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twerpalina
BANNED
Joined: 16 Mar 2018 Posts: 307 Location: Utrecht, Netherlands
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Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2018 4:16 pm Post subject: Best way to level as caster? |
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Hi!
How should I focus on levelling when playing a fragile, seemingly end-game character?
Should I be doing a lot of quests or grinding mobs or is there other ways?
-tw |
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Ergorion
Joined: 16 Mar 2007 Posts: 2156
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Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2018 4:59 pm Post subject: |
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Ranking solo for a caster always sucks for the earlier levels (like 10-24) and ranking solo sucks for everyone level 42+. Doing the secrets and running the map once you get xp from exploring again are ways to break up the monotony of grinding mobs, but I think the mob grind is the slow and steady way to go.
Depending on what type of caster you area, you should just try to find mobs that have vulns you can exploit or take advantage of any resistances you have so that you maximize damage output and minimize the damage you take.
The strategy I generally take when soloing as anything is try to find mobs that do not require potions. They typically give shit xp. For me if you can solo 10 lower level mobs for 50xp each in a round without using potions that's worth it. (500xp per round while increasing gold reserves is a slow grind, sure but what else are you going to do?).
Once illus and necros get access to their armies, they can pump out a solid amount of damage to solo shit. Invokers are a little more tanky and you might need to rely more on a pet+merc combo. |
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ottif
Joined: 08 Jan 2015 Posts: 310
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Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2018 12:01 am Post subject: |
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really wish quests were a viable leveling technique again. i mean it wasn't 1-50 but done right it could fill the gaps |
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Davairus Implementor
Joined: 16 Jan 2004 Posts: 10356 Location: 0x0000
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Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2018 3:44 am Post subject: |
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Ottif please elaborate
Twerp, get a merc and a pet, and get your ac high. This shouldnt get hard until early 20s and by then you can do monster pots |
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Dogran Immortal
Joined: 13 Jun 2009 Posts: 1799
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Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2018 1:49 am Post subject: |
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I will elaborate for ottif. Used to be you could get 47-50 or so just with quest exp. There were some quests you would use at lower levels because xp dropped after certain levels, but it was great to be 48, have 50s on trying to kill you, and be able to level up to fight them. |
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Rothak
Joined: 03 Oct 2011 Posts: 257 Location: Japan
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Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2018 1:55 am Post subject: |
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Yeah, it used to be quests that gave you experience. But it’s since changed to secrets and it still gives you experience even if you’re account is verified and you’ve obtained them on a previous char. Do them again on whatever new char you have and you’ll get experience for them. |
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Ceridwel Immortal
Joined: 01 Feb 2008 Posts: 3387 Location: Seattle
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Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2018 2:42 am Post subject: |
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I’ve often wondered if we need a low-mid range ranking area where the mobs have ultra high ac but are very weak to magic (vulns). Somewhere casters can go solo and have fun doing it. |
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Nycticora
Joined: 09 Feb 2013 Posts: 2277
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Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2018 4:02 am Post subject: |
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I don't like players being able to quest to get levels anywhere in 44 to 50. We call these levels "The Gauntlet" because 95% of characters are supposed to fail and die here. |
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Davairus Implementor
Joined: 16 Jan 2004 Posts: 10356 Location: 0x0000
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Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2018 7:09 am Post subject: |
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Actually there are some levelling quests (as in, deliberately intended to go alongside grinding) and I'm sure eventually we'll add plenty more.
There is a quest in the mudschool to kill the tendrils and 2 spiders. The rewards I'm sure seem amazing to anyone whose done it. But its only because it doesn't take many kills to rank at that level. Essentially the reward is identical to the exp killed by grinding these mobs alone. Or in other words, I balanced these quest exp rewards in a way that you would get 50% of your experience from completing the quests and 50% from the mob kills as solo. That creates a meaningful source of exp but its not a dealbreaker. In fact its just the same as if you had to go solo levelling on surge. If you are someone who is finding yourself having to solo, these quests will obviously feel much more rewarding since that saves a lot oftime. If you are grouping, you might not even bother to turn them in because the group reward is like triple exp and not worth the detour to redeem.
Since this is giving a percentage (ie. it turns 5 kills into 10 kills, or whatever it does), it will scale to level 50 quests. We simply have none available to do at high levels. This could be rectified, but considering how many kills it takes to go 49-50 currently, it would probably mean having to write like 100 quests and extra areas to support continuous questing, and I definitely don't see that happening so the gauntlet is quite safe.
