Merit Changes in the 2/10/09 Live Patch
By
Aura_Familia,
Posted on: 2009-02-10 14:43 in Developers' Corner
Awesome list, Thanks Synapse. Allot of interesting changes, looks good.
Ice
Great looking forward to the changes and discussing them, come I14.
Blazara Aura LVL 50 Fire/Psi Dom (with 125% recharge)
Flameboxer Aura LVL 50 SS/Fire Brute
Ice 'Em Aura LVL 50 Ice Tank
Darq Widow Fortune LVL 50 Fortunata (200% rech/Night Widow 192.5% rech)--thanks issue 19!
Have you analyzed the total number of missions/merits blue-side vs. redside?
Any changes to the Hami Raid?
Quote:
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[Team] Nicholas Flamel: i turned my mircrowave on [Team] Nicholas Flamel: it took me out like a sausage |
Nites of Darkness ~ Pinnacle
Now, who wants to enter all this data into the ParagonWiki tables?
... not it
And for a while things were cold,
They were scared down in their holes
The forest that once was green
Was colored black by those killing machines
[ QUOTE ]
<font class="small">Code:[/color]<hr /><pre>
Task Name New Total Old Total Difference
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Katie Hannon Taskforce 9 7 3</pre><hr />
[/ QUOTE ]
is this New Math? 9-7=2 old school
EDIT: It's not just this example, there are a bunch of off-by-one errors in the "difference" column. LRSF didn't change but has a delta of 1, for example.
EDIT2: Hah. I need to learn to read. (It's roundoff error, for anyone else who didn't read Synapse's post.)
And for a while things were cold,
They were scared down in their holes
The forest that once was green
Was colored black by those killing machines
[ QUOTE ]
Have you analyzed the total number of missions/merits blue-side vs. redside?
[/ QUOTE ]
LOL, I would bet no.
Blazara Aura LVL 50 Fire/Psi Dom (with 125% recharge)
Flameboxer Aura LVL 50 SS/Fire Brute
Ice 'Em Aura LVL 50 Ice Tank
Darq Widow Fortune LVL 50 Fortunata (200% rech/Night Widow 192.5% rech)--thanks issue 19!
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
<font class="small">Code:[/color]<hr /><pre>
Task Name New Total Old Total Difference
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Katie Hannon Taskforce 9 7 3</pre><hr />
[/ QUOTE ]
is this New Math? 9-7=2 old school
EDIT: It's not just this example, there are a bunch of off-by-one errors in the "difference" column. LRSF didn't change but has a delta of 1, for example.
[/ QUOTE ]
He explained why near the beginning of his post. You'll find the reason for it there.
I think alot of the numbers are off.... or at least the difference is off.
You still have Citadel listed as Bastion?
[ QUOTE ]
You still have Citadel listed as Bastion?
[/ QUOTE ]
I had a nice little nostalgia chuckle at that.
After running over 1000 speed rsf's over the last three years i take full responsibility for the LRSF merit reward being what it is.
STF versus LRSF is outrageous!
Sorry, that's just all. I've defended deb decisions in the past, but this is insane. Why are heroes rewarded much better for a vastly simplified easy mode version of the villain counterpart? I am beside myself honestly. This is the kind of thing that makes me wonder why I bother.
SadysCHICK ALL the Badges! (I can get. 1396)
Full image by David Nakayama
Arc ID 1435: Performing without Annette
Arc ID 7206: Sadystic Tendencies
Arc ID 3864: The Chronicles of (In)FERNIA!
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
You still have Citadel listed as Bastion?
[/ QUOTE ]
I had a nice little nostalgia chuckle at that.
[/ QUOTE ]
As did I. *chuckles*
Huron: "...with Coffee primary / Attitude secondary"
Charnage: "Please. Think of the poor defenseless desks."
"The Babylon Project was our last, best hope for peace. It failed... In the year of the Praetorian War, it became something greater... our last, best hope for victory."
[ QUOTE ]
STF versus LRSF is outrageous!
Sorry, that's just all. I've defended deb decisions in the past, but this is insane. Why are heroes rewarded much better for a vastly simplified easy mode version of the villain counterpart? I am beside myself honestly. This is the kind of thing that makes me wonder why I bother.
[/ QUOTE ]
I'm tempted to reply with a witty comment like "Crime doesn't pay and the devs are keeping it that way." but I'm too busy shaking my head over the fact that redside is getting less and less appealing by the update.
STF gives 38 merits, and RSF gives... still 25.
Nice. Real nice.
I'm not normally one to jump on the "villains got the shaft" bandwagon, but these numbers make it seem like they really did this time around. The only villain SF that had its reward increased is one which is difficult to access in the first place because of the ridiculous base computer requirement. Maybe it's just that the smaller villain population is better at running content than the hero population at large. Still, this a little bit ridiculous.
