Praun
Well-known member
Gasp!!!
An event for end-gamers only? Surely you jest!
SSG would NEVER make an event for just a few players
/s
Illithid Invasion - Constructive Feedback
- Thread starter Onyxia2016
- Start date
An event for end-gamers only? Surely you jest!
SSG would NEVER make an event for just a few players
/s
paddymaxson
Well-known member
The thing is, and here's whee I think they went the MOST wrong, they made an event for end-game gamers only and THEN they foisted an epehemeral part of the event onto everyone else. They actively made the game less enjoyable even if you didn't want to be involved with the event, lol.
Gimp-1
Well-known member
And yet...there are multiple threads on the unlocking some are almost 60 pages long)...so yes we have some folks here complaining but comparing actual posts and activity on the forums the nay-sayers here are in the vast minority. Try to keep in mind that just because you dont like it doesnt mean that most do not as witnessed by the posting to the unlock threads vs the threads against. Seems that a few here are just very outspoken even if they are few in numbers.
That is flawed logic in a nutshell. Most people who don't like the event are never going to say anything about it at all. On the other hand, those who enjoy being a part of a community of people engaging with it will talk about it quite a bit.
Also, several threads criticizing the event were just deleted and or locked so there is that.
I made the comment in a deleted thread that I suspect the champs for this event are an experiment by SSG on finding new mechanics to stop people from pulling multiple packs. My decision to not even log in while this event is active is completely based on that basis. I will not give them any data at all other than not logging in while this event is active. I doubt my main character would have much of an issue with these champs, but if I played her, they would know they needed to ramp things up further. If I play an alt that can't effectively solo a pack of mobs with 3-4 of these champs then SSG sees slower quest completion times and think they have achieved their goals. I am not giving them that data, hopefully, daily play times are down and they get the hint.
I agree. The game is not fun for me right now. Even checked immediately after the patch installed to see if the Psionic Thralls are still around. They are, which makes the game unplayable for me at HE on level.
Onyxia2016
Well-known member
To get an accurate account of the feedback you would need to look at unique responders and take there positioning from their first post. Subsequent posts by the same person is generally variations on a theme. Both posts in favor and against this event have many repeat posters. Going by post page count could lead to false conclusion.
But this is not the thread for such a discussion.
But this is not the thread for such a discussion.
Praun
Well-known member
I agree.
What I find most frustrating is that they made this for end-game play but tried to pretend it was for everyone, when it clearly was not.
_____________________
Look, I get that there are people who have been playing this game since it came out and can easily do R-10 quests solo. I'm happy for them and glad they are here.
Since they are so overpowered and need a challenge and if SSG wants to put on a special event for them ... HAVE AT IT, BRO. Make their End-Game Event so hard that they faceplant on the first mob trying to solo it and are forced into party play.
Have At It.
Nobody here will complain about an event for End-Game players.
Just admit that you are doing so and give us casual players an option to not participate. That is literally the only complaint I've seen about the roll out of this event.
I am a returning player (many years). I started a new character (I'm VIP, bought a couple expansions, etc.) and the new expansions even on hard killed me because of the thralls. If it wasn't for this event, I would be running elite but I dare not! I'm running solo to re-learn the game at my own pace. It's important to me because I have epic characters whose entire builds and inventory has to be redone due to changes since I left and I need to learn what to do from experience (rather than reading).
I am currently feeling very upset by this event:
I came back to DDO because BG3 reminded me just how much I love DnD games. It's still a fun game and I love the expansions, but if this event was meant to attract players... Fail.
I am currently feeling very upset by this event:
- It's hindering my XP gain because I'm too afraid to do new expansions on elite. Even on hard those thralls can be a pain if they are a caster or I don't notice them in time.
- I paid for cakes twice before I realized what thralls were because I didn't want to re-run 75% of a long LONG dungeon due to going POOF out of nowhere. That was before I realized thralls exist and that they are far more difficult than any mob, boss included. Waste of money.
- The illithids - the ONLY actually cool part of this event are restricted to Reaper or End-game dungeons. I guess I'll see the squid boys in a couple of months. Even my old characters are nowhere near legendary to get to run these new dungeons. And during the event, I am running a first life character trying to re-learn the game - Reapers are not for me. I'm not sure Reapers will ever be for me. And I'm excluded from the cool stuff.
