[NEWS] Pet Ball Update by Leurocian

[Guest]

Hail and Well Met,

We want to thank everyone for giving us your input on the Crystal Ball of Pet Summoning and its current use in PvP. After assessing your feedback, we have decided that the following adjustments are needed:

* Pet summoning balls should unhide the summoner when attempting to summon her pet.
* Pet summoning balls should have a couple second casting animation with the chance to disrupt like other spellcasting.
* Pet summoning balls should have a reuse delay of 15 seconds.
* Pet summoning balls cannot be used while in animal form.

We feel these changes should balance the Crystal Ball of Pet Summoning in PvP while having minimal impact in PvM. QA is currently reviewing these changes internally. Once the changes pass internal review, they should appear on a public Test Center for an upcoming publish.

Once these changes are on Test Center, please be sure to send us your feedback on these changes.

Good gaming!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Patrick "Leurocian" Malott
Lead Designer, Ultima Online
EA Mythic

Link to thread on uhall

 

[Calibretto]

Amen brother!

 

[Nico-SP]

Sounds like tamers got put on even playing field now...

 

[Calibretto]

Well.....


Animal form should take a control slot since your moving at mount speed.

 

[imported_Goron]

can someone with more recent patching experience/knowledge give me an estimate of how long this will be in internal QA, then test center qa, before finally getting deployed to all shards? Long question short: when will we see these changes in place?

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

can someone with more recent patching experience/knowledge give me an estimate of how long this will be in internal QA, then test center qa, before finally getting deployed to all shards? Long question short: when will we see these changes in place?

[/ QUOTE ]

It's usually about 2 months..IF they dont run into problems during testing.

 

[imported_archite666]

Oh yeah thats the [censored]!

 

[imported_Death of Hemp]

If I had a happy dance, I would be doing it right now! I guess a good cigar will have to do!

 

[imported_MoonglowMerchant]

Having an interruptable casting delay means that hide/stealth/dismount just became an automatic death sentence.

As if those weren't overpowered already.

You will no longer be able to use a petball to defensively summon a pet to escape a gank.

One step forward, two steps back.

 

[imported_Goron]

<blockquote><hr>

Having an interruptable casting delay means that hide/stealth/dismount just became an automatic death sentence.

As if those weren't overpowered already.

You will no longer be able to use a petball to defensively summon a pet to escape a gank.

One step forward, two steps back.

[/ QUOTE ]...?
Or you could just egg bomb.

I don't like the cast delay, but I don't see it having a negative defensive effect. In the case of escaping a gank, how will having a pet help? all you can do is scare off one of the gankers, the rest will still get you.

 

[imported_MoonglowMerchant]

Using a egg bomb requires 50 ninja. Not everyone has that on their template nor room to add it.

Currently, you can use a petball to summon a pet from the stables and remount it to get away.

This change will take away that defensive option and sentence dismounted players to certain death.

 

[imported_MoonglowMerchant]

If you get dismounted in a gank, one person at least always kills the pet to keep you from remounting.

Currently, you can run for a few seconds, then use a pet ball to summon a different pet, remount, and escape.

With this new change, death is pretty much certain since that option will be gone.

 

[imported_Goron]

<blockquote><hr>

If you get dismounted in a gank, one person at least always kills the pet to keep you from remounting.

Currently, you can run for a few seconds, then use a pet ball to summon a different pet, remount, and escape.

With this new change, death is pretty much certain since that option will be gone.

[/ QUOTE ]
In my experience your situation is far from the norm. k0c is the only guild i know that poisons the pet after a dismount, but even then its not very often. I know we (TnA/AO) don't it it often at all. We usually don't run enough numbers to devote an entire person on the mount. Instead we try and kill the target before they can remount- because most people just animal form away.

Yes, this change will hurt that tactic you suggest. I admit that. And to be honest I do not like the cast time delay, I think the cooldown timer and cast restrictions were good enough. But I do think you are overemphasizing a minor point.

