Tkyl wrote:Posting here because there doesn't seem to be any other (active) DDO thread. Is there a GWJ guild?
Yes, currently the active one is on the Orien Server. Post your character names here and I can send you an invite via the in game mail system when I get home from work.
Galiadra Rojare
Due to fears about the Monk's balance, and that damn fire trap from last week, I made a level 4 Rogue who specializes in trap detection and disabling. Her name is Allarissa Atrashome, so I can play either Desandra (who just hit level 6) or Allarissa, just let me know which is more needed.
Due to fears about the Monk's balance, and that damn fire trap from last week, I made a level 4 Rogue who specializes in trap detection and disabling. Her name is Allarissa Atrashome, so I can play either Desandra (who just hit level 6) or Allarissa, just let me know which is more needed.
Our problem with the Fire trap wasn't disabling the trap (which Rogues are better at than Artificers since its a DEX skill), but that we couldn't find the trap using search - which theoretically Artificers should be better at because its an INT skill. Majeure at 5th level had 8 ranks search, +6 due to 22 INT and a +3 action boost for a total of +17, but still couldn't find the box. I've since added a level (6th) and the trap goggles from Korthos for an additional +3, so hopefully that is good enough. I suspect the Monk is still the more useful; but whatever you would enjoy playing more.
What kind of turnout have you guys gotten in the past two weeks? Two smaller groups or one 6-man?
Atras wrote:Due to fears about the Monk's balance, and that damn fire trap from last week, I made a level 4 Rogue who specializes in trap detection and disabling. Her name is Allarissa Atrashome, so I can play either Desandra (who just hit level 6) or Allarissa, just let me know which is more needed.
Our problem with the Fire trap wasn't disabling the trap (which Rogues are better at than Artificers since its a DEX skill), but that we couldn't find the trap using search - which theoretically Artificers should be better at because its an INT skill. Majeure at 5th level had 8 ranks search, +6 due to 22 INT and a +3 action boost for a total of +17, but still couldn't find the box. I've since added a level (6th) and the trap goggles from Korthos for an additional +3, so hopefully that is good enough. I suspect the Monk is still the more useful; but whatever you would enjoy playing more.
Disable device is also an INT based skill just like search. The thing that sets rogues apart from Artificers is evasion. On quests where the trap box is in or on the other side of a trap a rogue will have a much better time getting to it than an artificer would.
Yeah, it boils down to a lack of gear that was causing us trouble finding that trap. Either of us could have disabled it without much of a problem but where unable to successfully find it. I'll see if I can craft or farm some better trapping gear before we play tonight.
What kind of turnout have you guys gotten in the past two weeks? Two smaller groups or one 6-man?
We've had one group of 5 or 6 people the last couple of days. There seems to be a few new folk posting here on the forum, so that may increase.
What kind of turnout have you guys gotten in the past two weeks? Two smaller groups or one 6-man?
We only had enough for one group worth the past couple of weeks. Maybe with DDO appearing on Steam it might drum up some more interest.
Also Rabbit said he would try to join us again when we hit level 7.
Edit: I have also been getting multiple tells on my higher level characters complimenting our guild name. I have been directing those people towards the forums and the podcast.
Disable device is also an INT based skill just like search.
Wow, you're right. Maybe it was Dex based in the old pen and paper rules?
Edit: no, I was just confusing it with Open Locks (which is Dex based). Getting Old, I guess.
Sorry I've been missing out so much lately. Tuesdays went from being an awesome night to not so awesome for me, and Thursdays are hit/miss due to rec league softball. this week's game is 1845 EST, so I should be home well in time for then.
Last nights session has been updated. I think I might need a new format as the original post is getting really long.
Had fun again, we blasted through everything last night with little to no problems. I think we are ready for bigger challenges!
Tomorrow night the majority of us will be hitting level 7. If anyone else is looking to join up you can grab veteran status 2 and start a new character at level 7. There is always room for more.
Are the traps always so ridiculous? I totally understand dying because I "discovered" a spike trap that nailed me for a good amount of damage, but getting toasted for being in the same general ballpark as a flame trap was stupid. One of us got taken down to -173% of their life from one trap hit. Is this an Elite-setting problem, or are all traps meant to be certain death (unless you are a Barbarian, apparently)? Is there some better way to protect against them? My reflex save is 10 - I'm going to guess the highest in the party - so what else can I do to not get killed immediately?
Are the traps always so ridiculous? I totally understand dying because I "discovered" a spike trap that nailed me for a good amount of damage, but getting toasted for being in the same general ballpark as a flame trap was stupid. One of us got taken down to -173% of their life from one trap hit. Is this an Elite-setting problem, or are all traps meant to be certain death (unless you are a Barbarian, apparently)? Is there some better way to protect against them? My reflex save is 10 - I'm going to guess the highest in the party - so what else can I do to not get killed immediately?
