Hot off the EQ Vault - maybe we could get Geoffrey Zatkin - a designer..
One would thing a designer would be particuarly interested in the thoughts
and suggestions of those playing the game..
Slyde
----- Original Message -----
From: Reece, Tom - 25IDL G4 <g4mntofcr@...>
To: <eqbards@onelist.com>
Sent: Friday, August 27, 1999 4:38 PM
Subject: [eqbards] Lets invite someone from Verant to join the list
> From: "Reece, Tom - 25IDL G4" <g4mntofcr@...>
>
> Perhaps the moderator of this list can send an email to Verant and request
> that the bard programmer join this list. Include in the message that we
as
> representatives of the EQ bard community are requesting this not so much
as
GZ on Bards
Verant Game Designer Geoffrey Zatkin recently responded to an email written
by Solos Chimamire concerning spells used by the Bard class. Here's the
response accompanied by the questions: (Solos' words are in normal text,
Geoffrey's response is in italics)
Hello folks,
I've recently wrote to GZ and made some suggestions regarding bard songs,
and he is kind enough to give me a reply, here's what he said:
----
Level 40 Syvelian's Anti-Magic Aria - The name of this song suggests that it
will have some 'anti-magic' effect, so I assume perhaps interrupt casting /
dispell magic / reduce magic resistance, etc. However it does none of the
above, in fact, I have not been able to figure out what it actually does.
Got a fix going in on the next spell patch.
Level 43 Denon's Desparate Dirge - While the 275 damage is a blast, this
song often targets *grouped* PC, making it useless if you cast it on mobs
surrounded by your group member. I've done it many many times and often the
song doesn't do any damage as it targetted all the grouped PC. Also as the
name suggest, it should be used in a desparate situation, perhaps when the
bard is surrounded by mobs, pounding to death.. the type of damage (ie. AoE)
isn't really helping at that situation, as you need to run away from the
chasing mob, far enough so it won't hurt you, then sing the song and hope
that it will target them instead of PC. So a suggestion is perhaps change it
to be a PB song instead - and maybe even stun the mobs for a little while?
I have a tweek for this going in on the next spell patch as well. Tell me
what you think.
Next I would like to send in a few suggestions on songs that works, but
would be able to work better :
Level 19 Shauri`s Sonorous Clouding - This song works great - to NPC only.
The song effect is giving out bard location to any PC and make it unless in
PvP situations. It also lets you follow your party members while invis -
which do you think (honestly) is more important?
Level 27 Solon's Song of the Sirens - While I understand this song could be
powerful, yet it is still dangerous to use, as uncharmed mob will really
really get mad at you. So I wonder why it cannot share the same properties
as other charm spells, ie. determine by the magic resistance and level of
the charmer and charmee (?) to decide whether a charm is successful, instead
of putting a hard coded cap on it?
We have the hard coded cap in because while Bards are good at Charming, they
are not the masters of it. Only Enchanters are the masters of charming.
Level 44 Cassindra's Elegy - Even though this song is great that it gives
some extra INT and WIS to our caster friends, yet it is short lasting and
the extra mana given by the increase in INT/WIS doesn't help at all, so a
better usage of this song is perhaps make the effect last longer?
This was intended to be a hard song to use well. The extra Int AND Wis from
the same spell are so nice that we needed a drawback.
- How about a DD song with higher damage (lower than that of Desparate
Dirge), but cost mana as well (eg. 200 mana for 100 dmg?) - A memory blurr /
atone type song? Probably wont get the dd spell - Bards are not really DD
characters.
The memory blur one is possible - i am testing out some of the final songs -
if i don't like how they work, i may sub in a blur.
Geoffrey C.Zatkin
Arch-Mage of Norrath
Thanks Solos!