Looks like I am the only one who thinks this is probs a bad idea

The reason it is a problem currently is because Nightmare mode drops a higher tier of loot.

If Nightmare only dropped the same level of gear + vanity items (e.g. shells with special looks and no mods / mounts / pets / title) then it would be perfect to have this on the same lockout - People can then choose do they want an easy HM fight to just gear up or do they want a challenge for the same gear but the chance at a vanity item.

Additionally it will mean that guilds can no longer improve 1 boss at a time in Nightmare by removing the option to skip bosses - Making the balancing and gradual ramp up of difficulty all the more important. (tl;dr: Nightmare bosses may be too hard for some groups, but not all the nightmare bosses will be allowing for some gear up to the next tier - if the increased gear for nightmare mode is kept).

If the lockout is removed then it is likely that Nightmare will :

1. Drop no gear - so that the gearing time is not affected

2. Drop higher level gear - causing balancing problems for future operations

3. Cause problems in guilds where players are now having to spend a lot longer raiding

4. Likely to lead to Nightmare bosses getting excessively nerfed (see Dread Guards fight) if not all players can progress past them to see the rest of the raid (now they cannot do this in hard mode).

If the lockout is removed then it is likely that Nightmare will :

 

1. Drop no gear - so that the gearing time is not affected

2. Drop higher level gear - causing balancing problems for future operations

Nightmare mode requires optimized hard mode quality loot and it also drops higher quality items right now and whoever can battle the encounters wouldn't need anything dropping in hard mode anyway.

There will be no issue at all here - if anything some players that need small improvements (a few enhancements here and there e.g.) will find NiM more accessible after lockouts are seperated.

4. Likely to lead to Nightmare bosses getting excessively nerfed (see Dread Guards fight) if not all players can progress past them to see the rest of the raid (now they cannot do this in hard mode).

How so? Dread Guards nerf was ... unlucky and massively over the top (Teamspeak went haywire when we saw what magnitude the HP nerf had ... and how incoming tank damage got cut down by the same amount), but they also were not tuned to be in line with the rest of the Asation bosses before.

A separation of lockouts wouldn't change anything. Since NiM isn't just another mode to farm, but the one you get all the hard mode gear for, so you get a chance to complete it in the first place. NiM gear right now is just fancy stuff to show off and to make it gradually easier to run NiM again and again after you completed it - there's nothing in the game that actually requires you to be in full Q75 gear.

About future SM & HM operations ... there is nothing wrong with rewarding previously successfull players when it comes to content that will be probably rather easy to begin with.

The lockout is only an issue because this is the first NIM operation that added a new tier of loot. IF they had stuck to mounts/titles this would be a non issue.

It should stay a non issue, just don't put new tiers of Armor in NIM operations in the future. If This happens then this all goes away come October with the new tier of armor and 2 new operations.

The lockout is only an issue because this is the first NIM operation that added a new tier of loot.

Agreed. NiM EC does not exist at all.

But seriously, we get that this is signed. Really...

Hi guys,

 

This is already a priority for us, but I can't promise a date yet. The Nightmare Mode system was originally built on the back of Hard Mode, which is why they share a lockout. It's a technical consequence of that fact, not a philosophical thing on our part.

Bioware (in this thread) has already said this is a priority for them. Why are there still so many "agreed / signed" bumps after their post?

/signed

Yes I know they said it's being looked at.

I also know the squeaky wheel gets oil first. (This is a pretty darn broken and rusty wheel at this point).

/signed

 

Yes I know they said it's being looked at.

I also know the squeaky wheel gets oil first. (This is a pretty darn broken and rusty wheel at this point).

I agree on the rusty broken wheel !!!

And just for kicks and shiggles...

/signed !