Dungeons and Dragons Online - Fair Codexia Dead - DDO NEWs Thread!

[Zurat-Yarkuch]

probably new wotc policy is what kill ddo in the end

What new wizards of the coast policy? I have not been following them, what have they done now?

 

[Zurat-Yarkuch]

Wait, nevermind, checked the gazebo. They are an officially licensed product, so I don't see WOTC messing with them. As long as the cash from licensing fees keeps going to them, they can be as non-woke in their old content as they want.

 

[Lhynn]

They couldnt not be licensed and still be functioning. They are using the dnd brand and its most iconic original creations, like beholders and kobolds.

THE OGL lets anyone use the dnd mechanics, but they cant use what was created exclusively for the system in terms of lore. I still doubt the new OGL will stick, its downright retarded that they even thought it can.

 

[Zurat-Yarkuch]

So on my alt solo toon I started doing the Necropolis Part 2 quests. The ones with all the shadows, umbra wolves and gargoyles, and phase spiders.

Anyway I am going through the Tomb of the Shadow Knight and I notice something. The phase spiders aren't phasing anymore. I checked the update notes. Along with Scorpions no longer burrowing, they mention that phase spiders no longer phase as much in melee.

I don't get it. If you are going to make changes to the enemies, only do things that make enemies harder not easier. Also, it really takes away the unique nature of different enemies by removing their traits such as borrowing or phasing.

 

[Zurat-Yarkuch]

Tolero's new producer letter.

Everyone is pissed, myself included. Nothing about changes or even looking into making VIP more valuable.

Weirdly they are doing a producer Q&A on the twitch today, but it is not the producer Tolero doing it but Severlin.

I brought up a question very neutrally about VIP, and someone said they talked about VIP earlier and said they had nothing to announce.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

reminder that wotc stuck a knife in the back of this game to push the garbage that is neverwinter

one of the more unique, interesting video games around

 

[Cryomancer]

First time in many years playing as an SORC in hardcore. OMG. I got so used to play as an undead that I almost died to hold person and similar CC spells multiple times. Lv 9 at moment.

One question. Does water savant grantees bonus towards the caster level of water spells like Horrid Wilting? What about Earth/Fire bonus? Does an sorc with both trees gets the + fire and + earth caster level? Other thing. As an Water sorc, is better for me to go "second element" or to go Eldritch Knight and have powerful medium armor? For hardcore of course.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

First time in many years playing as an SORC in hardcore. OMG. I got so used to play as an undead that I almost died to hold person and similar CC spells multiple times. Lv 9 at moment.

One question. Does water savant grantees bonus towards the caster level of water spells like Horrid Wilting? What about Earth/Fire bonus? Does an sorc with both trees gets the + fire and + earth caster level? Other thing. As an Water sorc, is better for me to go "second element" or to go Eldritch Knight and have powerful medium armor? For hardcore of course.

Is there no online build calculator for this game that will answer your questions? Not a knock on you, I'd be pretty surprised if no one made a build calc for this.

 

[Cryomancer]

I din`t found an calc to solve this questions. Anyway, my build in nutshell

Yes, I decided to go Water/Eldritch Knight instead of major/minor element. And only invested an single point into air cuz I use lightning bolt against enemies immune to cold, only one point in exchange of +1 caster level and +10 spell power for this element worth. Lv 11 at moment.

Sadly takes a very long time till I will get my medium armor. Is necessary to invest 20 points into EK for it. And I don`t know if I can get into the high levels in hardcore. I play very cautious. Like, I aways maintain protection from elements, stoneskin and displacement. And some other mana expensive spells from scrolls. Mobs, like Beholders? Din`t saw one yet, but if I see, I will gonna cast quicken teleport spell to the portable hole(in my 6th bar) ASAP. Their disintegration beams can end my life in a instant and they deal untyped damage and bypass all resistances. Any quest with one of them, does not worth the risk. Reaper? I din`t played an single mission in reaper.

Shield and light armor, I will use when I find one with more vitality and good AC.

The name "kall su" is an tribute to a Bastard!! character. He can freeze an entire city with about 100 caster trying to block his spell.

 

[Sykar]

Death Ward item is your friend. Enlarge meta magic on ray spells to outrange them is not a bad idea either.

 

[Cryomancer]

Contrary to 2E, disintegrate is not a OHK save or die spell. Deathblock items and death ward can help against their finger of death but not disintegrate.

"This spell deals untyped damage, but is affected by wizard/sorcerer force damage enhancements."

https://ddowiki.com/page/Disintegrate

Also, they have anti magical rays capable of removing all spell buffs and some "boss" beholders also cast disjunction capable of striping protection even in your gear. They are the worst enemies to face as an caster by far.

