NDA lifted - please tell me about the AoD mercs.

[Dawnstrike]

Ugh really, as one example a healing merc can be used by another class to heal them while they're in PVP combat?  This will be annoyingly exploited.

[gourdon]

GeminiStar wrote:

gourdon wrote:

How well do healer mercs heal characters in the party that haven't hired them?  If there are 2 or 3, will they all heal the tank?

The merc window actually covers that.  There are three options you can toggle.

Follow will make the Merc follow whoever you set them to.

Protect makes them focus on that person to heal or basicly protect for non healer mercs. This is not to say they will not heal others, they just set the highest priority to the person you set. No pets are not included.

Assist   is more for DPS mercs, this obviously makes them target the person who place as assist.

Thanks for the info.

[Brigh]

Dawnstrike wrote:

I don't know if this has been covered but can you take Mercs out in the open world? If so, how will they work on a PVP server?

Best asked in the PvP forum. For a while there was no answer.

[Dawnstrike]

I doubt PVP was taken into consideration as usual. Was Beta even PVP enabled?   I have to say if this will be allowed it will ruin PVP even further than it is.  Players running around with fully mastered mercs?

Also, sounds like Nagafen players would always have to have a merc with them when they go into the open world considering everyone else will and therefore cost players on our server more money than the rest.  Oh whatever, they ignore the PVP forum anyway. I'm done and will wait and see what happens.

[GeminiStar]

Dawnstrike wrote:

I doubt PVP was taken into consideration as usual. Was Beta even PVP enabled?   I have to say if this will be allowed it will ruin PVP even further than it is.  Players running around with fully mastered mercs?

Also, sounds like Nagafen players would always have to have a merc with them when they go into the open world considering everyone else will and therefore cost players on our server more money than the rest.  Oh whatever, they ignore the PVP forum anyway. I'm done and will wait and see what happens.

I thought you all did not like to cary plat on you?

Will PVP people really use mercs if they have to have plat on them at all times?

[Dawnstrike]

Yeah we typically don't caryy money but it's not really about that, there's also fame to consider.  You lose or gain fame points everytime you lose or win a fight.  It's already a slaughter fest half the time for the player just trying to do something alone in the world. 

So the fully PVP geared fighter with a healer merc would probably mow over a single player. Part of the idea behind PVP is grouping with other players to go out to battle and show off your skills.  This is having a decent player handed to you for ganking other players. 

[Brook]

PvP was enabled during Beta a short while (much grumbling ensued). Yes you have to carry enough cash to keep the merc paid, yes it does help having a healer, or pally merc to help. The funniest thing about it was getting ahold of a betabuffed toon and killing them to net around 27k plat, just to have the merc take his half of it.

[gourdon]

Dawnstrike wrote:

I doubt PVP was taken into consideration as usual. Was Beta even PVP enabled?   I have to say if this will be allowed it will ruin PVP even further than it is.  Players running around with fully mastered mercs?

Also, sounds like Nagafen players would always have to have a merc with them when they go into the open world considering everyone else will and therefore cost players on our server more money than the rest.  Oh whatever, they ignore the PVP forum anyway. I'm done and will wait and see what happens.

Yeah, they should totally hose up the beta server by making it PvP just to test a game style used by less than 5 percent of the player base.  That totally makes sense.

[Dawnstrike]

Well I guess if you have to have money on you to pay the merc then at least it might not be that bad.  Those players that will exploit it would pay their merc, go out on the alotted time for PVP then run back to the banker to pay them again. Rinse repeat.

[Ahlana]

nm

[Dawnstrike]

gourdon wrote:

Dawnstrike wrote:

I doubt PVP was taken into consideration as usual. Was Beta even PVP enabled?   I have to say if this will be allowed it will ruin PVP even further than it is.  Players running around with fully mastered mercs?

Also, sounds like Nagafen players would always have to have a merc with them when they go into the open world considering everyone else will and therefore cost players on our server more money than the rest.  Oh whatever, they ignore the PVP forum anyway. I'm done and will wait and see what happens.

Yeah, they should totally hose up the beta server by making it PvP just to test a game style used by less than 5 percent of the player base.  That totally makes sense.

It shouldn't be too much to ask that things actually get tested in the different scenarios.  We're all paying customers. 

[Brook]

To be quite honest, its like fighting any other pet class and it doesn't really hurt the pvp aspect any more than flying mounts do. True pet classes actually will gain another helpful pet, which should cause some interesting situations.

