BOOSTER PACK: *UPDATED* ITEMS database + the tool to read it

[Chrisax]

Database and tool for Booster 18.0.4 - Click to download

(This file won't stay there for months!)

Instructions:

• Unzip to any directory or desktop
  
  Launch the reader aodboffline.exe
  
  In the FILE menu, select IMPORT
  
  Choose the 18.00.00.04_EP1-xml.xml file
  
  And explore the items

[Chrisax]

Some important items:

Xan versions of the Pandemonium TNH belts with +70 abilities!

AOID 279452: Xan's Yellow Belt of Triple Speed

• ToWield
  ComputerLiteracy 749
  Level 199
  
  Sense 70
  Agility 70
  BeltSlots 6

AOID 279450: Xan's Red Belt of Triple Power (QL 300)

• ToWield
  ComputerLiteracy 749
  Level 199
  
  Strength 70
  Stamina 70
  BeltSlots 6

AOID 279451: Xan's Blue Belt of Triple Prudence (QL 300)

• ToWield
  ComputerLiteracy 749
  Level 199
  
  Intelligence 70
  Psychic 70
  BeltSlots 6

The Xan version of the Hadrulf Belt

Now with Strength and Stamina... Nanomage love!

AOID 279449: Xan's Viral Belt Component Platform (QL 300)

• ToWield
  ComputerLiteracy 1500
  Level 209
  
  BeltSlots 6
  MaxNCU 30
  MaxHealth 150
  MaxNanoEnergy 150
  Intelligence 35
  Psychic 35
  Strength 35
  Sense 35
  Agility 35
  Stamina 35

Xan Tokens 2500 boards versions: Defensive or offensive

The differences are in yellow.

Omnis get similar items. (AOID 279438: Omni-Tek Award - Xan Combat Exemplar and AOID 279441: Omni-Tek Award - Xan Defense Exemplar)

AOID 279436: Clan Merits - Xan Combat Paragon (QL 1)

• To wield
  • Clan
    ClanTokens 2499
    Level 209
    And Not Shade
    
    MaxHealth 2000
    RunSpeed 300
    NanoProgramming 250
    ComputerLiteracy 250
    Concealment 160
    MaxNanoEnergy 2000
    AddAllOff 100
    AddAllDef 75
    ProjectileDamageModifier 40
    MeleeDamageModifier 40
    EnergyDamageModifier 40
    ChemicalDamageModifier 40
    RadiationDamageModifier 40
    ColdDamageModifier 40
    FireDamageModifier 40
    PoisonDamageModifier 40
    XPModifier 10
    PhysicalInit. 100
    MeleeInit. 100
    RangedInit. 100

AOID 279437: Clan Merits - Xan Defense Paragon (QL 1)

• ToWield
  Clan
  ClanTokens 2499
  Level 209
  And Not Shade
  
  MaxHealth 2000
  RunSpeed 300
  NanoProgramming 250
  ComputerLiteracy 250
  Concealment 160
  MaxNanoEnergy 2000
  AddAllOff 75
  AddAllDef 100
  ProjectileDamageModifier 30
  MeleeDamageModifier 30
  EnergyDamageModifier 30
  ChemicalDamageModifier 30
  RadiationDamageModifier 30
  ColdDamageModifier 30
  FireDamageModifier 30
  PoisonDamageModifier 30
  XPModifier 10
  HealDelta 20
  NanoC.Init 100
  NanoResist 30

And more items... explore. Also nanos have been slightly modified.

[Hyde]

Oh great, even more "update ALL your toons time" items. Really didn't want that.

[noobas]

So glad I only have 1 real main...
Wow I'm so getting that defensive token board <3 ftw

[imamedic]

I liked this game for the challenges it presented,remind to thank Means for ruining that . And btw Noobas,we know,you have no choice,everyone else will have to get it too..meaning there will be a big fat 0 difference in PvP and we can all Q+/afk PvM.

[Chrisax]

Let's think... (in the following, "you" is generic)

- ATM what we see are the advantages (that will have to be earned anyhow), not the challenges, which, by definition are not in the database (except some new items to equip).

- If everyone can get the same advantage, PvP (and even PvM) balance between "good" and "bad" players should not be too much affected.

- Yes, such items make equipping ql300 symbiants easier (even easy for people who already have most of the other buffs items, i.e. not everyone by far) but QL 300 symbiants are four years old.

- The profession you don't want to work on (maybe because you already spent a lot of time building an excellent main) is also the profession someone else wants to work on (maybe because he hasn't built an excellent character yet in this profession), and and vice versa. So a booster pack must give new stuff to every profession.

