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NA Server merges
hopenottaken
Member Posts: 38
in TERA
http://tera.enmasse.com/news/posts/tera-pd-letter-server-merges
5 PvP -> 1 PvP
5 PvE -> 1 PvE 1
RP -> 1 RP
Comments
Some people are ticked off that they aren't allowing more than 1 PVE and 1 PVP server. Celestial Hills has its own rule set, so that was nice that they left that server alone. Here is what Minea said (in part):
I. Folks, the reason we've come to this decision have been noted in Chager's letter and they are not to save operational costs. It also notes that how we've come to the decision is by looking at the statistics such as data on in-game economy and availability of items people need to advance in game content.
II. Guys, as Chager mentioned in his Producer's Letter, we looked at the metrics and came to the conclusion that this will provide a positive boost to create healthy economy and game experience.
In so many words (and cutting out the PR) they are pretty much telling us that they just don't have enough people to warrant having more than 1 PVE and 1 PVP server.
DragonFall is either the most populated server or the 2nd most populated server overall. And even then, it feels like a ghost town when it isn't Friday/Saturday evenings. The teens and the 20's aren't so much of a problem. The problem lies between the mid 30's up to the mid 50's. It can take hours just to form a party to level up in either quests or BAM quests.
This will probably be my last post on this game as flaws have been pointed out numerous times. Sad to say while Tera and it's Publishers aim to milk as much cash off of desperate players as much as possible, other vendors aim to keep their players and game as stable as possible in the long-run. Do check the video-link down below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDAmPIq29ro
Pretty much sums up Tera's Handling. How long will En-Masse fool players with their fluff PR angles? Once again any mentions of en-masse mishandlings on this game are being locked in multiple "Server Merge Threads" on their forums now.
Brian Knoxx was the same one who handled Aion and it failed. Now he's on Tera and it has failed too. So much for "Westernization Is Future!"
Getting too old for this $&17!
The trouble with Tera and so many other MMO's, they have a good idea, some innovation, something thrilling, and then they forget about the rest of the game.
So we get Tera with a different combat system, and the rest of the game a simple retread of everyother game going back to online pre-history. One gimmick, 1 idea, 1 new toy is not enough to make any game work longterm. Thus the failures of SWTOR, Tera, TSW, D3. and soo many others.
I guess. All we can do is wait for someone to implement some of the better qualities of newer combat systems while making the content interesting. The problem with Korean MMOs is that what they implement is in their own country first. The stateside license companies don't really have any control on what they do with the game because it's not theirs to make changes. At least with companies like Blizz they focus on the game globaly. There is no middleman. So once Bluehole gives up on Tera, En Masse and the current players get screwed....eg. Aion. Games like Rift do have the potential to grow given that they listen to the players. Too bad En Masse can't just buy rights to the title. The game could be great if we were able to make our own changes instead of relying on what Bluehole decides. For now I'm content with the combat and artwork of the different races. I guess I'm partial to the asian style art. If they could just add more zones, alternate leveling areas, quests that change the course of your own personal story, expand battlegrounds for all levels past 11, and get rid of those damn invisible walls then it would at least extend the life of the game. I mean hey. If I wanna jump off a bridge so be it. lol. And one other thing that bugs me is the back-drop scenery. It's like having a play with a canvas background. They kinda cheaped out there. I wanna see physical land in the distance. But I guess I'm dreaming and asking too much. I can only hope that a game with these and other great qualities will finally be released one day and have a long run like WoW did.
Getting too old for this $&17!
Our parties Lancer was on a holidays trip when the update came and didnt find out until wiping on second boss in FOK HM wondering why he couldn't block anymore. We told him to read patch notes. He did, then went back to town, redid his stigma tree, came back to FOK HM and adapted to the new system while we were killing the crab without any deaths - mystic heals were enough to keep him up. At the next boss, the lancer, he already knew how to handle the system and did it nearly flawless with maybe 5-6 mistakes total. Last boss was business as usual then.
So, what exactly about the changes in the blocking system made you quit? If our tank learned the new system in below 20 minutes after hearing about it, others should be able to do so, too.
