Wiber [2065939] —
Original article
With Andyman's list of Level III losers growing by the day, we explore why so many NPC looters are suffering from Early Weapon Discharge, and what Chedburn plans to do about it.
In the real world, beating up old people and freaks to steal their belongings is frowned upon. But in Torn, the ritual assault and robbery of Torn's NPCs is something of a community event, with players both young and old gathering on a daily basis to kick the crap out of Duke, Leslie, or the Easter Bunny for the possibility of nicking a bit of their kit.
Of course, this isn’t the only reason to attack an NPC. You can join in these group attacks to work towards the merits for running away, stalemating, assisting, high damage hits, and the once in a lifetime merit for successfully looting an NPC. Furthermore, NPC attacks can be a great opportunity to improve weapons experience (provided you make plenty of hits) and use vast quantities of ammunition, including special ammunition.
Pictured: Some of Torns most upstanding citizens.
But recently a problem has developed in Torn. Thanks to the over-exuberance of Torn's citizens, our poor NPCs are being beaten to a pulp way too soon for anyone to be able to benefit. Not only are group attacks ending too quickly, but certain changes have also made it so that weaker players feel obliged to get their hits in early, way before our NPCs have reached a satisfactory loot level. Why is this happening?
Early Weapon Discharge
Early Weapon Discharge, or EWD, is a sore subject for many, and that makes it difficult to talk about in public. The stigma surrounding EWD is likely preventing us from collectively finding a solution to this problem, but to those who suffer I say you do not suffer alone. We've all discharged our weapons early at some point in our lives, and if we work together, one day we may be able to eradicate EWD forever.
So what is the cause of EWD? Well, the most recent update to affect NPCs was the introduction of Advanced Weapons and Armors. These items, which are paid out to participants of Ranked Warring, are far more powerful than the standard weapons and armors found in Torn City. Admittedly, some special weapons already existed in Torn thanks to the NPCs themselves, but such items were rare until Ranked Warring came along.
Now, with increased item stats and special bonuses at play, our once mighty foes are finding it hard to fight back against the mass destruction being meted out by our newly upgraded citizenry. And as time goes on, the power of NPCs will continue to fall as the never-ending arms race continues.
Larger Link
Another, more direct change to NPC fights has come in the form of an increase in the permitted number of participants. In October, Chedburn raised the maximum number of attackers in a group attack to 125, having previously limited this to 100, 70, and 50 before that.
As we indicated earlier, Torn's NPCs have been given multiple boosts to their life bar to accommodate these changes, and Andyman's suggestion to increase NPC lives by an additional 30% has proven popular. But even if this change were implemented and individual NPC fights were extended in length, the problem of players attacking Duke, Leslie, and Jimmy at low loot levels would remain.
Desperate Times
Could the amendment to loot lottery tickets introduced back in October be the true cause of Early Weapon Discharge? To gain a chance of earning loot from an NPC fight, players must acquire loot lottery tickets, which are earned by making damaging hits during a fight. It used to be that any hit would earn you a ticket, but since November, only hits that inflict harm upon the NPC count towards your loot lottery ticket total.
Loot lottery tickets also now expire upon an NPC's defeat or their regeneration to full life, having previously expired after ten minutes. These changes undoubtedly affect weaker players disproportionally, as they are less likely to be able to land hits against NPCs than their stronger statted foes. I wonder if this is why we see so many n00bs jumping the gun and piling onto our NPCs before they've hit a decent loot level - they assume that if they don't attack at Level III, the fight will be over before they can land a hit.
Pictured: Tiny getting the poo kicked out of him while still at loot level III (see gold star on left side).
Most Tornians are aware that, by some unwritten agreement, it is better to attack NPC’s only when they reach loot level IV, or 4 for those of you that are Roman Numerically challenged. Unfortunately, those who suffer from Early Weapon Discharge will never touch V let alone IV. Instead, they are destined to lose control and fire blindly at III. This is an embarrassing situation for all concerned.
The NPCs drop one piece of loot per loot level. Whatever loot level they are at when they are defeated is equal to the number of pieces of loot they drop. So by firing early, you immediately reduce the chance of more loot being dropped by 25%. The second problem is the quality of the loot. Premium Loot, such as weapons with bonuses, won’t be dropped if the loot level does not reach IV.
So on top of reducing the chance of getting any loot by 25%, attacking NPCs at level III or lower reduces the chance of getting good loot by 100%.
