Asherons Call: Orion Speaks Up about the Tusker Incident

Now before I go further I want to explain something. We currently have players broken into 5 different level categories: New, Low, Mid, High, Extreme and Uber. Over the past couple of months, after focusing on Gaerlan, I have spent most of my time looking and making creatures for the Extreme and Uber crowd.

To do that I am operating on data that I am using from templates that are more extreme than some of those that are in typical use by players, however they are averaged out to include typical characters of a certain level focusing primarily on the areas of their expertise. Hence a melee would typically at say, level 100, be at least 350 base weapon skill if they focused primarily and specialized in that skill. Likeiwse a Mage would be somewhere around 300 if specialized and focused in War, and a missile user somewhere between the two, let's say 325.

Now factor in Level 7 buffs. (Bear in mind that these creatures are not truly meant to be solod although they can be.) That places your skills at these marks, with only skill buffs:

Melee: 390
Mage: 340
Missile: 365

Add the Attribute buffs:

Melee: 417
Mage: 360
Missile: 405

All this before we reach Major's, Heartseeker, or the Missile Weapon users 1.5 bonus on full accuracy. Okay so that point made, lets look at defenses.

Magic Defense against the Tuskers is moot, they don't cast spells.

Missile Defense against the Tuskers is moot, they don't use missile.

Melee Defense is the only one that counts.

Again if you are a flat melee player at level 100 specializing in your two major ways to defend and deal damage you will be around 350 if you focused on these skills, follow the same model from above.

Now the fun part happens. We need to find the risk/reward. Well considering how potent these creatures will be, facing off against the most streamlined and potent of the player populace and giving them a run for their money they need to be worth the extra effort so they are increased in experience. But they are still soloable because with level 7 spells they will still hit for low damage unless... Well in truth there is a lore reason for them being so incredibly potent but that has yet to be revealed and so I am not giving it away. But because they now ignore those spells they need to be bumped up a little more XP because they are that much more challenging.

In the end you have a collosus of a creature that for a specialized melee will be really difficult because facing one alone can mean death. For a mage it can mean certain death without having potent armor and the corrent banes, and likewise for the missile user. But the point is that the creature is equally hard except for that non-hybrid that has focused intently on being the best swordsman, axer, macer, whatever.

The other thing you must remember is that tinkering also poses a unique block to hurdle while balancing these new guys.

In truth, I feel that they are balanced very well for a group of people, as they were intentionally created. They were not meant to be a soloable beast, they are difficult yet rewarding and they bring challenge back to the game at a place where there has been none for too long.