A method of Distribution?

[Bobar]

The following is an excerpt from
Letter from the Producer

Posted by Kai Schober | 2012 Aug 29 18:16 -0400 GMT

'We have already started working on Publish 79! I am sure everyone will be happy to know we are working on a method to distribute the Scroll of Valiant Commendation.'

I observe the method they have chosen (a possible drop from Exodus) and I am not terribly impressed. Such distribution is confined to those lucky enough to obtain one. Currently around 20 million is still being asked for a scroll. I have 14 characters and many of them are totally unsuited to an encounter with Exodus. For instance my Beggar would be highly unlikely to get one by saying 'Trick or Treat' to Exodus. Thus the scroll which I feel should be able to be obtainable by all characters is confined to those who are equipped to get one or who can afford to buy them. This is a basic stat altering item not just an arti and in my opinion the method chosen not a particularly good one.

I am just an average player with no great desire to go around soloing all the bosses. I enjoy the game but that is it, I am in it for enjoyment. As I see it, if I wish to raise the basic stats of all my characters I can pay about 28o mill or I can spend endless hours at Exodus attempting to get them. A choice I will pass neither route strikes me as entertaining. I was at the original Exodus encounter when the first scrolls dropped and I have been several times since, for me its ok but I prefer to do Navrey or Melisande with a small group, it is not one I like especially so my visits will certainly drop away.

I just think that a scroll being vended for that kind of gold has not really been distributed at all, to command that sort of price they have to be fairly scarce.

Just my take on it what do others think?

 

[Ender76]

The following is an excerpt from
Letter from the Producer

Posted by Kai Schober | 2012 Aug 29 18:16 -0400 GMT

'We have already started working on Publish 79! I am sure everyone will be happy to know we are working on a method to distribute the Scroll of Valiant Commendation.'

I observe the method they have chosen (a possible drop from Exodus) and I am not terribly impressed. Such distribution is confined to those lucky enough to obtain one. Currently around 20 million is still being asked for a scroll. I have 14 characters and many of them are totally unsuited to an encounter with Exodus. For instance my Beggar would be highly unlikely to get one by saying 'Trick or Treat' to Exodus. Thus the scroll which I feel should be able to be obtainable by all characters is confined to those who are equipped to get one or who can afford to buy them. This is a basic stat altering item not just an arti and in my opinion the method chosen not a particularly good one.

I am just an average player with no great desire to go around soloing all the bosses. I enjoy the game but that is it, I am in it for enjoyment. As I see it, if I wish to raise the basic stats of all my characters I can pay about 28o mill or I can spend endless hours at Exodus attempting to get them. A choice I will pass neither route strikes me as entertaining. I was at the original Exodus encounter when the first scrolls dropped and I have been several times since, for me its ok but I prefer to do Navrey or Melisande with a small group, it is not one I like especially so my visits will certainly drop away.

I just think that a scroll being vended for that kind of gold has not really been distributed at all, to command that sort of price they have to be fairly scarce.

Just my take on it what do others think?

The method for acquiring a replica scroll is similar to the original event. Works for me

 

[Picus of Napa]

There is a option. Gold isn't that hard to get if you want to. I'm not impressed either but I've bought what I could find, which is only 3 scrolls for a total investment of 35 mil. Sadly with the bagball fix I suspect they will be rarer now.

 

[Tazar]

The Harrower stat scrolls are even harder for your beggar to get - so honestly - I can't see that as a valid argument. You said that most of your characters are unsuited to get it - then use the ones that are suited. The drop rate on scrolls seems to be fairly high at the moment so your chances of getting one is good.

Of course - nothing is a perfect fit for every character - but I like the way this one was done.

 

[WootSauce]

How did your beggar get his +25 stat scroll?

 

[cazador]

*Begin sarcasm* Yea and I can't get 120 mages and evals on my beggar either! This is ridiculous it should be a new haven quest that is super easy and anyone can get..nevermind that I also cannot obtain a slither on my herder! This game is a joke! *end sarcasm*

 

[Bobar]

Interesting replies as I thought they might be. My concern here has simply been that this is about basic stats. When AOS was launched I chose a +5 STAT increase, this produced an uneven BASIC stat level. To balance that EA negated the gift by increasing EVERYBODYS stats by 5 after 6 months the reason given was that it levelled the playing field. I have no problem with that but they have now restored the uneven base level with these scrolls. This is why my feeling is that they should be more easily attainable.

