Dragon Buff

[JCP]

Ok, the new, improved dragon (courtesy of Mungo) has several options, and I'm still adjusting the settings.

A major one is the firebreath, which should make the fights a lot more difficult.

Another is improving the stats of the dragon, which is slowly being phased in.

Please comment, as I'm certainly unsure of the right balance for the breath attack.

[WWWWolf]

Right in time. Trader Weiforius became Soldier with considerable shock and horror, just 18 hit points left as the beast fell...

I don't know, I just walked in the cave and killed the thing. The only real comments I uttered to myself during the fight was "breathed fire for HOW MUCH?" and "can... it... just... die..."

In other words, not much different from previous dragon kills, just that it sort of kept me on toes. :)

[Acemaster]

I'm sure that my BS Power can handle it.

That's backstab, get your mind out of the gutter.

[Acemaster]

I just fought the dragon. Never got a chance to see the breath, as I killed him in 2 rounds.

[lostsoul]

i kill the dragon pretty quickly as well.. even at my level

[JCP]

Well, the increased dragon stuff will be much more apparent to players with many dks.

And the changeover is happening slowly so that players aren't slammed.

I'm told this is being "nice", whatever that is.

[lostsoul]

i love the changes you made... :D
who wants to be nice.. :evil:
pump that dragon up.. :twisted:

[Elessa]

:thinks the dragon is plenty pumped up as she saw stats for a player in the upper ranks of dk's who was hit by the fire breath in the first round upon entering the cave

The Green Dragon's Hitpoints: 611
YOUR Hitpoints: 241
Your skill allows you to get the first attack!
You lift your Boulder and it comes crashing down on The Green Dragon for 6 damage.
The Dragon breathes fire down upon you!
You are engulfed in Dragon's fire and take 1022 damage.
You have been slain by The Green Dragon!!!

:she also realizes that JCP has applied his touch to soften the flambe and incineration affects so that others are not quite so overwhelmed. they should be careful what they wish for.

[ggeezz]

It was definitely apparent to me . . . on my 48th DK. I didn't play my skills right on my first go at the dragon and lost to her (I was playing a different class than normal). On my next go I went in VERY well prepared and just eeked by her. I'll be interested to see how my fights go as my normal thieving self.

My first impression is that I like this change. For some reason it was more satisfying to be killed by the dragon and resurrect to face her again, rather than not finding her and suiciding to get to her.

Many thanks to Mungo for the new code.

P.S. I like this iteration of dragon killing/searching better, but would like to share some thoughts. I'm guessing that the RNG is going to be a big factor in whether you are able to kill the dragon with this setup (because both of my fights took less than 3 rounds). I'm just guessing here, but I would think it would be extremely hard to balance how hard 1 creature is for each of the different stat configurations players in the realm have. Mungo has one of the most optimized characters for the forrest, but apparently the dragon is proving very difficult for him. (hopefully I'm not saying anything out of line here, I just gathered that by looking at his bio). I think it would be easier to balance the difficulty if the dragon was left at her previous difficulty, but you had to complete a quest to get to her (ie., a series of monsters and specials to go through to get to the cave.) I think this would be even more interesting if you had more skill points to use, and had to use them wisely on your way to the dragon. (I mean, that is pretty much the extent of your decision making once the battle/trip begins, either use skill, fight, or run.) So I think you ought to excentuate the decisions you can make. I would like to have to make the decision halfway to the dragon's cave of whether I should go back to town to regroup and try again or press on to her cave.

Thats enough of my rambling. I know less about balancing the difficulty of the game then the staff does, and I don't know how hard it would be to code something like what I described. I just wanted to throw out those thoughts.

[Acemaster]

As much as I hate to say this... I think Backstab has to be nerfed. It just makes killing the dragon in 3 rounds a piece of cake.

[JCP]

Some comments:

1. Mungo's fire damage number was a mistake that is now corrected.

2. Acemaster got LUCKY - there is a small chance that the dragon will not breathe fire, and he avoided it.

3. Right now the fire breath is the only significant change.

4. The other change - increasing the dragon's stats - will be occurring slowly, so that players optimized for a different type of battle can try to adjust.

[Nick the Lemming]

My DK to archmagi was definitely harder - I went in at first with one of my skill slots missing (had to use some skeletons to avoid being munched by a beastie on the road), and immediately got caught with the breath weapon, and didn't stand a chance after that. After I reincarnated, I had another go, fully powered up, and only just made it - I was down to about 30 HP, from around 550 to start with, and had used up all my skills. It's definitely a lot tougher, and that's only with the fire breathing. Ulp!

