Rant about Epic Weapons

[Carianna]

Okay, this is my Epic Rant

As we all know, the epic weapons were born when Ruins of Kunark was released. When this expansion was released, it raised the level cap from 50 to 60 and they introduced a GREAT idea. The epic weapon for each class. At the time these weapons were the best items in the game. Even though the Velious expansion they were still the best weapons in the game. The quests, for the most part, were designed very well and made them feel like a epic item. One that you would work very hard to achieve, and have a nice reward to go along with it.

Now the rant. With the release of Shadows of Luclin, and now Planes of Power, though still a very nice weapon, the epics have lost some of their glamour and power. There are weapons with just as much power, or just slightly under their power in Luclin. Now with Planes of Power, there are weapons of greater power than the epic weapons.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I still think that the Epic weapons are still a wonderful idea, and even as they stand, they are a bench mark for you growth, and are still a very nice weapon for most classes. But they have not grown with the rest of the world around them.

I can understand that they didn’t feel it needed to add to the epic weapon quests when they released SoL. But after its release and some play time and, I would hope they recognized the situation, you would have thought they would have started a “Epic Expansion” or “Epic Upgrade” quest in PoP to once again make Epic weapons, well, Epic!

Though to a point I do agree that the Epic Weapons should be able to be done solo, but a large chunk of the epic encounters that used to need a full raid force to complete, now only need a strong group, maybe 2 to complete. In some ways good, but in other ways, not so good.

Another reason I think they should re do the Epic Quests is to fix some other issues. Now I’m going to use the Wizard epic for example, as it is the one I am most famliar with and know of its 2 big issues that could be solved with a re-work of the quest.

First, When you get told to find the NPC in Halas, you are not given ANY clue as to where to go to look for this particular NPC. No where in the conversation you are given does it say that it has been rumored to be in the everfrost, Halas, Barbarian area. And to make it worse, the mob is a normal Shaman vendor unless you give them the correct item to spawn the NPC. You could hail them all day and would never get the clue that this is the person. Right click on the NPC and you get a normal store inventory. How frustrating, in this case, thank god for spoilers.

Second, some mobs just have to many epic quests attached to them! For examply Phinny. MY GOD!!! There are 4 to 5 epic pieces that drop off this character. You should not have to kill Phinny 25 to 35 times on average to get the piece you need! Thank god that Verrent, yes I know I said Verrent and I mean Verrent because when this game was designed, it was designed by Verrent, made it so you can kill a mob over and over and over again. If this was a Pen and Paper game, and you missed out on the kill, you would never get the chance to get the epic piece you need.

They have made changes to other epic quests, for example the Cleric epic. So why can they add just another small segment to the Wizard epic that we have to go research this, kill that one mob, get this one piece and then turn it in to some creature in KK to spawn the Phinny that has the blue crystal staff?

And well, no offense to anyone, but damn it, make the wizards epic a little harder. Most of it is so easy, it took me 30 minutes to get to the point that all I needed was the 3 starff, and most of that time was just waiting for the zone to load.

[rick7475]

It would be nice to upgrade the epics so that they are still viable past level 60, and comparable to POP weapons.

But somehow I think that Verant will pass on this. I'm still going to get my epic, I think of it as an acheivement, and it is a nice weapon with nice stats ">

[Carianna]

Oh, I'm still pushing for mine as well. and I want it badly. Its nothing to sneeze at. Just seems that there are a few things they could fix that would make the quest better, now that ther eare over twice the zones and also some thing they could do to upgrade them as well.

[Talos Thornweaver]

I agree with you both Cari and Rych...the epic are not as good as some PoP weapons, but the stats are still nice. But I am doing mine for the achievement of it also...I put alot of time into my epic and the achievement of completing it will be a major trophy for me in EQ that I will have and cherish forever.


- Talos

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Well, the epics that have held up best are the ones that aren't used primarily as weapons. The big problem is that Verant is physically unable to stop putting out bigger, better and easier to get weapons in each expansion. (I still don't get why windblades are droppable, for instance.) And while this is great news for the full-time Bazaar people, it's sort of odd that, in a back-handed way, they step all over the epics.

