AAs for Next Expansion ideas thread

[Tweelis]

Moved this from the other thread so sorta a repost.

Lots of great ideas. I'd still like to see an AA line that lets tribute effects hit ourpets.

An idea that's off the wall but a bug similar to this idea use to provide great fun. Give us an aa line that allows us to have a second, third, fourth, fifth, etc. pet that's like an uncontrollable enchanter pet. It'll attack a mob that hits us but would be significantly weaker than our main pet. Possibly restrict said pet to the type of pet we currently have up and further restrict it to being something like half the level......which is confusing when I write it so let me give an example.

Level 90 magician has an air pet up and has rank 10 of "baby pet aa". The mage could then summon up to 10 additional air pets (one per rank) as if her were a level 45 magician. So under these circumstances this mage could have one normal level air pet plus up to 10 conjuration: air pets that they would have no more control over than a newbie chanter. They would persist until killed (different from the host line in that regard) and focus effects wouldn't do anything for them. They could still be geared and buffed like any other pet but all in all they would just add a little damage boost but would also have some drawbacks in a lot of situations.

[qibrme]

I know they said it was not possible in the last expansion, however I would still like to see the Fire pet spells crit.
Also like to see a way to increase the fire pet's nuking DPS with AA's.

If the spells cannot crit, then how about an AA that is like FBO but it allows Fire pets to cast Bolt or Jolt got the duration of the AA.

About the only time the Fire pet is good is when you rez, are OOM and on a mob that eats Water pets.

Water pet can do over 2k DPS

Fire pet does about 1k DPS -- Fire pet needs a boost IMO.


Sued...

[Gnomeland]

If the next expansion is going to be the final expansion, and I'm not saying it is but it might very well be, and it's going to level 90, then I would like to see some truly amazing and long-lasting AAs to round out the EQ experience and make the game fun to play for what remaining time they're going to keep the servers up.

Examples of this:

* Prismatic super pet: drains your mana until 0, then disappears; once/hour; 10 ranks at cost 12/12/12...; first rank is slightly better than air pet at base, last rank is like servant at base but with a LOT more hps, defense, and interesting procs
* Servant mana reduction; I think duration is good enough but they could be cheaper
* Pet explosion - explodes the pet; different effects for different pets (ie fire might explode for massive AoE damage; earth might explode for AoE snare; water might explode for group mana+hp heal; air might explode for AoE stun); has 10 min recast so you can't just chain explode
* Lot more (two expansions' worth) passive nuke AAs
* Lot more (two expansions' worth) passive pet AAs

Honestly I'm more worried about the last rank of pets we're going to get (if this is going to 90 and the final expansion) than the AAs. They need to be more like pets in SoF. So long as that's the case I don't have many other concerns.

[Gnomeland]

While I agree our spells got the short end of the stick in UF, we got some great AA's and I have no trouble molo'ing pretty much anything in tier 6, 7, and 8. I don't see where we got left behind at all.

Moloing != soloing. Baramos was talking about soloing. Mercenaries should not be factored into soloing ability as they cost both exp and money and is supposed to be a replacement for a real player, in principle. So really, what you're saying is that you can duo in UF with SoD end-game gear. Honestly that's not very "impressive," balance wise (skill-wise I'm sure it takes a lot).

In accordance with what Baramos was saying, the power curve we should be aiming for is being able to solo blue cons out of the box, and eventually moving onto bigger and better things as your gear becomes better. In terms of moloing, that'd be the equivalent of being able to take on camps in UF out of the box. I don't think any mage who is not SoD raid-equipped is capable of doing this, so I do think we have began to stagnate again. That is why the next expansion is so critical, as it'll be a turning point in terms of whether we return to SoF-level fun, or edge closer to PoP-level garbage.

[svenalo]

If the next expansion is going to be the final expansion, and I'm not saying it is but it might very well be, and it's going to level 90, then I would like to see some truly amazing and long-lasting AAs to round out the EQ experience and make the game fun to play for what remaining time they're going to keep the servers up.

Examples of this:

* Prismatic super pet: drains your mana until 0, then disappears; once/hour; 10 ranks at cost 12/12/12...; first rank is slightly better than air pet at base, last rank is like servant at base but with a LOT more hps, defense, and interesting procs
* Servant mana reduction; I think duration is good enough but they could be cheaper
* Pet explosion - explodes the pet; different effects for different pets (ie fire might explode for massive AoE damage; earth might explode for AoE snare; water might explode for group mana+hp heal; air might explode for AoE stun); has 10 min recast so you can't just chain explode
* Lot more (two expansions' worth) passive nuke AAs
* Lot more (two expansions' worth) passive pet AAs

Honestly I'm more worried about the last rank of pets we're going to get (if this is going to 90 and the final expansion) than the AAs. They need to be more like pets in SoF. So long as that's the case I don't have many other concerns.

