*sigh*

[LOVWYRM]

I think. we have a problem:

Lots of players (high level) are very annoyed atm, complaining, whining about :
- lost money (up to three gold or even more spent for forms and comps)
- buggy quests
- nerved mobs (too hard to kill now)
- lousy quest rewards
- chests/keys
- lost mobs (outpost)
- murder lags
- and technical probs after patches
and some things more.

They are angry and feel !"§$%, and think about leaving, predicting the end of our world in the near future.

I want to appeal to all my fellow Istarians to give the devs a chance to fix the bugs and solve the probs.
!"§$ happens- nobody wants to tease us!
We worked together all those years- as we can`t fix the bugs-lets give the devs our support in being patient.
And pls: The labyrinth and all the quests, the mobs- this is engame content- it was never ment to be easy.
It was never ment to be all played in 4 weeks.

VI please:
There should be some time to get us informed- say something-
even the most patient customers appreciate (and derseve!)
some nice words- that calm down the flaming and the displeasure.

[AmonGwareth]

- lost money (up to three gold or even more spent for forms and comps)

This is something we're aware of and are investigating.

- buggy quests

Keep reporting them. If they don't get reported, we can't fix them.

- nerved mobs (too hard to kill now)

The Labyrinth is NOT meant to be a solo-friendly location in its entirety. But we welcome feedback on the content. Seriously, folks, if you don't say anything how will we know?

- lousy quest rewards

Again, SAY SOMETHING about it. Which quests? What rewards?

- chests/keys

What does this mean?

- lost mobs (outpost)

Huh? Which outpost and what mobs?

- murder lags
- and technical probs after patches

The technical part of the team is working on these issues. There's a new version of the client on blight now I believe (or will be very soon as I saw emails about it on Friday).

and some things more.

Which are?

[Holth]

Lov, I agree, patience is needed till the new content is smoothed out. I thinks the devs are doing a spectacular job of trying to keep up with bug fixes and client problems. And yes, we do need to communicate better about what we feel is wrong, bugged, and what we like! Devs, please be patient with us as forum posts are not always easy to write and say what we need to when we are tired or in a rush.

I will say something here to VI in the hopes of helping to make new content run more smoothly in the future. Is there a way to give specific players who would love to "beta test" new content a better way to do this besides moving a character to Blight? I tried to test all the new DD content as best I could, but quests that don't work and can't be reset on a current copied character make it very difficult to progress through the whole quest. I recopied characters and ran the pre-reqs to get into the dungeon at least 3 or 4 times because the previous character got to a certain point and then was bugged. Cost hours of time (which I didn't mind) but those hours could have been much more productively spent moving on when the bug was fixed. ( I understand that resetting quests on characters is very time consuming for you devs.) So what I'm asking is, most other games have a specific beta server where people sign a nda and test alongside devs who are in game to observe and help and fixes can be patched in rather quickly. I don't know if Istaria has a server that can be used in this way, but in the future if you plan to push a large expansion such as DD maybe this would be the way to do it if possible?

I think what Lov is referring to about the chests/keys (at least from what I've observed) is that for level 100 players to make the keys needed for DD quests is very time consuming and resource intensive. Dragons are totally dependent on bipeds to make the keys which are needed to progress through the quests. Also, the rewards from opening a chest are no different from the loot that you get killing mobs, and it takes sometimes up to 3 key attempts to open a chest. The keys don't always do the correct amount of damage and having to wait the 1 minute for the key to recycle lets the chest totally regen. No one that I know of has even seen a magical chest so I am only speaking about the regular chests and keys. I could spend all day in game making keys and selling them on the connie and still not keep up with player demand at the moment (spending 3 or 4 hours hunting in DD I can use 50-60 keys in that time) but selling keys on the connie will only last for so long as players realize that the cost of the key is not worth the reward in the chest.

I know I, along with many others were quite stunned to log in the other day and find that all the master cure poison and antidote forms we purchased and scribed were gone from our formula books. Patch notes only said they were removed from the npc selling them. We have always been told in the past that once we have something and it was then removed from the game, we would still have it. Having to repurchase the expert version of forms we already bought was a bit unsettling. Also the cost of the master bowl and radiant powder forms, I thought, was quite high seeing as they are only used for one quest.

I think the drag and drop techs used for quest rewards are awesome! I would like to see the specific stat boost they give listed on the tech so we know what they do before they are applied to the equipment/spell.

The slayer quests are a bit of a let-down as far as rewards. Kill x amount of x and get an emblem title. All well and good, but how many emblems are folks gonna use or keep? Maybe let us choose a reward along with the title - 1 training point to add to a stat of our choice, a mask of the specific creature, a batch of cure poison potions, ... I'm sure we can get creative here.

