Enhanced Boss Encounters and Stun Lock are the two things that really break this patch. I still can't believe that after all the negative criticism they went ahead with these.
Enhanced Boss Encounters make this game too hard. It has been said too many times to count by a wide demographic of players. Solo players can't solo bosses anymore, it's way too hard for kids, adults find the upper level bosses too hard, multiple people were going to ask for a refund if it went live, and here it is. Live.
Stun Lock, although beloved by the PvP whiners, really breaks the PvE aspect for Ice and somewhat for fire. Now I have to put double the stuns in my deck just to stun the same amount as before. I guess I'm a little bit glad chain stunning is gone, but this is a heavy price to pay.
All in all, this is not the game I payed for last month. I want that game back. The one where I could get through some bosses, and others I asked a friend for help, and we were able to do it fine. A game where I could use choke three times in a row if I was lucky enough to get the three cards from my deck into my hand. A game where I was actually able to advance quickly because I could solo boss encounters. Not only are bosses harder, it's now even harder to stun them. DO. NOT. WANT.
I am not going to comment on stun lock simply because none of my wizards (2 grand masters) use stun, and I don't pvp.
As to enhanced boss encounters, well I am going to let the pieces fall where they may. I expect to see a flurry of posts on the boards from all of the folks that insist that they are cheating, this is too hard, too time consuming (2 hours for one boss Oh my what about trying to get a group for that too, too long for normal play times). Maybe that might get some "adjustments" to the new stuff. I think that maybe one or two of the changes would have been just fine, but that they (KI) went overboard in the changes.
Oh well I like many others play games to have fun, when I find this isn't fun I will cancel. I pay month to month so it really is no big deal to me one way or another, it is just that I will be bummed if the fun is removed from this game since it really is a fun game.
I agree about the enhanced bosses; these "new tactics" will make very hard for many players to solo these bosses. I'm afraid only players who are extremely good at soloing with their class will be able to solo some of these boss (note that I say SOME OF THE BOSSES; others will be simply too hard to solo). :(
As for stun lock, its fine and is a good way to balance out the stuns. Stuns were already useless in PVE; you're really just giving your opponent more pips so they can smash you harder than usual. Even without stun lock, stunning in PVE is still even more worthless because of the new enhanced boss fights (stunning them doesn't doesn't stop the spells that hit you out of turn, trust me I've tried :(). Its time, therefore, for you to develop some new strategies for your ice and fire, to adjust to the new gameplay mechanics or you'll be clobbered.
I am not going to comment on stun lock simply because none of my wizards (2 grand masters) use stun, and I don't pvp.
As to enhanced boss encounters, well I am going to let the pieces fall where they may. I expect to see a flurry of posts on the boards from all of the folks that insist that they are cheating, this is too hard, too time consuming (2 hours for one boss Oh my what about trying to get a group for that too, too long for normal play times). Maybe that might get some "adjustments" to the new stuff. I think that maybe one or two of the changes would have been just fine, but that they (KI) went overboard in the changes.
Oh well I like many others play games to have fun, when I find this isn't fun I will cancel. I pay month to month so it really is no big deal to me one way or another, it is just that I will be bummed if the fun is removed from this game since it really is a fun game.
the stuns? imo you should deal with it as it is now just as we dealt with it as you had it before, get over it there are more of us glad to see a stop to the chain stunning than the ones who want it back now for the boss changes i have my account that i post with paid for 1 year, my nieces account paid for monthly, and the first time she cries because she can not do the game within the hour her mom allows her at a time will be canceled, my second account already cancelled as of the new update, my son's account gone he stopped the game, was going to come back for gh, but with the boss changes not happening. my nephews account, honestly on hold right now for behavior,(lost his allowence, so can't pay), says when he gets his allowence back he won't be back with the boss encounters this way. let see that is 3 accounts already gone one pending a melt down and then loss of game and 1 contacting for a refund for the 6 months left. gee think ki is losing customers with this update? 5 accounts 3 gone one on its way and one very close to gone, gee did i get that score card right?
Me and some friends spent a few hours in "Great Spire" this evening. We tried many combinations of schools to defeat Malistaire. I am beginning to think that it isnt possible. Back to Back Scarecrows. Back to Back Meteors. Malistaire with 1 or 2 pips casting Back to Back 4-7th pip spells. Any how by the 5th round everyone was dead and he was still at full health. EVERY ATTEMPT. A couple of times he allowed us to cast a Damage spell but then the next round he would Interrupt your turn and Heal back to full with Scarecrow again. Any way my point is I came here from WOW in hopes of finding a casual MMo that my daughter and I could play together and woke up yesterday morning to a nightmare. My daughter no longer wants to play because everything is so hard, she is only 9, and I started playing to help her. So KI please tell me why am I still here or is all this just a bad dream? Maybe a Glitch? Pleas help, my family wants to continue to enjoy the game.