 

[lukaszek]

Also, they have anti magical rays capable of removing all spell buffs and some "boss" beholders also cast disjunction capable of striping protection even in your gear. They are the worst enemies to face as an caster by far.

casters are the worst enemies of beholders too. They have weak saves so you can kill them at range with fingers and disintegrate. Or charm them

 

[ERYFKRAD]

They have weak saves so you can kill them at range with fingers

Brb, exhuming caster corpses to remove fingers.

 

[Cryomancer]

an kill them at range with fingers and disintegrate. Or charm them

In normal mode, I agree. Beholders aren`t a problem, but in HC, even if they have only have 5%(on 20) chance to make the save. If they make, they will gonna anti magic ray on me and insta disintegrate me. If I will do an quest with two beholders in norma/hard/elite, I have about 73,5% chances of killing them all without them making an save which is too risky for hardcore. I died again in HC and look into the log. The chances of it happening where small. My false life got remove by a mob and then, another enemy scored a critical and rolled high enough to OHK me. 194 damage and I had 189 hp.

In hardcore, if something has a low chance of happening and killing you, it will gonna happen sonner or later.

In normal, even if the beholder kills me, my cleric can revive me. They aren`t a problem.

I will never gonna play reaper in hc again. Played about 10 reaper quests and died this way...

 

[lukaszek]

true, different story. In such case I would try to nuke with ray spells, preferably with another caster.
Or even better, get assassin?

 

[Cryomancer]

Assassin? Sorry but I always play as an caster, only played ddo as wiz/sor/wlk.

As for ray spells, Maximized/Empowered polar ray can dish ludicrous high damage. And before, anything, no, I'm not considering sorc as good as pale master. At least water one. For example, lets comapre the most iconic necromancer ray spell with the most iconic water savant spell.

Necrotic Ray - 10 mana - 6th tier spell(Available for lv 11 wiz), d6+12 damage / caster level + inflict negative level of failed save
Polar Ray - 20 mana - 8th tier spell(Avaliable for lv 16 sorc), d6+5 damage / caster level + no inflict negative level

The unique advantage of polar ray is no saving throw.

 

[Zurat-Yarkuch]

The name "kall su" is an tribute to a Bastard!! character. He can freeze an entire city with about 100 caster trying to block his spell.

Fuck I loved that manga. Was shocked that they actually made a new anime in 2022. It's on Netflix so I haven't seen it but the opening looks cool

Spoiler

 

[Cryomancer]

Bastard!! is amazing.

But back to my water savant. I'm lv 18 at moment. Should I go Magus of the Eclipse or Draconic incarnation at epic levels?

Other thing. I can hit for 4k and crit for 8k with Iceberg spell + metamagic at first life poorly geared water sorc. In therms of DPS, sorcs are godlike.

 

[Zurat-Yarkuch]

Bastard!! is amazing.

But back to my water savant. I'm lv 18 at moment. Should I go Magus of the Eclipse or Draconic incarnation at epic levels?

Other thing. I can hit for 4k and crit for 8k with Iceberg spell + metamagic at first life poorly geared water sorc. In therms of DPS, sorcs are godlike.

I haven't ever played a caster but compared to my melee tank and my melee dps they seem super squishy. And they need spell points while melee can swing forever. Those two disadvantages should be counter balanced with them having godlike dps.

Which is why I find it odd there are some people in the forums and even during Severlin's Q&A who are like "nerf casters." If they do that no one will play them and just play melee. Cause after the changes they made to two-handed fighting you can do a serious amount of damage while still having decent durability. I think all the people saying to nerf casters haven't actually touched melee and realized how it would overshadow casters if they did nerf them.

 

[Lhynn]

Nerf casters, they are broken good. Imagine being a silly melee and having to tank untankable enemies or roll a dice to hit shit. LMAO IMAGINE

 

[Zurat-Yarkuch]

Okay this is half a month old, but I figured I would give a quick summary of Severlin's Q&A he did on Jan 27

Spoiler

• Going to be holding a panel at Pax East (on March 23 we know now.) Not going to that cause poor and hate travelling.
• Mini-expansion happening second quarter. So will probably be 10 quests or so like Saltmarsh mini-expansion.
• On VIP, Severlin says he knows that daily gold rolls were loved but they were giving away way too much stuff to players and that cost them too much money.
• Says he is asking engineering to look into doing a loyalty program for VIP. Longer you are subscribed, more benefits you get over time. No specifics yet, cause they don't know if they can do it so don't want to overpromise.
• Considering revamping Reaper system, get Reaper points automatically instead of spending points in trees. Making it simpler so it is easier on lag and players to more points then the current limit of 156 filling all the trees.
• The Reaper change would also allow them to implement a Reaper power sharing system, where party leader can share their Reaper power with party members with less points.
• Droam quest chain getting legendary version in third quarter. Love that chain so that makes me happy.
• This Mini-expansion is going to have a Raid. Also going to update one of the older raids to legendary end-game.
• They mention the free server transfers for Orien and Sarlona due to Hardcore league transfer problems. That started Feb 8 and going to 28. Apparently it is killing smaller servers according to the forums.
• No level increase this year. That is going to happen with the next expansion, not this mini-expansion.
• Probably another universal tree (thought archtypes were their replacement for that?). Another epic destiny. More archtypes.
• No new race. That is very expensive for them to make.
• Looking into UI scaling. But focusing on VIP technology before UI scaling technology.
• Avatar updates later in the year.
• Historic swag at Pax event.
• Don't know yet how hard UI scaling is going to be. Code is old and written by different people. Also resolution upscaling icons is going to be big problem.
• UI will probably move towards the more modern gray transparent look since that is easier to scale up.