I am not saying it doesn't happen, but I have never seen somone petball a mount to escape a dismoutn gank. I have also never seen a non-tamer carry a petball (meaning I have never seen one on the body, you included), which implies this tactic is not common at all.

So the absolute last thing I will do is whine about this nerf for a minor point, when it fixes so many other problems. But I am not you, so you can continue whining if you'd like.

 

[Azural Kane]

<blockquote><hr>

If you get dismounted in a gank, one person at least always kills the pet to keep you from remounting.

Currently, you can run for a few seconds, then use a pet ball to summon a different pet, remount, and escape.

With this new change, death is pretty much certain since that option will be gone.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is completely correct and the only real problem I see with proposed changes. Currently summoned mounts are one of the only ways to intelligently survive a dismount gank...

 

[imported_MoonglowMerchant]

<blockquote><hr>

In my experience your situation is far from the norm. k0c is the only guild i know that poisons the pet after a dismount, but even then its not very often. I know we (TnA/AO) don't it it often at all. We usually don't run enough numbers to devote an entire person on the mount. Instead we try and kill the target before they can remount- because most people just animal form away.


[/ QUOTE ]

Everytime I am dismounted by TnA/TnT, the first thing they do is target my ride. You are completely incorrect.

<blockquote><hr>

I am not saying it doesn't happen, but I have never seen somone petball a mount to escape a dismoutn gank. I have also never seen a non-tamer carry a petball (meaning I have never seen one on the body, you included), which implies this tactic is not common at all.


[/ QUOTE ]

I only use the petball tactic on well equipped blue characters. Reds die too often to be losing a petball every time. If you haven't killed my dexxer and found a petball on the corpse, it is likely because I used the petball to summon a mount and escape. It is certainly an uncommon tactic. A lot of people don't even know that you can summon a pet from the stables with a ball.

<blockquote><hr>

So the absolute last thing I will do is whine about this nerf for a minor point, when it fixes so many other problems. But I am not you, so you can continue whining if you'd like.

[/ QUOTE ]

This irritates me in particular because I suggested a solution which would limit the use of pets as part of a combo several times but that suggestion was ignored by people who don't understand the game well enough to know that you can use a petball defensively.

 

[Azural Kane]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

In my experience your situation is far from the norm. k0c is the only guild i know that poisons the pet after a dismount, but even then its not very often. I know we (TnA/AO) don't it it often at all. We usually don't run enough numbers to devote an entire person on the mount. Instead we try and kill the target before they can remount- because most people just animal form away.


[/ QUOTE ]

Everytime I am dismounted by TnA/TnT, the first thing they do is target my ride. You are completely incorrect.

<blockquote><hr>

I am not saying it doesn't happen, but I have never seen somone petball a mount to escape a dismoutn gank. I have also never seen a non-tamer carry a petball (meaning I have never seen one on the body, you included), which implies this tactic is not common at all.


[/ QUOTE ]

I only use the petball tactic on well equipped blue characters. Reds die too often to be losing a petball every time. If you haven't killed my dexxer and found a petball on the corpse, it is likely because I used the petball to summon a mount and escape. It is certainly an uncommon tactic. A lot of people don't even know that you can summon a pet from the stables with a ball.

<blockquote><hr>

So the absolute last thing I will do is whine about this nerf for a minor point, when it fixes so many other problems. But I am not you, so you can continue whining if you'd like.

[/ QUOTE ]

This irritates me in particular because I suggested a solution which would limit the use of pets as part of a combo several times but that suggestion was ignored by people who don't understand the game well enough to know that you can use a petball defensively.

[/ QUOTE ]

You're completely correct I find it quite sad no one listened to this point more.

 

[imported_Goron]

Again: I actually agree with you about the cast time delay. I do not like it. And I have said as much in the petball thread on uhall, many many many times. My problem now is just that you are claiming it is one step forward two steps back... I see it more as twenty steps forward, one step back. Unfortunately the one step back was pushed in by people who, as you say, don't understand the entire situation (imho).