I think the dungeon is way too easy. There is nothing in there I can't kill solo with either my dragon or biped except Shaloth. Sure, I've been killed in there if I aggro too many mobs, but I guess I expected it to be a place where groups were the norm instead of the exception. I'd really like to see this game get back to the group friendly content. That will draw more new players and give old players a reason to want to help new players, not just in the dungeon, but in the whole world. Right now, unless I make a new toon, the only way I can help new players is by answering questions and making gear, etc.

Please devs, take what I've said not as complaining, but trying to help make this game better for all of us.

Thaalia, Grand Master Crafter of Order

[Creme]

Also the cost of the master bowl and radiant powder forms, I thought, was quite high seeing as they are only used for one quest.

Actually, I didn't mind the cost of these as Gaileach's quest rewards provide more than enough to cover the cost of purchasing these forms.

[lino]

- nerved mobs (too hard to kill now)

Are those the same people who where all for making the game harder for lower level players by advocating the idea of "mob raids" on settlements as in
community.istaria.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21028

Just curious.

[Shian]

Are those the same people who where all for making the game harder for lower level players by advocating the idea of "mob raids" on settlements as in
community.istaria.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21028

Just curious.

Asking for random events to spice up life in no way translates to "Make the current mobs more difficult"

[Mighte]

The rewards for a chest have been brought up. I have opened over 75 chests and all or almost all have 4 items. The most popular of these seem to be figurines (which no one that I know ever use) and pouches (2400-2600 which there is a limit to how many you need or want). Crystals are a popular drop but at this level we have all that we need. Its kind of ironic that one of the best drops can be something that can be used to make a key (which takes lots of effort) that hopefully will let you open another chest where you hope to get something to let you open another chest. Why not have parts that can be used to make unique weapons, armour, jewlery etc. Mighty

[Holth]

Creme, I have to disagree. 375 silvers for a formula for a master bowl that I need to make 1 of, and 325 silvers for master essence powder that I need to make 10 of to be able to complete a quest and then will never use again is, in my opinion, too high. Compared to other master forms, even it they were both usefull, they are really high.

Master cooking knife is less than 100 silvers, master gem powder, metal powder and tensile suspension are 100 silvers each, even the master gears and recharge cells are only 210 silvers each. And these are all things I will make over and over.

The point of a quest reward (coin or anything else) is not to have to turn around and use it to complete the quest.

Mighty, I completely agree with you on the chests. I have looted at least 100 of them and have gotten nothing worth making keys for. I've gotten several forms for making keys, but I've also looted those same forms off mobs. I'm really hoping the magical chests will have loot worth making enchanted keys for.

On a lighter note, I must say all the new dyes are way cool ! I've made most of them and applied them to cargo gear and armour and most of the colours are spectacular. The purples are definitely my favorites and the khakis were quite a surprise ! Nice work on those devs !

Thaalia, Grand Master Crafter of Order

[Mighte]

OK I should not exagerate so here is the loot from the last 19 ada/thorn/trav/ancient chests opened in dungeon. Pouches-8 crystals + cogs-16 figurines-14 dragon loot-10 dwarfen items+token+amulet-4 bag coins-7 journal pages-2 formulas-9 key pattern-3. Good stuff maybe if you are a lev 50 but not lev 100. Mighty

[Guaran]

Weren't some of the chests supposed to be treasure-less and instead let out a monster of some kind?

Above idea is quite fun sounding. however it would not be worth risking opening a chest unless the loot, should some drop instead of the monster, be a bit above average. Perhaps some unique new crystals/forms/techs ? Key patterns, ambrosia, multiple rare hoard bits, etc. would be worth the risk to obtain. Also a good suggestion that there be things in chests that cannot be obtained anywhere else.

[lightning claw]

i kinda like the idea of having the blight attack us again its been far too long since epi got his tail wiped and i mean ruthlessly beaten down and used as a new dragon skin coat !



I agree with LOVWYRM indeed patience is required the devs tried something new and its great ! just got a few bugs. Show me 1 game that's 100 % Bug free .... there is not one so chill guys and wait as the story progresses

[awdz]

Creme, I have to disagree. 375 silvers for a formula for a master bowl that I need to make 1 of, and 325 silvers for master essence powder that I need to make 10 of to be able to complete a quest and then will never use again is, in my opinion, too high. Compared to other master forms, even it they were both usefull, they are really high.

Master cooking knife is less than 100 silvers, master gem powder, metal powder and tensile suspension are 100 silvers each, even the master gears and recharge cells are only 210 silvers each. And these are all things I will make over and over.

