Yeah, we already have RNG in the form of drops. We don't need it AGAIN via enchanting.
That's true it is an extra RNG (actually in probability many more RNGs). Basically each successful enchant is like a great drop from a dungeon without the content to go with it. A +9 is basically a totally different and much better weapon from the original enigma, they just didn't bother to put in the extra dungeons/raids to go through to try to get them to drop.
The problem is compounded by the cheaters getting +9s early and easily.
But in most PVE games, end-game progression involves multiple RNG "wins", it just normally comes with a whole bunch more content.
It's a bit sad that the saving grace of TERA is something that was supposed to be in the game that was already cancelled half a year to "polish" (speaking of BGs). More than half a year later, one of its staple features is still not available and has no sign of coming soon.
Furthermore, BGs are normally one of the first things that get dull in MMOs. Perhaps this will be a bit different in TERA since it offers no other meaningful PvP-related content outside of what isn't currently in the game. Players will farm BGs for a time, get their gear and move on. There will always be exceptions where people PvP for the sake of PvPing but they are a minority in today's MMO community.
Not to mention TERA BGs will follow Aion's Dredgion scheduling where BGs will only be available at select times. Knowing how wonderful EME has been with their scheduling of the Nexus, I'm sure all those times will unlocked in small, condensed windows of time where only a limited amount of players can participate.
TL;DR it will take a lot more than some generic, deathmatch-style battlegrounds to make people come back. This game has so many things working against it at this point that they'll really need to get their [filtered] together to have any hope of surviving.
Good post Destian, once again. Sadly, unlike yourself, I hit 60 pretty quickly. It has been pretty lame. I came into this game with a group of 6 friends and all that's left is me and my girlfriend. They quit for good reason. EME better fix some of this RNG based progression crap and tweak end game. I still don't understand how developers think these kinds of systems are ok. It's just [filtered] nasty.
Anyways... @Evevale ^
Whoa, whoa... hold up.
Tera's BGs will only be available at certain times? Where did you get this information?
That's a scary thought. Seriously. It better not be like that.
It's a bit sad that the saving grace of TERA is something that was supposed to be in the game that was already cancelled half a year to "polish" (speaking of BGs). More than half a year later, one of its staple features is still not available and has no sign of coming soon.
Furthermore, BGs are normally one of the first things that get dull in MMOs. Perhaps this will be a bit different in TERA since it offers no other meaningful PvP-related content outside of what isn't currently in the game. Players will farm BGs for a time, get their gear and move on. There will always be exceptions where people PvP for the sake of PvPing but they are a minority in today's MMO community.
Not to mention TERA BGs will follow Aion's Dredgion scheduling where BGs will only be available at select times. Knowing how wonderful EME has been with their scheduling of the Nexus, I'm sure all those times will unlocked in small, condensed windows of time where only a limited amount of players can participate.
TL;DR it will take a lot more than some generic, deathmatch-style battlegrounds to make people come back. This game has so many things working against it at this point that they'll really need to get their [filtered] together to have any hope of surviving.
Good post Destian, once again. Sadly, unlike yourself, I hit 60 pretty quickly. It has been pretty lame. I came into this game with a group of 6 friends and all that's left is me and my girlfriend. They quit for good reason. EME better fix some of this RNG based progression crap and tweak end game. I still don't understand how developers think these kinds of systems are ok. It's just [filtered] nasty.
Anyways... @Evevale ^
Whoa, whoa... hold up.
Tera's BGs will only be available at certain times? Where did you get this information?
That's a scary thought. Seriously. It better not be like that.
It may be that way in kTera, but it won't fly in NA/EU, agreed.
I haven't played WoW in a long time, but I'm going to guess that there's more than just 2.5 dungeons to run at endgame. There's BGs, Arenas, lots of dungeons, quirky dailies last time I played and Raids.
Actually, WoW has 3 dungeons that gear you for raids and ONE raid that constitute endgame content, along with BGs and arenas, but not everyone likes PvP.
So there are 4 instances of endgame right now (and one heroic raid). That's it.
