June 23, 2012 - Raid Thoughts

[Swanstar]

Just thought of a cool "boss encounter" mechanic. Basically, change the artwork as the boss is more damaged. Gives it some variety. If you want to take it a step further, make them harder to kill. That said, I would love it of there was some easier version of raids as well. Right now we are barely making gold. Would be nice if higher might levels allowed for "more damage" or in real life, more % complete

[Bushy]

Pop in, dump energy pop out. The only way it works for me and most of my guild

[Musketeer]

I would love it of there was some easier version of raids as well. Right now we are barely making gold.

Each Valor type has several raids associated with it. Try the easiest one for your Valor type to get the fastest time.

Mostly though, the ease of completing a raid in Gold time requires having enough toons in the raid, and possible some that are usign energy potions, shields or elixirs for faster recharge and greater RPP. If your Guild is short on toons for a fast time, try approaching another Guild for an exchange program - they come and raid with you, then you go and raid with them. Some GMs have created 'place holder' toons so everyone can leave the Guild for a raid, then reinstate all the officers, veterans and Members on their return. $0 toons should be able to comlete any raid in Gold time without using GS or other energy replenishing devices.

Would be nice if higher might levels allowed for "more damage" or in real life, more % complete

Onslaught Raids were designed exactly to meet this player request. Try Crypt of Corruption and The Shadow Comes.

[Bbbb]

$0 toons should be able to comlete any raid in Gold time without using GS or other energy replenishing devices.

Agree completely. I think I have seen every raid in the game completed without GS or e potions. I think you if you can get 30 people on from start to finish, you can gold any raid.

[Swanstar]

$0 toons should be able to comlete any raid in Gold time without using GS or other energy replenishing devices.

Agree completely. I think I have seen every raid in the game completed without GS or e potions. I think you if you can get 30 people on from start to finish, you can gold any raid.

30 is a lot, even with alt characters in guild (which is what we do)

[Musketeer]

30 is a lot with the huge number of new Guilds that have sprung up recently. What the game needs is about 1/4 the number of competing new Guilds, and more players in each one. Unfortunately many new players still think they can start a Guild and get 59 other people to join it.

The best thing for your Guild might be to combine personnel with another Guild (or even two). One of the Guilds will die, but the remaining one will zoom ahead of the competition in the rankings.

The top 10 or so Guilds are split into two types, the ones that operate more or less independantly of mercenaries (e.g. Black Lotus), and the ones that advertise their raids on Global and invite mercenaries to join the 30-40 permanent members they have. Some actually throw out members who are not currently online to make space for more mercenaries.

[Swanstar]

Want to clean up guilds? Make a merge option.

Guild then creates 2 guilds. Higher mights in one, then lower mights in the other. That should be ok.

[Thorgrimme]

Another option might be alliances - this would therefore mean that when one guild is allied with other guild(s), if they then start a raid, then notifications are sent to all allied guilds. It would then make coordination and online numbers more manageable.

It would mean having an alliance bb as well but that would be a small price to pay.
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[Dajanga]

Second the Pop-in-pop out. It is already hard enough to get people together at the same time over a 2-6 hour window. At best I can string together 60-90 continuous minutes of play, so if we are required to coordinate continuously over a 6-hour window I may be screwed.

[Musketeer]

Want to clean up guilds? Make a merge option.

Guild then creates 2 guilds. Higher mights in one, then lower mights in the other. That should be ok.

Many of the top Guilds' Membership are already the result of merges. Spoons/Fairy Tale, KOTOR/Chaos Brotherhood, Helmsman's Alliance/Jacuzzi & Sauna, to name but three. It's hard to keep 40-60 players acting as one unit for a long period of time, when they live in different timezones, have different playing time/money available and etc.

The 'abandoned' Guild may be used for running extra high level raids (desireable because of the ridiculous cooldowns on the CV raids), or for lower might toons to come in and enjoy all the Guild Favors that the original membership worked so hard to build, while raiding at their own level.

Another option might be alliances - this would therefore mean that when one guild is allied with other guild(s), if they then start a raid, then notifications are sent to all allied guilds. It would then make coordination and online numbers more manageable.

It would mean having an alliance bb as well but that would be a small price to pay.
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That's how some top Guilds are having to work it, just to make up the numbers needed for a raid. Either that or apply for mercenaries, which may become less attractive if/when Venan build in some Guild loyalty features.


I feel that 60 is just too small a number, and Guild membership should be allowed to go much higher, say 90. That way players who miss a raid due to real life needs such as sleep do not find their toons thrown out because they dared to be offline for more than four hours.