While today’s new PTR build is mostly focused on bugfixes, we want to share some other adjustments that we’re working on for Classic Era 1.14.4.
We plan to test a “Coward!” debuff for players who flee a Duel to the Death. We’re adding bespoke logic to this debuff, to help ensure that you cannot gain it while under the effects of crowd control.
This debuff is meant to be incredibly punishing.
We’re also planning to increase the total duel area for Duels to the Death.
We’re making several adjustments to Guild Death Messages.
Death alerts will be customized or disabled in the configuration options for chat windows.
Guild deaths will display the creature that killed the character and the zone or area they died in.
If the player died to environmental damage, only the zone will be shown.
Additionally, death alerts will also show for any guild death, not just when characters die over a certain level.
We’re working on new, unique sounds for Duel to the Death challenges, Guild Deaths, and Level 60 server announcements.
We’re going to test making PvP Trinkets from Rank 2 of the Honor system available on Hardcore realms, from a vendor for a moderate gold cost, without requiring ranking.
We’ll let you know in the Development Notes as we implement these updates for PTR testing.
I however think you are overthinking the Duel to the Death feature a bit too much.
It’s supposed to be a duel, well, to the death. If you flee, you should die immediately. Otherwise it’s not much a Duel to the death but a duel to the I’m almost dead → /flee → Logout for 3 days.
Amazing changes to acomodate HC so far tho, God speed.
When the Coward Debuff elaspes, perhaps a new debuff could replace it called Stain of Cowardice that reduces all reputation gains by 20%, but otherwise is just a flavor Debuff.
Also, the only way to remove it is to challenge the original person you were facing to another duel to the death.
These changes are extremely welcome. I like the death notifications and buying pvp trinket from a vendor quite a bit.
The coward debuff sounds like there shouldn’t be a way to actually stop a duel to the death no matter what, but I assume there is a reason you’re doing it this way. Keep up the good work there devs!
Great changes, however i also disagree with the “punishment” for duel to the death. If i escape death by running away like a coward and my only punishment is i am less effective in combat for the days then that is pretty easy to over come. Simply play an alt, or just do harvesting or tradeskills. I mean that is really easily gotten around. I think a better punishment for fleeing a magura is to pvp flag the coward for three days of logged in time. That would be a scary three days for the coward and there is a real good chance the person will meet their fate for being a coward.
I’m loving the Coward Debuff. Is there any way you can make it 3 days game time? I feel that anyone who gets the debuff will just not play for 3 days to hide their shame and come back after. That or maybe a Coward title they can’t take off.
Sir, this is the hardcore ptr forum. Take your retail garbage complaints to the retail forum.
Back on topic: I’m of the same mind that the debuff isn’t punishment at all if it can be avoided by playing an alt or simply going offline for three days. If it only ticks down while in-game then fine.
I like this suggestion a lot, but in addition to rather than instead of. Also, give a small reward of some sort to people who can successfully kill a coward so there’s even more incentive to hunt them down
You are in the wrong forums, Sir. Please post this on the appropriate forums for the appropriate version of the game. If you weren’t already aware, this is the PTR HC Classic Era Development forums.
I think the debuff is cool, although like many others I wouldn’t call it “incredibly punishing”, retail patch notes buff classes by 20% and nerf 20% all the time. Everyone would rather take that 20% over dying.
However, I have no better alternative, I think instantly killing the player is a bad idea as well.
Also I agree with Namuras that you developers are really focused on the Duel to the Death, while I think it will be so incredibly rare.
I am very happy with the classic devs though surprisingly! I’m super hyped for hardcore; as is my girlfriend.
