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Gardening: Pet Energy V. Mana

AuthorMessage
Defender
May 21, 2009
142
I've seen a lot on the message boards (& in game) about the conflict between pet energy v. mana when it comes to gardeinng. I personally think that gardening should still cost pet energy but I don't like how it drains my energy also. I think that the amount of energy should be lowered for the spells, I wouldn't mind them being cut in half. But I wanna know what side you are on, pet energy or mana? Thank you for readin & plz comment

Illuminator
May 22, 2009
1310
Like you, I believe it should use energy but at a lower cost.

We go through the game knowing a rank one spell will cost us one mana and one pip. Mana we can easily replenish as can the one pip. Why in gardening does a rank one spell cost us 3 energy? Energy takes time to replenish, so it really should only cost one energy for rank one spells in gardening.

And Why not a rank x spell with energy usage depending on the number of plants effected. For example..I have 12 plants, i cast an x class spell for lets say watering and it uses 12 points even if some didn't need watered.

Now the pests spells should be a little higher than the rank but still lower than what they are now. Come on KI, 5 energy per rank of pest. That is a little ridiculous.

Hannah Lifebringer Level 60 Life

Geographer
Jun 09, 2009
962
Hero
May 27, 2009
762
Superluther, I think you've got something there! For some reason, Gardening spells are being treated in a totally different way from any other spells in the game. The costs per spell are way out of proportion and causing much dissatisfaction with the gardening in general. Granted, I understand that the game cannot be 100% logical, but players should should be able to rely on the basic game mechanics.

Survivor
Nov 18, 2010
13
It's more a matter of KI trying to make money. Because gardening and pets use the same type of energy, you run out faster now, specially if you do gardening. As a rank 8 (almost 9) gardener, I burn through my 67 energy in about 2 minutes with the Deadly Fly Traps that I have planted. Every day they all require magic, music, pollination, and sun. Considering that to get every plant I need to use the rank 3 spell for each of those, I'm burning 60 energy clearing those needs. Also, I get rank 4 and rank 5 pests on them daily, so that's another 20-25 energy. Back to my origional point however. Because of the high cost of energy for gardening, KI makes more money because it forces us to buy crowns to replunish our energy. For those of us who can't, it means we have to wait to either level up, or for hours to get that energy back. Risking the death of our plants. It would certainly be nice if KI would reduce the costs, but financially speaking, it's unlikely. Always keep in mind that most, if not all of what KI does/introduces to the game is a way for them to make money. It may be a game to us, but for them, it's a business. Nothing more.

Duncan J.
Lvl 54 Conjurer

Explorer
Jul 23, 2009
66
I think we should use mana. The spell costs could stay the same because most people have WAY more mana than energy. Additionally, you CANT replenish energy unless you PAY! You CAN replenish mana, FOR FREE, and it also gives you a very small amount of gold if you play the minigames. Energy just takes too long to replenish which is a huge problem if you have a lot of plants growing at the same time.

A+ Student
Jan 05, 2009
1706
Okay, I think this is more of an example of having limiting resources. You have to understand that going in....and make informed decisions.*

My first gardener (now GM Gardener) grossly overplanted. Got caught like most of you are saying: energy problems. Did not pet train.

My second gardener (now a GM Gardener) did not overplant, and got by on the energy (144 energy points/day refresh rate plus leveling) and had no problems with energy levels. Did not pet train. My fourth gardener is taking this path and is currently 7th level gardener.

My third gardener is currently at 7th gardening level and has trained a pet about 1/3 of the way from ancient to epic at the same time. I have carefully tracked experience and try to level up once per day (and spending out the energy before I turn in the quest that will level me). No energy problems to date.

So, carefully planning and playing will solve your problems with energy. When short of energy, level up....sorry those who have gone too many levels and have maxed out :)

*to get informed, go over to Wizard 101 central and educate yourself.

Defender
Sep 11, 2010
154
I like luther's approach. Makes more sense to me.

I don't begrudge KI making money. This has been a fun-filled, and imho, cheap, 3-4 months spent with my nephew(s). Thanks, KI, we have truly enjoyed this time and will continue to do so as long as you keep the servers stable and the content interesting. You have earned every penny.

But I have to think you would make MORE money simply selling this stuff on line than you are making by forcing people to realm-hop and farm mobs to get what they need to progress thru the game.

