Playing the devil's advocate
Well, not quite literally since I'm no Keanu "associated with the devil?" Reeves. Recently, something happened. On the first glance, this looks like a big deal. Once we look further in, we realized that there will always be two types of raiders. The first are the astral diamond farmers. The new change won't affect them beyond the amount of astral diamonds gained via salvage. The second are the ones who will be at the receiving end. Namely those out to hunt their ideal gear. At this point of time, the four main slots won't be affected (i.e. head, arms, body, feet). The gear system is now standardized in this context. The actual problem lies in the artifacts, be it artifact gear or standard artifact. At the same time, it will also affect those out to hunt that elusive +5 ring of their choice.
One thing I find it annoying at times lies in a severe lag in the epic dungeon servers every now and then. Granted the situation is now far better, but any 2 x seals event will still ensure the same old thing. In addition, the Temple of Tiamat epic trial can be very frustrating because you'll be forced to play against the lag. There are two possible reasons behind this: Either it's the connection or too many people are playing in the same instance server (funnily enough, Pirate King's Retreat has been very laggy despite being a normal dungeon).
If it's the connection, then the overall gameplay should be affected, not just one aspect. If it's an epic raid issue, then it's safe to say that too many people are playing in the same instance server (in particular, Temple of Tiamat tends to drop better loot than normal and master Demogorgon).
Having a choice to accept the loot is good, but this may easily lead to an overload of the specific instance servers. If you don't like the loot, try again. Even for an hourly epic trial, it merely means people are tempted to try more than once per day.
Ultimately, I'll be happy if this can resolve the instance server lag when it comes to end-game content. However, the devs have to do something to address a legit concern. Namely, the drop rate of better loot. At this point of time, only Fangbreaker Island will guarantee you at least a +4 epic ring. Drop rate for any +4 or +5 rings is very abysmal beyond Fangbreaker Island. In the past, you can easily get a +4 ring of any type in epic Demogorgon. However, the devs nerfed the whole damn thing. Case in point: Getting gold for epic Demogorgon will still likely fetch you a +2 ring more oft than not.
And this is not including the drop rate for stuff like Shard of Valindra's Crown, Emblem of the Seldarine, and Lostmauth's Horn of Blasting.
And this is not including the drop rate for stuff like Shard of Valindra's Crown, Emblem of the Seldarine, and Lostmauth's Horn of Blasting.
Another thing of note lies in the amount of rough astral diamonds salvaged from the gear. Either Cryptic should do more 2 x astral diamonds events or they might as well increase the amount of salvaged rough astral diamonds (most notably for T1 raids). The reworked invocation system may fetch more rough astral diamonds via content, but it's still a touch and go for your main character of choice. If there's anything to go by, Storm King's Thunder and Sea of Moving Ice are more for veteran gamers who know 100% what they're doing (read: not every gamer has a TIL of 2.8-3.5K). In the meantime, we might as well save the faerzress for that 4K rough astral diamonds option.
Sea of Moving Ice (first impression)
Going by my father's more oft than not griping over rising utility costs, it seems that I really need to have a girlfriend who is rich, beautiful, and intelligent. Jokes made at the expense of my beautiful legal housebreaker aside, the Sea of Moving Ice is both a surreal ride and a frustrating grind.
Let's get the fomorian president out of the office first. I really hate it that the fishing aspect is so terribly done. So terribly done, it's even worse than a half-baked dish of German baked fish. This was due to me pressing the keys rather than holding them down. Let me offer a surefire way to make the fish work for you instead of the other way round. See the arrow lighting up? Don't just press the key. Hold it down until it hit cooldown. In this way, you won't have to watch the paint dry. Period. How did I get the trick, it's all written in your quest journal.
