Runes of Magic US / AU

In my opinion, RoM instances currently lack the feel of progression. Typical MMO progression is something like this: easy mode to get used to the layout, normal mode to work out the strategies and hard mode for the extra challenge.

As it stands now, most guilds and casual groups are at best able to complete instances on easy mode with those remaining typically bypassing normal altogether and heading straight to hard mode. The many reasons for this would be off topic and risk potential side tracking so moving on…

I think the easiest and most encompassing approach would be to focus on normal modes and reinstate them as well…the norm. I agree with other posts about changing the gear drops or at least changing the stat tables to drop gear with better (if lower level) stats on them.

However, I don’t think that the gear in and of itself will be enough to entice more players to run normal modes more often. Current normal difficulty can be more challenging in many ways than hard modes - you only have half the amount of players in the group and the difficulty is tuned only marginally lower than hard modes. To address this, I would also recommend going back to 12 man normal mode raids. Better gear drops and the ability for more players to get involved might actually help RoM to retain more players.

Quoted from "SHAYdynasty"

So far it looks like the 2 new instances are somewhat refreshing. Madro last boss with the whole phase change requires a strat to it, negating the ability to full burn 100-0. Looks like you also have to interact with other objects that spawn rather than just hammering away at the boss. Havent had much tries at it, just what I have seen with the limited attempts. I like it, feels way more rewarding when this boss goes down. unlike the first 3 bosses...we killed them...meh lets move on, what a great feeling that was -.-

Seems likr first in troll nest can be stratted as well.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BAu3EmikTkY

These are the GOOD instance designs in my opinion. Bosses that can be stratted slowly, but you can still bypass the strat with a really good burn for sake of efficient farming.

I'd say it's ok to have 1 unburnable boss per instance (at least at level cap). Like Troll Nest last or Raven Heart 1st. But if the strat takes too long (CoE 5th and looks like Raven 1st) PLEASE have very little time of trash mobs (preferably none) inbetween that long heavy strat boss and the next one.

Right now I'm happy with the new instances. Troll Nest 1-3 burnable, while first could be stratable, and 4th has a decent non-burn strat. Raven Heart 1st heavy strat and 2-3 burns; hopefully one of them is stratable.

I think this is a step in the right direction, but not quite there yet. Honestly all the gear is cookie-cut already so why not just come up with a perfect instance design and cookie-cut that a bit too? I'm just rambling now so I'll present an idea that is actually thought out and organized below.


Elements of a perfect instance design in my opinion:
• Strat Boss: Boss that can be stratted and DPS'd slowly but you can bypass the strat with a burn. e.g.: Crypt of Eternity 1st
• DPS Check Boss: Burn or Die. This is where you cut off the midgame from the endgame. e.g.: Belathis 4th, Grotto 4th, Pillars 3rd, CoE 2nd, Hall of Earth 1st and 4th, etc.
• Epic Strat Boss: Strat boss, not able to burn past the strat* (at least at level cap). Preferably last boss or having no trash to the next boss. e.g.: Bethomia 7th, Belathis 3rd, Grotto 3rd (perfect), Pillars 5th, Crypt of Eternity 5th etc.
(If I'm wrong about an example please let me know so I can edit it and Runewaker doesn't get bad ideas because of me)


Instance design: High percentage of Strat Bosses, 1-2 DPS Check bosses (depending if it's a 5- or 6+ boss instance), ONLY 1 Epic Strat Boss.

Example of a 5 Boss instance:
• 1st boss - Strat Boss (or Epic Strat Boss)
• 2nd boss - Strat Boss (or DPS check)
• 3rd - DPS check (or either Strat Boss or Epic Strat Boss)
• 4th - Strat Boss (or Epic Strat boss)
• 5th - Epic Strat (or DPS check since I believe last boss should be something actually epic. Epic strat or epic burn.)


If it's a 6+ boss instance you just fill in with Strat Bosses and/or have a 2nd DPS check boss deeper in the instance. 4 or less, remove Strat Bosses and keep at least one of each.


What this means:
1) More people can farm the stats from hard mode instead of just endgamers.
2) If items for all class-types (Int,Dex,Str,Sta) drop from the first 1 or 2 bosses then midgamers who are not quite endgame can farm the latest instance stats to be able to get past those pesky DPS-check bosses.
3) Instance variety is still not lost. You can rearrange all bosses around except for 1st I'd say. The true distinction will be the strats.

Let me know what you think of this idea.

Quoted from "Magío"

Instance design: High percentage of Strat Bosses, 1-2 DPS Check bosses (depending if it's a 5- or 6+ boss instance), ONLY 1 Epic Strat Boss.

