2007

Crafting the days away

stargrace November 28, 2007 1Comment

I did little adventuring with Goudia yesterday, hitting 78 was basically my goal, I slowed down after that. She’s 23% into the level after running around Jarsath Wastes trying to work on faction. Not fun. Killing the same mobs, talking to the same people, trying to kill with 12 other groups of people also running around trying to go after those same mobs so they can finish off the same faction quests that half the server is working on. Down side to a heavily populated server. Not that I’m complaining, but I needed to step away from the people a little. Drives me nuts after a bit.

Arsenal is experiencing their first T8 raid on Thursday, and I’m excited about it. I upgraded a few spells today even though a greater amount are not actually upgrades unless I find masters of them. My spell proc buff was upgraded (thankfully) and does a lot more damage, other then that I’m waiting on masters. Loams are so very expensive right now, they’re going for 4-5p a piece, and since the node is shared between fighters and scouts, it’s frustrating to say the least.

I spent most of today crafting, which was incredibly relaxing. As of now my crafters sit at:

• 80 Provisioner
• 76 Jeweler
• 75 Sage
• 70 Woodworker
• 61 Alchemist
• 57 Weaponsmith
• 50 Tailor
• 35 Armorer
• 30 Carpenter

I’m still looking forward to getting each one to level 80, and for some reason I find the levels faster and easier then before. Probably due to the changes in crafting. A few people are complaining about the changes, but I’m sort of indifferent. Easy or hard, I’d craft none the less. I’d rather have 9 top end crafters then have a whole lot of adventurers who just cause endless trouble for me deciding on who to play. I love the amount of status I’m getting for completing T8 writs as well, hopefully it stays as high as it’s been.

I’m slightly discouraged by how quick and painless everything has been. Does that sound odd? I think after experiencing EQ1 for so long I miss it, and the methods of keying players and requiring access that took forever. I miss the general difficulty of the game, corpse runs and all. There’s nothing difficult in EQ2 (this is a personal opinion only) and I’m hoping T8 raiding proves me wrong. I miss access quests like Deathtoll, hated it when they removed the requirements to pertty much every zone except for CoD (old world zones) and maybe I’m just playing so much that I’m feeling a little drab about these things. Could also be the snow that just doesn’t seem to want to end lately, heh.

Quests? We’ve got Those

stargrace November 27, 2007 2Comments

Managed to get the jeweler to 72 last night, I figured one level a day is a nice steady pace for a crafter, and in 10 days I’ll be level 80 (at least on someone.. and providing I don’t slack) that way they regain a little vitality as well to help level through it. I’m almost 78 on Goudia, she should hit it today (I think right now she’s 10% away and that’s because the servers are down for maintenance). She managed to clear out a few more Kunzar Jungle quests with Shadowgeist, although more and more the quests are turning to heroics and we can’t duo them all. She’s managed to get quite a few legendary upgrades, since she was not raid geared at the end of T7. I haven’t stumbled over any more spell upgrades yet, but I’m sure that will come in time. I need to get my hands on some loams, which just sucks. Precision of the Maestro is top of my list for things to upgrade and any other buffs that I may have neglected thus far (which is a lot, I know, shameful). Loams are so expensive that I have no incentive to want to purchase any, and harvesting them is proving to be difficult. I know a lot of people are using the drachnid illusion item in order to spend their hours harvesting in caves, but I’ve decided not to take that rout for fear of the angry mobs that have been swarming those people.

Thursday is the guilds first raid, we’re headed to the Tomb of Thugga in Fens of Nathsar. It’s a tier one raid zone, and supposedly the easiest of three (or so we hope). We’re trying to get everyone as high level as we can before we head out, it’ll be interesting to see the raid zone. I’m looking forward to it. If we don’t have enough, we’ll head to MMIS, which still holds upgrades for people (as well as raid experience as we’re all a little rusty now). I’m looking forward to getting into the new zones, as I never had a chance on beta to play in any of them aside from running through Veeshans Peak once it was cleared.