[Jelly]

I have just died twice to the dragon. It was very difficult and even with all my buffs and magic going I lost badly both times. Maybe that is because I have become complacent with my tactics but that remains to be seen. I will update when I have died a few more times to her. ;)

[Talisman]

I will update when I have died a few more times to her. ;)

Wow! There's the power of positive thinking! :twisted:

My first adventure with her, I ran out of mount buffs early on and she slaughtered me. I must have tired her out, as she was elusive on my second attempt...I couldn't. On my third visit, with enhanced HP, full mount buffs and special arts...I won. But it was close.

[Elessa]

:is so not looking forward to when she meets the new and improved version of the dragon and begins laying in a supply of whisky and other provisions for her stay in shades

[Jelly]

Ok here is the update I promised. It seems that a slight alteration to my strategy was required. Either that or the RNG was in a really bad mood with me for some reason. Either way, I got through it, and as we see it did provide more of a challenge. Good work guys.

[Acemaster]

Personally, I love this mod. It really jerks me out of complacency!

[Greenhorn]

Did you consider hat size/tatoo as a factor of surviving Dragon's breath. Maybi it can be interesting.

[White Knight]

I just had my first run-in with the new and improved Green Dragon. I came in with 200 hit points and my usual combination of skills (which I will not reveal here; gotta keep some secrets!) and defeated her in a flat six rounds, with 166 hit points remaining. Of course, I'm only level 9 or some such, so that may have something to do with it.

[amrothe]

Well I've noticed that some change to my strategy is required in the 20ish DK land. Since I had a hard run I've been investing every chance I get into extra skills, it's made things livable.

All and all a very fun and refreshing change. It would be nice if there was some increased reward for the difficulty though.

[JCP]

Well I've noticed that some change to my strategy is required in the 20ish DK land. Since I had a hard run I've been investing every chance I get into extra skills, it's made things livable.

All and all a very fun and refreshing change. It would be nice if there was some increased reward for the difficulty though.

I'm not nice.

The dragon was a push-over before. People were bragging about flawless kills, about how much damage they could do to the poor little dragon in one hit. Correcting that imbalance should not result in a reward.

However you now have more searches in order to find the dragon more easily before. Feel free to consider that a reward.

[Shiqra]

I have met the New Improved Dragon 3 or 4 times now in the many game days I have been searching for her. I have gone in with some mount buff left (road travel is quite hazardous at Stewardess), and FULL skills - and every time I am incinerated in between 5 and 10 rounds. I have 16 DKs I think. My mount hardly can touch her, my puny regen doesn't come close to healing me for what she does to me, and my Earth Fist spell does less than my mount does. All in all - nearly impossible dragon for me to kill. And yes I have a hat and a tatoo. The dragon ate my hat and burned my tatoo off the body part to which it was applied.

No, you aren't nice, jcp, but tis yer game, and yer rules, and I shall live by them.

/joins Elessa in stocking up whisky and Elven wine under her headstone in the Land of the Shades

/contemplates joining Farmgirl Dying in Eternal Dragon Avoidance - which shouldn't be too hard to do under the new rules.

PS: I must have a weak combo of stats and race/class because I have never found the dragon to be a pushover. She is even less so now...

[JCP]

Well, I did just adjust the dragonfire a bit more today. Not sure if that helps any, though.

[Pwyll]

I've only fought the new, improved dragon once so far - got scorched for 75 damage, then my Gryphon, my Thieving buffs and my Storm Giant buff kicked in and finished her in 2 rounds.

I've been saying since the moving dragon was implemented that making the dragon tougher would have been a better choice. The current change coupled with the extra search is a step in the right direction, although I would still like to see the random dragon location repealed, even at the cost of an even tougher dragon.

[Acemaster]

Now you have to be very unlucky to not get the dragon... not a problem, IMHO.

[Nightwind]

the new, harder dragon, is going to get harder still, don't worry

[lostsoul]

:jumps for joy:

thats the best news i have heard so far, nightwind

[Nightwind]

best news?

nha, the best news is that the compensation for winning against her isn't going to change, and the dragonseek isn't going away at all

[ChattyTrog]

Well, I've faced the dragon probably 5-6 times between my characters.

Trogdor had some difficulty with the first one, but has improved since then. More difficult, but still weaker than she should be.

My lower characters have had better results, probably because I overload them with protective buffs. I don't trust their strength as much.

I thank goodness for the extra search.

[Fionnabhair]

I was happy when I heard about the extra search, but then, in a stroke of incredibly bad luck, it actually took me longer to find the dragon than when I only had 2 searches. Go figure...

