goods grouping with evils

[Davairus]

nope guess we misread the tone because long posts seem ranty

[Faelon]

It's been a while since I have had anyone help me with cakes, but I helped quite a few people with cakes on previous fifties. Mostly it was low level casters/clerics that I was helping and that was during lower player base times, which is a bit different from now.

Yes, it is easier to level/go through winter/get cool gear then it used to be. Of course, as has been mentioned, there used to be 25 - 100 people on at any given time. I remember logging in once, and I was the only one on for like two seconds and I lost my mind. Cakes became necessary-ish when logging in alone, or with only one or two other people, became the new normal. If 2/3 of the playerbase is at 50, and you are stuck at 35 as a healer or invoker, good luck joining them this year.

All this for the same reason I think we all ignore the fact that a warlord monk (or one with plenty of white herbs) can solo Evermore. The same reason that potions from Timaran now service the position of clerics.

As a few side notes - Overlord bonus stopped giving an experience boost a while ago. It's training boost only now, has been for some time. Honestly, that bug with surge and guild banner is shocking, because I have been in multiple groups where people have wasted their guild reward not realizing surge was on. That must have been a recent thing that you fixed, or else they (the people trying to utilize both on accident) were doing it wrong.

Overlords - Some are more difficult then others. For example, Dhampir is meh, but the new Talamaur dude is fucking stupidly difficult, (in solo ranking at least). The same could be said of some of the Emerald Overlords, some are hard some are easy. I wonder if an audit would not be prudent.

Dagger - I assume you are talking about the Blade of Lodur? It's an exotic, so useful above 35 for solo ranking, but totally useless under for solo for any class sans-dodge or shield block.

Sorry for the long post, but this last part is about the evil/good grouping mechanic. When this change happened, I immediately made a human warrior (evil) and started grouping with goodies. I convinced Knights at level 50 to help me rank, because they were not looking for it. That dynamic, in my opinion, totally outweighs any negatives of people violating rules. That absolutely adds to the paranoia of goodies and makes the know alignment spell actually useful and used. I mean, on the paladins I played, I used that damn spell all the time to make sure I knew who was who and what team they played for.

[Necrobotica]

I'm a relatively new player as I've only ever had one level 50, in my time playing here. Yes, that's largely due to large gaps of being inactive and the steep learning curve (when it comes to tricks/tips/gear, etc.).

That being said, I have been on both the receiving end of someone quaffing potions to get down to my level to help me learn (it was a cool thing I had never experienced before) and recently I assisted someone by leveling down to help out. Though, I put a fun twist on it and requested a payment in gold before I assisted (gots to get that gold).

Right now I am attempting to level up a fresh character and so far there have been 0 people on available to partner with. Granted, it's the middle of the workday here in the United States, but I know there are still a ton of folks working from home.

I think the one thing I would mention if/when this adjustment is made, is take into consideration the new players and the existing player base. If obtaining and retaining new players is a goal, then I would say the cake/potion that exists in its current form should not be changed. It allows veterans to help new players and gives people options when there are no others to group with.

In regards to the good/evil grouping? I think that should also be left alone. I love the fact that I need to make sure I am on my toes when around someone of evil alignment. Is that Quasit going to stick me with its daggers? Will that Illithid try to suck out my brains while I am sleeping? So on and so on.

Just a couple of cents from someone who has only really been playing here the past couple of months or so.

[Davairus]

I think while you are new you might not be up to speed on every single thing you can do to help yourself level faster. That's ok.

As I mentioned, I think its almost worthless to do anything. Reason is because the monster potions trump every disadvantage. Simply collect a million gold at level 15 and buy your level 50. I think its much easier than you may realize, even after I patched that gold exploit. Really all cakes do is increase the group damage. I just want the PK aspect easier than all that spamming know alignment. God knows the levelling is easy enough. I need every second of time if I am going to gank someone while they are getting caked to 50

[Olan_Titasher]

I love the idea of being able to see who is good/evil a little easier.

As a newly returning player, I find it a lot harder to get a 50 than it used to be. The older player base was nice for always having people within group range. The old 3 VS 3 battles over who got to fight in Emerald were fun. I do, however, see that it would be super easy to level now with OOC help. I'm just not in that position.

I'd rather just log off and wait until another time than to level solo. That's just me though. With all this said, thank you to the IMM staff for being inventive on all these new ways to get experience. I believe that you adapted to the declining player base very well.

[Davairus]

Remember the training dummy used to be retarded, people wanted it removed, but we pushed it forward because we wanted training to be a thing again.
We changed it into scarecrow creation kit. That idea for scarecrow kits on juggernaut came from the warlord cabal. It was originally just going to become a monk skill so they could train anatomies on them. The only thing that changed is you have to earn them via deadly overlords.

Similarly, if cake is from relics then I know that means you already did a bunch of questing, or even better, a bunch of high level difficult Winter mobs, and if its like scarecrow the effect lasts an hour. That would be considerably less BS than just giving it permanently for a 1000 gold. It would have to compete with people wanting to save their relics for defender potions and mystic cards. Its that 99 potions problem. I can definitely live with that.