I think the appropriate actions to take now are not declare the propsed changes as a horrible thing and a poor decision, but rather provide productive feedback indicating the hurt to the tactic you mention as a small part of the changes.
When you come out with a completely negative attitude, people tend to just push you off as another whiner (like i did). But now I will grow up a little and admit you have a serious point. So rather than attacking the devs as idiots, instead let us commend them for the attention and consideration, and provide feedback about the proposed changes. Hopefully you agree that the other changes are steps forward. So lets go to uhall and give our feedback productively as "5 steps forward, one step back- lets get rid of the one back and we'll only move forward."

 

[Azural Kane]

<blockquote><hr>

Again: I actually agree with you about the cast time delay. I do not like it. And I have said as much in the petball thread on uhall, many many many times. My problem now is just that you are claiming it is one step forward two steps back... I see it more as twenty steps forward, one step back. Unfortunately the one step back was pushed in by people who, as you say, don't understand the entire situation (imho).

I think the appropriate actions to take now are not declare the propsed changes as a horrible thing and a poor decision, but rather provide productive feedback indicating the hurt to the tactic you mention as a small part of the changes.
When you come out with a completely negative attitude, people tend to just push you off as another whiner (like i did). But now I will grow up a little and admit you have a serious point. So rather than attacking the devs as idiots, instead let us commend them for the attention and consideration, and provide feedback about the proposed changes. Hopefully you agree that the other changes are steps forward. So lets go to uhall and give our feedback productively as "5 steps forward, one step back- lets get rid of the one back and we'll only move forward."

[/ QUOTE ]

Perhaps one of the best posts from Goron yet.

Hear hear!

 

[imported_MoonglowMerchant]

Here is what I posted on U Hall before starting this thread.

<blockquote><hr>

I have a problem with this part. I've expressed it before, but since there has been no back and forth, you missed it.

Here goes again.

If your intent is to eliminate the use of petballs as an offensive tactic in PvP, these changes will do that.

However, that particular change will also handicap players who use petballs defensively as protection against constant dismounting.

Example: I'm running around on Siege on my dexxer. I'm dismounted by a hidden archer, then ganked by his hidden pals (yes, hiding is a problem on Siege...). Now, one of them will certainly target my pet so that I can't remount. What I do currently, is run for a few seconds then use a petball to call a pet from the stable, remount, and run for it.

This proposed change means that defensive manuver will no longer be employable and dismounting will equal certain death every time.

I don't think you meant to overpower hide/stealth and dismount even more did you?

The change I proposed was this. Instead of a casting delay, increase the time between the summoning and the point at which a pet can be given a command. Currently, there is about a 1 second delay between summoning the pet and having them respond to an all kill. Increase that delay so that pets can't be used offensively as part of a combo. Then, you can leave the defensive use in place.

As currently designed, you are going to fix one problem and make two others worse.


[/ QUOTE ]

They aren't quite as tolerant as Kelmo in UHall and EA types tend to be a bit sensitive so I'm usually a bit nicer over there and a bit more real here.

 

[imported_Goron]

Ok. sorry. I jumped you a bit too hard. I should have known better. I know you are not one of 'those people'. If you know what i mean- the guys that don't even play anymore but just come back to bash everything, or a variation of that type of person.
I've just been spending too much time in uhall recently and its startign to hurt those around me- somewhat like crack.

 

[imported_Krystal]

<blockquote><hr>

Using a egg bomb requires 50 ninja. Not everyone has that on their template nor room to add it.

Currently, you can use a petball to summon a pet from the stables and remount it to get away.

This change will take away that defensive option and sentence dismounted players to certain death.

[/ QUOTE ]

rearrange ur template then. i only got to every other month cause of changes ea makes just like everyone else in uo to adjust! we cant have everything on our template:/

 

[imported_Krystal]

i think hiding/stealth on sp should be same as prodo shard. if anyone walks into u, u are revealed! simple! i obviously found u! i walked into u grrrrr! but u actually have to bump the person no area crap, for area u need detect skill. for walking into a hider no skill, they reveal, unless u need skill to feel and see:/ i said this months ago and everyone freaked, but ill say it again hiding/stealth is overpowered!

