Petition Against Upcoming Changes in AAs (PvE)

[LunaticAsylumLA]

The real problem here is the barrier to entry. You simply can't go and do most of the 6 mans that ppl are doing if you dont have the required spells. Resolve, Steadfast faith, etc

People are getting to 80 and then parking their toons, not because they cant do dmg, but because they dont have the AAs required to join their friends in 6 mans. This is the problem.

People have never encountered the problem of "getting to 80 and then parking their toon". Even as a tank, there is always action to progress with. AAs while levelling are not needed: they change little or nothing (I know that because I am usually levelling characters in 6-8 months, and I accumulate 2-4 full AA bars with quests and PvP), and I try to do low-level instances with and without them several times.
Going as an offtank to certain hard modes in crafted culture gear has not been a problem either. DPS and healer classes have even less problems with that. Rogues can go as simple DPS.
All people who levelled to 80 around me with a class they like have always found action and progressed VERY fast.

I just fail to see any problem with AAs here.

P.S. I have just found an interesting off-topic discourse about MMOs in general:
http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cf.../338967/page/1

[Mellaus]

I'll have to agree with LA here, i leveled a pom and a bs recently, and you can definitely do anything in game, lack of AA don't block you in any way, mainly because you can just say to the group leader you don't have SF or TW or whatever, and the group is set accordingly.

Plus, there are not that many instances where AA feats are really mandatory to complete the HM.

[lonetac]

I'll have to agree with LA here, i leveled a pom and a bs recently, and you can definitely do anything in game, lack of AA don't block you in any way, mainly because you can just say to the group leader you don't have SF or TW or whatever, and the group is set accordingly.

Plus, there are not that many instances where AA feats are really mandatory to complete the HM.

There are certain dungeons in khitai that require people to have the skill to remove debuffs. Its an AA skill. Unless they revamped those dungeons to not need this that is the only example i can think of that requires it.

[LunaticAsylumLA]

Not all dungeons need Steadfast Faith, and you can always go as an extra healer.

[freneticfangs]

The main problem with AAs is in PvP, not PvE.

PvE crowd = likes grinding stats/gear

PvP crowd = likes player skill

AA accumulation via PvE is FINE. I don't think it should be messed with.

What should be focused on is how to help PvPers catch up with both AAs and gear. It shouldn't matter AS MUCH as it unfortunately does in determining a match.

[-tomhet-]

The main problem with AAs is in PvP, not PvE.

PvE crowd = likes grinding stats/gear

PvP crowd = likes player skill

AA accumulation via PvE is FINE. I don't think it should be messed with.

What should be focused on is how to help PvPers catch up with both AAs and gear. It shouldn't matter AS MUCH as it unfortunately does in determining a match.

not just that
prowess gain isnt equal to mastery
i can spend whole evening doing minigames and not ding once while it takes a kk run to ding in mastery

[Khidem]

The main problem with AAs is in PvP, not PvE.

PvE crowd = likes grinding stats/gear

PvP crowd = likes player skill

AA accumulation via PvE is FINE. I don't think it should be messed with.

What should be focused on is how to help PvPers catch up with both AAs and gear. It shouldn't matter AS MUCH as it unfortunately does in determining a match.

I can appreciate that! The problem is for FC to come up with a way to even the match for pvpers while not screwing with progression for pvers not quite sure how they can do that either will be interesting to see.

[oletoss]

I think its a good idea. I fail to see the problem with it. Anything that will help new players sounds like a fantastic idea.

[LunaticAsylumLA]

PvE crowd = likes grinding stats/gear

PvP crowd = likes player skill
.

There is also a breed of both who love PvE and PvP for gradual progression and hard-earned gear. You cannot exclude us! The problem is that one cannot satisfy everyone and any change will make one side even less satisfied.

I think its a good idea. I fail to see the problem with it. Anything that will help new players sounds like a fantastic idea.

Yes, you are right. A new player gets help from veterans, overcoming hard challenge with time and effort, and studying his class or classes, not from forced rewards or being coerced to progress faster though. Hence, the topic exists.
With culture gear bought while levelling and almost no AAs (people gain some AAs while levelling), a new player can overcome basically all classic dungeons at 80, tiers up to T3.5 and a lot of HM groups with good tips and learning aptitude (easy with healers and DPS, harder with tanks, as we know). Besides raiding starts at level 75-76, and when a person gets to level 80, he already may have a lot of T1 pieces. Slower or normal progression helps to make the progression curve smooth and shiny - there is no need to rush and get full T4 sets next month or next winter, - skewed and faster progression will create even more clueless people in high-tier raids and even groups.

Of course, there is another thing that some people do not wish to learn or put their effort into doing something, but luckily they have other games and other game directors for that.

[Deathsader]

I think its a good idea. I fail to see the problem with it. Anything that will help new players sounds like a fantastic idea.

The problem comes when you make the game to easy, that the people who are playing now decide to just up and leave. Funcom has to look at it from the perspective that it already has a player base currently in place. These are the people who have stuck it out, and who play with the current system in place. If they decide to make it easier, and dumb down the game for the sake of attracting new players. They run the risk of not only not attracting new players, but losing a lot of veteran players as well. I know that the main reason I like AoC is that it's not a game anyone can just come in and dominate on. The AA tree is part of that, you need to invest more then a week into your character. And you can continue to work on your character long after it's fully geared. If they were to ever turn this game into a 100% gear grind, and make it so there is no benefit to playing your fully geared toons, I think I'd probably be bored enough with the game to simply quit playing. At least the AA tree gives me a reason to continue playing the toons I love. Like my DT has an almost full AA tree. As a result, it's a character that I will only bring into raids, since why play it? I get absolutely nothing out of playing it. So I spend all my time on my HoX, who has all the gear, but has an AA tree that still needs work on.