Balance and game design : Why red got it right?

[innocent51]

Originally Posted by Kika Maslyaka [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

There shouldn't be any group XP bonus at all.
Just by being in a group already grants you tremendous bonuses:
-mutual protection and buffs from other classes
-ability to kill boss mobs
-chain pulling
-being able to survive in heavily npc-crowded places

Compare this to just being alone, getting swarmed by 2-3 mobs at a time and quickly dieing. Does grouping really needs more bonuses?
Of course the inherited problem of EQ that classes are unequal in both solo and group environment, which causes disparity.
If all classes would completely suck at soloing - only being able to solo low-blue mobs, no quading, no fear-kiting, EQ would truly be 100% group game.
Or make it more like WoW - everyone can solo trash, but group for dungeon runs.

This is, indeed, wrong.
Most classes can solo, half the classes for a better xp than full group.
Soloing is not hard, is not dangerous and for some grants you the ability to kill boss mobs (tho you have to define boss here).

When you go down to duo and trio you just can take anything if you have the proper classes/gear.


If I had to design a game I would make everyone completely unable to solo shit (and my game will probably close after 2 month because you have to care the bears). But it would take too much of EQ to make it such on P99 (remove spells? really?).
So the best thing to promote grouping, if you ever want to, is giving a large bonus to group xp.

[Iumuno]

I much preferred the late luclin changes that made level 55+ mobs give a lot more xp than they used to. Additionnal xp from tougher content should be the incentive for grouping, not artificial bonuses.

[Clark]

Originally Posted by Iumuno [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I much preferred the late luclin changes that made level 55+ mobs give a lot more xp than they used to. Additionnal xp from tougher content should be the incentive for grouping, not artificial bonuses.

[Splorf22]

Originally Posted by Iumuno [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I much preferred the late luclin changes that made level 55+ mobs give a lot more xp than they used to. Additionnal xp from tougher content should be the incentive for grouping, not artificial bonuses.

Luclin, the greatest expansion?!! /ducks nilbog's wrath

[Iumuno]

Originally Posted by Splorf22 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Luclin, the greatest expansion?!! /ducks nilbog's wrath

Not saying that regarding the content of course [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

But a lot of the mechanics changes in the second half of the luclin era made a lot of sense, this one among them.

[Ikonoclastia]

Originally Posted by innocent51 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

This is, indeed, wrong.
Most classes can solo, half the classes for a better xp than full group.
Soloing is not hard, is not dangerous and for some grants you the ability to kill boss mobs (tho you have to define boss here).

When you go down to duo and trio you just can take anything if you have the proper classes/gear.


If I had to design a game I would make everyone completely unable to solo shit (and my game will probably close after 2 month because you have to care the bears). But it would take too much of EQ to make it such on P99 (remove spells? really?).
So the best thing to promote grouping, if you ever want to, is giving a large bonus to group xp.

Wasn't like that on live early on though. Its like it on P1999 because of the availability of gear for so little pp.

In classic at least when I played you couldn't get better xp soloing unless you were a necro, wiz, druid or bard. And then you could only solo outside zones.

Charming was a complete bitch to do. You could charm as an enchanter but you couldn't charm the way you can charm on P1999 imo.

I remember even in PoP, when charming was really buffed with AA's and gear that would make you a god in classic it was still better in group for grinding aa's.

The only real powerlevelers were bard reverse charm kiters till they nerfed them.