[Lempo]

Brook wrote:

To be quite honest, its like fighting any other pet class and it doesn't really hurt the pvp aspect any more than flying mounts do. True pet classes actually will gain another helpful pet, which should cause some interesting situations.

It is PVP not PVP+M, I grow tired of some of the more minor PVP complaints but this is not one of them, Mercs should not be in PVP and should not be enabled on PVP servers it isn't that hard and if these clowns did not half bake every idea they have this wouldn't even be being discussed in ITT. No I do not PVP.

[Brook]

Lempo@Everfrost wrote:

Brook wrote:

To be quite honest, its like fighting any other pet class and it doesn't really hurt the pvp aspect any more than flying mounts do. True pet classes actually will gain another helpful pet, which should cause some interesting situations.

It is PVP not PVP+M, I grow tired of some of the more minor PVP complaints but this is not one of them, Mercs should not be in PVP and should not be enabled on PVP servers it isn't that hard and if these clowns did not half bake every idea they have this wouldn't even be being discussed in ITT. No I do not PVP.

I am not understanding what you are trying to say. What do you mean its PVP not PVP+M?

[Ahlana]

Brook wrote:

Lempo@Everfrost wrote:

Brook wrote:

To be quite honest, its like fighting any other pet class and it doesn't really hurt the pvp aspect any more than flying mounts do. True pet classes actually will gain another helpful pet, which should cause some interesting situations.

It is PVP not PVP+M, I grow tired of some of the more minor PVP complaints but this is not one of them, Mercs should not be in PVP and should not be enabled on PVP servers it isn't that hard and if these clowns did not half bake every idea they have this wouldn't even be being discussed in ITT. No I do not PVP.

I am not understanding what you are trying to say. What do you mean its PVP not PVP+M?

Player vs Player+Merc

[Ilovecows]

Mercs should cancel as soon as you enter pvp combat.  There is no other way it can be implimented.  They cannot and should not work.

[Lempo]

Brook wrote:

Lempo@Everfrost wrote:

Brook wrote:

To be quite honest, its like fighting any other pet class and it doesn't really hurt the pvp aspect any more than flying mounts do. True pet classes actually will gain another helpful pet, which should cause some interesting situations.

It is PVP not PVP+M, I grow tired of some of the more minor PVP complaints but this is not one of them, Mercs should not be in PVP and should not be enabled on PVP servers it isn't that hard and if these clowns did not half bake every idea they have this wouldn't even be being discussed in ITT. No I do not PVP.

I am not understanding what you are trying to say. What do you mean its PVP not PVP+M?

As was already stated Player vs Player + Merc

And it is not like fighting any other pet class a fighter with his own healer to flawlessly cure any detriments and heal him as he fights is nothing like fighting a summoner whose class is based around having a pet. The fact that you made that comparison shows that you really have no clue, and a necro + a healer keeping him and his pet up, lol.

Did you even think about the statement you made or did you just throw something out there to see if it might stick?

[stgninja]

Steppen@Nagafen wrote:

Mercs should cancel as soon as you enter pvp combat.  There is no other way it can be implimented.  They cannot and should not work.

Agree 100%, I remember when the mercs in the orginal Everquest went live on the zek server - it ruined pvp.  Everyone ran with a cleric merc and it was always like you were fighting a group.  I'd hate to see the same thing happen to the already sad state of pvp.

[Onurissa]

When you hire a merc for said plat, and then say you decide you dont need it for awhile, can you just send him packing? And do you need to pay the "rehire" fee to get him back when you need him again or do you just start paying the hourly rate?

[Valentina]

Onurissa@Antonia Bayle wrote:

When you hire a merc for said plat, and then say you decide you dont need it for awhile, can you just send him packing? And do you need to pay the "rehire" fee to get him back when you need him again or do you just start paying the hourly rate?

You can suspend your merc, during which time the upkeep cost is not charged.  Once you've suspended the merc, you cannot unsuspend them for 2 minutes, if I remember correctly.

[Glenolas]

Onurissa@Antonia Bayle wrote:

When you hire a merc for said plat, and then say you decide you dont need it for awhile, can you just send him packing? And do you need to pay the "rehire" fee to get him back when you need him again or do you just start paying the hourly rate?

You hire a merc for a one time fee of plat .    You own him forever.   You may only hire one merc at a time.   If you dismiss him, (vs suspend him covered below), you have to rehire him, for another one time plat fee.   If you hire a different merc, it's another one time fee of plat and dismisses your original merc.