Good post Destian, once again. Sadly, unlike yourself, I hit 60 pretty quickly. It has been pretty lame. I came into this game with a group of 6 friends and all that's left is me and my girlfriend. They quit for good reason. EME better fix some of this RNG based progression crap and tweak end game. I still don't understand how developers think these kinds of systems are ok. It's just [filtered] nasty.
One of my biggest fears for Tera is that the whole enchanting system is a ploy to sell more chronoscrolls.
The problem therein is that no one is going to be around to buy them when the only people left are the people who can tolerate the horrendous enchanting system.
I haven't played WoW in a long time, but I'm going to guess that there's more than just 2.5 dungeons to run at endgame. There's BGs, Arenas, lots of dungeons, quirky dailies last time I played and Raids.
Actually, WoW has 3 dungeons that gear you for raids and ONE raid that constitute endgame content, along with BGs and arenas, but not everyone likes PvP.
So there are 4 instances of endgame right now (and one heroic raid). That's it.
Yeah, every one of those dungeons gives valor points, including the raid, so that even without getting drops, you can buy VP items that are at least comparable to raid gear. The VP items can also be best-in-slot items in many cases.
They cap valor points at 1000 per week, though.
But again, that feeling of steady progress ("controlled coolness" is what they called it :P ) is what keeps players playing.
That's what Tera needs. Not "maybe today I'll get lucky and all this tedious grinding won't have been for nothing".
Yeah, every one of those dungeons gives valor points, including the raid, so that even without getting drops, you can buy VP items that are at least comparable to raid gear. The VP items can also be best-in-slot items in many cases.
They cap valor points at 1000 per week, though.
But again, that feeling of steady progress ("controlled coolness" is what they called it :P ) is what keeps players playing.
That's what Tera needs. Not "maybe today I'll get lucky and all this tedious grinding won't have been for nothing".
So I guess when people are capped on valor for the week they do other things, like dailies or BGs or get gold for flying mounts or vanity items or pets? TERA has no other things (besides lame kill-quest rep dailies) so there couldn't be a cap in a TERA token system.
Ok another question: just using valor points, starting from scratch at level 80, and taking into consideration the cap per week, how long would it take for a player to max out in comparable raid gear?
I'm going to assume it's multiple months. I'm not sure how you can expect people to run only 2 dungeons for multiple months on end with nothing else to do as the only avenue of progression. At least now there is the (admittedly miserable) option of farming gold for a chance at progression.
You're looking at the chance of "wasted time" as the major problem with the endgame. I think running two dungeons for say 3 months would be guaranteeing wasted time, or at least unbearable monotony for all but the most hardcore players.
Rather than focus on changing the one avenue of progression, I think the game needs to follow WoW in a different direction, which is adding avenues of progression, first and most easily by adding BGs, and secondly by turning Nexus into a raid (both of which they will be doing it seems, but not fast enough I fear).
Besides, I don't know how you could completely revamp endgame progression when we're already 2 months into the game. Some people already have the best gear (some through cheating), and you're going to tell other people that to match them, they will be required to put in 3-4 months of grinding two dungeons.
tl;dr rather then spend resources changing to a "lesser evil", I'd rather they focus on adding content, which is really the core of the problem with endgame.
One of my biggest fears for Tera is that the whole enchanting system is a ploy to sell more chronoscrolls.
The problem therein is that no one is going to be around to buy them when the only people left are the people who can tolerate the horrendous enchanting system.
Uhh, the whole enchanting and ident. systems are to keep instanced korean geargrind running on 4/2 dungeons for at least half a year, in "best" mindless grind traditions. Enchanting virtually unchanged (if not made worse) and with id/unid changes quite expensive on players' pockets - to the point it's getting implemented in Korea as well.
QoA2 will feature 2 new farmstances. For the very same exact reason.
The game that catapults people into 60 and presents virtually nothing at the endgame besides bind & decayless gear and instances to farm them in - what was it that you really expected ? It was all pretty well known since the earliest FGT times. Painfully obvious from all players & steparu.com's streams. The "core" of the game was never, ever advertised as something subject to change. Some bull[filtered]/silly adjustments, some very damaging adjustments, some silly removals - yes, but changing that korean "essence" of the game ? Nah.