My friend and I both played EQ 1 since the day it launched. We would often duo together, even creating characters with the sole purpose of ONLY duoing and seeing how far we could get. Needless to say, when EQ2 came out, we were very excited. I chose to be a rogue, he a crusader. We're now level 15 and having a blast, but we've hit upon a few problems, just curious if anyone else has experienced similar.
Heroics. They aren't hard, but they're not easy either, especially to perform with a group of strangers. I do not see pickup groups ever really forming in the middle to high end of this game. Everyone would be tripping over each others skills. We have been mostly duoing our team, which has been great, but we also have no problems grouping with others as well. It just doesn't really seem like people are too interested in pick up groups even now. I see groups of people around, are these all RL friends or friends from EQ1?
We went to BB last night, and got owned by 2 green conning "group" flagged monsters. Is a rogue/crusader combo just not gonna cut it up into the low 20s except for hunting the random, roaming solo con stuff? Should one of us start over as a healing class?
Thanks in advance for your response. I'm not flaming the game at all, in fact, i've been having a blast. I'm noticing potentially problems for later in the game and wondering if others see them as well, or see easy ways to side step them.
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This is an excellent question. People are saying if you can get the HO to work, then any class can solo - yellows and maybe oranges. Did you get a useful HO off in the battle? A scout is supposed to be able to change them so the lame ones don't constantly occur.
I want to try a summoner/necro combo w/ my wife, but there is the good/evil problem. I might try a wiz or warlock/necro combo w/ her. W/ the pet and the ability to root, it might work. I can see a tank/scout being a problem in that there is no healer, no pet, and no ability to root. Man, if it turns out a pet summoner and a nuker can't duo well here... that just can't be right. Guess we'll have to keep playin' up and see.
It's funny, when I soloed in old eq I knew why it worked - it worked because I controlled the target's movement and kept it off me while I hurt it. When I duoed it was the same basic thing - often w/ a pet or two to tank. Now in eq2, the HO is ... sort of weird. Granted, it solves one prob and allows all classes to solo well, at least in theory. But ... do you see what I mean when I say it feels "weird" to me? The logic to it is not "crisp" - it smacks of being arbitrary (it is just a "game" I guess). Well look, if you love it, pls don't flame - I'm happy for you. I never played any other fantasy rpg except old eq, and this new thing is still messin' with me.
I want to try a summoner/necro combo w/ my wife, but there is the good/evil problem. I might try a wiz or warlock/necro combo w/ her. W/ the pet and the ability to root, it might work. I can see a tank/scout being a problem in that there is no healer, no pet, and no ability to root. Man, if it turns out a pet summoner and a nuker can't duo well here... that just can't be right. Guess we'll have to keep playin' up and see.
It's funny, when I soloed in old eq I knew why it worked - it worked because I controlled the target's movement and kept it off me while I hurt it. When I duoed it was the same basic thing - often w/ a pet or two to tank. Now in eq2, the HO is ... sort of weird. Granted, it solves one prob and allows all classes to solo well, at least in theory. But ... do you see what I mean when I say it feels "weird" to me? The logic to it is not "crisp" - it smacks of being arbitrary (it is just a "game" I guess). Well look, if you love it, pls don't flame - I'm happy for you. I never played any other fantasy rpg except old eq, and this new thing is still messin' with me.
My assumption is that its the "Skillchains" of FFXI. Where it was manadatory to be able to pull this stuff off. Sure it took awhile to learn but as soon as you figured it out it made sense and got easier. Even easier if you could macro it out.
Thats were I have problems with the game. I cant figure out the macro system, I know theres only one macro line, which I think will make this HO stuff harder for pick up groups. If I can't "/g" that im starting a HO and what happens and what order and what not. I'm just gonna have to find a static, which is a pain in it own right.
Edited, Wed Nov 17 23:42:55 2004 by rockiesbluetaco
Thats were I have problems with the game. I cant figure out the macro system, I know theres only one macro line, which I think will make this HO stuff harder for pick up groups. If I can't "/g" that im starting a HO and what happens and what order and what not. I'm just gonna have to find a static, which is a pain in it own right.
