Gutie

Hello! There are a few small relic change requests that I have that were promised to us 11 months ago. Please see below for the relic change 11 months ago that I am referencing:

 

 

1. Please add a permission to abandon relics. Only the Guild Founder still has this ability.

2. If you abandon a relic, add a guild log message as to who abandoned the relic and what relic was abandoned. As of right now, there are no log messages about this happening.

3. Add a cooldown on the relic that the guild has abandoned so the guild knows when it can be captured again.

 

I do appreciate and welcome any feedback on this topic!

Support. A useful and convenient change. A good QoL tweak to rank permissions alone even if jus the first was done, where all three would be helpful to a number of guilds to be able to make use of.

tl;dr not a fan of a major boost to epic's stats to compete with top LE/Crystalline/SE gear. Adding combat oriented epics with less stam gain/xp gain would be preferable. Perhaps boost xp gain (NOT stam gain) of existing epics to increase the contrast. Boosting invigorate or a new buff that doesn't work below a set level. (Maybe a AH Special/Bazaar exclusive potion with a level 300/500 requirement to avoid making low level epics absurdly OP?). Overall I'm not for entirely negating the choice players must make between stam gain epics and "combat gear."
 
 ****** Long post is long... cows should add a "Spoiler" function to forum posts****
I would say significantly boost the power of Invigorate to fix the gap getting the boost that CoAtt/CoDef/KE/SH/Shield Wall/Armor Boost give, but then it totally undercuts things at lower levels. Maybe a tweak to Invigorate with a "if" clause that does a level check "cant be used at a level below x" to fix it, but it would be the easiest one then aside that small tweak/testing. A new buff boosting epics with this effect would be another alternative, again one that restricts use below certain levels. Minimal change would be required.
 
Alternatively I think an bump up of their power of those around 500 and higher by 25% is reasonable. It doesnt break the game, and gives the impact in arena in some level brackets some cite they'd like. Preference should be given to a slight boost for certain select types of epics, such as those requiring invention like the cow epics and RP epics at a slightly higher level than that 25%, maybe a bump by 1/3.
 
But a full boost to drastically devalue other gear and boost its own enables exploiting the game economy, which could make the changes very self serving for some (including my own guild) who have large quantities of epics on hand, either personally stockpiled for various reasons, tagged and for titans routinely secured.
 
"Power creep" with certain types of potions is already unintentionally undermining certain aspects of the game. I'm not for a major change to the stats of existing gear. This is an issue where if anything adding new combat focused epics as time goes on with less stam/xp gain to them for their tier than current ones have.
 
Players should have to weigh the benefits of the setups they use no less than choosing a "suicide" setup vs an armor setup reliant on various buffs. Possibly to further leave some players with a tough choice you could boost the XP gain bonus some epics have rather than stam gain. This could be something that marginally gives more value to existing epics.

A non composing buff that could alert you to a chest being nearby say within a certain distance similar to how you can see in dark realms with vision, (within 1-3 spaces from you you can see the chest) would be a neat tweak. Maybe in maps that have fewer than a set amount of squares (that are "too cramped to see around well") it won't work to keep people from cheesing and abusing it in small quest realms.

I personally think a gold sink having it in AH specials/Potion Bazaar would be a very good idea. We've seen an overhaul of really powerful Loyalty token potions, I think a boost to Specials/Bazaar could work both as a nice gold sink and to add cool effects like that. I still like the aspect of giving reward to finding them while playing the game.

Having them "in sight" I think is more fair to those who have put the time in hunting them (aside those who flat out buy the locations, lol) than cueing the whole game into a scramble for them (though imo it does sound fun).

An alternative idea could be to take a concept out of what some do with treasure map mechanics and make a map be "found" randomly. An initial gold sink taking them to a cartographer NPC sends you hunting them down on a multi step hunt. The more steps the higher the tier. Rewards could be bound or unbound gear/items on top of the current chests that exist. Maybe make the unverified maps unbound similar to retaining the system of those who buy/sell chest locations now. 

Possibly even make it part of a low level quest showing how to do it but at the end of the quest where maybe with that buff active you can see the on map "chest." but otherwise cannot without being right on top of it... (only to find it already looted with an item left behind, and could be made into an entire quest line chasing down the chest looter?)

Composing was the gear sink for the game which did what it was intended to do initially, purging the gear glut (and all those old fully forged pieces in the game, rip) but then events that gave free fragments outside of LE/Chomper events undermined this making it illogical to frag otherwise good gear. Player demand to have constant access to max power composing potions really crippled this, and had other effects.

