Hybrid is great because it's so diverse.

[LKP]

Publish 15 is a great era to emulate because there is such a variety of combat templates that work:

Scribe mages.
Nox mages.
Alchy mages.
Tank mages.
Healer mages.
Stun mages.
Stealth mages.
Thief mages.
Archer mages.
Med warriors.
Eval warriors
Parry warriors.
Pure warriors.
Alchy warriors.
Axers.
Pure thieves.
Disarm thieves.

I embrace that diversity. I think it's awesome that I can go out on the field, or in the duel pits, or in an event, and fight against such a great variety of different opponents. A lot of PvPers are with me on this - they've all got tank mages, or archer mages, or healer mages, or scribes. But they've got those characters tucked away in their third or fourth accounts, and they only come out when they play with a ruleset that forbids purple potions. Meanwhile they'll all continue to play their alchy mages and alchy dexers, because those are the most effective templates.

I think that speaks volumes. Why do the diverse templates only come out when alchemy is forbidden? Maybe because they're too busy getting mowed down from a screen and a half away for 30+ damage every 3 seconds. The following is a short list of things that are wrong with purple potions:

1) There's no risk in using them around innocents due to the senseless new AoE rules.

2) They need 0 skill points to use, 100 to use with full effect... and do damage comparable to a GM halberd in the hands of a character with 300 skill points devoted to its use.

3) They don't count as physical or magical damage, meaning:
a) Armor has no effect on them.
b) Resist has no effect on them.
c) Parry has no effect on them.
d) They can't be reflected.

4) They can be used without a free hand, unlike all other potions.

5) They can be thrown while moving.

6) They can be cancelled during their prep time, then reactivated, effectively nullifying their prep time.

7) They're basically heatseekers. If thrown at the right time, they will always hit a moving target.

8) Because of #5 and 7, they have an effective range much, much larger than that of archery or magery.

9) They cost neither mana nor stamina to use.

10) They lack any kind of cooldown timer. You can throw one every 3 or 4 seconds.

Put that all together and you've got an ultra-long range, hands-free, rapid-fire weapon that can't miss, can't be resisted, can't be absorbed, can't be parried, can't be reflected, and does damage over time comparable to well-equipped dex munky fighting someone with no weapon skill. Putting a stop to any one of the above conditions would be a step toward balancing these things. There have been numerous suggestions, and this has been debated for years. Hell, even on Divinity, a UOGamers shard, purple potions were balanced by making the potions count down an extra second after landing, so hitting a moving target actually required you to lead it, as it should.

I know I'm probably beating a dead horse here. Many players have become so dependent on purple potions that they don't have a clue what to do without them. You'll recognize these players when they reply with ludicrous arguments or flames saying "They're fine, l2p." (The irony there is astounding, by the way.) Others simply don't care anymore, or never did. Even so, as many times as this has been mentioned and ignored before, I think rebalancing these things deserves some thought.

Discuss.

[MadeInQuebec]

I never cared about them, but I always care about well written posts, and LKP is certainly illustrious in that area.

[nfef]

I'm actually surprised that alchemy dominance is still around.

I just started playing here again this week after over a year gone and it was the same way when I left.. I figured something would have been done about it by now.

[Heavy Smoker]

Originally Posted by MadeInQuebec

I never cared about them, but I always care about well written posts, and LKP is certainly illustrious in that area.

That may be because you do not pvp "or play uo for that matter", or are simply gay.

[MadeInQuebec]

Originally Posted by Heavy Smoker

That may be because you do not pvp .

True.

Originally Posted by Heavy Smoker

"or play uo for that matter"

False.

Originally Posted by Heavy Smoker

or are simply gay

False.

[Heavy Smoker]

Okay, sorry for the false accusations, didn't know you played.

[orange thing]

Originally Posted by nfef

I'm actually surprised that alchemy dominance is still around.

I just started playing here again this week after over a year gone and it was the same way when I left.. I figured something would have been done about it by now.

No kidding, dude. I left for a year too, due to a new job requiring more of my time. I came back two weeks ago thinking for sure somebody would have been at least half smart about that and kind of evened them out. I was disappointed seeing their existence was still here. Definite -10, Hybrid.

Other than that big black dot right on the forehead of Hybrid, this truly is a kickass shard that offers quite a variety.

[okaygo]

I agree, this is one of the reasons I feel PvP is quite broken.

[The Monarch]

Originally Posted by LKP

1) There's no risk in using them around innocents due to the senseless new AoE rules.

4) They can be used without a free hand, unlike all other potions.

I agree completely. These are the biggest things wrong with purple pots. I cant believe they dont damage innocents in the area now. That makes absolutely no sense to me. In a word: trammelized. If they were put back to when they did area damage to innocents I would be happy. Being able to be thrown while wielding a two handed weapon doesnt make much sense but its always been like that. But they always used to do area damage to innocents. I cant believe that shit was changed. Totally Trammelized.

[orange thing]

Originally Posted by travis-hybrid

I agree completely. These are the biggest things wrong with purple pots. I cant believe they dont damage innocents in the area now. That makes absolutely no sense to me. In a word: trammelized. If they were put back to when they did area damage to innocents I would be happy. Being able to be thrown while wielding a two handed weapon doesnt make much sense but its always been like that. But they always used to do area damage to innocents. I cant believe that shit was changed. Totally Trammelized.

Yeah, I agree. I don't think it's the presence of purple potions that are shocking. I think it's the immortal ruleset that comes with them.

It's honestly just laughable when I get into the field and someone lugs one at me. I don't even bother fighting them majority of the time.

I'm ashamed to say in the two weeks I've been back with the heavy amount of pvping I've been doing every evening, there has been one fight where my opponent didn't lob potions at me. He was a tank macer. Ultimately, I killed him after quite a long fight in Moonglow woods. But I resurrected him and thanked him for the only good fight I've had since I can remember with Hybrid. Unshockingly, he also thanked me of the same thing.

If they are treated like other potions, where a free hand is required, accompanied by the logical ruleset of them effecting everyone in range, it would just... make sense... I was also a big fan of the random timer, so a solid fool-proof macro wasn't always possible. That's where lobbing purples took... do I care? "Skill." But what do I know? I'm just an average player. :(