Dragon Lair Update: November 1, 2005

[Mirsathia]

Just wanted to add that the lair construction window was very easy to use. One thing to note is that some rooms take up vertical space so they span multiple levels. This can get confusing when you add other parts and try to delete the multi level room because it wont let you if you have other nodes hanging off that would be orphaned, but you cant see them until you go up or down a level in the display. In anycase this first phase of the Blight test run was very impressive for myself at least.

Good loordie! I took a look at that finished lair.. I got so lost! It's HUUGE!

Good job, Devs! Hooray! :D


~Mirsathia

[Kitimandiri]

hehe hopefully this keeps dragons occupied for awhile ;)

[Goriax]

Where is the laircrafting trainer on Blight?

[imported_Frith-Rae]

The proof will come at the auction to see if every dragon looking for a plot gets one; but assuming that's true, I like the fact that dragon plots aren't NEARLY the eyesore that all those biped plots are. Probably because, being underground, they're a lot less conspicuous plus the fact that there aren't nearly as many (and, considering how many unoccupied biped plots and sometimes unoccupied biped towns, I think they could stand toloose a few biped plots but that's for another thread).

Ok, there are probably places where someone would like to see a lair plot and they're not putting them. I suspect the reasons are many including they can't think of everything andthey have plans for some areas, etc. But hopefully every dragon looking for a plot will be able to get one that's reasonably close to what they want. Won't be perfect. Nothing is perfect. But reasonably good.

I do hope they'll flesh out the new dragon island before the auction. I've been thinking about some plots on that island butdon't want to bid on oneuntil I see what kind of mobs are there, where the portals are andwhere the resources are.

Well while I have no idea if "every dragon in game has the option to have a lair" or not, my concern and "irked" feeling scome from the sheer plethora of biped housing around biped towns - and the lack of abundance of lairs around the two main dragon cities - much LESS the biped towns - which also don't have an abundance of lairs at this time.

Its one thing to have enough lairs for everyone, but all but 30 dragons are in the middle of nowhere - as opposed to putting more lairs in and allowing say half the dragon population the OPTION or CHANCE To live near a major hub.

That's my only point/concern/problem with this setup..

And darn tootin they better have that island done!! I Say keep the lairs NOT live until the island IS COMPLETELY DONE! Because all that will cause is that those who "maybe" want a lair on the island are going go to auction on the lairs already placed in places they know, win those lairs and then sit on them. When the island gets done they'll seell those lairs (possibly at a profit who knows), in order to get the one they orginally wanted - now that they know the surroundings and quality of the island.

That would keep the first round of auction dragons out of lairs they wanted (wanted more than those who wanted lairs on the island), and were willing to stay in no matter what appears on that island.

But not knowing who might be moving out, those other dragons will be building and such - and then only to see the lair they originally wanted go up for sale now that the "First buyer" is decided on his "first pick"

And it just throws off the whole system and makes it totally not fair to dragons NOT looking at the island for lairs.

Complete ALL the communities FIRST - with MOBS and RESOURCES First dangit!

That includes GUILD placement!

dangit!!

[PJ]

Funny, only a small % of biped plots are near major hubs. The majority are out on the guild island, shepherds mountain, saritova, scorpion island, genevia. Out of the way islands that have their own issues with resources, etc.

Outside of the new islands, the majority of dragon lairs, are no more out of the way then biped plots, given that those lairs are in preexisting communities. Sure there are few lairs within the Chiconis/Dralk city limits, but there are numerous more on the outskirts. There aren't that many more within the other racial cities, and most of those are pathetically small and noticeably undesireable.

[Pharcellus]

I'll probably pop over to Blight and look around, maybe help out with one as I can get some time. I hate it that those with plots already can't buy Blight plots, as I would love to do a lot more testing myself than simply applying resources.

[David Bowman]

I wanted to add a couple of notes.

Crystal Shaper machines are in Chiconis and Dralk crafting caves, but they haven't reached Blight yet.

The Grand Hall, Halls, and Shrine chambers contain shrines.