Edited, Wed Nov 17 23:42:55 2004 by rockiesbluetaco
13 posts
With two people in a group, doing HO's is nice and easy and fun and really increases your damage output. My husband and I take turns doing out solo HO's on the monster and dish out amazing damage.
In a full group of 6 people this is much harder to do. You can organize that at the begining of every fight so and so will trigger this chain and when that one is complete this other guy will start this chain, but most people aren't really interested in getting that complex with their button mashing. If you do have a good group who plans on playing for a few hours, setting up a rotation you plan on using every fight can really add to the damage output you do. However, if the group just wants to relax and not push the envelope on how fast they go or how much damage you do, then just try to slip in your solo HO's when you see a good opportunity. A lot of the time they will get broken, but you will get one in here and there, and a lot of times someone will accidentally make it a two or three person HO.
HO's are not necessary for a big group, but the extra free damage doesn't hurt ;).
Indya
20 Berserker
Antonia Bayle
In a full group of 6 people this is much harder to do. You can organize that at the begining of every fight so and so will trigger this chain and when that one is complete this other guy will start this chain, but most people aren't really interested in getting that complex with their button mashing. If you do have a good group who plans on playing for a few hours, setting up a rotation you plan on using every fight can really add to the damage output you do. However, if the group just wants to relax and not push the envelope on how fast they go or how much damage you do, then just try to slip in your solo HO's when you see a good opportunity. A lot of the time they will get broken, but you will get one in here and there, and a lot of times someone will accidentally make it a two or three person HO.
HO's are not necessary for a big group, but the extra free damage doesn't hurt ;).
Indya
20 Berserker
Antonia Bayle
HOs hard to pull off in 6 person groups?
I thought it was until last night, specailly in a pickup group of strangers. All you have to do is cordinate who is going to be who. People will just have to anounce when they are going to do it, last night we had one guy who would just say 4 seconds we start. It was a pretty good HO consisting of the fight,predator and mage all working together. It worked out really well, just have to take a moment and organize youre actions.
I thought it was until last night, specailly in a pickup group of strangers. All you have to do is cordinate who is going to be who. People will just have to anounce when they are going to do it, last night we had one guy who would just say 4 seconds we start. It was a pretty good HO consisting of the fight,predator and mage all working together. It worked out really well, just have to take a moment and organize youre actions.
Soloing in EQ2 is deffinetly possible. The HOs are need if you want to and ou need to keep up on gear and Spell/Combatarts upgrades though. Scouts seem to have the hardest time of it in my observations cause if they dont get in the sneak attack at the begining it can turn into a long fight. I have been playing a summoner and Necro is right around the bend and I have soloed all the way so far. I have also been playing around with a bruiser for $#!+$ and grins.The bruiser can solo fine, but there is a bit more down time, not a whole lot though. I perfer the group method with him but the way tactics work in this game you have to have a healer for mobs that where designed for groups. I think it would be possible to do it w/o a healer but everyone has to be on the ball (was in a no healer group the other night and died 3 times in a row, quit after that. Wanted to beat the mages scensless for attacking the weak one while the 2 tough ones thump on the fighter).
As far as HOs in a group, unless you have an organized group, they are a real pain in the rear to pull off. After you innitiate your starter if someone dose somthing the dosn't work with the paticular starter skill, it will kill the starter With 6 folks using arts and spells thats not too hard. After the wheel is actuall up its safe as long as the skills in the wheel are only used in the right order, again group of people not too difficult to ***** up. But I have done a duo and trio group and thing can work out very smoothly if everyone knows what to do.
As far as HOs in a group, unless you have an organized group, they are a real pain in the rear to pull off. After you innitiate your starter if someone dose somthing the dosn't work with the paticular starter skill, it will kill the starter With 6 folks using arts and spells thats not too hard. After the wheel is actuall up its safe as long as the skills in the wheel are only used in the right order, again group of people not too difficult to ***** up. But I have done a duo and trio group and thing can work out very smoothly if everyone knows what to do.