I would absolutely like to add more but honestly I don't seem able to find time. They're being built from the bottom UP and I think I got to level 15 with it. |
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Ty
Joined: 26 Jan 2017 Posts: 79
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Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2018 5:09 pm Post subject: |
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Pet+merc makes a significant difference. Some solid recommendations here, just keep grinding. |
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Olyn Immortal
Joined: 23 Jul 2008 Posts: 3250 Location: Pennsylvania
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Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2018 5:35 pm Post subject: |
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Kill stuff you can get an overlord bonus from. Even if you're getting 80xp per kill for the underlings, it's worth it when you drop the overlord. |
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Nycticora
Joined: 09 Feb 2013 Posts: 2277
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Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2018 7:24 pm Post subject: |
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I think it's important to point out how the imms disagree on stuff like this and it's fine. I really am against those quests and I speak up when I think I need to and if something needs to be toned down or when something really is a bad idea, it gets stopped. We try to keep a good amount of representation of various views around here and I definitely listen to player feedback to inform myself.
We try to make this game work for multiple types of players, like the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartle_taxonomy_of_player_types
So the game should fit a variety of play styles. If you are a socializer or an explorer you should be able to use your skills at socializing or exploring to get ahead and compete with killers and hoarders. |
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twerpalina
BANNED
Joined: 16 Mar 2018 Posts: 307 Location: Utrecht, Netherlands
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2018 7:17 am Post subject: |
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From few chars that ive now rolled and tried, it seems that levelling could seem like a very tedious and mind-numbing experience for many, when done alone or with a speed level group.
Luckily I am learning new stuff literally every day and that masks the boredom of what one can feel when levelling new chars.
That is why I never understand people in the graveyard section who delete a fresh level 50 after going through all this work to get there...
There's some crazy people out there it seems! |
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Ceridwel Immortal
Joined: 01 Feb 2008 Posts: 3387 Location: Seattle
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2018 12:24 pm Post subject: |
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Glad you're having fun, Twerpalina! |
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Davairus Implementor
Joined: 16 Jan 2004 Posts: 10356 Location: 0x0000
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2018 5:31 pm Post subject: |
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twerp, this may surprise you, but the levelling grind being tedious and boring often is what people actually want from a game. Its boredom is useful to numb out and sort of escape or soothe whatever strong emotions they're dealing with e.g. anxiety and depression. It also provides small spikes of excitement with level-ups, skill-ups, new skills, and more recently completing quests, that definitely seem like what levelling is about, and those are a critical part of the system that it would definitely collapse without. But it is for sure about the tedious grind. Olyn mentioned, go with the overlords, but as you do that notice its my goal to try to trick you into doing something boring in a very manual way somehow, to get you "in the zone". I completely understand if you read that and think no thats not me but consider that you are probably wrong about it.
Training up skills is a perfect example of this - the system's importance versus having spent the time getting load of winter gear makes it almost optional from my point of view and everyone is still obsessed with getting 100%, and any change to training pisses off most people easily. |
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twerpalina
BANNED
Joined: 16 Mar 2018 Posts: 307 Location: Utrecht, Netherlands
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2018 10:00 pm Post subject: |
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When you put it this way then it sounds kinda awesome!
I have plenty of depression to drown lol, i'll end up with 100 alts! |
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Nycticora
Joined: 09 Feb 2013 Posts: 2277
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2018 11:49 pm Post subject: |
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emerald forest is the best area in the game for levelling imho, it's the most fun place in AR
and all of my best player kills except one happened in the emerald forest |
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Vertas
Joined: 17 Jan 2004 Posts: 1170 Location: Ewa Beach, HI
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Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2018 2:15 am Post subject: |
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I have some ideas for areas if you all are open to suggestion |
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grant
Joined: 22 May 2014 Posts: 86 Location: Seattle, Washington
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Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2018 3:39 am Post subject: |
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Damn Dav, I don't think I ever realized that's one of the things I've always liked most about mudding, and AR specifically. Once I'm in the mood, I zone out hard when I'm training/ranking. It's therapeutic. Funny, it only took 20+ years to recognize it. |
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Davairus Implementor
Joined: 16 Jan 2004 Posts: 10356 Location: 0x0000
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Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2018 4:41 am Post subject: |
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Yes more ideas for areas is always welcome. |
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