@macskull, @Not Mac | XBL: macskull | Steam: macskull | Skype: macskull
"One day we all may see each other elsewhere. In Tyria, in Azeroth. We may pass each other and never know it. And that's sad. But if nothing else, we'll still have Rhode Island."
"One day we all may see each other elsewhere. In Tyria, in Azeroth. We may pass each other and never know it. And that's sad. But if nothing else, we'll still have Rhode Island."
[ QUOTE ]
Have you analyzed the total number of missions/merits blue-side vs. redside?
[/ QUOTE ]
Yes. Otherwise they couldn't pick on villains. 
Quote:
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Originally Posted by PleaseRecycle
it has gone from unconscionable to downright appalling that we have no way of measuring our characters' wetness.
|
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Brillig
It's hard to beat the entertainment value of Whackjob Wednesdays.
|
Breaking knives gave 9 before, not 3.
This was no increase.
SadysCHICK ALL the Badges! (I can get. 1396)
Full image by David Nakayama
Arc ID 1435: Performing without Annette
Arc ID 7206: Sadystic Tendencies
Arc ID 3864: The Chronicles of (In)FERNIA!
I'm amazed at the amount of data you all have gathered! Sorry for the delay on getting this information to you. As Castle mentioned there were two hurdles:
#1: Getting approval from above to give this information out.
#2: Having code get me the Story Arc names that you all would recognize. Otherwise you'd end up with arc names like CROATOA_BOWER_ARC.storyarc. While you could probably figure out for yourselves that this is the story arc given out by Gordon Bower, it'd be sloppy.
Anyhow, those hurdles have been leapt over and below you'll find a list of all the named story arcs with their New Total, Old Total and their Difference. Anyhow, those hurdles have been leapt over and below you'll find a list of all the named story arcs with their New Total, Old Total and their Difference. One thing to keep in mind when you're looking at these numbers is that any decimal points round off to the nearest whole number in the display, but retained in the calculations. So that's why you'll see something like:
<font class="small">Code:[/color]<hr /><pre>
Task Name New Total Old Total Difference
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Katie Hannon Taskforce 9 7 3</pre><hr />
So, keep in mind that those numbers in the display round down, but any decimals are retained in the calculations. I realize that a large number of you all got together to pieced together this information, but I hope this helps out. In the future we'll try to post a similar list when we do merit reward changes. I remember the colossal effort that was put into compiling the merit reward list in Issue 13 beta and beyond. Anyways, here's the list:
<font class="small">Code:[/color]<hr /><pre>
Merit Reward Totals
Task Name New Total Old Total Difference
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Piercing the Veil 10 8 2
Crossing Over 8 6 2
Katie Hannon Taskforce 9 7 3
Hatred's Hungry Heart 5 4 1
The Origin of Power 3 2 1
War of the Fir Bolg 7 5 2
Eden Trial 6 2 4
Flux the Outcast 7 6 1
Julius the Kind Hearted Troll 4 3 1
Cavern of Transcendence Trial 7 6 1
The Heart of the Hollows 11 9 2
Officer Wincott vs. the Trolls 2 2 1
War and Peacebringers 8 6 2
Warshades and Peace 7 2 4
The Clockwork Captive 9 7 2
The Peace Slayers 9 7 3
The Council Cargo 4 2 1
Bonefire 9 7 2
Positron Taskforce 64 55 9
The Vahzilok Pollutant Plot 13 7 7
An Absence of Shadows 4 6 -2
The Mind of a King 10 5 5
Shadow Science 8 6 1
Synapse Taskforce 57 45 13
Tsoo Shenanigans 12 5 6
The Vahzilok Plague 8 4 5
The Wheel of Destruction 9 4 5
Hand of Iron 8 4 4
Winslowe and the Cosmotron 7 6 1
The Sky Raider Secret 6 5 1
Sister Psyche Taskforce 40(50 - I14) 40 0(9 - I14)
The Tsoo Coup 9 8 1
Ubelmann the Unknown 11 9 3
The Scroll of Tielekku 9 7 2
An Unnatural Order 10 8 2
The Freaklympics 20 11 9
Fear and Loathing on Striga Isle 11 8 3
The Mysterious General Z 9 7 2
Citadel Taskforce 40 30 9
The Rise Of the Vampyri 17 7 10