There is a Destination Pad on Drakul, but it requires a dragon only quest to become attuned. The Travel Gate from Drakul has not yet been constructed.

Aedan and Serenity are guild communities. They will both receive a Destination Pad and Travel Gate.

David Bowman

[Dragoniade]

I wanted to add a couple of notes.

Crystal Shaper machines are in Chiconis and Dralk crafting caves, but they haven't reached Blight yet.

The Grand Hall, Halls, and Shrine chambers contain shrines.

There is a Destination Pad on Drakul, but it requires a dragon only quest to become attuned. The Travel Gate from Drakul has not yet been constructed.

Aedan and Serenity are guild communities. They will both receive a Destination Pad and Travel Gate.

Are the Crystal Shaper Machine going to be only located in Chiconis and Dralk, or will there be some buildable machine near fields, like all machine?

I wouldn't really like to have to call back to chiconis or dralk EVERYTIME I need to craft something.

[Varangaard]

Are the Crystal Shaper Machine going to be only located in Chiconis and Dralk, or will there be some buildable machine near fields, like all machine?

Actually, very few resource fields have tradeskill machines nearby. They just have the processing machine inside the station. If the new crystal fields are not near existing stations, I suppose their new stations will have just processing machines. Those owning lairs near crystal fields can, of course, shape public crystalshaping caves into their lairs. I see no problem with having to move away from the field to access a tradeskill machine, that's what bipeds have to do most of the time (unless there's a public station on a nearby plot).

edit: Above I am naturally assuming that, since a 'crystalcutting' skill is not in the plans, we will use gemcutting.

[JorgNep]

Where is the laircrafting trainer on Blight?

He is just outside Bristugo.

[Goriax]

[img]/Web/Themes/default/images/icon-quote.gif[/img]Goriax wrote:

Where is the laircrafting trainer on Blight?

He is just outside Bristugo.

Thanks. I was poking around there the other night.

At one time they were talking about changing the craft schools so that youwouldn't get experience for the intermediate stages, but just the final application; with the constraint that the total experience would remain the same.

I think if they're going to do that, they should do it by the time laircrafting goes live. Otherwise you'll have dragons going to level 20 in laircrafting off a couple runs in the mithril fields and getting to mid levels in a single day.

Naturally they should change biped schools at the same time.

[Mirsathia]

Otherwise you'll have dragons going to level 20 in laircrafting off a couple runs in the mithril fields and getting to mid levels in a single day.

Naturally they should change biped schools at the same time.

Oh, that's likely going to be happening, anyway. *g* Dragon equipment doesn't work the same as biped equipment (say, cargo clothing) does - we won't be 'stripped' of scales when we change to Laircrafting [1] School, because scaleslots/type goes off of whichever ADV *or* DCRA level is highest... And so, if you're a 100 level DRAG, you'll technically be able to have a full scaleset of Crystalshaping/Lairshaping techs by the time, or shortly after, the school comes out. You'll have your full capacity, too.. The only place we'll actually be hit, I think, are at the cargo disks.

So, even if we do have the new Crafting hit to exp gain.. Dragons are still way ahead of bipeds in artificially bumping up their crafting. We have fewer crafting schools to take advantage of it, though. ;)

~Mirsathia

[Varangaard]

At one time they were talking about changing the craft schools so that youwouldn't get experience for the intermediate stages, but just the final application; with the constraint that the total experience would remain the same.

To be more precise, the plan calls for 'primary skills'. Each school has certain skills that will bring them experience, and using the rest won't. Going by what I remember having read (I have never seen a list of these primary skills) most schools won't get experience from intermediate step - resource processing - except miner and gatherer.

[Pharcellus]

Dragon equipment doesn't work the same as biped equipment (say, cargo clothing) does - we won't be 'stripped' of scales when we change to Laircrafting [1] School, because scaleslots/type goes off of whichever ADV *or* DCRA level is highest... And so, if you're a 100 level DRAG, you'll technically be able to have a full scaleset of Crystalshaping/Lairshaping techs by the time, or shortly after, the school comes out. You'll have your full capacity, too.. The only place we'll actually be hit, I think, are at the cargo disks.

