What Did Greater Dragons do for you?

[Lord Sir Scott]

I was wondering what people thought of the introduction of these Greater Dragons that now spawn in the places Regular Dragons Spawn...
"Examplesid Greater Dragons Make your Day as a tamer? Did it ruin your animal sales? Ect Ect Ect"
I Know PVP has been effected But i would like to hear from the Rest of the Skill Set too...IE Tamer,tailors, mages, pvm ect...
Thank you for Reading and responding to my message and i hope we have a good disscusion about them...

 

[Karthcove]

So far I've tamed 22 GDs and sold or gave away all but 2. They are great against low spawn areas with big prey but because you as the tamer have to walk everywhere (which I think is a pretty good trade off actually) things can and do get pretty hairy. All in all, I love the addition.

If memory serves me correctly regular dragons used to have close to the same amount of hit points before they were nerfed, resists are lower and they don't have the bleed attack but were similar. Didn't mind the nerf of drags and mares as much as I hated the nerf of my little blue beetle!!! They were great when they had the 300 hps

 

[uo addict]

One of my favorite characters has been totally nerfed. I used to have fun with my bard lockpicker in Destard. He was able to gather a lot of hides for my tailor and sometimes got decent loot from the dragons (including the best ring I have ever seen). He could send the hides back with a bag of sending - also nerfed. I no longer play this character except to pick the whisp chests from the rift.

I bet the combination of greater dragons in Destard and the bag of sending nerf has had huge implications for the supply of colored hides. Did the developers think about this? You wonder whether they really understand the implications of what they do (e.g. sacred journey destroying the Scribe profession). More discussion with the user base of proposed changes could probably help a lot, but they only did this for a short time before reverting to the fait-accomplis style.

On the other hand, my tamer loves his new pet!

 

[imported_Sarphus]

I think the greater dragon was a pretty nice addition both as pvm content and as a tameable critter. I love fel destard now, because it is finally about as dangerous as it was in early UO. I don't hunt there all the time or anything, but I have fun when I do.

 

[Guest]

They caused me to die.

 

[imported_Sip-n-Shine]

Cost me gold an gives me death robes

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

They caused me to die.

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL, yeah, the bugger I met one hit killed me last night. My first run in with them. They may not be fun to play, "Hug the Dragon" with as their lesser breathen have been in the past...la

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

I bet the combination of greater dragons in Destard and the bag of sending nerf has had huge implications for the supply of colored hides.

[/ QUOTE ]

At least they can be gotten when tried for. Mining is a crap shoot.

 

[Masumatek]

Despite more overpowered pets being introduced in SE and ML, I still thought there was hope that tamers would be nerfed in PvP, as they are wayyyyyyy too powerful. When I heard about greater dragons however, I finally realized the devs truly don't care about PvP or balance in this game. That's what greater dragons did for me....they made me lose hope that there will ever be balance.

 

[Guest]

Nothing.
I dont have a tamer.

Wait. They helped me in moonglow. People would sick their drags on stuff and Id fight with less risk of dying.

 

[legs]

very simple -- keeps me out of that dungeon now. i am not the most tlented player, but after eons i managed to survive and make a few sheckles in despise.....

those days are gone..... couldn't they have put those darned dragons down a level or two?????

 

[Guest]

My wife and I quit hunting in Destard because of them, was the only place she really had fun in. Ruin my barbed leather hunting/selling, Before I could farm leather with the WW and mare, now cannot, specially when facing two supers or more. So we quit going to Destard, and have gone to hunting our gold else where. Mostly in Tokuno islands these days. At least there our pets can take on monsters and have a chance of winning.

Its funny, the only charactor I have that has enjoy the super is my T hunter. being able to kill an entire spawn on a Level 5 maps with one pet has been fun, and no healing or help from me. And on a Level 6, I still do as before with the first spawning, hide, run and lure one at a time, but now my super can stand toe to toe with a AW, as long as I am vetting, and win.

The other tamers we have, all still use the more NORMAL pets, just have not found a reason to have supers with them and the places they hunt. I wish the Supers only spawned in one location in Destard, in a far back NEW caven, much like the other cavens you have in the first level of Destard. Then we folks that like to hunt the normal dragons and drakes could return to Destard and fun.