I think simply tweaking the stats of the epic once a year would work, too, to keep them up to date.

[Mildane]

Or like, making it so it didnt take over a year to get the weapon, that would be cool.

[rick7475]

"I think simply tweaking the stats of the epic once a year would work, too, to keep them up to date."

I agree. I mean when it comes to the pally or warrior epics, a simple tweeking of the ratio is all that is required.

The pally epic is a 35 40 two-hander with a very nice proc and very nice stats. The windblade is 44 50, making it a godly uber weapon (and I agree that I'm not sure why it is droppable, though I am happy it is because I got mine cheap when they were common drops). The pally epic Fiery Defender, of course, used to have a godly ratio compared to other weapons, but when you have weapons like the Weighty Poleaxe that comes close to the FD's dmg output ratio (not including the FD's procs) that can be had for 500pp, you have to question Verant's wisdom. Or swords like the Greatsword of Shadows, retail 10-15k, 35 34, or the Widebladed Greatsword, retail 20-25k, 35 35, and now the newly enhanced Reaver, retail 15- 20k, at 40 40, why would a pally spend all his time on an epic that can be out dmged by weapons available in the bazaar?

I saw the enhancement made to the Reaver, and I know that Verant does make changes to some items.

Anyway, a simple ratio cludge on the FD would make it more attractive than POP weapons. Say a ratio of 40 40 like the Reaver, or 40 dmg 35 del, that would be sweet ">

And change the warrior light sabers as well.


Anyway, I hope Verant is thinking along these lines.

[Carianna]

Exactly Whiz, and the part that is open to them, is a second line of epic quests that would make the story line for the epic valid and would give a path that could be taken or not taken. That is all I'm saying. The epics were designed to work with EQ Classic and Ruins of Kunark. Just think that it would be cool to now include a quest that would make the Epic better, that would include the new expansions as well.

[Lillishiana]

True.. just a little twinking on all the weapons and it would make them so much more.. vialbe as more than a status symbol.

[Jarsace]

warrior epic is 14 damage 24 delay, I bet if they knocked the delay down to say 18 or 19 there would be a lot more Warriors running around with glow sticks

[Goladus]

You guys have a great general forum here hehe... All that's ever in ours is banter.

But here's my perspective as a mage:

Our epic is nice... all through Kunark, Velious, and Luclin it was epic, there was simply nothing that compared to the epic pet. But you know what? That actually took something away from the fun of playing a mage. Without the epic pet, a magician has to choose one of four pets, each with varying strengths and weaknesses. Picking the right pet for the right situation is part of the fun of playing a mage in the first place. The epic is superior in nearly all situations, taking any real choices away. It's definitely fun for awhile, the epic pet is a monster. But eventually it gets kind of boring. An upgrade to our epic would not return to us the need to make a choice. Instead, PoP has given us back our old pets, each one with strengths and weaknesses.. generally more useful than our epic but not epic themselves.

Many melees encounter much the same thing. Rogues, having no other item with +40ATK, find it extremely difficult to upgrade their epic. Monks too, have very few items that they would use over their epic gloves. Getting loot is part of the fun of the game, and for melees, their weapons should be as varied as our pets.. moreso I would say, since there are any number of weapons most melees will never see. A continuing chain of "epics" is a good idea, but it's also limiting in the sense that it takes weapon variety away.

So anyway I'm personally glad to see that they aren't doing epics again. I am glad to see more frequent use of particle effects and cooler looking weapons/held items in PoP, though.

[Azartz Wizard]

I say new epics for 60-65 that are just as tough to get as the kunark ones when kunark came out or harder

[CorpsedAgain]

Seems like SoE is in the milking stage. I would not expect any new material or anything of the sort for free any time soon. The error here is in thinking epic means best. Doing epic is about the quest now mostly. Think of it as a quested item. I still thing everyone should do theirs though.

[Jaffod]

Hey Corpsed glad I could help with the slows and DoTs the other day, not often folks actually want that stuff cast on them

[Elyhim]

hmmm tougher?


/sigh