2012-11-06, 07:17 AM
Stay seated, this is a long one.
This. This completely.
The problem in GMS is not Post-BB rates, but the party play areas giving way too much EXP coupled with 2x EXP Cards AND massive 2x EXP events.
To make a comparison, Party Play areas in GMS give +50% EXP per additional member, while in JMS it's only +20% EXP. I don't know what KMS has, but the point remains that getting 200 is a lot harder in JMS than it is in GMS, even before JMS re-removed the EXP cards (which just happened). I've been playing MS and JMS for years and I still do not have a Level 200 character, and it's not from lack of play or lack of devotion, it's just plain harder. Significantly harder.
GMS made it too easy, and people take it out on Big Bang when it wasn't Big Bang's fault at all. In fact, I remember people complaining about the new rates in the OPPOSITE direction when Big Bang hit GMS. They complained that at higher levels the EXP:Req% Ratio per mob went down, not up. Big Bang didn't create this problem, yet it somehow constantly gets associated with it.
Big Bang did make 120 easier to get, hell 140 easier to get, but there's no reason people should be grinding for years and still not be 120, and still be unable to do anything in terms of bossing.
Now, on to the main topic:
How would I have it done?
1) Destroy the NX-whore benefits. Completely and utterly. Give players stuff to spend their money on that doesn't create such a massive imbalance in the game, even before AB existed. I would do this either by reducing the % bonuses (Like make it 1/2/3/4% instead of 3/6/9/12%), or simply refit Potential to one tier level if the prior doesn't do it. One tier level makes good potential obtainable to everyone, not just people who spend thousands. The potential system at its core is not a bad idea, it's just implemented with Nexon-money-sight. If they had created it without the idea of milking players for every penny they can, then it wouldn't be such a game breaking mechanic.
2) Reduce the overall damage problem. The above would help against people hitting the cap, but even before that there's the issue of bosses needing to heal 40(?) times at 2b HP a heal. That's just ridiculous. There's absolutely no excuse to have to do that. It in itself highlights a MASSIVE design flaw that needs to be fixed. While I think that Pre-BB damage was a tad too low (At least from what I remember back in the day), about mid-way would probably be decent. You would have to party at bosses and you would have to coordinate, but above all everything wouldn't be soloable and everything wouldn't be 999,999s or higher or "you suck."
3) As someone mentioned earlier, give EVERY class a role in combat. Remove the ridiculous "Bosses are strong to everything everywhere" crap that makes classes like Paladins worthless. Give classes that are on the side of defensiveness the ability to tank for your party, instead of just for yourself. Give damage dealers a reason to recruit said classes. Every class should have a role, an important role, so that picking 6 people for a small party is a challenge. Players should be asking themselves what they need other than DPS, because that's really all you need right now.
4) Improve drops. There's no reason Level 180 monsters should be dropping Level 85 gear. If that means adding 150, 160, 170, etc gear...then do it. What's the problem with having mobs your level drop gear you can actually use?
5) End-game content. Right now I find that if I ever actually hit 200, it will be the most disappointing moment in my playtime in MapleStory. What's the point? 200 is cap, but at 200 you have NOTHING to do. This is even moreso if you cannot do Cygnus due to damage issues. What's the point of fighting things that only give experience? That's all they give right now. There's no point in doing anything once you hit 200. That needs to be fixed. Level 200 Party Quests that give benefits of extra items or gear, or even skill points for special skills. Or just simply add interesting mechanics that make PQs fun to do (And no, not jump quests, those aren't fun). Hell, add a special new level or something if character progression is still required, ANYTHING. End-game is non-existent in MS.
6) Instance all bosses that do not get summoned. This includes Manon, Griffey, and Pianus. Nexon even added that awesome 1-hour cooldown instancer...yet didn't use it for any boss where it actually matters. They could have easily made a 12-hour or 24-hour version for big bosses.