 

[pallas]

Personally I like them and would love to see ALL monsters get a buff (though probably not to greater dragon levels). I mean, wouldn't it be cool to see monsters like harpies, trolls and even orcs viewed as a real threat as opposed to just a small nuisance?

I play a lot solo, btw, but the risk of fighting something can be fun. Also, if you buffed creatures it would make resource gathering more of a 'big deal' than just 'ho hum'.

 

[imported_Tina Small]

Drakelord, for a week or two after the greater dragons were introduced, I thought that was the end of my regular trips to Destard to tame dragons for gains and to get leather, scales, and gold.

Well, I was wrong.

I go almost every day now to Destard on several shards with my peace tamers (riding nightmares) and run around and tame a regular dragon and then kill serpents, drakes, wyverns, and other regular dragons. After I've exhausted all of that spawn in a particular area, I take my freshly tamed and now slightly used dragon to the zoo and donate it. Then I go back to Destard and repeat the whole process a few more times. I've actually found that I'm spending MORE time in Destard hunting than I was right before the change. I really enjoy the challenge of trying to cull a regular dragon from a crowd of thug greater dragons and do what I want with it.

I suspect someone with peacemaking and herding skill might also be having a heck of a good time doing the same sort of thing.

Occasionally if I see a greater dragon hanging out all by itself and no other spawn seems to be popping up there, I'll even go get my hiryu and go back and see if I can use it to kill the greater dragon. It's a bit of a challenge and I go through a ton of bandages, but it's doable as long as other spawn doesn't get out of hand.

 

[Guest]

I have one (A very nice one) but I hate them. Its such a pain in my ass to gather leather now, even with my new mega draggie. And I never thought tamers needed anything stronger than a cu myself.

 

[Guest]

I like them as pets, it's good to have a dragon that's stronger than that silly cu sidhe puppy. They're fun to fight with and I enjoy taming them. Haven't done much hunting outside event spawn, but they are clearly very capable pets.

Destard has become dangerous again, returning dragons to a higher level of PvM difficulty which is good. It adds challenge to collecting barbed leather which seems fair enough.

They've given a lot of laughs at the crying about tamers in PvP and inadvertently led to the pet ball fix and pet AI fix. Pity they didn't arrive years ago

There are still PvPers complaining about the greaters, but considering many PvPers despise tamers, I'm inclined to take some "documented evidence" of their power with a few pinches of salt. I don't deny that there could still be a problem, I just know we've had some very silly "factual" tales here.

Wenchy

 

[Guest]

If they made the animal form spell take one pet slot, so you couldn't use it with greater dragons, tamers would be fairly balanced pvp-wise.

 

[Masumatek]

<blockquote><hr>

If they made the animal form spell take one pet slot, so you couldn't use it with greater dragons, tamers would be fairly balanced pvp-wise.

[/ QUOTE ]

They could make animal form take 5 pet slots so you couldn't use it with any pets at all and tamers would still be overpowered in PvP....

 

[Guest]

why?

I only wanted animal form to take one slot, so they can't jet away as soon as the battle goes against them. If they are on foot and you are mounted, you should win. *hint* try to bring a discorder next time you fight a tamer. I got a disco fencer and it's great fun to kill peoples dragons.

 

[eolsunder1]

what ive seen.

Greater dragons stopped people from hunting dragons in the dungeon. Used to be alot of people in there, now, really only tamers. Went in at peak hours the past few days..zippo.

Greater dragons have replaced everything as "tank" of choice. Used now for peerless, doom, etc. And why not, more hps, harder to kill, better damage. why not. They took Ancient wyrms out of the game long ago because they were too strong (when they origionally could be tamed) . Now we have the exact same things, cept named greater dragons. Guess not too strong now huh.

So, basically greater dragons are tamer tanks, nothing more. You don't really hunt them, they interfere with regular dragon hunting. A worthless addition to the game in my eyes. In every way.

 

[Masumatek]

<blockquote><hr>

why?

