The death of Pure Strafers

Well, by now it’s nothing new; just about every bowman in the 7x to 8x range knows one thing now:

Ever since the introduction of 3rd job in gMS back in December 2005, there was one and only one skill that really mattered up until level 80, and that would’ve been Strafe. With coolie zombies being the best way to gain EXP through the first 10 first job levels, Strafe was the only skill that required it, and the stronger the better. That being said, many ranger skill builds told you to max Strafe from the get-go, (with maybe a point randomly thrown into Puppet) which of course would take 10 levels to do with a max level 30 skill. This would also become very effective past level 80 as well with Death Teddies, as rangers and snipers alike could take advantage of a nifty little glitch both there and at Spirit Vikings.

Fast forward to now: The pure strafe build is a thing of the past, and anyone unlucky to either get to a high level or up into the low-80s using that build (including myself) have been screwed over.

In a sense it kind of started earlier than it did, plus we kind of had time to adapt, so you can’t really blame the low 8x pure strafers out there for not looking at this first bit here as a warning that their build was going to be obsolete soon. Back in patch 0.33 in January, (see this post) we saw the addition of the Forest of Golem map at the bottom of Sleepywood Dungeon. This was not just a viable place to train for the 7xers, but was also a fairly effective party map if you could get a small three person party together and find a channel all for themselves.

For rangers and snipers though, because of the golem’s size and how they can spawn in large numbers, and especially with how they all gather on that extremely small top platform; bowmen needed something for close range, thus showing the need for Arrow Rain or Arrow Eruption (depending on job) for training on this map. (A pure strafer might not have a problem on the lower two platforms, but it usually becomes apparent when they try to clear the very top.)

This, of course, spawned a new type of early skill build; of course, the 1 SP on advance would still go into strafe, but some people might have only gotten it up to level 5 or so and then start putting points into Mortal Blow so that they could get Rain/Eruption. Some, like one ranger I know only had the one point into strafe before going right for MB and Rain.

At the beginning of this year, you could either be a pure strafer or have a combination of strafe and rain/eruption and be able to have a place to effectively train. That would only last a couple of months though.

In March, with patch 0.35, Nexon killed the pure strafe build by modifying coolie zombie maps to have ledges instead of hills, plus adding an upper platform on all maps. (This was most likely done to try to cure the problems with users disrupting others trying to train on these maps.) Though it is still possible to somewhat effectively train on these maps, (Z3 actually isn’t all too bad) the addition of the upper platform brings down experience efficiency by forcing players to climb up and down, thus a lot of time ends up being spent climbing to this upper platform instead of killing zombies below.

In addition, the DT/VK glitch that I pointed out earlier was fixed; Something that, one day, was going to happen so you can’t really complain that it’s gone. In a sense, though, this wasn’t just a pure strafe thing, but there really isn’t anything else to train on past level 80 for a pure strafer other than DTs, and they will burn up your HP pots really fast. (As they can 2-hit any level 80 ranger/sniper)

If you were mid-level 7x, it could be corrected. My friend Dez (SwtLyLAznGrl of Bera) did this herself at level 75 when these changes take place; she was going pure strafe, but with these map nerfings and the addition of FoG, she changed course and quickly put SP into Mortal Blow and Arrow Rain. However, me being level 81 when this happened, was already SOL, and I am not spending $30 in 3rd job SP resets to take points off of Stafe and putting them onto Mortal Blow so I can get rain. However, since I was already a low-8x pure strafer when this all happened, this completely changed how I am going about my skill build.

I still have about 1.35 levels before I can even acquire one point into Arrow Rain, meaning I have 1.35 levels of crappy, non-effective training before I can join the big boys, and even with that, I’m putting off Puppet (which is already level 3) just so I can get this out of the way; both skills are critical for an 8x ranger, but I can only do one once. That being said, I think it’ll be a while before I think about going into a DPT or whatever.

So yes, in case you haven’t figured it out: if you’ve 7x and were going pure-strafe, change course now and get rain. If you’re 8x like me and are pure strafe, you’re screwed.

KartRider Global

As initially revealed (whether it be intentional or not) with the launch of the Nexon Forums, it had become apparent that KartRider was being introduced to global service by Nexon America.

A couple of days ago, Nexon America also put up a countdown clock where the official website is going to be. That being said, it’s apparent that at the very least an open beta is being launched this coming weekend; either April 29th or 30th if I’m reading that countdown clock correctly.