Example of a 5 Boss instance:
• 1st boss - Strat Boss (or Epic Strat Boss)
• 2nd boss - Strat Boss (or DPS check)
• 3rd - DPS check (or either Strat Boss or Epic Strat Boss)
• 4th - Strat Boss (or Epic Strat boss)
• 5th - Epic Strat (or DPS check since I believe last boss should be something actually epic. Epic strat or epic burn.)

KBN, imo, has a great instance design. (besides trash, trash was BRUTAL)

1st - a very simple strat (not talking about pulling it out of the room)
2nd - strat could be bypassed by a really good burn, strat was pretty intense.
3rd - required really good coordination between all members of a the raid. great boss fight
4th - dps check boss as far as i know, coordination between dps
5th - awesome mobile fight that was extremely fun (wish i still have the video of the fight) - wasnt really even a dps check
6th - holy moly guacamole argueably the hardest boss in the instance: EPIC STRAT
**no trash after 6th, the EPIC strat boss**
7th - pretty laid back needed coordination of the party.

a lot of these boss fights required a brain, which is nice

ive yet to try RHH but can't wait.

I believe Bethomia was the last great instance overall. It was also my first endgame instance I was able to run after my long 2 yrs break. Trash wasn't like KBN. It had a few DPS checks and some strat bosses. Also had an epic strat at the end.

So now that we shared our opinions about our favorite instances (that share a lot of similarities), what do you think about making these past successes into a malleable template for future instance design?

Imo i always thought bethomia was the start of the burn or die problem we still have today, 1-6 i only remember as burns for the most part but 7th i do agree was a lot of fun.

Tosh still reigns supreme in my book haha

gear check in general > DPS check. get rid of this % damage crap, make something that can't simply be immuned through (damage every 15-30 sec, less than immune CDs).

Quoted from "Cike"

gear check in general > DPS check. get rid of this % damage crap, make something that can't simply be immuned through (damage every 15-30 sec, less than immune CDs).

forgot about this. yes, everything being %dmg why even put stam now. makes all the dps go full offense. makes strats just seren and burn or die. Might as well have healers go dirty t10 and probably do just as well, if not better -.- (now i am curious how that will do)

Go in Raven Heart and find out.

flash news you make everything pdef based and wd/w becomes insanely broken. % stuff is fine also easier to balance instances around it.

why does it have to be pdef based? why not flat hp? would that be too hard to balance?

Quoted from "Purre"

I would like to see damage done not as a %. Lately, it's been trickling down to even Mirrorworld and World Map mobs. High Hp should be a bonus to survivability... not the liability it is now. Bring back Sta so it's not a PvP or Healer stat only.

back then it was a recommended to go into instances with 100k+ hp as dps. now its like, o i have more hp? its gonna make it harder for my healer to top me off. im just trying to say is that the %dmg is just part of the reason going full dps is the meta now and bosses are burn or die.

pre-97 that is.

make the magical aoe's reduced by mdef, and physical aoes reduced by pdef. it's not really that hard. include some flat #. include some %. my point being, mix it up so that defense in pve becomes a thing again. this will also enable defensive support to have a place in a party.

get some smaller damages going off every now and then as well so warden just can't immune through all the nukes.

in short, punish the glass cannons. glass cannon should be a liability, not beneficial. something that can be used when you become more accustomed/experienced with the instance, and can afford to take risks.

Quoted from "Cike"

make the magical aoe's reduced by mdef, and physical aoes reduced by pdef. it's not really that hard. include some flat #. include some %. my point being, mix it up so that defense in pve becomes a thing again. this will also enable defensive support to have a place in a party.

get some smaller damages going off every now and then as well so warden just can't immune through all the nukes.

in short, punish the glass cannons. glass cannon should be a liability, not beneficial. something that can be used when you become more accustomed/experienced with the instance, and can afford to take risks.

Agreed, although not sure people will be that enthuthaistic to regear...

Quoted from "ruisen2000"

Quoted from "Cike"

make the magical aoe's reduced by mdef, and physical aoes reduced by pdef. it's not really that hard. include some flat #. include some %. my point being, mix it up so that defense in pve becomes a thing again. this will also enable defensive support to have a place in a party.

get some smaller damages going off every now and then as well so warden just can't immune through all the nukes.

in short, punish the glass cannons. glass cannon should be a liability, not beneficial. something that can be used when you become more accustomed/experienced with the instance, and can afford to take risks.

Agreed, although not sure people will be that enthuthaistic to regear...

how many people already have pvp offpieces?

those should hold you over until you would naturally regear anyways.


i'm not asking for "omg everybody needs to have defensive attribute on every stat", but something that goes back to the 2-3 stam per piece would be nice.

in all honesty, it also opens up gearing a bit more (not much, there will still be optimal setups). for example, it not only opens up int/stam as viable stats, but also int/hp, stam/MA, int/def as well (to varying degrees of effectiveness). this results in more usable stats, meaning easier time gearing off of pulls.