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>


Hail and Well Met,

We want to thank everyone for giving us your input on the Crystal Ball of Pet Summoning and its current use in PvP. After assessing your feedback, we have decided that the following adjustments are needed:

* Pet summoning balls should unhide the summoner when attempting to summon her pet.
* Pet summoning balls should have a couple second casting animation with the chance to disrupt like other spellcasting.
* Pet summoning balls should have a reuse delay of 15 seconds.
* Pet summoning balls cannot be used while in animal form.

We feel these changes should balance the Crystal Ball of Pet Summoning in PvP while having minimal impact in PvM. QA is currently reviewing these changes internally. Once the changes pass internal review, they should appear on a public Test Center for an upcoming publish.

Once these changes are on Test Center, please be sure to send us your feedback on these changes.

Good gaming!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Patrick "Leurocian" Malott
Lead Designer, Ultima Online
EA Mythic

Link to thread on uhall

[/ QUOTE ]

YAY they actually used one of my ideas about the casting stuff awesome and now that they can't be used in animal form its gonna even the playing field for those really pesky tamers on siege who thought throwing a bola from hiding then summoning pets going animal form and chasing someone around spamming pet ball all kill macro was skill.

At least this should put a big big dent in pvp tamers huge overpoweredness. im not saying they wont be a problem at all in the field, it just wont have that crazyiness to it.

 

[imported_SavageSP]

I definately think Petballs needed to be addressed, but if all 4 of these go in its a bit of an Overkill IMO.


* Pet summoning balls should unhide the summoner when attempting to summon her pet. <font color="blue">-This one is Overkill and combined with disruption below is gonna be Bad for PvMers also </font> <font color="green"> This should be removed </font>

* Pet summoning balls should have a couple second casting animation with the chance to disrupt like other spellcasting. <font color="blue"> -I think this one is Overkill also, all its gonna do is make the tamer go off screen to summon so he doesnt get hit or he will just drag em around all the time. Take the disruption part out and it seems a bit more fair. </font> <font color="green"> The Disrupt part should be removed, but add in an *emote phrase* thats visable by everyone even if the player is hidden </font>

* Pet summoning balls should have a reuse delay of 15 seconds. <font color="blue"> -This was Needed and if you have 5 Ossys like ive seen in other posts, I highly doubt your burning that many charges when you can simply log out a screen or so away to pull all your pets at once</font>

* Pet summoning balls cannot be used while in animal form. <font color="blue">- This was Needed to deter Running in form chaining the petball, it wont hurt PvM and the lag spike and mana changing forms will make it a tad harder to cycle animal/human back and forth</font>

 

[Guest]

Why should a tamer be allowed to recall his pets from complete hiding? Do you know what [censored] that is? How is that overkill at all? its was one of the biggest imbalances of tamers cause a lot would never have to show from hiding to get their pets attacking you again as long as they were already chasing you.

plus the reason they put in the caster thing is to make pet balls in PVP actually have some damn way of stopping them. If you're in a duengon and safely hidden what does it matter if you have to stop for a second or two to get ur pet there.

But in PVP, if a tamer runs away from his pets with me chasing his ass when he is strangled and LP'ed all he has to do is stop push summon petball macro and his pets are instantly attacking my ass again. Its almost as powerful as casting spells because you know pets are going to cast a ton of spells when they have someone targetted.

all tamers had to do was run and summon pets constantly. They wanted to make sure that tamers AREN'T going to be able to just run away and constantly summon pets with a petball until finally the pets get enough spells to kill you. This way if they want their pets, they have to take time to summon them and i will easily disrupt them and kick their ass just like any other template that actually has to stop running to start an offensive.

 

[imported_SavageSP]

I posted here and u hall, but didnt add the green here till just now, I think it should have an *emote Message along with the spellcast delay before the pet pops up, so you know its comin.

and the 15 second timer keeps him from chaining the petball on you unless your just gonna stay in the area unprepared for the animal to come back.