Dragon equipment does not confer capacity increase, but bipeds who have levelled one class to 100, and have the sufficient Armor Use skill can also wear Cloth or Padded Cloth armor, which can take the exact same techs as Cargo armor, just without the capacity bonus. So, in comparison, bipeds are not hurt in the tech department, just in the capacity department, when changing to a new craft school.

Cargo disks, with the exception of the Standish disks, go off of any craft level, meaning that a L100 DCRA will still be able to use a Marble Tarbash when switching to Laircrafter.

So, even if we do have the new Crafting hit to exp gain.. Dragons are still way ahead of bipeds in artificially bumping up their crafting.

Only in the capacity area. In cloth armor, a biped can carry 3600 bulk. In full Ironsilk, they can carry 4760 bulk. That's only 1160 bulk difference, which is only a 24% drop under their max, and only 7% when the capacity of a Marble Tarbash is figured in. Hardly what I would consider "way behind".

[imported_Robins]

66Helian & Lunus Chambers
Crystal Shaping 1-6
Essence Shaping 1-6
Gemworking 1-6
Library 2, 4, 6
Smelting 1-6
Stoneworking 1-6

Thank you for playing Horizons,

David Bowman

I notice that unlikePlot shops which are Tiered 2,4,6 the Lair equivalent are Tiered 1-6. So I am wondering what will be the Bonus to the machines in these? It would seem odd to give 12.5 increase to skills per Tier, to match the plot skill increase. Although a round number like 10 per Tier would only give a maximum of 60 to the Plot maximum of 75.

~Robins

[Goriax]

And so, if you're a 100 level DRAG, you'll technically be able to have a full scaleset of Crystalshaping/Lairshaping techs by the time, or shortly after, the school comes out.

The point is that you won't need them. Your level 100 DCRA is at optimum effeciency for the lower tiers in his fighting scales. If he chrns out tier IV bricks he's at optimum effeciency regardless of techs, and can plow through to level 20 on one or two loads with his cargo disk.

But crafting scales would only matter at the higher levels or if he actually want's to MAKE something. Or if they change it so that alll the experience comes from the final step, which would presumably be using a skill from the school which would NOT be at level 100.

[Mirsathia]

[img]/Web/Themes/default/images/icon-quote.gif[/img]Mirsathia wrote:And so, if you're a 100 level DRAG, you'll technically be able to have a full scaleset of Crystalshaping/Lairshaping techs by the time, or shortly after, the school comes out.

The point is that you won't need them. Your level 100 DCRA is at optimum effeciency for the lower tiers in his fighting scales. If he chrns out tier IV bricks he's at optimum effeciency regardless of techs, and can plow through to level 20 on one or two loads with his cargo disk.

But crafting scales would only matter at the higher levels or if he actually want's to MAKE something. Or if they change it so that alll the experience comes from the final step, which would presumably be using a skill from the school which would NOT be at level 100.

Erm... what? o_O

[Goriax]

If you just want to level laircrafter, and if your dragon crafting is 100, just grind mithril bars. If you decide to do tier IV stuff instead then you don't even need to fool with crafting scales of course.

At least that's how it's working on Blight right now. I was hoping they'd fix that before it got live. Naturally they should fix biped schools at the same time.

[dorrin]

If you just want to level laircrafter, and if your dragon crafting is 100, just grind mithril bars. If you decide to do tier IV stuff instead then you don't even need to fool with crafting scales of course.

At least that's how it's working on Blight right now. I was hoping they'd fix that before it got live. Naturally they should fix biped schools at the same time.

yeah. god forbid we should have the same advantage bipeds have had all this time...

[Dragoniade]

yeah. god forbid we should have the same advantage bipeds have had all this time...

That's human nature. Because dragon aren't looking like an human in shape, the DEVs are being racist (or more precisely, specism) to dragons.