 

[Aibal]

The drop rate isn't bad at all, and it's a fun encounter to do with a small group. It's not solaoable, so it's not like every sammy/whammy in game is making a killing on them. It provides a nice challenge and is much like the original Exodus encounter. I don't mind it at all. The longer they're out the cheaper they will get. I suggest you farm Navrey for Tangles, sell them, and convert the gold into scrolls, or find a decent party and start doing him. It really isn't difficult.

 

[MalagAste]

I don't know since they came out I've managed to get 4 or 5 of them... it's NOT that bad. People need to quit crying.

 

[Bobar]

I don't know since they came out I've managed to get 4 or 5 of them... it's NOT that bad. People need to quit crying.

I think you have the wrong end of the stick here. I am not and never will be overly concerned if I never get any scrolls. This post was concerned with fairness. They give everyone +5 at 6 months so everyone is equal and then revert it to what it was when some of us got +5 with the AOS gifts. This caused some dissatisfaction and was the reason they introduced the 6 month rise. The reason they have arranged to 'distribute' the scrolls at all is because of the outcry when just a few got the original ones. This method does not ensure a wide distribution of them it just increases the numbers who have it.

Still less am I likely to cry about not having any scrolls, in my O/P I have stated what I will be doing. Posts saying that I can buy them or go and get them are superflous I have stated my position.

For those who are satisfied with how its been done that is fair enough, as I said this was just my view and I was interested enough to post and see how others felt.

 

[Aibal]

So your position is you will not be buying them and you will not be doing Exodus for the drop. So what EXACTLY was the point? Everyone in this post has said they're not difficult to get, nor outrageously expensive. If you expected them on some type of EM type "clicky", you should have known you'd be disappointed. They shouldn't be "easy" to get, but to say that there's no way anyone can get one on the other end of the spectrum is ridiculous, as cited by numerous posters above. *shrugs*

Seems to me by your OP that you can enjoy the game without them. So why sweat it?

 

[MalagAste]

I have no problem at all with it's distribution.... To be truthful a VAST majority of my characters are just fine with 240 stats. But then they don't fight... They don't PvP and honestly they barely leave my home.... I have over 56 characters and I'm not about to go doing the whole thing over and over and over again to get each and every one of them a +5 scroll but then I'm more irritated by the fact that if I wanted them to have 250 stats I would have to fork over billions in gold because there isn't any way on this planet that I'm going to have the opportunity on MY Shard to do a harrower..... So If I wanted the scrolls I'd have to pay some l33t Fel Dude who just happens to be part of the current mass Zerg guild the gold to get all the scrolls I'd need.

On the extremely rare occasion that I might get the opportunity to actually DO a Fel champ spawn..... the chance of me getting any scroll I might actually USE is so slim that it's quite honestly NOT worth my time or energy to actually attempt doing a Fel champ spawn. So how ludicrous is that? And how "Fair" is it that such things are controlled by Fel guilds??? And that while most people may not care I for one know that many of the "Search" sites are owned by FEL Zerg type guilds..... often by one or two VERY high ranking members..... or the search site "pays" the high ranking member of xyz Zerg guild to obtain them all the scrolls they need. And more often than not the also pay the high ranking members cash for gold... is it fair that folk make thousands of dollars off paying folk in sweat shop type environments 30 cents a day to play a game and farm things like gold, ingots, wood and other supplies so they can sell this stuff super cheap on some website and undercut anyone who actually attempts to work a crafting type player????

I quit years ago fretting over what was and wasn't "fair" in this game.... because if you do you'll die before it is ever "fair"..... and you'll just cause yourself more stress than it's worth. It's a GAME. Yes it sucks people cheat, yes it stinks that some people can't play without cheating... Yes life is NOT fair. But crying about it won't get you anywhere.

 

[Berethrain]

The scroll drop falls along the same grind as everything else in this game. Want a scroll for every character? Grind more. Don't really care? Grind less.

Fairness isn't really an issue here.

 

[Lord Lew]

Sadly with the bagball fix I suspect they will be rarer now.

The Sad is that people actually used that exploit to fight and kill him. And it's not the lowly cheaters, I saw three large and well known guilds doing it just before the fix. One claims to be the largest and oldest in UO, now that's the true definition if sad!!

In reality, with the right strategy, he is quite easy. The complication starts when the random know it alls run in and muck things up.

 

[Picus of Napa]

If the team forgets to check to see if the monster gets blocked I don't really see how it's the players fault. Bagballs have been around for a long time and have been used to block all sorts of stuff. I don't want to say that there should be a check list for new stuffs but there should be a check list for new stuffs.

