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Post by Dave on May 20, 2009 22:40:43 GMT
So, it makes Hardcore harder to have the Sommerswerd? That's enough of a reason to keep it then!
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Post by jellyfish on May 20, 2009 22:51:41 GMT
So, it makes Hardcore harder to have the Sommerswerd? That's enough of a reason to keep it then! What I'm arguing for, and which nobody seems to understand, is to have it enforced one way or the other to standardize play. Either: No SS after book X Or: Always bring the SS with you and you're not allowed to lose it "accidentally" There's a well-known "hack" in book 9 where you can deliberately get your SS confiscated so you get the "easy mode" Zakhan Kimah (instead of the almost unwinnable fight with the SS) but that's a one-off case.
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Post by jellyfish on May 20, 2009 22:56:52 GMT
Actually, I'm barking up the wrong tree, game-balance issues should be taken up with JD, not seventh sense.
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Post by Dave on May 21, 2009 4:28:02 GMT
I do appreciate your feedback and suggestions, jellyfish. There's just not much that I can do to change core gameplay mechanics/balance issues. Sometimes there is, though, so don't stop suggesting things. I only ask that you be patient with my inability to deliver what you want!
for example, based on the title of this thread, it seems like you might think it fair to adjust the actual stats for some of the big bosses in Hardcore mode (which I can do). However, what do we set them to? I don't think we would ever reach any sort of consensus on what's fair stat-wise. So, we just leave it as is, even though it's still a good idea to change them.
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Post by robecoyote on May 21, 2009 9:55:36 GMT
This is a sticky problem. These fights are extremely difficult if you're playing the Lone Wolf campaign, and always have been, using the standard playstyle. Dave's hardcore playing style is designed to make the general books extremely challenging by themselves, so when it bumps heads with theese kind of fights, it makes them nearly impossible.
We do have to bear in mind though, that in the recent Mongoose re-printing of the Lone Wolf books, in many cases of the more difficult combats, Mr Dever has seen fit to rethink his original stats, and (to use a popular term), nerf some of his nastier fights (So far, Altan and Zakhan Kimah for definite). While they don't suffer a massive nerf and still remain challenging, the new stats would put them in the range of being extremely challenging for Dave's hardcore style. As the Mongoose Editions changes are now being taken as canon by Joe Dever himself, I'd say the lower CS/END scores in these books would constitute a general consensus for these difficult fights to be changed to.
The problem with this is the printing dates of the new issues. It currently seems to be a new Mongoose book every couple of months. Seventh Sense is only 5/6 books behind Mongoose release schedule (Book 11 is due in June), so Dave might catch up and pass Mongoose. Also, how to decide which fights to change the stats of? The unavoidable ones only? Or do you start changing the ones of enemies like Tagazin etc? Once you start, it's easy to begin working on changing the stats of all the fights to be in line with the new books, which could cause permission problems for PA and Dave (Though PA has permission from Mr Dever to reprint his works online, I'd assume this permission does not apply to the new editions)
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Post by jellyfish on May 21, 2009 15:08:06 GMT
Robecoyote: I wouldn't use the new books numbers. They're internally balanced, so it wouldn't make sense to just grab numbers out of them without being able to objectively calibrate them. for example, based on the title of this thread, it seems like you might think it fair to adjust the actual stats for some of the big bosses in Hardcore mode (which I can do). However, what do we set them to? I don't think we would ever reach any sort of consensus on what's fair stat-wise. So, we just leave it as is, even though it's still a good idea to change them. Oh no, I wouldn't change those stats. I don't really think combats are too hard or too easy. I was just pointing out a loophole and raising the discussion about whether or not to close it, since exploiting the loophole would make LW act in some ridiculous ways. "My Divination is tingling! I sense a boss fight coming up! Here, Banedon, take my Sommerswerd, I know it's an awesome weapon but it will inexplicably handicap me in the next fight!"
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donp
Kai Lord
Posts: 3
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Post by donp on May 22, 2009 16:14:54 GMT
Actually, I think using the Mongoose stats would be the ideal solution, IF there are no permission issues. (Don't want Dave to get in trouble.) They're sufficiently lower that it eliminates the need to "forget", "lose", or "loan" the Sommerswerd, so that it simply becomes the player's preference whether they take it or not.
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Post by kamikaze1900666 on Aug 9, 2009 11:18:42 GMT
WOW just checked the CS transfer on HC from MK to GM Picking 0 on the stat rolls:
New GM series: 25 CS BtB transfer (with all the best SIs, including Sommerswerd and weapon mastery/no psychic bonuses): 34 (note- even if you didnt pick Weaponmastery, you still get it after book 12, and with all weapons mastered) HC transfer (same, and no weaponmastery): 26 (32 against some bosses)
Kind of makes finding all the carryover SIs a much needed side-quest, doesn't it? Fortunately, the alternate Lore method does give you +14 EP to carry over, as opposed to the +8 EP from the normal bonuses.
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Post by ghanesh on Aug 15, 2009 9:52:14 GMT
It is probably better to carry Helshezag when you have it and leave sommerswerd behind, as you will be getting +5cs instead of +2 all the time. That is until you lose it in book 16
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