EQ Gem/Staff of Nicator.

Kross

Dunn said:

I'm #1 in Jhui's heart!!!!!!111!

Yeah like... since when in the fuck does he earring to Klendathu over me. BS. I know to kick him to steal the numb death. Klendathu will just be afk

Siduri

@Jhui is cool, even if he kills me everytime.
I think a lot of our frustration comes with the fact that raids happen like, 8+ times a day in Targossas, from both team Mhaldor and team Ashtan. Makes it really hard to get anything productive done, and it gets frustrating in the long run.

Kross

Siduri said:

@Jhui is cool, even if he kills me everytime.
I think a lot of our frustration comes with the fact that raids happen like, 8+ times a day in Targossas, from both team Mhaldor and team Ashtan. Makes it really hard to get anything productive done, and it gets frustrating in the long run.

Imagine Mhaldor - raids from Eleusis on off-peak times, raids from Ashtan equivalent, raids from Targossas.

Targossas is definitely not worse for wear

Siduri

Kross said:

Siduri said:

@Jhui is cool, even if he kills me everytime.
I think a lot of our frustration comes with the fact that raids happen like, 8+ times a day in Targossas, from both team Mhaldor and team Ashtan. Makes it really hard to get anything productive done, and it gets frustrating in the long run.

Imagine Mhaldor - raids from Eleusis on off-peak times, raids from Ashtan equivalent, raids from Targossas.

Targossas is definitely not worse for wear

Well, off peak time means less people get their administrative/daily activities disturbed. But yeah, Mhaldor has it hard too. Doesn't mean they don't get annoyed either, and that we're not allowed to feel it too.

Kinilan

Kross said:

Dunn said:

I'm #1 in Jhui's heart!!!!!!111!

Yeah like... since when in the fuck does he earring to Klendathu over me. BS. I know to kick him to steal the numb death. Klendathu will just be afk

Man at least you got a mention. I buy earrings and all I get is violtaed by Oberion so Jhui can reach over my still warm corpse to pick up a relic.

Zeon

So strange how hard people fight to make everything the same for everyone. You'd think imbalances like this would remind you how cool Achaea is in the sense that things aren't always fair or balanced. There is a very real world aspect behind most of the systems in this game, it's sad to see people fight to have that taken away.

Also players aren't immortal (even artie monks), are there so few active (non-Ashtani) combatents left that no one can put together a gank squad?

Kross

Zeon said:

So strange how hard people fight to make everything the same for everyone. You'd think imbalances like this would remind you how cool Achaea is in the sense that things aren't always fair or balanced. There is a very real world aspect behind most of the systems in this game, it's sad to see people fight to have that taken away.

Also players aren't immortal (even artie monks), are there so few active (non-Ashtani) combatents left that no one can put together a gank squad?

We have a philosophy in the military in that, the Nuggets aren't happy unless there is something to complain about.

I feel this holds true to anything. People far too often take what they already have for granted, and weigh in on how "X could be better." or "Y is overpowered."

Mishgul

That is human nature. To complain that is. I think it's part of our evolutionary thingy that we demand things to be better, and to try and do something about it with what we have. 

I have nothing against Jhui, any rage I have directed at him was generally "passion of the moment, I just died to something I wish I hadn't" rage, or trolling. He is doing what anyone else in his position would probably do.

I would say he would be less likely to complain if he was on the other end of the stick but I've seen those soulspear rants. 

You aren't nerfing my disco stick!

Daslin

Okay, people need to look at how certain things are weighted on dmgs. Is it a flat dmg reduced by resists? Or is it flat percent of pure fuck you? I can tell ya a fun way to get the relics from Jhuibb's hands. Rather simple.

Jovolo

Disrupt overlap should go.

It is otherwise amusing, earned, temporary amd most importantly dynamic. Achaea has become too close to eliminating diversity for balance, and I think overall we're standing in a pretty good place. Let's not step cppser tp that line.

Eta: You can take our freedom, but you'll never take our soulspears!!! Sartan style

Mishgul

Hail Lord Soulspear!

Mishgul

also Hail Lord Sartan!

