Most people in Wizard101 are running only one account. When I ran through the test realm in Zafaria, I did this. I avoided loading multiple accounts. I wanted to experience what the game would be like solo as a necromancer. Truth is that there were a couple pinch points and henchmen came in handy in the Test realm. Case in point, the healing fight with Tim-Tim Snakeeye. I dropped those test realm crowns for three level 70 Life henchmen and suddenly the fight was cake. There was also a point in the Drum Jungle when a group of Myth casting spider monkeys were irritating me, and so I dropped the test realm crowns for three level 70 storm henchmen and burned through the fight.
Would I do that on the real realm? Nah. BUT, you know what would make me do something like that on the real realms of The Spiral? I think I know . . . let me explain.
Henchmen aren't a new idea in games. My first experience with them was in Guild Wars. In Guild Wars, all areas are tuned to group play. In every zone, you'll find a series of henchmen lining the walls just waiting to be hired out. I don't even think there's a cost for henchmen in Guild Wars . . . the only cost is that they will take a portion of your loot when you use them. That really isn't a problem. Once you select a henchmen to play with you, then tend to stick around in the group until you remove them. It isn't like you summon them for each fight like you do in Wizard101.
My second experience with henchmen is with Dungeons and Dragons online. In DDO, there's a cost to henchmen use and when you purchase them, you purchase them for an hour. Your first hireling will cost some platinum to hire out and you can only summon them at the entrance of an instance. Any additional henchmen you put in your party will cost DDO points (like crowns) and may be summoned at any time in an instance. You can have as many as five hirelings if you're soloing.
Their cost? Well, they all cost 40 DDO points or less. There really isn't price scaling like what was recently introduced in Wizard101. Of course, it's also capped for free to play players so you can't summon a hireling that is higher level than you. (I believe subscription players can summon hirelings that are up to two levels higher then you are.)
In DDO, if I finish an instance early, I still have the hireling sitting in my inventory with a timer on it. (Think mounts with a timer on it in Wizard101--they sit in your inventory with a timer until they expire).
If Wizard101's henchmen sat in your inventory for the span of an hour after purchase, and I could summon them and de-summon them from combat, I think people would buy them and use them all the time (especially at their current cost).
I do think you would have to allow for them to be de-summoned with a toggle button since that's one of the main gripes I currently hear with henchmen use (outside of locked instances). How many times have you seen friends port into a fight where henchmen are being used and feel disappointed they can't join the fun? We need the ability to de-summon henchmen to allow friends in if they show up to play with us.
What are your thoughts on how to improve henchmen? Have you experienced their use in other games and liked it more than how it's used in Wizard101?
To me, it's just simply not on par to have a one-use, one-fight Level 70 henchman cost as much as a Wyvern Hoard pack. Or maybe I'm wrong, what do you think?
Happy Dueling!
9 comments:
I think i like that ideas about either one hour or until they die that worth our crowns cost. and remove them off battle too. But it will be nice if remove, have little crowns back if not die yet. Just ideas but really I like your ideas about henchmen.
I would just LOVE it if we could have another school henchman because the life pixie was such a disappointment to me. I do agree with you friendly, and being able to unequipe a henchman would be completely awesome. What if we could like rent out our characters to be used as henchmen while we are offline and the person wouldn't rent for any money but we would get a portion of their winnings and exp and what not. What do ya'll think?
I think we need the ability to dismiss the henchmen. Im not so sure we will ever a timed henchmen but I like it.
I was about to make a post about my thoughts too!! I like how strong these new henchman are, except the prices! It's a lot for younger wizards with parents who don't spoil them. I think there should be an option somehow to lower your henchmans strength back to the old way- and the old prices, for any wizards with limited crowns. Your idea with the new prices and 1 hour limit I'd LOVE that!
Well, considering the fact that you can use the Myth Minion Support spells on Henchmen (+40% Blade, +70% Shield, Mend, etc), I'm pretty sure you can use the Sacrifice Minion spell to get rid of a purchased henchman.
Perhaps if KingsIsle let you select one of your Alternate Wizards of equal or Lower level from your same account (and control both at the same time) for the durations of the battle, people would buy the Purchase more often. Both wizards could receive Loot and XP (if XP is applicable) from the battle.
Yeahhhhh.... Friendly, i dunno if you know this or not, but one of your followers is pretty bad... I'll let you figure it out.... It's pretty easy to spot.... Just thought i should tell you.
-Hilarious P.S. I still have yet to meet you!!!! :)
@Hilarious: Keeeripes! That was a bad one. Thanks for the notice. I removed them from my follower list. yikes.
I remember one time trying out the level 70 henchmen that were humans and costed 70 crowns. They were great, especially the life one! He didn't really heal himself, but he focused on the wizard (I'm talking about the old level 70 henchmen that were humans.) Now, these are too much crowns. I prefer them to be how they use to be, human-like and costed the same crowns as their level. I guess that the hour idea could be OK. I think I'll be relying on the level 40 henchmen now.
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