Another area of contention lies in the DualShock effect. Those who have played games on PS2 and beyond will know what is DualShock. It's not funny to see that damn DualShock effect halfway in the zone. Which will definitely happen once you stay too long stranded on a khyek. I don't know about you, but it happened to me. Whether it's really a case of Cryptic testing my patience on a deliberate basis remains to be verified. Thanks to my insane level of single-focus, I managed to pull through without any signs of nausea (read: I initially didn't know how to make the fish work for me). I know this statement sounds like me describing myself as Elminster Aumar, but trust me when I say it's not funny. Let alone the normal gamer cursed with a lesser extent of focus and calm. Perhaps it's true that while I don't have Lancer's technique, I do have Archer's steel.
Another thing before I continue. Server non-response will screw your fishing trip ten times worse than it already is. Period. And it's still there. At least for me before I stumbled upon the magic formula.
And now for the surreal. I really like the khyek once it starts moving. A bit like driving your Tesla car on autopilot mode minus the risk of fatal accident. You don't need to be a Tesla girl or a Tesla guy to get into the groove of things. The terrain is mainly sea with floating pieces of ice peppered here and there (albeit sporadically). It's weirdly therapeutic for freaks like me, a bit like admiring the scenery of Mount Fuji while in a coach. The feeling was especially nice once I've had enough of watching the paint dry while holding a fishing rod. Yes, I know this sounds absolutely van Gogh. Trust me when I say I know a wee bit about how he felt when he's still alive. I've been through it from Henderson Primary School to Gan Eng Seng School and all the way till ITE Dover and 32 SIB. Even though it may be just 10% of the real deal.
Onto the combat. Let me say that I really love it. Unlike the 5 Icewind Dale battle zones, fighting the enemy is like seeing Liverpool FC having a go at Man City and vice versa. You're fighting in open space, there's little to no cover. What this means is very simple: It's basically every melee fighter's Warrior's Rest. For ranged characters (including ofc any manner of devoted cleric), it requires a higher level of technique because you won't get much of a chance to let loose from whatever high ground available (read: little to none). Which really says something.
As a result, the enemy is tougher. Most notable is the increase in overall defense. Even the squishiest ice hunter must take considerable damage to make him drop. The only thing tougher than an ice hunter mob is two abominable yetis or a few giants (yet to try my hand against the physically enhanced ice trolls*, but I won't be surprised if they're actually tougher than any ice hunter mob, bear or no bear).
*Correction here. I find those evolved blue critters to be easier to deal with compared to those ice hunters bereft of sense. However, Neverwinter is also all about what manner of character build you have.
As a result, the enemy is tougher. Most notable is the increase in overall defense. Even the squishiest ice hunter must take considerable damage to make him drop. The only thing tougher than an ice hunter mob is two abominable yetis or a few giants (yet to try my hand against the physically enhanced ice trolls*, but I won't be surprised if they're actually tougher than any ice hunter mob, bear or no bear).
*Correction here. I find those evolved blue critters to be easier to deal with compared to those ice hunters bereft of sense. However, Neverwinter is also all about what manner of character build you have.
Another thing worthy of note is this: Do NOT engage the giants unless you're very damned sure the aggro won't go after you like a pack of rapists. I tried testing this out via Arylos (no gay jokes here, tyvm). It didn't go well since it took a Soulforged effect to prevent a repeat of Deadpool.
If you must take down one or a few, you must start from any nearby mob. Giants and yetis are the hardest critters to take down in this current mod (i.e. including Storm King's Thunder as well). If you want to start from the biggest kahunas, it's your funeral.
And now onto Korey
When we talk about Koreans, one thing comes to mind: plastic surgery. Historically, however, Koreans are known for their history of getting invaded. During the Three Kingdoms era (i.e. Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla), China was a threat. Years later, Toyotomi Hideyoshi decided to emulate the Tang dynasty. Another thing Koreans are well known for is a culture of shooting. This has got nothing to do with what Koreans do daily with their internet, let alone the worst aspect of (local) misogyny. It's all about artillery quite literally. While I'm very sure Koryo as part of Kara-tur was inspired by the actual Koreans, I can't really answer you whether they're really that damn good in terms of archery. That question should go to Ed "not a Miliband" Greenwood.
