Quote:
Originally Posted by Aradune Mithara  Some nerfs and tweaks are going to be necessary and happen with every MMOG both during beta and for a period of time following launch. (...)
We don't like to nerf -- in fact we hate it. We certainly don't like upsetting people and will do our damndest to avoid them if at all possible. Heck, we play this game too, and many of us a LOT. (...)
The alternative would be to let issues stay untouched and cause problems... say a class or classes are unbalanced so people over time feel compelled to play the more powerful classes even though they would have preferred to play another class. Or we leave an exploit in so players feel compelled to advance more quickly in certain areas of the world or by doing certain things, leaving the rest of the world and the opportunities to advance neglected. Or we don't add to the game in fear that we may make mistakes and have to address them, upsetting some people. We can't do that. |
Four points:
1)Sure nerfs and TWEAKS are necessary. Nobody is stupid enough to deny that. But so far, you've been nerfing much more than you've been fixing.
2)That's why I doubt you hate nerfing and "upsetting people." Either you are the clumsier bunch of Developpers ever, or you like to hurt people and make them sad. You have a great, great opportunity with Vanguard: your game is so fucked-up, as far as class abilities / class balance is concerned, that you have just as many abilities in need of nerfing as in need of fixing.
Monks waited way too long, and through way too many major nerf, for their fixes (which was finally hastily implemented when the whining got deafening enough.) Bard song parts just do not work for the most part.
Nerf if you have to, but give people something to look forward and to be happy about in patches. Not just nerfs. It's obvious you don't care enough about how a given patch will be received by the community.
3)The way you nerf... I won't get the EQ Monk out of my sleeve again, although it's a similar example. Let's let it rest. But look at the healers. Obviously, you feel the need to "tweak" down the Healers. Obviously, you want to reduce their ability to solo. All right, I disagree but I'm biased: I like playing my Cleric. Let's say it's really needed for the good health of the game.
Why the fuck do you have to implement 3 major nerfs at the same time? Mitigation Nerf, Heals interruption Nerf and (allegedly, as the reports are contradictory, but even 2 would be overkill) DPS Nerf.
And you tell us you don't like to upset people? No Cleric in their right mind would whine too much about a (reasonable) mitigation nerf. But did you have to nerf everything at the same time?
And don't tell us you're 100% sure it was necessary and that you tested it. You don't have time to. Players can be a tolerant (even blindly so) bunch. But you're pushing it constantly.
4)Classes nerfs and non-class-related nerfs are totally different subjects. Exploitable mobs / quests / areas / whatever need to be fixed fast and nobody will complain much about it.
Even an "exploitable class ability" needs to be fixed asap. But it shouldn't get nerfed into oblivion at the same time (ex: Bard Tynen's snare, although I still hoped you just screwed up and bugged it.)
