EvilJoe Report post Posted August 31, 2007 Heya, Well, I've been thinking about astrology and its effect on training (not PKing, I mean training only) and it seems like a bad thing but instead of complaining and pissing off Radu I thought I'd share my thoughts here and see if anyone has some ideas on this So, it seems to me like most of the time, astrology is "no gain, no loss", so the good days and bad days balance with each other. With training though, it seems to me that this doesn't really hold for two reasons. 1. Diminishing returns to a/d. Let's say you have 100 def normally. Then on a good day (+5%) you have 105 def and on a bad day you have 95 (-5%) def. The benefit of going from 100->105 is weaker than the penalty of going from 100->95 def. As an analogy, consider if you were offered the choice of either making $50K a year guaranteed, versus a 50/50 chance of making $20K or $80K. Most people would choose the 1st option because going from $50k to $80k might mean a little bit nicer house and some more clothes but going from $50k to $20k means barely having enough money to live on. 2. Variability in stats is bad for training. Why? Well, fighters spend so much time figuring out how to tune their a/d and p/c to the perfect amount so they can do just the right amount of damage to creatures and train for long time without restocking, etc. If you're smart, you probably figured out the exact stats you need to do the minimum damage possible while still getting attack XP. Now a good day comes along and you do more damage, so you kill the enemy too fast. Then a bad day comes along and some of your hits don't do damage any more, causing you to lose attack XP. So when it comes to training, good days and bad days are both bad! Also, 5% bonus or penalty might seem small but for someone with 100 a/d that is a range of 10 levels (95 to 105) which means tuning your stats is like hitting a moving target. I'm not complaining but just raising a couple of questions. Do you guys think this makes sense or am I totally off? If it does make sense, anyone got any good ideas to deal with it? The only 2 I can really think of so far are (1) switch between bone and barehanded depending on the bonuses and (2) possibly TS down to a different a/d every day... Could also use a/d pots or something on the bad days but that would get expensive. Thanks -EJ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chosen Report post Posted August 31, 2007 (edited) Bonus = train better monster Deduction = wear better armour or switch to moon med/bone. Thats just my opinion, I've stopped training now cos of it, so I don't really mind. #Edit - Changed some stuff. Edited August 31, 2007 by Chosen Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
robotbob Report post Posted August 31, 2007 My opinion is about the same at the moment: Good stats:(hitting hard and often) train stronger monster, wear unicorn med Bad stats:(can't hit anything) train weaker, Ts down, wear moon med There is a positive thing for potioners. I use ad pc pots now for training. To balance the rough spots, like grabbing a red bull, to keep going. I am still interested by it, but I agree with this statement: consider if you were offered the choice of either making $50K a year guaranteed, versus a 50/50 chance of making $20K or $80K. And I can see many people taking a removal perk, for the middle road sure thing. But I can say there are allot more free spawns out there now Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rider_of_Rohan Report post Posted August 31, 2007 I think that you just harvest when you are in negs that way you dont have to do math. Plus with the chance to degrade an item goind down sometimes im more willing to train in more expensive gear. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
masterpiter Report post Posted August 31, 2007 No idea really, as Entropy stated- it affect u a lot if ur lvls r same/similar to mobs/players. And im somehow not worried that 95a/d fluff will hit me too much even at my-7defense. Actually, since my agressive modifiers r negative i make even more exp per hour on them than before, i kill them slower so they last longer mp Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hyperion Report post Posted August 31, 2007 so far the astro system didn't really affects my training since I reset. but I do notice that I break a lot less gear sometimes. the a/d acc/tohit and damage penalties don't really show. but I usually train in the evening and with my sign the evening is so far a good time to train. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Llywar Report post Posted August 31, 2007 I think that once I understand the pattern and can predict where I'm at (assuming #da goes away), I'll be able to cope with the changes. However, it could get painful at times. For example - I might be +6 a/d - a great time to try a new monster out. However, maybe my magic is so low that I can't even cast restoration any longer. I'm also the sort of person who plays EL from time to time when I have a chance to - I pretty-much NEVER sign onto EL at a particular time for any particular reason dictated by the game (so I don't get to participate much in big events / etc). That means that if I can predict that at some time I'll be the uber-stats-lord in EL it won't do me much good. At best I can really just figure out the best use for my time at the moment that I sign on. I like the fact that this adds variety to the game, and it looks like given a few more days data I should have the algorithm reverse-engineered. However, in spite of all this I might just end up taking that perk in the long-run. The fact is that with the frequency that I play I'll probably never be more than bait on PK maps so getting a +20 net a/d/acc/hit/dmg/etc bonus against the top-10 PKers list isn't really going to make much of a difference. Maybe if the difference were +50/-50 I'd have a chance... However, I'm sure that longer-term the algorithm will be public and it won't really give any net-advantage to anybody in PK - people will just go out in KF on their best days, looking for people who are weak, but mostly finding people who are strong and the occasional mercury harvester... