Feldon 
Tomorrow’s Update brings us a positively reviewed revamp to the Troubador class, as well as a nerf rebalancing of the Dirge mythical effect. However the biggest feature in Thursday’s patch is the widely anticipated Dungeon Finder group-forming tool. Dungeon Finder will be isolated to each server at first, becoming cross-server at some point in the future.
This update does not include the controversial removal of Primal Velium Shards from heroic armor. That change will likely go in next week.
From the EQ2 Forums:
DUNGEON FINDER
Dungeon Finder is a matchmaking system designed to make it easier for groups to get together for dungeons. The system requires a minimum of six people to be using the system to create groups.
To use the Dungeon Finder, click the “Dungeon Finder” button form the EQII menu your XP bar. (Or open the “Zones” menu by using ALT+Z.)
- You can queue solo or as a group (only group leaders can queue a group) for any dungeons you qualify for (based on level, critical mitigation requirements and if you have the required expansion on your account)
- You can either queue for a Random Dungeon (and get a +25% XP bonus while playing that dungeon) or you can queue for specific dungeons by only clicking the checkboxes next to their names. (NOTE: You don’t get the +25% XP bonus if you queue for specific dungeons.)
- If you leave the dungeon, and your group stays within it, you can use the “Return” button to zone back to your group without travel time.
- If your group isn’t full, the group leader can use the ‘Reinforce’ button to allow more players, currently queued in the Dungeon Finder (and who qualify), to join the group.
- If your group finishes a Dungeon Finder dungeon, the group leader can queue for another dungeon immediately (without needing to leave the dungeon the group is currently in). This should result in almost no wait time for the next dungeon as long as you still have a full group.
Note: The zones offered in the Dungeon Finder are based off your character’s actual level (not your mentored level). Mentored level has no effect on Dungeon Finder matchmaking.
POPULATION / ZONE PROGRESSION
Tower of Frozen Shadow: Haunt of Syl’tor
- It should no longer be possible to get into a death loop at the entrance of Haunt of Syl’tor.
The Hole: Spirit’s Resonance
- Nortlav the Scalekeeper should no longer get stuck after returning from possession.
Sebilis
- Gruplinort in Sebilis should more reliably drop loot.
ABILITIES / ALTERNATE ADVANCEMENT
Warden
- Shatter Infections now triggers on any damage.
Predator
- Smoke Bomb should get resisted less often.
Dirge
- All forms of Intrepid Strike have been changed. The FABLED Intrepid Strike now grants 15% Flurry, Potency and PvP Potency. The MYTHICAL and Spell versions grant 25% Flurry, Potency and PvP Potency. The ability has been changed to stack additively instead of multiplicatively with Potency, Flurry and Multi-Attack. Had this not been addressed, the advantage from Intrepid Strike would have grown indefinitely with those stats.
Troubador
- Countersong has had its immunity removed. It now lasts for 12 seconds, does not dispel when an ability is used and reduces the targets AE Auto Attack Chance as well as ability damage.
- Vexing Verses now also deals minor damage and reduces the target’s casting speed.
- Breathtaking Bellow can no longer be resisted. Its radius has been increased to 15 meters.
- Demoralizing Processional now also reduces the target encounter’s primary attributes.
- Enhance: Demoralizing Processional now also improves the attribute reduction.
- Jester’s Cap no longer has an immunity timer.
- Tap Essence now affects the encounter and the group. The damage has been reduced.
- Painful Lamentations has had its damage increased.
- Thunderous Overture now has a 10 second reuse but is a point blank area effect ability that affects up to 8 targets.
- Perfect Shrill has had its damage increased.
- Enhance: Rejuvenating Celebration now also improves the maximum health granted by Rejuvenating Celebration.
- Raxxyl’s Rousing Tune now also improves agility.
- Sandra’s Deafening Strike now restores some of the power it stole to the troubador.
- Demoralization is now “Abhorrent Verse.” Abhorrent Verse transfers 50% of the threat from the Troubador’s group to the target for a short time. This does not transfer threat from fighters.
ACHIEVEMENTS
- All instances of Bregador Bitelimb have been corrected to Bendegor Bitelimb.
ITEMS
- Jindrack’s Lucan D’Lere Action Figure should be convertible into a house item once again.
- The wand dropped in Tower of Vuul should now be properly named.
- Northman’s Broadaxe should once again have a valid two handed appearance.
- The Sublime Staff of Deathdealing is once again a crushing weapon.
QUESTS
- Tower of Frozen Shadow: Shadowed Corridors
- The quest “Tserrina’s Strife” should now update for the group when one of the lost pages are found.
Sad. The Dirge in my raid force generally parses 80-90K, and with these changes we’re assuming he will now parse in the 60K range.
