New Elites - Suggestions

[CosmoxKramer]

Sorry Decart, no ranting. If you want to try again in a non-dramatic fashion without sweeping generalizations, we're all ears.

Decart got his thread closed so i thought i would help out as i feel his pain.

The new Elite dungeons take too long and too hard for random loot drops. I like that in older bosses take a few minutes and the dungeons take 5-15 minutes (perfect for a mobile MMO), but the new Elites take 1 hour + just to get to the boss. This is a bit high for a mobile MMO. Compared to full PC MMO's a elite dungeon that take 1-2 hours guarantees loot drop of a high quality. They also tease with very rare drops (like mythic/arcane). I applaud the difficulty of the pulls and large groups and the bosses, but raising HP so drastically along with armor and damage is overkill. Just doubling or tripling the HP over regular mode along with armor/damage would be enough. It seems that i could go through 6000+ manage and spam my flamestrike and still not kill a gunner mob 1 on 1.

• Suggestions for Elite changes:
• Elite HP = 2-3x regular mode for mobs/bosses
• Armor/Damage of elite mobs stays the same
• The new expansion to the game should be the most difficult because of the above and therefore the drops should be more guaranteed (maybe pink + random item/chest, just a Pink or better item, or make Elite New zone chests have much better drop rate for pinks).
• Older zones will be easier and will not have guaranteed drops or better rolls (nor elite lvl gear like lvl 26, love this).
• maybe some sort of currency if you don't do guaranteed drops. For Example:
  
  • 5 Elite X coins from a boss in Kraken Isles (KI)
  • 3 Elite X coins from a boss in Dead City (DC)
  • 1 Elite X coins from a boss in Breckenridge or Ydra Forest (Original)
  • Where currently the coins would be Elite III coins. The next expansion would drop Elite IV coins. Elite IV coins could be traded down for III, II, or I coins, but not the other way (no pre-farming for next expansion)
  • Coins can be used to purchase Elite gear available in the current expansion (KI now). Mythic/Arcane items are not purchasable.
  • Items cost 25-50 coins to purchase each item.

I do agree with a lot of folks though that the risk/reward of the KI elites are not really worth it and could cause some distress and dislike or disinterest in the game. There is already no way to farm gold through playing (only, luck, platinum, or merching which requires gold to start), so i hope keeping elites a bit enjoyable and rewarding is doable.

[Energizeric]

I agree with all you say in your first paragraph, but this is no different than the other elite dungeons were. I remember the first time we tried to defeat elite bael it took over an hour to finish that dungeon. But then again you only had to do it once to get the achievement and then you could farm Jarl. Now folks are farming elite reef as you can just run past the mobs and get to the boss. I like it this way. Let the elite gear actually be rare this time.

[Carapace]

Thank you for the feedback Cosmo.
You have some good suggestions in there, and for that matter so do a lot of other players. As I stated in a previous thread we are monitoring how the Elite content is being handled by players over the course of the next week or so. We don't plan to make any immediate and sweeping changes, but things you have mentioned are already being discussed, or have popped up in discussions internally. We have noticed a couple of groups that are breezing through the content for example, and others struggling significantly. With more players reaching the cap on an hourly basis we're beginning to see the bigger picture.

We have to tread lightly here because there are two sides to every coin, and it certainly is the hardest elite content that we have made. In time adjustment will no doubt be made, but we need to gather more data as more people reach the elite dungeons before any decisions are made. Your posts and feedback does not fall on deaf ears, and we appreciate your patience.

[CosmoxKramer]

Thanks for the in depth response!

Like I said I like the difficulty, but it does take a really long time. I wish you couldn't just run past the enemy to get to the boss. Part of the fun is doing a pull on a big group and getting the strategy ride to CC etc. this could still be fun and challenging with the mobs having 1/2 the HP. Besides its just trash mobs. The hardest part should be the boss not some bridge pulls . The opposite goes for PVP in my opinion that you could apply a damage reduction to all in PVP to allow more strategy, cc, healing and less 1 shot crit kills . Thanks again for your response

[Swede]

I wish you couldn't just run past the enemy to get to the boss.

This is a bug that will be fixed soon.

[CosmoxKramer]

Thanks! 2 sts responses!

[GoodSyntax]

I'm glad the devs are looking into this, because honestly, I have no desire to farm these elite maps. I will continue farming the other elite maps (Brackenridge, Rooks Nest, Tower, etc.), but for now Kraken Isles is out.

Either the elite map has to be shorter (1+ hour is absurd), or the probability of reward has to be much, much higher - almost a guaranteed elite pink. I'm not going to go through HP/Mana pots like Rosie O'Donnell at an all-you-can-eat buffet just for a small chance at a copper chest with a bunch of junk in it.

[Drizzt Lee]

Seriously, I see elite hately situation as the new elite jarl. There's no reason to cry for it to be fixed as it still require a certain level of gear to be able to run to it or solo it. Just because u are not able to farm elite hately, u dun have to scream "fix it!"

[Jackyll]

Looking through a lot of these types of threads, I think people are losing the concept of ELITE. The new Elite maps are not for casual players, plain and simple. My only negative feedback on the new elite maps is the mobs themselves prior to boss battles. They could use a little nerfing but not by much.

[GoodSyntax]

Drizzt - Yes, I understand that Hately seems to be the fastest of the new maps, but you are posting that on every thread and the reality is that it is only one map. Maybe you should try to understand that nobody is complaining about Hately, they are complaining about the other maps.

Trust me, some of the guys that are posting their concerns and observations are properly geared. Perhaps a more tactful approach would be to suggest that they do Hately runs because they are faster and easier, so you could loot more per hour than any of the other elite maps.

Also, please realize that many of these players are trying to defeat ALL elite bosses.

Just sayin....

[CosmoxKramer]

your get my post wrong. I'm not complaining it is too hard. It is just too long. the first KI zone takes 10-20m depending on deaths and it is a really nice zone. some large pulls that can easily wipe you, the bosses are fun etc.

I don't want a nerf to NPC damage, armor, abilities
purely lower the HP, and it can still be difficult, it just doesn't need to be difficult to stay awake long enough to finish...

[Rare]

your get my post wrong. I'm not complaining it is too hard. It is just too long. the first KI zone takes 10-20m depending on deaths and it is a really nice zone. some large pulls that can easily wipe you, the bosses are fun etc.

I don't want a nerf to NPC damage, armor, abilities
purely lower the HP, and it can still be difficult, it just doesn't need to be difficult to stay awake long enough to finish...

I agree with everything you said. The difficulty level is great. The time to complete is poor.

[Jellowpy]

Less hp and less armor on elite fights just more strategy needed thatll balance elite maps.. As i see it now sts is trying the easier way to male elite harder via giving mobs more Hp and more Armor.. TBH boss are easier than the mobs itself.. Theres no hate in this message i just want to make the game a lot more enjoyable.. Put more strategy in killing the boss or even make the boss harder but please not the make the mobs itself a lifeless dps race w/o strategy.. Iam a rogue that have Blackbeard at the moment but even with my damage my hand hurts just spamming attacks on mobs thta dont offer much but have too much armor and Hp..

[Chaokaban]

I usually get pissed when I spend so long in an elite mission and all I get is a rare or epic item.