Beta news, as it pertains to us...

[Gaige]

<DIV><STRONG>General changes:<BR></STRONG>- Decreased in combat regen of health and power from 1% of max to a fixed value of 1pt / 10 levels (plus any granted from items/spells).<BR>- The base mitigation and avoidance on armor has been reduced.<BR>- Quality (Treasured, Legendary, Fabled, etc.) of armor no longer affects your chances to avoid attacks.<BR>- Accessories no longer have any physical mitigation.<BR>- The base parry has been reduced from 20% to 10%.<BR>- NPCs should progress more smoothly in difficulty from green through orange con.<BR>- Small Group, Heroic, and Epic NPCs will now do more damage.<BR>- The base mitigation value of kite and tower shields has been reduced to 10%.<BR>- The new level 50 to 60 abilities have been assigned their intended levels.<BR></DIV> <DIV>-<B>Monk changes:</B><BR>- Monk combined stances now cost 0 concentration points and provide half the offensive and defensive benefits of the individual stances.</DIV> <DIV> <HR> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I'll have more info later, but first impressions from logging into beta real quick:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I lost 14% avoidance and I think 16% mitigation on my lvl 60.  So I'm down to about 60.7% avoidance self buffed and 2100ish mit (26%) or so.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I'll have some screenshots and more info later, but basically spider stance offers about half the mit of defensive stance and half the haste and ranged/crushing increase of offensive stance.<BR><BR></DIV><p>Message Edited by Gaige on <span class=date_text>09-07-2005</span> <span class=time_text>04:52 PM</span>

[JudyJudy]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Gaige wrote:<BR> <DIV><STRONG>General changes:<BR></STRONG>- Decreased in combat regen of health and power from 1% of max to a fixed value of 1pt / 10 levels (plus any granted from items/spells).<BR>- The base mitigation and avoidance on armor has been reduced.<BR>- Quality (Treasured, Legendary, Fabled, etc.) of armor no longer affects your chances to avoid attacks.<BR><FONT color=#ff0066 size=4><STRONG><U>- Accessories no longer have any physical mitigation.<BR></U></STRONG></FONT>- The base parry has been reduced from 20% to 10%.<BR>- NPCs should progress more smoothly in difficulty from green through orange con.<BR>- Small Group, Heroic, and Epic NPCs will now do more damage.<BR>- The base mitigation value of kite and tower shields has been reduced to 10%.<BR>- The new level 50 to 60 abilities have been assigned their intended levels.<BR></DIV> <DIV>-<B>Monk changes:</B><BR>- Monk combined stances now cost 0 concentration points and provide half the offensive and defensive benefits of the individual stances.</DIV> <DIV> <HR> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I'll have more info later.</DIV> <DIV><BR><BR></DIV><BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR> <DIV><EM>Ouch on the accessories.  No mitigation?  This should get interesting...</EM></DIV>

[Rohlstu]

<DIV>Gage is right....it's downright painful to be a monk/bruiser nowadays....still more time to get things tweaked....but man...it's not fun now.</DIV>

[x0rtrun]

Talk about kicking us while we're down. <div></div>

[zabor]

looks like the guardians got nerfed more than us <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />they are at 35% avoidance now lol

[Cisgo]

<P> Stop the panic. I don't believe game can stay in this current state. As for now, greens are a tough fight. The devs won't allow this to go live. I am sure they are testing the boundries. Things change daily. If it stays in this state all the mob's cons will have to be changed , because due to this patch, the cons are now way off (esp. for melee). Hell, I couldn't complete a solo blue quest. This is nothing new, "break it down, then build on it to fine tune". This is still beta, so relax.   </P> <P>  If it happens to go live like this, shame on me for posting this, and save for 48% speed horse (so you can flee from blues) and be glad you have FD. </P>

[JNewby]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Rohlstusk wrote:<BR> <DIV>Gage is right....it's downright painful to be a monk/bruiser nowadays....still more time to get things tweaked....but man...it's not fun now.</DIV><BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR>eh monk/bruiser ddue guards and even myself with my fabled items that were jewelry now are useles... and I am pretty ticked about taht not only that but we and all tanks got a heavy heavy nerf... lets have a moment of silence.........................  

[JNewby]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> zaboron wrote:<BR>looks like the guardians got nerfed more than us <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /><BR>they are at 35% avoidance now lol<BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR>LOL wow its so funny

[Ethelwo]

Is that thunder I hear a storm or a stampede heading for the door?