I do not know how much I would have paid for a black pearl when I was collecting them, but I shudder to think what I may have offered had you asked me 4-5 weeks into the collection process ... ;)

Too late now, Hoss. THAT's a missed opportunity on your part .... lmho.

But my nephews, who will NEVER spend the time needed to craft OR garden, see gobs of things they would like to have, but cannot earn, and cannot buy. People have them, they are riding on them, they are wearing them, they are swinging them in combat, but you can't buy them, crowns or not, and they are not being dropped that I have been able to find.

If it is IN this game, and is NOT an earned trophy (house Grizzleheim), the crown shop should stock it and make it available on a level appropriate basis. I have a 9 year old nephew that will earn a $15,000 crown pet when he makes it to Dragonspyre, WHILE maintaining honor roll in school.

Your crown shop does not offer 10% of what this game holds.

It should offer EVERYTHING that is not an earned trophy ... if for no other reason than allowing people with more money than they have time to participate in the game as they choose.

Which benefits ALL of us.

Survivor
Nov 18, 2010
13
alex321694 wrote:
I like luther's approach. Makes more sense to me.

I don't begrudge KI making money. This has been a fun-filled, and imho, cheap, 3-4 months spent with my nephew(s). Thanks, KI, we have truly enjoyed this time and will continue to do so as long as you keep the servers stable and the content interesting. You have earned every penny.

But I have to think you would make MORE money simply selling this stuff on line than you are making by forcing people to realm-hop and farm mobs to get what they need to progress thru the game.

I do not know how much I would have paid for a black pearl when I was collecting them, but I shudder to think what I may have offered had you asked me 4-5 weeks into the collection process ... ;)

Too late now, Hoss. THAT's a missed opportunity on your part .... lmho.

But my nephews, who will NEVER spend the time needed to craft OR garden, see gobs of things they would like to have, but cannot earn, and cannot buy. People have them, they are riding on them, they are wearing them, they are swinging them in combat, but you can't buy them, crowns or not, and they are not being dropped that I have been able to find.

If it is IN this game, and is NOT an earned trophy (house Grizzleheim), the crown shop should stock it and make it available on a level appropriate basis. I have a 9 year old nephew that will earn a $15,000 crown pet when he makes it to Dragonspyre, WHILE maintaining honor roll in school.

Your crown shop does not offer 10% of what this game holds.

It should offer EVERYTHING that is not an earned trophy ... if for no other reason than allowing people with more money than they have time to participate in the game as they choose.

Which benefits ALL of us.


I would have to agree to disagree with your statement Alex. I understand the reasoning, which is to allow those who can't spend the huge amounts of time needed to get those rare items a way to obtain them. But in turn, offering those items for a price instead of patience would then degrade the time, patience, and skill those of us who actually worked hard at obtaining said item put into the process. Simply making something level appropriate wouldn't really limit those people who have more money then time. If you truely desire something, then you need to work hard at it, just as your newphew works hard at maintaining the honor roll. I realize this is just a game and a 'paid' game at that, but if this idea were to be implimented, then it would make me want to quit on the sole principle of "dumbing down a game to make it easier". That reason is why I left Warcraft. It's simply too easy.

That's not to say that I don't moan and complain when I run into a difficult task in W101, but even through the complaining I put my head down and try my best to grind through to the desired end. And, feel the pride deserved in a job well done.

Duncan J
Master Artisan
Master Gardener

Survivor
Jul 26, 2010
2
I want to know why some people have so much more energy then I do. I'm level 54 and my energy goes to 66. That's it. Also, I think the pet spells either should use mana, or energy regeneration should be sped up. Gardening is no fun if you can only plant 3-4 plants a time in order to continue leveling your pets. After I get done with the plants I have, I'm going to quit gardening because I haven't leveled any of my pets at all since I started, and I've had to kill off plants due to getting level 5 pests that the spell costs far too much. Unless you are constantly fighting and selling everything you have, I don't see how people can afford to get all the spells they need to garden properly, but I could live with that if it wasn't for the energy problem. That has ruined gardening for me, and that is a disappointment because I had so very much looked forward to it. I just think it wasn't fully thought out.

Survivor
Jan 17, 2010
11
I think that there should be pet energy wisps just like health and mana.