But I did finally find her, and killed her easily, although I did take a lot more damage than I usually do.

[nguoirung]

I didn't find any things change much exept I couldn't have flawless DK. I wonder how to get flawless DK? I usually got iy before.

[lostsoul]

i faced it the second time and it was even harder...

i hope it gets even more difficult

[Pwyll]

I think the whole point was there were too many flawless DKs happening. This change was meant to fix that, among other things.

[Acemaster]

Okay, I just fought the new dragon again, and this time it landed one fire breath on me. For 26 damage. Big whoop!

[MetaDadaranel]

Hmm...I just faced the green dragon and didn't get breathed upon. It took me four or five rounds to kill her. I didn't notice a difference. I was almost totally unbuffed, except for my racial bonus, mount, and hero's valor. (Interesting special, by the way, hadn't seen or heard of that one before) I had all of my special use points available, since I immediately hit the special on my entrance to Degolburg. This made my 9th DK, has the change in the dragon made it down this far, yet?

[Acemaster]

I believe it applies to everyone.

[Vode Andreas]

The dragon's breath did approximately 75 damage to me per round, but I managed to survive, despite entering the fight at reduced health... Though I did only have 13 health remaining... I like it :D

[ChattyTrog]

I believe there are rare chances where the dragon isn't 'fire-breathing.' But I wouldn't expect that to happen for every DK.

[JCP]

Notes:

Yes, there is a % chance the dragon has a sore throat and will not breathe fire. Thus players can get "lucky" and sometimes avoid this damaging attack, which can be helpful.

Yes, the changes affect all players, but those at higher DKs will find the changes more significant. These are players that have, generally, walked all over the dragon before and are now facing a dragon that is more changed than the one facing players with few DKs.

Yes, the changes are still happening and the dragon will continue to become stronger. We're not even halfway through yet.

No, the searching for the dragon will not be going away. The discussion is closed and was never open for debate. Please stop beating this dead horse - it is not productive and we all need to move on.

Yes, the changes were done in part to make flawless kills of the dragon less common. The dragon is the endgame and players should be facing one of the toughest battles when they encounter it.

[Pwyll]

On my last DK the fire breath hit me for over 100 points of damage. Even with all my buffs it took my HP into the yellow before I won. Now that's a dragon! :wink:

[Jelly]

So am I the only one who is dying continuously to her? I know I am a weakling but other than that I don't understand. I think it must be the RNG being a stroppy cow because I have then resurrected and done nothing different and won. It's confusing is all really.

[Pwyll]

Don't feel bad, one of my clanmates just died for the fourth time in a row.

[Shiqra]

I have died 5 times in a row in mathematically impossible to win dragon fights. I FINALLY killed her today - the dragon fire was somewhat reduced from the 28 dmg for 28 rounds she had before (that's on top of her usual hit dmg). It was a tough fight like most of my fights with her have been. I guess I too am a weakling, Jelly. Don't feel bad. And since donating 20 bucks is not in my RL budget I don't see that improving much.

[Nocturnus]

Well, I just got another DK, and it would have been flawless except for the dragon's fire.

I had 'lost' two game days searching, so had been spending the time at the Gym, so was in a weakened (compared to usual) state, at that. The dragonfire was a minor annoyance, in terms of being dangerous - I finished the job with little under half health despite being hit every round by it.

Might I suggest that instead of making the dragon harder each time, you look at the reasons why people get flowless DKs and rebalance/nerf them? ::shrugs::

[Acemaster]

People do not like to be nerfed. They would rather have something else make the game balanced.

[Acemaster]

People do not like to be nerfed. It ruins all they have worked for. They would rather have something else make the game balanced, so they do not feel that they lost anything.

[Nocturnus]

People do not like to be nerfed. It ruins all they have worked for. They would rather have something else make the game balanced, so they do not feel that they lost anything.

People are whiney gits, for the most part ;)

You could also proxy-nerf certain things, by making the dragon immune (or at least, very resistant) to certain techniques...

And really, in the end... If you nerf something directly or boost something else against it, then the result is the same... So what does it matter?

[JCP]

Because we're happy with the way the rest of the game is balanced against the player.

Changing the player would mean that the rest of the game would need to be adjusted.

Changing the dragon to balance against the player - similar to how the rest of the game balances against the player - is the correct course of action.

[Pwyll]

One of my clanmates, at the Soldier level, has been killed by the Dragon 13 times in a row. This seems a bit excessive...

[Shiqra]

I have to agree with Pwyll - and also insert one comment based on the bragging I still see here. The people who had it easy before the changes probably won't be affected too much by the changes. They are still bragging about nearly flawless fights and easy pushover dragons. Yet some of us get eaten by her repeatedly in a nightmarish parody of Groundhog Day.