Oh, I'm sure I could learn it if I wanted to. Its the mentality behind the changes that annoys and concerns me. Dev time/talent is limited, and the fact that they would spend it to provide a "solution" to a non existant "problem" doesn't speak well of their internal design process. Which also calls into question some of their other judgements.
The old strawman "argument" about lancers shouting once, and then blocking endlessly, is typically used by people who have no idea what so ever, what is involved in aggro management. Being able to block more, helped those of us mere mortals who have a more difficult time with the timing involved. Without that, we take more damage, and that drains the healers mana and focus.
The fact is, the old block system was in place for more than a year. It allowed a wider selection of people to tank effectively, and it smoothed over the jagged edges of the timing required. Certain people no doubt didn't like that. Those who have better than average timing I suspect.
Given that this is a Korean game, and knowing their culture, I suspect that there is a PvP angle to this as well. While the lancer class has low dps, if its well played it could be difficult to kill (if the player knows what they are doing). Thus no doubt its "OP" in terms of defense.
There was a tank shortage for various reasons. Two main ones come to mind. One, lancer was a serious PITA to level to 60, because of its really poor dps. Not many people would go through what was required to get to 60. Second, tanking is a thankless, high pressure task (to do it right). Relatively few people want that task.
It would have been entirely possible to add the new skills to lancer and warrior, without changing the block dynamic. That they didn't, and instead added an entirely new system (with all that such implies), means that their internal priority system is being gamed by some faction or another. From my past experience, studios that allow that to happen, lose internal focus and stability, and then nature takes its course.
I'm not going to waste time trying to be rational with the irrational.
But to anyone that bothered to really try to Resolve system it is the best thing that could've been done for Lancers and Warriors. The Lancer is now FUN to play. It's interactive, it's powerful. Regaining RE with the use of defensive skills is really fast and it also uncoupled mana use so it can be used for offensive skills.
Add to that the addition of Wallop and leveling a Lancer right now is one of the funnest things to do. The Lancer has gained tremendous burst and leveling is smooth and far, far easier than it was before the RE change. Tanking has become fun by encouraging aggressive play and not rewarding passive "turtling." What could before be "phoned in" no longer can, and Lancer play is as interactive and engaging as any other DPS and there no longer are any more mana struggles. And if you time your combo rights with the use of Wallop clearing groups of high level mobs while soloing is as smooth as silk.
When some kids first got their RE bars the first reaction was "boo-hoo I can't turtle anymore." A few tips by whisper was enough to get "WOW-godddam I've been missing out" responses.
RE did for Lancer play what the tera did for healing, made them fun.
For someone who can't be bothered, you go on, and on... ^^ I clearly stated that I could learn it if I wished to. That doesn't prevent it from being ill considered, and not necessary. The system before was just fine. Wasting Dev time/talent changing a functional system, demonstrates a lack of judgement and poor priorities.
But the way things stand now, I doubt the game is going to last even mid term. The reduction to three servers isn't a good sign. Its too bad, as I quite enjoyed the combat system, and the eye candy graphics.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Oh They WILL be going F2P - that's a given - and if they did it right it would be the best thing that could happen not just to it but for people who enjoy its combat style for other games in the future. C'mon SWTOR converted, so will TERA. There are no sacred cows.
But if they have to do something first is the server merges. Imagine if they started with F2P THEN in a couple of months server merge? Nah, that would be far sillier for them to do. I expect an F2P announcement before or at about the time SWTOR F2P launches.
As for me, I haven't paid a dime in months. I've been cruising with chornoscrolls and still have two more saved in my bank. What they have to do is simply take off the barrier or purchase price of the game and by the time your first character hits 60 you're F2P with a little inconsequential cash shop.
(I am not familiar with the peculiarities of Aion's FTP model - but I personally hope they do a modified Freemium model based on the chronoscroll instead of centered on the cash shop. No content limits, but perhaps some minor limits to character and inventory numbrs. Then have those limits lifted if you choose to subscribe as usual or purchase a scroll with in game currency. The game fundamentally maintains a P2P model but operates as F2P where a player once they have enough in game gold can get full subber privileges. Leave the cash shop anemic as it is currently - not a ghost of P2W).
(Or they can go ahead screw the pooch and do F2P like any other game and waste a golden opportunity, seems like the industry trend after all.)