The Library of Souls 10 11 -1
Corporate Culture 12 9 2
The Unity Plague 10 12 -2
The Freakshow War 11 10 2
Scary Monsters 7 4 3
Manticore Taskforce 32 25 7
A Path into Darkness 16 7 9
The Envoy of Shadow 9 6 3
Revenant Hero Project 12 8 4
The Terra Conspiracy 11 8 3
The Nictus Alliance 7 15 -7
Mass Duplicity 18 9 10
The Organ Grinders 20 15 4
Numina's Taskforce 36 30 5
To Save a Soul 15 11 4
On the Run 17 13 4
The Nictus Insurrection 4 29 -24
Melvin and the Mysterious Malta Group 19 18 1
The Eternal Nemesis 19 15 4
The Praetorian War 29 22 7
Division: Line 21 18 3
Upon the Psychic Plane 27 19 8
The Final Darkness 6 7 -1
Operation: World Wide Red 17 11 5
To Save a Thousand Worlds 32 16 16
Portal Corp Story Arc 2 4 3 1
A Hero's Hero 24 19 5
Statesman's Taskforce 38 30 8
Sewer Trial 28 25 3
The Origins of the Snakes 4 2 2
Weird Science 4 2 2
Earning Arachnos' Favor 2 1 1
Snake Uprising 2 1 1
The Vahzilok Conference 5 4 1
Spy Hunt 10 5 5
Midnight's Hand 5 2 3
The Origin of Power 3 2 1
Midas Touched 7 3 4
Breaking Bows 2 2 0
Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge 2 2 0
The Hit List 4 2 2
An Arachnos Ghost Story 3 3 1
Power of the Spirit 4 3 1
Lost and Found 4 3 1
Give 'em Hellion! 5 2 3
Family War 7 5 2
The Book and the Burning 1 1 0
Retrieve the Loa Bone 1 1 0
Hurt the Traitorous Vendetti 1 1 0
Beast of the Mountain Strikeforce 12 10 2
Echo Down the Aeons 3 3 0
The Aeon Conspiracy 7 6 1
High-Tech Gold 4 3 1
Breakout at the Zig 8 3 4
Master of Destruction 5 2 3
There's a Sucker Born Every Minute 12 6 6
Rumblings of the Past 4 3 1
I Lost my Daddy! 4 3 1
Choose Your Own Adventure 1 7 -6
"Oh, Wretched Man!" 6 5 2
Storyarc SL3_Vahzilok_Mission1 1 1 0
Ouroboros Initiation 4 2 2
Ouroboros Initiation 3 2 1
A Faultline in the Sands of Time 10 5 5
The Buried Past 3 2 2
If At First You Don't Succeed 1 1 0
Pirates of the Skies Strikeforce 38 35 4
Iron Widow 4 3 1
Kings of the Sky 4 2 2
Operation Skyhook 4 2 2
Coral Bonanza 3 3 1
Breaking the Cage 4 3 1
Any Body Will Do 2 1 1
Disturbing the Dead 3 3 1
Carpe Diem 3 1 2
A Web of Intrigue 9 6 3
Crown of Glory 9 1 8
Dirge of Chaos 7 1 6
The Magic Man 7 1 6
The Miracle River 1 1 0
Aurora Fades 1 1 0
Power Mine 3 2 1
Sabotage! 4 3 1
Trust and Betrayal 5 3 1
Zag Breakout! 3 2 1
First Villain Respec Trial 15 15 0
Forging the Blackwand 8 4 4
Midnight Draws Near 6 5 1
Die by the Freak! 4 3 1
Heavy Metal Doctoring 3 2 1
The Cult of the Shaper 5 4 1
On the Trail of the Leviathan 2 1 0
Temple of the Waters Strikeforce 22 25 -3
Smoke and Mirrors 3 4 -1
The Spider Weaves His Web 4 5 0
The Longbow List 1 1 0
Taming the Tigress 3 2 0
Brawling with the Big Boys 3 2 1
Snuffing the Light 4 3 1
Into Valhalla 7 5 1
Nictus Dissection 2 2 0
Psimon Sez 5 7 -1
Strange Memories 4 3 1
Lost and Found 5 6 -1
Breaking the Streak 3 2 1
Silver-Tongued Devil 3 3 0
Sold for a Song 7 6 1
Miss Fortune's Wheel 2 1 0
High Roller's Last Gamble 4 3 1
Chaos Unbound 5 4 1
The 5th Column Overthrow 6 6 1
The Dead Man's Deck 5 1 4
Second Villain Respec Trial 15 15 0
Crystal of Seraphina Strikeforce 25 25 1
No One Gets It 3 2 1
Crossfire 3 2 0
A Traitorous History 2 2 0
The Secret of the Circle 6 6 0
Bravo for the Shadow Shard 5 2 2
Automatic Villainy 5 4 1
Blurring the Lines 3 2 1
The Strange Case of Benjamin A. Decker 2 2 1
Welcome to the Vanguard 5 3 2
Fat Cat City 4 2 2
Pied Piper 2 2 1
Chaos Affair 5 4 1
The Missing Maidens 3 2 1
Johnny's Squeeze 3 2 1
Devil May Care 10 9 2
Future Threat 7 1 6
Power from the Past 2 1 1
Stolen Power 2 1 1
Breaking Knives 4 9 -5
Absolute Vengeance 2 1 1
The Arachnoid Cure 2 2 1
Arachnoid Appetizers 2 2 0
Building a Better Vermin 5 4 0
Project Fury 2 1 0
Countess Coup 3 2 1
Kuhr'Rekt Diplomacy 3 2 1
Kuhr'Rekt Revenge 3 3 0
Apt Pupil 5 4 1
Miss Francine the Freakshow teacher 3 3 1
The Rebels 2 2 0
The Bane of the Heart 5 5 -1
Shucking Souls 4 3 1
The Hunt 5 4 1
The Circle's Plot 6 4 1
Dreams of Peace and Acts of War 10 5 5
Sara Moore Taskforce 63 50 13
Dr. Quaterfield Taskforce 111 90 21
"Politics, Cimeroran Style" 8 1 7
Trading Places 10 7 2
