한국어 편지는 영어 편지 하단에 있습니다.
The last two weeks have seen a dramatic change to the old crusader codex and the familiar system. Following an unscheduled maintenance on 4/24, the drop rate of familiars from most monsters has been dramatically decreased. At the time, many of us players thought this was a temporary measure until a permanent solution to the glitches and other issues could be found.
Nexon has stated that it would incorporate player feedback in balancing the new system. However, while the Maple Note on May 1st has acknowledged the player concerns about reduced familiar drop rates, it has also not provided anything specific about the future direction of the familiar system. As this is a major game-changing decision that will affect us the players, many of us are rightly concerned about how the future balance patches regarding familiars will be applied.
Most members of the community feel that the current familiar drop rate is incompatible with how the new system was intended to function. The new system allows players to fuse duplicate familiars, extract familiars for points, and spend those points at the shop. Furthermore, players are incentivized to collect various kinds of familiars with the badge system. All of these new features require players to farm duplicate hundreds of familiars to use as materials.
It is fair to say that epic-level familiars like Jr. Boogies and Serpents had a too high of a drop rate for what benefits they could potentially provide. However, after the nerf, players report not only the drop rates of epic-level familiars have been nerfed, the drop rates of common familiars have been reduced as well. It now takes dozens of minutes to farm a single common snail familiar; another video shows a player obtaining a single serpent familiar after 100 minutes of nonstop hunting. Since hundreds of low-tier familiars need to be farmed, making familiars this rare renders the whole system basically unusable.
Furthermore, there was a lot of dissatisfaction in the Reboot community over the fact Red Familiar Cards, which are items used to reroll potentials on familiars similar to cubes, were not going to be available on the Reboot server. This meant that not only was the highest tier of familiars not available for Reboot players, Reboot players who were diligent or lucky enough to obtain an epic rank familiar would have to start on square one if the revealed potential was undesirable. Should this happen, the lack of red cards will force Reboot players to grind common familiars in low-level maps, regardless of their character level.
In the players’ perspective, Nexon has made it clear with the meso level penalty that as part of game design, they want to not incentivize high-level characters farming in low-level maps. The lack of the red familiar card in Reboot goes against this design philosophy by forcing high-level players into farming for hours at low-level maps for much longer than necessary. Furthermore, this is unhealthy for the state of the game as the high-level players can easily crowd out lower level players the maps were intended for.
As a result, there is currently a great deal of anger and frustration in the community towards Nexon over the events of the last few weeks. Players returning to Maplestory due to the COVID 19 epidemic found that they had lost 30% Defense Ignored that they had from the original crusader codex. New players getting into Maplestory were told that according to the 5/1 Maple note, Nexon has stated the familiar drop rate nerf was intentional. With how rare familiars are currently, new players are now at a situation where they will never catch up to the older players. Personally, as a long time player and a supporter of this game, it was exciting to see so many new faces in-game – and saddened to see so many of them leave in frustration.
As things stand currently, the revamp was a complete reversal of expectations: it has not helped us players become stronger, but took away what benefits the old system provided us with no way to regain those benefits without spending hundreds of hours or thousands of dollars. What also did not help was the fact that players were left in the dark after the surprise nerf with no knowledge of what direction the future will hold. At best, some saw this as Nexon being out of touch with how the game is played. At worst, others saw it as a myopic cash grab with no regard for the players.
In the coming weeks, Nexon has the delicate task of re-enabling the familiar system while addressing both balance of the game and legitimate player concerns. It would help greatly in letting the community know that Nexon is taking the voice of the players seriously if these concerns were addressed in the next memo:
1) Is Nexon leaning towards making common and rare (gray and blue tiers) familiar drop rates more common to reflect their tier?
2) Currently, Reboot Players have no way to reset a familiar’s potential. This causes crowding in low-level maps and is unhealthy for the state of the game as explained above. Will Nexon take this into account in deciding whether to allow Red cards to be purchased for mesos on Reboot?
3) Will the new system at least allow new and casual players to regain the 30% Enemy Defense Ignored stat that they had with the old crusader codex with relative ease?
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter, and I hope that in the coming days, a solution could be reached that satisfies the community and game balance.
and 32 others.