While he's active, you pay some gold in advance for each  half hour increment (amount varied in Beta, wait for launch to get the final number),  plus a split of the dropped coin.  The merc does not split any of the body or chest drops.

Each half hour you pay again in advance at the half hourly rate.

You may "suspend" your merc, in which case he remains hired, but you pay no hourly cost,  but also have no merc helper.   This allows you to go afk and remain logged in. or do without his services while traveling, turning in quests, etc.    I tested logging out with the merc active, and that seemed to stop the half hourly cost also. 

If you have suspended your merc,  the want him to return, it costs another half hour in advance even if you didn't use all of the previous half hour before suspending him.   Returning after death also costs a new half hour in advance, even if you died 2 minutes after paying for a fresh half hour.   That's called the death penalty.

There is a 2 minute penalty wait  after either suspending the merc or him dieing, before you can get him to return. This was 5 minutes until recently in beta.    Either number is a substantial wait to resume following a death.

This is the best generic outline I can give on the payments plan, and the mechanics of suspending, dieing, and dismissing.  You need wait until launch or shortly thereafter for the final design.

Things on beta seemed chronically late, then were bugged, slow to be fixed and regularly changed.   Mercs were all over the map in terms of power,  costs,  degree of difficulty of managing them, User Interface, etc, and might be updated again prior to launch.

[Onurissa]

Glenolas wrote:

Onurissa@Antonia Bayle wrote:

When you hire a merc for said plat, and then say you decide you dont need it for awhile, can you just send him packing? And do you need to pay the "rehire" fee to get him back when you need him again or do you just start paying the hourly rate?

You hire a merc for a one time fee of plat .    You own him forever.   You may only hire one merc at a time.   If you dismiss him, (vs suspend him covered below), you have to rehire him, for another one time plat fee.   If you hire a different merc, it's another one time fee of plat and dismisses your original merc.

While he's active, you pay some gold in advance for each  half hour increment (amount varied in Beta, wait for launch to get the final number),  plus a split of the dropped coin.  The merc does not split any of the body or chest drops.

Each half hour you pay again in advance at the half hourly rate.

You may "suspend" your merc, in which case he remains hired, but you pay no hourly cost,  but also have no merc helper.   This allows you to go afk and remain logged in. or do without his services while traveling, turning in quests, etc.    I tested logging out with the merc active, and that seemed to stop the half hourly cost also. 

If you have suspended your merc,  the want him to return, it costs another half hour in advance even if you didn't use all of the previous half hour before suspending him.   Returning after death also costs a new half hour in advance, even if you died 2 minutes after paying for a fresh half hour.   That's called the death penalty.

There is a 2 minute penalty wait  after either suspending the merc or him dying, before you can get him to return. This was 5 minutes until recently in beta.    Either number is a substantial wait to resume following a death.

This is the best generic outline I can give on the payments plan, and the mechanics of suspending, dieing, and dismissing.  You need wait until launch or shortly thereafter for the final design.

Things on beta seemed chronically late, then were bugged, slow to be fixed and regularly changed.   Mercs were all over the map in terms of power,  costs,  degree of difficulty of managing them, User Interface, etc, and might be updated again prior to launch.

Ok thanks alot

[Brook]

Lempo@Everfrost wrote:

Brook wrote:

Lempo@Everfrost wrote:

Brook wrote:

To be quite honest, its like fighting any other pet class and it doesn't really hurt the pvp aspect any more than flying mounts do. True pet classes actually will gain another helpful pet, which should cause some interesting situations.

It is PVP not PVP+M, I grow tired of some of the more minor PVP complaints but this is not one of them, Mercs should not be in PVP and should not be enabled on PVP servers it isn't that hard and if these clowns did not half bake every idea they have this wouldn't even be being discussed in ITT. No I do not PVP.

I am not understanding what you are trying to say. What do you mean its PVP not PVP+M?

As was already stated Player vs Player + Merc

And it is not like fighting any other pet class a fighter with his own healer to flawlessly cure any detriments and heal him as he fights is nothing like fighting a summoner whose class is based around having a pet. The fact that you made that comparison shows that you really have no clue, and a necro + a healer keeping him and his pet up, lol.

Did you even think about the statement you made or did you just throw something out there to see if it might stick?

Seeing that I have tested some of it and you have not I am pretty sure my statement is closer to being truth than your guess.As you dont pvp its not really a concern for you anyway.