Just like the necro’s DPS was going to plummet when they took away the 12.8% SDA for our pets… Doubt they’ll suffer too drastically.
If my dps drops even 10% after the patch I will retire my dirge.
It’s obvious that they adjusted pet damage with the loss of the SDA. Not true with dirges – if they’re giving us potency, they should be increasing our CA damage. People have reported 30% dps loss on test on their dirges.
My troubie has already obtained Norrath’s smallest violin to play for his dirge brethren.
Always remember the rule of ‘Too Good To Be True’…
Next Class to fix??????
BESERKERS!!!!!!!
Well initial testing on live after nerf dirge dps down by 20%. I will wait until after the weekends raiding but it looks like bye bye dirge.
Meh, the problem wasn’t with dirges. Yes, with future content/gear, the Mythical buff would’ve been overpowered. I honestly don’t see why so many people had a problem with dirges being right behind DPS on the parse. Who do they expect to hold that position? Now it’ll just be the good chanters or in some cases, still good dirges. Even with dirges right behind DPS on the parse, if there wasn’t a substantial gap between them and the first DPS class, it wasn’t the dirge’s problem.
It’s just a shame that they couldn’t buff troubadors without nerfing dirges. Some of us played dirges before we could hit the numbers we did before today’s patch, and the change won’t effect what class we choose to play.
I’ve seen about a 30% drop in the DPS on my Dirge since the nerf went in.
Last night, before the nerf went in, I spent time testing out what my base DPS would be – using nothing but auto attack and combat arts that did not require me to be behind the mob on 10 heroic training dummies. My DPS hovered between 50-55K, and average out to 53.6K – which is highly respectable for a Dirge.
Today, since the nerf went in, I used the same method that I used last night – using nothing but auto attack and combat arts that did not require me to be behind the mob and my DPS hovered between 35-40K and average out to 37.7K.
That is a change of 15.9K DPS, which is a 29.6% nerf.
The question I have continued to pose is why? Why exactly was this nerf regarding Dirge’s needed? What exactly was out of balance? We we not top tier DPS, and never would have been.
There is nothing above that says anything about the removal of SDA, was this done ninja like?
Now here is where it gets really interesting. I just tested everything out, using the same method as I described above (10 heroic training dummies, using nothing but auto attack and my combat arts that do not require me to be behind the mob) with the myth buffed turned OFF.
According to ACT, my parse hovered between 35-40K for the 10 encounters, with an average parse of 38.2K, meaning that with the myth buff turned OFF, my DPS was actually 500 points higher.
So I decided to retest everything, once again, with the myth buff turned on. Using the same method as I have been using (10 heroic training dummies, using nothing but auto attack and my combat arts that do not require me to be behind the mob), and once again my DPS hovered in the 35-40K range, but this time it average out to 38.5K.
So, testing it out once again with the myth buff TURNED OFF, using the same method I have been using, my DPS hovered between the 35-40K range, and averaged out to 37.8K.
From what I can tell based on these findings, the Dirge myth buff adds virtually nothing to our overall DPS now. Which might possibly mean that the EQ2 development team has made the Dirge myth buff completely worthless now.
Anyone else care to test this out so we can get some more opinions on this matter?
@Necromancer, got some other info on the stats behind that DPS reading? (i.e. AGI, Potency, etc etc) I’m trying to work out a baseline for ‘old Dirge’, ‘new Dirge’, and ‘Troubie’ levels of output…
@Anaogi, I will take out my tiny troub violin to accompany you.
I don’t have anything regarding troubs, but if you go to the SOE forums, under the In testing Feedback there is a thread about Dirge’s quitting and I posted my detailed findings there if you want to check it out.
So 25% extra xp if you do a random. Whats the incentive for lvl 90/300 players to do randoms with people? Soe never thinks about rewarding those that have been playing this game since the beginning. The dirge change was needed and I doubt they will notice a huge dps drop. Most dirges roll with brawlers that have CM anyway.
@anaogi – because of your comments, I am about to begin my “nerf the troub” rant…gratz
Just finished raiding for tonight, I’d say I took about a 10-15k hit. It doesn’t really bother me. The other dirge that has better gear than I do and used to outparse me by a little bit was 10-30k below me today. Kinda neat how this weeds out the bad dirges 😉
Also, 50k pre-nerf for a dirge in full Rygorr is pretty sad. Remember the old buff proc’d max melee CA damage, this one procs potency so it increases CAs and spells. I did a couple dummies today and compared them to some from about a week ago, with 5-10k lost.
Did I want the nerf to happen? No. Do I think everyone should suck it up and just be good instead of lazy? Ayup.
Yep.. It was fun playing the dirge while it lasted just like once opon a time this game use to be fun. I have canceled my account and looking forwared to playing Star Wars Knights of the OLD republic in December.