opinions requested on this one.

[Mina]

 Curiously want to know how people feel over this one, we had a very interesting talk amongst a few of the gang last night and the majority were agreeing that the shard would be better without sockets.
  Nuttin personal...*grins*

[Serenity]

I am going to have to say yes. 

I have said before I do not think one person should be able to walk through the guantlet and solo everything including the Dark Father. The concept behind Sockets is interesting, but they have become too over powered. Now mind you this is just my two cents, but I thought I would share my opinion.

It is nice to have someone else to hunt with, talk to and have a good time with.

[Abbadon]

Yes, I believe nerfing sockets will improve the quality of Sylvan, and quite a few of the full-socketed people agree too Mina.

Although I think it isn't neccessary to completely get rid of them, I think doing things like nerfing augs/making them harder to get and getting rid of ASHs will make sockets much harder to obtain. It is getting to the point where someone can get some dex and evasion and pretty much solo anything that isnt in Fel within a few days.

I believe that rather than making players be able to solo-tank the bosses for 30 mins and being able to kill them, it would be more interesting to make them take around 10-15 mins to kill the boss with a group of people, and seeing many of the party members die ^^

[lenin1928]

No, I don't believe getting rid of sockets will help game play because Ultima Online was meant to be used by hundreds of players on a single shard while we only have maybe 14 online at any time that is an imbalance of resources vs players who compete for those resources giving every player the ability to become extremely powerful in a very short period of time.

So if you were going to get rid of sockets why not instead get rid of some resources such as:Make it tougher to gain skills and lower the cap as well as lower the cap for stats, make existing common monsters such as orcs more difficult to defeat, and include PKing in more areas besides Fellucia, when someone asks for help in public chat it should be ignored (Knights in 13th century England did not have the ability to use a public chat system to call for help).

But also keep in mind to get rid of sockets means getting rid of Fellucia, Alarics Dungeon...etc..etc..because without high stats, skills, and sockets those places are impossible.

In conclusion I don't believe its the sockets that are the problem, to get a really good idea of the issue why not ask how long it takes  for a new player to collect socketed armor and reach the skill caps, and compare that to another free shard.

PS How are we going to do more group hunting when there is only a small number of people on the shard?

[Quezecoatl]

I dont think getting rid of sockets is the answer eather, i know i prefer to hunt alone most of the time and thats just by choice it does take time and effort to get all the things needed for the sockets so why get rid of them.

[Myrick]

I agree that sockets should be kept. That is my opinion as a player and a GM. I would like to see sockets redone however to require one more socket for each level of augment 2 for ancient, 3 for legendary, and four for mythic. I think that will slow down some of the stronger fighter types. The problem I have with losing sockets is that players with very strong pets will still be able to hunt a lot of things solo. I also feel druids will become a must have for everyone. With sockets as they are now, people at least try a few different approaches to making uber characters. I am not saying no one will play a fighter or an archer or a bard or a mage, there are always people who are determined to see if they can make something work or who just really enjoy the challenge of playing weaker characters. We already have a non-socketed venue on this shard and that is the roleplay. I would like to see some non-socketed PvP, but even though that has been suggested a few times, the PvP'ers have resisted that like they are being offered the plague. Yet they sit there and beat on each other til they get bored or have to get 2 or 3 to 1 odds to actually kill someone. On OSI everyone played a Mage or a WW/nightmare tamer. When the Tokuno arties came out, the mages camped with energy vortexes and the tamers complained. This resulted in the mages getting nerfed and then EVERYONE going over to taming. I'd hate to see that happen here.

Just my 2 gold pieces

[Shakka]

No, I prefer my sockets.  I mostly hunt alone.  There's not enough people here to muster up group hunts all the time.  And as far as making augs harder to get, they've already done that.  I rarely find anything now that is worth putting in a socket.

[Thane ir'Wyndan]

My personal view and I do not know if this is better for the shard or not.  I would not remove sockets totally but I would work out some system to par them down.  Fewer sockets per item, fewer items able to be socketed perhaps.

Then again I also think the skill cap should be lowered hehe.