Trading Places 6 5 1
Third Villain Respec Trial 15 15 0
Time's Arrow 28 25 3
Lord Recluse Strikeforce 25 25 1
Vindication 3 3 1
Light and Darkness 2 2 0
Ancient History 2 1 0
Escaped! 2 1 1
Snake Fest 6 5 1
Alone in the Darque 3 2 2
Indigo Hunt 3 3 0
Crimson Hunt 2 2 0
The Code Merlin 4 2 2
Vigilante Justice 4 3 1
The TV Report 5 4 1
Video Killed the Radio 2 1 0
The TV Invasion 3 2 0
The Conference of Evil 8 7 1
Von Grun's science 3 2 0
The Great Grun Gathering 3 2 1
Von Grun's Lament 2 1 0
Von Grun's Redemption 7 12 -5
The Red and the Black 7 4 2
Lady Grey Taskforce 39 30 9
The Horror of War 8 6 2
Justin Augustine Taskforce 24 35 -11
Faathim the Kind Taskforce 73 55 18
Ernesto Hess Taskforce 19 15 3
Hear and Now 10 5 5
A Madman's Council 5 4 1
Moonfire Taskforce 31 25 6
Ring of Peebles 10 9 2
Return to Vampyr Mountain 9 4 4
Terra Volta Respec Trial 1 27 25 2
Terra Volta Respec Trial 2 20 25 -5
Terra Volta Respec Trial 3 20 25 -5
</pre><hr />
The above is a list of all the named tasks in the game. If you believe some data is missing, let me know and I will adjust this information. So, you probably have a few questions. I'll try to preemptively answer a couple of them:
Q: Why did the merit times change?
A: Well, this answer is actually two fold. First off, the average times for many missions changed dramatically! A lot more people have been running story arcs after merits were introduced. Both in and outside of Ouroboros. So, people have found ways to optimize their merit per hour intake as you'd imagine. This caused a number of tasks to take a steep dive in merits per completion. The numbers were not where we wanted them--in many cases they were lower than we liked--so we changed the formula that determines how merits are earned. Instead of earning 1 merit every 5 minutes on a task force/strike force you now earn 1 every 3 minutes. Keep in mind that these times are based on average completion times. What this boils down to is roughly:
Trials: 24 merits per hour of average completion time.
Taskforces: 20 merits per hour of average completion time.
Story Arcs: 8 merits per hour of average completion time.
This is why many tasks had their merit rewards increase by quite a bit.
Q: Why did story arc X have its merit times reduced?
A: Well, again this isn't a simple answer. The short answer is that more people run them and find faster ways of completing these tasks. This in turn changes the average completion time substantially. However, there were a number of tasks--specifically the Kheldian story arcs--that we didn't have much data on. These tasks were literally run only a handful of times, so data was scarce. People started running these arcs to test the number of merits awarded and people realized that these tasks were giving out way more merits than they should. This caused them to be run A LOT! We then realized that these tasks could be completed much faster than our old data suggested. So, these arcs had their rewards adjusted accordingly.
Q: Why change merits at all?
A: We want our players to be getting appropriate rewards for the tasks they're doing. This means if we see a task doesn't take as long as we imagined, or is taking far longer than our data suggests, we will adjust accordingly. However, keep in mind that I am frequently data mining what is going on with the market, the merit vendors and merit drops in general. If we feel there is a need for an decrease to costs of items on the merit vendor, or an increase for merit drop rate, we will adjust these items accordingly. However, it's only been a few months since Issue 13 was released, so not enough data has been collected to make any big decisions right now.
I'd like to close by saying that there will be some small changes to the merit reward system (and the reward system in general) in Issue 14, that I am sure will be viewed as positive changes. I'd like to talk you about them once I get the green light to do so. Thank you for reading.
Regards,
Synapse
EDITED: Corrected error with Breaking Knives displaying the incorrect number of merits.