Are these real ideas you are proposing or just examples of the kind of thing you are wanting? I need to know so I can update the master list correctly.

[svenalo]

While I agree our spells got the short end of the stick in UF, we got some great AA's and I have no trouble molo'ing pretty much anything in tier 6, 7, and 8. I don't see where we got left behind at all.

Moloing != soloing. Baramos was talking about soloing. Mercenaries should not be factored into soloing ability as they cost both exp and money and is supposed to be a replacement for a real player, in principle. So really, what you're saying is that you can duo in UF with SoD end-game gear. Honestly that's not very "impressive," balance wise (skill-wise I'm sure it takes a lot).

In accordance with what Baramos was saying, the power curve we should be aiming for is being able to solo blue cons out of the box, and eventually moving onto bigger and better things as your gear becomes better. In terms of moloing, that'd be the equivalent of being able to take on camps in UF out of the box. I don't think any mage who is not SoD raid-equipped is capable of doing this, so I do think we have began to stagnate again. That is why the next expansion is so critical, as it'll be a turning point in terms of whether we return to SoF-level fun, or edge closer to PoP-level garbage.

Given your definition, especially the part I bolded, I concede the point. I don't know, however, if the devs ever wanted us able to take on all the stuff we were able to go solo in SoD/SoF or if that was an unintended (but pleasant for us) side effect of the pet power boosts we got.

[deadman1204]

Isnt there a long standing cycle here for pet classes. On expansions with a level upgrade - they do better cause of stronger pets. In UF we didnt get a lvl increase so 50% of our dps never got an upgrade

[Merlaina]

Isnt there a long standing cycle here for pet classes. On expansions with a level upgrade - they do better cause of stronger pets. In UF we didnt get a lvl increase so 50% of our dps never got an upgrade

I think that's a cycle for casters in general. We all get a ton of new, useful, power increasing spells when there is a level cap raise. In expansions that don't raise the level cap we get thrown a few moderately useful spells to keep us happy while the melees get huge upgrades through weapons/gear. I'm not bitter, it goes back and forth, I'm just saying I don't think it's just pet classes that experience this phenomenon.

[Sillaen]

Isnt there a long standing cycle here for pet classes. On expansions with a level upgrade - they do better cause of stronger pets. In UF we didnt get a lvl increase so 50% of our dps never got an upgrade

I think that's a cycle for casters in general. We all get a ton of new, useful, power increasing spells when there is a level cap raise. In expansions that don't raise the level cap we get thrown a few moderately useful spells to keep us happy while the melees get huge upgrades through weapons/gear. I'm not bitter, it goes back and forth, I'm just saying I don't think it's just pet classes that experience this phenomenon.

That's true, all casters do get hit a bit, but pet classes probably get hit the most under these circumstances. It's not a blanket 50% not upgraded though as with new expansion (regardless of a lvl increase or not) comes accessibility to newer focus effects, a pet spell or 2 etc.. to help fight that battle. Merlaina is right though, it goes back and forth, so it's not something to get too worried about.

[Gnomeland]

If the next expansion is going to be the final expansion, and I'm not saying it is but it might very well be, and it's going to level 90, then I would like to see some truly amazing and long-lasting AAs to round out the EQ experience and make the game fun to play for what remaining time they're going to keep the servers up.

Examples of this:

* Prismatic super pet: drains your mana until 0, then disappears; once/hour; 10 ranks at cost 12/12/12...; first rank is slightly better than air pet at base, last rank is like servant at base but with a LOT more hps, defense, and interesting procs
* Servant mana reduction; I think duration is good enough but they could be cheaper
* Pet explosion - explodes the pet; different effects for different pets (ie fire might explode for massive AoE damage; earth might explode for AoE snare; water might explode for group mana+hp heal; air might explode for AoE stun); has 10 min recast so you can't just chain explode
* Lot more (two expansions' worth) passive nuke AAs
* Lot more (two expansions' worth) passive pet AAs

Honestly I'm more worried about the last rank of pets we're going to get (if this is going to 90 and the final expansion) than the AAs. They need to be more like pets in SoF. So long as that's the case I don't have many other concerns.

Are these real ideas you are proposing or just examples of the kind of thing you are wanting? I need to know so I can update the master list correctly.

Hmm, real ideas I guess, though I haven't had the time to really think them through, but I think they look good and the balance can be left to the devs.