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Malificent Report post Posted August 31, 2007 I reset with a guildie (Burfoot) before the astrology system was implemented. His attack level is like 10-15 levels higher than mine, our defense is only off by a few lvls (his being higher). We specifically made my p/c higher after the reset to counter his higer stats. We pvpd last night for the first time since the new system was implemented (i've been on a bit of a leave) and he's taken 10 more coord than me now. I demolished him last night with my lower stats. I'm not complaining, just find the difference now to be a bit astounding. With his higher a/d/p/c normally I would be having to heal alot, but in the hour we trained I healed once, he healed 10+ times. Again not complaing, moaning, bitching, crying, just stating the difference I have seen with the new system. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
masterpiter Report post Posted August 31, 2007 Astrology really affects a lot player vs player combat, so pvp and pking. If u and ur pvp partner r very unlucky( 1 person got big to hit/acc/att/dmg stats and the other person got -def) than pvp is very sucky if not impossible, exp loss is really big mp Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rider_of_Rohan Report post Posted August 31, 2007 what about monsters? u can't train with fear of breaking ur CoL or something Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jamincollins Report post Posted August 31, 2007 what about monsters? u can't train with fear of breaking ur CoL or something You can't? Well, I wonder how I was training on Cyclops all through my negative astrology time then. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tempest Report post Posted August 31, 2007 training pwns for me, i seem to have a very nice a/d p/c for both negative/good side of the astro system. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stricken Report post Posted August 31, 2007 well jammin don't you ever not wanna break a CoL, not all of us have loads of gc! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jamincollins Report post Posted August 31, 2007 well jammin don't you ever not wanna break a CoL, not all of us have loads of gc! You know how much I broke during my negative time? Exactly 1, yes 1, bone. I was wearing full steel, NMT, and CoL through the entire thing. It's not that big of a change. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stricken Report post Posted August 31, 2007 oh the NMT pfft lol of course, but not every 1has a frigging nmt unless u luck out with a nexus stone! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jamincollins Report post Posted August 31, 2007 oh the NMT pfft lol of course, but not every 1has a frigging nmt unless u luck out with a nexus stone! Again with the assumptions. Did I get my NMT from either of those? No. I saved up my coin and bought it. Just like anyone else can. But your assumptions and allegations are getting off topic. The impact of astrology on training is minimal. As Tempest has shown, if you know how to adapt to the system there is no real drawback of any kind. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stricken Report post Posted August 31, 2007 I didn't say you DID find a nexus stone i said that people like me and others who don't have friggin years to play at 1 time or give out 100$ of rl cash to buy crap off the shop don't have ANY WAY of making gc unless we spend 4 months doing 1 thing and not every 1 wants to do that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tempest Report post Posted August 31, 2007 As Tempest has shown, if you know how to adapt to the system there is no real drawback of any kind. i dont know how to adapt it, im just ubber lucky bastard Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Malificent Report post Posted August 31, 2007 Well, also it seems that my pvp partner isnt having the greatest luck with training on monsters either with the new system. think it took him 7 restores on dcw, when he normally might heal once. I myself haven't tried training on monsters yet. Think my sign is 7 and his is 6 and he is just uber unlucky it seems. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
masterpiter Report post Posted September 1, 2007 Why he looses exp and money on desert chims if he got 5 feroses in nrm? If he prefers dcw its his choice but with astrology modifiers being negative he should try feros, if needed at -19a/d even, will be more exp for him. And he should take def god of coz, he is experienced enough to know that. After reset def god is ur friend until u can train on yetis with bone ). mp Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vytukas Report post Posted September 5, 2007 I have developed a new training strategy - playing much less pros: more time for RL, good with astrology system cons: low xp Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chosen Report post Posted September 5, 2007 Better idea: Log on check #da, if shit log off and go do sommat IRL, if good go PK. Simple + creates some PK. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bkc56 Report post Posted September 5, 2007 Better idea:Log on check #da, if shit log off and go do sommat IRL, if good go PK. I'm curious as to what you will do when the #da command goes away? Will you buy and use the multitude of stones to get the same info, or just check 1-2 key stats, or ignore it, or ....? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Infect Report post Posted September 9, 2007 Well, im on a reset myself and i am finally back on fluffs. But the astrology thing keeps me from them on bad days. I agree with you eviljoe but i also like the +'s...but hate the -'s so kinda leary. I would wait a couple weeks after #da is taken out before taking perk though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites