Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
The Minataur and Mauler
nthnaoun
Member Posts: 1,438
I am a long time player of DAoC (since 2002), but I no longer play for various reasons. I was thinking about buying the new expansion and trying out the new race and class. This was before I found out about the hideous race I would have to be and the unattractive abilities the Mauler might have (hand to hand maybe?). But even the new content is worth a look, especially since I never did finish the Champion quest for my Champion weapon. It is also worth a look, since I just now got a new computer that is strong enough to run RvR with Catacombs graphics instead of ToA graphics.
So the dire question is: How does Mythic plan to balance the Minataur race (strong enough to weild 2h in one hand) with the rest of the races and the same question with the Mauler class? We already have large disputes on certain races or classes being overpowered as it is. RvR is balanced realm wide instead of 1v1, but the problem with that idea is that most tend to roll the character that can solo really well, which is usually the overpowered class if you were to take that class vrs another 1v1. So 8 superclasses vrs a balanced group is overpowered.
I see 8 man Minataur Mauler groups in the future.
What are your thoughts?
Comments
My thoughts are.... if you ever needed confirmation that DAoC will be slowly put to pasture look no further.
It seems that Mythic/EA are putting all of their eggs in one basket and banking on Warhammer rather than trying to resurect the slowly dwindiling DAoC subscription base.
One race and one class for all 3 realms? This expansion screams "HALF ASSED!!!" and tries to hide it like Dick Cheney and Abu Gareb.
Sadly, the DAoC ship has sailed, Im sorry to see it in its decline, I am thankful though for the couple good years I did have, they showed that RvR can be done right.
-Gooney
I'm sure that thru beta testing and shortly after the expansion as lauched, they'll make sure it's as balanced as possible. Possibly just being able to wield a 2 handed weapon in one hand will lower the damage of the weapon?
And as for the expansion, Gooney... LOL, you do know that DAoC already has more professions and races than most other MMO's out there today.
The expansion looks inventive, raises the CL levels, new areas, loot, profession, race, relics and the largest dungeon in MMO's today...
Half Assed? LOL.. not.
If they were ready to put DAoC out to pasture, there would be no expansion!
I for one, can't wait!
_________________________________
JonMichael
Currently: AION, an MMO Beta under NDA
Played: WAR, LOTRO, Hellgate: London, CoX, GW, SotNW, DAOC, EQ2, SWG, WoW, AO, Horizons, Second Life, There, TSO
Beta'd: There, Second Life, EQ2, DAOC:LotM, LOTRO, Tabula Rasa, Gods and Heroes, Hellgate: London, Requiem:Bloodymare, AoC, WAR, DDO, Fallen Earth
Just because a class may be good at soloing, it does not mean good in RvR. Further, putting a full group together of the same class is not going to be a good group. Last, every realm is going to have access to the new race/class so there should be no realm balance issues.
If Mythic was just going to kill off DAOC, I think they would have not put out an expansion, or used the money EA gave them to hire 10 new people.
Largest dungeon in a MMORPG ever does not seem half assed to me. However you guys to bring up a point that I wasn't thinking of before and that's that mythic never said that the minotaurs would be allowed to dual weild, meaning they could just simply be having a 2H weapon with a shield which IMO is not nearly as overpowered. Maulers seem awesome if you ask me, hopefully we can finally have a true H2H class.
Your fooling yourselves if you belive this pittance of an expansion is a sign of positive growth for DAoC. I started playing the game 2 weeks after launch and played off and on since then, I have multiple 50s and all of the expansions. Im very familiar with the title and the direction it has been going. It was my favorite game for years, and I still think its one of the best MMOs ever made, problem of course is the pitiful state of the population.
Seriously though, you gotta be freaking blind and or deluded if you think that this game can be resurrected to anything like the halcyon days populations. This latest, and yes it is half-assed or at best built with minimal effort expansion is nothing more than the digital equivilent of a holding pattern. It is a not to veiled attempt at keeping folks around until Warhammer launches.
DAoCs single biggest problem has been the terminal decline of the player population. The actual number of new players is next to zero and has been that way since the very early days of ToA. Expansions after ToA have concentrated on instancing and solo grind, sure you have to group for a few of the CLs but most can be soloed. Game play these days is RVR, Solo Grind and grouping for Epic/CL/ML quests, almost all being pickup. Heck prime time populations on the old servers sans cluster is barely over 300, giving the cluster a grand total of 1000-1500. The only server with a middle sized population is Gareth (Classic) and that one is missing 30% of the game! Be honest, when was the last time you grabbed a group and actually went out and hunted/explore rather than just hitting a TD for the umpteenth time???
Mythic failed to take up the challenge that EQ2 and WoW presented when it actually counted, they watched their populations fall and reacted in a defensive way instead of a pro-active way, net result is terminal decline. Not to mention the questionable dev direction that the game took. What that means to us, the players and DAoC fans is that our game will be put to the side as Mythic develops DAoC 2...er I mean Warhammer Online.
Irony of course being the very well documented notions of Mark Jacobs and his early on dedication to not making a DAoC 2 and to invest and re-invest in DAoC. Any fan of gameing realized at the time that that was pie-in-the-sky dreaming at best, given the realities of the marketplace and the fickleness of player base and prospective customers.
I really enjoyed DAoC when I played, but this last time there just was no joy. Its a monumental pity because it still is one of the best games out there, just lacking in population.
-Gooney
Yeah the population is declining but that is too be expected as the game ages. I'm sure mythic isn't doing as much as they could be with this expansion but they have also been doing alot in the patches, plus I am fairly sure EA has no interest in investing in DAoC, they are more interested in War. I have touched TDs twice and then just stopped they ruined a large part of the game, however it is hard to find groups anymore so for the most part I am forced to solo, I usually solo in SI and Classic though when I am trying to level.
This expansion is not being made to somehow bring in new people. No one is suggesting that an expansion will solve population issues. However, the fact that an expansion has been worked on and additional staff hired does show a commitment to the game and the product. That is what is at issue. For a developer to hire staff and devote resources to an expansion and a game that they intend to end would be a mistake. No one at Mythic would make such a mistake as this. But what they have done this entire year is work on deveopling the game along feedback lines given by the players.
Yes Julian, on the CLUSTER you reach about 1500 max primtime, occasionally 2k. Servers themselves top out at a few hundred each. Just eyeball the server screen next time you log in, it reports by server rather than cluster. I dispute your claim of average prime times of 2500 though
Kay cluster peaks at about 2k
Lamorak 600
Palo 2k
Percival 1500
Tristan about 1800
http://daoc.darkzone.net/
Believe me I wish it was different. But it isnt. My prime time the populations are far lower GMT +1 (sweden). Remember that these figures should be divided by three if you want to approximate your realms population and by extension your chances of getting a group.
-Gooney
-Gooney
That is exactly what they all said when ToA came out. I guess you don't know about the Gareth server. You don't like the game? Leave it to the people that love the game. It is not in its decline.
[Edited by Finwe] - Your post was not over the line, but near crossing it. But I felt that I should at least make a note to let you know to keep namecalling out of your posts. Civility is something we want to keep here on MMORPG.com