Powelevelling gone in EQ2 - horrayFollow

the thread from Jarlo on "Levelling up an Ench", well, it just sprung to my mind, that this will not be a viable option in EQ2...



full article here

I am not unhappy about it... are you?

I think the key word in there is "old". People will find new methods to replace the old ones.

This does sound like a clever solution to many problems but I can see several possibilities for griefing in there too.

eg: Griefer is pissed that they cannot kill the mob and you have turned up with sufficient force (typical Lodizal situation). They attack and lock the encounter then immediately unlock and flee. Now they have stopped you getting the loot too.

Or spoil an area of low level mobs by locking and unlocking them so destroying all their loot.

The automatic switch to "combat speed" - effectively slow motion also seems like their solution to the problems with "twitch" play that caused the withdrawal of the "openings" for EQ.

The removal of kiting is also a blow. It is a realistic strategy and evolved from available spells and abilities. Hit and run tactics have been used by the lightly armoured to destroy less mobile opponents since time immoral.

Also removal of all detrimental spells on unlock means that even if you had it snared it won't be when you try to flee.

Have to see how it works in practise.

And no screaming for help and some kind person comes along and saves you.

But then I refuse to get sucked into another SOE game, since as I type the EQ servers are down, yet again, and I highly doubt SOE will have more customer satisfaction in mind next time around.

I read it that their new wombat system requires the "combat speed" slow motion to enable people to use their new special moves "strategies" (someone ought to explain the difference between tactics and strategies to them).

They thus have to mark the point at which to switch you to combat speed and to switch you back. This "locking" is that mechanism. Naturally they are going to flog any benefits they can tack on to it for all they're worth. It probably prevents tooth decay and provides greater fertility as well.

Tarv:
They backed out of the "seamless world" of early PR. They have re-instituted zones.

Hmmm... personally I'm skeptical about it. Like Cobra said, it brings up a nice new list of problems and ways you can **** somebody off. Besides that, it takes away from one of my favorite ego-stroking activites, helping out players in need wether it be in the form of healing or rooting some adds or anything similiar to that. While I guess there's such a fine line between that and power-leveling, that if you eliminate one you'll eliminate the other. I assume that the new way will have it's own strategies for doing helping, although I can't really think of what they would be.
I guess the big picture is that EQ2 will be a new game with new rules and I need to stop being such a curmudgeon and just accept it.

Back in the day, a friend and I thought the world needed a Wombat Kombat game. With eleven Wily Wombat Warriors!

Actually it says in the article that to be healed you would have to unlock form the encounter, thereby negating the exp and loot.

And you're right about pl'ing characters that they don't already know how to play, I imagine I'll see the worst side of that as I gain levels.

I think SOE is making a mistake with this combat system, but then it's their to make. I for one will much sooner opt for WoW when it comes out. My brother is beta testing it now(WoW, not EQ2) and having a lot of fun but says it's still buggy and has some things to work out, then again, that's the point of beta

As with many things, the Combat Lock system sounds fundamentally sound. How ever, I am sure it will probably be implemented with many many flaws. However, I could care less. I have no plans to play EQ2. That is, unless they quit making expansions for EQ.

Hopefully, if it does work soundly, maybe they'll implement it into EQ. I, for one, would be doing a little jig if they ever killed off powerleveling. My whole thing is this: What's the point of being 65 if your skills only rival that of a 20-something? If you don't want to put in the time, don't play the character. Simple.

You're proving my point right there. The DS is doing more damage than they are. The DS will kill the mob quicker than the toon will. Hence, they won't have the chance that a nonPL'd toon has of skilling up.


No and No. Especially if they are being PL'd the DS way. The DS is doing the dmg, not them. If the DS is dealing the dmg, how can it skill up 1H Slash, or 2H Blunt?


