Throw out this random deck system now before it's too late.

You need to throw this random deck system out. Period.

The game is coming along great... but this system you have is going to be a joke when the game reaches the public masses.

All I can think is that you don't care, you are building a private game you don't intend to make money from... and using public benefactor funds to build it.

Just get rid of the entire deck system.

"look at me I'm a mage but can't cast any attack spells... because the powers that be made it so only my potions and self heal spells keep randomly coming up and my focus points are drained too low to swap deck... oh I could get more focus points back if only I had made my death deck the alternate deck but had to have sun and fire based decks to deal with the undead and then the trolls, didn't have the option to have a third deck... ah well,... oh there goes the tank dead because the healer over there he can't cast a heal spell on the tank (never mind he couldn't even target the tank in first place) because his random spells keep coming up cure poison and banish undead... ah well, cough up another failed adventure to the powers that be in their deluded random wisdom... oh look the archer just died too... should I recall out? oh wait I didn't have room in my hotkey bar for recall scroll... hmmm... should I run? nah... I should just delete my characters and account like the rogue over there just did... I see his avatars name fading from the world as I speak" - Signed: The Forgetfull mage... named because apparently I can't remember any spells at will, they come back "randomly"

I said it well over a year ago I will say it again and again... until I'm here in forums saying "I TOLD YOU YEARS AGO" when player base spikes on release and dies within 30 days back down to the benefactors and founders the only ones playing and you have to raise a monthly subscription fee to $20 from the few of us left to keep game going.

It will be hilarious when the old UO has more subscribers/players by the end of the first year that Shroud is out on market... *cries*

 

I agree that the random deck is problematic, especially with current combat design choices. There are better ways to say it though.

 

It's a misnomer to call it a random deck system.

The only case when you don't know which skills are coming up where is if you want more than 10 skills, because you can drag and drop the glyphs to come up in each spot.

I agree, I don't like that I feel obligated to use it so that I can use combos and glyph stacking (I have NO idea why we need to manually stack glyphs, I'd like if they could stack automatically instead - it's simply more powerful to keep stacking, but it's sort of a weird mini-game to do during combat aside from the actual combat).

But I still wouldn't call it a random deck system. (I also think there are better ways to present your feedback).

We aren't obligated to use it because we do have the regular bind your skills to 10 spots (but then combos & stacking don't work).

 

Mine isn't random. The exact glyphs I use come up in the exact slots I put them in. Yours might be broken.

 

OP we tried and lost that battle a long time ago.
It's here to stay.

 

You can lock your deck to make it more manageable. Not sure what this costs me exactly but it's how I play.

 

It costs you additional focus to cast but this price goes down the higher number of the same glyph you have learned.,
In theory it has slower re-cast times (because you have to wait out the cool down and on average you could draw a card faster than that, but you have to build your draw deck in a special way for this to be a meaningful difference)
It costs you stack and combo oppurtunities, (good riddance)

 

Your skill at prognostication has left me amazed and dumb-founded. Can you tell me, will I find love?

 

8 slots if you assume you'll have light or night-vision in one slot and a self heal in another... two fairly absolutes...

It has to be by far the dumbest system I've ever seen and played and made an effort to make work, its just plain stupid... and yes I'm well aware of how the whole deck system workd guys but thanks for giving me tips on it I've played it enough... and no its not beating a dead horse... this system can be shut down and replaced in a day and the dev's know it... I wonder if the complete failure of their hopes for release success will change their minds or will they blame something else besides the facts.

As for my method to feedback, when you see some idiot standing on railroad tracks with a train coming at him fast... you usually aren't polite about getting him off the tracks, you don't say "please sir could you kindly get out of the way of the train" especially when a crowd of people including yourself have all tried that and it didn't work.

 

With that froggy face? heck no you're doomed to stay living in your moms basement playing online games until 3am every night for the rest of your life...

 

I am not a fan of it either.
Personally I wish, that cards would auto stack and that only combos needed manual intervention, that would go a long ways towards making it better.

However there are some things you can do to make it better.
Make a Fixed Draw deck.
Put enough cards in so that you have no slugs.
Assign specific cards to specific Slots, no more random assignments.
Create a slot that duplicates can go.


