oh wow Jan 2006...
well i dunno which TOHs you've been attending, but from the 3 years i've been here, all i've seen is improvement regarding the amount of time GMs have to allocate for executing TOHs. Better maps, reward NPC, automated timers, various scripts, etc.
3 years ago TOHs last 6-8 hours AT LEAST. With another 1-2 needed to distribute gifts/equips, and perhaps another hour or so to tidy things up and file the report.
Nowadays TOHs last 4-ish hours. Then players can just go talk to the rewards NPCs. So even if it takes another hour or so to file reports etc, that's still over 50% reduction in time required.
Now I'm not saying that GMs do not put a lot of time into TOHs, on the contrary i am very grateful that they do and more often than not TOHs are enjoyable (not because they are easy, but because they are appropriately challenging). Nevertheless, i do feel that perhaps some more time spent in prep (especially for monsters) are in order. The first 12 TOHs i participated in felt like very little custom monsters were used, nevertheless there was generally great variety and they are usually quite balanced. They do tend to be somewhat easier for snipers, but usually snipers get a harder time in the 4th and 5th wave.
Nowadays i am seeing more anti-sniper custom scripts/skills added into TOH monsters, as well as more use of quagmires (anti-ws and LK). I feel that his is a good thing, and i feel it's quite normal for most noob snipers to complain that it is pro-WS. Personally i feel that proper TOH WSes do deserve their points because they do have to put a lot of zeny into equips, consumables, and CT-spamming. Nevertheless, in the last year, some TOH monster lineups just seem so carelessly not thought through. Last TOH would have been perfectly appropriate if not for the first wave. Funny thing is, the first wave was customized for lower hp, but it seems someone forgot to also adjust the mob's damage output.
Oh, and the elongated item trials is just genius. It allows for more item combinations, it allows for the averaging of scores (snipers vs non-snipers), and overall it just burns more consumables (which is ALWAYS good for RO servers). Although there is an issue about low drop chances, i feel that the extra time allocated does give you a fighting chance.
TL/DR: good work overall, but please put a bit more thought into the monster lineups.
W
Trial of Heroes July, Sunday 22nd, Feedback Thread