[Almeric_CoS]

<DIV>No, what you hear is a test server <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>If they're serious about no more mitigation on that side of the inventory window, they'll be adding some mitigation to actual armor.</DIV>

[JNewby]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Almeric wrote:<BR> <DIV>No, what you hear is a test server <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>If they're serious about no more mitigation on that side of the inventory window, they'll be adding some mitigation to actual armor.</DIV><BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR>Hah udont know sony to well do you...

[Uth]

<DIV>Those changes suck, i was happy what i ve read so far, but this is ridicilous. <img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>They dont have much time left, dof comes out next week, some of our UK members got their dof dvd already, so it wont be long til all changes.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV>

[Nemi]

<P>Up until yesterday I was looking forward to DoF, everything looked positive and the game looked fun.</P> <P>Reading over the combat test feedback forum, it looks utterly utterly horrible.</P> <P>People can't even kill the mobs in Isle of Refuge now. With the expanded /con range, green mobs 10 levels below people are nearly one-shotting them with spells (Blaze spell doing 3.2k damage). Mobs basically never miss an attack and players get interrupted and stifled.</P> <P>I don't know if its all just whining and doom and gloom, but to have such sweeping changes and outcry on the forums 4 days or so from Live is VERY worrying.</P> <P>Don't think it's all a mistake, because Moorgard has already posted saying that everything is fine except for a few small tweaks and not to worry, they can balance it once it goes live.</P> <P><FONT size=7>HELLO! <KNOCK KNOCK></FONT></P> <P><FONT size=1>Anyone home? Isn't that the whole POINT of beta and the test server? Sheesh.</FONT></P> <P> </P>

[Mala-Shea]

Never thought I'd say it....but WOW looking much better now...

[Karamonde]

57 beta monk Here gave it a try to a 47^^^ Groupe spectre <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> died : X auto attack was like  300-450 damage special were 1290 and 900 I got 4450HP or so 1700ish mitigation and 57% avoidance all i got to say is ouch <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> Test a bunch of 3 leve  53, had to FD, they hit too often and way to hard for blues : X <div></div>

[bonesbro]

<div></div>They're fixing the high damage multipliers on mob attacks: <a href="http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=comtest&message.id=6982#M6982" target=_blank>Moorgard's post last night</a> As much fun as it is to mow through mobs untouched, I think I would enjoy the game more if there was some actual challenge.  1-50 was pretty much a walk in the park.  My brain was pretty much off from 40-50, and that was many months ago before people had legendary armor or understood how to stack buffs for invincibility. The current stuff on beta, from reports, seems like it's a little too hard, especially that 3.7k blaze.<p>Message Edited by bonesbro on <span class=date_text>09-08-2005</span> <span class=time_text>07:36 AM</span>

[Secret-P]

<DIV>This just blows</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>hello we are avoidance tanks =( thankyou sony.  Please to be changing this already!</DIV>

[NamaeZero]

<P>Four things:</P> <OL> <LI>I thought they said they were removing the multiplers for NPCs because NPC's now had their own spell lists. Why is Moorgard saying that their are multipliers for NPCs now?</LI> <LI>They removed all the Mitigation from Jewelry. Shouldn't NPC damage adjustments take that into account?</LI> <LI>They also removed the added benefit higher quality armor gives to Avoidance. So, exactly what kind of armor makes me a better Avoidance tank? Seems like armor won't make much of a difference now, so Monks won't have much of an incentive to upgrade their gear beyond skills and stat bonuses.</LI> <LI>Big one: Regen being nerfed. WHY?!? Everyone hates downtime... it's no fun. I understand lowering in combat regen, heck, take it out.. but why should a Fighter take three times as long to heal as a Mage with a third of the Fighters Health? This means that having a Higher Health/Power is going to mean your group has to wait *longer* for you to be ready to fight after any battle.</LI></OL> <P> </P>

[bonesbro]