Comments
지난 이 주 동안에 기존에 존재하는 페밀리어 시스템과 크로스 헌터 코덱스는 새로운 페밀리어 시스템으로 대체되었습니다. 4월 24일 긴급점검 후, 거의 모든 몬스터에서 얻을 수 있는 페밀리어 획득 확률이 엄청나게 감소했습니다. 그때 당시에는 많은 플레이어가 이것은 넥슨이 게임 내 버그들을 고칠 동안 시행된 일시적인 조치라고 믿고 있었습니다.
넥슨은 새로운 시스템을 밸런스를 조정하는 데에 플레이어들의 의견을 반영한다고 했습니다. 하지만 5월 1일 메모에서는 페밀리어 획득 확률감소에 대한 플레이어들의 우려를 넥슨이 알아차렸지만, 이 새로운 페밀리어 시스템의 미래 방향에 대해서는 구체적으로는 아무런 정보가 없었습니다. 이것에 대한 결정들은 이 게임과 우리 플레이어들에게 큰 영향을 미칠 것이기에 우리 플레이어들은 당 현이 미래에는 새로운 페밀리어 시스템에 관한 밸런스 패치들이 어떻게 적용되는지 걱정하고 있습니다.
플레이어들 대다수는 현존하는 페밀리어 획득 확률은 이 새로운 시스템 자체와 호환되기 않는다는 의견을 갖고 있습니다. 새로운 시스템은 플레이어들이 복사본 페밀리어들을 합체하고 포인트를 벌기 위해서 추출하고 그 점수를 상점에서 쓰게 하는 것입니다. 더욱이, 플레이어들은 배지 시스템으로 인하여 다양한 페밀리어들을 모아야 합니다. 이 모든 새로운 기능들은 플레이어들이 복사본 페밀리어를 재료로 사용하기 위해서 페밀리어 수백/수천 개를 파밍하는게 강요됩니다.
에픽 레벨 패밀리어들이 4/24전에는 그 성능에 비해 드랍률이 너무 높았다는 것은 이해가 가는 점입니다. 하지만 너프 후에는 에픽 레밸 페밀리어들만 드랍률이 하향된 것이 아니라 커먼 그리고 레어 (파랑색/회색) 페밀리어 드랍률도 하향이 되었습니다. 이제는 달팽이 페밀리어 하나 얻으려면 수십 분이 걸리고 몇 플레이어들은 구렁이를 백 분 동안 멈추지 않고 사냥한 후에야 페밀리어를 단 한 개를 획득하였습니다. 새로운 시스템 특징상 낮은 등급 패밀리어 수백 개를 플레어들이 파밍 해야 하기 때문에 페밀리어들의 드랍률을 이렇게 낮추어버리면 이 시스템 자체가 사용 불가능 해집니다.
또한, 리부트 커뮤니티에서는 리부트 서버에는 빨간 페밀리어카드가 안 팔린다는 점으로 많은 불만이 있었습니다. 빨간 페밀리어 카드는 큐브와 유사하게 페밀리어들의 잠재능력을 초기화시켜주는 아이템입니다. 이 말은 가장 높은 등급의 페밀리어들은 리부트 플레이어들에게 획득이 불가능하고 또한, 리부트 플레이어들이 엄청난 노가다를 통해서 에픽 등급 페밀리어를 얻어도 잠재능력이 나쁘면 그 페밀리어는 무용지물이 되는 겁니다. 이런 이유로 인하여 빨간 카드가 리부트에 없으면 리부트 플레이어들은 만족할만한 잠재능력이 나올 때까지 저 레벨 맵에서 페밀리어들을 지속해서 파밍 할 수밖에 없습니다. 우리 플레이어 입장에서는 넥슨이 과거 메소 레벨 페널티를 추가함으로써 게임 디자인의 일부로 고레벨 플레이어들이 저 레벨 맵에서 사냥하는 것을 막고 싶었다는걸 알았습니다. 리부트에 빨간 페밀리어 카드가 없다는 것은 고레벨 플레이어들을 수백 시간 동안 저 레벨 맵에서 파밍 시키게 만드는 것으로서 이 게임 디자인 철학에 어긋납니다. 또한, 이것으로 인하여 높은 레벨 플레이어들이 쉽게 저 레벨 플레이어들을 저 레벨 맵에서 쫓아내는 현상이 나타남으로써 게임의 상태에 악영향을 끼칠 것입니다.