I only wanted animal form to take one slot, so they can't jet away as soon as the battle goes against them. If they are on foot and you are mounted, you should win. *hint* try to bring a discorder next time you fight a tamer. I got a disco fencer and it's great fun to kill peoples dragons.

[/ QUOTE ]


....

OF COURSE you should kill the tamer if you "bring a discorder." But, guess what? Very few PvPers are discorders. And why should they be? Pets don't even belong in PvP. You have to severely weaken your template against everyone else in order to fight ONE, extremely overpowered class. *Hint* I want to be able to compete with PvPers that aren't tamers, not just tamers (if you can even call tamers PvPers). True if a tamer is in foot and you've gimped your template against everyone else by getting peace and music, yes you should win. But when you don't have those skills, a good PvP tamer has the advantage...a big one. You won't be able to kill a good PvP tamer one on one without those skills. It's not even a fight. PvPing against tamers is more about surviving and getting the heck out of there than it is about fighting and trying to defeat them.

 

[imported_trammelite]

greater dragons are GREAT, hence the name !! i love these critters and i am really havin a blast with my tamer now.
i will enjoy it until the nerf that will come for sure, because every time people have fun with a new introduced feature/critter/weapon some people try to get it nerfed with the "pvp-is-unbalanced-now" nerfstick. and to my surprise, over and over again, they always have some dev's listening to their complaints !!
for the leather farmers out there: dont you agree, that the "normal" dragons where way to easy ??

 

[Surgeries]

<blockquote><hr>

I go almost every day now to Destard on several shards with my peace tamers (riding nightmares) and run around and tame a regular dragon and then kill serpents, drakes, wyverns, and other regular dragons. After I've exhausted all of that spawn in a particular area, I take my freshly tamed and now slightly used dragon to the zoo and donate it. Then I go back to Destard and repeat the whole process a few more times. I've actually found that I'm spending MORE time in Destard hunting than I was right before the change. I really enjoy the challenge of trying to cull a regular dragon from a crowd of thug greater dragons and do what I want with it. I suspect someone with peacemaking and herding skill might also be having a heck of a good time doing the same sort of thing.
<blockquote><hr>



I love to see people find a solution to a seemingly insurmountable, and debilitating challenge.

Nicely done, Tina.

My wife and I team up on our archers, and go in and own the place. It is very hairy at times, but we have learned to use some different techniques, which we really enjoy. It keeps deaths to a minimum, whilst allowing her to collect the hides she needs, for her Hide &amp; Bone Vendor, and being paid rather handsomely, for our troubles, I must say.

Again, Tina...it is very refreshing to see the "I Can!" attitude you have displayed, in solving this!!

Way To Go!!

 

[imported_Tina Small]

I have been having a good time in Destard, deaths and all. On some shards, the dungeon is virtually deserted and on others it is still fairly well populated. Tonight I actually saw someone provoke two greater dragons on each other. I bet the guy who did it was grinning from ear to ear when he got it to work. I know I would have been.

 

[Stigmatas]

I love them. They took a old style pet, something as great as a dragon, and made it useful again. Much nicer than some silly giant bug. I like the cu's, but I'd have preferred giant sabre tooth cats

I've long thought that tamers were always the easiest template to play. And this made it that much easier. But, I won't complain, or cry nerf.....because they're dragons

The fact you gotta be on foot somewhat balances things. Now if we could get them to add in sheaths for dexxer's weapons, and customizable pets and crafting, we'd be set.

 

[imported_Hanna]

Destard stay prety much desolate now, except for when tammers come in to tame them, they wanted stronger dragons they got them at the exspense of other game play. Meleers can forget even walking into destard. Mages better go in twos or threes or have hiding and stealth. It's isnt fun in there, just another lets make it group play only area.

Between the resource changes, necro fc5 spell casting monters (yeah I know that old - I quit because of it before - their fix, give everybody everything - so there is no more reason to pvm), and bags of sending changes, now it takes hours to gather enough leather to fill bods, no point to bods anymore.