<span><blockquote><hr>NamaeZero wrote:<p>Four things:</p> <ol> <li>I thought they said they were removing the multiplers for NPCs because NPC's now had their own spell lists. Why is Moorgard saying that their are multipliers for NPCs now?</li> <li>They removed all the Mitigation from Jewelry. Shouldn't NPC damage adjustments take that into account?</li> <li>They also removed the added benefit higher quality armor gives to Avoidance. So, exactly what kind of armor makes me a better Avoidance tank? Seems like armor won't make much of a difference now, so Monks won't have much of an incentive to upgrade their gear beyond skills and stat bonuses.</li> <li>Big one: Regen being nerfed. WHY?!? Everyone hates downtime... it's no fun. I understand lowering in combat regen, heck, take it out.. but why should a Fighter take three times as long to heal as a Mage with a third of the Fighters Health? This means that having a Higher Health/Power is going to mean your group has to wait *longer* for you to be ready to fight after any battle.</li></ol> <p>  </p><hr></blockquote> Well, for #4, they only changed in-combat regen.  Out of combat regen should be unchanged.</span><div></div>

[SS3Dragon]

Granted i've only been back in the game for about a week ago but i'm already having flashbacks and deja vu. This is starting to sound like how monks got nerfed in EQ1 <img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> Theres gotta be some kind of counter balance for us right? Is there anything they have put out or are trying to help us in other ways? Dracjin - 24 Monk on Nek Server Currently playing from the worlds largest sandbox, and having a blast....literally. <div></div>

[Ribbitz]

<DIV>In the current state of the game I can pretty much garuntee if this goes live like this they're going to lose the vast majority of their monk playerbase.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>It's absolutely horrid and its my true fears come to life. I was totally against the CU when I first heard about it changes what role monks play in combat. I was accepted into beta, played around a bit, read some of Gaiges posts and suddenly did a 180 and got totally excited. Then some more changes sent me into overdrive, Master II stances!? Woot! Now I can PICK which role I want and so can everyone else, everyones happy!</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Then more changes. Suddenly I'm worried and unhappy again. Then stances removed, everyones watered down again. Now we just flat out are worthless cannon fodder. Won't be playing a monk in this condition, I can assure you of that. :</DIV>

[Gaige]

I realistically do not see them going live with yesterday's patch intact as it stands.  Its just too messed up.

[Rohlstu]

I still can't fathom why the major change with combat near the end.  Moor said it wasn't by accident, it was planned..why not the beginning and tweak it from there?  I know they are looking at it...and well...just hope it is adjusted accordingly.

[x0rtrun]

Could these changes be in preperation for the retuning of stats? Maybe once stats actually mean something again these changes won't seem so drastic. <div></div>

[splen]

but this is sony remember they love to put stuff out before it's ready <div></div>

[Dovifat]

Some adjustments were necessary, since the difficulty of encounters still in no way corresponded with the con system. With these changes they went way overboard though, playing is a pain in the a** currently. Of course they'll change the changes and of course it won't be ready at release. Whoever thought we'd get a finished product this time around was deluding himself. Unless you'r keen on exploiting some gaps in the code, it's probably your best bet not to play the first moth or so after release. <div></div>

[Lareal]

Gaige, Are you able to solo anything now? I'm willing to put up with a lot in the revamp, but losing my ability to solo when I feel like it isn't one of them. Had enough of that [expletive ninja'd by Faarbot] in eq1. <div></div>

[Gandi]

LOL...[expletive ninja'd by Faarbot] is this crap? <div></div>

[Jobeson]

no dps and unable to tank woot I love being a monk! <div></div>

[Oneira]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Gaige wrote:<BR>I realistically do not see them going live with yesterday's patch intact as it stands.  Its just too messed up. <BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE> <P><BR>I don't think so either.  People across the board are screaming about this one.  You think monks got it bad, you should read what the mages and the other figthers are going through.  Ppl are getting creamed by solo mobs, never mind the heroic stuff, and spellcaster mobs are just insane.</P> <P> </P> <P>From what I heard, Devs were concerned about ppl soloing ^^greens and blues and even tougher, so they made some more combat adjustments and went way overboard.  That won't last.</P>

[Nemi]

<P>Well when they expanded the con range so that a green+++ can be 12 levels below you, what did they expect would happen?</P> <P> </P> <P> </P>

[Rohlstu]

<DIV>As of the patch last night, my monk got back 10% in avoidance....and nothing in regards to mitigation....so sitting at 1400 mitigation (28%) and 61.2% avoidance.....*sigh*</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Think there was another bug having buffed agi and /respec...avoidance did not move once in %.  I bugged it and hope it's just that.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>IMHO...what could have been a manageable and fun expansion is going to be somewhat painful for the light/very light armor wearers.  Don't get me wrong I think there is plenty of fun to be had with all the stuff to do, but grouping is going to be somewhat more painful if the tank loses aggro.</DIV>