This boils down to the interpretation of what the end of a cycle means, even what ‘cycle’ itself means in terms of LE.
We need a clear distinction between a cycle as a time-limited game environment or a patch-cycle, so we can communicate concisely.
I have to agree with @Kulze that EHG should step up their game in terms of clear communication.
The refresh/reset is an end of the current cycle characters inside the bubble that is the current cycle.
Wipe the market and wipe all gold. By gold i mean all of it cof and mg
Doing just a market reset can be done.
This is a perfect example of why in another thread said imo i think MG needs its own trade currency and gold is for stash tabs dungeon and other NPC like stuff.
Having a currency specific to just MG would make a market reset easier
I’m writing that since 1.0 and it has also to do with it not infringing on other game mechanics. Gold is too universally used and hence a bad currency for the market.
But I don’t think it’ll happen, whole MG is a mess anyway and I’m curious what they exactly did with the UI and how far they went with adjusting things there given they postponed the release of the overhaul by 2 months and 10 days rather then having one focused on 1.1 release.
It’s definitely a ‘make or break’ situation for me. Some good things have been done from EHG but the major points generally take a bit too long to be addressed… and if only in word it would suffice, knowing they work on some specific things. And when ready they can at least deliver something which is close to Standards which other games have showcased already to be possible in the same genre… or even other genres at times.
I don’t think anyone disagreed with @Kulze about EHGs clarity of communication lol.
As we don’t have a clear definition of cycle outside of “a cycle begins and ends with major patches.” I don’t consider a refresh inside of a cycle as a new cycle by definition. It’s a fresh start for a current cycle, which would be closer to a Cycle 1.1.1 instead of Cycle 1.1, if that makes sense? Mini-cycle? Bicycle? Motorcycle?
Edit: a new name for these mini-cycles would definitely be appreciated for clarity. I vote for subcycle since it’s fun to say. With the idea being that they’d announce the main cycle being 1.X and then can have as many subcycles as it takes between main cycles. Trying to stay around the 3-4 month goal. That way if patch 1.2 takes a year, you can still have 3-4 resets in the timeframe under the 1.1,banner, with them being subcycle 1.2.1 - 1.2.4.
I can see the numbering getting confusing with a 1.x.y format as that’s a hotfix number scheme, so maybe 1.x_y or 1.x+y?
Yes u can. However as i have said and others we ahouldnt be forced to play legach just to keep playing our 1.1 cycle patch characters
As for rewards no u wont content is currently the same in legacy and cycle modes.
Which still doesnt change the arguments some are making
Exactly.
Now with the current issue of a mid cycle reset. What could be something where the devs and players can meet in the middle. Aka compromise.
Forcing players into legacy just to keep playing cycle 2 characters IMHO isnt really a compromise.
Iv suggested a few in this thread already.
I strongly agree this is what should have happened
They dont cuz. The devs have actually said when theh will do a fresh start.
Its a mid cycle patch thats all it is. Its not a major patch. Devs have told us what theh consider a major patch.
Literally no one has claimed it’s a major patch. I don’t understand why you’re so stuck on that point lol
This is a good idea. Wasn’t aware you or anyone had made this suggestion around here before.
This would, indeed, be a good tool for dealing with problems that only affect MG players isolated (aka gold dupes).
I just think it would take some time to implement even if devs decided for it today.
I mean, there are many variables they would need to tune and adjust for pulling this off.
Like, how would players acquire this MG exclusive currency?
Would it simply drop like gold? But at what rate? Same as gold?
Or maybe there will be echo rewards for them? But then they would have to work on providing different versions of monoliths for MG and CoF separately, both accordingly balanced around the existence of a new currency in game.
Even maybe a dungeon related to the whole new Merchants Currency, who knows?
Doesn’t seem like such an easy and effortless job as like to just press a button and make this happen seamlessly integrated to the game, so I don’t believe it would be much high on their priorities list for the next years of development to come.
But maybe if you or anyone can come up with something that is of EHG likings and would be easy to implement while not hurting other aspects of the game, put it all nicely listed and explained on a dedicated thread to get many players endorsements, then yeah, maybe they can do that.
Oh, that’s not even remotely complex, quite the contrary.
You have gold as a guideline already.
Whenever a mob is killed and gold is spawned let a counter increase by that value.
If the value goes over 1000 then ‘1’ of that currency drops. No echo rewards or shrines or anything of that kind taken into consideration.
Why 1000? Because it raises the already capped out market immensely and allows for longer timeframes before it needs to be adjusted.
That’s all which is needed. Mentioned it before a few times in several faction talks.
It is a very easy and very effortless job compared to many of the other changes which EHG has done and is likely to do still.
This was also said on stream a few time one
It wasnt five yrs ago. Ot was around the time 1.0 was nearing. And more people where asking about how cycles would work
And then a few people asked about how EHG feela about mid cycle resets. And that was the answer
Plans changing is fine. And if thags the case the timing of it was wrong imo
This plan change should imo be at the start of a cycle not mid cycle
I went through the transcripts of all archived dev streams between november ‘23 and feb 24’.
I found a single passage that thematically goes in the direction of major patches and starts of new cycles.
Dev Steam Jan 5th around the 32 minute mark.
Question: What will happen to our current characters once 1.0 launches? Can we still continue to play on them?
Part of the lengthy and rambly answer from Mike: every time a new major patch is released um a new cycle will go with it
Has nothing to do with mid-cycle refreshes/resets. It was neither part of the question nor the answer, even in the broader context.
The statement that with every major patch, there will be a new cycle does not mean that a new cycle only comes with major patches.
Edit: I understand why people might perceive this passage that way, though.
