07-07-2003, 04:25 AM
I think that unique ring may very well end up on every shopping list out there...
Too early to say for sure, but I'm starting to form a picture of what may have transpired at Blizzard North's HQ when they got their collective heads together to discuss the patch...
"We're ready to test the new path in Hell mode, Sir."
"OK, take lvl 99 characters and give them the best gear out there. No variant crap. Cookie-cutters only."
"Reporting extreme game dificulty, Sir."
"What? You managed?"
"Barely, but yes, sir."
"Not good. We'll be giving them new toys with 1 chance in 10 billions of ever dropping, which means they'll all have them in a matter of weeks. Give more life, more resists, more damage to monsters. NOW!"
"Reporting getting slaughtered in the Blood Moor, Sir".
"Good, I think game balance is okay this time."
"But..."
"But nothing. You're mere testers. The true players are out there. If you could beat the game, it would be too easy for them."
"Err... if you say so, Sir. Now how about untwinked, non-cookiecutter characters."
"Nonsense! Listen, this time we're NOT making the same mistake as every single previous time. We're balancing it for the most powerful characters possible. We don't give a damn about the others. They'll manage. They always do. I hate them for that. And anyway, in the end, they'll all use the same builds and same gear. They always do. So THAT is what matters."
"Sir, reporting extremely slow leveling. Been playing for two straight weeks, and XP bar has barely moved".
"What?? Barely moved? You mean it moved at all? Where are those dumb programmers? Guys, I told you: 1 XP / kill after lvl 75. Not a coupla xp points. ONE single experience point. You know them. Those frigging players. You know their tricks, don't you? They'll find the best xp farming area in the game. However random we make it, they will find it. They will share a character so it can play 24/24 7/7. They've done it in the past. They will do it again. So let's not make the mistake of underestimating them again. ONE xp per kill. Do it NOW!"
Just been browing through some reports and checking the new info at the AS. ;)
Too early to say for sure, but I'm starting to form a picture of what may have transpired at Blizzard North's HQ when they got their collective heads together to discuss the patch...
"We're ready to test the new path in Hell mode, Sir."
"OK, take lvl 99 characters and give them the best gear out there. No variant crap. Cookie-cutters only."
"Reporting extreme game dificulty, Sir."
"What? You managed?"
"Barely, but yes, sir."
"Not good. We'll be giving them new toys with 1 chance in 10 billions of ever dropping, which means they'll all have them in a matter of weeks. Give more life, more resists, more damage to monsters. NOW!"
"Reporting getting slaughtered in the Blood Moor, Sir".
"Good, I think game balance is okay this time."
"But..."
"But nothing. You're mere testers. The true players are out there. If you could beat the game, it would be too easy for them."
"Err... if you say so, Sir. Now how about untwinked, non-cookiecutter characters."
"Nonsense! Listen, this time we're NOT making the same mistake as every single previous time. We're balancing it for the most powerful characters possible. We don't give a damn about the others. They'll manage. They always do. I hate them for that. And anyway, in the end, they'll all use the same builds and same gear. They always do. So THAT is what matters."
"Sir, reporting extremely slow leveling. Been playing for two straight weeks, and XP bar has barely moved".
"What?? Barely moved? You mean it moved at all? Where are those dumb programmers? Guys, I told you: 1 XP / kill after lvl 75. Not a coupla xp points. ONE single experience point. You know them. Those frigging players. You know their tricks, don't you? They'll find the best xp farming area in the game. However random we make it, they will find it. They will share a character so it can play 24/24 7/7. They've done it in the past. They will do it again. So let's not make the mistake of underestimating them again. ONE xp per kill. Do it NOW!"
Just been browing through some reports and checking the new info at the AS. ;)