 

[Lord Lew]

And blocking with bagballs is an exploit that can result in a ban, enough said

 

[KLOMP]

How did your beggar get his +25 stat scroll?

Quoted for truth.

 

[Lord Gareth]

On Chesapeake we do 2-4 Shard wide Exodus runs a day and have them pouring out of our ears. Exodus is down in about 20minutes, my suggestion is to invite and interact with players on your own shards and work together to defeat it. Not go in small groups because you think you're going to have a better chance for a drop because from the 12 scrolls I've obtained there was always 10 - 15+ players down there every time.

 

[G.v.P]

On Chesapeake we do 2-4 Shard wide Exodus runs a day and have them pouring out of our ears. Exodus is down in about 20minutes, my suggestion is to invite and interact with players on your own shards and work together to defeat it. Not go in small groups because you think you're going to have a better chance for a drop because from the 12 scrolls I've obtained there was always 10 - 15+ players down there every time.

Yeah, the way most modern hunts work is there are more chances or rolls based on more active participants. So the more players the more chances to win...kind of like buying extra lotto tickets.

I remember back during the old gauntlet days I "stole" an AOF from a sampire with my tamer. Bwhahahaa. Those were the good ol days, when being by yourself mattered.

 

[Hoffs]

I agree with many of the posts here, particularly Gareth's. One beauty of the newer bosses (SA, High Seas and Exodus) is that the loot essentially increases with the amount of participants, so it is no insurmountable problem for you to join up with others.

I would also like to say I can't see what is so vital about obtaining a +5 for every character. I have around ten characters/accounts (I play Siege) and I have only had one of the new scrolls. This was obtained at the original event and I haven't been lucky enough to win a roll for another one on any of the new Exodus runs I've done with my guild. However, I really don't care as my main character has her scroll and I am really not too bothered about getting one for any of the others. Indeed, I think I have only eaten a +25 on half my characters despite having obtained dozens of them over the years.

 

[Bobar]

So your position is you will not be buying them and you will not be doing Exodus for the drop. So what EXACTLY was the point? Everyone in this post has said they're not difficult to get, nor outrageously expensive. If you expected them on some type of EM type "clicky", you should have known you'd be disappointed. They shouldn't be "easy" to get, but to say that there's no way anyone can get one on the other end of the spectrum is ridiculous, as cited by numerous posters above. *shrugs*

Seems to me by your OP that you can enjoy the game without them. So why sweat it?

Well the clue to the 'point' is in the title. Reduced to basics I was asking others opinions on how EA chose to 'distribute' the scrolls. Opinions seem in general to approve it. Sobeit, it is not my opinion, I feel they should maybe have made them one of the Clean Up rewards where all characters can obtain the rewards. There is good justification in giving them as a drop in the same way as the originals, I just felt this was restrictive for something that changes basic stats. The+25 stat scrolls have been with us far to long to concern us here.

I thought I had made it clear that I can and do enjoy the game without them so I definitely aint sweating it. I guess overall it may be that my understanding of 'distribute' is different to many others.

 

[Eärendil]

First, prices are decreasing day by day. Reached almost the 10 mio-mark - and will go down further.

Second, drop-rate is pretty good atm, had about 20 Exodus and 7-8 scrolls - not forget the arties.

Third, my crafter never had a chance against the Harrower. Oh my god, he has still 230 stats - and crafting works... Did I miss something?

Fourth - as I mentioned many times - there is no need to get every char up to 260, even up to 255... Have 21 chars and only 10 of them have 255. 260 - no need, selling my scrolls, hehe

 

[Warpig Inc]

Yes my character that earns a reward and puts it in a container of that accounts house. Another character from that account grabs the item out of the container. "That *******" Distrobution is hell. Anyone that has a non combat account full of cute templates has another account with killers. Not friending/trusting your other account to the others house, well that has some level of crazy attatched. Try logging out on your killer and logging in on your crafter real fast. Do it fast enough the crafter can bann the killer from the house till he puts out.

Along the same line of arguement. My mage/scribe feels shame/unleetness from not making his own britches.

Roleplay characters is a fun way to play UO. Just remember all those characters on that account are you. Not you ,you, you, you, you, you and you. Only one crazy person has to pay the monthly fee. The others can go buy milk and do some yardwork till your done filling BODs.

