taken from Thread :- A few questions for Jeremy regarding this new event found in UO.UHall

I was wondering if like the other parts of the Virtue quest (I am assuming this is another virtue quest and not tied into the Enu story line) and if it is are the changes they made to the dung spawn permament?

I am not going to spew my opinion on this matter any further but to say that if it is permanent can you please explain why these changes are just now being implemented? (assuming the theory everyone is spewing about scripters is correct).

I am not going to lie that it wouldnt be easier to be able to use the highest level spells during this event but I am under the impression that the devs have been doing everything you can to make positive changes but nerfing a whole playstyle in certain dungions I believe we deserve and explanation.

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the reason the nerfed the EV's an other summons was to stop the unatended macroer Script looting Scum that have over run the game the past few events .

that an not for nothing these aren't paragons your dealing with your dealing with low end haven't been upgraded since Pre AoS monsters that are hardly the powerhouses that they were .

Deamons used to give me a hard time ,
Dragons would eat my warrior solo
Elder gazers were a 3 melee cross healing event
and balrons were gods

Now Deamons Die in 3 shots
Dragons Crawl away in fear
Eldergazers have cateracts
and balrons are aobut as strong as deamons used to be .

you still have Efields an parafields for Crowd control all you have to do is use a 3 man mage team 2 to cast efields an 1 to firefield poison field the small spawn into corrals an unload with chain lighting metoer swarm an earthquake not to mention other spells like fireball an lightingbolt an Ebolt.

Add all of that an the right slayer spellbook with some Spell damage increase items instead of standing behind an ev you'll blow the critters away like a real mage .

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Why didnt they nerf the unattended Melee chars and the un attended tamers as well, I have seen both since this event. There must be a better way to combat scripting then to Nerf most 8th circle spells. Fields can also be dispelled. Tamers can be unattended so easy with their tames, much more so then mages and summons.

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Try taking a blackrock infected dragon on using a mage with no summons. Was happily killing dragons when this thing turned on me. Paragon speed, 40-50 hit physical, 80-90pt firebreath, and of course, auto dispel summons. Really need a tamer to take that beast down. Even my pally who easily solos balrons was no match for it, even with slayer weapon.

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well thats what you get for messing with Blackrock .

If you look at some more of the Ultima History with Blackrock maybe the Ev's dispelling could be a prelude to the madness of mages that messed with the blackrock .

They'll start saying the words of pwoer an next thing they know there gated to Fel an polymorfed so there grey in the middle of the big field near the Yew gate .

Blackrock is some nasty stuff an people that played around with it are going to get burned, everything has its price .

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I believe you're correct, but it was VERY poorly thought out - a common occurence with the Devs. Elimating summons essentially removed several templates from this event, but didn't eliminate the scripters at all.

You can script just as efficently with a dexxer if not more efficiently. A scripted tamer is even more efficient at harvesting these things.

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I agree it wasnt thought out and if it was to fight scripting (which I am not sure of since its so secular to one playstyle being targeted) then it needs to be changed back.

But in any case I would really like a response from someone on high (a Dev or Jeremy) to explain why this was implemented from there own keyboards.


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I would also like to know why certain posts warrant a devs or Jeremies attention and others do not.

Is it because there is no easy answer or because so few people play pure mages now that you do not care about them?

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So do you expect a Dev to reply to each and every thread? I hardly think I want them spending so much time doing what you are apparently suggesting. In regards to an entire play-style being nerfed with the dispel changes, I just don't get it. As others have stated, there are a lot of others ways for a mage to be productive even without summons. To be fair, I have been primarily using my archer for this event, but it's not impossible with a mage template. Sure, it's not as easy as being able to throw out a couple of EVs every so often while completing the New York Times crossword puzzle and listening for the sound of a book spawning, but isn't it about time the mind-numbing, boring, repetitive crap was discouraged a little bit?

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Leurocian Ultima Online Designer

Hall and Well Met.

Creatures in the Anti-Virtue Dungeons will not dispel EVs and the like on a permanent basis. This is only a temporary side-effect due to recent Live Events. See the latest BNN fiction for details.

The latest Five on Friday stated the following:

"Why are slimes dispelling my Energy Vortexes?" - As hinted at in the current new broadcast by Leurocian Malnagrane, High Archmage and Traveling Bard, it appears that when the slaying magic came in contact with the real Book of Truth and the blackrock in Goran Zarlov's possession, that a blast of nether energy caused a magical reaction in the creatures that inhabit the Dungeons of Anti-Virtue.

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Yes I did read the five on Friday and the fiction and the storyline arch. You do address this not being permament and I thank you for that but I still would like to know why pure mages are being excluded (and you would say ecluded as well if youre highest level ablities were being canceled out bye the spawn) from this event. I really didnt want to know the story arch but more of an explanation of why mages are excluded from this event.

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It's only crap mages who can't use the whole range of spells they have at their disposal that are being excluded.

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If they have been limiting mages because they are leading up to a change of 8th level spells that help us in areas of heavy spawn while replacing summons(perhaps to make a summoning skill sepparate?), I'd be happy with that. I think the concerns I'm hearing is that people are playing other templates as a reaction. There are some, like me, who don't want pure mages to be forced into extinction by making magery unlikely to be used as anything but a secondary skill to compliment a primary one. In my opinion, it's been heading down that path for a while now. I think it's a valid concern.

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"but I still would like to know why pure mages are being excluded (and you would say ecluded as well if youre highest level ablities were being canceled out bye the spawn) from this event."

As it has been posted in other threads...you DO have more then Energy Vortex in your spellbook....right???

Pure mages have not been excluded...you CAN cast other spells...can't you??

*hear my words DRIPPING with sarcasm, yes*

Me and my friend..a PURE mage...go hunting all the time. He casts Energy BOLTS, flamestrikes, fire balls...there ARE 64 spells in your spellbook...use them : ) AND, he gets more books then I do

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I know this is a foreign concept to most but words matter.

I did say highest level spells. Now please look in youre spell book and tell me of the aformentioned spells you have told me are used are higher then the summons?

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".....but nerfing a whole playstyle in certain dungions I believe we deserve and explanation. "

These are your exact words. Now....as a PURE mage....which I am assuming you are...are these spells the ONLY ones you use??? By the words...Nerfing a whole playstyle...leads me to beleive that you ONLY use summons spells...and that, my friend, is NOT the way to play a pure mage. Use the abilities that the UO Gods have given you....wrap your arms around your spellbook...become one with it..and USE the spells you have been given. Don't rely on Summons...just as tamers should not rely on pets. I have a tamer mage...and I will actually go out hunting WITHOUT MY PETS!!!! YES! It is true.....heaven forbid.

I am just saying, my dearest Plucky Duck.....that if you feel that by not being allowed to cast summons in CERTAIN dungeons has "nerfed" and entire playstyle, then you need to rethink the way you play.