Pictured: This man discharged his weapon at a level 2 Jimmy. His reward? Pixie Sticks, and the contempt of all Tornkind.
Unfortunately, there are dozens of trigger-happy fools suffering from EWD, and as soon as they see one firing, the excitement becomes too much for them and they too begin unloading in an uncontrolled manner. Those who were there watching patiently from the shadows then have a choice. Do I sit here and do nothing, risking my own chances of taking part in this fight? Or do I make an attack now, and at least stand a chance of taking home a prize?
Little Blue Pill
The aforementioned suggestion to increase NPC life bars might help prolong individual fights, but it will do little to reduce the impact of Early Weapon Discharge sufferers on the quantity and quality of NPC loot payouts. Andyman, Torn's resident stat-queen, has decided to help people with EWD in his own special way - violence.
If you are one of the instigators of these uncontrolled bouts of premature orgiastic violence, Andy and hisLynchmob Band of Merry Men will hunt you down and make your life miserable by landing you in the hospital. If you doubt me you can find details of this latter-day Robin Hood’s exploits in the thread Level III Easter Bunny Looters ON NOTICE.
I contacted Andyman for comment and he had this to say:
"There are always going to be the contrarians out there who derive satisfaction in being the one(s) who mess it up for everyone else... I'm simply putting my name (and stats) behind the effort to keep those players in check. There seems to be a lot more attention on the Easter Bunny so far this year, with folks willing to chase early-hitters to Switzerland to hosp them overseas, and directors willing to poach employees of early-hitter-directors with +1m/day extra salaries." - Andyman
Will this violent effort by the community succeed in containing the spread of Early Weapon Discharge that is currently plaguing Torn City? Or will Chedburn be forced to step in and make changes for the benefit of all? TCT Editor Sugarvalves confirms he has spoken to Torn's head honcho regarding these issues and that a solution may eventually arrive in the form of a change to the distraction mechanic.
"So I think we'll try out the 'distraction level limited by the amount of seconds since your last hit... That seems to solve everything I wanted to solve, and it'll breathe fresh life into NPC attacks by adding a whole new dimension: Time." - Chedburn
It seems that, much like other forms of early discharge, the cure for EWD may be found in the element of distraction. For who among us hasn't attempted to last that little bit longer by silently recalling the list of Academy Award winners for Best Foreign Film in between thrusts? Further details regarding the proposed Distraction change can be found in the Suggestions thread Sugarvalves posted earlier today. The community is encouraged to air their views on this change in the comments below.
Distraction Suggestion Thread
Of course, this isn’t the only reason to attack an NPC. You can join in these group attacks to work towards the merits for running away, stalemating, assisting, high damage hits, and the once in a lifetime merit for successfully looting an NPC. Furthermore, NPC attacks can be a great opportunity to improve weapons experience (provided you make plenty of hits) and use vast quantities of ammunition, including special ammunition.
Pictured: Some of Torns most upstanding citizens.
But recently a problem has developed in Torn. Thanks to the over-exuberance of Torn's citizens, our poor NPCs are being beaten to a pulp way too soon for anyone to be able to benefit. Not only are group attacks ending too quickly, but certain changes have also made it so that weaker players feel obliged to get their hits in early, way before our NPCs have reached a satisfactory loot level. Why is this happening?
Early Weapon Discharge
Early Weapon Discharge, or EWD, is a sore subject for many, and that makes it difficult to talk about in public. The stigma surrounding EWD is likely preventing us from collectively finding a solution to this problem, but to those who suffer I say you do not suffer alone. We've all discharged our weapons early at some point in our lives, and if we work together, one day we may be able to eradicate EWD forever.
So what is the cause of EWD? Well, the most recent update to affect NPCs was the introduction of Advanced Weapons and Armors. These items, which are paid out to participants of Ranked Warring, are far more powerful than the standard weapons and armors found in Torn City. Admittedly, some special weapons already existed in Torn thanks to the NPCs themselves, but such items were rare until Ranked Warring came along.
Now, with increased item stats and special bonuses at play, our once mighty foes are finding it hard to fight back against the mass destruction being meted out by our newly upgraded citizenry. And as time goes on, the power of NPCs will continue to fall as the never-ending arms race continues.
Larger Link
Another, more direct change to NPC fights has come in the form of an increase in the permitted number of participants. In October, Chedburn raised the maximum number of attackers in a group attack to 125, having previously limited this to 100, 70, and 50 before that.