Here is how I build my Sword deck, If I'm working on challenging content.
Slot 1 > unlocked > Thrust
Slot 2 > unlocked > double Slash
Slot 3> unlocked > Reposte
slot 4 > unlocked > whirling blades.
slot 5 > unlocked > Thrust, Double Slash, Reposte, & Whirling Blades
slot 6 > unlocked > healing touch
slot 7 > unlocked > healing touch, parry, & glancing blow
slot 8 > unlocked > healing touch, parry, & glancing blow
slot 9 > unlocked > healing touch, parry, & glancing blow
slot 0 > unlocked > healing touch, parry, & glancing blow

This causes my first heal spell drawn to always go to slot #6.
And lets duplicate heals, and defensive skills, rot away on the right hand side of my bar, where I rarely need them.

This lets my actual skills go to slots 1-4, and the duplicate of any of those cards got to slot 5, where I know I need to use it or discard it before I draw another duplicate.

If I'm working on normal content, where I really don't care what I attack with.
I reverse slots 1 & 5, so that I can just spam button 1 since it is always populated first, as long as you keep spamming it, you can use it before the card is completely drawn and keep right on killing.

 

It's not random if you lock your cards. It's a choice.

 

Ditto!

 

Well rofo... so much for the 10 slots you've reduced it to 6 slots... now, do you carry a torch in hand also? how do you see your targets?

The system is stupid and I just don't understand it...

I have friends who cook in restaurants... when they cook new dishes and say "Mmmm that tastes great" I always remind them. You're not inviting guests over for dinner... you're here to make money and get people to brag about the food and bring in more customers... what you think doesn't matter its what the largest number of people who come to eat here think... or else... you'd be out of a job. Feed the masses and they shall feed you.

I'm saying it again and again... throw away the random BS and put in a couple dozen hotkeys... make it so I can only build hotkey bars in town at a trainer... I don't care but limiting someone who focuses on magic spells to about a handfull of available spells during combat... sad. Easier on those who focus on one melee type you don't need many hotkeys.

If a dungeion full of undead in one part slimes in another earth elementals another and fire elementals yet another part and the inability to plan for all of the different spells for optimal attack and handle your own healing spells(or a slot for potions) and the need to see via a light spell/nightvision.

I can go on debating the issue... its just plain stupidity and anyone who says it can't be changed is as wrong as the moron who came up with the idea for the system...

Sorry Garrett if that's you who came up with this idiotic system. When I do stupid chit I'd hope you'd tell me I was being an idiot too My friends do on the rare occasion I make mistakes, that's what makes them my friends lol.

Ever heard the phrase... if it ain't broke don't fix it... well games have been using similar combat systems for decades... it wasn't broke, why are you trying to fix it? You're only f'ing it up... My honest opinion.

 

But, you can make multiple decks...

Make a separate deck for elemental/undead enemies.

 

Ok cool now may I please have 20-30 more hotkey spots please...

Oh wait... you're trying to make the game a challenge! ooooh I get ya... kiss goodbye $millions$ of dollars then... and then tell me I wasn't right.

I know how to lock the decks, build the decks, combo decks, stack decks... you're missing the point and I wonder if this is your first online game you've played.

If your desire is to play that way fine, but allow those who don't want it that way to play it their way, fixed hotekys and plenty of them that I can use or cast any skill or spell I have TRAINED and paid GOLD for and have worked HARD (and paid cash for the game itself) to have at my finger tips when needed... unless all we will ever fight is spiders and skeletons, then oh forget it just toss me a mace and a fireball spell thanks...

 

OMG please stop assuming I've never played the game!!!

I have and have had various decks... Fire, water, undead, fire/plate, fire/sword, plate/halberd, plate/mace, and many others with various combinations

Why must people reply thinking that its my first day! LOL

 

Because your avatar is a picture of W, and every day was like W's first day.

 

You can. Just not all at once. Swap decks in between fights. It's like switching to a new weapon in GW2, which only got 5 or 6 hotkeys per weapon.

 

I'm not. I'm providing a solution to your proposed problem.