Sincerely, Matthew EmeraldDust GrandMaster Theurgist
I'm not big into PVP, but I do play ice as my main in the game. I haven't had to deal with bosses and stun locks yet, but it's never been an issue that the second attack doesn't pull off the stun.
This isn't going to break the game, it's just going to mean your not going to have a quick click lock the enemy down.
As for enhanced bosses, again I haven't been facing them yet, but the point is your not supposed to solo the game. The fact that people do would be a reason to up the bar a bit.
I've got a pair of friends that I run with and in our first pass through with Mailistaire it was a let down. We were guessing that any of us could have solo'd that final fight. That isn't a final boss. They do need to step up the bosses a bit. If your not pulling out all the stops against the final boss the game isn't on the right level.
Me and two other grandmasters fought Jotun in test. We did about 8 times. Because the games got interrupted 3 times each round. And each time they hit almost 1000 damage on us. I agree some of the boss fights need to be harder. Yea up their health and let them call in a minon. But to interrupt the game and cheat (hello its not their turn) then it becomes nearly impossible to beat them. I like to solo and play as a group if my friends are on. And I don't mind helping if the players near me are doing the same quest. But there are times that I just like to play on my own specially if my friends aren't online or they are busy and can't help.
My current issue is with the myth lock, which simply does not work. You get the stun shields, they get the little animation -- but that's it. They go ahead and attack on their turn. It makes the spell completely pointless.
Well, stunning doesn't look like it is working in PvE although I have not tried in PvP yet. Don't stun there more than once per match anyways. The Interupt problem is a real problem. This is a "Turn Based" combat system. If I took out magic the gathering at a tournament and started trying to play two and three cards per turn, I would not only be disqualified; I would be thrown out of the building. And someone at KI thought that this was a good idea!?!?!? WHAT!?!?! Did they play the game at all before they put it in test? Did they listen to the people who tested before they released it to Live?
WHAT!?!?! Did they play the game at all before they put it in test? Did they listen to the people who tested before they released it to Live?
I know the same comments in this thread and also the other thread about "enhanced" bosses are the same as what was given during test.
I like a bunch of other folks actually "enjoyed" this game because it was very casual friendly, and very soloable. OK SO I couldn't technically solo malistair before, but I actually did because the guy that was helping me went LD. Frankly I didn't see a problem with the way it was, now well it seems like a hole in the bottom of the bucket that is only going to grow as more and more folks run across these "enhanced" bosses and get fed up and quit.
Well, stunning doesn't look like it is working in PvE although I have not tried in PvP yet. Don't stun there more than once per match anyways. The Interupt problem is a real problem. This is a "Turn Based" combat system. If I took out magic the gathering at a tournament and started trying to play two and three cards per turn, I would not only be disqualified; I would be thrown out of the building. And someone at KI thought that this was a good idea!?!?!? WHAT!?!?! Did they play the game at all before they put it in test? Did they listen to the people who tested before they released it to Live?
Seriously this game took a sharp turn for the worse. i do believe that malistaire was too weak, but ki, figure out whats possible for everyone not just the experts who know exactly how to beat this thing. and jotun? really he kills so fast. yes bosses were a little weak. no ki you did not fix that with this update you made it worse. if you "listened" to your buyers who were barely paying because of the economic meltdown and a little short on cash, you wouldn't be losing around 20% maybe. please remove this update soon ki. or i will cancel my account too.
I'm considering dropping our accounts. When I signed up, I thought it was a casual MMO. If it's headed in a more hardcore direction, there's no point in me or my family playing. I can handle extra health, but the "Interrupts" make this game less fun. If some people want more of a challenge, that is fine with me. I don't have to play this game. It's hard enough getting through battles with some players (the constant asking for help, the desperate fear of being defeated, repeatedly asking for a heal when they have a scratch), but this will make those annoyances that much worse.
At this point, I don't believe KI wants me or my family playing this game. IMO, they want to cater more to an adult crowd or serious MMOers. That is perfectly okay with me. I'd just like to know why concerns of players regarding this is ignored.
I think the stun shield was necessary for PvP, but stun should actually work. It appears it doesn't right now. *sigh*
The new enhanced battles are a bit much for my girls. For my husband and I as well. We signed up, like many others because it was a kid friendly, casual, and fun game that didn't require a lot of time. The kiddos are only limited to an hour of game play a day and they always left the game feeling as though they accomplished a lot before the hour was up. Not so much anymore with the new enhanced battles. The new changes have brought nothing but tears and frustration for them. All 4 of of my subscriptions have been canceled as of yesterday and I'm moving my family over to play "Free Realms". This game has become more of a chore to play and no longer a fun, relaxing game. It's a shame because before these changes, we really thought that Wizard 101 was one of the best MMO's around because it didn't follow the traditional mold of other MMO's.