I hope we can now all agree that there has been no definite answer on the length of a cycle or the possibility of mid cycle resets and that regardless of the industry standard, EHG is doing their own thing.
I’m prolly gonna play this variant of Earthquake Shaman, converted to spell, without any aftershocks. Using both Gathering Storm and Maelstrom converted to physical, so I can shred armor and get a huge boost on more global physical damage. The tooltip shows 1M damage on Earthquake, just need to find a way to sustain mana better now climbing empowered.
It’s the latest character I had going, and the one I had chosen to try and push as far as I could this cycle.
I just love the feeling of running around automatically proccing Maelstrom and Gathering storm, then suddenly pressing the EMP button to pulverize the elite mobs.
So I think I’ll try this as league starter, since the one I’m using right now was mostly built out of things I had already stashed since 1.1 started.
It makes me so sad to see the State of Shaman, master of elements reduced to “I cast physical lightning bolts.” lol.
Like I’m sure it’s fun to play, but the fantasy! I remember in 0.8 and 0.9 I’d run around with Avalanche boulders falling around me and leaving frozen ground. Tornado converted to cold swirling around me and following me as I ran, Maelstrom and Tempest Strike giving me swirling auras that shredded enemies as my Tempest Strike summoned Storm Totems that had blizzards and thunder storms and Warcry was there too.
Then they reworked Tempest Strike and it sucks now, and removed cold conversion on tornado for a worthless fire conversion, and now Avalanche (while arguably better than it was before) can’t be used as an Aura like I used to.
I guess my Shaman is gone 
I know exactly what you mean. Was one of the first builds I tried when I first got into LE.
But did you see they changed Avalanche’s tree quite a bit? This character I’m playing was originally meant to be a cold+light+physical Avalanche + EQ build, making Avalanche’s node “Crater” proc EQ on every third large boulder while channeling.
But I just couldn’t make it work and figured it would take some theory crafting longer than I’m currently inclined to do, so I just changed it to a full EQ physical/lightning spell. Really enjoying it so far… I love how the lightning bolts turn into boulders coming from the ground below monsters when converted to physical 
I did! The new tree is better than the old one except for the fact that I can’t turn it into a long duration effect that follows me without channeling first. They should have turned that node into a toggled Aura effect with reduced damage that consumes mana per second. Basically like how Aura of Decay works. Except Avalanche boulders instead of poison xD
Oh yeah, maybe that could also make the build work. It would be awesome, indeed.
I have possibly 2 dumb questions. If the Market/Trade econ is ruined because of a gold dupe with prices outrageously inflated:
Please forgive me because I have not played MG faction at all and I’ve mostly ignored it in favor of CoF. This is because I favor the loot hunt over pseudo capitalism trade simulators that tend to be wide open to abuse and manipulation. This is the result of playing WoW for about 10 years and becoming quite turned off with its internal econ and bot armies that feed market manipulation. Also, if one has chosen MG faction I believe it implies that one is playing online and that one has not chosen SSF or SAF as they seem to be incongruent with trading on its face. I have not checked to see if one can pick SSF/SAF and MG faction.
If my assumption about online play normal play and MG faction access are correct then MG players have yet another means of circumventing the auction system, which is direct trade between players. If direct trade between MG players is available this means ANY moaning and groaning by the MG players should take on less weight because alternatives exist. Less weight does NOT mean insignificance. It means one has to accept the implicit side of the coin (not a plug) that comes with MG faction, which is market forces such as greed control access to loot (assuming what ever level of favor is met). Please correct me if I’m wrong.
We don’t have the ability to make clans/guilds in-game to organize ourselves into larger coordinated groups. However, the moment we do have access to clans/guilds, direct trade should directly impact the auction trade econ. even in the presence of dupping.
I have yet another possible dumb question. With this reset are we getting an extension of time on the current 1.1 cycle? I ask this because someone, between post #395 and #422 explained how a major patch and cycle could last well beyond a 3-4 month length, with 1 or more resets within that cycle. These resets can come with or without minor patches. IF (big fat IF) this upcoming reset was going to get the full assumed season length (to borrow a term from Diablo 3), THEN it is quite possible that the anger, rage, disappointment, and de-motivation would be much less. The lack of crystal clear communication on EHG’s part is in part fueling the anger, rage, etc. emotional responses. IF EHG were to communicate the following and commit to it of course:
I think there would be less opportunity for negative emotions. Lastly, EHG please, please, please, please, please 1000x more times, address the network stability issues so that I can play online. I need in-game connection/access to the awesomeness of the folks in this thread and more.
Thank you to everyone in this conversation regardless of point of view.
I haven’t looked at this thread since the 2nd day and decided to look though it again.
It baffles me how people are just not understanding why so many of us do not like this proposal. The “play on legacy” argument is a non starter. Just stop with that reasoning cuz it is obvious y’all do not play on legacy and there are many reasons for that.
Just a few reasons.
Tabs
Ghost town and all that implies
Ladders
Still dupe economy
I could continue on but those are the most glaring of the reasons and as I pay for a game and was an original supporter ( still waiting to see why none of the forum tags are there) I should not be relegated to what I jokingly call “the NetherRealm” when friends and I speak of legacy toons.
I want to be able to complete my goals for this cycle , it is that simple. It is unfortunate that I will not be able to finish what I wanted to accomplish this cycle, which has me and many others I suspect, looking for a different game. The completionist in me is in rebellion
I am not going to rehash all the arguments of communication, set cycle timeframes- i.e. 4 months, and the sheer amount of easier ways to address the duping as it is a dead horse at this point.
It is just disappointing as this game is fun for both the casual and the hardcore player. I have enjoyed it a lot.
May all your monsters be conquerable!
Cheers!