Shin's Walk Through The Hidden Forest

[Tyler]

Even the underbulks are dropping better augs at an alarming high rate, http://thehiddenforest.dyndns.org/npc.php?id=157028, have more HP, too, and respawn a whole lot faster than the namers for epics. These don't compare to ssra basement augs, but still...

Just checked and drop rate has been reduced to 50 (from 70%) and chance for armor aus is 25% vs 75% weapon aug.

Should be more in line.

[Shin Noir]

I'm happy for the new necklace quest in lower guk, even if it's ultra easy.. and stats are really good. Hehe.

This is me just brainstorming some balance changes I think would be helpful, though it's in the rough stages, i'm just posting and will likely edit it as I go.
30-55
Consider removing the level req of 30 to enter these zones. I hear many times people saying that you want to make the server challenging. It's very obvious the level req of these zones, but if a team has the manpower to handle harder mobs it is saddening to have your hand held back from entering zones, especially at this tier.
Coins: 5% Drop Rate from all mobs at each 30-55 zone, 1 guarantee coin drop off mini bosses, but big bosses only drop an armor piece. Reason is that coins are very bountiful for the armor drops, and this makes killing trash a bit more rewarding than as is.
Reanimated Hands: Don't make them 2 coin drop.
Lhranc: Don't make him drop 2 robes at once, it seems to happen often too.
Remove about 50 hp/mana from each chaotic armor piece. This turns Plate Chestguard of the Helpless from 200 HP/MANA to 150 HP/Mana.
Add Chaotic Noctivigant Blade? SK sword
Add Chaotic Locustlure to scryer loot? Seems fine steel was added, that works too.
Add Chaotic Harmonic Dagger to warlord? bard weapon..
55-70:
This is a bit questionable, but essentially:
Add Rusty Orderly Gear: This stuff is a better than chaotic, but less than Kael drops, note this is with chaotic being nerfed slightly. The general idea is that there's a large gap from 30 to 70 where you are wearing the same gear, and it makes you feel a bit stagnant even if the gear is good at 30ish. You get a few upgrades on the way sure, but they're not on the main slots.
*Add SoS detection to Aerin'Dar
70+ exp:
Fungus: Nerf drop rate of the Underbulk essence. Necklace drop rate on the lotus seems high too, I need to look more into it
70+ group:
Kael: Drop rate on armor is pretty fast, but considering the risk vs reward it's kind of worthwhile. Wonder if it is worth considering having a trade in merchant that for let's say, 1kpp and an armor piece, you can cycle what the armor is. It'd become expesnive quick, but I'd pay some good money to convert drops from one thing to another. maybe bp/legs cost 3kpp a switch. Silk -> Leather -> Chain -> Plate, so Silk Gloves becoming Plate gloves would cost roughly 4kpp. It would do a class check and ensure when you convert to e.g. plate, it is Warrior, or SK, or whatever.. your class may be, etc.
70+ tier 1 (ssra):
This zone is easier than Kael, except for big nameds. Tweak it so it's a more difficult zone? At least in some parts. Remove SoS detection on Commanders,

[Shin Noir]

in crushbone there's a bunch of un-named mobs that come up in track, need to flag them untrackable potentially. Minor thing, but fixing should be minor too. hehe.

One of the goblins in Kael can be targetted, and he has no name.

[Tyler]

Consider removing the level req of 30 to enter these zones. I hear many times people saying that you want to make the server challenging. It's very obvious the level req of these zones, but if a team has the manpower to handle harder mobs it is saddening to have your hand held back from entering zones, especially at this tier.

Could set the limit to 25, np. Lillu?

Reanimated Hands: Don't make them 2 coin drop.

Not sure what that means

Lhranc: Don't make him drop 2 robes at once, it seems to happen often too.

50% chance to drop robe, so nothing to fix really. Odd number generator.

Remove about 50 hp/mana from each chaotic armor piece. This turns Plate Chestguard of the Helpless from 200 HP/MANA to 150 HP/Mana.

Only the Robe/BP have 200hp, rest is already around 150 hp.

Add Chaotic Noctivigant Blade? SK sword
Add Chaotic Locustlure to scryer loot? Seems fine steel was added, that works too.
Add Chaotic Harmonic Dagger to warlord? bard weapon..

No plans to add more custom loot to these zones atm. Karnor will get an overhaul so Bard Dagger is something that will go in i guess.

This is a bit questionable, but essentially:
Add Rusty Orderly Gear: This stuff is a better than chaotic, but less than Kael drops, note this is with chaotic being nerfed slightly. The general idea is that there's a large gap from 30 to 70 where you are wearing the same gear, and it makes you feel a bit stagnant even if the gear is good at 30ish. You get a few upgrades on the way sure, but they're not on the main slots.

The thing is, you have your chaotic armor and sebilis/solb etc drop type7 augs that carry you up to 200+ hp. More than enough to start with Epic mobs and dragons etc and continue progression in SSra. Most people will just get chaotic armor and be done with it since they level too fast to spend that much time from 50-70 with armor quests that will be outdated in a couple of days (or hours if i you look at the powerlevelers)

*Add SoS detection to Aerin'Dar

Why that? No mobs see SoS really.

Fungus: Nerf drop rate of the Underbulk essence.

Already done, scroll up a couple of posts

Remove SoS detection on Commanders

Done!

[Koeril]

Remove SoS detection on Commanders

Done!

Just to press the envelope a bit, could we remove SoS detection from some/all mobs in Chardok (maybe just from trash mobs)? I was on the way to get the quest text from Niblek the other day for my guides and found out the hard way that mobs at the first structure saw me. I only got out because my evasion disc is enough to get gate off

[Shin Noir]

It kind of sucks to wonder around and majority of stuff doesn't aggro, but then some random trash mob aggros.. and now you're screwed in the middle of no where haha. Now that I know you're willing to tweak it, I'll keep an eye out for these cases. I understand bosses can see through the shrouds, but when it's more or less just a trash mob or a random spawn lesser boss like the commanders, it makes SoS almost not worth using in some zones, chardok is a good example

Thanks tyler.

[Tyler]

Np - post names of chardok mobs or other mobs that see through SoS and ill remove that ability.

[Koeril]

A Reainimated Partisan, A Di`Zok Partisan, and Shai`din Nightfear to start with ... that's all I could see from the entrance. I'll have to go there again to check others - too close to raid time to get anything deeper done right now.

[Gydile]

I understand this is likely in the wrong spot, but it was the first forum I opened and I saw bots mentioned in it

I've tested the way the current cleric bot heals and it's exactly the way it was pre-update. It will immediately cast an HoT on a damaged group member (even pets, thank god!) and then it will PAUSE 6-8 seconds before deciding to cast any other heal on that same target. I've tested this numberous times and every time is the same result. HoT - LONG pause - CH - Short Pause - CH - LONG PAUSE - HoT - LONG PAUSE - CH - Short Pause - CH - repeat, repeat.

I think the best temporary way to fix this issue is simply to remove the HoT. I would much prefer the bot to simply chain cast CH with the target at 85% rather than sit there and do absolutely nothing for 80% of the fight, even though he has plenty of mana to do so! Removing the HoT would most likely clear up this problem.

Anyone have any objections to this?

Edit: If a Gm would like a demonstration, I would be glad to show it in Chardok

[Tyler]

Confirmed and removed from those 3.