Some variance ideas
 

Clearly variance isn't classic. But it was added in an attempt to sort out problems in the raid scene. General consensus is that it is more of a pain in the ass than it's worth, but I guess there's still debate there.

Why not retain but change how variance is implemented so its original intention is fulfilled?

Some examples:

-Create a check that determines when all variance flagged raid mobs are dead. Set a condition that once the last one is dead, to start a repop timer that all mobs sharing the same spawn time (say the 1 week ones) will share. Use variance to randomly pick when the mobs will repop and have them all repop at once (you could add a check that all the mobs need to be dead within x hours for this to actually occur, in the extremely unlikely case that mobs stay alive for an extended period of time).

-Shorten variance so mob spawns are more likely to overlap while still being random.

There's tons more ways this could be addressed, but there are some basic ideas to start.

Simulated. Patch. Days.

Preferably that aren't ninjad onto the server after an unannounced, 2-pm-on-a-wednesday downtime.

I don't think theres any debate, as far as the playerbase is concerned. I've never heard of anyone, even the top guilds, support variance. Though they may still get the majority of mobs it just makes them sit around for days waiting for it, it didnt really solve anything other than only allowing the hardest of the hardcore to compete.

I guess its better than not, if the server knew when trak was going to spawn instead of 2 guilds sitting at location for 2 days wed have 6 or 7 guilds flood the zone 1 hour before pop and it would be a worse shit show.

But at least guilds outside of the top 2 would have some sort of chane to fte

[QUOTE=But at least guilds outside of the top 2 would have some sort of chane to fte[/QUOTE]

Yeah, with 12 people showing up. And half of them level 46. Sounds like a plan. :o I guess what I am saying if there was a better solution it would probably be in place by now. Lots of talk about the problem on the forums. But most want great loot with hardly any effort or work involved. That ain't happening. Go play WoW if you want that.

I've never heard any player in support of the variance, not even those it helps get targets over others.

no idea what your talking about..12 half naked level 46's, who said anything about being handed loot and not wanting to work for it?
Variance isn't classic and should never have even existed.

Variance is the lesser evil. I still can't figure out why this is so hard to understand. I guess if you intentionally grow a beard out of your neck fat then you probably aren't great at seeing things from other perspectives.

OP is right that any solution would have to be a partial one that includes variance, but the real answer is the addition of Velious raid targets.

This is the best solution. Problem is it requires Rogean to do it, and I'm not sure hes available anymore. It seems he is very busy IRL (which is definitely not a bad thing) and doesn't have much time for P99 as much as he did in the past.

Not sure where you're pulling that from, every time the server is repopped the smaller guilds get a few kills.

Fridays at 6pm est!

its possible that you can make a script for the server to go down at a set time each week, and reboot itself in like 10-30 mins.

is it possible for people to post, even in the general section, of these forums without throwing in some generic internet insult?

Something definitely needed to be done with the raid scene, and variance helped a little. At this point, without the addition of velius, tecmos idea of simulated patch day repops is probably the best short term solution.

I have no idea why the variance, completely unclassic, is in place yet simulated path day respawns, closest thing to classic, is barely even considered...