Cyberkilla

Admin

Total Posts: 5,981
Online Status: Offline
Wed Aug 18 12:51:04 EDT 2021

You may have noticed some potentially controversial changes to the game mechanics. This thread is to discuss/explain the changes.

Player levels have been capped to 150

Player levels have been a topic of debate for over a decade at this point. In early 2010's, we tried to manage it by changing the formulae/difficulty, scaling experience, and so on.

It worked for a few years, but ultimately we still have a few players whose exp gains take them so far ahead of other players that they are completely beyond reproach. They are also far past the range where any game content will have an impact on their accounts.

The decision has been taken to trial the concept of Prestige Levels. The maximum level in the game is currently set to 150 and beyond that, all experience gains will contribute towards your Prestige Level.

The plan is to make prestige levels a bigger deal, unlocking various prizes and benefits. The key point of this is, no player can escape the game content, or other players. Differentiating your character should be done via skill training, finding better items, unlocking daily attack/login/raid streaks, and so on.

I am aware that the success of this will hinge on getting more set items and content at the so-called endgame level range, and all levels for that matter.

Currently known issues/feedback:
  • Some Boss NPCs are a bit too strong for the size of guilds we have at the moment (this will be a**essed and tweaked if necessary).
  • Some custom NPCs are above lvl 150 (I will scale them down automatically shortly).
  • EXP gains aren't as large for prestige levels as it's only giving you lvl 150 gains (this can be addressed, though it's going to take a bit of trial and error as your targets are also lower level now).

Positive things mentioned so far:
  • Nobody is untouchable - everyone is within range, if you try hard enough (without needing to ascend another 200 levels to reach them). Bounties can actually be collected on everyone.
  • Certain items are becoming more sought after because they make a difference that couldn't be felt at level 300.
  • Game content in general is now suddenly useful.
  • There's a range of levels that can be specifically targeted for new content and it will benefit the largest possible number of players.
  • No more 2-player super guilds - encourages more teamplay.

So far, the feedback has been more positive than I expected, but I can appreciate that few people, mainly the handful of players most impacted by the change, will have some strong opinions on the matter. I'm open to all feedback, suggestions, and if the change has knocked something off balance in terms of gameplay, please let me know.

The whole point of this change is to improve gameplay and keep everyone in the same sandpit. It makes no sense at all for the most prolific players to also be the most isolated.

Invisible War ][
Edited 2 time(s). Last edited by Cyberkilla @ Wed Aug 18 13:01:11 EDT 2021

Jyreeil

Member

Total Posts: 90
Online Status: Online
Wed Aug 23 15:11:31 EDT 2023

at first, it was nice to be able to get more attacks on everyone and more bounties like you said, but trying to fight lvl 150 bosses is a lot more difficult now.  I'm not saying to reverse the changes just saying maybe the gear could be improved or somehow allow higher level gear.  I guess higher-level gear would defeat one of the purposes as you said people being untouchable at higher levels, but as it is now there is actually no benefit to having paragon levels.

I think that rather than hobble the higher-level players who worked hard to get where they were essentially rendering millions of attacks or lots of raids useless, it should just be made easier to progress at lower levels.  Other methods might include seasons/fresh start servers or iron man/more difficult progression characters etc.  Even something as simple as being able to use the prestige level stats on npc bosses and not pvp/guild pvp.  That way at least people can get items more easily.  After all it's not like there's going to be a guild started and ran by people that are low level and only populated with low levels.

Hows it going, and have fun.

Symphony

Half Mod

Total Posts: 1,073
Online Status: Offline
Sat Aug 26 13:21:30 EDT 2023

Jyreeil, I think you need to reread his post a bit. Because everything you just said he covered. Such was always the plan. The issue is that nothing came after prestige system was launched.

CK, if you are planning to attempt anything more with prestige, I would have feedback at this point. So I'll just make a new reply for that one.

Quote from Cyberkilla
The decision has been taken to trial the concept of Prestige Levels. The maximum level in the game is currently set to 150 and beyond that, all experience gains will contribute towards your Prestige Level.

The plan is to make prestige levels a bigger deal, unlocking various prizes and benefits. The key point of this is, no player can escape the game content, or other players. Differentiating your character should be done via skill training, finding better items, unlocking daily attack/login/raid streaks, and so on.

I am aware that the success of this will hinge on getting more set items and content at the so-called endgame level range, and all levels for that matter.

Currently known issues/feedback:
  • Some Boss NPCs are a bit too strong for the size of guilds we have at the moment (this will be a**essed and tweaked if necessary).