Mercs will be fine in pvp, like it or not they are here to stay.

[cawalton]

they really need to stop gimping the mercs, especially the healers

AoD cost more than enough for the few features it has (I only bought it for the mercs and reforge (another loser topic))

for the few people that have actually decided to purchase the expac at least make it useful without worrying about how somewhere somebody won't get a group slot due to a merc being used, if all the griping from people who say they will not buy this is true, then there really won't be that many mercs running around bumping people in the first place

gah.. I hate ranting but seem to do it anyway

[S_M_I_T_E]

Mercs sound neat and tidy for 35-85 small grouping at level on the way up but I'm not sure if they're more than just pixelated role playing companionship as any 90 DOV post rygorr main can already mentor and own any pre-DOV solo given the reports that mercs don't cushion effectively in current content well.

[Lempo]

Brook wrote:

Seeing that I have tested some of it and you have not I am pretty sure my statement is closer to being truth than your guess.As you dont pvp its not really a concern for you anyway.

Mercs will be fine in pvp, like it or not they are here to stay.

So you didn't say whether you did PVP or not, if you don't then it is not a concern for you either, they don't have to be enabled on both servers to be here, and the PVP'ers posting here have said SAY WHAT?.

If they are here then they are here I aklready have my plan for abusing them to the fullest extent anyway as I know they half baked this idea just like everything else they do.

[Hilt]

Glenolas wrote:

Onurissa@Antonia Bayle wrote:

When you hire a merc for said plat, and then say you decide you dont need it for awhile, can you just send him packing? And do you need to pay the "rehire" fee to get him back when you need him again or do you just start paying the hourly rate?

You hire a merc for a one time fee of plat .    You own him forever.   You may only hire one merc at a time.   If you dismiss him, (vs suspend him covered below), you have to rehire him, for another one time plat fee.   If you hire a different merc, it's another one time fee of plat and dismisses your original merc.

While he's active, you pay some gold in advance for each  half hour increment (amount varied in Beta, wait for launch to get the final number),  plus a split of the dropped coin.  The merc does not split any of the body or chest drops.

Each half hour you pay again in advance at the half hourly rate.

You may "suspend" your merc, in which case he remains hired, but you pay no hourly cost,  but also have no merc helper.   This allows you to go afk and remain logged in. or do without his services while traveling, turning in quests, etc.    I tested logging out with the merc active, and that seemed to stop the half hourly cost also. 

If you have suspended your merc,  the want him to return, it costs another half hour in advance even if you didn't use all of the previous half hour before suspending him.   Returning after death also costs a new half hour in advance, even if you died 2 minutes after paying for a fresh half hour.   That's called the death penalty.

There is a 2 minute penalty wait  after either suspending the merc or him dieing, before you can get him to return. This was 5 minutes until recently in beta.    Either number is a substantial wait to resume following a death.

This is the best generic outline I can give on the payments plan, and the mechanics of suspending, dieing, and dismissing.  You need wait until launch or shortly thereafter for the final design.

Things on beta seemed chronically late, then were bugged, slow to be fixed and regularly changed.   Mercs were all over the map in terms of power,  costs,  degree of difficulty of managing them, User Interface, etc, and might be updated again prior to launch.

So...we can't collect the mercs and have them listed like we do our mounts?

[Valonia]

So if I get that right the mercs will have neither the crit chance nor the crit mitigation to be used in DoV instances? If that's true then they'll be about the most underwhelming feature of the whole feature pack for me. I could live with them performing a bit below properly (aka heroic) geared players in instances. But if they'll just implode due to lack of crit mitigation or fail to do any halfway decent damage/healing thanks to the crit reduction then what's their point? Helping with the already trivialized sub-90 leveling and farming PR solo?

[Lempo]

Valonia@Nagafen wrote:

So if I get that right the mercs will have neither the crit chance nor the crit mitigation to be used in DoV instances? If that's true then they'll be about the most underwhelming feature of the whole feature pack for me. I could live with them performing a bit below properly (aka heroic) geared players in instances. But if they'll just implode due to lack of crit mitigation or fail to do any halfway decent damage/healing thanks to the crit reduction then what's their point? Helping with the already trivialized sub-90 leveling and farming PR solo?

Crit mit requirements have been removed from the initial DoV zones.

This whole feature pack is underwhelming anyway.

[Snached]

can you get a merc at any level?