So far so good, I didn't do much to tweak her gameplay. The best thing about choosing the archery tree isn't just about the hdps dept (fyi, archer hunter rangers are officially imba tier. Still can't totally believe Korey can out-dps a dps teammate of a higher item level). It's also about the ease of planning. Just dump all your paragon feat points into all the damage based feats. Trust me when I say there's more than enough feat points to go around.
The only major tweaks done lie in my choice of second daily power and class feature. Because I've got no intention to compromise the dps, Aspect of the Pack remains as her staple class feature. Initially, I chose Aspect of the Falcon due to the dps front. Because I think like a Catalan Pep and that German Löw, I decided to experiment with other variations. Turned out that Pathfinder's Action is quite a neat alternative if you're worried about the defensive end. For starters, Ghostwalker compliments Aspect of the Falcon very well due to that 25% stamina regeneration. If you choose Hasty Retreat, however, that's where things would go wrong. Hasty Retreat is all about putting a distance between yourself and the enemy (read: it's a better jailbreak option compared to Ghostwalker). Ultimately, Ghostwalker can only do this much/little if your mobility isn't good enough (something which the hdps archery build would most likely face). Pathfinder's Action basically maximizes the usage of Hasty Retreat since this is not an aggro-break feat. Done in an offensive way, your archer would be running circles around the mob. Not only would this combination benefit the tank, it also minimizes the chances of getting aggro (read: not every aggro operates under rank and file. The mind flayers and Thayan servitors, in particular, can be quite problematic). If it's a combination of this and Aspect of the Falcon, it will increase your ranged dps game. If it's a combination of this and Aspect of the Pack, it means upping the dps no matter how you look at it (note: Aspect of the Pack also confers a random ally combat advantage. Which means this combination is more of a high end dps support approach during any party raid).
As for the choice of second daily power, I changed my pick to Slasher's Mark. Initially, I wanted to make Korey look cool. Then I realized it's pointless to do that so long she has Aspect of the Falcon slotted in. So I decided to experiment a bit by slotting in Pathfinder's Action in place of Aspect of the Falcon. The rest, as people enjopy saying, is history (read: Disruptive Shot for 25% of your AP=FC Barcelona or Die Nationalelf, take your pick).
A/N: They say a dog is the BFF of every man/woman. Apart from Lotte, we now have Freud.
As for the choice of second daily power, I changed my pick to Slasher's Mark. Initially, I wanted to make Korey look cool. Then I realized it's pointless to do that so long she has Aspect of the Falcon slotted in. So I decided to experiment a bit by slotting in Pathfinder's Action in place of Aspect of the Falcon. The rest, as people enjopy saying, is history (read: Disruptive Shot for 25% of your AP=FC Barcelona or Die Nationalelf, take your pick).
A/N: They say a dog is the BFF of every man/woman. Apart from Lotte, we now have Freud.
The Back of a Man
Before I start, let me just say that I won't be writing anything online for the time being. The chaotic aftermath of this year's US presidential election means one thing:
I cannot claim to have empathy when it comes to the voters' sentiments. That would make me a liar. However, I do have the freedom to choose whether to help out in whatever way I can. The cue for me to start saying something lies in what Hillary Clinton will say in the days to come. I want her to address the crowd, I want her to tell them straight in the face that they're doing nothing to further their own cause (read: I need to ask where has the love gone since vitriol is no different from hate). If there's any Forgotten Realms character I'd use to describe the average Joe and everyday Jane in America, that'd be Artemis Entreri.
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| If you can't read the words, it's okay. |
[The girl without her name looked on with a mixture of fear and awe. Fear because she'd rather die than to return. Returning to slavery and returning to those horrid men taking pleasure in breaking her resolve. In Thay, power was everything. To the Thayans, domination would always demand more than one means to achieve the ultimate end. Screams of agony haunted her at every step, every breath she drew invoked terrifying images of reality. Naked women were dragged from the slavers' tents only to be violated again, even girls at her age were not spared.