Trap damage scaling gets ridiculous on Elite difficulty there is not much that can be done about that. As for the hit boxes on traps that depends on the quest. STK is a really old quest and they probably have not gone back to it and cleaned up the hit boxes. For traps the only thing that will save you 90% of the time is Improved Evasion (monks get at level 9) which will half the damage on a failed roll. That will make you much better at surviving traps than the rest of us in the group.
My understanding of traps is that on Normal setting, they are an annoyance. On Hard setting they are dangerous, and on Elite setting they are pretty much fatal. Liberal uses of the resistance and protection from energy spells sometimes help, but then they hit you with spikes, force damage or the infamous forest of uprising spinning blades. Having a good spot and (trapfinding) search skill is really the only defense (so as to not be near the trap if it goes off). A Monk should be able to get a good spot, I think it is a WIS based skill - that will at least warn you about traps before they go off.
Last nights session has been updated. I think I might need a new format as the original post is getting really long.
Had fun again, we blasted through everything last night with little to no problems. I think we are ready for bigger challenges!
Tomorrow night the majority of us will be hitting level 7. If anyone else is looking to join up you can grab veteran status 2 and start a new character at level 7. There is always room for more.
Ooh. I was unaware of the veteran status 2 deal. I may actually get to play with you guys tomorrow now since I didn't have much time over the weekend to get my fighter leveled up.
I may end up creating a new Turbine account since I haven't purchased anything yet and the Steam page says new sign-ups are getting 500 turbine points.
And speaking of Steam is the Half-Orc Pack worth it? Doesn't seem like quite as good a deal as what they were running when Steam got LOTRO.
A Monk should be able to get a good spot, I think it is a WIS based skill - that will at least warn you about traps before they go off.
Yeah, my Spot is alright, but seems to not quite cut it with the Elite dungeons. I think I got notified of a secret door once last night, and I haven't spotted a trap before you Artificers were on it since level 3. I think I need to redo my feats and Action Points, Search isn't going to help me anymore, and I need to pick up Cleave (and therefore Power Strike) or one of the other feats to get my Shinto powers.
Mousetrap wrote:A Monk should be able to get a good spot, I think it is a WIS based skill - that will at least warn you about traps before they go off.
Yeah, my Spot is alright, but seems to not quite cut it with the Elite dungeons. I think I got notified of a secret door once last night, and I haven't spotted a trap before you Artificers were on it since level 3. I think I need to redo my feats and Action Points, Search isn't going to help me anymore, and I need to pick up Cleave (and therefore Power Strike) or one of the other feats to get my Shinto powers.
To be fair, I am not spotting most of the traps due to my poor WIS. I have been calling them out from memory.
And speaking of Steam is the Half-Orc Pack worth it? Doesn't seem like quite as good a deal as what they were running when Steam got LOTRO.
Unless you are really looking to play a Half-Orc right away, I do not think the pack is worth it. The trinket is junk by level 3. You could get a better deal saving the 500 free points and waiting for the Half Orc race to go on sale in the in game store.
To be fair, I am not spotting most of the traps due to my poor WIS. I have been calling them out from memory.
Ugh, that is even worse. I'm not a fan of metagaming.
Arovin wrote:To be fair, I am not spotting most of the traps due to my poor WIS. I have been calling them out from memory.
Ugh, that is even worse. I'm not a fan of metagaming.
Do you want me to not tell you when there is a trap unless I spot it? I can do that, I thought you guys liked having the warnings.
If they had some way to randomize the trap locations in the older quests spot would be much more important. Right now spot is really only good for new players and new quests, stealth builds that don't want to bump into hidden mobs or ranged characters that want to hit hidden mobs from a distance.
Arovin wrote:To be fair, I am not spotting most of the traps due to my poor WIS. I have been calling them out from memory.
Ugh, that is even worse. I'm not a fan of metagaming.
That's actually a good point. I'm not even sure if I've been spotting the traps, since I have done the low level dungeons a LOT of times, I just go ahead and look for the trap where I know it will be. That won't work as we get higher level, as I've done less and less of the quests. I'll have to spend some enhancements on spot and search, I think.
Atras wrote:Arovin wrote:To be fair, I am not spotting most of the traps due to my poor WIS. I have been calling them out from memory.
Ugh, that is even worse. I'm not a fan of metagaming.
Do you want me to not tell you when there is a trap unless I spot it? I can do that, I thought you guys liked having the warnings.
Well, yeah. I like to play the game (all games, really) as though I am playing in the world. I tend to want to be out in front of things as a Monk because I have a pretty high Listen skill so I can tell when there are invisible guys around, and the faster I get up and start hitting things, the faster I build up Ki and can get behind the front lines to take out archers.
Of course I like winning, and getting killed by traps can get damned annoying, but I prefer to play the game as it is presented to the characters. I'm not going to boycott the group or whine about it all the time, but I don't mind a challenge, I don't feel a need to take advantage of dumb AI, kiting one enemy at a time out of its designated area and memorizing the location of every monster, treasure chest and trap. It's why I made a Rogue character: in case more of us get frustrated by traps, we can have a party member whose main goal in life is to find and disable traps. If we just have foreknowledge of where trap is, it really is a nearly pointless class to play.