- Now, I am not saying that adding more powerful items with each patch/booster/whatever is good. In fact, I even believe it would be better to add "horizontal" content, i.e. increasing the things to do in each profession (or even breed and even for everyone) at every big step of your progression, so getting the "ubermost" gear wouldn't be the unique goal, and leveling wouldn't even be almost always the main goal.
Unfortunately, it's not how MMORPG work, simply because they have not been originally designed for that purpose, and because no company wants to invest in a game that would be revolutionary in this regard. (Not even sure The Secret World will change this a lot; it might...) AO has nevertheless some potential to introduce major changes. But that require resources currently invested, it seems, in the graphic engine. The most interesting part of the story will be the post-graphic engine-time.
But contrary to what you may think, Means seems to want to make each profession more specific on the long term. It's too early to say. The booster pack concepts are not 100% his work, by far.

- WTB an expansion, not a booster, but I have to admit it's a problem of production costs.

[noobas]

I liked this game for the challenges it presented,remind to thank Means for ruining that . And btw Noobas,we know,you have no choice,everyone else will have to get it too..meaning there will be a big fat 0 difference in PvP and we can all Q+/afk PvM.

Au contrare!

The point of offering two unique boards is obvious: some characters may choose more offence instead of more defence.

A doctor, or advy may perhaps choose the combat board. The combat board is certainly attractive.

I find it truly interesting though that no matter how much fixers whine and whine and whine (not you hyde) about how FC has nerfed the prof and all that, that I have watched fixers alternate between low HP and high HP setups, and no matter what they do, they always last longer with more HP. (Just noticing the 2K hp modifier on the xan board)

The only reason I bring that up is that for soooo long it was ingrained into my head that lower hp was better... but, in the last few months I've learned so much about the benefits of more hp, and I've been watching some fixers and MA's try higher hp setups, and it's soo funny, hearing them remark, holy I wasn't killed in 10 seconds, or the like...

Of course, in fights with some professions, it doesn't work, but, it certainly does against most.

Anyway, <3 the new defensive board.

What it looks like, more than anythign else though is that FC is trying to get everyone more hp and more defence, which ultimately will keep people alive longer. It'll make duels more technically challenging and make ganks, or insta-kills a lot harder.props for that... even as MA, our bread and butter is the insta-kill, but, I like having to adjust my alpha or techniques for each type of player... makes the game fun.

[Sillanto]

Unfortunately i see this as another reason not to play :/

Its just introducing more grind which when like me your slow it just extends the amount of time that i need to play and do have too keep on a par :/, Horizontal content would be 10x better, allowing more choice and less play time required to get a finished toon. There is next to no cusotmisation between toons anymore, either you have the cookie cutter or you suck. There are no out of the box combo's that can come in and surprise people

Otherwise very very very nice looking items, that +20 heal delta is gonna make engi's very happy. I think sills is currently about 200 per tick with doc buffs and im not completely maxed out. expect to see 250 / 2s ticks standing now probably 300 sitting lol!

[Rulzern]

I dunno about what you guys are saying, this offers _more_ options than the current system of 2500 board being the endgame "option", nor if this is such a super-duper item that you "must" have, it adds 200 HP/nano, 50 RS, 1% XP as a base, and then either 25 AAO + 10 dmg + 100 inits, or 25 AAD + 20 HD + 30 NR + 100 nanoc. init.

The belts, sure, they make 300 symbs easier for some, provided they already did pande at least 30 times and are willing/able to do the new stuff needed for the belts. I'm not sure if it will make it possible for me to get on 300s, but I doubt it (I can probably barely squeeze in 270s in most spots).

About the concept of horizontal expansion (although I could probably write a book on this subject, I'll try to keep it short), sure it's something that can be done, but it's massively hard to balance _and_ make interesting (you can do one or the other pretty easily, but the first will just be meaningless like the old RK weapon upgrades that were introduced, and the second will just make one "best" option and the other options outclassed). There are some professions that have a setup that works great in pretty much every situation (see soldiers), and others that have to make a ton of hard choices to find a setup that suits them currently, I don't see how these new items change that (the new items that I have seen so far will do very little wrt. my setup plans, it doesn't benefit or hinder any particular setup for crats as far as I can tell).

In short, this changes very little for me, I still won't be able to put in a QL300 brain symb, it doesn't benefit any setup that I have considered more than any other setup, but it adds something new to do.

[noobas]

hmm I'm not sure i agree with you sill.

Unfortunately youre right for most TL 7 pvp profs. However, I'm inclined to argure that there are several profs which are adaptable and are not cookie cutter.

