Back and catching up! Any questions?

[Nightglory]

Is the issue of druids being balanced to a single epic feat ever going to be looked at? Dragonshape seems to effect the entire class as balance is always done with it in mind. Are there any plans or ideas in changing this so people who don't take the feat aren't instantly worse off?

In addition, would any of the druid movement effecting spells (entange, vinemine, etc) be able to become at least party friendly? At current they are hard to use when in any party as it will effect allies as much as mobs. Even when solo and using summons, if they get effected there's a high chance they will try to attack the druid. It makes these spells hard to use and basically worthless, causing us to take other spells instead.

That would be nice. I also think it is important to address the fact that the only way for a druid to be strong in PvP is to be LN and take monk levels. This locks druids into a very specific archetype roleplay-wise.

Nerf dragonshape some, give druids boosts while shifted that make dipping into monk less necessary (AC or more attacks that does not stack with monk for instance), maybe boost non dragon shapes some. Some spells may need further boosts as well even if some were changed already.

[Seven Sons of Sin]

Why is this put all onto you, Irongron?

[Irongron]

Barbarian is highest priority, of the existing classes

What are you planning as far as barbarians? They're in a fairky good place right now, even if not exactly how I'd have wanted to seen them work, and have a fairly specific niche.

Ideally I don't want this thread to descend into a lengthy discussion of class balance, as we've really had a lot of that this last year, and I feel a focus on narrative, world setting and RP is more critical right now, but I'll address both this and the druid posts immediately below it.

Barbarians damage shield, has become the very core of the class, and are often deployed as heal kit fuelled death machines, where AB barely plays a role. The changes to the economy, and thus the availability of endless kits helped with that, but it is my opinion, and that of many of the team that Barbarians currently lack depth, a one trick pony that does little reflect what the class itself is supposed to represent. I can't say (as don't know) what is planned, I can only say that it is probably the class highest on our list.

Druids are really the reverse of what I said about Barbs above, they're a brilliant class thematically, and have a very distinctive set of abilities (spells, skills, shapes etc), but they're...just not as good as they should be. I agree about the whole focus on dragon shape being 'off', not only is it notoriously overpowered, but it just doesn't feel very...druidic. Their spells need work, the obvious tempation to go monk, and their role on the isle itself. Druids are a special class though, and I wouldn't want to to change it entirely. This is something that needs improvement, not replacement.

[Miaou]

Druids are really the reverse of what I said about Barbs above, they're a brilliant class thematically, and have a very distinctive set of abilities (spells, skills, shapes etc), but they're...just not as good as they should be. I agree about the whole focus on dragon shape being 'off', not only is it notoriously overpowered, but it just doesn't feel very...druidic. Their spells need work, the obvious tempation to go monk, and their role on the isle itself. Druids are a special class though, and I wouldn't want to to change it entirely. This is something that needs improvement, not replacement.

Didn't mean to make it about balance! Nor what should be done or anything. It was just issues I and others have run into and was wondering the staff's opinion on it. Thanks for answering, and welcome back!

[Irongron]

Why is this put all onto you, Irongron?

I don't really see it in those terms, really. I'm immensely proud of Arelith, and of the team behind me. Everyone involved in Arelith has different skill sets, and in that respect one of mine is communication. I enjoy connecting with the players, and managing the server. There are other admins, but they're as much there to ensure I don't make unilateral and uninformed decisions as to do this part of the job.

In addition to maintaining links to our players I also routinely connect and discuss projects with members of the team. It isn't always easy work, and is very time consuming. Partly, I suspect, I do it because not many people have the luxury of time that I do, but oversight also falters when done by many different people. I like to think I've developed individual relationships with members of the Arelith DM (DMs/Devs etc) and have fostered what I believe to be a good working atmosphere, and a positive community atmosphere. Above all that last thing is crucial, Arelith is nothing if it isn't fun, for all of us, and in my opinion it was that very atmosphere that suffered during 2014-2015, and I believe we've made considerable progress since then.

It's also worth noting that while I'm the most 'visible' member of the team, it doesn't mean that a great deal isn't being done by others behind the scenes. Be it current devs, or past admins like Mithreas, Artos and Scholar Midnight, their commitment to the future of Arelith remains very real (and I pester them regularly!)

