Ephinea Christmas 2019

Might be good to get back on topic here before we all get slapped. :D I'll just take the response I was writing to DM.
 
i guess this is good a time as any to post this. i've been keeping track of presents, although i may have missed some or misrecorded something bc i forgot to do it right away. anyway, here's my list as of right now:

VH:
TP Material x5
Le Cogneur 15h
Harisen Battle Fan 25h
Harisen Battle Fan 15h
Le Cogneur 25h
Photon Crystal x3
Syringe 15h

Ult:
Photon Crystal x1
PD x5
PD x3
PD x5
Daisy Chain 15h
Hell Autogun 65h
TP material x5
Harisen Battle Fan x15
Flower Cane 25h
Crazy Tune 25h
PD x3
PD x3
PC x5
Luck Material x5
PC x1
Coal x10
TypeGU/Hand 40h
Toy Hammer 25h

PD x3
PC x1
Shouren 15h
Lollipop 25h
Heart of YN-0117

really enjoying the event
 
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Thank you for the event. I've been focusing on hunting an item so i can't complain because i didn't grind the event per se. I did get an Anti-Dark ring, which i didn't have :)

Were there days with boosted present drop-rate this time? like, for example: "Presents will drop x2 or x3 more frecuently on 25th"? I didn't notice, but if not, maybe that would've been nice.
 
Wil said:
"Over-Emphasis of ATA" is kind of a weird critique to apply to the game and then demand some kind of compensation from Dev's/Events to overcome it, like the game having some form of hard cap on how fast you should be able to clear it is a hurdle of some sort. Say Matt or Soda slaps 75% hit on everything and cranks up the drops, are we going to be asking to remove combo locks on items next year? Where are the goalposts here exactly? When can people who are tired of the base game be satisfied once those goalposts are moved, or will we just move them again? Because you're going to hit another wall.

"But I want to HHS/HSS, not NHS". Did SEGA really intend everyone to kill every monster in the game with a single combo? Or 1-cycle every boss? Those extra seconds spent on monsters add up, sure, I get it. But you're intended to learn how to handle that; which monsters you can and can't reasonably expect to combo and which bosses you can and can't reasonably expect to 1-cycle. It's literally the only acquired skill in this game.

Saying the basic game mechanics are what stands in your way of progression is just entitled and weird. Maybe change your view of progression? Maybe you've pushed this almost 20 year old game as far as you can or can be expected with our average server population? Either way, I'd rather the events be removed altogether or give out Meme Items Only than cater to too-prosperous-for-their-own-good players who want to clear Seabed/Tower 1-2 minutes faster.

It's advertised as a Vanilla Server with Sprinkles. Wanting Core Mechanic Changes to the ATA/EVP system, or Free Items with Ridiculous Hit isn't Sprinkles. Maybe you don't want a Vanilla Experience anymore? I suggest Sandbox Mode or Other Servers. I've just seen the same players making the same complaint about the same Stink for years and maybe you should just check your own shoes on this one for a change?
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The point about the game over-emphasizing ATA was not something I initially brought up, so *shrug*

You're over-simplifying the argument, Wil. I would like some further progression that gives players something to do for a VERY long time, even longer than it took to initially get geared up. We're talking like boosting your rare drop chance by 1% for a Photon Hoard (with a cap of 20) or something crazy, for a SINGLE CHARACTER. This would keep players busy for DECADES and they would still have a sense of progression instead of "I play this game endlessly and never get anything."

I don't appreciate the sarcastic remark about being wealthy in game and that the problems we run into as players aren't legitimate. The last I looked, I have about 1.4 Billion (with a B) Experience Points on this server, so I've played for a long time and yes, I've accumulated a lot of the items I want. It's because I REALLY LIKE THIS GAME. Probably more than most people. However, for the last two years or so, it takes a VERY long time to find anything better than what I have. Many other players have this same issue. I want to feel some sense of accomplishment or progression like I used to.

Why do you think Sandbox would help? There's no sense of accomplishment there. I would just like SOMETHING to dump my efforts into that has a cumulative, visible effect, such as minor boosts for obtaining ridiculous amounts of post Lv. 200 XP or massive amounts of PDs. Things like this were brought up as suggestions before BY THE ADMINS, and it's the people who were nowhere near needing any such boosts (because they still had other things to do and enjoy) that shot it all down, which is dumb.