KartRider, from what I can gather, seems to have been around for about as long as MapleStory over in Korea, and is one of Nexon’s big-time games. I don’t know much about it, but I thought I’d share two user-made videos with you that I found on YouTube.

The first one here is a 1vs1 race. Note that not only can you get mini-boosts (a-la MarioKart) from power sliding, but it also builds up your boost meter at the bottom of the screen. When it fills, you can get an additional boost to use whenever you want. (Watching other videos also reveals that there are other such items, but I’m guessing these can be turned on and off)

The second one is the second (L3) license test. As you collect race points and level up to a new glove color, you can do these tests to unlock game modes and play in channels with more experienced players.

Alas, that’s all the info I have. There’s this self-proclaimed KartRider guru on the nexon forums as well, but until then I guess no one else will know until its release. I might give it a try myself unless there’s a good chance that my computer will explode from not having enough system specs. (Which seems highly likely for me, even with 256 MB extra RAM.)

My opinion on Zakum Helmets

When Zakum was first released in gMS almost a year ago, there was almost no group in all of it that could beat it.  The highest leveled legits of each world tried and failed to get it done.  Despite this, it didn’t take very long for Scania to defeat their first Zakum; Bera came no more than a month or two later.

Back in those days, Zakum helmets were a sign of power; they didn’t only just show who in that world were the strong people, it also distinguished legit from hacker. (As anyone at the time that was under level 100 with a zakum helm was most likely a hacker)

That was a year ago.  As each Zakum alliance in Bera secured helmets for all of its participants, and shortly after gMS started to do something about the problems with hackers crashing legit runs or hogging the altar, buyer programs were introduced.  These buyer programs that were established by each alliance allowed people that had enough HP to survive (roughly around 3300, which is just enough for a Hyper-Bodied level 82 bowman to survive) to buy a spot in a run to loot a helmet for a gigantic sum of in-game currency, usually going into the hundreds of millions of mesos.

This is where the whole thing about the meaning of zakum helmets come in, and it’ll be one that will probably stand after the zakum helm 1 drops are replaced with the tradeable zakum helmet 2 and 3 drops.

The meaning of these helmets are simple; it’s accomplishment.  The players that are able to stick to one character throughout their time playing get into the high levels and have the strength to join a group of 30 other high leveled players and lower-leveled buyers and make a good dent in MapleStory’s second highest leveled boss. (After Horntail, which to my knowledge is only in kMS at this point.)  The people who go on to play 2 or 3 other characters combine their funds and usually have nearly billions of mesos to buy their way into one of these buying programs so that they can loot a helm; In a sense this is just as deserving as the people who have gotten to the higher levels, as I highly doubt anyone can legitly obtain hundreds of millions of mesos on their first character before hitting level 100.

In that sense, the Zakum Helmet 1 is, to me, supposed to be an ode to the long-time, dedicated mapler.  It’s something that should be kept to only those that deserved it, either with their hard-earned level or mesos, right?

Alas, that always isn’t the case.

I can tell you this; there are quite a few players that are in their 70s or 80s, running around with legit zakum helmets that probably don’t deserve one.  All of them are for different reasons of course.  Maybe in the past before the squad system was introduced in patch 0.35 they silently raided an alliance’s run, and as zakum went down they rushed in and looted a helmet.  Maybe they used hacked mesos to buy one.  There are many reasons as to why I think a player wouldn’t be deserving of obtaining a helmet.

As for one person I know and particularily don’t like, (thus maybe adding a bit of bias but enough of an argument to create a rant out of it) she obtained a zakum helm in her late 70s.  How? Well, on a good note it didn’t have anything to do with hacking or run raiding, but on the bad side of things, from what I could gather not a single meso had been contributed by her; it was only because she knew one person, ONE person (that happened to be her boyfriend) in an alliance that got her into a run for her helmet.

Not only is that an absolute contrast of what I believe a zakum helmet 1 is for, it’s completely unfair to the people that spend years playing this game on one world, just to either be strong enough to fight it or have the mesos to buy their way into one.  I’m not saying nothing’s wrong with giving a girl a present, but in my opinion it’s absolutely inconsiderate to the people trying to properly earn a helmet, especially when I know people in their 100s or more that don’t have a helmet simply because they can’t even get into an allaiance due to not knowing the right people?

That’s completely unfair.