이것으로 인해서 많은 플레이들이 넥슨이 취한 조치 때문에 저번 2주 동안 실망과 분노를 나타내었습니다. 코로나 바이러스 때문에 메이플 스토리를 다시 시작한 플레이어들은 옛날 크로스 헌터 코덱스가 준 30% 방어 무시를 잃어버리고, 새롭게 메이플 스토리를 접하는 플레이어들은 5/1 메이플 노트를 읽고 넥슨이 페밀리어 드랍률 너프를 의도적으로 행한 것을 알아차렸습니다. 페밀리어들이 이렇게 희귀해지면 새로운 플레이어들은 이 게임을 기존에 하던 플레이어들을 절대로 따라잡지 못할 것입니다. 개인적으로 이 게임을 오랜 시간 동안 애용했던 플레이어로서 많은 새로운 얼굴들을 볼 수 있어서 좋았지만, 이 짧은 시간 안에 많은 사람이 게임에 실망하여 떠나는 것이 슬펐습니다.
지금으로서는 이 업데이트는 기대감을 완전히 저 벼렸습니다. 새로운 시스템은 플레이어들이 더 강하게 되도록 도와준 것이 아니라 옛날 시스템이 우리에게 준 혜택을 앗아가고 또한 그 혜택을 다시 받으려면 수백 시간 아니면 수천 달러를 쓰게 만들어 놨습니다. 이것에 도움이 안 되는 것은 갑작스러운 너프후에 넥슨이 미래에는 어느 방향으로 갈지를 플레이어들에게 말하지 않았다는 것입니다. 제일 좋은 케이스에서는 어떤 플레이어들은 넥슨이 자기 회사의 게임을 이해 못한다고 믿었고 최악의 케이스에는 어느 플레이어들은 이것이 근시안적인 돈 벌기로밖에 안보였습니다.
이제 돌아오는 몇 주 동안은 넥슨은 게임 밸런스와 플레이어들의 우려 사항을 고려해서 페밀리어 시스템을 다시 활성화하는 섬세한 일을 해야 합니다. 만약에 넥슨이 플레이어들의 의견에 귀 기울인다는 것을 보여주고 싶다면 다음 메모에 이 질문들에 대한 구체적인 답이 추가되었으면 합니다.
1. 넥슨이 커먼과 레어 페밀리어 드랍률을 그 등급에 반영하여 더 흔하게 만들 것입니까?
2. 리부트 플레이어들은 페밀리어의 잠재능력을 초기화할 수 없습니다. 이것은 저 레벨 맵에 인파가 몰리게 하고 위에서 말했다시피 게임에 악영향을 미치게 됩니다. 넥슨이 이것을 고려해서 리부트에도 빨간 카드를 매소를 주고 살 수 있게 만들 의향이 있습니까?
3. 이 새로운 시스템이 라이트하고 새로운 플레이어들을 위해서 옛날 크로스 헌터 코덱스가 제공했던 30% 방어 무시를 손쉽게 획득할 수 있게 만들 것입니까?
이 편지를 시간 내서 읽어주셔서 감사하며, 미래에는 게임 밸런스와 플레이어들이 둘 다 만족할 수 있는 해결책이 나오길 희망합니다.
As you pointed out, Nexon seems to also have contradictory stances in different areas of the game. This is probably due to the way Nexon lousily explains their reasoning for changing the game, when changes are due to other reasons in the background.
Familiar system aside, there are still many other issues in the game. In particular, stability seems to be a constant issue that plagues Maplestory. The game crashes multiple times when launching it. And players disconnect and crash for seemingly no reason in all areas of the game. This instability is especially annoying when bossing, and bossing is what seems to be affected most by the instability anyway.
Gollux is another issue with this update too, but there has been plenty of talk about gollux already.
Whether or not Nexon will act on player feedback on any of these issues (which I very highly doubt) is, unfortunately, up to them.