I don't think you're trying to see this from the perspective of anyone but yourself. I try very hard to do that when I suggest something.

For example, let's say that a person could gradually increase his rare drop chance for obtaining XP after Lv. 200. Let's say that between 83 Million (Lv. 200 XP) and ONE BILLION XP, they gradually unlock a 20% rare drop boost. How is that bad or unfair? It would give them something to work toward that doesn't break the game and so they always feel like they got something done when they played. Instead of feeling like they wasted their time 99% of the time because they never find anything that improves their current setup. It wouldn't hurt the economy either because the last time I checked, TWO characters on the server have over a billion XP. Also, it would take the drop rates of most items from 1/LOL to 1 / (LOL x 0.8), so..........why would it be so bad to have something like that?

Regarding the cheap shot remark about clearing Seabed 1-2 minutes faster: This isn't even about time attack. I've only held a couple of records over the years and it was always by accident. I just like to play the game relatively effectively and I like to feel like I got something done when I played other than make a number get bigger that doesn't do anything.

Also, to whoever was concerned about off topic, I would contend this is very much on topic. We were talking about the event, and it led to a larger discussion about the issues players face in the game. This is how conversation works.

Special shout out to @Yuffie for being the only person who ever likes my posts <3
 
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.Kuja said:
Thank you for the event. I've been focusing on hunting an item so i can't complain because i didn't grind the event per se. I did get an Anti-Dark ring, which i didn't have :)

Were there days with boosted present drop-rate this time? like, for example: "Presents will drop x2 or x3 more frecuently on 25th"? I didn't notice, but if not, maybe that would've been nice.
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For Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day; DAR, RDR, Rare Monsters, and EXP were boosted at the same time, and the rates were doubled from the usual rates this year as mentioned in the Discord #announcements on December 16, 2019. I think that the presents were more likely to drop than the usual 1/1500 at the time too, but I think that's a rumor.

As for my hot take on the server's condition including the recent feedback for this event, I expected the nerfs to come and to continue to come. Here's what the presents in the first Christmas Event had in 2015. This year's anniversary event did have a slight nerf from last year too, so I felt confident in my prediction given this prize list is a more useful reference from the first anniversary. Now here's a rhetorical question that we all can answer in hindsight: Where did all these uber drops, including photon spheres, and relatively rare decent hit weapons with relatively easy-to-obtain success rates come from?

Nothing personal, but if the event planners who used to play on SCHT can't learn from those mistakes, that's all I needed to know about what to expect since then. If I had any say on event planning for this server, I personally would have kept the rewards to be merely stylistic items like how SEGA inserted event rappies with event drops or like how SEGA also inserted Item Tickets with a decent shop. To give props though, I applaud the creativity that was put into having some Type weapons with specific hit attributes and specials. I think that's as far as it should have gone because I also think that the custom skins should have been fixed rather than slowly nerfing the prizes because of a lack of foresight from poor event planning over the years that yields problems like this.

Let's not even detail how some rewards have caused surges in trading lots of PD's from the few that were there to take advantage of the events here because I don't expect that conversation to be productive here, so here we are here steeped in loads of coal that won't get us much this year compared to the last few years of present and coal droppings from this event.

Anyways, I'm grateful that I snatched a decent hit Heaven Striker from this auction at the right time while this madness is still going on and while pawning another one to dump a photon sphere. I'm going back to playing this game with my buddy in Hardcore mode to isolate myself from this mess.
 
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Ade said:
This is why Cannon Rouge with 50 hit (a relatively niche weapon that rarely needs that much hit) is going for 475 PDs
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I know the general opinion of CR is that 0-20 hit is fine. But I respectfully disagree. I've tested a number of CR's with varying hit, and the only time I consistently get zero (and I mean ZERO) misses with 'H' spam (on RAml with max ATA), is with 40+hit.
Zero misses with decent AB means it's devastating against certain bosses such as Barba or Gal etc.

Ok so now lets consider how we get one with 40+hit.