I do think there was a noticable change while I was gone, but that's also quite natural, and probably was even more noticable due to the high level of updates immediately beforehand.

All I can really say is this; being involved with Arelith is a great privilege, and while I was offline I missed this side of the job.

[Cortex]

Any plans about settlements & the settlement system?

Any plans about upping the power of lower level gear? (Iron and steel, both armor and weaponry)

[High Primate]

Simple question: rogue-dominant builds are very underpowered relative to other build-types these days, and as such are not often played. Is a buff to rogues on the horizon?

[Durvayas]

The issue with there being no alternative to Andunor for Underdarkers is on the team's radar and it's in our plans to address that.

Can you elaborate on this?

[Irongron]

Welcome back! o/

Some time ago, I saw a suggestion somewhere...? about the Lore skill also playing a role in learning languages and improving the number of languages a person can learn, because right now the only people who can really learn languages are wizards and skill rogues. Are there any plans for something like this?

(Also, a rather biased question coming from a rather useless-feeling cleric player - the mage classes are getting a bunch of interesting things in the form of those infini-cast spells for spell focuses, are there any plans to give the divine classes something similar?)

I do prefer lore over intelligence for learning languages, but this suggestion came at the same time I was considering adding scroll use to lore. I'm not yet sure this will be possible, as I went offline soon afterwards, thanks for the reminder.

Regarding clerics, there are no plans currently.

[Cybernet21]

Any chance of having a "Plate of Holy Knight"?Basically the chainmail but as a full plate and a few debuffs(such as lowering dex bonus to 2,only 10+ level paladins can do it,etc...full explanation on suggestions box somewhere)

[Irongron]

Any plans about settlements & the settlement system?

This one would require a very lengthy answer. My feeling is that settlement leadership offers nothing concrete, ands is as much of a status/popularity symbol as anything else.

What I want to achieve is a way for other players to really judge the leader over significant decisions. For the last year two team members have been working on populating a list of 'decisions' to be made by leaders, which would show up around once every RL month. These are things like requests for charitable assistance, foreign powers and events in the city itself. These will impact many things, from tax gains, resources, merchant prices, NPC spawning and henchmen. It's a big project that requires a lot of creative writing, and I can't currently say even if it will happen, though the core scripts and a lot of writing has been completed. It would limited to Cordor at first, but I think the idea has a lot of potential.

There are other things I want to see for settlements, such as spymasters NPCs, who can provide intel on other settlements and give 'quests' to citizens with an espionage focused build, estabishing a fluctuating crime rate, and having a proper, fluctuating foreign market for resources, so that leaders can effectively gamble with the city treasury.

Any plans about upping the power of lower level gear? (Iron and steel, both armor and weaponry)

Not currently, no. I would like to have available runic slots crafted onto such low end gear, but right now no work on that has been done.

[Irongron]

Simple question: rogue-dominant builds are very underpowered relative to other build-types these days, and as such are not often played. Is a buff to rogues on the horizon?

Nope. Rogues have such a broad set of abilities that changes elsewhere often affect them indirectly. Traps are the biggest standout issue for me with rogues, as they lack utility. While I've talked about this a lot with the team in the past nothing is currently being seriously considered.

[Irongron]

Any chance of having a "Plate of Holy Knight"?Basically the chainmail but as a full plate and a few debuffs(such as lowering dex bonus to 2,only 10+ level paladins can do it,etc...full explanation on suggestions box somewhere)

I read this suggestion, and the answer is no. I may look at it again some time, but as far as I'm concerned plate already has significant benefits for any class.

[Tourmaline]

This is blurring into suggestions territory but is there any chance spell components could be looked at? Like letting wizard specialists and pure builds use fewer to promote diversity, for example, and possibly making other methods available to acquire them?

[Irongron]

The issue with there being no alternative to Andunor for Underdarkers is on the team's radar and it's in our plans to address that.

Can you elaborate on this?

I'm dead set against another UD settlement, or a proliferation of guildhouses. I really feel that's where the old UD went wrong, and the move away from that was the primary reason Andunor led to a massive renaissance for underdark roleplay.