You can farm a 2-3k LE frags during a non pinata global at the cost of only ~10k stam using a Rampage Potion and a zbrew, so then there's less need to frag LE/Chomper gear during their events as well. Why frag a LE piece for a measly 3-7 frags when I can get anywhere from 50k to several FSP a pop depending on the craft aside of getting the Fragmenter medal?

This with the steady increase in the size of many players massive max stamina totals with 5k BP slots to farm even more gear vs having to choose between storing gear for the guild/personal items/and mass farming gear for potential profit is also a factor. The glut goes from bad to worse when there's no incentive to purge that gear to fuel the thirst for max power composing potions with frags so easily obtained. 

I'm not saying its a bad idea, but Composing really needs an overhaul to rethink either increasing the amount of frags required for the most powerful potions, or a drastic drawdown in the rate in which frags can be obtained in global events/etc aside common/rare and maybe uniques. Doing so would be more effective to improve this rather than a gamewide gear overhaul.

1. Why do you play FS? Fun? Challenge? Other?

My Guild. The sole reason for playing/donating. Desire to see us rise as high as possible.

2. A.When you play "your style" do you use buffs? Potions? A combo of the two?

    B. What level buffs/potions do you use?

Both. The highest possible. 863 AL/LIB/CON without fail for hunts. WYBB for pvp/etc.

3. If you use buffs or potions or a combo, why?

People like winning.

4. Do you use Global Chat? Why or why not?

I did at first, but certain people actively are nasty to others, including those now gone pmods.

5. What aspects of FS have you played?

All of them, but not much arena really at all. I need to get more top arena sets yet, lol. Mainly leveling and titans once in a while. Used to GvG a bit. I've lost some levels in pvp, lol.

6. Why did you choose to play these aspects of the game?

Mainly thinking they were the best ways to help my guild at the time I partook in them. Which is why I mostly hunt/level.

7. How often do you log on to FS?

I was almost never on till late 2012, then was on almost every single day till 2015. Since then, not very much.

8. How long have you been playing FS?

My account says 2009, but I never took the game seriously at all until Fall 2012.

9. Are you in a guild? (I do not need specific guild names) If so, why?

Yes. There have been times I also ask that question, but then remember it's the people in it that makes it so. I try to be a loyal person and good friend. Many in my guild have shown consideration and integrity you'd think impossible on the internet. Too many have put trust in me to even think of breaking that trust to ever even think of being anywhere else.

10. What level were you when you first joined a guild? (If you are in one that is!)

I think level 3 or 5? My IRL best bud got me to try FS, convinced me to come back a few times to the game too (Global events enticed me too, lol). 

I love the extra 23% Sac 575 gives though tbh. I notice no one on here seemed to have said Light Foot...what. 

Before hunt

1) Distill (Zombie Brew/Lesser Distill)

2) Brew Master

Core hunting buffs you should be running....at any time.

1) Adept Learner

2) Librarian

3) Conserve

4) Animal Magnetism

5) Light Foot

6) Unbreakable (Unless you're someone who likes doing the Cursed Ring/Rune + Mastersmith thingy with no crystalline)

7) Enchant Weapon

8) Smashing Hammers

9) Keen Edge

10) Doubler (until you hit the minimum stam required. Then kill doubler and activate doubler 150 or the like. No reason anyone should end a hunt with more than 19/79 stamina intentionally on a 2x if looking for maxing their gains)

11) Stalker (can't count how many overlook it)

12) Reckoning (chance of Adept Learner doubling it's effectiveness? Okay.)

13) Wither (flasks being only 2-3fsp blows my mind)

14) Overkill (chances are you're going to be decimating the creatures you're wiping out if sub-2000 using a top setup. Why not get more xp for it?)

Kill Champions. If you're running around with AM 575, you should be sitting on a champ for a couple levelups.

Optional Filler/conditional buffs

1) Summon Shield Imp. If you care about the gold you may or may not have on hand for when that creature 2% rules you when using an attack/damage setup, you'll have SSI.

2) Sacrifice (at 575 it tops out around 23% more xp to your hunt, but you get no gold from creatures in return)

3/4) Treasure Hunter/Merchant (If you aren't using Sacrifice you really have no excuse for using TH at a minimum)

5) Coodinated Attack (If you're using a setup that only has equipment that are parts of sets, really should use this)

6/7) Epic Forge/Craft (The boost for Epic forge with 9 fully forged items can be the difference between 1 hit killing and needing a second smack vs some champions/elites/titans)

8) Teleport. (This can shave minutes off of even a hunt of someone with a few thousand stamina that isn't using a ridiculously high doubler.)