For example:

Note the passionate argument between lup and captian over a soldier setup.
Note the extreme differences between mine and freemans end game setup.
Note the difference between a ranged end game doc and a melee fighter.
Note the obvious frustration of lup saying forz has a new perk called "groin kick"
Note that Babek went from full AR offence setup to a FULL FULL FULL defensive setup, that, in my most sincere appreciation just F***ing RAWKS.. as far as I'm concerned he's got a near unbeatable setup (compared with many other TL 7 shades)
Note the extreme differences in defensive vs offensive setups.
Note the 1 button kill: notum triple, which newb NT's are reknown for <3
Note the exceptionally variable agent, advy, trader, crat, engi and doc setups, for which some may cost in the range of 100m for a very decent setup.

Furthermore:
How about a Tl3 twink, better yet, a TL2 twink, and best of all, an <20 twink... Talk about differences!

Honestly, I was with you, for a long time I thought that the only thing was for me to get my 300 CC set and 300 implants, and go pwn omni.. well, boy was I wrong.

MA success in PVP is due to (in order of importance)
1. Timing
2. knowledge of the other profession and knowledge of each special attack
3. adaptability
4. perk setup
5. evades

Heres the kicker, in only maybe 2 fights, out of the over 450 duels I've been in, was AR a necessity. In only ~20 of the fights was I in did my armour or symbs make a difference. But in the other 400 or so timing and knowledge of the professions involved were so much more important than anything else that I am sometimes convinced that I could fight naked, and still beat the other toon, strictly because my knowledge of their weakness is THAT much better.

Hence, Cookie cutter? no wai! Adaptability.. ftw.

[Mrfreeman]

Note the extreme differences between mine and freemans end game setup.

hehe. well mine is more of a pvm setup, with aad dual shens and max hp. but it serves well in PvP too, just not hotswapping atm. I can take down muddy (w00t) and can come close to grind everynow and then (not yet ^^) and cant get perked by a MR shade with over 4k AR. Now looking at noobas list

MA success in PVP is due to (in order of importance)
1. Timing
2. knowledge of the other profession and knowledge of each special attack
3. adaptability
4. perk setup
5. evades

id agree timing is everything for a MA, and in that repsect I still somewhat fail (hence why I dont hotswap a bow and such but am working on that)
2-5 I think are all just as important as the next though. I cant stop muddys MR alpha without stuns (see perks) and wouldnt survive vs grind or a shade without evades. although my setup doesnt change much atm (not alot to swap in and out for pvp atm) ar over aad would be more important vs a doc or lower ar prof.

i need to figure out a middle ground of aad and AR, i can evade 220 advy or fixer, but for the most part cant hit them either

[noobas]

freeman, I was comparing not only our setup, but how we fight, see, you are like a truck, with two shens whackin away on people.

And thats cool, with the right setup, I think you can really use it well in pvp, since you got SOO much normal hits that just do monster dmg.

for example: with the right timing, you pop moonmist (not during your opponents DOF), pop a DOF yourself, pop a delerium, pop a FOL, and youre looking at 3800 AR vs no more than 2800 evades..

so, I dunno, you can hit a dude a LOT of times in 10 seconds, without him knowing how or what the hell just happened.... (hence, hit by a truck) throw a stun in there when he starts healing and you've won the fight.

Me, I'm more like a float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. And ya, you can swat me, and I'm cooked, but I got 3 interchangeable weapons, highly adaptable, and similarly huge evades.

The difference with our setups is that you will have more HP, more attacks per minute, and should (imo) have a lot more heals with fully perked disharmony. (which i knwo you don't have, but still think you should try it)

ahh whatever... I sort of think that my setup would actually benefit more from using dual shens, since I have higher AR, because the attacks I use most in pvp don't rely on AR, only AS, and SA, most of the toons I need to hit, don't require me to have huge AR, they just require timing.... so who knows.

[Jyrinet]

Grinding = more things to do for those that have done everything else = players wont leave to go play WoW.

Ao has allways had mostly older players, players that work from 8am - 4pm and ppl are from very different time zones, they dont have 18h per day time to play like WoW players who are 13+ and go to school like 4-6h per day and have weeks vacations.

In AO ppl do what they need to do to get the items they want and mostly when they get what they want they rly dont wanna grind no more, thats why instances dont work even close as good as in Wow. My friend plays WoW they have org there that has 25-30 raiders and they all know what to do, they gather everyday 6pm and they play to 11pm theyr instances excepts friday and saturdays they have a break and sunday they do theyr final raid.

And WoW instances dont even drop something for everyone but they need 25 for big instances every time, so how do they manage to do that but it seems to be not possible in AO?