I know nothing about code - although I wish I did - but the GREs and other computer-based tests use a progressive system such that the next question is harder or easier depending on whether you got the previous one correct. If you answer right, you get a more difficult question next round. Answering incorrectly leads to a slighty less difficult question the next round. (of course for the purpose of the test, you get more points for correctly answering harder questions) This is supposed to balance the various abilities of the test takers and get accurate scoring. Perhaps something like this could be implemented here. Then again it may be an impossibility.

[Elessa]

is your clanmate acquiring as many buffs as possible? i finally faced the dragon last night and defeated it flawlessly in one round with a few buffs. yes, i was confronted with dragon's fire immedicately upon intruding into the cave, and yes, i was hit again with it when i made my first move.

understand, i am a very light fighter. the majority of my dk points have not been spent on anything that would protect me. my att/def are laughably low. my health is also extremely low in order to not contend with healing costs. (this can be verified in a certain locale if ye are so inclined)

therefore, i depend on buffs gathered from where i may. those and the thievery skills set are for me the optimal means of forest fighting and facing the dragon.

for once in my life the RNG was in my favour. praise be to the gods of the RNG!

[amrothe]

Since the change I have had no problem dealing with the dragon. Though my strategy tends towards high atk/defense.

[Acemaster]

Despite getting hit by dragon fire twice, I managed to beat her in 2 rounds with only a Mule Daniels, Thieving Skills, and a mudbath. Those 2 double power moves in the first round helped a lot.

[Elessa]

:nods to acemaster

i faced her with audrey, mud bath and my gryphon in addition to my thieving skills.

granted, i am well aware that the RNG will not look so favourably upon me the next time, i am sure.

[ChattyTrog]

Well, I faced her twice today. The first time was without my skill set. She beat me in a good fight.

The second time I was quite buffed. Ettile, silly questions, dragon's breath, mudbath, and theiving skills. Needless to say I had buffed A/D of around 340/320, and I still had a good fight. The fire-breathing is definately the hardest hitting, but with the changes not yet done, I'm sure she'll make a worthy opponent shortly.

[TWRDragon]

OK I got a serious beatdown today... *laughs*

No matter what I did my weapon had no effect on the Dragon... I was buffed up and all and just had to sit there taking damage til I was reduced to a smolering pile of ash... *laughs* (If it wasn't for regeneration I would not have been able to enjoy my beating as long as I did... hehe)

[FatalOblivion]

The new dragon simply appears more realistic.

For everyone that posts about searching weeks for the dragon and getting beat down repeatedly, I'll post the other end of the spectrum.

Found the dragon on my first search. Had my mount, buff and skills. DK#22 in 5 rounds with ~100hp left.

The enhancements are great, kudos to all of the staff for creating an effective challenge at the end.

[Pwyll]

In answer to Elessa: my clanmate has max Weapons and Armor and had several other buffs going as well. She has now lost to the dragon fifteen times in a row. I've made some suggestions, but from her stats she should be able to win with what she's already doing.

As for me, I can still kill the Green One with some effort. In fact, last DK the only damage I took was from the fire breath.

[onedarkdemon1]

ive beaten the new dragon only once took me three rounds but i was in the yellow because of the fire but this dragon rocks its so fun but i beat it in the three rounds because of my gryphon teamed with dark arts

[muad]

i have faced the modified dragon at least twice since folks have started messing with the code. i pretty much just go in with my mount, max weapons/armor and hp, my skills and a drink. most of the time my drink has worn off before i find her.

i have not noticed that the dragon is that much more difficult but certainly more of a challenge than previously. i think the fights are better and i certainly don't mind taking damage for it.

[Waugh]

And since donating 20 bucks is not in my RL budget I don't see that improving much.

How much do you spend in one week on coffee? Lunches? Junk food?

[Waugh]

is your clanmate acquiring as many buffs as possible? i finally faced the dragon last night and defeated it flawlessly in one round with a few buffs. yes, i was confronted with dragon's fire immedicately upon intruding into the cave, and yes, i was hit again with it when i made my first move.


I LOVE the new mod. :D But pray tell, how did you win flawlessly when you just said you were hit by the breath?

[Deimos]

I LOVE the new mod. :D But pray tell, how did you win flawlessly when you just said you were hit by the breath?

Buffs do not count against flawlessness.

[Waugh]

Buffs do not count against flawlessness.

Really? Good to know!

[Pwyll]

Yep. You can be scorched by Fire Breath, but as long as Greenie doesn't actually hit you it still counts as a flawless DK. I've actually managed it once since the change - with a LOT of buffs on my part!

