Despite what people seem to think at times, Verant has three years of 25 or so
people having worked on this game. Somewhere there is a Master Design
Document that is probably around 1,000 pages long. If you believe that
decisions like player binding weren't discussed for litterally hundreds of
man-hours you're sorely mistaken and have no idea how much effort and time has
gone into this game.
NPCs will never be given the ability to bind. This would kill "Binding for
donations at gates", and the sale of binds. Verant does not want to do this
(In fact in the Policies and Procedures manual for Guides it forbids Guides
from binding players because it would 'damage the economy of players selling
binds'). NPCs binding would lower caster's value to the non-casters in
Norrath and eliminate a point of player interaction, Verant doesn't want that
either. I've got a 14th level Enchanter and I bind for free all the time even
though I could use the cash. Why? Because I like that feeling I get when
some 10th level player say "Hey, thanks a lot!!" when I turn down his 2gp that
he's trying to donate. NPCs binding would eliminate that four thousands of
players.
Bind anywhere? Never happen. In fact, I think the casters are probably lucky
to have gotten that ability, as it's potentially quite unbalancing when
fighting uber-mobs like dragons. "Yeah, I lost a level dying 14 times while
fighting Vox, but I would just spawn, mem my spells and nuke until I got
killed." This is precicely why Ressurection effects have been made so
horrendous. Probably casters being able to bind anywhere was to offset how
fragile they are should the group get overrun by mobs. The casters are the
least likely to make it to the zone alive in a bad situation.
Also, there absolutely HAS to be a serious penalty for dying; it's a very
important part of the game. Many people make the "game fun" or the "I can
only play two hours a week" argument, but when you consider the impact that
binding anywhere would have on group dynamics and strategy, you quickly see
that it works best the way that it is. Verant has decided that getting to
your corpse, in addition to the experience lost is what that penalty is. When
there is a penalty for dying you coordinate your actions and fight with more
strategy. Verant (and I) want this VERY much. Conversely, if there were
little or no penalty for dying, sloppy unbalanced groups would just go into a
place like Mistmoore with little or no regard of how the zone works. They'd
just pull the castle and beat on stuff until everything was dead with the
minor annoyance of having to loot their corpses. I wouldn't be addicted to
that game.
I have never had the problems that you describe getting a bind. Getting bound
in Erudin can be tough, as that continent is currently underutilized. There
are only two types out there now. Newbie Erudite players that are trying to
get up to level 4 or 6 or so before going to Qeynos where the real action is,
and higher level Druid types running out to Kerra Isle for a questing reason
that I won't disclose here. However, since nothing is really going on out
there I never really need a bind out there. Paineel is due to open in the
next few weeks. It is a higher level zone built off of Tox Forrest. Erudin
is likely to get a lot busier soon, and when it does Kerra Isle will also
probably start being used for its intended purpose (a teens level zone)
instead of just having 6 high level druids in it. I would personally never
sit for two hours waiting for a bind. I'd continue to solicit binds if people
didn't show up within five or ten minutes. 11pm Mountain? I routinely play
until 3am Central and I never have problems getting binds in the major cities.
Jason A. Farqu´┐¢
CDI at
http://www.pigging.com/
----- Original Message -----
From: Kimes, Dean W. <Dean_Kimes@...>
To: <eqbards@onelist.com>
Sent: Thursday, September 30, 1999 12:06 PM
Subject: RE: [eqbards] Hey this sounded interesting..
> From: "Kimes, Dean W." <Dean_Kimes@...>
>
> Actually I am more sick of hearing we won't get bind. You are right it
> won't happen until people start leaving EQ in droves because they are either
> A, a melee class that is sick of running to their bodies on Kunark from
> Freeport, or B, they are a caster who is sick of constantly dying because
> all the tanks have either quit or are an hour away in Freeport because the
> lizard race is evil and they can't bind there. Verant needs to realize that
> bind is not a class balance issue it is a game fun issue. I frankly
> wouldn't care if we got bind if either everyone could be bound everywhere by
> a caster, and or there were npc's to bind you in cities.
>
> I have quit playing 5 times in the last 2 weeks because I found myself in a
> city waiting for over an hour trying to get bound. Adventuring on faydwyr
> while bound in Freeport is pointless, as is adventuring on erud while bound
> in Qeynos. I have never been able to get bound on Erud unless I brought my
> own binder with me. I have sat in Kaladim for 2 hours waiting to get bound
> after having been sent tells by three different casters in Butcherblock
> saying hold on they would come bind me. None of them showed and they are
> all on my ignore list now.
>
> The only 3 places I have been able to bind in regularly are Freeport,
> Qeynos, and Rivervale and even in those places its nigh on impossible after
> 11pm mst. I hae been bound in Halas for over a week without being able to
> get a bind after trying in Kaladim, Freeport and Rivervale. last nite,
> after 13 hours of play over the last week I was able to get bound in
> Rivervale. For those of us who can't play in prime time and don't have a
> regular group that gets online together on a consistent basis, binding is
> currently a ridiculous situation.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Greg Gillan [mailto:GGillan@...]
> Sent: Thursday, September 30, 1999 10:28 AM
> To: 'eqbards@onelist.com'
> Subject: RE: [eqbards] Hey this sounded interesting..
>
>
> From: Greg Gillan <GGillan@...>
>
> We are not getting bind. We will never get bind and we have less need for
> bind than any other class, considering the rate at which we run.