For the new items, token board nice but wtb moar tokens needed to get it on and for symbs lvl lock 220 and up those stats some up, starts to be to easy to get items on since solitus doc dont even need boc to but all 300ql symbs and thats rofl, endgame stuff should be endgame stuff.

When u form a new char when u pick a profession fixer is opifex, nanotech is nanomage those breeds should only get the end game symbs on on those classes, since i rly dont think atrox was never ment to be breed for nanotech or doctor proffessions that are support class. Atrox was designed for infantry tank, like full set of alien armors were never ment to be by optained by one person.

Booster instace mhh i will bet my money that like 2-3months depening how hard and how long it takes to complete new booster back, that place will be sooooo quiet like apf is these days.
Will make it very hard for unxeperiensed "i play 4h per week AO" players to get items from there and most even wont, because hard core players who play 8h per day AO will get stuff they need from there. Pande works ok, u can see when bosses spawn, u can arrange ur day so that u have time to play when they spawn and if u dont have time u can come other day when it spawn and u can make time to play, it will take longer but in the end u will get all that u need even if it might take 2years to optain ur phatz but it sure beats to never get ur stuff.

APF i hate sooo much there is no such thing worst in this game than flat roll
Alappaa still works nice u get a team of 6 that will have 4-6h to play and u do whole instace atleast 6 times in a row that everyone has change to get what they need and everyone should get something, sooooo hate to do 10 apf and win nothing and everyone else get something...

Best example is sec42 after all "good" players got theyr acdc there has been WAY more failures than success of killing artillary, there are still some players that have done EVERY thing so they do things for fun and help friends out, or trying to get another acdc.

But still its all fun until they instance pande...

Only thing i think should be changed is grinding to LVL up, make more places where u get more xp/sk, give more xp from regular mobs that wonder around rubika make ppl go explore lands and gain lvls at the same time, but kiteing xp ammount should been kept at same ammount so ppl dont get 100lvls per day, but still kiting should be a possibility and that could be solved by hit or taunt counts from players in team, ppl will get the minumun aka. regular xp and if they do some ammount then they get more xp and still keep a cap in things that shades wont get 1b xp every kill.

[noobas]

good post jyri.

I think you should post that on the AO forums. Lots of good ideas and critiques.

I agree about the symb thing. I think, for example, the infantry symbs should have monster stam strength reqs, so not all inf profs should be able to get them on, so like, say a xan infantry chest is like a lot more HP than the normal 300 chest, but also requires like 1450 strength/stam, good luck getting that on a opi MA, or hopefully not even on trox advy, but definitly possible on a trox enforcer...

imo, some of the endgame symbs should have such high reqs that you can't get them on unless you chose the "right" breed for your prof, enhancing the play for the proper prof, and if you didn't choose that prof, you get a bit screwed, but OBVIOUSLY theres a reason you chose NM enf, so you get different bonuses!

I also think there should be a couple more super upgradable symbs that are prof specific, and add superior bonuses compared to the standard symb.

say like for MA, an upgrade to the fist of the dominator, but very high reqs that only uber end game toons can get it on.

75% of AO is endgame toons hacking it out. ya, it's a grind, but, thats where SOOO much of FC's revenue comes from.

1-110 =10% of game,
110-150 = 10% of game
150-209 = 5% of game
209 -220 = 20% of game
220+ =55% of game imo.

[Rulzern]

some of the endgame symbs should have such high reqs that you can't get them on unless you chose the "right" breed for your prof, enhancing the play for the proper prof, and if you didn't choose that prof, you get a bit screwed, but OBVIOUSLY theres a reason you chose NM enf, so you get different bonuses!

Sounds like a great way to get to lovechild status. Giving the absorb to NMs was a great way to bring NM back into the endgame, giving everyone more HP and AR was a great way to reduce the usefulness of MR. The breeds are fairly balanced currently IMHO, some profs have certain advantages from choosing a certain breed (or avoiding one), but overall it's pretty balanced IMHO.

I agree with some of the points, but if I can ask "What is the best breed for prof X?", and you can answer "Y is the best breed.", it's a big blow to what AO is about IMHO. The way I see it is that when I ask what prof I should choose for a certain breed, everyone should have different opinions for different reasons, because people play differently and have different priorities (kinda silly when my main is a trox keeper), if I get too many disadvantages from choosing a specific breed for a specific prof, my options are taken away; if I want to roll an enf, I want to be able to be nanomage, and get some benefits and some disadvantages.

I might be biased since I don't have a toon that can equip 300 symbs (no matter what items I have) though, so I haven't experienced this whole easymode 300s thing everyone seems upset about.