On Mon, Jan 24/00, Sylly Songsynger <jgs@...> wrote:

> From: "Sylly Songsynger" <jgs@...>
>
> This last dragon buff was done in reaction to an exploit (well, maybe it's
> an exploit or maybe it's a techique - hard to say.) And in a way that only
> Verant can achieve they have changed things so that now all groups will use
> the same technique (or exploit) that Verant was trying to
> stop/overcome/address <sheesh>
>
> It seems that Dragon Fear would not 'stick' if you had 15 (or was it more
> than 15) buff icons. Did not matter much what they were, just stack 15 buff
> icons on your screen and you were resistant to Dragon Fear. Granted some
> adventurers prolly paid dearly finding this out and perhaps they had some
> 'right' to employ this technique.

Actually I think there's more to the "exploit" (bs it's a bug) than
this. I've had dragon fear consistantly not stick to me with less than
all 15 buff spots filled as well. I've had the icon up but still been
able to cast.

>
> So, now that Dragon Fear strips buffs (cancel magic/pillage enchantment
> whatever), everyone is gonna pile on as many useless buffs as possible - 15,
> 20 whatever - exactly what the so-called exploiters were doing.
>

Doesn't help. While I disagree that the stipping is totally random (in
almost every case on me it seems to take the oldest first) The sheer
number that get stripped pretty well guarantee it isnt going to help.

> But anyhow - I'd say dont worry. In 2004, when you go for your dragon, it
> will be a different dragon than the ones fought today just as ours are
> different from the ones fought 5 months ago. We have new tactics; you will
> have new tactics. I think you will have great fun when you time comes.
>

Again I disagree. Because of the physical and software limitations of
Verant's servers and clients, they are already pushing the limits of how
many people can be involved in a dragon hunt. Eventually they are going
to push it past the number that can participate without half the people
going link dead immediately.

They also have upped the effectiveness of the AoE spells. I took pretty
well full damage this last trip with the same cold resist gear that had
me taking minimal damage the two trips I did before, just a week before
the patch (gotta love server crashes.)

As well, I don't know if anyone else noticed, but at least one of their
"emergency" patchs was because they forgot to buff Vox. We killed her
after the main patch fine (got wasted by the new, improved Nagafen) but
when we went back after the next day's "emergency" patch, she'd been
buffed up to be as evil as Nagafen was after the main patch.

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