Then there was the feeling of awe. She remembered with chaotic emotions something being told to her, some kind of story perhaps by someone she regarded as an older sister.
"Whenever the princess is in trouble, her prince will arrive to save her. Even if a prince is not around, a knight will take his place."
There stood her princely knight, his shadow looming larger than his frame. His ears were long and pointed, his sharp features fiercely proud and hauntingly rugged. He betrayed nary an emotion, yet the tranquil fury in his amber eyes was unmistakeable.
Three servitors were slain, their mindless wrath no match for Arylos' tactical wit. The Or-tel-quessir marked his territory with understanding, the Thayans stepped into his subtle trap. Outfought as a result of being outmaneuvered, only the Red Wizard was left standing. Quaking with anger and not fear, he nevertheless held his ground as his wood elven adversary stalked towards him.
The fury was gone, yet that look of steel remained undiminished. The transition was anything but natural, it was as if her savior was touched by a god. Then it happened abruptly, the wizard teleporting out of sight. Before she knew it, her captor wrapped his fingers around her throat.
"Save her if you can," mocked the Thayan with a raspy voice, his mocking tone betraying an ignorance towards who he's dealing with.
"Go ahead then."
Arylos' callous reply was followed by a dagger tossed to the ground, its tip embedded near the Red Wizard's feet.
"Do you trust me to give you a painless death, little girl?"
She couldn't understand a word of what he said, for no one taught her Elvish. The only language she knew was Koryo, her blood was that of a Koryoan.
A bluish flash then flared its radiance from the soil, from the very ground where the dagger had previously been. Blind and disoriented, the little girl nevertheless kicked free from her monstrous cell. Reacting like a beast with its pride wounded, the Red Wizard cast a fireball with nary a heed. He cared not who would die, let alone himself.
The ball of flames hurtled towards the girl, her knees scrapped from a fall. Arylos grabbed her by the collar, the strength of his arm flinging her aside. With a deft flick of his hand, a dagger pulsating with arcane power collided against that ball of flaming death. An explosion erupted, the extent of its force mitigated due to Arylos' disruptive missile.
The Red Wizard regained his bearings first, but it was Arylos who retrieved his calm and composure. His strategic gambit put paid to, where the arrow would go is only secondary. This was a plan of dual disruption, the arrow lodged in between his quarry's legs.
Ignoring the howling and awkward nature of his aim, Arylos strode forth with a curved blade drawn. He has nothing against the nation of Thay, it should be business as usual. His task was to defend this little piece of land, such obligation towards the Eldreth Veluuthra required neither debt nor a creditor. Yet, there was a grim satisfaction churning inside him. Damning images of the past assailed him, a mind of steel nevertheless prevented his hand from wavering.
"Kelemvor sends his regards."
Those were the words which damned merely two, if not three of Korey's rapists to death. Arylos wasn't a fool, he knew justice was always beyond his reach. But if he could seek even a tiny shred of justice, that'd be enough. Any other lives perished as a result never gnawed at his conscience, for they're merely collateral losses incurred. Nothing more, nothing less.
"Kelemvor grants you mercy and death."
Nary an emotion was detected as Arylos touched the Thayan's chin with the flat of his blade. Then with a casual flick, the quarry has his throat cut. Leaving behind a dead prey and living proof of an accidental heroic act, the ranger never cared whether he's a hero. Because he was never one to start with.
As for the Koryoan girl, she beheld the back of a man as her vision cleared.
It was a portrait filling her with sadness, yet it gave her a semblance of comfort.
Something told her that this was a wounded man walking, a living dead still standing.
It was both a beautiful sight and a heartbreaking image, the measure of reality at its harshest.]
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