Neverwinter’s “Open Beta” has been rough, especially if you are a survivor of the “Catostrophic” events last month, but there appears to be a light at the end of this horrible, exploit filled tunnel. The recently released details of the MASSIVE patch due on May 20th have lifted my spirits and I have included a video of the new area that is both daunting and impressive; The Caverns of Gauntlgrym.
This area is very different than anything I have ever seen or played before, and I am interested to see how it works with the population. Gauntlgrym combines PvE and PvP into one large encounter, your group must proceed through the PvE sections and then be victorious in the PvP portion (which is filled with mini bosses and adds) to get phat loots. If your group wins the PvP section the next area’s bosses will drop Tier 2 armor, while the losing group is sent to bosses that only drop Tier 1 items. It is an interesting concept and I am curious to see how it plays out.
The Good
While I am going to be nervous about the new area until I actually run it, I am thrilled for the majority of the proposed changes. Mainly normalization, even though I have learned how to outlast Trickster Rogues (notice I did not say beat!)
I am excited to see a lot of normalization for all the classes, I think we can all agree GWF needs some love. It appears my Cleric will get knocked down a couple pegs but I have witnessed firsthand the ridiculousness that is a cleric in 60 PvP and agree it needs tweaking. Each class has a host of issues that will be addressed including the many broken features of the Control Wizard class and healing aggro is another complaint that will be tackled with the patch.
I Can Log Into Protectors Enclave Again?
I was one of the many people who were stuck at a Protectors Enclave loading screen after a recent patch. Eventually patched with a hot fix, I still (like many others) don’t get the best FPS while in PE but Cryptic is saying they will implement major changes that will; “significantly improve graphical performance in Protector’s Enclave.” As well as saying this about general issues with servers; “Several stability improvements have been implemented.”
Grouping Gets Better
Previously queuing was a nightmare, if someone left halfway through the dungeon you were stuck! You had the choice to try without said person or give up, I remember four-manning the wolf den boss; while it was a victory I will never forget, it was quite frustrating losing our tank. Those issues will supposedly be solved, if someone leaves a group that ROLE will be replaced, additionally they will be transported to the furthest available spawn point! I think I am most excited for; “The Queue UI now has sortable columns for level and gear score requirements.”
The Bad
A lot of nice additions to quests and areas will make leveling or hanging out in Protectors Enclave even prettier but I do have a couple issues with the patch, namely PvP. Bots are the bane of my existence, I currently level through PvP so if I get into a game with 2 bots it really can make the game frustrating. After the latest patch I have seen less bots but they are still present and currently the only way to get rid of them is to kick them.
The patch notes say; “Players may no longer be kicked from PvP maps unless they are disconnected.” While that is a positive for people who (and I have experienced this) have been kicked for no other reason than the leader wants to afk it doesn’t address the bots. And it gets worse; “PvP matches that go by much more quickly than expected now give fewer rewards.” This does take care of the afker situation, but prevents normal players from both kicking bots (and/or afkers) and from giving up when you land in a group with 2-3 bots (I hate getting slaughtered over and over.)
What I am hoping is that overall game adjustments will prevent bots and that I will have nothing to worry about, but it still makes me nervous. Other tweaks to prevent afking include the limitations of assists, in order to assist in a kill you must now damage the target, I have mixed thoughts on this as a DC I tag every player anyways but could be crappy if you are using other spells.
Sprinkles’ Thoughts
Other bug fixes include UI adjustments, AH fixes, mail, character sheet changes, in layman’s terms a lot of crap is getting handled finally. After taking a step back from the game shortly after the economy crash, I am looking forward to Cryptic’s reconstructive surgery, and not just using a Hello Kitty band-aid, on the game. Even more exciting is the test realm launching soon, so we can all see and play these changes. While I may remain skeptical until the patch, largely my faith has been renewed in Nerverwinter.
For those who read this, what are you looking forward to in the mega patch?
Published: Jun 8, 2013 02:09 am