9) Doubler - Speaking of which... the higher the doubler, the faster you'll finish that hunt.

Also, if you boost your max stamina equipping some epics (and other items that give max stamina) before a hunt having contact with someone outside of FS who can buff you with Epic Forge and craft can be a big help to giving you a nice chunk of stamina to work with. 

Actually the bounty I posted of her and the other ones usually get cleared, so no olef, stop making things up. 

Reserve stam is always good bit for all players for the downtime. Cows are able to devote the time to fix an issue and players get reserve stam. Win-win imo.

Klemments Wisconsin Dog (Basically a all beef sausage with bacon, and sauerkraut), with Bratchos (basically a super nacho with all the fixings + dried jalepeno flakes, ground bratwurst meat instead of beef/chicken) and Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy OR Sprecher's Root Beer. (I can't wait for opening day..... HNNNNNNNGGGGGG)

I find it interesting how certain players always suggest ideas that personally would benefit them, and miss the point of making content changes, to give as close to an even benefit across the board as possible to all players. This pvp war idea exclusively benefits large guild with large stamina reserves to draw upon, such as my own and other top guilds. Rather than thinking of new playthings for those of us at the top to benefit from, how about ideas that enable as much of the player base as possible to be involved in?

Tbh with the amount of active players in the game making GS slots 50 fsp is cost prohibitive for a new guild starting up. Big guilds like ours can manage, butit basically kills the capacity for all but well established players to really consider starting one. Imo reducing costs across the board for guild upgrades might be something to be strongly considered. Seen several small groups give up on the game being motivated to run their own guild and being overwhelmed on how much of a wall it is for them to make something even on the most basic of levels.

Possibly consider increasing the base number of guild store slots like we did years back with BP and combine it with a perm reduction in Guild upgrade costs? Even without a flash sale, a 3:1 = 5 spare fsp makes it silly to consider upgrading guild store when a founder can just add more max BP if they aren't already maxed.

I can't even recall really having much interest in looking at a player while on the map.

Maybe if there was a global event where open pvp was allowed in a single map....say Gurgriss arena that only went off the stats of the gear you used (limited to a certian restriction like pvp arena) but you had to manually click on them to do it.... perhaps removing the attack player option outside of this kind of a minigame is an idea to toss around?

Rarely if ever aside from brand new players and EOC players do we run into other players in pvp range anyhow outside of mountain path WA spot and cathedral way at least, of which at EOC attacking would start a big slew of drama likely, lol. The attack player button on the map is kind of a outdated feature sadly.

The app should be prioritized over all development aside from upkeep and basic fixes anyhow. Give the rest of the game time to advance through the absurd amount of content that wish to do so. I don't see why us at EOC have to be constantly catered to.

That's too far TBH. If they're not here to play, nobody else should be playing for them.

 

There is already too much inventive to keep inactives around for their backpack space.

THIS Is my main gripe in particular. If they aren't logging in, you shouldn't be able to repair gear they are freaking wearing for them. You may as well freaking log in on their accounts at that point if we're talking GvGs. What is next, we can change equipment for them. Yes the slippery slope argument applies here. Also, IF this needless update is wasted time on....NO banked gold guild or personal banked for repairs. Personal ON HAND only.

This basically rewards lazy guild leaders with a one click fix to busted gear. We have thousands of pieces of gear and can stay solidly on top of it, no excuse for anyone else not to.

I can think of numerous things we could put the time to developing this towards, continuing the epic questline, accelerating low level content, removing the sub 500 xp gain nerf, adding a new upgrade package, new guild structures, different varieties of relics, mercenaries, achievements (guild and personal), creature type based buffs & enhancements, new content ideas (the gladiator arena i pitched a couple years back as one), not to mention the distraction this diverts from working on the mobile app....

Imo all non core work done on the game should be going towards the mobile app. The mobile app and FS being able to be run on tablets or mobile can genuinely be a solution to the smaller player base and a revenue boost to HCS enabling them to hire more staff to be able to have the manpower to devote to fringe updates like this. 

Lastly, if people aren't even having the courtesy to repair gear, you should really reconsider their being in your guild roster. This only encourages selfishness. Keep on top of your gear issues if you're a founder/leader. 

Reserve Stam or BP slots. You can get more max stam cheaply via the 10 per day via gold, and current stam recharges anyhow, and basically replaces what you used. Tangible upgrades like BP or reserve stam that can be stored away is definitely worth it.