07-08-2004, 04:35 PM
Hi,
I'm glad that they are finally using the patch system. Perhaps the future changes will be more evolutionary than revolutionary.
They've made a further "improvement" in the rest system -- now it is down to 2 states, just one more than they really need :) The fact that they keep nerfing it shows what a bad idea it is (Will the system as it is now really help anyone?) The fact that they don't get rid of it shows what a great marketing tool it is ("You too can have a level 9999 character in just minutes a week!") What's left of it is hardly "a pimple on the butt of progress." I still object to it in principle, but since it hardly exists in practice (and so they can balance the game without it), I can live with it. What is interesting is the comment, "This has enabled us to greatly reduce the experience necessary for all players to level" indicating that the rest system as it had been implemented was indeed a penalty system. But enough -- even Blizzard seems to realize that this is indeed a dead horse.
Looked over the "talents" for a warrior. Not too impressed by the whole system, and it isn't clear to me what differentiates "talents" from "abilities". Sure, they are on two different panes, one is bought with money and level, the other with points (which come from level). But the function seems about the same. Clearly Blizzard couldn't figure out how to balance money, making it possible to buy all the abilities on each level up. However, they could pretty easily get rid of trainers and abilities and make the whole smear talent based. The concepts become murky indeed when no one is steering the boat (sorry for the mixed metaphors).
Tried the "click to move" system. It fits right in with the rest of the UI -- i.e., it is a patchwork of poor concepts poorly implemented by a group that clearly lacks a UI designer. The mouse buttons were badly overloaded as is, adding more functions to them is . . . ? I'm not sure what it is other than wrong.
The "balancing" of classes looks to me like PvP is a the main focus. Since the AI of the mobs is nowhere near the intelligence of the users, and since mobs and users represent different challenges requiring different (and often conflicting) character abilities, I suspect that whichever way Blizzard goes on this one, one group or another is going to be very disappointed. Unless, of course, Blizzard compromises just right, in which case both groups will hate it.
The New Guard System looks like another admission that a concept went wrong. The idea that people would come flocking to the defense of their towns on the PvE server is a joke. The reason people are on that server is that they don't want PvP in the first place. Apparently even the PvP players don't care nearly as much about defending their towns and people as they do about going out and playing yet another version of DOOM.
Glad to see the auction houses in. Haven't tried them yet, but if they make the selling of items a "fire and forget" process, I'm all in favor. Now if there were just some items to actually sell (other than raw materials).
The PvP diminishing returns looks like a patchwork solution for the lack of resistances. It's interesting to speculate why resistances are taking so long. Does Blizzard have a new concept for them? After all, they have been in at least two Blizzard games in the past.
The removal of the buckler is a step backwards. While the shield was always a device that took great skill and a fair degree of strength to use and thus reserved for the trained warriors, the buckler was usually the tool of the common people. A druid with a *shield*??? And a rogue who cannot fight "backsword and buckler"?
Many of the minor changes (aside from the long list of "renamed") are about what should be going on to balance the game. But with some major pieces still missing or just now being implemented, I don't know how valid those tweaks may be.
But the thing that scares me most is that the basic *concepts* of the game are still not nailed down. With the mood at Vivendi being what it is, and with about four months left till Vivendi's announced release date, Blizzard may very well take the "ship what's done and put what's needed to actually finish the game into the expansion" attitude that they largely took with D2 and completely took with WC3.
--Pete
I'm glad that they are finally using the patch system. Perhaps the future changes will be more evolutionary than revolutionary.
They've made a further "improvement" in the rest system -- now it is down to 2 states, just one more than they really need :) The fact that they keep nerfing it shows what a bad idea it is (Will the system as it is now really help anyone?) The fact that they don't get rid of it shows what a great marketing tool it is ("You too can have a level 9999 character in just minutes a week!") What's left of it is hardly "a pimple on the butt of progress." I still object to it in principle, but since it hardly exists in practice (and so they can balance the game without it), I can live with it. What is interesting is the comment, "This has enabled us to greatly reduce the experience necessary for all players to level" indicating that the rest system as it had been implemented was indeed a penalty system. But enough -- even Blizzard seems to realize that this is indeed a dead horse.
Looked over the "talents" for a warrior. Not too impressed by the whole system, and it isn't clear to me what differentiates "talents" from "abilities". Sure, they are on two different panes, one is bought with money and level, the other with points (which come from level). But the function seems about the same. Clearly Blizzard couldn't figure out how to balance money, making it possible to buy all the abilities on each level up. However, they could pretty easily get rid of trainers and abilities and make the whole smear talent based. The concepts become murky indeed when no one is steering the boat (sorry for the mixed metaphors).
Tried the "click to move" system. It fits right in with the rest of the UI -- i.e., it is a patchwork of poor concepts poorly implemented by a group that clearly lacks a UI designer. The mouse buttons were badly overloaded as is, adding more functions to them is . . . ? I'm not sure what it is other than wrong.
The "balancing" of classes looks to me like PvP is a the main focus. Since the AI of the mobs is nowhere near the intelligence of the users, and since mobs and users represent different challenges requiring different (and often conflicting) character abilities, I suspect that whichever way Blizzard goes on this one, one group or another is going to be very disappointed. Unless, of course, Blizzard compromises just right, in which case both groups will hate it.
The New Guard System looks like another admission that a concept went wrong. The idea that people would come flocking to the defense of their towns on the PvE server is a joke. The reason people are on that server is that they don't want PvP in the first place. Apparently even the PvP players don't care nearly as much about defending their towns and people as they do about going out and playing yet another version of DOOM.
Glad to see the auction houses in. Haven't tried them yet, but if they make the selling of items a "fire and forget" process, I'm all in favor. Now if there were just some items to actually sell (other than raw materials).
The PvP diminishing returns looks like a patchwork solution for the lack of resistances. It's interesting to speculate why resistances are taking so long. Does Blizzard have a new concept for them? After all, they have been in at least two Blizzard games in the past.
The removal of the buckler is a step backwards. While the shield was always a device that took great skill and a fair degree of strength to use and thus reserved for the trained warriors, the buckler was usually the tool of the common people. A druid with a *shield*??? And a rogue who cannot fight "backsword and buckler"?
Many of the minor changes (aside from the long list of "renamed") are about what should be going on to balance the game. But with some major pieces still missing or just now being implemented, I don't know how valid those tweaks may be.
But the thing that scares me most is that the basic *concepts* of the game are still not nailed down. With the mood at Vivendi being what it is, and with about four months left till Vivendi's announced release date, Blizzard may very well take the "ship what's done and put what's needed to actually finish the game into the expansion" attitude that they largely took with D2 and completely took with WC3.
--Pete
How big was the aquarium in Noah's ark?