Defender
May 21, 2009
142
Thank you guys for all of your ideas. I love all of your ideas, superluther's (to me) is the idea I like the most. I don't lvl up my pets like most people do, put the amount of energy it takes to summon some of the gardening spells kills me. Plz KI listen to the words of your very valuable customers & fans & do something so that way everyone is happy when they garden! Thank you for reading :D

Explorer
Jun 26, 2009
84
I think it should use pet/plant energy not mana. Though i do believe that the cost of the spells should be lowered.

Defender
Sep 11, 2010
154
Moriyokiri wrote:
alex321694 wrote:
... If it is IN this game, and is NOT an earned trophy (house Grizzleheim), ... Your crown shop does not offer 10% of what this game holds.

It should offer EVERYTHING that is not an earned trophy ... if for no other reason than allowing people with more money than they have time to participate in the game as they choose.

Which benefits ALL of us.


I would have to agree to disagree with your statement Alex. ... That reason is why I left Warcraft. It's simply too easy.



Mori - What I said ... is NOT what I meant!!! You were SO RIGHT to call me out on that post!!! I am the victim of my own cut and paste monster.

There were two paragraphs left out further defining "earned trophies"!

My post looks like I am in favor of selling Black Pearls at the Crown Shop - I AM NOT! I consider the Master Artisan badge an "earned trophy", The Grizzleheim House? - an "earned trophy". These things are MEANT to be so hard few attempt them and those who accomplish them DESERVE the bragging rights and sense of pride that accompany them.

But there are hundreds and hundreds of things that are common to the game, do not show up in the bazaar, and do NOT represent "earned trophies" ...

Must be 500 guys riding eagles ... used to be able to buy it for crowns, can't anymore ... why not? 4-5 of my friends want them.

Another 500 guys are swinging that sword that went on sale while the Selena quest was active ... can't buy it anymore ... why not?

There are Trident staffs, kookie looking clothes (to me anyway;) and there are TONS of things all over the spiral that ANYBODY can buy if a friend teleports them there.

THAT is the stuff I meant to say should be avialable at the Crown Shop ...

... not the "earned tropies".

Thanks again for replying Mori, and especially for being a gentleman about it. I made a big posting mistake and would not have corrected it were it not for your reply.

My apologies to all for not proofreading more carefully.

Survivor
Mar 11, 2010
4
I think there should be Granden Energy or Plant Energy. Every time I care for my plants, I have sooooo much plants, I have 61 plants in my garden!! I always run out of pet energy. And besides, pets dont even do anything with plants, so why pet enegy!!!!!!!!! Wizard101 I really hope you make Plant Energy or Garden Energy. :( So if you can, plz see if you could make Plant Enegrgy or Garden energy.

Explorer
Mar 24, 2009
58
darla3 wrote:
I think there should be Granden Energy or Plant Energy. Every time I care for my plants, I have sooooo much plants, I have 61 plants in my garden!! I always run out of pet energy. And besides, pets dont even do anything with plants, so why pet enegy!!!!!!!!! Wizard101 I really hope you make Plant Energy or Garden Energy. :( So if you can, plz see if you could make Plant Enegrgy or Garden energy.


With 61 plants, you're going to run out of energy anyway. It needs to be done in moderation for now. But the thing is I agree with the others that the spell cost is WAY too high. As I've said in other posts, they should do 1 of 2 things (or be godsends and do both.)

1.) They should raise the rate at which we get pet mana. Instead of 10 minutes, make it 5. I'm a legendary, so I have 70 pet mana. From zero that takes over 11 hours to refill. That's ridiculous. Last night I took care of my plants till I was out, then went to bed. I woke up, came to tend to my plants, and I was only around 50. That's a problem. The funnier thing is that if I stay off for 12 hours so my energy will be refilled, most of my plants will be wilting! So what's the point!?

2.) The spell cost needs to be lowered. 3 mana per affliction is just ridiculous. 15 for a large area is even more so. I have my plants grouped as tightly as it will let me and I still can barely fit 5 plants in there. Now I gotta hope they all get the same affliction so I can heal them all with that spell. And like the others, the Garden Pest is just dumb. 25 mana on one pest? Like I said, I just woke up and came to tend to my garden. For the fourth day in a row, my White Desparagus had a Garden Pest. With 50 mana, it took HALF of my pet energy to clear. HALF! NEver mind the fact my Deadly Fly Trap had Sun, Pollenation, Music and Water Needs! So with two plants, I've used 41 of my 50 pet mana.

