Let me preface this post with:
I have a great deal of respect for you, Nhiala. As a character (we interacted. A good deal.) and as an OOC forum poster. You're too new of an Imm for me to say in that regard, but I think you'll do great.

Now. The response.

>Distention code may mean that you can no longer operate in the
>manner you're accustomed to. For example, it may mean you'll
>have to become more selective about who you kill.

This is wildly untrue and pure speculation. Speaking as someone that has distened to hero - repeatedly - with different classes the simple truth is:
More than half your skills/spells don't work at all
If you're a caster anything that goes against save vs spell is doomed
You have less than half the hp of anyone you fight

Selective is crap. Some classes, with level-bound primary skills, are doomed. Some classes, without level-bound primary skills, MIGHT be able to win a fight in ideal conditions.

I'm saying this as someone that has distened into hero, repeatedly. I'm saying this as someone who has won (three) fights as a high level 20 something or low 30 something against heros.

Think about a thief with cheapshot. Think about the easiest possible fight for a thief with cheapshot. (unprepped mage without fly, wielding a weapon they don't know). Think about thief with cheapshot catching a human shifter in human form without fly while wielding a sword (does it get any better?). Think about thief with cheapshot missing four trips in a row. Think about thief with cheapshot going splat in one round after shifter shifts. Think about getting a few levels


>Also, 2-3/hour is pretty damn fast. If you hero'd in 100
>hours and kept up that rate for the rest of your character's
>life, that'd be ~900-1350 kills. Considering not many people
>get over 200 in their lifetime, I'd say 0.5/hr is more
>accurate. Let's say that out of the 10 hours you hunt for 8
>and rank for 2, earning enough xp in that 2 hours to gain one
>rank. Is 4 kills every 10 hours (plus a rank) really going to
>distend you so badly?

Your math is flawed. 4 kills every 10 hours probably would not distend you. 10 kills/level would have you in hero range in less than 10 levels. 10 kills/level is VERY MUCH a reality, especially at the midranks. Midranks people are easier to find. PK range is larger - generally twice the size of the hero range. One person killing a group is very much a reality. Lots of factors. If you're good you can get 1 an hour without trying. 2-3 with very little effort. Especially if you quit when unopposed.

Story of my (all time) favorite character's life (mid-rank, barely post purge):
Log on.
wh pk. 20+ enemies. 5 "neutrals". 1 "ally".
Retrieve item. Kill 2-3 defenders.
Defend item. Kill 2-3 attackers.
Retrieve item again. Kill 1-2 defenders.
Rest of the cabal logs on now that the item is back. Whee.
Raid. Kill 1-2 defenders.
Raid someone else. Die to one blast. Oops.
Regear.
Interview.
Interview.
Go hunt. Kill 2-3 people.
Die to Justice/Arbiters.
Regear. Kill 1 person.
Go hunt. Kill 1 person.
wh pk. No one to kill.
quit
Time elapsed: 2-3 hours. Kills: 11. Deaths: 1-2.


> I honestly don't know, but my suspicion is that it would
>not.)

A lot of your averages are based on who turns up at hero. Historically most people that make a difference in the mid ranks don't end up heroing. Too much xp debt (not really a factor any more, so this may well change), too much con lost.

A lot of things driving those averages are just no longer true. I'd love to see a resurgance of mid-level play. As it is it's race to hero, pause to gank, race to hero. Whee