Thank you all for the continued feedback regarding the next TLP, Oakwynd. We want you to know we hear you, and we’ve been carefully monitoring your comments and suggestions. By no means are we done so please continue to keep it civil and keep it coming. Here is what we’ve already decided to change based on your feedback:
Q: What is Encounter Locking? What is the goal for Encounter Locking?
A:The Encounter Locking feature will allow the first person that engages an NPC the ability to prevent others from interfering with the fight. A primary goal with adding this feature is to mitigate issues we've seen regarding kill-stealing and training in the early TLP experience before content becomes more instance based as the expansions unlock.
Q: How is the lock applied?
A: The lock is applied to the first player that gets added to an NPC’s hatelist. This could be via a player attacking the NPC directly or the NPC attacking a player.
Q: How is the lock removed?
A: The lock is removed a short time after the NPC leaves combat. If someone on the lock list attacks the NPC within the period before it unlocks, the countdown will be reset, and the NPC will remain locked.
Q: Can members be added mid fight to the group or raid?
A: Yes. The lock is owned by an individual player. The group or raid that they currently belong to is the one that “owns” the lock. Players that are currently in the same group or raid as that player will be able to attack. Those that are not will not be able to attack.
Q: Will this prevent assisting/helping other players?
A: No. If a player would like assistance from someone outside their group or raid, they can target the NPC and use /yell. This will semi-unlock the NPC and allow anyone to attack it. Once unlocked using /yell, the NPC cannot be locked again until it leaves combat, and the original lock is removed.
Q: Will there be any changes with how loot or experience is awarded?
A: No. Loot and experience will be awarded to the person/group/raid that does the most damage to the NPC.
Q: If a player dies while pulling an NPC, can it be locked by someone else immediately or does it need to revert back to its spawn point?
A: If an NPC no longer has anyone on its hatelist and leaves combat, it will unlock in a short time whether it is at its spawn point or not. Once it is no longer locked, it can then be locked by anyone even if the NPC hasn’t reached its spawn point.
Q: How will I know if an NPC is locked to me or someone else?
A: Once an NPC is locked, its name will show as green if you’re able to attack it or grey if you aren’t. These colors will be player-editable if the default colors aren’t desired.
Q: Will the Encounter Locking apply to all NPCs, or will there be exceptions?
A: There will be exceptions and some NPCs will be excluded from the Encounter Locking feature due to them requiring cooperation amongst different people or being part of events that wouldn’t be completable if the NPCs were locked to separate people.
Q: Will the Encounter Locking be on the Test Server before it goes to live?
A: Yes, we are planning on enabling Encounter Locking on the Test Server in the May Test Server update. The feature will be turned off on the Test Server once Oakwynd launches.
Again, we appreciate your passion, patience, and feedback. There will be more to share in the coming days and weeks so stay tuned.
- The EverQuest Team
- We will change the account lock for Agents of Change instances to be character based instead of account based. Note, this rule will be attached to the Legacy Characters Ruleset, so if future servers get the Legacy Characters Ruleset, they will also experience this change.
- We will make it so No Drop items that are NOT Free-Trade No Drop will automatically be Heirloom items. This does not affect items that are already Heirloom, they will stay Heirloom. Note, this rule will be attached to the Legacy Characters Ruleset, so if future servers get the Legacy Characters Ruleset, they will also experience this change.
- We will combine Omens of War and Dragons of Norrath to open on the same day (with the normal one-hour gap). This change is for Oakwynd and there are no current plans to apply this to Yelinak.
Q: What is Encounter Locking? What is the goal for Encounter Locking?
A:The Encounter Locking feature will allow the first person that engages an NPC the ability to prevent others from interfering with the fight. A primary goal with adding this feature is to mitigate issues we've seen regarding kill-stealing and training in the early TLP experience before content becomes more instance based as the expansions unlock.
Q: How is the lock applied?
A: The lock is applied to the first player that gets added to an NPC’s hatelist. This could be via a player attacking the NPC directly or the NPC attacking a player.
Q: How is the lock removed?
A: The lock is removed a short time after the NPC leaves combat. If someone on the lock list attacks the NPC within the period before it unlocks, the countdown will be reset, and the NPC will remain locked.
Q: Can members be added mid fight to the group or raid?
A: Yes. The lock is owned by an individual player. The group or raid that they currently belong to is the one that “owns” the lock. Players that are currently in the same group or raid as that player will be able to attack. Those that are not will not be able to attack.
Q: Will this prevent assisting/helping other players?
A: No. If a player would like assistance from someone outside their group or raid, they can target the NPC and use /yell. This will semi-unlock the NPC and allow anyone to attack it. Once unlocked using /yell, the NPC cannot be locked again until it leaves combat, and the original lock is removed.
Q: Will there be any changes with how loot or experience is awarded?
A: No. Loot and experience will be awarded to the person/group/raid that does the most damage to the NPC.
Q: If a player dies while pulling an NPC, can it be locked by someone else immediately or does it need to revert back to its spawn point?
A: If an NPC no longer has anyone on its hatelist and leaves combat, it will unlock in a short time whether it is at its spawn point or not. Once it is no longer locked, it can then be locked by anyone even if the NPC hasn’t reached its spawn point.
Q: How will I know if an NPC is locked to me or someone else?
A: Once an NPC is locked, its name will show as green if you’re able to attack it or grey if you aren’t. These colors will be player-editable if the default colors aren’t desired.
Q: Will the Encounter Locking apply to all NPCs, or will there be exceptions?
A: There will be exceptions and some NPCs will be excluded from the Encounter Locking feature due to them requiring cooperation amongst different people or being part of events that wouldn’t be completable if the NPCs were locked to separate people.
Q: Will the Encounter Locking be on the Test Server before it goes to live?
A: Yes, we are planning on enabling Encounter Locking on the Test Server in the May Test Server update. The feature will be turned off on the Test Server once Oakwynd launches.
Again, we appreciate your passion, patience, and feedback. There will be more to share in the coming days and weeks so stay tuned.
- The EverQuest Team
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