> Talies, please KABONG this before this whole arguement starts up yet again.
> I think most people are sick of hearing it by now
>
>
> Elwyn Heartstring
> Level 44 Bard
> Erollisi Marr
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Lange, Stephen [mailto:SLANGE@...]
> Sent: Thursday, September 30, 1999 12:21 PM
> To: Eqbards (E-mail)
> Subject: [eqbards] Hey this sounded interesting..
>
>
> From: "Lange, Stephen" <SLANGE@...>
>
> This is a posting that was on alt.games.everquest that I think is
> logical and something that may be considered for a petition.
> Let me know what you think.
>
>
> This is a suggestion for a bardic form of Bind Affinity. Bards are amongst
> Norath's primary travellers, so it seems a little odd that, somewhere
> amongst the song set, there is no bind song.
>
> In an effort to avoid the "Give us bind" syndrome, I have applied some
> thought. If you are already thinking "No way, bind for casters only", please
> read on - you might actually be pleasantly surprised.
>
> The great Songmistress Alenia discovered a song, sung by a bard in South
> Karana, which strangely and uniquely affected her. She aquired the
> instructions for the singing of the song, and returned with it to Freeport,
> thinking nothing further of it until her arrival.
>
> During her travel, she was accosted by a creature which, when she came to
> loot it, produced a lump of ore. She placed this in her backpack, and
> continued to freeport.
>
> The following morning, she dug out her notes, and decided to rehearse this
> new song, before bringing it before her guildmaster for review. As she sang,
> she noticed that the strange sensation she had experienced previously was
> lacking, infact, she was most of the way through the song before that
> sensation returned. Then the unexpected happened.
>
> The lump of ore, which she had not yet sold, began to resonate with the
> chords and notes. Her mind was filled with a passion for the rocks and
> stones, the earth and grass that had been hewn, cut, shaped and grown into
> the town of Freeport. Her soul filled with a passion for Freeport, and she
> realised she had bonded with Freeport.
>
> Feeling suddenly drained, she ceased the song and sat. She had discovered
> it! She recognised the drained sensation from tales her mother had told her,
> and with a clap of joy she cried out "Mana!".
>
> --- The practical explanation ---
>
> Bard's Bind would have a lengthy casting time instead of the usual "3.0".
> And it would use mana, and a component (a piece of ore, or maybe some other
> item which would fuel a bit of economy).
>
> The mana would be, say, 200 units. However; bard's bind would ALSO be a
> group effect, requiring, say, 100 or 150 units of mana per extra person
> bound. During the bind, each of the targets must be seated.
>
> That means: Bard sings bind, 1 member of party (within radius) is not
> sitting for the entire casting duration, bind fails.
>
> If the bard is grouped with, say, 4 people, he would need 200 + 4 x 100 =
> 600 units of mana.
>
> The numbers might need juggling so that a bard can bind a full party of 6 by
> level 30.
>
> I would suggest that the song be implemented as level 20 or 21, and that the
> songs be shuffled so that it effectively replaces the level 14 song (the
> cataloging libretto).
>
> Implementing level 21 makes most sense, since you could then move Melanie's
> Melifluous motion down to level 14.
>
> I don't, however, think that we bards should get bind early (e.g. level 14).
> I think prior to that point, making sure you can get bound is a good
> encouragement for people to learn to *play* their character *as* a bard, to
> socialise and such.
>
> Kayfess,
> 34th Bard of Bertoxxulous,
> Servant of Bristlebane
>
> ------------------------
> My Comments:
>
> Wow, I have to say that you really did think that out. I like the fact that
> you have couples the song with mana and with a reagent. I go back and forth
> with the group based bind. One one hand, it would provide the melee classes
> with a way to avoid a 5 zone run back to their body, on the other hand it
> would probally cause an influx of people playing bards just to get that
> ability. On the plus side, the bard would be even more important to a
> group. I think by giving this abilitiy later in life, at say 21 as you say
> is a great idea. Its far enough in that the casual player wont play for 21
> levels if they really dont like it. But not too far that its out of the
> range of the committed bard.
>
> One addendum to that idea of yours, would be to put a singing restriction on
> the bard bind similar or greater to the paladin lay of hands.
>
> If a restriction like that was put on it, I would have NO problem with it
> being group based bind. In addition you might make getting the song be a
> hard involved quest that someone who is 21 could do solo, but would take a
> lot of time.
>
> So, to summarize:
>
> Song: Bardic Binding Bellow
> Level: 21
> Casting Req's: Mana, 200 (Self) + 100 Per group member, 800 Mana for full
> group + Reagent (Enchanted electrum or something like that),
> ore, etc. Possibly make a Zone Specific Reagent
>
> Stipulations: Can only be sung once per day, similar to Lay of Hands
> Acquired: By multi-part quest, forcing the bard to travel to many zones
> (thus preventing us from becoming Bind whores)
> Possible addendum to this.. make two spells.. the first being
> a Self-Only Bind that is bought at a merchant. Still
> would use reagents, but would not have a casting restriction.
>
> The Second Bind spell would be a Quest. It would be group
> bind, but would difficult AND have a casting delay built in
> like lay of Hands, etc. If you did it this way, you could
> even make the delay greater, say 2 days. This would enable
> the
> bard to be able to self-bind at any time, but only group bind
> on a limited basis.
>
> I think this is an excellent idea.
>
> >
>