 

[GalenKnighthawke]

Your beggar also cannot obtain an Ornament of the Magician, or a +25 stat scroll. The suggestion that other items have been in the game for too long to warrant being part of the discussion is spectacularly invalid. The long-standing items are how we establish precedent for the newer ones. Whether we defy it or agree with it, it must be dealt with as part of our arguments. Further, as far as the Fel players are concerned the distribution of items associated with the Tram rules facets is still in play. I therefore have no choice to assume that the issue the distribution of items exclusively to Fel is also in play. This therefore means that the +25 stat scroll issue is as live as, say, easy access to a beefed up Rune Beetle Carapace.

You also admit to regularly doing Navery or Lady Mel.....Items obtained from that can be sold to obtain an Exodus scroll from another player.

-Galen's player

 

[Bobar]

Your beggar also cannot obtain an Ornament of the Magician, or a +25 stat scroll. The suggestion that other items have been in the game for too long to warrant being part of the discussion is spectacularly invalid. The long-standing items are how we establish precedent for the newer ones. Whether we defy it or agree with it, it must be dealt with as part of our arguments. Further, as far as the Fel players are concerned the distribution of items associated with the Tram rules facets is still in play. I therefore have no choice to assume that the issue the distribution of items exclusively to Fel is also in play. This therefore means that the +25 stat scroll issue is as live as, say, easy access to a beefed up Rune Beetle Carapace.

You also admit to regularly doing Navery or Lady Mel.....Items obtained from that can be sold to obtain an Exodus scroll from another player.

-Galen's player

Rewards I have obtained I have either used myself or given to others. My comment about my begger doing Exodus was facetious but some appear to have taken it literally. The Ornament is an artie reward the status of which nobody is in doubt, What is the relevance?. All other aspects are long-standing and highly unlikely to be changed and are of no concern to me. I have no wish to purchase a scroll which I could easily do, but not all players are able to do so, they deserve some consideration.

My post was simply concerned about the method used. Everyone seems to have concentrated on actually doing Exodus and the ways and means thereof. All the talk of arties etc is not relevant. My post was only made because this is NOT a usual reward it is a BASIC STAT changing one. A change has been made to the base line where a possible difference of 30 has been increased to 35. After 6 months a player gets +5 they can get scrolls up to +25 and now yet another +5 is possible. I made the post because I felt that a reward that does this should be more freely available than as a reward for doing a champ. In effect EA have moved the goalposts again. I posted concerning the METHOD used and whether others thought it was a good choice. I was not posting regarding how to do Exodus, how difficult or otherwise it is, how I might obtain a scroll or anything else simply the METHOD.

 

[Warpig Inc]

Beggers had seen any love in the form of one those 1 in 10000 chance holloween drops this year. They could of got their choice trading for any arty scroll combo.

 

[KLOMP]

So Bobar thinks items that grant stat increases are "BASIC" and therefore should just sort of fall out of the sky. That's... uh... that's a cool opinion you have there bro, but it's not the way Ultima Online has ever worked and nobody but you seems to mind.

 

[Bobar]

So Bobar thinks items that grant stat increases are "BASIC" and therefore should just sort of fall out of the sky. That's... uh... that's a cool opinion you have there bro, but it's not the way Ultima Online has ever worked and nobody but you seems to mind.

Ok let me explain it in simple language it is not that difficult to understand. When we join UO and make our first character the stat cap is set at 225, this is what I refer to as our BASIC stat. EVERYBODY has the same, very basic, no? Now one increase in this comes after 6 months and yes you might say it falls out of the sky one day you dont have it the next you do. This for arguments sake lets say is a BASIC STAT changing one because everybody gets it and the BASIC STAT is now 230. I therefore refer to the new scroll also as a BASIC STAT CHANGING one because it does exactly the same elevating the base stat again to 235. There is of course a further STAT changing scroll the+25, this as everybody knows certainly does not fall out of the sky. However this is probably too firmly established for any argument to induce a change.

So you are half right, I do indeed think that our original allocation and the 6 months increases are BASIC. The other two I most certainly do not think are basic I do think that they are stat changing. Because the original +25 one, for most players tends to be bought does not, to me, mean another in the same vein is a good thing. As far as I am concerned I would rather have seen the new scroll as part of the Clean Up rewards which would benefit the game as a whole rather than just another high price item for the benefit of some.

My opinion matters little anyway and those who will benefit from the present method of distibution would obviously not like it to be different.