Klendathu

Florentino said:

but jhui I try and team you but when you come into the room i almost kill you and then you numb and kai choke three of my citymates to death and then you

...
earring to klendathu...

Don't bring me into this, I don't have earrings, won't buy earrings, think they're broken. (I do have a veil though, and a lifetime membership to the @Strata‌fan club)

Kross said:

Dunn said:

I'm #1 in Jhui's heart!!!!!!111!

Yeah like... since when in the fuck does he earring to Klendathu over me. BS. I know to kick him to steal the numb death. Klendathu will just be afk bashing off plane

FTFY @Kross

Rangor

But overlapping trumpet is bad!!!!

You fkers.

Kinilan

Rangor said:

But overlapping trumpet is bad!!!!

You fkers.

Build more Korsov's you son of a bitch.

Ernam

Various IRE staff, including Tecton, have mentioned that they are ready to usher out the age of Icons, and replace them with something else.

Why?

Because Icons are top-heavy.  Adding benefits for exclusive to cities that "win", that help them to "win" more is bad for the game.  As far as I'm concerned, Relics are a perfect example of this.  As evidence, the vast majority of the time, RELIC STATUS shows a big fat list of A-team members, or just Jhui.

While I love the idea of incentivizing players to do things together, and to leave cities, etc, it shouldn't be PVP top-heavy, game-breaking mechanics that just leave the losers in the dirt with ever-lower chances in the future.

IRE really needs to find a way (or use many of the ways that have been suggested) to make the game fun for people without piling on PVP mechanic rewards to the winners.  As it stands, Ashtan has literally all of them, and has for a very, very long time.  This, of course, draws more newcomers and transfers, because of all of the vast benefits of being Ashtani (all city perks, icons, safety-from A-team, ability to use ships without being griefed, free arena, bigger playerbase, best economy/shops, and so on).  The advent of earrings doesn't help either, as once you invest in joining with the unbeatable Ashtan combat squad, the odds of you moving elsewhere drop drastically.

While being an underdog can often be its own reward, it doesn't give me a warm fuzzy seeing more and more top-heavy mechanics being added over the years.

Tharvis

Pretty sure they're considering removing icons for other reasons than that. Probably because it's an outdated combat mechanic

Austere

Don't blame ire just because Ashtan rocks.  Not their fault.  It took a lot of work, from a lot of people to get Ashtan where it is today(not me).  The fact that I have never once been approached for recruitment might not seem like a lot,  but it is.  Maybe none of the other cities like me,  but I am sure other Ashtani combatants can attest the same.   I have seen Ashtan recruit major combatants from all the major cities over the years.  Over half of our core raid party were recruits at one point.  You have to start somewhere.  All you need to do is recruit a few key people with the right mindset,  and it will feel like cooking with gasoline.


Edit: darn grammar.  Also this post is honestly not meant to be mean or make you mad (no troll).  Just an observation that could be entirely off.  I can guarantee that If you got one good Mizik or Jinsun(neither of which are stuck because of twenty pairs of earrings), the tables could turn quickly. While you might not like someone personally,  that doesn't mean they would not be big a benefit. 

Mishgul

Join Mhaldor.

Mishgul

Shutup and Join Mhaldor

Austere

Smaller organizations also have a lot to offer that large ones do not.

Ashtan frequently has too many raiders.  This is offset by people like Jhui(being nice) telling us we have too many(in proportion to raider vs defender skill level) and not inviting new people.  I know quite a few Ashtani who don't even bother trying anymore because they are not the best of the best and they get shut down often. Honestly, I was at that point until I got Jhui earrings.  Now I just earring in and start staffing until they invite. 

You also have to realize how difficult it is to get recognized for combat when you are surrounded by overly competent people.  Everyone wants to be the best,  and strives to be,  but if you are the same as 200 other people,  who is going to notice?   

Jovolo

Ernam said:

Various IRE staff, including Tecton, have mentioned that they are ready to usher out the age of Icons, and replace them with something else.

Why?

