Comments on: Nod of Camaraderie

By: Clearings in the Lonely Woods | Kill Ten Rats

Clearings in the Lonely Woods | Kill Ten Rats — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:26:16 +0000

[...] This is not a new idea, but it is a simple one with pretty significant effects on the journeying population. I don’t know if the “clearings” will maintain themselves through Mirkwood. I tend to doubt it as the simplified 1:1 ratio gives way to “story” and the expense of creating landmass versus quests. Still, for the first sub-zone in Mirkwood, I am happy with my meaningful brief fellowship encounters. [...]

By: Aelwr

Aelwr — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:37:57 +0000

At low levels it got me killed more than once. But now with a little experience under my belt I don’t mind. Its also a faster way to finish those quests where you have to kill 3 or more of the same creature. It takes less time overall since you get credit for the group kills. The thing I don’t like is the people that call for help then quit out when you join.

By: Victoria Silver

Victoria Silver — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 06:38:30 +0000

Personally I enjoy this mechanic for the most part, though I have had my share of problems with it. There are always going to be issues with this sort of thing, basically in Wizard 101 they chose to embrace a more community-based combat mechanic to avoid the kind of kill stealing you might otherwise find – of course it brings new problems along. Still, I’ve had mostly positive encounters with the system. I especially like that you can send out a yell for help to your friends and they can instantly teleport into your combat to help you out – now that’s cool!

By: Hess

Hess — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 02:42:39 +0000

This mechanic is actually one of the things I really like about the game. Sure there’s room for improvement and it can be a little irritating but the number of times I’ve accidentally jumped/been jumped in/on has made for some fairly amusing duels.

Just last night I was playing around solo and ended up with a little crew for the boss duels in Firecat Alley. It’s all solo-able content at lvl 10+ but fun with a little informal group. There was no chat beyond commentary like “wow”, “too easy”, “hah!” and the likes.

I think an option to “lock out” your dueling area wouldn’t work in many cases, as they seem to be preset for the area you’re in. I.E. if you aggro a mob and there’s a few other people nearby all with their areas locked out you’d have run a pretty good distance to start the duel.

I’ve burned myself out in Eve and LotRO so perhaps my love for W101 comes from the simplicity of it all. I’ve no concept of what gear I “should” be wearing, if the cards I have are all I’m limited to (it seems like it) or what to really do with all the crafting mats I’ve gathered…and the game still feels 100% playable, if not too easy at times.

By: Yeebo

Yeebo — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:32:57 +0000

Adds that you bring into a fight usually tend to target you (not always, but much more than %50 of the time). If someone joins your fight ignore the guys that they bring with them until you get your guys down. Works more often than not in my experience.

I personally don’t jump into random fights unless I’m invited. However I don’t really mind when players jump into my fights. If I have such a low safety margin in a non-boss fight that a player jumping in can screw me, it’s time to fiddle with my deck. It’s one of the core game mechanics, after all. I fully expect it to happen.

By: yunk

yunk — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:55:57 +0000

I don’t know I feel kinda the opposite of most posters. I learned I can’t try to maximize my efficiency and try to just go with the flow. It’s really a different kind of game almost. At the beginning I was getting annoyed at people that jumped in, but then I came to the conclusion I was playing the game “wrong”. that the ease of jumping in was the point, and the other players were playing it as designed.

Now I just cruise around doing quests, sure sometimes I have to kill extra during long fights. Other times those long fights help me finish off a quest before I could have done it otherwise. I think there was a “letting go” process I went through that allowed me to enjoy it more.

However that doesn’t mean I jump in when others are fighting. Because I feel rude :) So… yeah it’s weird. But if I need to fight and I see someone else that just started I will, since my “main” is balance/life he goes best with others.

By: Moondog548

Moondog548 — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:38:31 +0000

Sounds like W101 is a great game for griefing little kids. I’m signing up for an account right now! >:}

By: Ethic

Ethic — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:09:24 +0000

I actually do just that. I stand nearby and observe the status. Usually the wizard in battle will simply say “yes”, “no” or “help” and that lets me know what they want me to do.

That said, this is how they designed the game so you are playing as intended.

When I am playing my Life wizard it is not the same, I want people to join as healing them is the main point of enjoyment for him.

By: Ravious

Ravious — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:55:09 +0000

So what you are all telling me, is I am a bad player for jumping in to battles with savage glee thinking this is the cultural way to play. I guess the polite (slow) thing to do is chat with those in battle while standing on the sidelines. Live and learn.

By: Bri

Bri — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:46:51 +0000

As a Life wizard, one of my primary considerations when I jump into another’s battle is to ensure we *both* walk away from the fight. That being said I usually avoid other people’s fights unless I see they need a healer.