That being said we do plan on having something basic elsewhere so that characters that have to avoid both districts and the hub have some limited options, but this will be last resort stuff, and it will be made very clear this isn't the foundation for a new settlement.

[Irongron]

This is blurring into suggestions territory but is there any chance spell components could be looked at? Like letting wizard specialists and pure builds use fewer to promote diversity, for example, and possibly making other methods available to acquire them?

Components do a lot for the economy, but can be a pain. There aren't any plans to look at them though.

[Xerah]

Lots of good comments in here, but putting on my selfish hat for a moment.

Are there any plans to look at the golems like the other summons? The transmutation spell foci are fairly bad (Stone to flesh being the only 5+ circle spell that uses a DC) and the ESF reward just saves you 3500 gold (which, I admit, will be nice).

It fits my character, so I had to take it but it just seems underwhelming.

/selfishness

Thanks for the work you guys do.

[Irongron]

Lots of good comments in here, but putting on my selfish hat for a moment.

Are there any plans to look at the golems like the other summons? The transmutation spell foci are fairly bad (Stone to flesh being the only 5+ circle spell that uses a DC) and the ESF reward just saves you 3500 gold (which, I admit, will be nice).

It fits my character, so I had to take it but it just seems underwhelming.

/selfishness

Thanks for the work you guys do.

A golem-crafting update is currently underway by our newest contributor.

[Rodent]

Are there any plans to make Arelith feel a little more interconnected with the rest of the Forgotten Realms? I recall some discussions in the regard, and I am not speaking in regards to complete maps and dungeons and whatnot, but it might be a cool thing for both DMs and Devs to run with if foreign powers (Amn already exists as a sizeable influence) press some direct influence into Arelith, and so give fodder for easy antagonists from time to time?

That turned into a bit more of a suggestion, but the question was that expeditions were planned. Are we likely to see them soon?

[Prestige]

Where do you want to see the server headed over time, relative to where it is today (big picture sorts of things: magic level, the 'feel' of the server, the narrative, that sort of thing)? Are you and the team still rolling over the concept of using haks to get there?

[Durvayas]

Is the assassin's guild going to get another look?

Unbiasedly, the guild needs a banker due to its remote locale, the shop is of dubious usefulness, and most importantly, the bounty system itself is being largely exploited to shield PCs from high bounties by lowballing with small bounties that aren't worth pursuing due to the inability for bounties to stack.

Thats to say nothing about the class itself still being frankly terrible and in dire need of help.

[triaddraykin]

Any word on the fabled Tower Update?

EDIT: Missed that it was already answered!

[Trunx]

, the bounty system itself is being largely exploited to shield PCs from high bounties by lowballing with small bounties that aren't worth pursuing

This may have happened once or twice during the existence of the Assassin's Guild, but it's far from a widespread problem. It happens rarely enough that it wouldn't be far from the truth to say it never happens.

[Durvayas]

, the bounty system itself is being largely exploited to shield PCs from high bounties by lowballing with small bounties that aren't worth pursuing

This may have happened once or twice during the existence of the Assassin's Guild, but it's far from a widespread problem. It happens rarely enough that it wouldn't be far from the truth to say it never happens.

Then I have to doubt you're playing an assassin presently, as there are several PCs with incredibly low bounties on them that they simply don't pay off because its well known nobody will ever, ever go after them with such low sums, and said sums block more substancial bounties from being placed. Altering the code to allow bounties to stack would put a stop to this immediately.

[Trunx]

, the bounty system itself is being largely exploited to shield PCs from high bounties by lowballing with small bounties that aren't worth pursuing

This may have happened once or twice during the existence of the Assassin's Guild, but it's far from a widespread problem. It happens rarely enough that it wouldn't be far from the truth to say it never happens.

Then I have to doubt you're playing an assassin presently, as there are several PCs with incredibly low bounties on them that they simply don't pay off because its well known nobody will ever, ever go after them with such low sums, and said sums block more substancial bounties from being placed. Altering the code to allow bounties to stack would put a stop to this immediately.

You may think those bounties are low, but it's quite a leap to claim they've been placed to "shield" someone. But it'd make sense for bounties to stack.