Because Icons are top-heavy.  Adding benefits for exclusive to cities that "win", that help them to "win" more is bad for the game.  As far as I'm concerned, Relics are a perfect example of this.  As evidence, the vast majority of the time, RELIC STATUS shows a big fat list of A-team members, or just Jhui.

While I love the idea of incentivizing players to do things together, and to leave cities, etc, it shouldn't be PVP top-heavy, game-breaking mechanics that just leave the losers in the dirt with ever-lower chances in the future.

IRE really needs to find a way (or use many of the ways that have been suggested) to make the game fun for people without piling on PVP mechanic rewards to the winners.  As it stands, Ashtan has literally all of them, and has for a very, very long time.  This, of course, draws more newcomers and transfers, because of all of the vast benefits of being Ashtani (all city perks, icons, safety-from A-team, ability to use ships without being griefed, free arena, bigger playerbase, best economy/shops, and so on).  The advent of earrings doesn't help either, as once you invest in joining with the unbeatable Ashtan combat squad, the odds of you moving elsewhere drop drastically.

While being an underdog can often be its own reward, it doesn't give me a warm fuzzy seeing more and more top-heavy mechanics being added over the years.

What's your source, out of curiosity?

Sena

Jovolo said:

What's your source, out of curiosity?

If you mean the admin thoughts on icon stuff, it's been posted on the forums a few times, notably here and here.

Strata

Austere said:

...

You also have to realize how difficult it is to get recognized for combat when you are surrounded by overly competent people.  Everyone wants to be the best,  and strives to be,  but if you are the same as 200 other people,  who is going to notice?   

But our friends from other cities are trying to fix that for us. They dream of a socialist Achaea where - because they whined and bitched the most to get everything "balanced" - they get to be part of "special groups" who have control over the rest of the game - where any time one of us swims against the currents, we are issued into a box of fish sticks. It is a wonderful utopian future where if you work hard, it means nothing. Where success is measured by how many of your fellow citizens you snitch on.

Austere

Strata said:

Austere said:

...

You also have to realize how difficult it is to get recognized for combat when you are surrounded by overly competent people.  Everyone wants to be the best,  and strives to be,  but if you are the same as 200 other people,  who is going to notice?   

But our friends from other cities are trying to fix that for us. They dream of a socialist Achaea where - because they whined and bitched the most to get everything "balanced" - they get to be part of "special groups" who have control over the rest of the game - where any time one of us swims against the currents, we are issued into a box of fish sticks. It is a wonderful utopian future where if you work hard, it means nothing. Where success is measured by how many of your fellow citizens you snitch on.

Shit,  seeing other combatants shrubbed makes me feel like I am one step closer to being top tier/a-team/whatever.  If you can't beat em, shrub em.

Strata

Daeir said:

...

I agree with the sentiment that IRE should look into ways of getting the "underdogs" involved in stuff without buffing them to ridiculous levels via mechanical benefits, or at least tailor some of these obtainable mechanical benefits at a faction level to activities that are centered around more than just PvP.

Says the guy who plays a faction that has two active Divine - where most of the established players are highly experienced and knowledgeable alts from other cities (even Ashtan) - has a very strong and healthy role-play environment and capable army (they raid Hashan, that's gotta count for something right?). Is the only city with devotion which means they get the most overpowered/unbalanced factional class in the game (which we won't get into since you're all in denial over it). Mhaldor has soulspear and they're cool about it. Why ya'll gotta be such needy/whiney/bitchy brats all the time?

I don't know how else to say this... Spoiled brats are spoiled.

Mishgul

Woe is us, on this terrible night, when we decided not to join Mhaldor and found only emptiness and the cold amidst that of Fire and Light. Perhaps we were wrong. Perhaps it is time to embrace the true path and become a part of something more beautiful. 




Join Mhaldor.

Anedhel

Some people up in this bitch need to read 'Stu the Cockatoo is New at the Zoo.' Y'all suck at making friends.

ETA: 'Cockatoo' is a funny fucking word.

Triak

I brought Jhui and Team Green to Ashtan.

Mhaldor, you were THIS close to getting them.  Sucks to suck.

Mishgul

At least we don't have the sexy naked siren room.