[Shiqra]

And since donating 20 bucks is not in my RL budget I don't see that improving much.

How much do you spend in one week on coffee? Lunches? Junk food?

I buy cheap ground coffee at the grocery, I brown bag my lunch and I don't buy junk food. I don't get manicures or pedicures, rent videos, go to movies or anything else. I find fun that's free. I don't even have cable tv - gasp! I really am a starving student hehe. I make just enough money to pay my bills. My one splurge is my Everquest subscription (12 bucks a month =), and once a year I go to the Renn Fest.

I changed from mage - mystical powers - to Thief - and the dragon became much easier. Wow. I have been having it hard with the dragon all this time for nothing!!!

Pwyll - have your clanmate turn to thieving - or is she already? I know how she feels right now - although 15 times killed is more than I had. That is truly awful.

[Nightwind]

i find dark arts useful this way myself...

[lostsoul]

same here, i am dark arts all the way

[Pwyll]

I used to play Mystical Powers - probably for my first 30 DKs. I tried Dark Arts, it didn't suit my playing style. Then I tried Thieving Skills and never looked back! Been using that ever since...

[Elessa]

I used to play Mystical Powers - probably for my first 30 DKs. I tried Dark Arts, it didn't suit my playing style. Then I tried Thieving Skills and never looked back! Been using that ever since...

:looks wide eyed and innocent as she places a bag of gold in the bank's safe

i hath played naught but elven thief since my first day on central. ah, the irony...

[White Knight]

Dwarven thief, for me, though I usually pick up a few mystical skills to supplement if I've maxed out the thieving ranks.

[Nightwind]

in my youth of .7 i played them all, and ended on a mix of mystic for 2, then dark arts for 5.

once i was here, i did 10 dk's in mystic, where i see the most benniift, and i've now moved down to dark arts...

i see thief in my future... when my power and defence are higher still

[Acemaster]

Well, finally the dragon was able to put me in the red. She got me down to about 61 hp. On an odder note, the dragon has been in Glukmoore for the past 5 times.

[Kadina]

On an odder note, the dragon has been in Glukmoore for the past 5 times.

I've noticed this as well. For the past 3 days I have searched Romar, Quexl and Glorif for the dragon and haven't found her. On a new day I get "The dragon wanders to a new cave" text so I search the same three villages which should guarantee a find. It hasn't worked. Is this a bug or is the new day text about the dragon moving intentionally misleading? Before now the dragon search code hasn't bothered me, but I admit I am a bit frustrated at this point, especially since I've now wasted 3 days of my unicorn mount.

[Nightwind]

i only search glukmore anymore. but i spend the gems anywAY

[Deimos]

On an odder note, the dragon has been in Glukmoore for the past 5 times.

I've noticed this as well. For the past 3 days I have searched Romar, Quexl and Glorif for the dragon and haven't found her. On a new day I get "The dragon wanders to a new cave" text so I search the same three villages which should guarantee a find. It hasn't worked. Is this a bug or is the new day text about the dragon moving intentionally misleading? Before now the dragon search code hasn't bothered me, but I admit I am a bit frustrated at this point, especially since I've now wasted 3 days of my unicorn mount.

The dragon chooses a new cave, but there is nothing stopping her from choosing the same cave. With 1:4 odds, it'll happen often enough.

[Kadina]

The dragon chooses a new cave, but there is nothing stopping her from choosing the same cave.

Ok, thanks for clarifying that. I would suggest rewording the text though, because it IS misleading. New != Same. Now that I've gotten the mount I was saving for I am willing to pay the price to ease the dragon search and will begin doing so. Thanks again for the reply! :)

[Pwyll]

I have also found the dragon in Glukmoore the last three times, today being the most recent...

[Elessa]

I have also found the dragon in Glukmoore the last three times, today being the most recent...

hmmm... i hath to add my same experience to corroborate this statement. last three dragonkills hath been in glukmoore, including today's.

[Lanya]

mine too, at least the last two.

[JCP]

While it could have been easy to dismiss all the reports of the dragon preferring Glukmore, here at LotGD we take your concerns seriously.

It was a simple task to review the dragon locations and determine that our randomizer was not working correctly.

While we did not intend for the dragon to favor some locations over others, that was the effect.

We have fixed the problem and the dragon should appear more randomly now.

This doesn't mean that you won't get the same result a few times in a row, but there should be a normal distribution across all the dragon locations on the server.

[Shiqra]

AHHH! So it WASN'T just me!!! Aye - I used to find the dragon in Glukmoore most often too - so much so that I looked there first the past few times I hunted her.