7) Add more party play areas, but give them a reason to be party play outside of "LOL EXP!" Perhaps give the monsters special drops, or tokens to get special items, requiring teamwork to kill said monsters. For example you could have a monster that changes it's immunities to suit whoever is attacking it, and switching up who attacks it would be required to do anything. Such a system could be interesting and fun, if done correctly.
8) Remove the ass-a-nine crap where you can get status effects even after dodging or guarding an attack. Stun shouldn't be eternal, it shouldn't be spammable, and it shouldn't break through dodges, guards and counters. It makes no sense, and it needs to change. All status effects, even ones you yourself can cause, should have a cooldown before they can be inflicted again to prevent things like Bodyguard A's stunlock.
9) FIX THE FUUCKING BUGS. MOST OF THEM ARE NOT HARD FIXES. Bugs should NOT be around for months, especially when they are serious things like getting you hack warnings and disconnecting you during boss battles. These are things that are inexcusable, and should have put Nexon out of business years ago, but doesn't because kids will still play even if it drives them nuts in the process due to addiction or just plain boredom.
10) Edited in, I forgot about this: Quests. They need to exist, and they need to actually be something to do. It's idiotic to constantly have nothing to do except grind. Where's the fun in killing the same thing over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and ov-oh hey a level-er, and over...? It's really pretty dumb. The Gate to the Future areas had the right idea except severely lacking in quests that could get you along into the next Arc. If they couldn't think of enough quests at 160 to get you to even 161...there's clearly not enough content going into the updates. Even if the quests are simple kill quests, giving you an objective is FAR better than having none at all, even if people like to complain that kill quests are boring. Would you rather have a kill quest, or no quest at all? Kill quest please.
That's what I would do. Feel free to disagree with me, but that's what I really think should be done.
Edit: Holy crap it's a big post.
Darkstars Wrote:I don't understand why so many people want preBB rates. I for one hated how long it took to actually level preBB. My highest leveled character was level 69. It took me around 4 hours at Voodoos/Hoodoos just to get one level at 1x and that wasn't worth it. I didn't have the time to train for hours on end to get such an insignificant level gain. The preBB rates meant a lot of casual players who didn't sink entire summers into this game would never get to see fourth job skills or fight bosses.
This. This completely.
The problem in GMS is not Post-BB rates, but the party play areas giving way too much EXP coupled with 2x EXP Cards AND massive 2x EXP events.
To make a comparison, Party Play areas in GMS give +50% EXP per additional member, while in JMS it's only +20% EXP. I don't know what KMS has, but the point remains that getting 200 is a lot harder in JMS than it is in GMS, even before JMS re-removed the EXP cards (which just happened). I've been playing MS and JMS for years and I still do not have a Level 200 character, and it's not from lack of play or lack of devotion, it's just plain harder. Significantly harder.
GMS made it too easy, and people take it out on Big Bang when it wasn't Big Bang's fault at all. In fact, I remember people complaining about the new rates in the OPPOSITE direction when Big Bang hit GMS. They complained that at higher levels the EXP:Req% Ratio per mob went down, not up. Big Bang didn't create this problem, yet it somehow constantly gets associated with it.
Big Bang did make 120 easier to get, hell 140 easier to get, but there's no reason people should be grinding for years and still not be 120, and still be unable to do anything in terms of bossing.
Now, on to the main topic:
How would I have it done?
1) Destroy the NX-whore benefits. Completely and utterly. Give players stuff to spend their money on that doesn't create such a massive imbalance in the game, even before AB existed. I would do this either by reducing the % bonuses (Like make it 1/2/3/4% instead of 3/6/9/12%), or simply refit Potential to one tier level if the prior doesn't do it. One tier level makes good potential obtainable to everyone, not just people who spend thousands. The potential system at its core is not a bad idea, it's just implemented with Nexon-money-sight. If they had created it without the idea of milking players for every penny they can, then it wouldn't be such a game breaking mechanic.
