Sampires need to R.I.P....

[CovenantX]

This is correct. I have non-sampires that depend on AI, and a reduction to 70% may not be devastating, but it would be enough. The irony is that the 70% reduction would force non-sampires into becoming sampires for the additional damage.

Haven't people learned after all these years to be careful when calling for nerfs, because we just might get them and much more?

I'm assuming by Additional Damage, you mean for the additional Life leech ?

IMO, Sampires don't need to be nerfed, Instead AI should be reduced in damage (from 90% maximum weapon damage, to 70% Minimum weapon damage)
Also, Buff Life leech to 10 - 15% Damage heals the user. and Do not allow Life leech to stack with Vampire Form or Curse Weapon.
This will make pure dexers a slightly more viable option, if they prefer to use life leech on a weapon vs 99+ skill points in necromancy.

Vamp form = 20% of all damage done to life per hit (including hit-spells/area effects) - requires 99+ Necromancy.
Life Leech = 0-30% (random amount between values) Weapon damage only to life per hit (based on the % life leech on your weapon & damage done to target) - requires 1/5 item properties on a weapon.
Curse Weapon = 50% Weapon damage only to life per hit, Duration of Curse weapon scales based on the Spirit speak skill & Needs to be recast very often. requires necromancy & spirit speak.

Imo 70% isn't enough reduction, especially if the devs insist on adding more mobs like this : Found in Covetous level 4 prison (undead cycle)


The point is, AI sure, is good at killing anything with high resists. But, even for mobs with mid level resists (50-60s) AI is still unmatched. it's not until you get to around 45>0 where other special attacks (pretty much only double strike) would be greater than AI's dps... assuming the 2nd hit on double strike never misses of course we know how that ends up.

 

[Gorbs]

Imo 70% isn't enough reduction, especially if the devs insist on adding more mobs like this : Found in Covetous level 4 prison (undead cycle)
View attachment 14655

Not that anyone cares, but how is that monster intended to be fun? What tactics am I supposed to puzzle out to defeat it? Is the answer that disco or AI is required?

Look, before we go nerfing anything let's try improving these encounters. Give the monsters special powers/properties if you want to encourage group play such that their resist against players they are attacking are ultra high, but are vulnerable to players who they are not aggro'd against. Find some other mechanic to make them challenging but not tedious.

 

[The Zog historian]

I'm assuming by Additional Damage, you mean for the additional Life leech ?

Right, I had miswritten. I, at least, would go for the life leech to last against the hard-hitting monsters that can't be killed quite as quickly.

Imo 70% isn't enough reduction, especially if the devs insist on adding more mobs like this : Found in Covetous level 4 prison (undead cycle)

The point is, AI sure, is good at killing anything with high resists. But, even for mobs with mid level resists (50-60s) AI is still unmatched. it's not until you get to around 45>0 where other special attacks (pretty much only double strike) would be greater than AI's dps... assuming the 2nd hit on double strike never misses of course we know how that ends up.

I'd never lored those on level 4. So that's why I stick to level 3!

So what are you saying, AI needs to nerfed lower than 70%?

 

[The Zog historian]

Not that anyone cares, but how is that monster intended to be fun? What tactics am I supposed to puzzle out to defeat it? Is the answer that disco or AI is required?

Look, before we go nerfing anything let's try improving these encounters. Give the monsters special powers/properties if you want to encourage group play such that their resist against players they are attacking are ultra high, but are vulnerable to players who they are not aggro'd against. Find some other mechanic to make them challenging but not tedious.

Pack instinct damage for humans, maybe not for all monsters but certain ones.

 

[Merus]

Pack instinct damage for humans, maybe not for all monsters but certain ones.

All monsters but only if you are wearing a bloody sash for wear wolf form!

 

[atinycow]

Not that anyone cares, but how is that monster intended to be fun? What tactics am I supposed to puzzle out to defeat it? Is the answer that disco or AI is required?

Look, before we go nerfing anything let's try improving these encounters. Give the monsters special powers/properties if you want to encourage group play such that their resist against players they are attacking are ultra high, but are vulnerable to players who they are not aggro'd against. Find some other mechanic to make them challenging but not tedious.

but haven't you heard? when you get to robotically chain armor ignore on a boss for 45 minutes instead of 30, then "balance" will happen and magically the game will improve. somehow.

its totally not a pvp mage whinging for dexer nerfs in the guise of pvm "balance".

 

[Obsidian]

I don't get it. Why are people now discussing an AI nerf? What benefit to the player does that produce and how does it enhance UO enjoyment?