Server merge 4 months after the launch in NA. Why am i not surprised?
This should be a lesson to learn for all the future korean grinder mmorpgs.
I doubt they are planning free to play any time soon, why would they merge servers down to almost full status if they plan to do that? Truth is this is their only title so they probably don't want to gamble with free to play and instead stick with the still rather sizeable pay to play playerbase they have. I'm sure they numbers they have are still very profitable when added to cash shop figures, not wow profitable but good enough to sustain the game long-term.
If it was an ncsoft game they woudl probably close it but since this is the only game enmasse and bluehole have they will stick with it and try everything they can to improve it, something that is good for it's players. I just wish I had a similar position with City of heroes that ncsoft is closing for no reason.
No offense, but I think the new system is a real improvement for tanks. It's not just making tanking more interessting, they also made tanking more viable on warriors. Both lancers and warriors now got a wider range of activity they can take part in now that lancers can actually smash things into the the face. At least our clans Lancers love the update and our Warriors are now actually welcome as tank which they weren't before.
So we got two classes with increased possiblities, a more interessting to play blocking system, shorter waiting queues (no more 1-2h waiting) because more people tank. And you say it "demonstrates a lack of judgement" and don't even spend the 5-10 minutes it takes to learn the changed system. Are you really sure it's not like that you didn't like the game to begin with, if such a small change for the good makes you quit?
Korean Grinder? I doubt you have yet seen one if you confuse Tera with one. Looking at how Tera has plenty of elements you should know from WoW and other Themepark quest/instance grinders I can't do anything but wonder how you came to the conclusion this game would be anything like a korean grinder?
Yes, that must to be it... I leveled three toons to 60(lancer, slayer, warrior), because I dislike the game...<face palm>...
That "small change" impacts the entire dynamics of the blocking system. A system that had worked well for more than a year, before this. It was the fact that leveling a lancer to 60 was such a grinding PITA that meant that few people would do it. That could have been addressed, without changing the entire dynamic.
I've stated my objections to the changes repeatedly. I've also stated that the old system allowed more lancers to tank effectively, because it smoothed over the jagged edges caused by timing. Not everyone is blessed with good timing.
Yes, I've no doubt I could learn the system in 20-30 minutes of practice (if that). My objection stems from the lack of priority and judgement involved. There are any number of other issues that such Dev time/talent could have been expended on.
They could have added the new lancer abilities, and given warriors the ability to block, without changing the block dynamics. That its more "interesting" is a subjective, and should be labeled as such.
But thats all water under the bridge at this point. With them going down to only three servers, this soon after launch, it does not bode well. I suspect F2P will come next. If this was NCsoft, I'd expect them to announce closing the game some time in first quarter 2013.
I "worked the system" just fine. Until they changed it. I've seen this type of thing way too often. Once it starts, its usually down hill from there. "Lazy bashing" is sloppy thinking. I provided my reasons, if you don't agree, thats entirely your choice. But if I disliked the game, I'd hardly have three 60's (lancer, slayer, warrior).
Even if you levelled 3 characters to 60 you still can get bored of the game. And really, you must be the only lancer ingame that doesn't like the new system. It fixed a lot of problems and just because you personally think it doesn't, or should be changed in a different way doesn't make it bad.
Funny side story: On Essenia we got a guy named "Löwenherz" trolling /global by posting stuff like "fuck qoa2, they nerfed lancers badly, blocking is broken". Since there are still people not realizing he's a troll you should see the giant amout of ppl telling him how he's an idiot for not realizing how his class got a major boost.
One hand gives, the other takes... Its the same old, OLD story. I finally grew tired of seeing it. I stated I liked the new abilities. They add quite a bit to the class. If they had been in since launch, I doubt we would be seeing quite the tank shortage that we did.
That having been said, they didn't *have* to change the blocking system to add the new abilities. They changed it for what ever agenda they are currently pushing. Knowing studio politics, who is to say what else gets changed in the coming months?
Having been a victim of the Ghostcrawler Syndrome (focus on spread sheets and data mining, rather than on what makes a class/game *fun* to play) for years, I've just had enough. Those who want to continue to adjust and adapt, are more than welcome to do so.