Perhaps we should make 20 bowls and 200 essence powders and consign them at 5 sp ea for others to complete the quest? That'd easily cover the cost of the forms and prove them to be much more useful than for our own single quest use. I agree the cost of those formulas seems higher than other similar tier forms but I think it's recoupable.

[Shian]

Perhaps we should make 20 bowls and 200 essence powders and consign them at 5 sp ea for others to complete the quest? That'd easily cover the cost of the forms and prove them to be much more useful than for our own single quest use. I agree the cost of those formulas seems higher than other similar tier forms but I think it's recoupable.

Nope. You have to craft them yourself. Nothing else in Istaria needs a Trav bowl.

[awdz]

You don't have to craft them yourself. You don't even need to loot the fire golem essence, I had it in my inventory before I started that quest. All you need to complete it is to have the items in your inventory when you go back again.

[Drevar]

I believe that part of the quest, the cleansing, is the part that was totally hosed and would grey out in the middle if you sneezed or looked at it the wrong way. Once it was greyed out, you could pick up the next part, whether you correctly completed it or not. As I recall, each part had counters that you had to complete the tasks yourself in order for it to count..ie water, bowl, fire materia, etc. The bowl and radiant powder use Ingenuity, so you don't need a specific craft school to make them.

Drev

[Phillip]

Are those the same people who where all for making the game harder for lower level players by advocating the idea of "mob raids" on settlements as in
community.istaria.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21028

Just curious.

Lame. So firggin lame.

[lino]

Asking for random events to spice up life in no way translates to "Make the current mobs more difficult"

You are right. Random raids make the game more difficult for random people (independent of their level), giving certain mobs a buff makes the game more difficult only for those hunting those mobs. I prefer the latter.

Phillip: I am sorry, I know you are trying to communicate with me, but I fear your attempt failed.

[LOVWYRM]

lino: I would appreciate mature comments and constructive criticism here.
And watch topic pls

[Holth]

Looks like the chest loot table has been changed, or I just had way better luck last night. I spent 4 hours hunting in the Doom and opening chests as I went along. Got 5 steelsilk sacks, almost every key formula there is, including expert enchanted key, lots of relics and pages for collections, some nice stat crystals, backpack pouches, figurines, money pouches, etc. Looks like I will be looting lots more chests as I hunt. Thanks VI for listening to us!

Thaalia, Grand Master Crafter of Order

[AmonGwareth]

Looks like the chest loot table has been changed, or I just had way better luck last night. I spent 4 hours hunting in the Doom and opening chests as I went along. Got 5 steelsilk sacks, almost every key formula there is, including expert enchanted key, lots of relics and pages for collections, some nice stat crystals, backpack pouches, figurines, money pouches, etc. Looks like I will be looting lots more chests as I hunt. Thanks VI for listening to us!

Thaalia, Grand Master Crafter of Order

No changes were made. This is the nature of the random loot drop. Sometimes you get junk, sometimes you get mediocre, and sometimes you get awesome stuff.

I'm sorry that some of you feel that the content stinks. Many long hours went into this content and there is a significant amount of story if you take the time to read it as well as quite a bit of the world made much nicer where before it was devoid of most stuff.

As far as the difficulty (or lack thereof) of the monsters, well, not everyone can be made happy by everything. Each monster was designed to provide a different challenge and in particular one that was not what you were used to over the last few years.

So, for example, the Corrupted Iron Guard and various Shades are ghosts. That means physical damage is practically useless against them. But that means magical attacks are very valid.

Automatons, however, are the reverse and some physical attacks are fine against them as well as magic. Though they have the ability to protect themselves from some types of damage.

Mostly I encourage folks who are having difficulty to think about the types of monsters and what might work best against them.

Ghosts = Magic

Automatons = Big metallic, computerized things. What works well against metal and computers? It comes from the sky during storms!

Scorpions/crabs/Beetles = These are hard-shelled creatures. What works really well against something with an exoskeleton? Cracking it! What makes things crack really well? Its big and heavy!

Mylocs = Spiritual in nature. Nuff said I think.

As for the loot, there is a lot out there. But keep in mind that even though we've released a big new amount of adventuring content with lots of quests, this is still a game that centers around crafters and so much of the loot is going to favor them. You won't find great armor or weapons in it like you would in other games.

Other things you asked for and we tried to provide - Big crafting projects. Epic abilities/spells. New challenges.

Yes there have been bugs. We've been working hard (very hard) to track them down and fix them.

Anyway, we appreciate everyone's business and your enthusiasm for this game and we hope you will relax and try to enjoy it all because in the end, its a game and games are meant for us to have fun with.