Would AAs that work only when soloing be worth to you?

[Vilicontus]

Just one of those random ideas that popped into my mind. From all the AAs that we have seen, we can see that most of them are useful for both grouping and soloing. However, there are always people that complain that they cannot solo well, especially us melee classes :rolleyes:

So, what I want to open up for discussion is this: How would a specific tab of AAs that function ONLY when you solo affect the game?

For example, warriors could have improved DPS AAs, innate proc AAs like stuns or snares or heals etc, improved melee focii, V3 haste. Casters could get innate spell focii like spell haste and mana preservation, improved mana regen and whatever else they might find attractive. What would make these AAs balaned imo is that they can only activate when you are not in a group.

Why should we bother with such AAs? Well they provide the option of going solo against exp mobs (within reason!) during those LFG blues. It helps those who prefer to solo when questing simple stuff. And I'm sure it'll help when you need to find the tradeskill stuff that you need.

Some would probably contend that the tribute system already gives a lot. However, like the current AAs, they are beneficial to both group and solo situations. The concept of the solo AA line I'm opening for discussion here is geared solely for that, soloing. And there's really no need to be conservative if we're going to push for such AAs, we could go over the top just to make it possible to solo decently.

Feel free to fire away at this. It's definitely not important to our tanking cause, but I'm just curious if such an idea would actually gain support from the EQ players.

[Torrinx]

too easy to exploit unless you had code to also determine additional aggro/damage to a mob. take a group of 6 warriors ungrouped beating down on a mob, one of them will get the experience for a solo kill. they then rotate the exp by learning when to back down off a mob so that the one persons chance of getting the exp is increased.

then you could also have griefers/helpers that come by and throw in a swing/nuke on a mob you are soloing and you then loose the aa abilities and have your butt handed to you.

probly the best way to do it would be to assign values for equipment you are wearing/carrying and in an instanced zone have mobs spawn that you would be able to defeat and earn exp. it would be extreamly tough to do and you may even loose exp. this would make it feasible for you to gain solo exp without making it the best way.

[Redhenna]

I can't speak for everyone, but, even if issues like Torrinx brought up where wroked around, I still would most likely not buy these AA's till I ahd finished pretty much every other AA. IF I wanted to play a solo class, I would role one up. I prefer groups.

[Brutul]

That's a pretty interesting idea. Whether it's realistic or not I dunno, but it's an interesting thought.

[Keane Abrams]

Speaking as a person who has never played any toon over level 35 other than my warrior I would have zero interest in these AA's. I don't want to solo, that is why I play a warrior.

[Yoda]

the question is "how to determine if a PC is soloing ?"
* it is not grouped
* the PC shouldn't have buff casted on him (and summoned item given) that isn't from him (self buff only).
* it shouldn't fight mobs really tought for him : no red cons, and even yellow maybe.
* these mobs should have only him (and his pets) on its hate list.
* these mobs shouldn't be group/raid target for under-lvl players.

thus it isn't ready to be tested yet, since you have to implement :
* the name of the caster on the effective spell effect, same with sommuned items.
* these AA must have dynamic feedback like tribute (this isn't the case for now), but in a much more complex way since it must check on every target switch.
* these AA should be avaiable at lower lvl (why waiting for lvl 50+ to solo efficiently?), which isn't a problem.

so, yes I think it can be very interesting to do such solo AA/skills/etc..., however it needs major game-mechanic changes.

[EmiliaEQ]

Well i know they can code mobs to act in specifics way depending on their agro list.
Queen in Natimbi, try her with 60+ = half the raid gets TPed
And i think its the same with the guy in PoM

So if you want to make this work its kinda easy :

1) Make an AA spell called "SoloBuff" reusable every 10 mins, duration of 10 mins

2) "SoloBuff" totally dispells you

3) "SoloBuff" makes you 100% immune to all beneficial spells casted on you

4) "Solobuff" gives you Ac/HP/Haste/Regen/DS/ Etc Etc Etc Etc

5) "Solobuff" checks your targets hate list every tick, if there is someone else than you it, your current target gets a complete heal

6) "Solobuff" can not be dispelled/cured or anything before it has run for 10 mins.

This will prevent every cheating aspect of the "pseudo solo'" such as :
- Over time healing
- Short Duration temporary monsterbuffs
- Outside nuking
- Outside buffing

While really helping people that really want / have to solo.

The only aspect i cant go around is griefers exploiting the N°5 issue.
But i am sure someone can come up with a more creative idea about that, right ?

[Holywrath]

So, to get these AA, won't you just have to group anyway? And the aa you spend on the "solo aa" could have been spent on the AA that we already have.

This idea isn't anywhere near related to EQ. However, I know that you can solo in WoW as a melee, hell, I have yet to group in WoW.

[Ayida]

no