Symphony

Half Mod

Total Posts: 1,073
Online Status: Offline
Mon Aug 28 8:44:56 EDT 2023

Paragon REALLY needs a purpose right now CK. What has happened is that because it does nothing other than raise a number above other players, or you have hope that it does eventually do something, most of the drive and reason to attack NPCs is gone. Which without that, there is a big loss in character development and growth. As well, items have stalled out, there is nothing new, and most everything obtainable is farmed. So there is another loss in character development, growth, and diversity.

Would be really nice to allow some new items, ones that are affected by paragon in some way. 150 items that scale stats based on your paragon level. Likely not by a lot, to still keep the point of paragon, but it adds min-maxing to those that have leveled in paragon. A way to make those items and raid bosses fresh and give reason to keep farming them, would be to add a randomness to the paragon enabled items. For example, you drop a chest and it is like, paragon touched, or something, and it rolled speed as the stat that scales with paragon. It can choose any stat on the item. So farming for the paragon touched items you want gives a lot of purpose, and even build variation. You might work hard with your guild to farm up multiple sets for different content. Say something like speed set for PVP. Then you swap to a set kitted for maximum raid contribution. Or even roll with a new stat only possible on the paragon touched items, examples could be % increase to credits gained when attacking NPC, or you no longer lose credits/exp during lost fights.

In any case, I have a very interesting idea for a new set of items I'm going to be making.


Detective Jake Peralta

Member

Total Posts: 798
Online Status: Online
Thu Sep 21 16:50:20 EDT 2023

Agree that some diversity when it comes to gear stats would make sense. And/or special skills/attributes as mentioned. 

Building off this idea, a burning mechanism could be interesting. You could "burn"/sacrifice a equipment to try improve an equipment. As prestige increases, so too does your % likelihood of a successful burn (i.e. stat boosts). This would also introduce a reason to attack NPCs and to raid more (item drops) and spend your points and gold on the burning process. No item becomes worthless if you can use it in a burn attempt. 

There could be a burning cool off timer or something similar to avoid highest level players burning ad nauseam for their guildmates. 

IMO this solves many problems that currently exist in the game:
1. Adds benefits to higher prestige levels (higher likelihood of successfully boosting equipment)
2. Makes every equipment useful as they'd be used as ingredients to burn (with better equipment increasing the likelihood of a successful boost)
3. Gives players reasons to attack NPCs and raid
4. Becomes a credit and point sink as players spend to burn
5. Adds a luck/gambling factor that's addictive and gets people to keep burning

Quote from Symphony
Paragon REALLY needs a purpose right now CK. What has happened is that because it does nothing other than raise a number above other players, or you have hope that it does eventually do something, most of the drive and reason to attack NPCs is gone. Which without that, there is a big loss in character development and growth. As well, items have stalled out, there is nothing new, and most everything obtainable is farmed. So there is another loss in character development, growth, and diversity.

Would be really nice to allow some new items, ones that are affected by paragon in some way. 150 items that scale stats based on your paragon level. Likely not by a lot, to still keep the point of paragon, but it adds min-maxing to those that have leveled in paragon. A way to make those items and raid bosses fresh and give reason to keep farming them, would be to add a randomness to the paragon enabled items. For example, you drop a chest and it is like, paragon touched, or something, and it rolled speed as the stat that scales with paragon. It can choose any stat on the item. So farming for the paragon touched items you want gives a lot of purpose, and even build variation. You might work hard with your guild to farm up multiple sets for different content. Say something like speed set for PVP. Then you swap to a set kitted for maximum raid contribution. Or even roll with a new stat only possible on the paragon touched items, examples could be % increase to credits gained when attacking NPC, or you no longer lose credits/exp during lost fights.

In any case, I have a very interesting idea for a new set of items I'm going to be making.



DemonicJ

Member

Total Posts: 155
Online Status: Online
Sun Sep 24 0:55:59 EDT 2023

Everyone was so dead-set for this when it was being discussed. Generally by those it helped. Now its boring & has no diversity.

No point in grinding & growing anymore, as any numpty that gets close enough to level 150 is just going to hit, Then factor in the weapon degradation & it aint long before a google serach bot is going to hand it you.

"burn"/sacrifice a equipment to try improve an equipment.....OK. Lets grab a chunk from another game, drop it in. Make the game look even more fragmented. Then undoubtedly, there will need to be a CAP on that to keep everyone vanilla. Then we are back here asking for something else outta GTAV or FF or COD

Some of you guys have been asking for members from back in the "glory days" to be unbanned etc. Would it not be better to bring back the premise of what was once FRP & then get people back here.

Official Maps with official sets. In the style of the game currently, members have the ability to create maps & sets (thank goodness!) & they can also grant or deny access to these maps. Official sets should be accessible by all (they dont have to be easy to get!) & should be the most powerful sets to get.

Add in all the forced delays between some actions & it has become not worth playing it.