Class specific contests

Suggestions
#1

I feel like I saw this somewhere in a comment but I was unable to find it as a topic so I made this. As some of you remember in old game, there was a runemage contest to see who could cast every spell the best. If you have any other ideas please do share them. I had a hell of a time coming up with some of these and any more suggestions would just make it better.

Edit: note: I was thinking about gear level and it’d be best if everyone would be scaled to 30 just like battlegrounds.

Runemage

This test wouldn’t change, it would remain the same as preborn.

Ranger

They would be separated so only certain talents could do this.

Rapidity: Hit targets as they pop up. Bonus points for hitting quick distanced shots. Points taken away for misses.

Precision: since ranger is all about timing, targets pop up. Hit them when your bar is full. The more accuracy the more points. Misses result in lost points.

Paladin

The paladin will fight against a boss that will not damage but will give pips like a normal boss. The paladin will need to hold agro against an npc damaging the boss. Once agro is lost, it will be over. Just so someone like Scott isn’t there dying for 10 hours straight, it will get increasingly difficult going from a fresh 30 to a hardcore mage on steroids.

Warrior

A dummy will have words appearing saying ‘block’, ‘cleave’, ‘hamstring’, ‘provoke’, and ‘wound’. Speed and accuracy give points. If the action on the dummy runs out of time, you will lose points. The dummy will not move when it is time to block because there will be no point to reading.

Bard

Enemies will spawn and you will get to use the instruments of your choice. It will be a wave based fight. It’s less how fast you can kill them but how long you can stay alive seeing as how a bard is a healer (feels like a dps now lol). The waves will be harder over time.

Musketeer

To keep it different than bard, it would be a speed and accuracy thing. You will be given two allies and yourself to heal. You would get your turret, decurse, cure, renew, shield, and lifewell. Talents are up to you. You would have to fight waves. It would be less about killing them but more surviving as long as possible. Each wave would have a timer on them. Attacks would include, aoe, melee, ranged, and dot. The waves would get harder over time.

Shaman

You would be equipped with stun, lightning, and fire. The 4th would not be useful because they are pulse totems. Dummies would pop up with either stun, lightning, or fire above their head and you would have to grab the orb and throw it at the dummy as fast as possible. You won’t be able to move very far and you will be given the reach talent with all others disabled. There will be a timer and you will hit as many as possible in that time. Time bonuses will be given so the chance of ties would be slim.

Scoundrel

Dummies will pop up and you have to hit the dummies. Curve levels, distance, accuracy, and speed will all give bonuses. Get as many points as possible in the given time.

2 Likes
#2

For Warrior… that might cause trouble for people with difficulties in reading if it is just words.

I also notice there is nothing for alternative builds like Warrior and Musketeer DPS or Paladin Healers.

The bard suggestion is basically bard being dps/healer/tank all at once (which, to be fair, is how some of us play bard sometimes).

1 Like
#3

The other thing for warrior is colors. I for one have trouble differentiating colors in vr. There can be colors too but I think it would be too vague if it’s neither. The thing about the dps musketeer, dps warrior, or healer paladin is you’re a healer. You’re a tank. Some people may use healer paladin but its a waste because you’re giving up something that will help you tank because you’re a tank. Sure you may play that class a certain way in your small group when you’re grinding but at the end of the day this is geared towards end game players (which everyone can be) who play as the role they are supposed to be.

2 Likes
#4

My thing is that if they don’t want a class to be played a certain way, why have talents for it?

1 Like
#5

These contests are for endgame players to show off their skill. Unless you can pally heal an ancient temple hot foot, aggressive, indecisive, reflective strikes, infection, wild creatures, reincarnation, virus as a pally I don’t see a reason for it to be a part of the contest

1 Like
#6

I disagree that these games are for endgame players. I do think these games should be considered as a fun way of showing off your proficiency pertaining to certain aspect of the different classes. Maybe even considered as practice or teaching grounds. Sure, it might be expected that Lvl 30 players might have a certain advantages, this depending on the type of contest, but its not to say a lower level player couldn’t just practice at some of these games and score well.

If the devs would consider adding this type of content to the game, maybe it could be added in a colosseum added on to the city specifically for “tournament” type events / games. The games, similar to the ones mentioned above, could be added to alcoves surrounding the dueling arena. If stadium seating is added, then if they implement a dueling system this might allow for participants have a better viewing position.

I am not sure if this could be an idea, but would adding timed runs to clear dungeons in this area be possible. Maybe making a separate entrance to one or two of the current dungeons where participants would be set to base equipment, similar to battlegrounds, upon entering. Once entered the timer is started and best times are placed on the leader boards, similar to dragon races. Maybe even if the dungeon being challenged rotates every week. not necessary but maybe a prize to the top team each week before dungeon rotation.

  • Just a thought.
2 Likes
#7

I feel like that is kind of an elitist attitude to take. There are players that are not endgame and several suggestions are clearly not end-game minded (like permadeath).

