Season 3. So far, not a fan.

[Rumbler X]

I'd like to start this on a positive note and thank you Devs for your hard work and dedication to the Eden server. It must be no small task keeping the energy needed to run it day after day as smoothly as you do. While season 1 was a bare nuts and bolts season, season 2 was in this humble players opinion a masterpiece of imagination, creativity and execution with just some minor issues. Sadly, this is where the praise ends.

Season 3 in my and many others experience whom I've had the pleasure of meeting while playing on Eden has fallen a great deal short. This season feels to many as the season of the Zerg in EVERY way possible. Was it designed this way? I certainly hope not, but lets be real for just a moment. The ideas that have been implemented such as timed missions and the lff were laid out as a way for players who don't enjoy BG RvR to have fun and enjoy Eden on a smaller more personal scale. While in theory these ideas sound like a winning strategy they have done nothing but create zergs on a smaller level. Zones designed for 8 man or what have you are just ways for realms to take advantage of others by loading up on numbers and moving together to make sure they have the winning force. For the sake of this post let's consider this as a group of 8 though it encompasses all group sizes. 16-24 members of the same realm zerging down a group of 8 is hardly what I call and enjoyable experience for any involved unless you're a weak, low-skill player. In fact it is quite the opposite. You have labeled it LFF and 3 full groups taking advantage of a system that does nothing to prevent such action isn't even in the same universe as "Fair Fight".

A way to combat this could be to award an "underdog" fight. Where the realm who chose to actually play by the rules receives a boosted amount of RPs upon their inevitable demise.(My suggestion would be triple the amount any given event would offer upon completion) This could entice the realms into playing just as an 8 in hopes that if they do lose the fight of contention it was because they were outnumbered and are still rewarded for playing how the event was meant to be played and not just releasing to their relic town with a bitter taste in their mouth.
Another way is to stop using indicators to show exactly where each location is going to be within the zone at any given time. Make us look for our encounter and stop handing out free RPs to a realm that decides they can only handle RvR with numbers. If that's how they want to play they should be in the BG where numbers is the only thing that matters. This way even if opposing realms decide to go the toxic route and "load up" there is a chance they completely miss their opportunity to roll over the others by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Fights can still happen naturally this way and offer a much more rewarding experience.

Now, I know this next mention is a subject of some HOT debate but BRING BACK KotH!!! This event was amazing and it's what kept season 2 wheels turning for as long as it did. People will argue this is not the case, but be sure to all who are reading this it most certainly was. It did everything it was designed to do. It got people who have everyday lives to set aside some time to log into the server, get to play and enjoy some VERY fun fights for a little bit, then log off to continue thier busy days and maybe get the chance to log into the next one if they happen to miss an event. You have done yourself a disservice by removing it entirely. Currently, aside from some of the BG leaders and a handful of zerg only players literally everyone loved KotH. Not only did it give a sense of accomplishment when your group was able to run out a 25k RP koth, it also taught players about more than 3 buttons on their character class. All in all KotH was great and I don't really care what a few naysayers opinions are on the matter, the number of people logging in to play during those times should speak for themselves. Now, I have heard rumors of KotH returning in some fashion, but nothing concrete and you seem to be keeping any information regarding it close to the chest. In my opinion do yourselves a favor before you've driven 1/3 of your player base away with this new system and implement KotH again.

My last point of interest comes from the PvE side of things and is mostly directed at the absolute gutting of RoGs this season. For me personally, it's a travesty and quite honestly feels like a blatant way to just get people zerging and running this Campaign stuff. Build your quick and crumby template get cl10 as fast as you can and zerg, zerg, zerg. You'll get your drops from Behemoths or whatever other lowbar offering that's been implemented. I'm here to tell you, you don't get squat. KU and Sobekite gave the means to people who were willing to put in the time and actually learn and understand these instances to make some spectacular templates. Should it be affected by those people who didn't want to learn or couldn't be bothered to do anything besides afk raid? Not a chance. The fact that the utility on these items has been butchered, the drop rates for good gear has been slashed and the actual number of drops from KU specifically has been appalling. So much in fact that the dedicated groups that I would run it with have decided it's not worth our time and effort to be disappointed 6 out 7 runs. I've stopped teaching people this dungeon, I've stopped running this dungeon and I've stopped recommending that players even attempt it because to be blunt it's no longer good, or fun. I know I'll get the "who cares what you have to say" attitude from some, but I can say this with 100% certainty I've personally taught 3/4ths of the Midgard realm who actually did or do it how to accomplish that dungeon. Now, at least for me and my close knit group of dungeoneers it will be a ghost town until something is done with the utility on RoGs. Moving forward any who have asked or will inquire, I will steer them away from there for the simple fact that I don't want to be the reason people have wasted their valuable time on items that are useless. Perhaps seeing the drop off of interest in something you've worked so hard to build will incite some sort of positive reaction, but only time will tell.

Thank you so much for your time and effort. You all do a fantastic job at making a 25 year old game feel fun and this isn't meant to be critical of anyone. Just a passionate gamer giving his thoughts.

[Marden]

Not sure if you're even aware you're doing it, but your entire post is just dripping with a condescending attitude.

Tell me if I'm distilling this all down properly:

You feel that you're not only a better player than the vast majority of people on the server, you're so much better than the people killing you (only because they have superior numbers, of course) that you find the current season to be borderline offensive. It's so offensive, in fact, that you feel you should get bonus points as reparations for your mental anguish when the baddies kill you. Lastly, anyone who plays in a zerg/BG does so because they're "weak [and] low skill."