Arovin wrote:Atras wrote:Arovin wrote:To be fair, I am not spotting most of the traps due to my poor WIS. I have been calling them out from memory.
Ugh, that is even worse. I'm not a fan of metagaming.
Do you want me to not tell you when there is a trap unless I spot it? I can do that, I thought you guys liked having the warnings.
Well, yeah. I like to play the game (all games, really) as though I am playing in the world. I tend to want to be out in front of things as a Monk because I have a pretty high Listen skill so I can tell when there are invisible guys around, and the faster I get up and start hitting things, the faster I build up Ki and can get behind the front lines to take out archers.
Of course I like winning, and getting killed by traps can get damned annoying, but I prefer to play the game as it is presented to the characters. I'm not going to boycott the group or whine about it all the time, but I don't mind a challenge, I don't feel a need to take advantage of dumb AI, kiting one enemy at a time out of its designated area and memorizing the location of every monster, treasure chest and trap. It's why I made a Rogue character: in case more of us get frustrated by traps, we can have a party member whose main goal in life is to find and disable traps. If we just have foreknowledge of where trap is, it really is a nearly pointless class to play.
OK, I can stop calling out traps and spoiling whats ahead in the quests. I did not think we have been exploiting the AI with the group, if you feel I am let me know and I will stop it. I do not want to ruin anyone's fun.
I do feel like a tour guide sometimes when we play as a group. It is tough to suppress when I have run these quests hundreds of times over the past 6 years. I can switch to my ranged Artificer or try to get my AA reincarnated and caught up so I can stay more in the back. I feel bad if I am ruining surprises for you guys. I guess I have grown accustomed to the zerg style of play over the years. I'm too used to speeding through for XP and grinding for gear. I am sorry.
OK, I can stop calling out traps and spoiling whats ahead in the quests. I did not think we have been exploiting the AI with the group, if you feel I am let me know and I will stop it. I do not want to ruin anyone's fun.
I do feel like a tour guide sometimes when we play as a group. It is tough to suppress when I have run these quests hundreds of times over the past 6 years. I can switch to my ranged Artificer or try to get my AA reincarnated and caught up so I can stay more in the back. I feel bad if I am ruining surprises for you guys. I guess I have grown accustomed to the zerg style of play over the years. I'm too used to speeding through for XP and grinding for gear. I am sorry.
Thanks for not freaking out about my comments. I am always afraid someone will take a suggestion too strongly, or as an attack of some sort. If I am about to wander into a trap, and you spotted it *please* try to stop me! It is no where near ruining my fun, just a style of play that isn't my favorite. If I am alone in this, and everyone else wants to zerg these things, I will try to keep up without complaint. I don't think I would enjoy being a tour guide, so part of this can hopefully make you able to enjoy content you have seen before - I know going through stuff a bunch of times can be really boring, so thanks for putting up with us n00bs.
Thanks for not freaking out about my comments. I am always afraid someone will take a suggestion too strongly, or as an attack of some sort. If I am about to wander into a trap, and you spotted it *please* try to stop me! It is no where near ruining my fun, just a style of play that isn't my favorite. If I am alone in this, and everyone else wants to zerg these things, I will try to keep up without complaint. I don't think I would enjoy being a tour guide, so part of this can hopefully make you able to enjoy content you have seen before - I know going through stuff a bunch of times can be really boring, so thanks for putting up with us n00bs.
I definitely did not take it as an attack. You made be step back a bit and realize what I was doing walking you guys through all the quests and going "Around this corner you will see... and over here is...". I would not have wanted my hand held like that when I first started playing.
I'll still try and make suggestions like "we should buff with resist fire" without telling you why. Suggestions like that should help keep us all alive without spoiling too much.
Also, I think me switching characters will help resolve some of this. Right now Safehouse is a pretty min/max type of character that was build around knowing most of the content. I tend to be one of the 1st ones into a fight and am not always sure everyone else is ready when I go charging in. Since I can comfortably keep myself alive there is nothing holding me back. I think if I play something that is less in the front and more supportive it will let the rest of the group explore at a more comfortable pace.
Tkyl, I've got a level 2 druid that I'm trying if you'd like someone to quest with on an off night.
Ok, I splurged on Vet Status 2. Is there some sort of trick to using it?
Never mind that. Was wondering why the heck I was on an airship.
Someone just asked me to send their alt an invite. When I tried it said the character did not exist. I could not wait around as I need sleep for work. I made you and everyone else who has been active in the past few days an officer so you can send your alts invites via the mailbox.
Sorry I could not stick around.
Can you unlock Vet 2 with favor?
Can you unlock Vet 2 with favor?
It costs 1495 points, which is a lot, but I think you can get a small amount of points just by completing quests in-game. It is basically 25 points for 100 favor, if I remember correctly.
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