 

[atinycow]

I don't get it. Why are people now discussing an AI nerf?

someone who's five years behind the times and has never heard of a thrower before made a thread about how sampires are the #1 gods of pvm and a bunch of jealous mages popped out of the woodwork

thankfully they just 'rebalanced' weapon specials in pub 81 so its gonna be another 3 years and 2 dev teams before anyone gets around to touching them again lol

 

[NuSair]

but haven't you heard? when you get to robotically chain armor ignore on a boss for 45 minutes instead of 30, then "balance" will happen and magically the game will improve. somehow.

its totally not a pvp mage whinging for dexer nerfs in the guise of pvm "balance".

Wraith archers/throwers can AI a lot easier/more consistent than melee characters/sampires.

 

[yars]

My disco/bard is still my all time favorite,sampire a close 2nd.instead of nerfing let's realize combat will always be situational,bring your best weapons and tactics too a fight,instead of nerfing understand the opponent,we use what we have for a reason,I use sampires for my quick and dirty work,the mechanics were put in place,people obviously enjoy it.leave it alone

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

 

[atinycow]

i wouldn't mind them diversifying melee so that it's more than just sampires, but it would require a delicate touch. other melee templates would need to be buffed, with safeguards in place to keep sampires from stacking all those buffs. it would be vastly more complicated than just "nerf armor ignore lolz" and i'm not sure this dev team has the chops to pull it off

 

[Winker]

the way forward is not to nerf any template or any special move. Nerfs only server to piss people off, and people who can no longer log in and play their fav char/template leave cause the game is no longer fun for them.

So all this talk about Nerf this and Nerf that will only result in less people playing if the Devs decide that's what the people want, when in reality its not what they want. the amount of people i have seen leave over the years due to their game style being nerfed into the ground is countless. Its one of the big reasons people stop playing.

Just be concerned about how you play the game rather than how others play.

 

[Uvtha]

Not that anyone cares, but how is that monster intended to be fun? What tactics am I supposed to puzzle out to defeat it? Is the answer that disco or AI is required?

Look, before we go nerfing anything let's try improving these encounters. Give the monsters special powers/properties if you want to encourage group play such that their resist against players they are attacking are ultra high, but are vulnerable to players who they are not aggro'd against. Find some other mechanic to make them challenging but not tedious.

Sadly I just don't see a big change to the way monsters work happening. It would be awesome of monsters requires some thought or tactics to slay but that would be quite a programming undertaking.

 

[Hannes Erich]

Reading through the thread, and I just wanted to post a small nitpick. A true old-school warrior wouldn't have chivalry or focus or anything that came along with Age of Shadows. I know this because I still have an old-old school warrior from the old days (who I decided not to change, instead creating a separate paladin character).

Swordsmanship, Parrying, anatomy, magic resist, tactics, healing; and either a secondary weapons proficiency, or something flavorful like arms lore, hiding (for sissy warriors), cooking or camping lol--and if you think I'm kidding then you've forgotten the old days!

Sometimes I think about dying my warrior's hair gray.

 

[Uvtha]

Reading through the thread, and I just wanted to post a small nitpick. A true old-school warrior wouldn't have chivalry or focus or anything that came along with Age of Shadows. I know this because I still have an old-old school warrior from the old days (who I decided not to change, instead creating a separate paladin character).

Swordsmanship, Parrying, anatomy, magic resist, tactics, healing; and either a secondary weapons proficiency, or something flavorful like arms lore, hiding (for sissy warriors), cooking or camping lol--and if you think I'm kidding then you've forgotten the old days!

Sometimes I think about dying my warrior's hair gray.

Heh... you would also have to limit armor to just + resists, and weapons to damage increase, hic, and undead slayer. Could you use bandages? Could be kinda fun to see how far you could go with a real "old school" set up.

 

[Hannes Erich]

Yeah bandages have always been around, though the graphic and mechanics have changed slightly.

As far as everything else, well hehe, that's kind of like the difference between vegetarian and vegan; I've always allowed the character to take advantage of advances in armor and weapons, so now I wonder if there's anyone more puritan than me out there? But heck, that may be the only thing that allows him to be playable in this day and age. Items make the man. I often downgrade to a lesser suit to keep PvM fun and challenging.

You know, I think if you started a new character with a classic skill build, and decked him out in the finest armor and weapons, you'd be amazed how much content you could solo right out of the gate. (I say "you" rhetorically here, for the general reader.)

P.S. By the way Uvtha your avatar and signature have amused/freaked me out for years now. What the heck is going on in those pictures? What's the story? LOL, always wondered....