I just think the first 2 things together are way to much and definately will effect PvMers, they will get revealed using a petball and get interupted by monsters, i just wanna nerf stealth ninja petball tamers, not all tamers.

 

[Lord_Puffy]

<blockquote><hr>


Hail and Well Met,

We want to thank everyone for giving us your input on the Crystal Ball of Pet Summoning and its current use in PvP. After assessing your feedback, we have decided that the following adjustments are needed:

* Pet summoning balls should unhide the summoner when attempting to summon her pet.
* Pet summoning balls should have a couple second casting animation with the chance to disrupt like other spellcasting.
* Pet summoning balls should have a reuse delay of 15 seconds.
* Pet summoning balls cannot be used while in animal form.

We feel these changes should balance the Crystal Ball of Pet Summoning in PvP while having minimal impact in PvM. QA is currently reviewing these changes internally. Once the changes pass internal review, they should appear on a public Test Center for an upcoming publish.

Once these changes are on Test Center, please be sure to send us your feedback on these changes.

Good gaming!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Patrick "Leurocian" Malott
Lead Designer, Ultima Online
EA Mythic

Link to thread on uhall

[/ QUOTE ]

thank god, now if they can stop cheaters i may think if sticking around.

 

[imported_Krystal]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>


Hail and Well Met,

We want to thank everyone for giving us your input on the Crystal Ball of Pet Summoning and its current use in PvP. After assessing your feedback, we have decided that the following adjustments are needed:

* Pet summoning balls should unhide the summoner when attempting to summon her pet.
* Pet summoning balls should have a couple second casting animation with the chance to disrupt like other spellcasting.
* Pet summoning balls should have a reuse delay of 15 seconds.
* Pet summoning balls cannot be used while in animal form.

We feel these changes should balance the Crystal Ball of Pet Summoning in PvP while having minimal impact in PvM. QA is currently reviewing these changes internally. Once the changes pass internal review, they should appear on a public Test Center for an upcoming publish.

Once these changes are on Test Center, please be sure to send us your feedback on these changes.

Good gaming!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Patrick "Leurocian" Malott
Lead Designer, Ultima Online
EA Mythic

Link to thread on uhall

[/ QUOTE ]

thank god, now if they can stop cheaters i may think if sticking around.

[/ QUOTE ]


wish in one hand and [censored] in the other see what comes first?
muahah

but man that would be awesome!

 

[imported_mo'gluk]

hey i am more excited..... i will be playing this week if just to klomp or be klomped

 

[Sir Ha-ward]

Yea the cheaters are definitely one thing that needs to be looked into, im glad you took a stand about this one Puffy and decided that anyone within the guild running any cheats will be dealt with , thank you.

 

[Lord_Puffy]

<blockquote><hr>

Yea the cheaters are definitely one thing that needs to be looked into, im glad you took a stand about this one Puffy and decided that anyone within the guild running any cheats will be dealt with , thank you.

[/ QUOTE ]


np

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

I definately think Petballs needed to be addressed, but if all 4 of these go in its a bit of an Overkill IMO.


* Pet summoning balls should unhide the summoner when attempting to summon her pet. <font color="blue">-This one is Overkill and combined with disruption below is gonna be Bad for PvMers also </font> <font color="green"> This should be removed </font>

* Pet summoning balls should have a couple second casting animation with the chance to disrupt like other spellcasting. <font color="blue"> -I think this one is Overkill also, all its gonna do is make the tamer go off screen to summon so he doesnt get hit or he will just drag em around all the time. Take the disruption part out and it seems a bit more fair. </font> <font color="green"> The Disrupt part should be removed, but add in an *emote phrase* thats visable by everyone even if the player is hidden </font>

* Pet summoning balls should have a reuse delay of 15 seconds. <font color="blue"> -This was Needed and if you have 5 Ossys like ive seen in other posts, I highly doubt your burning that many charges when you can simply log out a screen or so away to pull all your pets at once</font>

* Pet summoning balls cannot be used while in animal form. <font color="blue">- This was Needed to deter Running in form chaining the petball, it wont hurt PvM and the lag spike and mana changing forms will make it a tad harder to cycle animal/human back and forth</font>

[/ QUOTE ]

I gotta disagree a bit. As far as #1, this should not be an issue for a pvm tamer. You are going to summon your pets to you in a fairly safe area anyway if you are smart.

