Skills in shops as of 2.0 [community feedback]

[Samuel]

Bonjour,

The team have been discussing the possibility of potentially having all skills available in shops at a high price dependent on the level and use of the skill.

Having skills in shops is apparently quiet common in many mmo's but as I have only ever played Mir as an mmo (mostly years ago at that), I am in two minds on whether or not this would be welcomed or not.

I didn't want to make another drastic decision without first gathering some metrics to base it upon (so here we are)...

Pros:
- Skills have been reported as being to rare and unrealistic to achieve in a given time frame.
- Players would rely more on skill of the game rather than advantage of skill(s).
- Each class would have access to his or her tools to be able to pvp/hunt at full potential.
- Potentially eradicate some balance issues.
- Provides incentive to level.

Cons:
- Skills have been reported as fine and achievable.
- Potentially introduce some balance issues.
- Not in line with Mir's traditional grind factor.
- Potential increase of bots to gather gold to buy skills.

My opinion:
It goes against traditional Mir's grind factor(s), yes, however, if I was a player I could/would potentially want this, I could focus on grinding items/hunts to gather gold to access the skills that would ultimately unlock enjoyment of the game.

We are introducing new skills as of 2.0, some of which I can custom coded myself and it would be nice to have them be used and tested.

With the above being said, I can foresee a switch in balance (ie wizards no longer moaning, but another class doing so), as well as a potential increase in botters to farm gold to buy the skills (although we have an active campaign against bots).

I would really like the gather the thoughts of the community, is this something you may want to see or is this unrealistic idea?

Bare in mind that the skills would also be obtainable via drops and that the prices of certain books are likely to be very high.

Thoughts?

Sam

 

[Tashohnie]

No, keep them as a rare drop. Mir is unique because you actually have to work for stuff rather than welfare epics most games offer. I like skills being rare. Someone has a skill I don't and it has annoyed me so I'm not hunting more than ever in hope of the skill dropping.

**** if you're going to put them in the shop why not put them in for GS also?

 

[xxjamesxx]

Yes, we should spend our time to gain levels not searching for skill books

 

[Kinneas]

I've voted yes and I think the pros outweigh the cons.
Yes, doing this would probably introduce more balance issues but this is going to happen anyway. With every class having access to every skill, you can at least get a better understanding of how this balance can be redressed. One or two players who have FlameField doesn't really help you in knowing if it is a balanced skill.

I'm not one for destroying the "grindiness" of mir either and I think people are still quite happy to kill x hundred bosses for that one bit of good kit, but the availability (or lack thereof) of skills just alters the game too drastically. You have already had to make compromises in this area by allowing MagicShield to drop to make wizards actually have a chance at staying alive, for example.

This will even the playing field and allow class balance to be looked at properly. Kit will still play a part in battles but it the focus will be more on the skill of the player and how they use the skills available to their class.

I can see this being a pretty polarising poll, mind...

 

[Toddwhite]

Yes / no is a silly poll. There needs to be a middle ground. adding upto level 40 skills is fine, anything above that should be hunted.

 

[WildGirl]

My dream is to see all skills being availible to everyone given they lvled enough to use them. The equipment that makes those skills shine should be very rare to obtain and craftable gems will ruin the concept also.

What is the point in playing a server where you hear theres the x skill that u will never obtain ?! because the drop rates are so damn low. Also if the skils are made less more rare would be the same thing as put them in shops since they will be obtained by everyone in few weeks anyways.

Maybe make some good quests to obtain the good skills, would be more entertaining.

 

[RandomGKL]

Voted yes, but I don't think ALL skills should be in the shops. Maybe keep 1 skill per class not in shops as a rare book to give people something to hunt for. Also I wouldnt add the new 2.0 skill books to shops until a much later patch if appropriate, in which case you can replace the rare skill drop with one of the new ones and put the older less valuable skill into the shop.

Most of the skills now should be in shop already but arent because the npc's dont stock books you sell to them, which forces people to use TM to sell them which artificially raises the costs of even common books due to the fee's involved.

