Last minute discussion on raid balance

[Zapatos]

Before rogean's 1/1/1 plan goes in and the raid scene opens up, I'd like to push a few talking points really quickly. This is to go hand in hand with any raid agreement.

This post is to address the 'other side of the coin' of raiding.The basic rules, variance, etc. I'm posting this solely as an individual, not representing any guild or w/e. My thoughts are my own.

Anyways, I'll just push this out here.

Topics for the GMs
EXTENDED VARIANCE: Was to prevent FTE petitions on late window mobs. No longer relevant with FTE shouts. Takes away the opportunity for casual guilds to join/attempt mobs at the end of their window and lowers the overall amount of boss pops. edit: should probably get rid of ext variance.

VARIANCE: A necessary evil to discourage poopsocking and this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HAEq1F0kX8) every raid pop. It also allows for a diverse raid crowd and exciting game where a raid can happen anytime. However, longer variance artificially raises the raid entry level and burns out small guilds before they can try a mob. edit: should greatly reduce variance imo

MULTI-QUESTING: The lord Brad hath spoken (http://www.project1999.com/forums/showthread.php?t=130261&highlight=brad). Kill it. MQing hurts the game by encouraging guilds/players to monopolize epic drops for plat sales instead of just letting others have a chance or simply sharing. In turn those MQ sales (http://www.project1999.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81892) fund items/gear that help winning guilds win even more.

Topics for the Players
STALLING: Really it was a Sirken mistake(sorry!) to ever allow it as a strategy, considering it's in the rules (http://www.project1999.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14667) not to do it. Players just need to stop. No "allowed 1 unit of stall" nonsense.

POOPSOCKING(real definition): Having an active raid force sitting on a spawn. It sucks, but it allows guilds to compete with brute force instead of tracking/mobilization. It helps casuals as Taken has used it to their benefit. Biggest con is autofire (http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-keyboards-keypads/razer-orbweaver). Also, FE and BDA used to team up to share loot during late window trak poopsocks. It should probably stay in.

POOPSOCKING(casual definition): Camping forces out at spawns. Racing from zone in to boss spawn would cause vastly more petitions from training and the stronger guilds would just win by mobilizing faster anyways. Also prevents people from actually playing their mains. Really only a raid-scene problem when guilds can do this at multiple spawns. A Solution might be a player agreement to only focus on one mob at a time (un-enforceable). ex) PD and trak are in window, tmo/fe/ib should choose between camping at vp or at trak, not both.

FTE SNIPING/FiF: Pulling a mob from a force who's obviously right there and ready to engage. At the same time, I've seen Taken sitting in a cleared hate alone with maestro for 10 minutes and not engaging before being sniped by FE. Debatable topic and was discussed throughly before working pretty well here. (http://www.eqmac.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4465&hilit=first+in+force+rules) A solution would be requiring a kill force (define) present in zone before FTE-ing or else call it stalling.

[Origin]

My name is Origin and I support this post.

[Redstars]

If you're not in BDA you pretty much have no say at all on what mobs you or your guild will be getting. Even though they werent the ones with the mobs in the first place. Generally when you fix something you dont go to the people who cant change it. dont give a poor man a 5 $ bill do you? no you go buy him a meal.

[Anichek]

If you're not in BDA you pretty much have no say at all on what mobs you or your guild will be getting.

Couldn't be farther from the truth.

[Frieza_Prexus]

The purpose of extended windows, however, is to discourage socking. If you can predict when a window closes with absolutely certainty, it'll be yet another click/autofire-fest. The extended windows make the variance better at its intended purpose.

Additionally, now that tier 2 guilds are being provided protected spawns and will likely have rotations, the extended variance does not harm them while it prevents the necessary sock fests that the hardcores will experience should a window close.

Multi-questing should be disabled; I agree.

[radditsu]

+-4hours variance

[Vyal]

Once again your all making these threads about ideas and whatever else but in the end if there is a huge variance all your grand ideas will = nothing & soon enough you will be right back in the exact same position you started at 2 years ago with one single guild getting all the kills.

+/- 8 hours should be the max on variance, fix the variance and solve all your problems.
BTW +/- 4 is even better.....

You will still find people from guilds like TMO defending variance for the simple fact they understand odds are a guild will give up pack in and call it a day with a huge variance leaving them to clean up whatever mobs.

[Clark]

Odd example. I've been to nearly every Maestro and don't remember that situation? In fact we've called off mobilizations multiple times before in similar Maestro spawns to not disrespect other guilds. Not sure what kind of pictute you're trying to paint Zapatos; Mr. guy I passed on druid epic piece for who left guild soon after.

[Zapatos]

I was among the first group of epic druids on the server, so you must be thinking of someone else.