[Pwyll]

We have fixed the problem and the dragon should appear more randomly now.

Hmm, I should have kept my big mouth shut... :wink:

[ALUCARD]

When it comes time for the Dragon I usually arrange to have full mount buffs, I also try visiting Boogers place and drinking...something. By then my stats are quite high and the Dragon isnt a problem. I also aquire two skills to use, which Ivbe found helps dramatically :twisted:

[Alvarakk]

Hmm, I should have kept my big mouth shut... :wink:

Indeed, You should have. ;)

[Furion]

Hmm, depending on your tone, that was probably a bad post there, Alvarakk. We tend to stay positive in these parts, and contribute to the discussion.

If you intended it in a joking manner, then maybe you should do what I do, and put a big goofy smiley --> :D

Last of all, *BUMP*! This thread was from a while ago, guys. The discussion of this feature ended, to the best of my knowledge. But it's cool, whatever. Hakuna Matata.

[Syrius]

Heh, I thought a little *wink* was ok, as well.

Also, if theres a contribution being made to the topic, it's quite ok for a little bump to occur.

:)

[JCP]

Hey, I just figured since I "tweaked" the dragon a few days ago people would be discussing it...

:twisted:

[Nightwind]

it almost killed me the last time, the same old stratagy dosen't seem to work for me anymore....

[Fionnabhair]

I thought the dragon was a little tougher last time, but I just chalked it up to RNG badness. I suppose I should have remembered JCP evilness. If I remember correctly, I think I got hit with more fire, but I did emerge victorious!

[Hapa Angel]

Hey, I just figured since I "tweaked" the dragon a few days ago people would be discussing it...

:twisted:
I managed my fifth kill just fine yesterday. :twisted:

[JCP]

I thought the dragon was a little tougher last time, but I just chalked it up to RNG badness. I suppose I should have remembered JCP evilness. If I remember correctly, I think I got hit with more fire, but I did emerge victorious!

Actually, that's the opposite of what happened.

The fire needed to be reduced because people aren't carrying around so many extra hitpoints any more. In return, the dragon's stats were increased a bit.

Hopefully the dragonfights aren't too easy as a result.

[Gargoyle]

Hopefully the dragonfights aren't too easy as a result.Seems pretty tough to me. I thought there was a good balance on my last DK.

[Elessa]

I thought the dragon was a little tougher last time, but I just chalked it up to RNG badness. I suppose I should have remembered JCP evilness. If I remember correctly, I think I got hit with more fire, but I did emerge victorious!

Actually, that's the opposite of what happened.

The fire needed to be reduced because people aren't carrying around so many extra hitpoints any more. In return, the dragon's stats were increased a bit.

Hopefully the dragonfights aren't too easy as a result.

too easy? ye hath got to be kidding. i barely managed to slay the beast today.

[Nightwind]

for the first time, in about 20 kills, it nearly bit my head off...

and as for flawless, i think i'd need to resort to a dity trick to get that now

[Qwyxzl]

I have slain the dragon several times since the switch over. Using at least 3 different point configurations (I like the orange candle a lot:) ) I have only lost once and that was just after using the candle. I have flawlessed once or twice though most of my fights are very close. Numerous times I have survived with less than 60 HP. The dragon is Very strong now. I like it.

[Greenhorn]

My 10 last DK's (I have 23 DKs) were flawless. My buffs helps me to be invunerable (except from the breath). I would like stronger dragon but everyone would hate me because of this statement.

[lostsoul]

not everyone.. i want a stronger dragon too..

the dragon is easier than some of the pvps i have done

[Furion]

I think that backstab makes the dragon pretty easy no matter how strong it is.....

Mimicking Greenhorn here, I think everyone will hate me for saying this, but maybe the multiplier on backstab should be reduced a bit....

[Hot Soup]

I found my last one pretty tough but admittedly thats because I had been waylaid 5 times whilst moving between towns then the villagers most helpfully pushed me into the cave quicker than you could say "oops where's the healers hut went ......"

[Elessa]

I think that backstab makes the dragon pretty easy no matter how strong it is.....

Mimicking Greenhorn here, I think everyone will hate me for saying this, but maybe the multiplier on backstab should be reduced a bit....

heh, i used backstab this past encounter with the dragon. let me assure ye, the dragon wasn't easy. i had 7 hp left when the fight ended. if the multiplier is reduced i suspect i shall find myself dying to the dragon more often than i already am.

[Acemaster]

I already suggested Backstab be nerfed, but the Sauce Boss didn't think it was necessary.

