Not to quibble, but I said "many RP servers", not "not most old servers". This isn't semantics. I was variously on staff at no less than three PW/RP category servers in the early years, where we had these conversations. I can only speak for my experience, in which balance was always the concern...especially when it came to PvP. Moreover, the game is flat broken at lvl 40, where certain classes can amass the potential to practically completely negate other classes (e.g. lvl 40 epic monk SR potential). Compared to these concerns, slapping in some OP monster content we never considered too difficult a challenge. I also acknowledged that the expansion raised the level cap, which actually supports my point. Neither DnD nor NwN, as originally conceived, were designed for levels 21-40.Peppermint wrote:Most old servers weren't capped at level 20 because it was "better balanced". Most old servers were capped at level 20 because that was the level cap. Epic levels weren't added until HotU, and by then, it was difficult for many servers to simply raise the cap; they just didn't have the high level content to support it.]).
This is a somewhat shocking statement, with building implications the Arelith staff should soon decide.Peppermint wrote:Multiclassing is frequent in 3.X D&D. It's an absolute necessity if you want to be optimal.
I think the real question is: Is pure-classing worthy of balancing? Obviously, I would say yes to this question...and the spate of 28+ perks seem to point this direction.
In the context of a 30 lvl server, Arelith has already decided it doesn't want to encourage certain unsavory builds (e.g. 28 Sorc/1 Pal/1 Monk). Yet, should our general idea of a Wizard be a 26 Wiz 4 Bard with a disc/tumbl dump and ESF:Disc (who can also likely sneak up on tower wardens at will)? I hope the answer to this second question is a resounding "no".
Though I've said this several times already, I think the staff has already hit on an elegant solution which allows current optimization to continue, but incentivizes pure-classing.
Let wizards be wizards I say.