Until April 2000 era, druid/ranger root line's dd component could break the root

[Dolalin]

This was fixed/patched in April, 2000. Up until this point, the dd component of the druid/ranger root lines had a chance to break the root just like a nuke would.


April 10, 2000

Spells:

* Corrected a bug in the Druid root + damage spells (Enveloping roots series) that caused the spell's damage to have a chance of breaking the spell. They work much better now.

https://wiki.project1999.com/Patch_Notes#April_10.2C_2000

[GnomeCaptain]

Uhh you're submitting a bug report so that a bug can be implemented?

[kaev]

Well, it really was a thing. Instead of being dangerous to use where castermobs were being mezzed, those roots were also very unreliable against mobs that were relatively magic resistant (including basically every mob >= the caster's level.) So, when the moving target dot damage nerf went in druids got extra whiny because their roots sucked. Verant, of course, insisted that everything was "working as intended" for months and months until somebody competent actually looked at the code.

[planarity]

Uhh you're submitting a bug report so that a bug can be implemented?

welcome to p99! that's how we roll

[Dolalin]

This plus the Ensnare fix (it had a chance to break randomly like root also until April 2000) would really change the Druid meta in the early server. They'd be more classic and less dominant.

https://www.project1999.com/forums/showthread.php?t=340773

More evidence of that from Everlore spell page, since original thread is locked:


Description:
This is a better version of your level 1 snare spell. It is not that great of a spell since it does not last long and is often resisted.

---

It is now WAY better than snare.. It used to cost a LOT more mana, have a slower casting time, and was not as reliable as the lvl 1 spell, Snare.

Now:
The casting time is now LESS than the lvl 1 spell's.
The mana is only 10mana above the lvl 1 spell I believe.
It lasts for HELLA long! I would get two guards on me, snare them both and kite one and then go sit and med and it seems like maybe 10mins or so before I see "Your ensnare spell has worn off."
Also, it is resisted the same amount, if not LESS than the lvl 1 spell. It also seems to slow the target down considerably more than it's predecessor.

https://web.archive.org/web/20010714083940/http://everlore.com/magic/Magic.asp?ID=4431&mode=details&spname=Ensnare&type=

[Jimjam]

Well, it really was a thing. Instead of being dangerous to use where castermobs were being mezzed, those roots were also very unreliable against mobs that were relatively magic resistant (including basically every mob >= the caster's level.) So, when the moving target dot damage nerf went in druids got extra whiny because their roots sucked. Verant, of course, insisted that everything was "working as intended" for months and months until somebody competent actually looked at the code.

It was important for CSR workload that as few bugs were confirmed as possible, as guides only needed to gmrez players who died to confirmed bugs or zoning into lava.

Consider how many years taunt was broken to whites and up (except at level 60), or that bash stun did not create hate similar to spell stun (this was what was intended but never acknowledged as broken until Dragons of Norrath) then almost every death in a group due to tank losing aggro could have got a GM rez if these bugs had been ‘confirmed’ before they got addressed

[Erati]

This plus the Ensnare fix (it had a chance to break randomly like root also until April 2000) would really change the Druid meta in the early server. They'd be more classic and less dominant.

https://www.project1999.com/forums/showthread.php?t=340773

More evidence of that from Everlore spell page, since original thread is locked:

Wheres the evidence snare randomly broke?

[Dolalin]

Wheres the evidence snare randomly broke?

Not snare, just Ensnare (29).

[Sabin76]

Uhh you're submitting a bug report so that a bug can be implemented?

I mean, there seems to be at least a somewhat arbitrary line for when the P99 devs decide whether a bug is "classic" and should stay in (Taunt) or "not classic" and should be patched out ASAP (root breaking root, assuming they keep it out?). It's unfortunate, but it's also the reality of the server.

[Kirdan]

Not snare, just Ensnare (29).

Where's the evidence Ensnare randomly broke?

[Dolalin]

Try clicking the link to my thread with a dozen separate posts about it.

[Erati]

Try clicking the link to my thread with a dozen separate posts about it.

I read all the comments on the first page of your link

none of then eluded to your theory

could you quote the relevant ones? Ive never heard of this but granted I did not play a classic Snare class. I did however play a wizard, Bonds never “broke” randomly.

[Sabin76]

Not the first link. He posted a different link later on.

[Kirdan]

I remember snare (unsure if it was snare, ensnare, or both) breaking due to direct damage in pvp. Having a low level nuke memmed to nuke yourself to break snare was a tactic people used. I don't remember variable duration (en)snares.

[Dolalin]

I remember snare (unsure if it was snare, ensnare, or both) breaking due to direct damage in pvp. Having a low level nuke memmed to nuke yourself to break snare was a tactic people used. I don't remember variable duration (en)snares.

Looks like you remember wrong. I've never heard of this but gave it a quick newsgroup search, I got nothing, besides some confirmation that this wasn't the case, oh and more confirmation that druid root was garbage :D


12/16/99

I MUCH perfer snare to root even when soloing for one specific reason: I know that blasting a snared critter won't potentially break snare.

Ask any druid who solo if they use snare or if they use grasping
roots. Most I've spoken with respond with "grasping roots, hmmm...did I buy that?"

https://groups.google.com/d/msg/alt.games.everquest/aef3MMBZGmU/QHfURA9XKasJ

[Kirdan]

I do not remember wrong. Not sure what your newsgroup covers, but in pvp it was a thing. I don't have an in-era link handy, but I played pvp in late kunark and through all of velious, and snares could be broken by using a dd.

Here's a thread from luclin era discussing it on the safehouse:
https://thesafehouse.org/forums/forum/everquest-wing/the-arena/8006-ensnare#post167594
(funny the first post I found happened to have posts from me in it lol)

[Dolalin]

Looking through patch notes, I see end of August 1999 was when they started having PvP roots break with dd.


August 26, 1999
(NOTE: English version found here: http://web.archive.org/web/20010210085939/www.eqic.net/patches.htm)

The Test Server has now been converted to a PvP-teams server for testing purposes. In addition, the following changes have been made.

* If a player is rooted by another player, then hit by a spell from another player, the root effect is removed.


Then on September 13th 1999:


* When a PC is under the effect of a root-type spell there is a 20% chance that they will break free when a direct damage spell is cast upon them.


So yeah based on this and your safehouse thread link I bet snare breaking on nuke in pvp was a thing.

Edit: sorry I thought you were saying it was a thing in pve. My bad.