 

[Jamie]

I vote 100% Yes.

- Potentially eradicate some balance issues.
- Potentially introduce some balance issues.
These points counter each other so shouldn't be taken into your decision.

- Skills have been reported as fine and achievable.
I feel this is incorrect, skills have only been obtainable to the extreme minority.

- Not in line with Mir's traditional grind factor.
Whilst grinding is the main part of mir, its was really about Kit/Levels that made it.

- Potential increase of bots to gather gold to buy skills
I can't see there being more bots but I can see gold being worth more.

 

[Wallnut]

Yes, all skills should be in the shops. The game should be about skill, not who RNG's the first 2/3 super rare books.

It wouldn't detract from the grindiness as exp per level is still euro after 44, it would however significantly add to the fun factor, especially for those who have never been able to play with the super rare skills before.

Also would make me actually want to play the game again as currently there's no point doing anything because the drop rates suck so much. People cry about not wanting too much good kit to drop but this is a private server, it's meant to be fun, people are meant to be able to actually get the kit/skills they could never get on euro.

 

[OoOoOo24]

Agreed, I like this idea. I'd say the only reason people wouldn't want this is because it goes against what euro mir was and they're just trying to hold on to that nostalgia by wanting it to be as similar as possible. Plus most people don't have the time to play mir that much to save 100 mill to buy a flamefield book or whatever.

 

[boothy]

Maybe add all skills up to level 40-41 into shops, I wouldn't like to see books like FF/Curse in there tbh.. but whatever I guess it depends on what the majority want.

 

[Shane/Banshee]

I agree a 100% its logic to me. If your going to put loads of effort into coding new skills surely you would want people to have them.

so what rates we looking at. 15mil for FF? 15mil for rage? Or are you thinking 1 and 2 mil per book. That will be your next issue pricing the books

 

[Tashohnie]

If you're going to put them in the shop do one of two things...

Add them as GS only purchases so that people can buy them and sell them in game.
Add them as GS also, I'd rather you got paid money for something I could buy with gold than paying someone who is botting money for gold.

 

[Sanity]

I would rerole Wizard if it ever happened.

 

[Raider]

I voted no but I am not 100% against the idea if it was done correctly, however I doubt that it could be implemented in such a way. The main reasons I voted no are the following,

- People have already spent MANY hours hunting rare skills for it only to be taken away from them within the blink of an eye, I don't have FF or Mirroring yet but there are people in game who do and should be rightly annoyed at such a change.

- The idea promotes laziness, people not wanting to put the work into their character, hiding behind the ruse of ''I don't have the time to play''. And for those that legitimately don't have the time are never going to reach the levels to make the skills worthwhile anyway.

- Just one less reason to hunt, skills as you pointed out are a traditionally dropped from mobs as it has always been a part of Mir. A very fun part I might add, I get more joy out of finding a rare skill rather than a rare item of equal tier, for example I would rather find FF over a Dragon Staff.

- PvP balance would be an absolute nightmare as already pointed out.

Those are my main reasons that came to mind on the spot. I don't see why you can't just add the skills into normal mob drops from ZT/ PB/ Foxes/ LostShip/ Frozen/ Jinchon/ Orcs/ Vipers at a rare rate but spread them out so they don't all drop in the same area. Eventually people will start getting books and over time the prices drop and filter into shop books, just like a lot of the skills already have.

/Xele

 

[Surreal]

As people have said, up to level 40 skills, fine, anything higher, definitely not. If you put skills like Flame Field as a shop item you'll ruin the server very, VERY quickly.

 

[Jest]

I voted no. However I would agree to have all skills up to level 40 in the shop.

 

[Jamie]

Everyone is assuming the books will be cheap,

If they cost 5 Mil then people still have to work for it, but they will have a steady progress towards it.

 

[ceredween]

im voted yes but not overprized too pls
im already near 43 cant get skills becaus im not lucky and in cm all isway overprize...

 

[ventus]

Voted no, takes books out of excitement of drops. I like it "old school", just not 1/500000.