Stances...

[Geeky]

Why did mobs stop using Stances?

It was on of my favorite things...I always had to pay attention to the mob to see if it would change it's stance...then I would adjust accordingly.

Now I'm told mobs don't use stances, that sucks, it was sometimes the only way I could defeat mobs was by using the correct stance vs. it.

[Cobal]

I wouldn't mind seeing a full return of stances, they added a little extra to combat.

[Tzael]

Do the bitter pickle monsters still use stances ? I seem to recall they were the only things still using stances after the merge.

[Geeky]

I remember those pig things used to use stances.

[Jayne]

They still use stances. Or what I cal stances.
Right foot forward, left foot forward, and neutral.

:)

Jayne

[Goriax]

When stances were in people complained about them a LOT. Now people want them back in. I sure hope it's not the same people.

They did add a bit to combat if you were the kind to otherwise hit attack and watch it without doing anything. If you used them you gained a small edge; if youdidn't use them you weren'tcrippled.

Nowadays I'm so busy using various special attacks when I fightthat I don't feel the need to find more things to do in combat. If they make a comeback I'll have no trouble adjusting although I'd get tired of putting them on my hot bars, then taking them off my hot bars, then putting them on my hotbars. . . My big response is why can't people make up their mind if they want them or not.

[imported_Frith-Rae]

that's wierd, I really don't remember people complaining about stances...

I just remember one day they worked and were in, and one day they stopped being used...no reason or explanation or statement that it was "bugged" or something. Just...no stances.

Probably should take them off my hotkeys...heh...I kept thinking they'd be back.

I for one would prefer them to come back, it really did add a bit more "concentration" to fighting, and it is something rather more 'innovative' compared to other MMOS.

[Tzael]

It's worth keeping the combat stances hotkeyed for some abilities, Smash works better in red stance, Critical Strike works better in blue stance and so on.

Personally I miss the old combat stances being used, it added a little bit more strategy to combat. I think I'll go out to the bitter pickle later and see if they still use the combat stances, have a bit of fun out there.

[Gordok]

A long ago patch long before merges broke stances so that alot of mobs(reans and the reaver orges for get the name they were level 75) in paticular as it's what I was fighting were'nt using all 3 stances anymore. From what I had heard as I did'nt play through the merge is that they were never able to fix this so they just removed it instead.

[Rawdge]

We've talked a bit internally about brining the stances back. If/when we do, they're likely to change a bit from their previous implementation. At least, thats what we're considering now anyway. Nothing is set in stone however, and the stances aren't on the schedule for the near future, so anything can change on those. I just wanted to mention that we have discussed them a bit, and we would also like to bring them back at some point.

[Snowdonia Honeythorn]

I think the only thing I ever heard people complain about was how silly it was to be playing rock(red), paper(green), scissors(blue) with the mobs. In fact, when the stances were first put in that's exactly what they were called. ;)

I remember when the stances broken on those mobs you're talking about Gordo. Since I left right at merge I didn't realize this was the solution to it. I just thought they got phased out for whatever reason.

[Tzaphnil]

Quite frankly, I think we can do without the stances. It just seems like a pointless waste of programer time, imho.
I did still have to deal with it a little bit when I was new, and on the Islands some of the undead still do use the stances, to a degree, I believe, but it just seemsa waste of timeto me.

[Geeky]

I too, thought it was one of the more innovative things in mmo's.

Bring them back and make them even more innovative. Add them to something like what EQ2 has in the Heroic Opportunities.

I like different ideas that are good. This was one of them. Make them worth a little more and you'll see more people loving the aspect of them.

[imported_Solanaceae]

I'd like to see stances like Shadowbane, where offensive stance gives you +%damage, but you're more vulnerable to attacks (sorta like power style but as a stance), precise with +%hit but increased attack delay, and defensive stance with +% to evasion but heavily reduced damage output (think Evasive style but as a stance).

[imported_tjl]

what really bothered me was changing stances counted as an "attack" and it would eat up time better spent casting another spell or ability.

stances should not enter the combat queue IMO. they should be a totally separate thing.

[Kulamata]

As I remember it, there was some discussion that the =/-15% (?) advantage was considered too great for the players, and the AI was often slow (depending on the critter) to change, so the player usually hada significant advantage. And as part of slowing the game down, it was removed. I liked it, and I even liked the scissors/paper/rock; a useful mnemonic to remember which trumped which. Originally the shape was not very distinctive for each color, but that was changed somewhat, which helped the colorblind.

And yes, it was a distinctive thing about Hz, and the scissors/paper/rock was a pleasant bit of whimsey I thought. Although the Sslik could get a little spitty talking about the scissors.