had beaten Vulak, and had nothing left to kill. As a result, we lost a good portion of fun, enjoyable, and skillful players since they felt they had nothing else to do. This means the lost some of the more involved portion of the player base.

I don't want this to seem like an attack on Help Desk either, or to belittle their achievements. I'm not trying to do either of those, I am just speaking 100% objectively. If HD is able to burn through the first two tiers in record time with donator weapons, what will stop the next guild from doing it even quicker if donator weapons keep getting buffed up?

I already feel the stats on any one of the donator items make them EXTREMELY powerful items for the prices you pay. The weapons ratios alone will make them good from lvl 1 until tier 5 raids. That's a great investment, there's no need for the weapons to also have game-altering clickies.

The augs are also the best in the game, and if they keep getting upped to continue being the best in the game then they will just get completely ridiculous. The leaf was already upped a significant amount once, and I am sure it will happen again. The same with the neck, it is twice as good as any item in the game currently. Not only for its stats, but the fact that it has three aug slots.

Again, this post is not meant to create drama but rather shine some light on the path the server is beginning to embark on with the donator items. Think back to how you wanted the server to be at the beginning, and see where you're headed. That's all I am trying to say. Donator items are great, you deserve financial help to run the server, but just consider how powerful the items are becoming and the impact it can have on the servers difficulty.

I haven't had a chance to log in here yet, but I have had plenty of time to lurk/read the forums while at work. I can certainly see, and agree, with what you are saying. I understand making them good enough that people want to donate and get them.. but if they are constantly beefed up, ppl will "buy" them, quick level through all the content, and then get bored and leave. That results in a lower population, which draws less people in. You can see where that heads.. it becomes an endless loop to doom. It is your sandbox, you can make the rules as you wish, just thoughts I had while reading here. Jeido was brave enough to post the basis of what I was thinking.

I will say, I am amazed at the relatively quick, and helpful, response time of the devs here. My previous exp with an emu server is with a far more aloof crowd. Don't ever change that.. but maybe spend a bit more time in discusion of changes to items before giving them a huge power boost.

Overall, I look forward to giving you guys a spin.

The content is not trivial, we still have to work our asses off to gear up and AA and we don't 1 attempt kill everything.

People spent money to the server, they are rewarded for that. The guild has fun and the server content is challenging.

My 2 cents.


As an owner of a donator my take on this as its a luxury to be able to have a donator and while it does in no way trivialize anything it does make certain thing easier, but that is the point.

Also, if donators werent so good there would be no point to purchasing one, its the nature of the beast more or less.


Owning a donator doesnt make everything instant win but it help and is more fun for some people, all in all I dont think it should matter, we are playing on an emu server and donators are a personal choice, it doesnt effect anyone but the owner of it.


You make a choice, use a donator or dont, thats it in its simplest form.




Edit: And as for the progression comment/issue my take on that is that since this is emu and since everything is so custom and different that it really doesnt matter who kills what and when. We are all playing the same game and if people think they are easy mode then thats fine, it really shouldnt effect anyone and people shoudl focus on they way they want to play the game and not the way others are. (Hacking/cheating aside of course, but taking advantage of an in game perk is none of the above.)

As owner of a Donator weapon i see nothing wrong with any of them and i feel like your just hurt that maybe you had work a little harder to get to where you are and you see us going through content rather easily, i mean its just a weapon, if i was naked with just the donator my dps would still suck, its a good weapon but gear is still a bottleneck to their full potential.

I gave the server and the devs money and in return they rewarded me with a great ingame item i see nothing wrong with either of them and i thank the devs for fixing the bug on mine and making such a great and fun server to play.

And all in all thats the only thing that matters. Are we donators really making the server less fun for you? Are we impacting your game play? Do you feel like you dont wanna log on the server because us donators are having a good time?

If you answer yes then maybe you should look at the real reason your on the server and decide if its really us your upset at or the fact that you have nothing left to do here but attack everyone else who is having fun and enjoying the game.

Jeido wrote:I don't want this to seem like an attack on Help Desk either, or to belittle their achievements. I'm not trying to do either of those, I am just speaking 100% objectively.

With that said, enough with the personal attacks.

I am not saying all the donator weapons are overpowered right now, they are not. The only one that I see as being too powerful at this point and time is the rogue one. The monk click is also a big improvement, but a 2 tick dmg boost every 10min won't kill anyone.

The point of this post is not for bashing or drama, this server does not need that so stop bringing it here. This post is to prevent any further huge upgrades such as the one that the rogue one got, and to bring attention to the issue at hand.

In the end the decision is up to Tyler and Lillu. I am just here to point out what I am noticing. Since day one on this server my objective is to make this the most enjoyable for everyone who plays here while still keeping it challenging enough to keep a long standing player base.

Bring Drama?

If you didnt want drama then why make a public post about it?


Again everyone here is having fun but you apparently, we did some key farming in ssra today, wiped to some fun pulls chilled on vent laughed made jokes it was great, its what the game is about, a long standing playerbase? I can see that you might be worried that like uhm people who donate and a guild in such lets say the next big guild on the server jumps to tier five and then has nothing to do and the devs maybe try and like push out more content to make them happy buuut i dont see how donator weapons are a direct result of that.

I dont think anyone is wanting to attack anyone.


Also though, another thing.

It is also the nature of the donator to be more powerful at lower levels and lower tiers.

You are getting a max tier item from the start so of course lower tier stuff will seem a bit easier than when someone did it without the item.

I really think that there is no need for significant if any changes until we see how they hold up in the end game.


IMO I think it just seems OP but in reality it is right where it should be and will balance out in the end.

Farine wrote:Bring Drama?

If you didnt want drama then why make a public post about it?

I dont think its drama, he is aloud to have an opinion just like we are.

We are just going to voice our opinion on the subject as well.

bet if you played a rogue you wouldnt have posted any thing....