I only PVP with my husband. But it sucks that the monsters have this too. The bosses summoning help is kind of uncool too. Bad enough alot of them heal. I don't like the stun on monsters at all. I thought it was a bug before I read the entire forums and saw this. Ah well just my thought. Not that it will make a difference.
As another adult subscriber who plays with a four year old granddaughter, I must add my unhappiness and disappointment to the others - I have a grand master who did not complete malistaire- okay, I can live with that, but having lower world bosses "enhanced" and permitted to have extra turns and too much power makes the game a bit too challenging for a family role playing game, in my opinion.
I am getting my Granddaughter a house next time she visits and we will furnish it - probably play a bit for another month or two, and then I will be cancelling my subscription. I also feel KI is intentionally changing the focus and that is fine, to hard core gamers - good luck, Kingsisle! It has been fun!
Guys you are not going to believe this: I ported to my friend who was fighting Jade Oni, and MY friend ported, and then BAM. Death Oni and Plague Oni were summoned to the battlefield with 1000 health and 1100 health! Isn't that so weird?
I completely agree with most of the posters here today. My son who is 11 started playing this game. My daughter wanted to learn so I started playing to help her. We all enjoyed it so much that I created a new account and paid with crowns all the way through Dragonspyre. BIG MISTAKE. With our first account, which is paid for six months I might add, I can at least cancel it. However, for the crown account the money is gone forever. My daughter was crying, I was frustrated and my son was irate over most of the new updates. The thing I loved about this game was that you could do most of it alone, at least until Dragonspyre. On occation we would get someone on our friends list who was constantly asking for help, but I was not one of those people and neither was my son. Now what choice do you have?
I loved the family friendly aspect of this game. Many people mentioned that their children have computer time limits. Mine do as well, and this really hurts their game play. The new interrupted attacks are so completely rediculous they don't want to play anymore, and frankly neither do I.
It's one thing to raise Malistaire's health, but by ten times? He gets to attack three times as much as any one else plus his number of pips is of no concern? Thanks but no thanks. I'd like the game I paid for, and in a hurry. Kids don't have a long attention span for games that are impossible to win. Time is ticking KI.
I am perfectly fine with the stun shield. In fact, i think it is a good idea for those people who get hit by stuns every round who just hate it. Stunning is a bad idea to cast in the first place unless you can finish them the next turn.
However, i disagree with the bosses being able to interupt duels. They take away your shields and blades and leave some people helpless and wanting to quit their subscriptions and leave the game forever. It prolongs battles by a large amount of time and leaves people wondering what happened to the game that was there in June. It may be considered a challenge by some, but from what i am getting from the majority of these posts is that most consider it to be something that makes the game worse rather than better.
Let me give an example. Just today(or yesterday depending on when this post comes out) i was soloing Big Ben to try to finish Marleybone. I made it to the top floor, defeated the guard, died, refilled, and came back up to face Meowiarty and Agony Wraith without their guard. Every time i would put a blade on, put a fire or myth shield on, or have a guiding light put on me by my sprite minion, Meowiarty would interupt and destroy my shield or steal my blade. Without my life blades, the battle took a lot longer than it needed to. Though I still won, i was annoyed at what i thought was cheating.
If that happened with Meowiarty, I can only imagine what the tougher bosses must feel like to duel. Like what what said by Blazian (i think it was) this it not the same game that it was last month. I would recommend that Kingsisle take away the enhanced boss encounters so that the game can go back to the nice game it once was. If Kingsisle refuses (which i understand, lots of work) I would at least like to know which bosses have been enhanced like that so i can know which bosses to really prepare for a long battle.
Frankly, I don't remember ever reading about the Boss add ons of "interruptions" and calling for "aid" in the update notes.
Maybe I wasn't paying enough attention.
Like others who posted, I have a daughter who plays. A daughter who has fun playing this game, as do I.
One of the draws of this game was that you didn't have to be a hard core power player to level up and get nice equipment. Your leveling is pretty much done with quests. Kids love quests.
I don't understand the boss changes? Bosses too weak? Who cares..top level is only 50. You get to 50 before even completing dragonspyre. There already were tough battles in dragonspyre that need a group and can not be solo'd except by the very fortunate.
Boss fights too easy? It's a rare fight I get over 100 experience points for.
If these changes seem to be required then up the equipment stats, top level, and magic spell power.