I was extremely lucky to pull a demolisher from the compensation card pack and a Dea drop from farming across the channels, and I’m still missing two badges.
I would also add the many frustrating additions that this last patch introduced like the lack of trading for new players and the PIC for storage. These two do nothing but frustrate the players and stops no one from botting or hacking.
I really feel GMS doesn't know how their community works, what makes them happy, because there is no update were things aren't on fire. Perhaps changing Gollux wasn't the best way to go, perhaps removing the Crusader Codex and 30% IED that has been there since the Codex was first introduced wasn't a good move. Plenty of people in this forum will defend Nexon and blame the players, but look outside into other MS related forums and you'll see the overall mood is discontent, unhappiness, frustration. Do you want this on your MMO?
In summary: People are unhappy, new players are scarce and its 2020 in the west, a time and place were MMOs underperform. Unless you want another MS2 disaster it would do good to look into this issues and make changes that make your players happy instead of frustrating them to no end. A happy playerbase spends more money than an unhappy one too, that helps you.
They have showed that the entire team is beyond incompetent.
Your post is written very well, and adequately conveys concerns that more than a few people have had. Unfortunately, knowing nexon, the best this will yield is a handwaving response of "we're listening to you" while they continue ignoring the complaints.
They replaced two F2P systems with a P2W system and want us to start from scratch just to grab more money, it's a spit in the face of the players.
Badges, tiers, potentials - everything sounded like a refreshment.
Then Day 1 of patch happened.
I like to have a more balanced game that doesn't spoon-feed players with easy stats. My run Hard Bossing run with familiars that were keeping us alive like we had BoDs was least fun I had in 1.5 years of running them. Getting IED or BOSS lines after 10 minutes at Boogies were high unreasonable and I hoped for a massive reset from Nexon. Wipe out ever familiar farmed after Patch, prepare juicy as hell compensation for everybody, work with those that spent NX to either restore their desired Familiar or pay them back (whatever they prefer). I felt that we're turning into TMS or some private server with unreasonable gains.
Sadly, none of this happened and we're left with a system that we can completely ignore in its current form. Mind-bobbling that QA or anybody at the meetings said "Common cards should drop once per 20 min and they need 150 of them to fuse. Once". There's nothing but growing frustration how non-KMS content is being handled. I loved GMS cos it always brought cool non-KMS events and it felt a bit more interesting between the major patches as we always had something extra.
Now I'm sitting here really sad that we didn't go full KMS, since GMS does not even try to adjust their game.
Lack of trade is pretty necessary as you see how much meso value has went up and prices value has gone up. Sure it sucks that being hell ban kinda locks you out of bosses, and I think nexon should design an alternative summoning method like HT crystal summon or reactors like Von Bon.
While i agree with most of what you say, theres something vital here that you are terribly wrong. The fact that new players can catch up older players, that shouldnt be possible.
Imagine an old player spends 1000 hours playing thi game, progressing, working hard, etc etc, then a new player comes in and in like 250 hours, he gets to the same point the older player is. Isnt this unfair for the older player, who has put in a lot of effort into the game while the new one hasnt? The new player should only be able to catch up IF AND ONLY IF the older player stopped playing or progressing at the game, so the new player could reach those 1000 hours the older player has invested. BUT this is not likely to happen, old players keep playing and keep progressing, therefore the catch up is not possible. This is how it should be, not the other way around. Cuz if the new player catches easily the old one, then the older players would quit or be extremelly dissatisfied to how the game has been treated.
Im a mid to end game player and i understand that end game players are WAY ahead of me and that im not likely to EVER be at the exact same spot they are now considering t hey still play and progress.
You realize some people spend over 500 dollars on the new familiar cards right? Resetting everything to point zero would mean a complete refund of the money and if they didnt do that, my bet is those players would definitelly quit or stop spending money on the game. Heck id be EXTREMELLY PISSED if i spend 500 euros on an item to be perfect just to get it resetted and not getting my money back, its like a scamm, and idk, people can even sue nexon if they dont get a refund,
I literally wrote "work with those that spent NX to either restore their desired Familiar or pay them back (whatever they prefer). "
oh i missed that part, im sorry