Maybe people will consider me a crybaby or a hypocrite for thinking about this, but when I compare this to the people I know; and know quite a few people that are in these alliances; If I’m not considered to be sponsored for a helmet, why should someone who as far as I know only knows ONE PERSON in an alliance be sponsored?  I’m not saying outright that I deserve to loot one; just trying to offer a comparison.  And besides, I can easily find other ways (that don’t cost nearly as much as a zakum helmet 1) to get 15 extra DEX.  Believe me, not having a zakum helm in early 3rd job is not the end of the world.

And as I said before; why are we doing that for a level 78 hermit, when we have people like level 107 crusaders that can’t even get into a zakum run because they don’t know the right people?  (Maybe if it was a level 78 beginner I’d understand, but not something as common as a hermit.) In that sense, the way I see it is a sense of greed in the alliances; exuberantly rich players that only care about being richer rather then allowing someone in on a run who either deserves or is close to deserving a helmet, while shutting out the high levels trying to get into a run and earn their helmet by fighting.

And yes, I know the ideal for any Zakum attacker is level 110, but I know 9x crusaders that have gone into zakum, fought, lived, and earned their helmet that way.

So, in conclusion, I personally believe that the Zakum Helmet 1 is supposed to be a symbol of accomplishment, either with one (by level and fighting zakum) or multiple (by mesos and buying their way to a helmet) characters.  However, this isn’t just marred by hackers, but also by inconsiderate moochers and greedy alliances.

That is, as least, what it seems to an 8x like me, who knows quite a few 11x to 12x people in these alliances.

Nexon’s Audition Commercial

Quick note: This post is not meant to in any way put down Nexon or the people who created the commercials shown herein.  In addition, my views with the person making the second video posted here are not in common with mine.

Apparently, Nexon’s nack for cheesy commercials continues with this. Nexon America’s customer service rep (or as we call him, NXJoeW) started a contest on their forum shortly after the initial launch of Audition Online. The idea of it? Take their new commercial (and if you’ve watched MTV, you might have seen it already) and review it. It didn’t take long for someone to post this commercial on YouTube.

Quite the cheesyness, if you ask me. Not to mention, Hillary Duff doesn’t float my boat, people. Maybe I’m not one to worry since I don’t play AO, nor can my computer even run it to begin with, but here’s something interesting near the end, it’s pronounced “Necks-awn”, and not “Necks-uhn.” This isn’t the first time that Nexon in general (since this is Nexon America’s first commercial, they don’t really count I guess) has made a completely odd commercial as well. There were three in particular that stood out to Bera’s now-retired EnGarde so much that he just had to make a video describing them in hilarity. (Be warned; there be vulgar language contained within)

(Just for reference, the first commercial in this movie was for kMS, the second for jMS, and the third for some Maple TV show in singapore if I can remember them.)

This movie still makes me laugh to this day. Nevertheless, the Japanese have already been known to make commercials like this, but you just can’t help yourselves sometimes.

Will these ads bring people to their games? Of course they will, but for us that are already playing Maple or any Nexon game, well… I guess it’s just entertainment.

Nexon’s New Forum

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Last week, Nexon America surprised quite a bit of the community as a whole by announcing that they were launching a forum for all the games that it services. (Which right now is only MapleStory and Audition, both of global service) For the longest time, ever since the newest incarnation of the gMS website (IE Only), a forum already existed for each world but for the most part they were fairly unprofessional, lacked features of a normal forum, and was getting riddled with spam faster than they could moderate it.

Right off the get go, the Nexon forum has already proven to be a better community, although the seemingly less-insightful mapleglobal forum community seems to be catching on. This forum has been split into a more topical environment, allowing more than just world-specific discussion for once. The addition of classic forum features also seems to add more spunk to the new system. Nexon also seems to be coding this script up from scratch, as it is currently in beta and is unlike any forum script I have ever seen so far. (This coming from a forum user and administrator of 4 and a half years.)

With the recent problems with patching and gameguard, the technical help section seems to be an absolute frenzy right now. While showing that, as expected, not everyone reads information that’s been purposely stickied to the top of the forum, not only do the same problems come up ever and ever again, but people just throw about random solutions. Some people have used this to create intentional sabotage to add to the mass confusion, but so far everything seems to be going well.

Hopefully the spunk will die down in a bit and conversation will get to be a bit more insightful, but for now I guess it’s just a matter of letting everyone give this forum a run for its worth. I guess we’ll see what happens in the next few days. This service-wide forum was definitely something I would’ve never expected from Nexon.