Scholar
18 posts
My experience thusfar is that HOs are much more viable solo than in groups, which seems to corroborate what you're saying. Unless the people in the group all have a good understanding of how the HO system works and their place in the scheme of things, you will end up with a bunch of people trying to do HOs and no one succeeding.
It's strange, though, that two green linked mobs killed you. Were they those crazy, up-arrow mobs? Because my brawler, at 14, could solo a group of 3 green mobs consistently (most notably the three at the top of forest ruins).
It's strange, though, that two green linked mobs killed you. Were they those crazy, up-arrow mobs? Because my brawler, at 14, could solo a group of 3 green mobs consistently (most notably the three at the top of forest ruins).
I'm a bit surprised that your duo isn't doing better. I'm a 13 Predator atm, and I have no trouble soloing yellow and some orange-solo mobs. You might need to change some of your tactics around. Maybe try starting battles with you making the first attack from Sneak with Ambush. As predator, I start from sneak with Shadow Blade and it's just devastating. Chain up a few HO's and you should have dead mob pretty quick.
-Ssark
Predator of Antonia Bayle
-Ssark
Predator of Antonia Bayle
9 posts
what baffles me is why play a MMO with thousands of other players just to play by yourself. How hard is it to hit LFG and within a couple minutes be bashing away with a few new people. The best part of the game is playing with others.. otherwise its just a long *** level treadmill just like everything else.
Scholar
40 posts
Soloing yellow to orange is certainly possible with constant HO usage. However, if you are looking for XP more than loot, finding a blue to green group of 2-3 critters gives far better XP. The XP bonus for the "group" is fairly significant.
The best for efficiency I find, at my level anyway, is a group of two high greens (green, group, one up arrow). About 4-5% XP, and still at half health or so.
I am SURE that will change as I level, and get harder.
One thing to note... do NOT stop to loot the first guy you kill. It seems to break the "group" encounter and you won't get the bonus XP. Kill then loot.
The best for efficiency I find, at my level anyway, is a group of two high greens (green, group, one up arrow). About 4-5% XP, and still at half health or so.
I am SURE that will change as I level, and get harder.
One thing to note... do NOT stop to loot the first guy you kill. It seems to break the "group" encounter and you won't get the bonus XP. Kill then loot.
Quote:
what baffles me is why play a MMO with thousands of other players just to play by yourself. How hard is it to hit LFG and within a couple minutes be bashing away with a few new people. The best part of the game is playing with others.. otherwise its just a long *** level treadmill just like everything else.
People solo for many reasons, I Play a soon to be necro, I solo like nobodies buisness, its my style. I have a group of friends I play with, Thats when I play my bard. My bard is for that group of friends, I dont touch him unless im grouping with them. I happen to be on at diffrent times due to schedualing thats why I solo.
11 posts
This is in response to GaladGuardians message.
Obviously he never played FFXI and had groups forced upon him. I got so sick of waiting sometimes more than 4 hours to get a group formed so I could spend 20 min walking to a camp spot and XP for maybe an hour and then have a group member bail on me which would completely ***** up your chances of getting any decent XP. I had a 75 Thief on one account and a 75 White Mage on another. I had this scenario happen numerous times at all levels of my toons. I hope EQ2 does not become like this at higher levels....
Obviously he never played FFXI and had groups forced upon him. I got so sick of waiting sometimes more than 4 hours to get a group formed so I could spend 20 min walking to a camp spot and XP for maybe an hour and then have a group member bail on me which would completely ***** up your chances of getting any decent XP. I had a 75 Thief on one account and a 75 White Mage on another. I had this scenario happen numerous times at all levels of my toons. I hope EQ2 does not become like this at higher levels....
In response to the statement about the 1 macro bar, you can right click on the bar and open a new "hotbar". Then you can add your skills into this bar and have them both open. I'm using 2 hotbars at the moment, and am about 2/3 filled.
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