Are you talking about Tradeskills? If so, then obviously you don't work on them in battle. Otherwise, any other skill is a combat skill. Like my monk's FD, Flying Kick, Intimidation; or my Zerk's Frenzy; or their Double Attack or Disarm. I can work on all of these during a battle. Trying to get Fishing up past 10 is something I work on in my downtimes.


That's just their own goddamn dumbass fault.


Again, it's not so much they neglect it (though the cost of paying the GM to train for the 30-something levels you PL'd through would get costly), it's they don't GET the chance to improve their skills.


I agree with you 10,000,000,000,000,000% A 56 Monk is no good if the player doesn't understand the concepts of DPS and agro-management.


Another whole-hearted agreement. That brings up another dead-horse issue. The path of uberness. Waaaaaaaay too many people seem to only know FoB, Kurn's, PC, HHK, DSP, and Dreadlands before going off to the Planes. Where is the City of Mist? Where Dragon Nec? I sure as hell can't find a group to go to Dagnor's Cauldron. People don't realize the old EQ is still there. They don't realize mainly because people don't care. They want their cake and they wanna eat it too.

Yes, this game is very much for the high-enders. But the below 50 game is very much still there. I, for one, have taken my time leveling. If I can ever find the people (Jophiel [jk!]) to show me around to some of these places, I would love to hunt there. Right now, I am dreading going to HHK with my Zerk because I already got burned out on that place with my Monk going there. People SHOULD take the time and go explore these places before it's essentially useless to them. When was the last time anyone did the Ghost Horse quest from Befallen? Can we say free horse? I know my new cleric will.

I admit, my problem is a personal one. I'm from the frame of mind that a character should be built from the ground up. Not zipped through without any true experience. Outside of "catching up" or "getting the new toon in line with the old ones (on an account)," I just don't understand why someone wouldn't want to take the time and explore what this game has to offer.

Oh, I will offer this though. I mentioned the DS way of PL'ing. There is another way that doesn't adversely affect skills. Having a mid- to high-end toon playing "Guardian Angel." That is, just constantly healing as they go against red cons. There's nothing to steal damage and skill-up chances away from the toon in question. All the higher toon is doing is plain healing. The lower toon's skills have a better chance of leveling, as well as the toon getting sweet xp.

Psychojester:

I speak from experience. I have done this both ways and combat skills rise far faster when PLed even with DS.



Because you can get a chance to skill rise every attempt and it never stops. Who cares if the mob dies? You do this in places where there is a plenitude of mobs. You have an endless skilling wall to beat against. No downtime, no deaths, no afk group members stopping pulls.

You are giving me your suppositions and I am handing you cold hard facts.



No of course I'm not talking about tradeskills.

Typically people favour a certain skill, usually because they have a nice weapon for it. Your monk may have neglected 2HB in preference for H2H and 1HB. Suddenly you acquire a good 2HB and want to put this right.

When grouped it my not be possible and is often impolite to switch to 2HB in which you have skill 15 when the rest of the group are after exp and you are slowing their kill-rate.

It is even harder for melee with the full gamut of weapon choices.

Hi, being new to EQ (about 1 1/2 weeks now yay) im not new to MMORPGs.. (Anarchy Online, RagOnline, FFXI) I've seen many diffrent ways of PLvling.. Square soft tryed to do what SOE is trying but it still didn't work.. h*!L I PLvled my roommate through his teens.. granted wars cant just sit back and take blows anymore but it doesn't stop high lvl healers from healing lower lvl players.. PLUS BUFFS..

Engagements, eventhough i've not read much on EQ2 fighting system i am pretty sure that there will be a way to escape an engagement also like FFXI you are locked into an engagement but you can "DISENGAGE" at anytime..

Just my 2 cents

Ha! You're right! Now that the fabled are gone, we can ***** around in Splitpaw and SolA in style!

I think your Berserker was around 30ish, right? I have a 31 BST which is a start. Not much on healing, but it beats a warrior and a rogue trying to duo.