Has Charan quit the forum?

If it were my problem to solve, This is how it would go:

1) Cut mob density by a huge amount
2) Run through the game with several (very different) builds
3) Staff meeting:

"Alright, now make this game difficult without adding monsters"

Amen brother (or sister, one can't make assumptions)

"

Antnee wrote:

If it were my problem to solve, This is how it would go:

1) Cut mob density by a huge amount
2) Run through the game with several (very different) builds
3) Staff meeting:

"Alright, now make this game difficult without adding monsters"

"How about we have a few mobs that have massive damage spikes?"

"

NeroNoah wrote:

Amen brother (or sister, one can't make assumptions)

Brother, in my case.

"

"How about we have a few mobs that have massive damage spikes?"

Since I'm now in charge of all GGG development, I will allow this difficulty workaround with one slight tweak:

"

"How about we have a few mobs that have massive (but advertised) damage spikes?"

"

Antnee wrote:

"

"How about we have a few mobs that have massive (but advertised) damage spikes?"

"I'm concerned that players will simply avoid these encounters instead of engaging with them, which may be detrimental to our immersion. How about we have some of these mobs be able to apply their DPS spikes from off-screen? That way the player has the choice to disengage, but only after the mobs have had the opportunity to attack?"

"

"

Antnee wrote:

"

"How about we have a few mobs that have massive (but advertised) damage spikes?"

"I'm concerned that players will simply avoid these encounters instead of engaging with them, which may be detrimental to our immersion. How about we have some of these mobs be able to apply their DPS spikes from off-screen? That way the player has the choice to disengage, but only after the mobs have had the opportunity to attack?"

"Hello, Nait2k4? It's Nancy from Human resources. Could you go ahead and swing by my office for a quick face-to-face? What's that? Your computer just locked, and you can't unlock it? Well, we can just call IT when you come by. Yes. Oh, just an informal chat. Yes. Immediately, yes."

I personally like the idea of mobs using spells in conjunction and adding more interaction between spells.

Something like enemies using frost wall to force you into a firestorm or something. Or if they made the oil slick that zombies and stuff drop on death ignitable dealing damage to everything.

I feel that not only that it wouldn't do well on the netcode without vast improvements (which they have shown they can make especially with the coming expansion) but also that it would difficult from a programming standpoint to create all these contingencies. Not sure though as I'm not a coder/dev so I have no idea if I'm correct with those assumpions.

Who knows.

All I know is that for quite some time, more monsters-- and on the player side, more speed-- seems to be the go-to when adding difficulty. I'm all about knocking that crutch out from under them to see what happens.

"

Antnee wrote:

"

"I'm concerned that players will simply avoid these encounters instead of engaging with them, which may be detrimental to our immersion. How about we have some of these mobs be able to apply their DPS spikes from off-screen? That way the player has the choice to disengage, but only after the mobs have had the opportunity to attack?"

"Hello, Nait2k4? It's Nancy from Human resources. Could you go ahead and swing by my office for a quick face-to-face? What's that? Your computer just locked, and you can't unlock it? Well, we can just call IT when you come by. Yes. Oh, just an informal chat. Yes. Immediately, yes."

"Yes, thank you, that is very unexpected - but I would love to accept the promotion to head of Design and Balance teams. Does it come with a parking space?"

"

"

Antnee wrote:

"

"I'm concerned that players will simply avoid these encounters instead of engaging with them, which may be detrimental to our immersion. How about we have some of these mobs be able to apply their DPS spikes from off-screen? That way the player has the choice to disengage, but only after the mobs have had the opportunity to attack?"

"Hello, Nait2k4? It's Nancy from Human resources. Could you go ahead and swing by my office for a quick face-to-face? What's that? Your computer just locked, and you can't unlock it? Well, we can just call IT when you come by. Yes. Oh, just an informal chat. Yes. Immediately, yes."

"Yes, thank you, that is very unexpected - but I would love to accept the promotion to head of Design and Balance teams. Does it come with a parking space?"

You are aweome! Gratz on the new position! You really deseve it! (am I asskissing enought to get a promotion?)