( EXPLAINED ) Frontier Lizard Swamp

[Balkoth]

The "casters" seem to have a Knockdown bolt with no save that knocks you down for at least several rounds. Given that you lose all your dodge AC (which includes boots, Haste, and Tumble)...how are people (even in a group) expected to survive this? Melee character gets knocked down and then savaged by the Death Attacks. Can't even drink a potion while knocked down to heal and there's no knockdown immunity that I've found.

Is it assumed you have a Cleric or Druid who heals the person who gets knocked down or something? Obviously that's a rather specific "group" requirement. Or is it expected people die and then get resurrected (which still sets you back about 10 mobs worth of XP each time)?

[tarashon]

Its expected to be a Group zone and nasty as BIIP as well....

/tara

[Balkoth]

So I ran into this situation again with the Flame Deeps area (Fire Spirit mobs with 42 AB and Death Attacks plus Demon Archers that have a no save Knockdown bolt). I don't see how this is ever supposed to be enjoyable or even engaging -- you're literally telling one or more people in the group "Your only job here is to get completely incapacitated with no way to prevent it, you won't actually be doing anything besides praying that your group members kill the mobs before the mobs finish your completely helpless self off."

Step 1: run into group of enemies.
Step 2: get knocked down with no way to prevent it
Step 3: go AFK for a few minutes
Step 4: find new group of enemies. Then go to Step 1.

Saying "You need at least two people to do this zone because one of those people won't actually be able to do anything at all" seems to be exceeding poor design.

[tarashon]

Well you right about the latter statement in the sense that it would be more befitting to say "you need atleast 2 people for this zone or you will die miserably".

However as you have stated elsewhere you prefere it to be so that one has a chance to escape rather than to die. Now it apears to me you have had just that chance to escape and is now calling it poor design ...

Perhaps some thing on this server is simply designed for Groups.... ( which is the whole purpose of a RP PW ... )

/tara

[Balkoth]

However as you have stated elsewhere you prefere it to be so that one has a chance to escape rather than to die. Now it apears to me you have had just that chance to escape and is now calling it poor design ...

What do you mean? In the Lizard Swamp, I got knocked down by a bolt and killed before I got up. In the Flame Deeps, I...got knocked down by a bolt and killed before I got up. Am I supposed to psychically guess which mobs have no save Knockdown bolts or?...

Perhaps some thing on this server is simply designed for Groups.... ( which is the whole purpose of a RP PW ... )

Let me put it this way: let's say you gave a boss the ability to Knockdown the first four players it saw for 5 minutes. The boss himself isn't that strong and 2 people can manage to take him on...but you need a minimum of six players because the first four can't do anything at all to the boss (because they're sitting there for 5 minutes unable to do anything).

Does that seem like a good group design to you? If not, how is that substantially different from this case?

[tarashon]

FIrst of I understood it like you actually did not die but just got knocked Down and then could leave or take the downtime and move on ( booringly slow ).

Secondly my point is that if the design intention is to make sure that only a Group of 6 people can kill a given boss then in theory placing 5 on ground and letting the sixth kill it is "good design" in the sense that it actually Works as intended. ( that the boss fight in reality is the most booring ever created for 5/6 players is then another debate ). My point is just that calling something good or bad design holds no real value until one have the full idea of what is the intentions, aims, and strategy etc etc.

/tara