DoubtDestiny

Is this another event where we pay you our hard-earned adena for pots that expire?

People have been waiting long time for improvements to feoh. Red Libra should always happen whenever there are significant updates to class like this.

L2 code no longer works?

I am 99.8% on two characters. Was really hoping to ding both on my lunch break. Oh well.

It's a simply dynamic, really. When the server first comes online for a new event the rates are good to encourage participation. But eventually the rates have to return to the statistical trough for the math to work, so during the following week(s) it gets harder to succeed. Most people at that point are still vested enough that they continue to participate, even though not nearly as many people are winning good prizes...so it's a win for NCSoft. As for the players, meh, you knew what you were getting into when you downloaded the game. I mean it's not a coincidence that one of the chief characters in game is named "Mammon." If you don't know what that word means, google it.

The price for upgrading from base to Enchanted to Bloody/Dark to Limited has always been expensive. Even if you look at just the adena and R gemstone costs of these upgrades relative to what a person earns from normal drops by hunting, it's crazy. The best time to make these weapons is during events. For example, the person that sold that +12 Krishna to you probably made it for practically free, because there was an event that rewarded free HEWR rather easily. (And @Juji I would love it if you brought that event back.) There were other events where Bloody and Dark stones and other materials were pretty common drops as well. Even though there was an NCoin cost and gamble attached, the market was so flooded with these items that prices dropped to make upgrading less painful than usual. My suggestion is to simply buy a +12 Bloody weapon from other players. You can usually negotiate a better deal than what it would actually cost to make it.

I like the idea of the reward being more random, but it should still require a person to get a certain number of hits in before they're eligible to win the reward. It's obviously too late to change the game mechanics of it now, but maybe next time they can change it?

The only problem there is that you risk wiping out a party that looks like ftp farmers only to find out that they belong to a real player with higher level mains, who has no problems making your gaming life miserable by PKing you anywhere and everywhere, but usually when you're AFK. Happened to a friend and I had to play peacemaker to get them to stop.

You know, it's ok to do this more than once. I mean, it is a month-long celebration.

Even when there is no event there aren't enough mobs. Silent Valley, for example, has too few mob groups. Maybe if they changed all of the mobs in Forsaken Plains and Giant's Cave to be 106 level mobs with same or better XP, then people could log in and find a place to XP...instead of running around everywhere looking only to be disappointed.

This is true. This is true. If you are undergeared there are only so many spots you can hunt. Even most timed instances are not option because most of your characters are too squishy and die in a few hits. The problem is usually exacerbated with new updates when mobs are harder to kill. So everyone who can't afford to keep up with the Joneses end up hunting greens and light blues.

Wait, hold the presses, I got an actual gift today -- an Energy of Protection.

The funny part is that I normally save the best for last. But since most of the gold boxes turn out to be blue boxes anyway, I started opening those first. It totally takes all of the excitement, anticipation and intrigue out of opening the gold boxes. Now it's just, "Oh, this again?" Almost as bad as a gag gift.

@Juji Update: I did manage to get a Leviathian's Circlet from one gold Attendance Gift Box, but all of the other gold gift boxes across my other accounts only took me back to the blue gift consumables box. It's like going on one of those game shows where beneath turtle shell #1 is the key to a new car, but turtle shell number #2 is a key to the padlock on a pogo stick. You win the key to the car, but when you try to use it, you find out it only works on the lock to the pogo stick. Pretty sure that game show wouldn't be on TV for very long. In fact, in the USA that show would be sued. Maybe next anniversary you can have Korea change it so that the gold Attendance Gift Boxes eliminate blue box attendance gift consumables as a possible "prize"?

I definitely agree that the pricing of items that you can buy with Hero coins needs to be reconsidered. The logic doesn't quite work, especially since the "cost" of reward items are already built into the prices for the items in the regular store. In effect, the rewards items have already been paid for and should be steeply discounted accordingly. At least that's how every other real-world rewards and loyalty program that I belong to works.

If you speak to the Head Blacksmith in each village you'll see an Upgrade option. Select it and if you have an item in your inventory that can be upgraded, it will appear in the window. For some upgrades like Exalted weapons, you only need adena. But for most all other upgrades you need Crystals of Dawn. How many CoDs you need depends on the level of upgrade. Most start at 12 CoDs, but subsequent upgrades require many more times that in the number of CoDs. So they are essential, if you want to compete -- not just PVP, but PVE as well, since monsters are harder to kill and most items that you can upgrade help with stats and bonuses so you kill faster. Sorry for long post, but those are the basics.

Knock on wood, but so far so good. I only crashed once yesterday, and that may have been because my laptop overheated.

Honestly, whoever came up with the Hero Coin update has a future as a comedian, if they want it. I laughed so hard. Take Crystals of Determination. They have been added for a fee of 15 Hero Coins. Let's see... average conversion for featured items is about 1 Hero coin for every 40 NCoins spent. But again, that's for featured items, where you usually get more Hero coins than normal. For most other items in the L2Store the conversion is closer to 1 Hero coin for every 80 NCoins spent. So taking the larger figure, for every $15 spent, you'll get 1 Crystal of Determination. Now, imagine needing a ton of Crystals of Determination to complete a upgrade -- not to mention the other materials and adena costs. See??? Hilarious!!!!

@Juji Thank you for these changes. I still think that we need more mobs for most areas, though, but this is a nice start.

Downstream implications of "E". Or are you gathering them just to sell the letters and not attempt to get the prizes, of which, you'll mostly get consumables and augment stones?

I just looked at the Auction House. Wow! If you like augment stones, this is THE event for you.

While they're at it, please do something about the Gold Attendance Gift Boxes that are only giving consumables -- which you get anyway if you don't "win" a gold Attendance gift box in the Event Craft. Real prizes, Juji. Real prizes. Not more consumables, please.

Why @Juji? Why??? Attendance Gift Crafting Ticket gives you a chance of a gold Attendance Gift Box (35%) or a blue Attendance Gift Consumables Box (65%) I clicked "Craft" and won a gold Attendance Gift Box (35%) I click on gold Attendance Gift Box ... only to receive the blue Attendance Gift Consumables Box anyway Reaction: WTF??!!!! Seriously, do you really hate us that much that you couldn't REMOVE any chance of getting a blue gift consumables box from the gold Attendance gift box? The gold boxes should contain limited time boss jewels, gems, 7-day Vitality Maintaining runes, XP runes, etc., etc., not more of the same consumable pots that players get elsewhere in the 18th anniversary event . Why do I get the feeling that something was changed at the last minute? I bet Korea got actual cool prizes from the gold Attendance Gift Box, not more consumables.

I would agree with this. Through Sunday I got a decent number of E, but today I barely got 10 from hunting alone. I did get more from the daily 18th Anniversary gift box, but not as many as I got when the event first started. Also, I didn't get any Dragon Shirt Augment stones today so far. Over the weekend I got about 20 of them, which I sold for ~100B adena profit. I guess when they fixed the crashing server, they also changed the frequency of the one nice reward that had a good drop rate.

As with Red Libra class. weapon, armor, and accessory change functionality, Night Market really should be an everyday feature of the game, not once every blue moon. As an incentive, maybe arrange it so that people with Prestige packs get complimentary 30 NM coins, too.