I came back to DDO because BG3 reminded me just how much I love DnD games. It's still a fun game and I love the expansions, but if this event was meant to attract players... Fail.
somenewnoob
Well-known member
Yeah this. I thought we would just be stuck with it for a week..........SURPRISE!!
On the plus side, I now have a lot more free time!
(And I AM an "end gamer"..........and it still is lame)
Ahpuch
Well-known member
What do you mean by end-game play because you keep saying this and it doesn't seem correct. I usually interpret end game play as event for capped characters.
This event did have a limited audience but End Game play was not it. The event first of all was for players that wanted a team scavenger hunt. If that kind of thing is of no interest then this was not for you. It was also an event for "advanced" players that are OK with playing reaper. So definitely a limited set of the player base.
The big issue seems to be the pushing the psionic champions that were too powerful into all content making it difficult for many players. But that wasn't even part of the actual event. It really had nothing to do with the event and was likely just there to add flavor. They could have removed the psionic champs from hard and elite and not affected the actual event (the scavenger hunt) one iota.
My issue with some of the complaints is that they say the dislike the event when it seems they really dislike the "flavor" that was added. I don't want to see SSG avoid future scavenger hunt type events just because they over flavored the regular game play on this one.
Praun
Well-known member
Welcome back.
Sorry, you had to return during this crap show of an event.
I don't know how long you've been away, but SSG tends to have 'some' event going on pretty much all the time now. We just finished the Halloween, Maybar event and will be having a winter event soon. They also put out a hardcore 'perma-death' server two or three times per year.
So, Standing Stone Games LOVE to put out events.
!?! Whoot !?!
This one was catered towards those end-game players who can do R-10 quests and not be challenged. Someone in SSG upper management thought it would be fun to add these overpowered Psionic Thralls to pretty much the whole game instead of keeping them in Reaper quests.
SSG really has no desire to welcome new players.
We are all glad you decided to return though.
Please don't take this borked event as the status quo as far as how the quests generally operate. You can run around in the explorer areas and get used to your alts out there until this event dies ... sometime in the next day or so ... (I hope)
healertank
Well-known member
So gotta say these champs are sometimes insane. I'm no noob.. Running my heroic comp/racial comp/epic comp toon. I normally can cake walk run anything on r4 solo with ease. I can't remember the last time I died in a r1 before this event unless I was talking to my wife/kids for like 3 mins in the middle of a fight or falling asleep at the keyboard. But I have died so many (okay maybe 10) times in quests on r1 during this event it is just insane. Playing a barb this life that mostly 1 or 2 shots a lot of mobs, and I instant target champions to try to kill them... but sometimes you get several and there is that 1 like today a salaad champ that just starts hitting me for insane damage and chews through me like I do most everything. I run away and wait for his 5 stacks of godhood to expire try to go back... he is at full health already from insane regin buff he has, and same thing happens. He kills me several times, even using every clicky and survival trick I have and having the best possible gear etc. Quest was lvl 16 reaper toon lvl 16. Sad thing also, I know if I was playing a caster I would just 1 shot the entire groups of these but it is sad to see that as an insanely overpowered melee they can still take me out sometimes on r1.
I can see why "normal" players are grumbling/upset just about how hard the champs are.... let alone the other issues like putting a quest in rainbow in the dark making it a 1 in 50 shot to even get to the illithid.
There are so many issues with this event, I don't even want to bring them up again. It is discouraging to see people try to excuse or explain away the horrible ways they decided to implement and run this thing. It really has been an example of what not to do. I'll say it again as I have in other posts...If you can't admit there are a lot of problems with this event you were already made a thrall by the mind flayers.
I can see why "normal" players are grumbling/upset just about how hard the champs are.... let alone the other issues like putting a quest in rainbow in the dark making it a 1 in 50 shot to even get to the illithid.
There are so many issues with this event, I don't even want to bring them up again. It is discouraging to see people try to excuse or explain away the horrible ways they decided to implement and run this thing. It really has been an example of what not to do. I'll say it again as I have in other posts...If you can't admit there are a lot of problems with this event you were already made a thrall by the mind flayers.
Casters doing better?
I ran an Isle of Dread quest at level 10 with full RL gear, my fire sorc was met with a group including 3 champs and a fear reaper; I cast a heightened Maximised fireball and it had little to no effect on them. The wolf druid who was with me had little chance and was one shotted.
We closed the game and had fun with Vermintide.
healertank
Well-known member
well guess that puts to bed the argument that casters go right through them that I've seen posted so much. Oh maybe it was only casters at epic levels with ruin/greater ruin spells that do untyped damage.
