Darth Hater

RE: Datacrons

Before you allow yourself to get even even angrier about the Datacron announcement, please remember this one very important fact: NO ONE IS FORCING YOU TO GO FIND THEM! These are merely incentives for players to go exploring and enjoy the vast worlds they have created. So you, as a raider, think it's stupid that you "have" to go find these datacrons that give you minor stat boosts that you ultimately do not need? Well I, as an explorer, think it's stupid that I have to go join a raid in order to get good equipment. Most games have no real incentives to go exploring out-of-the-way areas except for the enjoyment of seeing unique environments. What if raids awarded you nothing, except for a sense of accomplishment and a little XP? That would suck, wouldn't it? All this is doing is allowing players who enjoy different areas of gaming to be rewarded for it.

Ever played Fallout 3 or New Vegas? Think of them as bobble heads/snow globes. Did you have to go find them in order to be successful in the game? NO. Were they simply a bonus for players who enjoyed taking the time to explore places that the story/quests didn't bring you to? YES. That is all that that Datacrons will be in this game. No more, no less.

And that's just what BioWare intended (the part about finding all the Datacrons): you wouldn't have done it before, but now you have an incentive to go exploring the environments that the design team has created, and you're going to spend time running around in these unique and remote locations, and in the end you will be rewarded for it, and it will be awesome, and you will be happy Datacrons are in the game. Everybody wins here except for the angry people who get upset about the fact that other people can be rewarded for something that they personally don't want to do.

I think that you are missing the story on the healing aspect in most classes. Just because they heal does not mean they would be good at it. There heals may be weaker then other classes. Just because they can put a band aid on does not make them a doctor.

Lol, laughing at Sado's point that finding datacrons is not an achievement vs. the implicit comparison that doing raids are accomplishments.

In my experience, many people do raids by reading guides and following directions. So, I don't see any substantial difference between using a guide to find a datacron and using a guide to complete a raid to get a piece of gear with the required stat enhancements to be able to do the next raid. It seems to me that literacy is the key skill being exercised in both cases.

Full disclosure, I am definitely a casual raider :)

During your talk about the advanced classes, one of you (sorry, don't remember who was reading the post), talked about how the gunslinger can now turn the cone of an aoe. You guys then all started talking about how that was bran new, how no mmo had an ability that you had to aim, and it almost sounded like you guys were saying it was gamebreaking or something....

umm....cone of cold? and now light of dawn in wow. Both abilities create a cone of effect, and both abilities will turn if you turn, will move if you move, etc. Cone of cold has been in wow since launch I'm pretty sure....and I've never seen someone complaining about how terrible it is that they turned their character and the cone turned with them.

Even if you were right, that CoC and LoD don't follow your movements. The point you guys were making, was that having to aim something, was something never before seen in an MMO. CoC has been in wow since launch, and has to be aimed. i.e. just because you have a mob targeted doesn't mean CoC will hit the mob, even if the mob is in range, you have to be facing the mob (in other words, you have to aim CoC at the mob you want to hit)

Baileys irish cream, Coffee of champions.

On the podcast:
Were all of you guys drunk this week? The podcast seemed a bit more confrontational and vitriol ridden than usual. Not necessarily a bad thing at all, as sometimes I think it tends towards the fanboyish side a tiny bit too much. Just saying...

On the Datachrons:

This is sorta much ado about nothing. First, the stat category isn't known yet. It could be crafting, or space combat or the dialogue roll stat or some other 'permanent stat' that has nothing to do with raiding, thus negating the whole argument that it will be 'required' for anyone. For those that are into raiding, they already spend inordinate time farming dungeon's, faction reputation,etc... to get the best gear, this will amount to a fraction of the grind that other things will require to raid at the top end. Mark my words, it won't be a big deal at all, as those that 'need' it will have no problem getting it in order to be at the top end.

On the Class Individuality:
I'm on the fence on this one. On one hand, I think it could be negative because there will always be FOTM, meaning that one healer or tank won't be preferred anyways. Secondly, it does take away the 'heroicness' of the class if each doesn't bring something unique to the table.

On the other hand, it does allow them stealth healers, evasion tanks, ranged heals, ranged tanks, etc, so in some ways they've got much more variety within each trinity category.

Anyways, implementation will be key in this one...

The key point with Datacrons is that they are simple. Fixxed location, one time pick up, and beneficial... So, no different then most quest objectives.

They can not be farmed. So, this is a win... a thing to do... an easily consumed carrot that keeps us moving!

Am I remembering this wrong, or was there some worry about getting booted/denied due to a different class feeling your role? The fact that more classes can feel certain roles shouldn't change the fact that a certain percentage of players are going to play each role. Therefore, it would be just as hard to feel a certain role with or without the current changes.

And as for not being unique, well more options should make it possible to be more unique and feel a more unique role.

If 50% are going to play tanks, 50% are going to play tanks. Only change is that now you can experience different stories as a tank, and tanks can offer up different dialogue. Not every tank is going to have a trooper answer. Not every stealth healer is going to have an Imperial Agent answer.

I actually think that the diversity/hybridization is going to lower the need to deny certain classes from fufilling roles in Flashpoints. However, it will probly be business as usual in raids, where certain class combo's are needed for exact purposes. You are right that there will be more unique class builds as we have two AC's and 5 skill branches per class, however this also makes a system that really allows the dedicated tanks and glass cannons to shine.

Personally, I like the idea - but I think it will create more gatekeeper issues for end game, as specific spec types are going to be demanded (so it seems). By this I mean: With increased color options there is a greater chance of choosing the wrong colors.

Guess we will have to wait and see once were able to log in, but my guess is that there will be an increased push for choosing the class and not the player. Thus the need for a good guild match.

again, it sounds like people take games too serious, and I wouldn't want to play with those people anyways.