Okay, I'm going to make a part 2 post so this isn't ridiculously long.

 

[Zurat-Yarkuch]

Okay this is half a month old, but I figured I would give a quick summary of Severlin's Q&A he did on Jan 27

Part 2 of my Summary

• Why did they pick Droam to make legendary over other older chains like Sorrowdusk? Claims Sorrowdusk is too hard to find quests, would have to find way to add quest teleporters. I say his logic is bullshit players aren't that stupid.
• Someone asked for more Eveningstar content. Says he would like that, but isn't really a need for it since you can get to 30 on the quests they already have there.
• Also said they used something different for Eveningstar to design it behind the scenes that makes it more difficult to go back and rescale it.
• Won't allow gifting. Says that as soon as they implemented it fraud would start happening. Accounts would be farmed for points to transfer to other people. Increasing chance account will be compromised and you log in to find all your stuff gone. Incentive for stealing accounts.
• Would love to allow gifting but not happening.
• Speaking of fraud they are working on two-factor authentication. Hold up is new launcher technology, which can't happen until new store update technology.
• Someone asks about armor class. Severlin would love to go back to something closer to 3.5 rules for AC (me too). Problem is there are enemy attacks in the game (like sunder or champions) that knock AC so have to overcap it. Very easy for players to then overcap it too much. Problem also if they did decide to revamp it, would have to make it feel like not a nerf to players. Also current AC system has advantages.
• Psionics? Alchemist was a huge undertaking for them with new spell system. Psionic would be insane amount of work, but would love to do it cause Psionics is cool apparently.
• Admit they fuck up sometimes in Q&A. Shoring up processes in Q&A. Lots of players and few of them so stuff slips thru cracks.
• Pet revamp would require help from engineering, and their senior engineering is focusing on reducing lag.
• Ancient network code does not handle internet bumps as well as modern systems in modern games. Working on reducing lag through revamping quest system (source of lag apparently.)
• Some talk of DDO movie, Severlin mentions the second trailer spoke to him more. Look it up. Is actually good. WTF?
• Mentions people complaining about melee being too weak. Severlin says he was able to make it to Lv20 on Hardcore doing low Reaper. See Lhynn , melee is good.
• Says spell crit may have gotten out of hand. Why people are perceiving casters as being too good.
• Reaper Difficulty has been overscaled by long time players. Problem is if they rebalance it to scale better, a player going from Reaper 10 and having to go down to Reaper 6 is going to piss them off.
• Nerfing is necessary evil. If you just buff, buff, buff then content becomes too easy. Then you buff enemies and back to where you started.
• Just some comments on drop rates. Points out if they relaxed chest ransack players will run the same quest too many times and get burnt out. Don't want players running out of stuff to do.
• Free Quest codes cost them a lot of money, they were able to do the promotion during the pandemic due to more people online at home. Now not something they can justify. Have to keep the lights on.
• Ninja Spy revamp is something Severlin would like. Talks about how unique the Monk class is compared to others in DDO due to build ups.
• Quest Designer Torc did interview on another Twitch channel talking about Isle of Dread Raid and the secret ending they did for it. Interview here.
• Apparently Imbue Die are not affected by threat reduction. Wasn't a bug, code wasn't there for extra dice damage before but didn't matter cause the damage was so low. Now that imbue dice damage is high, it is a problem. Looking to fix it.

Okay, that is everything summed up.

 

[Cryomancer]

As for casters X melee, I believe that Paladins, Favored Souls, Clerics and Druids are the most popular classes in hc. Contrary to P&P, casters are very specialized in DDO. Your DCs and damage numbers would be trash unless you fully sec into something.

 

[lukaszek]

in my experience most popular were bards, with usually 2+ in every group

 

[Zurat-Yarkuch]

I never got very far in hardcore. Didn't play cautious enough. Was doing the "Recovering the Lost Tome" quest with the lightning traps that can only be disabled with +14 intelligence and no one in my pug had it high enough. Decided since I was a rogue with evasion I should do it and got killed since saving throws needed on Elite+ difficulty is insane.