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DAoC: the return of buffbots

Submitted by Abalieno on August 31, 2006 - 12:54.

This game is so dead.

On the forums people are complaining because it is now pretty obvious that noone is left on DAoC after Warhammer, the expansion and everything else. And I don't mean the players. Apparently there isn't anyone anymore working on the game beside all those guys they hired from QA and CS that are now probably rolling their thumbs and stare blankly. Or have VERY BAD ideas.

The pace of development is spiraling down at a much faster pace than the subscribers count.

The last test patch segment arrives after more than two weeks and only contains some database changes. These changes have an impact on the gameplay, but quite "cheap" to implement. As if the designers are trying hard to impress the players more than trying to seriously make a better game.

At a first glance you could say that the new changes are good. All the buffs will now last (WoW-like) from half to a full hour. So less annoyances for the players.

But you see, DAoC isn't designed as WoW (where there isn't a "buffbot" class that casts nearly all the buffs in the game) and you cannot port those kind of features like that without breaking the game. If the timers are shorter THERE IS a reason. In fact this applies even to the resists buffs, which have a *significant* impact on the gameplay if you can specialize a toon completely on them, with then the possibility to cast the buff on just EVERYONE (since the resists buffs don't use the concentration pool).

And yeah. This means buffbots EVEN on the classic servers.

Why? Because the resists buffs, again, aren't concentration based. And the range limit on buffs on the classic servers works only on concentration based buffs.

P.S.
And the minotaur model was shown on the test server as well. And, ugh, it's not so good.

Standard troll model with a different head plugged in. No tail, no hoof. Probably no dedicated animations either.

Complete lack of style whatsoever, and the hair are ridiculous. Mythic is getting lazier than ever. Shadowbane isn't my idea of good art, but at least they gave it a more beast-like feel and not just a standard body with a super-deformed head taken out of a Disney's movie.

Mid and Hib versions are even uglier due to bad colors/light used.

P.P.S.
Haha. Best quote from FoH:

I saw that minotaur this morning. It was on the front of my cup of Brown Cow brand Yogurt.

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Re: DAoC: the return of buffbots

Meddyck (not verified) on August 31, 2006 - 17:55.

Um. Do you even play DAOC? You know what happens when resist buffs drop when your group is running around? You stop for 10 seconds and recast them. All this change does is remove the annoyance of having to recast resists and other timered buffs that often use up a ton of power every 10-20 minutes. That's a good and welcome change and has absolutely nothing to do with buffbots.

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Re: DAoC: the return of buffbots

Innsmouth on August 31, 2006 - 23:31.

You stop for 10 seconds and recast them.

If a cleric spacializes on resist buffs, he cannot specialize healing.

If you have resist buffs at the maximum level for half an hour through a buffbot, people will do that.

You know what a buffbot is? A support/advantage external to the group.

If the buff only lasts 10 minutes then it's too annoying to go back at a keep to rebuff every time. But if the buff lasts for 30 minutes things change a lot, in particular when you can have a friar and a cleric give you max resists.

So that "annoyance" was there so that the players actually brought along an active player who has resist buffs.

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Re: DAoC: the return of buffbots

Ketzup on September 1, 2006 - 04:11.

The game is going down the tubes... I think they should try some unconventional things out. Instead of hour long buffs like WoW why not buffs that last for days?

When ever a player meets one of the presumably rare players who specialized in buffing... you remember them for quite some time and there is no need for the annoying recasting buffs time sink. Those rare players also feel special too.

--
With the no hooves concept on the minotaurs though... how exactly would the boot models look on hooves and what not? To give them hooves they would need a bunch of new models for the feet armor which is a lot of work and without which the players would probably cry when they put on some new shiny boots and the graphic doesn't change.

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Re: DAoC: the return of buffbots

AmberN on September 1, 2006 - 15:52.

The minotaur model is so very uninspiring. You're right, it looks like the standard troll body, with a cow head copy and pasted on. In Mythic's defense, I suppose there's not a lot of you can do with a half-man/half-bull, but this one is very sub-par. Especially considering the interesting races they've offered in the past.

No tail, no hoof. Probably no dedicated animations either.