#2 Again, you should be summoning your pets into a fairly safe area and this should not really be an issue in pvm. You say it will make tamers go off screen to summon pets, I think they should have to go off screen to summon them.

I have a pvm tamer. To me, there is no reason that either of those should affect pvm tamers. There should be some risk with bringing your pet magically to you. To allow tamers to summon hidden and uninterrupted makes the hunting risks too low. If you follow the same logic, mages should not be attackable or interruptable while casting in pvm. The monsters should wait calmly by until you are ready to attack.

Personally, I think we should be glad they are letting us keep them at all. I used to drag pets all over the place with me to hunt...

 

[Zippididooda]

hooray!

 

[BennosMorales]

*sighs* anyone want to buy a Treasure Hunter account?


not sure but I just might...

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

i think hiding/stealth on sp should be same as prodo shard. if anyone walks into u, u are revealed! simple! i obviously found u! i walked into u grrrrr! but u actually have to bump the person no area crap, for area u need detect skill. for walking into a hider no skill, they reveal, unless u need skill to feel and see:/ i said this months ago and everyone freaked, but ill say it again hiding/stealth is overpowered!

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree to that, if you know where he is, he can't be hiding for you. Or at least make it so you can unhide them if you place a firewall or a exp potion directe on them as you could in old days.

If someone want to stealt arount unnoticed, they have to be careful not to let anyone know where they are.

The Pet Ball changes sound good to me but I do think animal form should take a pet slot so user of the new dragon ar forced to walk.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

If you get dismounted in a gank, one person at least always kills the pet to keep you from remounting.

Currently, you can run for a few seconds, then use a pet ball to summon a different pet, remount, and escape.

With this new change, death is pretty much certain since that option will be gone.

[/ QUOTE ]

Could you not just keep an emount in your bag for escape? Sure there is a summon time on them too but they do not get looted.

Pet Balls will still be useful, you are not nerfed back where you need to go to the stable to pick up your pet, you can still summon it when you need it, just not in the middle of a fight.

IMO pets are fine for farming but do not belong in PvP. We did have PvP tamers before Petballs, stealth changes and ninja skills but it was only a few like Corwin who could do it. Now there is pets everywhere.

 

[Feyre]

1. Slow down goodguy, im sure it was totally your idea and not a general need known by most every pvper.

2. QQ more to anyone who says this will hurt thier pvm.

 

[imported_OldAsTheHills]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

i think hiding/stealth on sp should be same as prodo shard. if anyone walks into u, u are revealed! simple! i obviously found u! i walked into u grrrrr! but u actually have to bump the person no area crap, for area u need detect skill. for walking into a hider no skill, they reveal, unless u need skill to feel and see:/ i said this months ago and everyone freaked, but ill say it again hiding/stealth is overpowered!

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree to that, if you know where he is, he can't be hiding for you. Or at least make it so you can unhide them if you place a firewall or a exp potion directe on them as you could in old days.

If someone want to stealt arount unnoticed, they have to be careful not to let anyone know where they are.

The Pet Ball changes sound good to me but I do think animal form should take a pet slot so user of the new dragon ar forced to walk.

[/ QUOTE ]

Stealthers are careful in not letting anyone know where they are, and it does
not happen in practice! Mounted players zig-zag with their mounts making it
impossible to stay out of their way. Been there and doing that being careful
makes no difference! Bumping occurs regardless. No stealther can avoid a search
pattern.
If Krystal &lt;former member of Vmp&gt; has her way, then stealth and hiding would
be removed from the game so they could find their prey. Having not that, like
you, Krystal would settle from auto reveal which would do the same thing!
Get back to talking about Pet-balls.

*stares*
Yahaxithonix