The Lands of Arda

SerraAvatar · Site Admin Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 573

Ok, Im nearly done with the fixes, only the scripts for 5 new forges to be done.

Next version of Arda will include:
-Player city(access via Belfalas - ship to Tol Falas; Houses have numbers, we can start bids when area will be in)
-New area "Sealords Isle" (access via Forest of Sara Bask; main area difficulty is less than mordor but higher as far south; 3 mini dungeons with bosses not everyone may want to challenge[high dropprates, but you might need several tries to find a way with your party to kill the bosses])
-Fix of Epic rez (no logg in dead, apply reinc stats, but with 1 RL h cooldown)
-Fix of Epic Leechfield (will no longer drain life from non creature objects)
-Fix to Weapon Swap(no way to spend hours to make interesting areas while an exploit negates all efforts...)
-new dropps for Sealord´s Isle and 2 existing bosses not already having dropps at all
-5 new forge items (not better than existing ones, but some of them are at least good alternatives)
-changes of stats of Nimril Palandal, Barash Dhaub and Numenorean Wraith Robe (4dodge,2const, 15/-pierce,2 regen, light20m; removed on hit crap and added 2d8 massives, removed on hit curse so the already existing on hit acid arrow fires) These items can (but dont have to be) reforged in MT Forge
-adjusted relock times of doors so you dont need to run back to levers in areas like chennacatt, gaven etc...
-scattered some easter eggs, bosses "spawning" only sometimes in addition to existing spawns
- adjusted dawn/dusk times (6am;10pm)

NOT fixed yet:
far south priests : still acting strangely no matter what scripts I use, spelllists need to be adjusted next version
Annatar and Necro: still not attacking evil chars, they need to be completely redone. they use the same scripts as nazguls, the problem might be the class combo cleric/wiz/fighter

Thorgal · Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 706 Location: Switzerland

i m trying to do a single area that can be put in any city/town.

its an arena where u can fight different kind of opponents (different classes/races/lvls).

i m also thinking of creating an area where divine protection is on and u cant get xp in order to fight against each other in an area (pvp)

i have no experience in creating areas so it took loooooong to crate the basic setting of the 1st area. Confused

and i put so far only 2 chars... i dont wanna tell how long it was to make them.... Sad

there will be no quest and not much xp to get there - the purpose of this area will be to test your char without risking anything... and of course have fun.

what do u think? any input will be useful and appreciated

t
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SerraAvatar · Site Admin Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 573

If I understand correctly what are you trying to create is an arena with different types of "opponents" to fight against.

At least I dont see a need of such an area. A char high enough for such a test has seen enough areas on Arda to be already tested. And the problem is, that the game AI wil never play your opponents as intelligent as players will do.

And what is exactly the benefit of the divine protection?

Gupps · Joined: 07 Feb 2007 Posts: 485

-Fix to Weapon Swap(no way to spend hours to make interesting areas while an exploit negates all efforts...)

If you remeber far enough back, which you don't, the weapon swap was allowed back in because when it didn't exist everyone ran up to the top of isenguard (was the hardest place that exist then) ignoring everyfucking thing because they gave no reward for killing spawning shitloads and lagging the server to hell.

Well it may have been that or the fact that everyone just rerolled a mage and chucked magic everywhere.

Thanks for destroying all diversity by removing a bug that didnt give any advantage apart from the time it took to do anything. ( you still got hit all the same). Im sure everyone will love their low damage fighter characters now.

But lets face it you still have your mages and your shifters with the AC and the spells to tank and flatten everything.

*Edited by Aule to remove personal references.

Aule · Vala Joined: 28 Jan 2007 Posts: 64

Heya,

I do understand that effecting a change to the game structure that affects game balance is definitely worth talking about. I understand that doing even the slightest change in game balance that is negative will upset people, and usually by a large amount. I also understand that when the game appears to be "balanced" because a game bug/exploit allows a class to be stronger than they ever should is very bad.

If there is a fundamental problem in the way the game is constructed, it is due how Dungeons and Dragons is made. They specifically wanted mages held back until higher levels, where they then surpass other classes. The DnD balance is that they have a limited amount of spells. This balance was broken when NWN allows anyone to rest any time instead of once per 24 hours, effectively giving unlimited spell casting ability. The idea of conserving spells doesn't exist on NWN or Arda.

If you wanted my opinion on the balancing question, I tried years ago to implement something to slow down mages. This was unanimously disliked, as most negative balancing things are. Sorry, but it looks like the voting caused mages to be more powerful.

On a side note, at the peak of their abilities, who would win in a fight? Conan or Gandalf? And no, the James Earl Jones mage doesn't count (and turning into a snake never solves anything). But if you consider that mages win at higher levels, and fighters at mid and lower. Then you consider that alot of our players are high level, then you find out that mages do become the dominate class.

Just postulating a few ideas.

Aule.