I think minotaurs are only bull from the chest up. Not sure I've ever seen a minotaur with hooves. (to head off the inevitable counter-argument: WoW Taurens are Taurens, not minotaurs)

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Re: DAoC: the return of buffbots

Innsmouth on September 1, 2006 - 16:20.

I don't know. I was expecting them to be at least more mean-looking.

That one seems really out of place.

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Re: DAoC: the return of buffbots

AmberN on September 1, 2006 - 18:49.

Agreed. The model looks like half cow. Nothing intimidating at all.

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Re: DAoC: the return of buffbots

Lightelos on September 1, 2006 - 17:29.

why everything in DAoC disturb you? you talk too much about mythic destroying their game, etc. but i really think that only people like you that say foolinesh about a single patch is scaring people of returning to the game. i have 2 years without play daoc due to goverment laws applied to the credits cards in my country (Venezuela). i was about to return with my friends thanks that we can activate or cc's now. when i started to read your blog, i just get doubts about returning to the game. from my personal experience in daoc in old times. i just can say this :

* daoc classic was boring.
* daoc SI was a lot of wasted space.
* daoc TOA (this is my personal opinion: i found it great! lot of work to do, hard battles, volcanus area was just beautiful, it was something diferent, who cares if it dont follow medival or camelot history at all) i think it was fresh. Items where too overpowered? YES but i spend all my nights getting artifacts so whats the deal? , is not my fault the imposibility from others to get them. :)
* daoc catacombs (never played it , only at freeshards and the zones are almost empty.
* daoc darkess rising ( personally i think it should be a free expansion due to the low content of the expansion and they did a mistake no adding new content vs seals at DF.

since i read your blog, started to hate this game. if u dont like how the game developers try to made us happy just leave to another game my friend. we have wow, gw, swg, l2, and many many others :) , u write in this blog like everyone hate this game, u are wrong!

i know u are trying to do that mythic reacts and changes some things. but what is done is done. this is a game with 5 years old is normal that the community wants to try another game in fact games like evequest suffer from the same, why dont u try to attract more players instead of do critics and critics and more critics?

thanx god i still having friends inside this game and made me see the thing with another perpective.

hope u can understand and sorry for my bad english.

pd: minotaurs looks gay imo. but well... nothing to cry about.

I see your Eyes... I see your lies...

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Re: DAoC: the return of buffbots

Innsmouth on September 1, 2006 - 18:12.

I'm pretty sure I don't affect many people's purchases :)

And surely it's not the reason why I write.

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Re: DAoC: the return of buffbots

Lightelos on September 1, 2006 - 18:18.

I see your Eyes... I see your lies...

sorry that was msg was for the original poster of DAoC return of buffbots :)

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Re: DAoC: the return of buffbots

AmberN on September 1, 2006 - 18:53.

Lightelos,

It's a true fan of the game who criticizes it. You may disagree with Abalieno, but look how much time and thought he put into his criticisms. If he hated the game, he'd just say DAoC sucks and, like you said, move on to another game. How does it help the game to just move on to another game? If everyone did as you say, then the developers would have absolutely no feedback, and no clue as to why people keep leaving their game. I'm not saying Mythic should listen to every single thing Abalieno says, but at least someone is airing their concerns for the game. This can only be a good thing, and Mythic should be happy that there are still people who are concerned for their game.

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Re: DAoC: the return of buffbots

Lightelos on September 1, 2006 - 19:03.

well u are right :)

a friend lend me a account a few mins ago. i was impressed how my perception of the game changes... is not what it used to be.

theres a way to stop daoc to fall in the abyss more deeper?

is sad i used to love this game and still loving it :S

im sorry boys :)

I see your Eyes... I see your lies...

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Re: DAoC: the return of buffbots

Big Lou (not verified) on April 4, 2008 - 00:43.

this game totally sucks now, imo they have the worse customer service, period. 2 to 3 days to do so dumb patch, csr's that tell you whatever and have a good day when ever you report a problem or bug. I wounder if these retards at mythic need help getting their shoe's on in the morning before coming to work no less working on a game this complex, and yes I am a player and have played for several years and am finally done, and as for warhammer, I'm not going to waste my money or time!

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