Ghosts are jerks.

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Themo Lock, Jan 2, 2015.

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  1. Albus

    Albus Avatar

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    I agree that it is easy to blame lifesteal and healing mechanisms in general, as they utterly overwhelm any melee systems entirely in my observation. Are there other ways to defeat a ghost? Certainly, and particularly at range, though for sake of balance example melee provides perhaps the simplest test comparision for balance purposes. Fight the ghost with whatever close-in combat abilties you like but without healing and/or lifesteal and report results, and then compair the same with a little lifestealing and healing tossed in, and I think they will speak for themselves. The same can be seen in pvp easily enough.
     
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  2. graylake21

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    we have aoe life steal, :p
    as far as trying to help, kay. i mean really,
     
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  3. OoOo lollie oOOo

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    If combatant A is just firing skills, and combatant B is just firing skills, the fight will be quick and the best or luckiest fighter will win.

    If combatant A is healing and firing skills, and combatant B is just firing skills, combatant A will win.

    If combatant A is healing and firing skills, and combatant B is healing and firing skills, the fight will last longer and the best or luckiest fighter will win.

    That's just the nature of games where there is a healing skill, and all other skills do roughly the same damage as the next skill. Healing makes a fight last longer and gives the player more chances to land a crit or three, possibly tipping the scales in their favour.

    Now add some CC.

    Bottom line, is our healing skills do not even come close to their healing skills, in a game where scales are generally tipped in our favour vs the mobs as far as skill damage goes. Ghosts are certainly OP, and have skills we do not have, can fire those skills more often than we can, and are definitely OP for the piddly 300xp they give. And on top of that, they travel in packs of two or more. Obviously they are not balanced.
     
  4. graylake21

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    option b: good heals, can keep you alive through anything but most people don't run full healing spells
     
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  5. Albus

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    Agreed, that healing/lifestealing is overpowered relative to other skills here as in most games, "the nature of games where there is a healing skill," though it need not be so and I think you are hinting the same in referrencing CC as potential counter to healing systems. A system wherein there is serious consequence to healing/lifestealing skills being interrupted for instance could lead to balance. Say the ghost's lifesteals were not instant, and left him "stunned" if interrupted by a melee bash for instance, therein could lie balance. Perhaps a discussion for another thread though (not to derail the ghost topic into my side topic of healing/lifestealing entirely, sorry about that!), as I agree that instant AoE lifetap of ghosts is even more potent in group situations.
     
  6. The Hendoman

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    i'm just throwing this out there - did anyone try to make an undead slayer sword? sword with garlic or holy water or an ahnk necklace in it? the weapon could be the key: and i bet there is armour that can have undead resists. maybe that ectoplasm drops from the skeletons?
     
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  7. graylake21

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    all tried

    [​IMG]
     
  8. graylake21

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    I would really love a silver recipe, but, I'm not holding my breath for it. To be honest, I've been pretty on the narrow with my myriad of options to try, but if you would like these 4 silver ingots whisper me in game, and feel free to test for yourself. I won't hinder it, and hell if you discover something, you'd be legend!
     
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  9. Katrina Bekers

    Katrina Bekers Localization Team

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    I'm quite proud I solo'ed Spectral Mines yesterday, giving eternal rest to those damn bastards poor wandering souls. Damage saturation does wonders.
     
  10. Oyjord Hansen

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    I'm only 29, but I think I have a nice Blades build, and Ghosts just eat me for lunch. I can't figure them out at all. They're either WAY OP, or we just haven't found their vulnerability yet. Regardless, they aren't fun :(
     
  11. Sammegarian

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    I find ghosts annoying too. I can (sometimes) engage two ghosts in a fight, kill one (Is kill even the right word for ghosts? Should it be "Dispatch?") and flee, getting away before the second one finishes me off. Incidentally I can only do this because because of the guidance of graylake21 (thread of gaylike -- guide to follow) I'm currently level 54.
     
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  12. Duke Lorimus

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    Fire Dots + Death Touch = NP on Ghosts Busting . Keep your Int up.
     
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  13. fattymoomooman

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    Just throwing this out there, but is it really all that bad to have one or two enemies that players truly fear in the game even in earlier zones? Its only like having to solo melee a poison elemental, white wyrm or balron in the early days of UO (the current game and its armour resist system threw all that out of whack). Maybe the issue here is giving ghosts a bit more xp per kill and slightly better loot - make them worth seeking out among the lesser undead. Also possibly slow them down or reduce their aggro range, as if they are haunting a particular spot.

    I don't mind ghosts being OP, it is possible to kill them, a group works well if some stand away and use ranged, they appear to have aoe life drain and the main issue is having 2-3 melee stood next to a ghost, it then drains way too fast to beat its life down. Use the correct tactics with a small group and as long as you aren't stacking more than 2 ghosts you should be ok.

    One well armoured tank build meleeing the ghost, a ranged spell/archer dps and someone with heal capabilities works wonders fighting more than one ghost (though we are back to the MMO holy trinity by doing this). Likewise 2 high dps builds not both stood close works well with taking a single ghost by out-dpsing its drain capabilities.

    The main thing that could do with fixing on ghost is the LOS issues as the cover system will not help when implemented the way they are now.
     
  14. Katrina Bekers

    Katrina Bekers Localization Team

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    Not at all.

    I enjoy dissipating them, and the sense of achievement is great.

    Unfortunately, there's a fine line between challenging and frustrating, between dangerously entertaining and mindnumbingly annoying. And ghosts are on both sides of this line.

    As you suggest, there are some mitigating developments that - while keeping the adrenaline appropriately flowing - can bring back the fun factor in such battles.

    1) LOS. And I'd add range and aggro persistence. Nothing ingame has such a huge range for its abilities (for example elite elf mages) and it's equally stubborn in chasing the player everywhere, ignoring tons of hard rock inbetween. Fleeing should be an option, even if dangerous.

    2) Better reward. Especially when they patrol a chokepoint. It must be worth it to engage them. At the moment you're just forced to fight them.

    3) AOE drain/rate of fire. It's seriously counterintuitive that the more manpower you bring to a fight, the lesser the chance you can win. And the frequency of casts is simply unbelievable. It's basically a permanent area of drainage.

    4) Respawn rate. C'mon, I'm sure I killed you no more than five minutes ago, you're back already? Eventually leave a corpse (the ectoplasmic residue is more appropriate for a ghost than for a skeleton!) that disappears only once looted.

    I'm pretty sure devs will look into ghosts sooner or later. I love there's an opponent who always gives you a run for your money. I'm perplexed it comes in a 300XP package.
     
  15. The Hendoman

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    im really REALLY hoping there isnt a bunch of bosses that take three people 30 minutes to fight down. I am so bored with that in uo.

    The Hendoman
     
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  16. fattymoomooman

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    Agreed, there can sometimes be a fine line to tread between challenge and grind...
     
  17. A Ghost

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    Jeez... I take a few days off, and I'm greeted with this. ^

    Thanks, Thermo. I thought we was friends... *sniff*
    [​IMG]

    BTW - Tea-bagging is a long-honored tradition amoungst us ghosts. It's how we "honor" the fallen. :p
     
  18. Themo Lock

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    haha this thread was actually from when ghosts were first added, it got resurrected at some point.
     
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  19. A Ghost

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    So, it's a thread...
    about ghosts...​
    that are jerks...​
    that got resurrected...​
    so, they're not ghosts anymore...​
    so, they must be, um, PvPers?​

    That would explain the tea-bagging then. :p
     
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  20. Sammegarian

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    LOL
     
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