[Abbadon]

lenin, we would not have to get rid of Fel, just because sockets get nerfed.

You can already see the problem sockets are causing - people have become much, much too dependant on them and are scared of losing them. Probably most of the Fel bosses will need to be nerfed, as well as some things in Alarics, however, it is not impossible to do with a group without sockets.
Also, 14 people online at a time is more than enough to go group hunting with. Its not like you go out hunting with 100 people, usually just 2 or 3 others and you're good to go.

Atm, I believe Sylvan is turning into a single player uo game. All the hunters out there are soloing, just because it is a lot easier + better profit that way. So they farm gold, buy more sockets and farm more gold. Eventually there's going to be a point where there is almost nothing to do with 10 million gold pieces.

And Myrick, it does not have to go that way. If the sockets are properly balanced along with all the other classes, that will not happen. Not everyone will need to become a druid, just because sockets get nerfed, as long as Druids and mobs themselves also get nerfed (hence balancing gameplay).

Also, Shakka, the augs are still fairly easy to get. In the short time I have been here, I have already found a mythic ruby, a mythic emerald and many legendaries. How is it that they are hard to find?

Anyway, thats just my opinion. I believe that sockets dont need to be erased, but nerfed heavily (probably if this is to happen, pets will need nerfing too).

[Quezecoatl]

Also, Shakka, the augs are still fairly easy to get. In the short time I have been here, I have already found a mythic ruby, a mythic emerald and many legendaries. How is it that they are hard to find?

Anyway, thats just my opinion. I believe that sockets dont need to be erased, but nerfed heavily (probably if this is to happen, pets will need nerfing too).

Alright you found those mythics then thats luck it is hard to find mythics because its all based on your luck.
Also why nerf something someones already payed for in game (sockets the val used to do the socketing and the buying of the augs if already boughten) that also includes the pets people have already tamed them trained them and use them theyv already been acquired why nerf them if theyv already been worked/payed for, i think the game is fine how it is some people dont like hunting in groups i know i usually dont i prefer to go out ther alone most of the time.

[Antorrias]

When I was hunting for a shard thre were two things I was looking to avoid...OSI Clones and Free Arties!!  Everything is Given to You!!  I found Sylvan Heart and was very happy with its "Happy Medium."   Like others have said, there are not enough folks playing regularly to hunt as a group on a regular basis.  With that being said, I don't see why there cannot be some some mobs or quest put in that are too tough for even the greatest of socketed toons and must be taken on by a group.  Adding to the challenge would be much better than taking away from the ability, IMHO.

Last but not least, we need a scriptor the most.  Or at least someone who knows how to install new scripts and work out the bugs.  There are literally tons of neato things that can be added.  A friend and I put up a test shard some time ago with the intention of him teaching me to script.  While I learned a lot, my knowledge is limited to being able to adjust existing scripts and such. 

I like what we have and think our top priority should be to find a scriptor.  Thanks for your time.

[Shakka]

Also, Shakka, the augs are still fairly easy to get. In the short time I have been here, I have already found a mythic ruby, a mythic emerald and many legendaries. How is it that they are hard to find?

Not for me.  I guess you have much better luck than I do.  I do not find augs like that in such short time.

I like my sockets.  I spent alot of money and time to get them.  I enjoyed the time spent acquiring them.  I enjoy even more using them. 

As for depending on the 14 or so people who are online to go on group hunts.....everyone's always doing their own thing and will not go on a group hunt at the drop of a hat.  We all know this.  And I'm not gonna sit around waiting and begging for people to go on a hunt with me because I cannot by myself.  I'll just move on to another place....

[Mina]

regarding the auggies...  guys  stop bitchin at each other, lol.  thats not what poll is about,  just sensing general opinion of what ye all think of the sockets...

  but if ye ever need to go group hunting, mina and the fel warriors are out almost all the time in small groups and everyone knows that a simple shout is all it takes to tag along.

[Shakka]

Ohhh the sockets!  Right, right.  *smacks forehead* lol

Yes, keep them.  They are good.

[Quezecoatl]

Keep them plain and simple