I have been waiting to say Sauce Boss for so long.

[SaucyWench]

*laughs* I don't think tweaking the dragon is necessarily not needed, but we have a big range of strengths and weaknesses in players. We used to take the attitude that the dragon should be about the same difficulty for everyone.

But what we have found is that for MOST players who report that the dragon is SMASHING them, their characters are very unbalanced. So now, if you have 20 dragon kills, spent nothing on hitpoints and have insane attack, and you get smashed, our reply is: Maybe you should speak to Heidi about that orange candle.

We are still interested in tweaking the dragon if your character is well balanced and it is still hitting too hard or too little.

[Elessa]

my attack and defense are precisely the same as they have been for last 30 odd dks, granted my hp is less, but then again so is the number of ffs i have.

even with the fewer hp, and it isn't that much fewer by any stretch of the imagination, the dragon is significantly stronger then previously.

[Sabu]

message deleted

[SaucyWench]

That's probably about right, then. Actually, that's probably too weak...

/me adds some code

if ($login == "sabu") { // make it stronger

...muahahaha!

[Hyzenthlay]

I have't had any problem with my dragon kills since the hitpoint adjustment, but she has just killed me three times running and I don't stand a chance!

I go in with my clockwork running and some kind of other buff and between the fire and her regular hits I am lucky if I can get three turns in. Unless I have just been very unlucky I have no idea what to do :(


My DKs are about 50 % forest fights, a few hitpoints, and the rest split between attack and defense, not too unbalanced or so I thought.

[JCP]

My DKs are about 50 % forest fights, a few hitpoints, and the rest split between attack and defense, not too unbalanced or so I thought.

50% of anything is not very balanced.

(Yes, you need that to max the clockwork mounts, but it's still not balanced.)

Remember: most forest creatures don't care how many dks you have - they only look at your stats and adjust accordingly. Therefore you can easily skate through the forest since all the creatures are only reacting to you.

The dragon is very different. The dragon is made up of several parts. There's a stock part that doesn't care about you and has it's own stats. There's a reactive part that evaluates your stats and adjusts accordingly. And there is a reactive part that evaluates your dks and assumes you've spent the points getting more powerful (i.e. not spending them on forest fights). All three blend together to give you a dragon.

The dragon is that way on purpose. It's a much tougher fight than most because you cannot remain weak and still hope to win.

Is there a magic formula that works for everyone? No. But you do need enough hit points to withstand a few hits, the stats to compete, and then you can worry about extra forest fights.

Most people who have problems in combat do not have enough hit points, sometimes because they are tied up in forest fights.

You should probably re-evaluate your allocation and use a candle.

[Hyzenthlay]

So are you punishing the forest fight clockwork users then?

All of the other stats are useful in facing the dragon, except for forest fights. I don't mind the dragin being harder, but right now it looks like it is impossible if I want to use a forest fight clockwork.

My only idea right now is too hopefully stay alive long enough to collect the required gems, sacrifice either forest fights or attack for defense, and try again.

If I need to, so be it, but then the darn dragon better not catch me while traveling again, or this is gonna be my longest DK ever :!:

[JCP]

It is probably impossible for you at this point, yes.

It was never promised that maxxing out the clockworks would guarantee victory.

It is possible, as long as you have enough points in the other attributes to cover yourself. For example, if you have 10-20 dks in hitpoints, approximately the same amount in att and defense, you could spend the rest in forest fights and have an excellent chance of success.

The problem, of course, is you need about 120 dks to pull off those minimums and 50% forest fights.

And no - I'm not punishing anyone. In fact, the clockwork based on forest fights ends up with the best stat multipliers in the game.

However, I do not want players to abuse the fact that creatures are based on player stats. There needs to be a legitimate challenge so that players cannot use this loophole.

[Hyzenthlay]

Well, I figured something out, and managed the kill.

Frankly I was worried that I absolutly would not be able to, and didn't know how long it would take to earn the gems, having just bought jewelry.

But I have plenty of time now to find the gems and reallocate if necessary.

Thank You!

[Snoopymcc]

The Fire breath is killer! I have yet to manage my first kill!

I am still looking for that "slight" chance of the Dragon NOT breathing fire :lol:

[Crowley]

Dragon breathed fire on me both times I killed him so far (on this server). It was hard, but with enough preparation, it was do-able.

Er, although I'm aware the situation is different for the tougher guys here :)

[Waugh]

The Fire breath is killer! I have yet to manage my first kill!

I am still looking for that "slight" chance of the Dragon NOT breathing fire :lol:

I would be interested to see more farmies posting here. I have an alt I created to mess around and test with, and it had died about 8 or 9 times in a row to the Dragon. It seems a little too strong for the lower DK's.

