9 replies to this topic

[Gaddy]

I cannot speak for 1-Alt, but Main really needs a systematic change - in my opinion.

I'm going to put this concept out at a level that I hope fully conveys the idea. However, I understand a TON more work is needed to implement - which bosses with which drops, percentage suggestions, and probably recreating the items so they are identical-ish alternatives rather than quest duplicates.

So, if there is an open mind to actually taking this suggestion, I am willing to help with the leg work on any aspects that would help with implementation. But I will put this out at a conceptual level for now.

 

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Conceptual Overview:

• Increase bosses drops to 20-30%+
• Release former quest items like we have been releasing uber boss drops. Put them out there on top-end bosses at 3-15%, depending on the equipment quality, usefulness, etc.

The approach for new areas and bosses over the past several years has been to make them take longer, require more investment toward keys, seals, and warrants, and then to REDUCE their likelihood to drop their best items.

Recent posts have highlighted how backwards that is to me. The biggest bosses should drop boons - not be made good by how rare they drop their gear. So, I suggest a change to boss drops.

 

 

Conceptual Details/Justification:

I suggest the increase drop rates on existing boss drops for pretty much all things that swap for Platinum Coins. Perhaps a few drops are quest items already - and they could be relabeled that way through this process. If any current drop should be a questie, put it below 20% and maybe duplicate it through quests sometimes - just re-brand it as quest item instead of a boss drop.

 

The big change - bring questies into Nightmist. Folks have had the quest items handed to them at this point. Almost no one (myself included) actually got their quest item drops. No one should have a claim on preventing items from being released into the game, and we do not need to continue pushing the idea that quest items are somehow special unique things that no one else should ever have access to play around with one day.

 

Plus, this would give that very rare, "O WOW!" moment to Nightmist players. Currently, quests are not fair to expect, and quest items are often duplicates or less-than historical items anyway. This pushes back on that condition - let players get the huge boon of joy sometimes by having unexpected questie options 1/30 to 1/8 of trips. And let boss drops flow a little bit more like one would expect - 1/5 to 1/2 of trips resulting in the good drops. 

With the most extreme case, Inquisitor's Ring duplicate as Inferno Ring and dropping 1/30 times or so from Gothmog --- come on, killing Gothmog 120-ish times is unreal. That would be years of a single player killing the highest-end boss in-game. Give them a set of uber-rings - they earned it. It's not going to break anything, and if it somehow does - nerf the Inferno Ring slightly to offset.

But we need to stop having the basis be that we can do nothing fun or extreme because it might unbalance the game. If it is actually broken, retroactively adjust downward. But give players some cool stuff to get on very rare occasion.

 

 

My made up terms for boss scales:

Big boss = bosses with Kill XP of 1m+ (Imhotep, Ku'Nal, Time Knight, Blue Dragon, etc.)

Uber boss = bosses with Kill XP of 10m+ (Resca, Grande Inquisitor, Warrant Bosses, etc.)

 

 

Actual quest item suggestions (could crowd-source alternative names and descriptions):

• Semi-common on big boss:
  • Stat-mod amulets
  • Christmas Blade
  • Joy to the World 
  • Chains of Krampus 
  • Silent Night 
  • Kiss of the North
  • Bracelet of Defense 
  • Obsidian Battleaxe
  • Black Sword
  • Rune Staff
• Rare on big boss
  • Aegis of Light 
  • Ring of the Wise 
  • Bracelet of Wisdom
  • Glacial Crown
  • Witches Gloves
  • Rune Blade
• Rare on uber boss
  • Snowflake of Insight
  • Frosted Festoon 
  • Rose Garland 
  • Ring of Eminence
  • 5-ac ring
• Ultra-rare on big and/or uber bosses
  • Double-stat mod amulets
  • Ruby Ring 
  • Inquisitor's Ring 
  • Boots of Haste 
  • Bracelet of Protection
  • Staff of Light

 

 

 

TL;DR

Increase boss drops to 20-30%+, and release former quest items as rare and uber-rare drops from bosses.

[Hansol]

supported

Edited by Hansol, 29 June 2022 - 11:28 AM.

[Bane]

Agree with everything Gaddy has said. I've lost all motivation to play this game anymore, it just isn't worth the time, it's an INSANE grind with very little reward and let's face it, we're all adults, who has the time to sit and grind it out, I certainly don't

[brewcrew]

if we were actively gaining new players day in and day out, the grind would make sense somewhat....but the fact is playerbase keeps shrinking and its the same few players leaving and coming back yearly that we should think about. I support everything Gaddy has proposed....i also think an idea for some of the more rarer items or bosses (the harder ones) is that you can get in addition to boss drops craft drops to craft an item the boss drops....like a Kunal token, get 10 and you can craft keeshe or sent shield as an example. that way, you still have some grinding to do for drops but you can guarantee an item within a designated number of kills.

[Cadabra]

One of Nightmists major flaws on bosses is they don't drop multiple items at once. You get 1 chance per day (sometimes 2 days on 1alt) at the drop from each boss. If each boss had the potential to drop 2 items then you got 2 shots per kill. If worst item drops then you got a 2nd shot at the decent stuff. 

[Hansol]

honestly the more I think about it the more I like this idea

 

it is basically year around halloween quest and I know everyone had a blast with that in particular

Edited by Hansol, 30 June 2022 - 01:03 PM.

[Stig]

I am agreeing with a lot of this.  I rather not release the actual quest items due to the intrinsic value that comes with their uniqueness.  However, I am all for alternative items that give the same stats.

[Gaddy]

honestly the more I think about it the more I like this idea

 

it is basically year around halloween quest and I know everyone had a blast with that in particular

 

I knew I had plagiarized this idea! I forgot that is where the basis came about first.

Yes! Exactly like a year-round version of what went on for Halloween, but with quest-alternative drops matched a bit more to boss challenge or trip duration and increased drop rates on bosses' main items.

[Stig]

I've started to implement this to an extent as of the latest update.

[Gaddy]

Many thanks to Bane for beginning the requested adjustments.

Boss drop rates are something I had given up on because I felt like I was just complaining if saying much. I really appreciate the discussion being started and staff being willing to act on the feedback from players!

 

And huge thanks to Stig for implementing, of course!