>>And on the topic of open rolls... yes, I too hate them. I've had more than I ever care to count. That being said - if an open roll once every 5-10 hours of hunting is the cost for being untouched 99.9995% of the time then I'm OK with that.

>>I'm not OK with having to constantly stop hunting every 5 minutes because I'm bleeding from every pore on my body. In part this is why I'm scared about the damage rewrite. I want to avoid the insta-death 1 shot in PvP which is so common but I don't want to find myself getting cut open every 5th swing while I try and learn MO. <<

Er, you don't think there's anything...wrong with your post?

(As an aside, I understood it as an "open" ended roll is a critical roll that can be rerolled up to 3 times, generating a rather large offensive force that is pretty much guaranteed to hit, and certainly going to do appreciable damage/death. While a "Zoha" crit was a crit roll that had no such limit. And could conceivably be rerolled dozens, hundreds of times, such that even a ship rat/goblin could generate such a large offensive force that it would be capable of killing a person. The amount of times a crit can be rerolled for extra offensive force has been capped, so there are no more "Zoha" crits.)

Anyways, say you have an endless stream of critter A, 5 dancing with you, and the 5 minute retreat cap, and by some miracle you kill them exactly every 5 minutes, or we can approximate this to 1/minute. In 5 hours, your bare minimum, you'll have killed 600 critter As. You can carry that pile of coin, boxes, skins, and other loot back for sale?

The GMs want, and I agree with, hunting breaks being cut short so that people aren't dancing for endless hour after hour. They've said they want it cut down to more manageable chunks of about 20-30 minutes.

>>>>The GMs want, and I agree with, hunting breaks being cut short so that people aren't dancing for endless hour after hour. They've said they want it cut down to more manageable chunks of about 20-30 minutes.

While that may be a generally more desired goal, it has absolutely nothing to do in any way shape or form with the damage system needing fixed, nor with anything I'm putting into that effort.

GM Oolan Jeel

"This island is made mainly of coal and surrounded by fish. Only an organizing genius could produce a shortage of coal and fish at the same time." Aneurin Bevan, May 1945, on World War II rationing and shortages in England.

I wouldn't mind taking more damage over time as a "replacement" for open rolls as long as a more fully fleshed out alchemy system went with it. Especially an herb to regenerate vitality faster. Mmmmm.

- Player of Foresee

"You're right, we're all against you and actively work to stymie your guild's development. I'm twirling my mustache at the sheer thought." - DR-Armifer

>>You guys say this now... and when the time comes that you have to move somewhere remote to train and you can't find an empath - well you'll see just how fun it can be.

How are unavoidable one-hit deaths and the concurrent death scars more preferable to moderate but more frequent damage?

I always hunt in remote areas in Prime and a pouch full of herbs is all I need... except for when I die, which is when I am forced to go back to Xing to get healed because I refuse to buy another account for a pet Empath.

This would be even better if combined with an improved alchemy system that allowed players to make sophisticated herbs that could handle anything, including death scars.
*******
Doctor: Are you Alliance?
Early: Am I lion? Huh. I don't think of myself as a lion. But you might as well have a mighty roar!

<<I have a mule empath - if and when the paradigm shifts this change won't affect me. I won't care.>>

Sure it will affect you, your Empath will get more Empathy ranks or whatever else they use to heal.