Note: Discussions are good, but not if they go so far as to start a flaming thread. For the first time ever I had to edit a forum post a bit, and I really didn't like doing it.
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Gupps · Joined: 07 Feb 2007 Posts: 485

Things just need to be talked through rather than implemented, because people get a bee in their bonnet.

The thing thats got me here aule is, this has been brought up and brought up. I dont care if mages are powerful. This initially reared its head along with the whole pickpocket issue years ago. It was decided that pickpocket negativley effected peoples enjoyment of the game and it was changed.

At the same time it was brought up that as swapping weapons to kill faster simply speeded up the game for mele classes, as it also speeded up the hits and damage they received. (thereby negating any advantage to play except allowing mele classes an option like casters to clear an area in a decent time period, without spending 2 or 3 hours to do a dungeon and having to log due to time constraints before ever getting the reward of reaching the boss). As at the time there was very little PVP (which hasnt changed) this wasnt seen as an issue and as everyone was aware of the bug and as it was within the core of NWN madwack allowed it.

I am aware the ownership and running of the server is now under your control, I would just sooner have seen yourself discuss this arther than have someone who is at the end of the day, a player on the server, take it upon himself to change all this without been aware of the background and after discussion had time and time again proved people were happy with this and did not want any changes brought to it.

Sorry you had to edit my previous post due to me aiming it at specific individuals.

SerraAvatar · Site Admin Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 573

Weapon swap only favors ONE specific melee build: the dual wielder. Letting this exploit will make most bosses for one kind of type of build, the dual wielder, tooo easy. The consequence is, that players will only run to hard bosses ... with dual wielders.
I see no further need of a discussion with you gupps. Nor have I ver seen a reasonable discussion about allowing murder... This may be a harsh comparison, but it fits. Weapon Swap surely is braking laws and balance in every manner....

Yesterday I have tested all dropp- and forge scripts and they work nicely. In addition, I tested the bosses and gave them more reasonable damage. Most of them are soloable now, the bosses of the main area absolutely. Ill do a last test now with epic rez, and if all works fine, Ill send the mod to Aule.

If there are any questions, feel free to send me an email. There are reasons why bosses/ mobs are how they are, and solutions how to kill them.

Gupps · Joined: 07 Feb 2007 Posts: 485

Weapon swap favours every single mele build (but only effects duel weilders to a lesser extent than single weilders with a shield) so long as they aren't carrying a great axe or a greatsword. In which case they will produce enough damage to disrupt heals and kill things relativly quickly without swapping weapons.

By altering this script you have also created massive pauses, giving attacks of opportunity to all classes if they want to swap amulets, rings or any other items within the game mid fight.

As for using bard items with this new scripting forget it mid fight.

The only people you are favouring with this change is people who have absolutely hours at a time to spend completing dungeons on this game. I do not have the luxury of 2 hour blocks of time to complete a single dungeon and with the script kicking people after 10 minutes in a dungeon I cannot restart where i left off.

comparing murder to a computer game is slightly detached from real life isnt it? *g*

SerraAvatar · Site Admin Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 573

Well, I knew that you would find reasons and motivations to cheat and exploit. Nothing more to say.

Ithilsilà · Joined: 15 Feb 2007 Posts: 323 Location: Catalonia

Well that might be, but that you get stoned for swapping amulets, rings or shields etc., thats a bad thing. It really only should affect weapons.

SerraAvatar · Site Admin Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 573

You only get stoned after repeatly swaping things in combat. How often are you going to swicth rings per round? more than 2 times? Smile

oulu · Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 188 Location: Finland

for real serra, WHO THE FUCK U THINK U ARE?? u just cant change things as u like!!! None asked u to make new areas, and still its very lousy explanation for taking off wpn swap, cause u used time to do new areas.

U can play areas as u want, no one is interested on ur playings and let us all rest play as we like. If u dont like arda as it was, go play rappelz or do ur fucking garden. I totally agree with gupps on everything and especially with the dislike button. The weapon swap never had any effect on u, so why is it so important for u to change it? Some people have played with wpn swap for 4-5 years and we do not use it the whole time if thats what u think. And there are much more things that unbalances arda. For example I can get 2,5 mil exp on 4 hours..

Stop acting as a sheriff...

THIS IS JEVS, not oulu, since my account is not working... oulu and decho agrees mostly on this post.

Ithilsilà · Joined: 15 Feb 2007 Posts: 323 Location: Catalonia

Btw. it wasn't only Serra's idea to counteract the wpn swap EXPLOIT. And keep it mature ok?

I think it was requested by the powers that be.

oulu · Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 188 Location: Finland

then who if not serra? higher powers doesnt exist, im sure aule does what people want, not just what serra wants..

Jevs again..

Decho · Joined: 06 Feb 2007 Posts: 4

I dont really get this.......
If U look back to the forums there is a thread calles "I propose no changes at all to arda." by Exavior. There isn't a single post that disagrees with the topic.

So I'm asking why is this weapon swap "fix" in there right now??

Who are really behind these changes and it seems that THE PLAYERS don't have anything to say about these things and that really sucks...... Shocked

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