As we indicated earlier, Torn's NPCs have been given multiple boosts to their life bar to accommodate these changes, and Andyman's suggestion to increase NPC lives by an additional 30% has proven popular. But even if this change were implemented and individual NPC fights were extended in length, the problem of players attacking Duke, Leslie, and Jimmy at low loot levels would remain.
Desperate Times
Could the amendment to loot lottery tickets introduced back in October be the true cause of Early Weapon Discharge? To gain a chance of earning loot from an NPC fight, players must acquire loot lottery tickets, which are earned by making damaging hits during a fight. It used to be that any hit would earn you a ticket, but since November, only hits that inflict harm upon the NPC count towards your loot lottery ticket total.
Loot lottery tickets also now expire upon an NPC's defeat or their regeneration to full life, having previously expired after ten minutes. These changes undoubtedly affect weaker players disproportionally, as they are less likely to be able to land hits against NPCs than their stronger statted foes. I wonder if this is why we see so many n00bs jumping the gun and piling onto our NPCs before they've hit a decent loot level - they assume that if they don't attack at Level III, the fight will be over before they can land a hit.
Pictured: Tiny getting the poo kicked out of him while still at loot level III (see gold star on left side).
Most Tornians are aware that, by some unwritten agreement, it is better to attack NPC’s only when they reach loot level IV, or 4 for those of you that are Roman Numerically challenged. Unfortunately, those who suffer from Early Weapon Discharge will never touch V let alone IV. Instead, they are destined to lose control and fire blindly at III. This is an embarrassing situation for all concerned.
The NPCs drop one piece of loot per loot level. Whatever loot level they are at when they are defeated is equal to the number of pieces of loot they drop. So by firing early, you immediately reduce the chance of more loot being dropped by 25%. The second problem is the quality of the loot. Premium Loot, such as weapons with bonuses, won’t be dropped if the loot level does not reach IV.
So on top of reducing the chance of getting any loot by 25%, attacking NPCs at level III or lower reduces the chance of getting good loot by 100%.
Pictured: This man discharged his weapon at a level 2 Jimmy. His reward? Pixie Sticks, and the contempt of all Tornkind.
Unfortunately, there are dozens of trigger-happy fools suffering from EWD, and as soon as they see one firing, the excitement becomes too much for them and they too begin unloading in an uncontrolled manner. Those who were there watching patiently from the shadows then have a choice. Do I sit here and do nothing, risking my own chances of taking part in this fight? Or do I make an attack now, and at least stand a chance of taking home a prize?
Little Blue Pill
The aforementioned suggestion to increase NPC life bars might help prolong individual fights, but it will do little to reduce the impact of Early Weapon Discharge sufferers on the quantity and quality of NPC loot payouts. Andyman, Torn's resident stat-queen, has decided to help people with EWD in his own special way - violence.
If you are one of the instigators of these uncontrolled bouts of premature orgiastic violence, Andy and his
I contacted Andyman for comment and he had this to say:
"There are always going to be the contrarians out there who derive satisfaction in being the one(s) who mess it up for everyone else... I'm simply putting my name (and stats) behind the effort to keep those players in check. There seems to be a lot more attention on the Easter Bunny so far this year, with folks willing to chase early-hitters to Switzerland to hosp them overseas, and directors willing to poach employees of early-hitter-directors with +1m/day extra salaries." - Andyman
Will this violent effort by the community succeed in containing the spread of Early Weapon Discharge that is currently plaguing Torn City? Or will Chedburn be forced to step in and make changes for the benefit of all? TCT Editor Sugarvalves confirms he has spoken to Torn's head honcho regarding these issues and that a solution may eventually arrive in the form of a change to the distraction mechanic.
"So I think we'll try out the 'distraction level limited by the amount of seconds since your last hit... That seems to solve everything I wanted to solve, and it'll breathe fresh life into NPC attacks by adding a whole new dimension: Time." - Chedburn
It seems that, much like other forms of early discharge, the cure for EWD may be found in the element of distraction. For who among us hasn't attempted to last that little bit longer by silently recalling the list of Academy Award winners for Best Foreign Film in between thrusts? Further details regarding the proposed Distraction change can be found in the Suggestions thread Sugarvalves posted earlier today. The community is encouraged to air their views on this change in the comments below.
Distraction Suggestion Thread
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