I thought they might have put this event together to capitalize on all the new DnD interest from BG3, what with the huge focus on illithids in BG3 and this event.
I've adapted somewhat. I'm running hard with a cleric in tow and I'm no longer attempting to play at level for the new expansions. It's a slower process but I'm focusing on dungeons and expansions I've never experienced so it can be about experiencing the story and less about XP. I just wanted to share my point of view as a returning player coming back to this - mostly disappointed about not getting to kill illithids.
vryxnr
Well-known member
They have prr AND mrr. Their prr and mrr go up the longer the live. They are also immune to mental effects like mass hold.
This makes it harder for BOTH casters and melee.
Both casters AND melee have ways to get around this.
Players have been sharing info on how to get around this since the event started, but are ignored, or worse yet, called "elitist jerks" for offering advice. And I'm not talking about difficulty settings.
Advice is useless if it's ignored. The thralls require a different strategy for most people to be able to handle. If you refuse to adjust your strategy (which may require build adjustments so you can perform the actions required to implement said strategy) then that's on you. Of course they'll still be tough if you refuse to do anything required to deal with them.
1: kill them first and kill them fast. They do not start with 5 stacks of their defensive buffs. They start with 0. The longer they live the more stacks they gain.
2: split them up. They gain stacks when near other thralls as well. They lose stacks when split up. This may mean grouping with other actual people *gasp* or using CC
3: physical crowd control works very well. for casters this means things like web and soundburst. For melee this means things like Stunning Blow, Trip, etc. CC in DDO does not make enemies more resistant to CC (like D3 does as an example), do you CAN spam those abilities (no cost for melee) to keep them locked down permanently, split them up, and widdle them down without getting hit back.
4: use damage types that ignore prr/mrr. Untyped and Force. These damage types are easier to get with casters, but they are not exclusive to casters. Melee can get access to those for their weapons as well (shadowblades)
5: use Instakills. Most thralls are not immune to instakills. Instakilling doesn't just mean finger of death and similar spells, it also mean vorpal (which is a melee thing).
6: patience. sometimes it's advantageous to retreat to heal, regroup, re-plan, and try again. A thrall with 5 stacks - once they lose aggro/stop attacking - will eventually go back to 0 stacks. One can use stealth and distance and line of sight to lose agro and let the thralls calm down. Then you can come back fresh, maybe with a different strategy (like stealth+bluff to lure them to you one at a time if it's a group), to take them down much more easily.
Those 6 points do not guarantee success every time against every possible encounter, but they ARE options to make dealing with them easier. It is not "elitist" to point this out. But if one refuses to even try any of the above, that is (imo) on them.
edit: again, I'm not saying the thralls are not difficult, I'm not saying they don't make the game harder. They do. Is the amount of prr and mrr they gain per stack perhaps a bit too much. Yes, I do think so. But that doesn't mean the above ways to adjust to make them easier do not exist either. Doing the above mitigates much of their difficulty (not all of it, but much of it) and makes them more manageable.
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All this is good advice, except when considering low level toons.
What instakills does a sub lvl10 caster have? Low level vorpal weapons are just luck if they proc.
To use trip and stunning blow one needs to get in and mix it up - miss and you are dead (likely if you have lowish hit points/mrr/prr).
How many viable untyped or force damage do low level toons have?
Yes, some of the low level physical CC might work - but it comes down to if they save you are likely to be a smear on the floor.
I can always do the Brave Sir Robin manoeuvre but that needs lots of coordination with people in a pick up group and to be honest I find it palls after a while.
In none of my posts have I mentioned toons greater than lvl10. I am sure that a well placed Meteor Swarm or Arcane Tempest would do wonders, but low level toons have far fewer options. If only higher level quests contained these champs then there would probably be fewer complaints.
The question that I have is - was the event designed with low level toons in mind?
Ahpuch
Well-known member
Good advice but you have to admit that is a lot of adaptation for a temporary event infused champion. It will be too much to bother with for many players.
vryxnr
Well-known member
All vorpal weapons are luck to proc regardless of being low level or high level.
Trip and stunning blow are available at level 1
Magic Missile is a stable force spell and is level 1.
Points 1, 2, and 6 are not ability/level dependant.
I said in that very post that these are not guaranteed victory moves, they are methods to mitigate their toughness.
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