Like I said, if the devs didn’t want options for classes, why bother with the talent system? As it is, the only class that really branches is the ranger class since precision and rapidity play so differently. Since Paladin heal branch is worthless if Paladins shouldn’t heal. Musketeer and Warrior DPS branches are worthless if they can’t DPS.

Next we’ll be saying that Bard shouldn’t be healing because Musketeer has stronger heals and Warriors shouldn’t be Tanking because people prefer Paladins for tanks because they can block mechanics so they can survive better. All non-runemages are worthless because they can’t reach a runemage’s DPS.

Point is: Why do these events HAVE to be geared to ‘endgame’ players? Sure, you have your hardcore endgame players, but you have your more casual players as well. What exactly is wrong with having contest for the alternative builds that the devs have made? If the devs don’t want us to play those builds, they can remove them or replace them.

#8

Two reasons.

  1. They will naturally bring end game players. End game players practice a lot and have a lot of skill therefore making them better.
  2. If everything is scaled, then we would have a fresh level 10 ranger with good accuracy being the best ranger? That doesn’t make sense.

Besides, everyone can be an “end game” player. Being an end game player doesn’t require “elitism” or practicing mage so much your wrists are bleeding. In my opinion, it’s based on what you run. Killing stafrushers: not end game. Doing mid level shards and higher: sounds end game to me.

#9

If it is a TRUE skill based game, there would be no reason why a lower level player can’t beat a higher level. There are very few games like that (Old Mabi, Old RaiderZ, etc.), but in those games, a level 1 can beat a level 80+. Sure, it will be an uphill battle for the level 1, but it is doable. There are even games where levels don’t really matter (minimal advantage).

Take perfect casting. A level 1 runemage could cast just as well or better than a level 30+6 runemage. Same with Ranger. A level 1 Ranger could be just as accurate or even more so than a level 30+6 ranger. Scoundrel as well. Heck, I’ve seen level 1 Warriors and Paladins that do better than level 23-30s of the same class at keeping aggro and staying alive.

I’ve seen Bards and Musketeers pretty clearly outdps’ing similar level DPS and dealing with mechanics better than higher level players.

Point is: If contests are based on skill, it doesn’t NEED to be end game players. And there are players that don’t care about end-game. There is no reason, imo, to leave them out just because a few players want contests to be end-game focused. If anything, it would be better overall since we’d have more reasons for players to keep playing.

#10

Never said it was for mostly end game players but it’s gonna be geared towards end game players.

#11

So what is the problem then with having contests for alternative builds if you never said it was for mostly end game players?

#12

A simple way to fix “end game vs non” is to take a page from PvP. When in the challenge and practice area make everyone 30 with equal stats and access to all talents.

#13

What Xeno is proposing is a way to show off skills with the classes. Having a Paladin Heal competition or a Musketeer DPS competition doesn’t make sense because those aren’t viable ways to play the class.
Rapidity vs Precision Ranger, in my opinion, should both be factored in. Both “how many arrows can you shoot and hit this target in X seconds” and “In X seconds how often and how close can you get to the 100% mark on the Precision bar”.

If we’re going to ask the devs to take their time and budget and put it towards something like the old-game Runemage Competition, why would we ask them to put that effort into putting together areas that ask players to do something that isn’t ever done in-game during content? Why ask a Paladin to use their Lay On Hands on another target? Why ask a Musketeer to DPS a target down? Why ask a Bard to tank?

If I’m going to ask the devs to do something, I’m going to want it to benefit the most amount of players possible, not cater to the one or two players who decide to use talents that…just aren’t worth taking.

1 Like
#14

So… remove those talents then.

Personally, I’d like to see a talent revamp to make all of those talents viable even in hardmode raids and 15 shards, which is why I want contests for that sort of content.

#15

That’s a different discussion entirely.

1 Like
#16

I don’t think so as it is a related discussion:

A) If they don’t want to remove them, then I say they should have contests for those builds as well. It is still skill, just a different set of skills.
B) If they want to remove them, then there is no need for such contests.

Since I am assuming that they want to keep those talents (unless they give me reason to believe otherwise), I’m advocating contests for those builds.

#17

I really just want to keep this post about these contests. These are some realistic things that we may just get one day

#18

Talents have been changed many times in the past, and is something we can probably expect to see happening again, especially with talents that just straight up don’t work.

It’s probably not a top priority, but it’s something I’m fairly confident is coming.

But this topic is about Xeno’s ideas for class contests. Having Paladins heal and Musketeers DPS is silly considering the way the game is currently played. It’s not worth the time or effort.

1 Like
#19

I think it is still worth considering since if it going to eventually come, might as well be ready for the possibilities. Part of being able to easily update comes from being prepared for those updates.

If you build your code to be very restrictive, you make it harder to change. If you build your code to be altered, you make it easier to change it later. (Someone else might word that better)

#20

I’m completely open to different play styles if they are viable and realistic.