This game is not a great experience anymore, it's just work. I am tired of pvp balance being such a focus that they completely destroy any reason to pvm. A lot of people like pvm and crafting, I will expect more people to quit from pvm, they probably lost the majority of pvmers already. I personally know at least 2 more leaving because of what they've done to pvm.

I really hope that someday UO becomes something worth playing again for those that don't like pvp, but i don't see that happening in the near future.

 

[Guest]

I enjoy hunting with my greater, he allows me to hunt stuff I couldn't before, such as paragon balrons, though for lesser enemies I still prefer the mobility of having a mount myself.

Taming them, I don't use 'honor' and enjoy the challenge they present using other methods. I peace tame and it can take me an hour to get a successful peace matched up with a successful tame. Keeps me on my toes.

Gathering barbed leather I don't have a problem with, I can get all I need and get it home. I gave the matter some careful thought and reached a solution.

 

[JoyousGard]

Greater Dragons complete me. I'm a competitor. A valued member of the team. Thanks to DRAGONS!!

In a few months they probably won't even be that dominating what with the big changes and all.

 

[imported_Tina Small]

Hanna, you can still kill stuff in Destard. You just have to be careful.

If you're going in Destard with a dexxer or an archer, SLOW DOWN. Move a little more cautiously and pay attention to what's ahead of and around you. If you're after a regular dragon to play with, when you spot one, back up a little bit and see if you can get it to follow you to a more secluded place. Learn the fine art of luring the prey you really want away from the crowd. Or (and I don't recommend doing this if there are others around) learn how to lure the greater dragons a little bit further away.

 

[imported_wrekognize]

Anyone who has a advanced character token can now be overpowered. I've been playing a tamer for over four and a half years, and I was excited at first to see that Dragons, who were not valued by players, were once again going to have their place. Now, all you see is people on foot running around like they're God.

...

 

[Connor_Graham]

"Meleers can forget even walking into destard."

Strange that my meleer can handle the GD's just fine. It's just a matter of timing.


"I am tired of pvp balance being such a focus that they completely destroy any reason to pvm."

I don't know about "completely destroying", but it sure does mess up a lot of the game mechanics in PvM.


"I really hope that someday UO becomes something worth playing again for those that don't like pvp"

This sounds more defeatist than anything. PvM is far from gone.

 

[Shelleybean]

The greater dragons have prevented me from hunting in Destard. Is that what the devs wanted to happen?

 

[midiguru]

Took up another of my busting at the seams stable slots....

 

[Guest]

Greater Dragons have given me another (and much needed) taming challenge.

Any tamers (as in tamers who actively tame stuff) who tell you they are bored, have yet to tame the Terra Keep/Ophid Lair Dragon. Taming it amid the ophids is but half the battle. Getting it out alive is the challenge.

Madness, indeed, but wicked fun.

 

[imported_lord richard]

Ok, here goes. I used to love to go to Illsh once an old friend showed my where a good spot was to hunt dragons. I started going there with my tamer and WW, then the disappearing pet bug took my WW. My archer was born and raised there hunting dragons and drakes. On occasion I would go there with my paladin, but they did hit hard, and it hurt. I continued going there with my archer. Hides and gold, some of the better non-arty items were flowing into my houses and banks, but then the paragon invasion....my God, they were un beatable in paragon form without alot of help, and even then, they were very hard...I stopped going there forever, never to hunt a dragon in illsh again. I did return to Destard, it was crowded, but with my fast lil etheral mount I was able to down the dragons on 3 or four hits and continue my hunts. Fast forward to the last dragon "upgrade" I walk in with my Best paladin, who could go toe to toe with any dragon and was killed in 2 hits....I walked out, was ressed, got my stuff together, and never returned. Thank you UO for screwing up my dragon hunting.
Some day when I'm bored with IDOC hunting or this ongoing scenerio, I may take the time to relearn the technique to kill the beastie, but until then, my characters will no longer wear the LORD title in their names.......*tear drops on keyboard*

 

[Guest]

Long before Ilsh was a destination I took on a dragon with my swordswoman. But this is in the days when dragons were strong, and to be feared.

With trembling hands I tackled the beast, they were known to be able to totally wipe out groups of 3 or 4 warriors.