I liked this game. A player was able to solo it thru mooshu and even most of dragonspyre. But, if these upates make it too hard for my daughter and take the enjoyment out of the game then we will also stop playing.
I already have stopped running dragonspyre because I am at a spot I am unable to solo. I figured I would wait till my daughter is high enough to help and do it as a duo.
It sounds like that may not happen. The rest of the update is wonderful.
It is unfortunate one wrong move may have killed it.
Nevermind the power players. A 10 year old shouldn't have to be a power player here.
Nevermind that some fights where a little weak. 10 year olds want to win and have fun.
Catering to power players can be done on a seperate server.
This is the 2nd day that this "enhanced" boss's went live and the boards are starting to light up. Gee I wonder where this was mentioned before? could it have been the test boards? Humm can't be that because KI would listen to such advice. /sigh
Anyways my alt (lol I am on my 3rd now he is balance, and well I have a 4th storm). Just finished big ben solo. This was really the first time I got to experience this on live. I did manage to win, but OH MY only because I still had zeke's gear from when I could buy it with gold (I am very unhappy you can't buy zeke's gear with gold anymore! what else are we to spend it on I mean seriously WHAT!). Even still it took me 2 attempts to get him, I was beyond fortunate and managed to kill off the 2 adds before I died so that I only had meowarity for the 2nd attempt.
IMHO this game was catered to kids, I think you might want to change your stance on that because this game just became alot more advanced for what kids will put up with. Requireing grouping but no way to really get groups to happen (all chat taken out for good reasons but still it has an effect on the design when you are requiring grouping). "enhanced" bosses that take any buffs you might cast (I got to the point if it wasn't a double or tripple buff it wasn't worth casting because the boss would take it and OH MY that makes it even harder to kill him).
Like the previous poster said, really what was the problem with weak bosses, kids and heck adults like to win, and like to relax playing games. So there are a few that wanted more grouping content, let them play the plethora of other games that are grouping required. Geesh, or even better yet make optional areas for groups where you introduce all of this "enhanced" stuff, not at the end of the quest line to finish an area.
I was looking forward to enhanced boss encounters, for the bosses were very weak, uninspired and allowed the game to become tedious, boring, lacking a challenge.
I like that they use effective spells (to include blade, trap, good damage) rather than pinging you with 1-pip attacks; it makes for a challenging opponent.
The interrupts, however, are cheesy, absurd, out in left field. Interrupts don't break the game, but they do seriously distort it; the fact that it doesn't fit any current game mechanic and isn't universally applied is one tip-off.
Additionally, the multiple spells per turn is further over the top.
The AI seemed like it was much improved and would have provided an enjoyable challenge without these two ridiculous tactics; they are unnecessary. I'm all for epic battles (they make for more memorable gaming) but these two elements merely filibuster the battle and only frustrate. Perhaps they would be good for a [Hard Mode].
I also think these enhancements do go against what makes W101 the compelling, enjoyable game that it is: simplicity. (Which I would think would be a requisite for a children's game.) As for my wife and me, we like to play W101 when we want a break from our other games, when we still want to be engaged, without having to manage 50 quests, figure out travel routes, deal with 96 spell buttons, craft, manage economic transactions, etc.
ok where do i start i am so disappointed at these changes. this is not the game i love to play it's a complete nightmare now. KI you have ruined this game. where is the family fun kid game we all love? where is the fun or enjoyment. there is no point to play this game anymore. it's become way too hard. you cant do anything anymore. Malistaire is unbeatable now. What were you guys thinking. many people are leaving because of these recent changes. i wish you guys would change this and return it to it's fun roots. if not your gonna lose alot of people. Are you prepared for that?
Geesh, or even better yet make optional areas for groups where you introduce all of this "enhanced" stuff, not at the end of the quest line to finish an area.
I think the same, if there is people who want more hard bosses is ok, make optional zones with better and unique loot with enhanced bosses, but not the bosses to finish an area.
<snip> So there are a few that wanted more grouping content, let them play the plethora of other games that are grouping required. Geesh, or even better yet make optional areas for groups where you introduce all of this "enhanced" stuff, not at the end of the quest line to finish an area.
I wonder if KI has noticed not one sane person has yet said anything nice about the enhanced encounters?? The lack-of-stress play here is why I have stayed.
There is an old saying, proven over time 'If it isn't broken, don't fix it." Hey KI, the Bosses were not broke, a tad weak for the power-gamers we all left other games to avoid, but perfect for those of us with few hours to spend, or just wanting a relaxing, fun time.
If any of the KI staff have wandered and listened to the people talking, or read this board, I am sure you are burning the midnight oil removing the enhanced system. But, as stated above, if the staff here thinks that the customer isn't right, just wait, the bankruptancy lawyers will correct you.