I think the spells should be like this. 1 mana for single bushes. 2-3 points for medium range. 3-5 points for large range. Instead of 5 per pest rank, it should be lowered to 2. Garden Pests would still be 10 mana which would be a challenge, but it's a whole heck of a lot better than 25. The 48 hour spells (Dragonflies, etc.) are fine where they are. Any spell that stays in effect for 2 days, I'm fine with costing 30 mana.

Survivor
Nov 18, 2010
13
GoCowboys wrote:
With 61 plants, you're going to run out of energy anyway. It needs to be done in moderation for now. But the thing is I agree with the others that the spell cost is WAY too high. As I've said in other posts, they should do 1 of 2 things (or be godsends and do both.)

1.) They should raise the rate at which we get pet mana. Instead of 10 minutes, make it 5. I'm a legendary, so I have 70 pet mana. From zero that takes over 11 hours to refill. That's ridiculous. Last night I took care of my plants till I was out, then went to bed. I woke up, came to tend to my plants, and I was only around 50. That's a problem. The funnier thing is that if I stay off for 12 hours so my energy will be refilled, most of my plants will be wilting! So what's the point!?

2.) The spell cost needs to be lowered. 3 mana per affliction is just ridiculous. 15 for a large area is even more so. I have my plants grouped as tightly as it will let me and I still can barely fit 5 plants in there. Now I gotta hope they all get the same affliction so I can heal them all with that spell. And like the others, the Garden Pest is just dumb. 25 mana on one pest? Like I said, I just woke up and came to tend to my garden. For the fourth day in a row, my White Desparagus had a Garden Pest. With 50 mana, it took HALF of my pet energy to clear. HALF! NEver mind the fact my Deadly Fly Trap had Sun, Pollenation, Music and Water Needs! So with two plants, I've used 41 of my 50 pet mana.

I think the spells should be like this. 1 mana for single bushes. 2-3 points for medium range. 3-5 points for large range. Instead of 5 per pest rank, it should be lowered to 2. Garden Pests would still be 10 mana which would be a challenge, but it's a whole heck of a lot better than 25. The 48 hour spells (Dragonflies, etc.) are fine where they are. Any spell that stays in effect for 2 days, I'm fine with costing 30 mana.


I agree for the most part with Go. Most especially with the lowering of the energy costs for the pest spells. I think the three energy for each affliction is fine where it's at however. Smart planning on the part of the gardener should allow you to hit all your plants with the various levels of the spells. Just have to remember not to over do it. 61 plants is way, way too many. I personally currently have 16 white laugh-o-dils planted in a square and am able to reach them all with the rank 3 spells just fine. I've found that creating a plot, of whatever size, and then mousing over it with your highest ranked 'affliction' spell, whether that be pollination, water, whatever, to see the area of effect and then using that mental image to lay down the rest of your plots works the best. Also, make absolutely certain that you are using only the minimum pest spell to get the job done. Throwing a rank 5 pest spell on a rank 2 or 3 pest is pointless and wastes that precious energy. I'm not saying that's what you did Go, I just wanted to mention that for the new gardeners who may be reading this. Another thing, if you can afford it (and I'm not even sure they're still in the crown shop) get a giving tree as your first or second plant to grow. When I planted and grew mine I noticed that it had at most, rank 2 pests, and usually needed water, sun, and pollination every day. Not too bad if you consider the 4-5000 exp you end up getting from it. Another pointer, if you like, is to make sure that you are planting enough plants to make those higher level spells worth it. Having 4 deadly fly traps needing sun is a waste of energy if you use the rank 3 spell. So, plant another.

As for the orgional issue of pet/plant energy. Lowering it would be nice, but I'm also fairly certain that KI did enough research into gardening before implimenting it to determine that the costs, as is, are managable.

Duncan J
GM Gardener
GM Artisan

Survivor
May 31, 2010
26
I agree with most of the comments in this posting. Gardening spells are too expensive, or we need more green energy stuff (that is my name for it, lol.) Or, the idea I like better, is to use mana instead of the green energy stuff. Since these are spells it makes sense that we would use our mana to cast them.

One other thing, KI, I don't begrudge you making money, but many of these kids don't have crowns to purchase more energy and make a large garden. I don't think you were trying to make more money when you created gardening, but I have faith that you will make changes as soon as you can.

For everyone else, I'm married to a computer programmer and I know the amount of time it can take to make small changes to a program. KI does it's best to keep up, but changes take time and testing. Not to mention that this is not the only request for a change. Hang in there everyone. ;-)