I did it with jousting, and healing, and TR pots and lots and lots of bandages. Remember bandaging back then took 12 seconds!

Toe to toe with a dragon was a foolhardy venture doomed to failure. Jousting one was an adrenaline pumping experience.

These new, greater, dragons restore the dragon to its rightful place as a beast to be feared. Can you not joust them, as I did, in the past?

 

[imported_Hanna]

<blockquote><hr>

Hanna, you can still kill stuff in Destard. You just have to be careful.

If you're going in Destard with a dexxer or an archer, SLOW DOWN. Move a little more cautiously and pay attention to what's ahead of and around you. If you're after a regular dragon to play with, when you spot one, back up a little bit and see if you can get it to follow you to a more secluded place. Learn the fine art of luring the prey you really want away from the crowd. Or (and I don't recommend doing this if there are others around) learn how to lure the greater dragons a little bit further away.

[/ QUOTE ]Yes, I can on my stealth mage, which is kind of ironic as my mage could hardly touch a dragon for years. But aside from that my promary reason to hunt in destard was for leather.

I hate taming, I rarely play my tamer never intend on getting a greater dragon. I don't think they needed to provide tammers with yet anther super powered killing machine.

...
Connor my point on pvp focus ruining pvm, has much more to do with everyone who thinks they have to have every perfect amor piece and the perfect weapon to play, than greater dragons. Basicly, the devs gave in and give everyone everything. By the time you started they had ruined much of pvm already.

I didn't mind spending years building up suits, or finding the right weapons, was a reason to play. I do mind that everything it out there 2-3 times over per player. I understand that pvp was a game of who had the most cash. But I don't think the devs handled it correctly.

And I do mind that they have driven so many pvmers from the game. Every day there are fewer and fewer players, it's just depressing to run around the lands of UO now and see so so many gone.

 

[Connor_Graham]

"By the time you started they had ruined much of pvm already."

What do you mean by this? There isn't a monter in game outside of the Peerless that I can't take solo, and I'm working on the Peerless now. It takes quite a bit of effort, more than a little skill, and some time, but even the Greater Dragons can be taken down, and done so much easier than say a Paragon Balron. I've been tied up with the event or I'd already have gone to Ilsh and popped a Paragon version of the new Dragon. That's on my list of things to do once the event is over.

 

[imported_Hanna]

<blockquote><hr>

..."By the time you started they had ruined much of pvm already."

What do you mean by this? There isn't a monter in game outside of the Peerless that I can't take solo, and I'm working on the Peerless now. ...

[/ QUOTE ]It has nothing to do with you being able to personnally solo whaterver. I could probably solo most things too, but whats the point. I don't want to solo peerless, I don't want to solo pargon balarons or anything like that.

By the time you started they already doubled gold drops, souped up loot drops, practically doubled gm damage increase. The shortly after added ML, and a slew of overpowered items for months with the heartwood quests. Not to mention that the swoop was dropping better things than darkfathers and so many minors it became a joke.

I believe they had already added necro to monsters before you started, nerfed mage casting to 2/6 added fc5 to monsters that also seem to be able to stack spells that no mage can stack. I wouldn't have minded the casting nerf, if they hadn't made the monsters even faster at casting. Necromancy has too many overpowerd spells, even worse than the overpowered mage curse spell. So what do they do - speed up necro casting making the monsters worse. How many people bother with lich lords in ilsh anymore. Used to be the were always 3-5 people fighting them.

Making the game more of a job than a game (mainly crafting &amp; bags of sending) while at the same time handing everything out like candy is not the way to keep players.

 

[Karthcove]

<blockquote><hr>

I've been tied up with the event or I'd already have gone to Ilsh and popped a Paragon version of the new Dragon. That's on my list of things to do once the event is over.

[/ QUOTE ]

That would be fun to watch! I lored a paragon GD, 6800+hp, Str - I think was about 2000, 160 magery, 145 wrestling, 142 tactics - wish i'da wrote them down - at 6800+ hp I would think one fire breath and your toast, and not the lightly browned toast good with jam.