My observation.

[Crowley]

It was no problem the 3rd time either. Of course, by that point I had 8 magic points due to dying so much :-p

[Snoopymcc]

Its me again! I killed the Dragon the 3rd time I tried but had to go around gathering up buffs and use most of them at once and I was down to like 10 hps but I did it!!!Hooray!

[Waugh]

It was no problem the 3rd time either. Of course, by that point I had 8 magic points due to dying so much :-p

Fantastic website by the way mate. Especially enjoyed reading your July 05' entry!

[Crowley]

Well thanks!

[Ryuusei]

I would be interested to see more farmies posting here. I have an alt I created to mess around and test with, and it had died about 8 or 9 times in a row to the Dragon. It seems a little too strong for the lower DK's.

My observation.

Ask and ye shall receive.. ok, so I'm not a Farmie, but I am low DK (Specifically, I just made Trader a few days ago). The dragon seems pretty balanced to me, I have yet to die to her. I'm always very careful to prepare for her however (Feed my mount, have a touching moment with Violet, get drunk, etc.. which come to think of it sounds like very realistic preparation for heading off to slay the monster of your nightmares), and it probably helps that I always give gems to Foilwench.. >.>

[YurianStonebow]

Hey, what about that random forest fairy? She helps like Foilwench sometimes, too...

[Hapa Angel]

I would be interested to see more farmies posting here. I have an alt I created to mess around and test with, and it had died about 8 or 9 times in a row to the Dragon. It seems a little too strong for the lower DK's.

My observation.
Wheeewwwww! My farmie character just managed her first DK, with a tough battle and but 4 HP to spare. That fire breath is quite tough, but it was only her first *real* try, after one previous dragon-suicide-and-resurrection so as to have full buffs and specialty points handy. No drinks or Heidi buff or any other help, either, but she squeaked by in one try. Of course, some of it is the luck of the RNG gods' favor...

[ekalin]

I would be interested to see more farmies posting here.

My first DK (one (real) month and a half ago, more or less) was quite easy, using several buffs and the special habilities.

As a matter of fact, I've killed the dragon 8 times and never died to her. Only one fight was difficult, the others were reasonably easy, actually. Once I killed her in one turn, with Backstab.

[tuerney]

My first DK was actually this morning (on dragoncat server). I've been playing about 12 game days on my first character. I have to admit, being new to LotGD, I was pretty conservative. I didn't die getting to level 15 and then I got fully buffed before searching for the dragon (one of those 700 coin drinks, fed my mount, had all of my dark arts attacks, donated money, played with the kittens...anything I could think of since I don't know what they all do :lol: ). Anyway, got a flawless fight on the dragon and now I'm not sure whether I was a big chicken or just lucky. :)

Anyway, since I got the hang of it, I've been playing a little looser today and have died already, twice I think. :lol:

[Eyeball]

Is it just me, or is the dragon much more powerful now? Typically, I manage to DK with no undue difficulty. However, my last two attemps have seen me last a total of about five rounds. The dragon has totally flattened me!

Or am I just unlucky enough to have encountered a steroid-boosted RNG two encounters in a row?

[Nightwind]

yes, it did get harder reciently, thanks for noticing

[Gertrude]

Recent Farmie here - just managed my first DK yesterday. I died the first time (didn't take full advantage of my buffs), but the second time I tried, I killed her without *too* much problem. I was hurt, but not near death. I don't remember what buffs I had (mount, skills, dragon breath?)

[JCP]

Just a note:

The way the dragon buff works is that the more powerful you are or could be, the more powerful the dragon is.

So the first few battles should be difficult just as a baseline, but at higher levels the buff is much more important in keeping the fight difficult.

[YurianStonebow]

Well that being the case, chief, I should congratulate you, because I just got my behind handed to me by that Emerald Ugly for the first time this year. Definitely made me go, "Oh, so you want a piece of me, do you?! This is so on!" in my mind. I did make a note to just post my surprise mildly down in the Shades. :lol:

[Crowley]

I'd like to see folks try to beat her with their Fists now :)

[K3NNY]

I'd like to see folks try to beat her with their Fists now :)
:!: But that would be easier. Personally, I got riposted almost every hit. I killed the dragon with bluffs and my shadavar. I guess that if my weapon is lame, the "riposted damage" will be less (could someone confirm this please?). The real deal is achiving level 15 without weapons. But if you have a mount thats easy. Im lvl 6 and i need only 1k more gold for a lvl 15 armor, Im only fighting with my fists and a bunch of valkyrs.