2) Reduce the overall damage problem. The above would help against people hitting the cap, but even before that there's the issue of bosses needing to heal 40(?) times at 2b HP a heal. That's just ridiculous. There's absolutely no excuse to have to do that. It in itself highlights a MASSIVE design flaw that needs to be fixed. While I think that Pre-BB damage was a tad too low (At least from what I remember back in the day), about mid-way would probably be decent. You would have to party at bosses and you would have to coordinate, but above all everything wouldn't be soloable and everything wouldn't be 999,999s or higher or "you suck."
3) As someone mentioned earlier, give EVERY class a role in combat. Remove the ridiculous "Bosses are strong to everything everywhere" crap that makes classes like Paladins worthless. Give classes that are on the side of defensiveness the ability to tank for your party, instead of just for yourself. Give damage dealers a reason to recruit said classes. Every class should have a role, an important role, so that picking 6 people for a small party is a challenge. Players should be asking themselves what they need other than DPS, because that's really all you need right now.
4) Improve drops. There's no reason Level 180 monsters should be dropping Level 85 gear. If that means adding 150, 160, 170, etc gear...then do it. What's the problem with having mobs your level drop gear you can actually use?
5) End-game content. Right now I find that if I ever actually hit 200, it will be the most disappointing moment in my playtime in MapleStory. What's the point? 200 is cap, but at 200 you have NOTHING to do. This is even moreso if you cannot do Cygnus due to damage issues. What's the point of fighting things that only give experience? That's all they give right now. There's no point in doing anything once you hit 200. That needs to be fixed. Level 200 Party Quests that give benefits of extra items or gear, or even skill points for special skills. Or just simply add interesting mechanics that make PQs fun to do (And no, not jump quests, those aren't fun). Hell, add a special new level or something if character progression is still required, ANYTHING. End-game is non-existent in MS.
6) Instance all bosses that do not get summoned. This includes Manon, Griffey, and Pianus. Nexon even added that awesome 1-hour cooldown instancer...yet didn't use it for any boss where it actually matters. They could have easily made a 12-hour or 24-hour version for big bosses.
7) Add more party play areas, but give them a reason to be party play outside of "LOL EXP!" Perhaps give the monsters special drops, or tokens to get special items, requiring teamwork to kill said monsters. For example you could have a monster that changes it's immunities to suit whoever is attacking it, and switching up who attacks it would be required to do anything. Such a system could be interesting and fun, if done correctly.
8) Remove the ass-a-nine crap where you can get status effects even after dodging or guarding an attack. Stun shouldn't be eternal, it shouldn't be spammable, and it shouldn't break through dodges, guards and counters. It makes no sense, and it needs to change. All status effects, even ones you yourself can cause, should have a cooldown before they can be inflicted again to prevent things like Bodyguard A's stunlock.
9) FIX THE FUUCKING BUGS. MOST OF THEM ARE NOT HARD FIXES. Bugs should NOT be around for months, especially when they are serious things like getting you hack warnings and disconnecting you during boss battles. These are things that are inexcusable, and should have put Nexon out of business years ago, but doesn't because kids will still play even if it drives them nuts in the process due to addiction or just plain boredom.
10) Edited in, I forgot about this: Quests. They need to exist, and they need to actually be something to do. It's idiotic to constantly have nothing to do except grind. Where's the fun in killing the same thing over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and ov-oh hey a level-er, and over...? It's really pretty dumb. The Gate to the Future areas had the right idea except severely lacking in quests that could get you along into the next Arc. If they couldn't think of enough quests at 160 to get you to even 161...there's clearly not enough content going into the updates. Even if the quests are simple kill quests, giving you an objective is FAR better than having none at all, even if people like to complain that kill quests are boring. Would you rather have a kill quest, or no quest at all? Kill quest please.
That's what I would do. Feel free to disagree with me, but that's what I really think should be done.
Edit: Holy crap it's a big post.