 

[Aibal]

Ok let me explain it in simple language it is not that difficult to understand. When we join UO and make our first character the stat cap is set at 225, this is what I refer to as our BASIC stat. EVERYBODY has the same, very basic, no? Now one increase in this comes after 6 months and yes you might say it falls out of the sky one day you dont have it the next you do. This for arguments sake lets say is a BASIC STAT changing one because everybody gets it and the BASIC STAT is now 230. I therefore refer to the new scroll also as a BASIC STAT CHANGING one because it does exactly the same elevating the base stat again to 235. There is of course a further STAT changing scroll the+25, this as everybody knows certainly does not fall out of the sky. However this is probably too firmly established for any argument to induce a change.

So you are half right, I do indeed think that our original allocation and the 6 months increases are BASIC. The other two I most certainly do not think are basic I do think that they are stat changing. Because the original +25 one, for most players tends to be bought does not, to me, mean another in the same vein is a good thing. As far as I am concerned I would rather have seen the new scroll as part of the Clean Up rewards which would benefit the game as a whole rather than just another high price item for the benefit of some.

My opinion matters little anyway and those who will benefit from the present method of distibution would obviously not like it to be different.

First of all, on your SECOND log-in, your stats change from 225 to 230, NOT 235. And definitely NOT after "6" months. After that point in time, it is up to the player to either 1.) Buy a +5, +10, +15, +20, or +25 stat scroll to increase their cap, or 2.) Do a Harry. Players have been doing that for years. What's the problem? We've been doing Harry's, or buying scrolls, since AOS. This is NOT a game changer, and honestly, the first characters I've had eat scrolls were my PVE toons, not my PvM toons. It's NOT a game changer, it offers NO significant advantage, and dismissing it "as no big deal since we're all at +25 is RIDICULOUS". By your OWN admission, no one is going to be hurt OR disadvantaged by this addition. It takes a small crew to do, but most, if not all will get a drop. WTF is the problem? I'm sorry if you don't have a toon equipped to do Ex, but if that's the case, go farm Navrey, sell Tangles, and get your scrolls. If you want to "farm" them, change your template or get better party members to suit the spawn. I really don't understand your apparent rage with the way they are obtained, sorry.

 

[Olahorand]

First of all, on your SECOND log-in, your stats change from 225 to 230, NOT 235. And definitely NOT after "6" months.

Thats only true, if the account with the character is older than 6 month, if I remember correctly and nothing changed inbetween.
For a new account its still 6 month.
Well and accquiring items by hunting boss monsters only, is also not a way I like myself. Son on shards, on which I play not on prime time (so not finding a guild to join) or have huge lag affects, there is no chance to play that game. And it seems to be, that always those have the multi millions to pay for such stuff who have the chars and chances to hunt the monsters massively. (Or IDOCers, lucky house placers, gold buyers and darker elements ...) It's still killing 5,000 swoops or similar rich mobs to gain 10 million through normal game play - huge amounts of time.
So yes, I agree, there should be not only a way for crafters to create the keys for Exodus access, but also to gain the scroll without fighting or without having to use an alt.

 

[KLOMP]

So you are half right, I do indeed think that our original allocation and the 6 months increases are BASIC. The other two I most certainly do not think are basic I do think that they are stat changing. Because the original +25 one, for most players tends to be bought does not, to me, mean another in the same vein is a good thing.

So in other words you really do wish all stat-increasing items just fell out of the sky. Yeah that's not how UO works. Sorry.

So yes, I agree, there should be not only a way for crafters to create the keys for Exodus access, but also to gain the scroll without fighting or without having to use an alt.

You know what man, how about you poor abused crafters go sit somewhere and content yourselves with making every single good piece of equipment in the game. The developers aren't obligated to let you craft bosses to death so you can get every single thing in UO without having to change characters.

 

[Eärendil]

The main point of this post seems to fall in line with the way the American Government thinks.

I really don´t think, your government thinks that way... You might "feel" it that way, but that´s not true. There are other countries, however, where this statement may apply. But your current goverment is not equalistic nor socialist, even if you feel it that way. I know what I am talking about, because in Europe, we had governments that worked that way

 

[Bobar]

So in other words you really do wish all stat-increasing items just fell out of the sky. Yeah that's not how UO works. Sorry..

Well I tried to make it simple but I am afraid that what you extrapolate from my post and how you interpret it is a matter for your erudition and intelligence. I can only post in English and hope it is understood.

 

[KLOMP]

Well I tried to make it simple but I am afraid that what you extrapolate from my post and how you interpret it is a matter for your erudition and intelligence. I can only post in English and hope it is understood.

Whatever man, enjoy buying your Exodus scrolls in a world where no one agreed with you.