there had to be some middle solution. like why not put timer to use another wisdom potion, for 7 days or something, same with 600cp product crafting? surely those few high level players won't feel threatened.
I've been brainstorming some simple solutions regarding balancing the adventure reward system, but this is very interesting indeed and it never even crossed my mind. This is the exact kind of thinking that we need to adopt if we want to try and improve what should be an exciting feature for all involved.
This post could get quite long from here, but I've been quiet in this thread so far, so you've had your respite.
I don't like the fact that the word "abuse" is being used at all in this instance, since as far as I can tell, everybody has acted within the confines of the game. Sure, AFK players and the rapid gain of exp have both been major problems, but they're separate issues and I don't believe using one to argue a point relating to the other is the best way to go about solving either.
I'm not here to argue my point, as the direction this discussion has taken over the last couple of pages is rather detrimental to progress. Instead, I'll try to address several concerns that have been raised, both valid and not so valid, in a manner that will not attract an "anonymous" message accusing me of practising one or more forms of witchcraft including, but not limited to, mind reading.
A couple of things that are important to remember in discussions such as these are that all opinions should be considered valid and if you provide your feedback in an aggressive manner, you're not entitled to call foul if someone responds accordingly.
However, to protect my throat from any jumping down or tearing, I will provide you all with the short version of my own opinion. While I can see the benefit of the exp potions as an added incentive to play adventures and provide feedback during the testing phase, it should have been obvious that they would need to be removed at a later date and an announcement to that effect would have prevented players from feeling cheated, which seems to be the prevailing opinion at the moment.
That said, I do firmly believe that the potions in their current form have no place being rewarded so abundantly from a minigame that expends no energy and places the player at no risk. Like I mentioned earlier in this thread, it was the equivalent of giving fort manoeuvres an exp reward. I'm not saying there should be no exp rewarded for participating in adventures, as they do take time and a degree of skill. It's just that the amount of exp being earned was not consistent with the amount of exp provided by the other aspects of the game. The players' experiences from the Beta server indicated this quite forcibly.
Speaking of manoeuvres, they - along with the game's ill-fated foray into online poker - are perfect examples of what happens when a feature exists with no real rewards: no one will use it. And let's face it, the only rewards worth winning in adventures with the removal of the exp potions are the Outlaw's set pieces, and they have such a frustratingly low drop rate that I'd be more likely to quit adventures than search for them for any extended period of time.
Therefore, I believe the key lies in finding a balance between risk and reward. Since I don't think applying energy or HP to adventures is the best course of action, a reward system that is more satisfactory but less destructive needs to be developed.
That's where this thread comes into play. Instead of bashing each other and claiming immunity under the pretence of providing valuable feedback, spend a bit of time throwing around ideas. I've already seen several valid suggestions, and that's without any collaboration between players. These include:
1. Increase the drop rate of loot chests.
2. Add more valuable/unique items to the loot chests.
3. Raise the price of the exp potion in the VP store.
4. Create a new potion that gives a fixed amount of exp rather than a level dependant percentage.
5. Fafer's excellent suggestion to add a time limit on exp buffs. Even if it's as short as 24 hours rather than a week, it would go a long way towards balancing adventure exp compared to, say, fort battle exp.
6. The
Almighty Brown Tie has offered its services once again as a reward. Praise be to the Almighty Brown Tie, for it is benevolent, gracious and brown.
I've only played a handful of adventures and I don't claim to be an expert by any means. Quite the contrary, in fact - I'm a massive njub. You people have the experience needed to develop the best solution possible, but only if you actually direct your efforts towards doing so.
Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to add the potion to the shop in the first place, and perhaps the removal wasn't handled as smoothly as players would have liked. But hindsight is a beautiful thing, and it's easy to look at it this way now. Mistakes were made and admitted to, and the only direction we should be looking now is forward.
Alternatively, we could continue to argue amongst ourselves over things so petty as each other's attitudes and allow things to remain as they are. Or worse still, we could let Inno come up with a replacement reward on their own, and we all know that can only lead to a wheel of fortune and being showered with bond letters, junk chests and motivation buffs.