Realistically you're going to be hunting Eclairs. Outside of boosted rates you'll be extremely lucky to find even ONE. During the event I spammed Fiasco, and the whole time (so far) I've seen ONE eclair, even with the 150% boost. And it didn't drop anything...
Even if there had been a drop, it most likely wouldn't have had hit.
So to this end, I'm basically in agreement with you. Rare enemies, currently seem to be a bit too rare. At least when it comes to Eclairs.
(Disclaimer: the rare rate with enemies that appear more frequently, such as Zu's etc seem fine - also the rarity with eclairs is also fine IF the drop is worth it. But should CR's fall into that category? IDK... You decide).

Anyway, if you main a ranger, and want a CR that doesn't miss with 'H'. It's basically tough luck. Because you are unlikely to ever find one legit except by pure accident/luck.

So now compare that to how easy it is for traders to accrue a few stacks of PD's, and suddenly 400+ for a 50hit CR doesn't seem so bad...

It's just a shame that the 50-hitter that auctioned recently had 'dark', because that kinda spoils it, as dark is basically useless on a CR. What you really want is N/AB. But still, at least the winner won't be getting a single miss, ever.
(Assuming the character has max ATA.)
 
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N/AB might be preferable to most people but M/D CR has a lot more usage than you would think. Standing under a Canabin ring or for huge grouped dark spawns like final room Fiasco 1, MSB Temple first few waves, Dark Research, and more.
 
Handgun: Milla found. 15h, so prob variable hit.
 
Figure4 said:
I know the general opinion of CR is that 0-20 hit is fine. But I respectfully disagree. I've tested a number of CR's with varying hit,
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ramarl can hit basically everything she wants to hit with 100% H1 with a 35h CR, and doesn’t need need any hit for the bosses you mentioned. probably the most evasive enemy she’d want to strike with a cr is canabin rings and she’ll get to 100% accuracy with a 30/35h CR. (this also happens to be the threshold where she can start attacking unfrozen claws, another of the most evasive targets you might consider using cr for)

50h starts to look really good for ract but is total overkill for a fleshie ranger.

sorry to derail but might as well be useful and pso-related derailment as opposed to some of the hot air and complaining being very graciously tolerated in this thread :confused:
 
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she’ll get to 100% accuracy with a 30/35h CR.
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My point was that most people seem to think 0-20hit is enough. And as you've just clarified, it isn't.

and doesn’t need need any hit for the bosses you mentioned.
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What the hell are you smoking?
Show me a raml not getting any misses at Gal with 0-hit CR using just 'H'... Maybe it's possible if you get lucky, but definately not every time.

Sure, she won't get a single miss with 'N', but 'H' spam is a different story.
 
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cameron- said:
sorry to derail but might as well be useful and pso-related derailment as opposed to some of the hot air and complaining being very graciously tolerated in this thread
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People are free to discuss how they think events should be balanced, whether they think they're too strong or too weak. Opinions on what the staff does are always allowed. We've made our position clear, but that doesn't mean that position can't or shouldn't be criticized.

That said, I am putting a moratorium on off-topic discussion in this thread. Whether or not ATA is a broken stat, post-200 progression should be rewarded, etc. isn't something that belongs in this thread at all. Let's keep the discussion at least tangentially related to the event, thanks.
 
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Here's a very loose recap of how those topics came up:

"The event is weak."

"It's a shame because it's all some of us have to look forward to."

"It's really the only way we can get better hit gear."

"It's too bad that the only thing to do late game is hunt high hit gear because ATA is too important on PSO."

"It would be nice if some of these other post Lv. 200 ideas got approved in the past so we had something else to do."

= more than tangentially related. Saying that a concern over a topic is not allowed to sprout into greater concerns about the game itself is a dangerous road to walk down, comrade.
 
It's fine to talk about, just keep it to another thread. This thread is titled "Ephinea Christmas 2019", not "dissertations on dissatisfaction with game mechanics".

You're free to argue about event balance and related things all you'd like here, but not about whether or not anything you just listed at or past "what to do late-game" is off-topic. Thanks.
 
Is it possible for a present to have nothing in it? Because that just happened to me.

EDIT: Never mind. Seems it was a server sync error and I had to change blocks. Now I have the items from the gift.
 
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