Am I missing any major points?

[Rumbler X]

Not sure if you're even aware you're doing it, but your entire post is just dripping with a condescending attitude.

Tell me if I'm distilling this all down properly:

You feel that you're not only a better player than the vast majority of people on the server, you're so much better than the people killing you (only because they have superior numbers, of course) that you find the current season to be borderline offensive. It's so offensive, in fact, that you feel you should get bonus points as reparations for your mental anguish when the baddies kill you. Lastly, anyone who plays in a zerg/BG does so because they're "weak [and] low skill."

Am I missing any major points?

You are missing the biggest point I was trying to make about the small scale system. It has holes in it and I am trying to offer a few solutions to said holes. Yes, if one feels that the ONLY way one can accomplish tasks is by abusing a system designed for a set number of people they indeed are weak, that is what's offensive not the system itself as I stated. I feel your response is a hostile one because perhaps you feel targeted. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the overflow system built for groups who don't enjoy zerging and want more out of their RvR sessions than just attacking keeps and towers?
Also, it is a very well known fact that most players who choose to BG over small scale are of a lesser skill base than those who have chosen to fully explore their entire class suite from top to bottom. Just because you don't agree with the statement doesn't make it any less true.

[slyther]

Not sure if you're even aware you're doing it, but your entire post is just dripping with a condescending attitude.

Tell me if I'm distilling this all down properly:

You feel that you're not only a better player than the vast majority of people on the server, you're so much better than the people killing you (only because they have superior numbers, of course) that you find the current season to be borderline offensive. It's so offensive, in fact, that you feel you should get bonus points as reparations for your mental anguish when the baddies kill you. Lastly, anyone who plays in a zerg/BG does so because they're "weak [and] low skill."

Am I missing any major points?

It really just sounds like you're taking it personally. Do you think people running around in 2-3 FG jamming and running over 1 group or smallmans are exhibiting high skill gameplay? Of course they aren't- they're taking the path of least resistance to get RPs more reliably because they know they have less of a chance as 1 group and or aren't competent enough to do so in . This server would be a lot more fun if it had 8 man and smallman zones, so people who want more strategic gameplay can enjoy themselves the same as those who want more simple gameplay.

[Marden]

I'll believe that when I see it. Small man groups generally means preying on solos or duos/camping docks/camping quest mobs/otherwise doing the exact same thing they accuse others of doing.

Its all about being the bigger fish. Its always been about being the bigger fish. People who claim to stand for some mythical, noble gameplay ideal is full of it, regardless of how they may try to present themselves on a public forum. If you want team deathmatch 8v8, DAoC is the wrong game.

[Idi]

"Season of the zerg..."

Yea, pretty much. The new frontlines system seems to consolidate all the action in a single realm, so you're either running into a full sized BG or getting added on constantly by other groups during your fights. Not a fan. I enjoyed the season 2 set up more and hope they bring back KoTH to the server.

[elyria_annwyn_74717]

Good luck trying to solo. You'll get maybe 400 rps per kill.. if you can actually find anyone alone. Even if you do, they'll most likely be a Vampiir (broken class) who can kill you in seconds or some other broken catacombs class that was tuned wrong and is laughably overpowered.

All the S3 RvR stuff is geared towards PvE quests which you need an actual group to do.

[Rumbler X]

Good luck trying to solo. You'll get maybe 400 rps per kill.. if you can actually find anyone alone. Even if you do, they'll most likely be a Vampiir (broken class) who can kill you in seconds or some other broken catacombs class that was tuned wrong and is laughably overpowered.

All the S3 RvR stuff is geared towards PvE quests which you need an actual group to do.

Yea, it's been a tough couple months to say the least. I solo a lot on SM and the only saving grace is I can MoC5 through most Vamps OP BS. I hear a lot of people saying that if you run into one solo on any class other than a life tapper it's basically a /release encounter.

[Idi]

All the S3 RvR stuff is geared towards PvE quests which you need an actual group to do.

The daily currency quests at minions/infernal camps and the realm writ quest mobs can still deliver some solo traffic if you're patient, but it's certainly not consistent, and if they're in a "frontline" realm, then you're likely to zerged down by groups.

[Byzantine]

All the S3 RvR stuff is geared towards PvE quests which you need an actual group to do.

The daily currency quests at minions/infernal camps and the realm writ quest mobs can still deliver some solo traffic if you're patient, but it's certainly not consistent, and if they're in a "frontline" realm, then you're likely to zerged down by groups.

Ive also found S3 to be a bit more of a let down as a more solo player.
Im not big on the mass dungeon raids, where its so busy you cant see whats going on, or by the time you target a mob, everyone else has destroyed it and moved on.
I mostly play solo classes (Stealthers), and this maens I dont tend to interact so much with my own realm. However, thats not to say they dont have a place in an MMORPG. It seems Eden is moving towards everyone playing in one group. But part of an MMORPG is going solo, so you are head up against someone else. So you are still playing against multiple people, just not necessarily from your own realm.

Gearing up without the writ quests has meant, so far, that Ive not been able to template any character. Before, I could use a hunter/Ranger/Scout to do the writs, then farm the currency to be able to template them. Now, Im having to find raids...and so far Ive been DC'd from 3, and not got credit.

Bring back the Writs quest. It helps the solo players, which gives the other realms more people to play against.
No point having a solo class in an MMORPG if they cant "solo".