Once Goudia hits 80 I’m going to continue working on her SoD (since the wee gal doesn’t have it yet) and even Claymore. Rumor has it that in RoK you may need those, who really knows. It’ll keep me busy in the mean time. Goudia’s up to only 800 quests completed, and I’d place a bet saying that at least half of those are RoK quests, or close to it. I never did quest with her much leveling up since she has never really been my ‘main’ before. I actually feel comfortable calling her that as well. It’s pleasurable to have a main. I still have progress with multiple crafters, and perhaps I’ll get bored with her in some time, but I always enjoyed the bard and just never really had an opportunity to let her shine. I do have a few pet peeves, though very few are with the actual class as opposed to how others perceive the class. I am not just one of those bards who hope to AFK the entire fight, I dps, and spec to maximize not just my own, but my groups. Utility? Yes, but there’s so much more to this class then that. Everyone rants on and on about how wonderful our counterpart, the dirge, is. But maybe they don’t know everything that a troubador can do. Dirge gives hate? Well, that’s great, troubadors take hate away from anyone who’s not a fighter. Yes, I realize troubs are more geared towards a caster-heavy group, but we’ve also got haste, stam / str buffs, and other small tid-bits that make us fairly well rounded. Don’t have an enchanter? That’s what a troubador is for. Power regen and mez’s all in one. A well played bard is a great asset, and I wish more people would realize that. I’ve had to box my bard on so many raids in the past while playing a ‘more important’ character, just because they’re a very easy auto follow class. I’d never want to actually play my character that way, not fun at all.

One down, 8 to go.. (Ding, 80 Provisioner)

stargrace November 26, 2007 3Comments

Stargrace was busy yesterday, very busy in fact. I spent the morning harvesting and doing some smaller quests with Shadowgeist, then decided I’d try to finish off my levels with Stargrace while he went and did a few instances with guild mates. I found provisioning very easy this time around, though it may have been the 9 exp potions I had stored up. I used one potion a level, and even with no vitality managed to ding. I’d make all of the food and drink that was new for the pristine combine, and then grind out writs to finish off the level. Even with the decrease in writ experience (they’ve dropped it from 10% on completion to 5%) it didn’t take me too long to hit the max level. So that’s one of my crafters out of the way, now only eight more to go *groans* I’m not sure who it will be yet. I’m thinking probably jeweler, then sage, then woodworker. Then I’ll work on the ones below 70 that I have. Alchemist, weaponsmith, tailor, armorer, carpenter. In the mean time, while I may have multiple crafters (what else is new) I’ve actually managed to stick it out with a ‘main’ at least. Of course it helps that my healers can’t solo quest nearly as fast as any dps class out there, so I have no real desire to play them to begin with. I’m sure eventually I will, but for now I’m content with the troubador.

Shadowgeist also gave me my first master 71+ yesterday for Goudia, my self buff *cheers* although she can’t use it until level 79, it’s certainly a nice one. I’ve been having a lot of fun talking to fellow bloggers on the channel in game, sharing ideas and suggestions and opinions. We don’t always think alike, and that’s refreshing to me. Intelligent conversations that differ without there suddenly being a Chuck Norris joke thrown into the middle of it by random_player_101 like there is in the level channels that are server side. It’s been great to get to know everyone a little better too.

Other then leveling, harvesting, questing, and more questing, things are pretty quiet. Not that I mind at all. Oh, and as a side note, with the highest tier of writs for crafting paying just under 14,000 personal status on completion, and with Stargrace now able to complete hers in 4 minutes, this is one very happy crafter. Since there are no HQ this time around in RoK, I’m looking for alternative means to level my small guild (alone for the most part might I add) and it’s going to be a very slow grind. I did manage to ding us 28 though, and 40% into it as Stargrace leveled to 80.

Dolls?! These are ACTION figures…

stargrace November 24, 2007 5Comments

These are by far the most interesting house items I’ve come across (so far) in RoK. You may want to snuggle up and cuddle with these little plush toys, but they’re most certainly NOT dolls. Action figures, that’s what they are. The Burnai, Sarnak, and Goblin house items were rewards for finishing off three tome language quests this weekend. Goudia managed to hit level 77, though I have yet to actually buy a single upgrade for her spell or gear wise. I’m reluctant to shell out so much money on skills that appear to be a very small upgrade before I find a master (or adept3, if loams would start dropping for me some time). I finished off the Fens of Nathsar quests, all but one which I can’t complete until I reach 30,000 faction with the Bellybumpers or whatever they’re called (yes yes, I know it’s Bellywhompers). Since one of the npc is removed from the zone for now, and I don’t fancy grinding mobs endlessly for faction, it will just sit uncompleted for now.

Leveling up this time around has been… different. I actually feel as though I’ve not even done anything to get the levels I have. There doesn’t seem to be able real difficulty or effort involved, I haven’t had to LFG for hours on end or any of the other typical ‘issues’ I’ve had in the past leveling up. I completed my quests in a group 90% of the time, a small duo or trio seemed to work best. I still have not set foot in a single instance. I’m sitting at 120aa, with 20 left to get before I reach the cap. Pleased, considering Goudia started at 95aa when RoK released.

On the down side, I doubt I’ll have as many level 80’s as I had level 70’s for one simple reason. I don’t think I would want to solo quest them to 80. It can be long, and tedious. Especially for those poor healer types out there. If you’re not a dps class, everything is going to take you longer then normal to accomplish. Who wants that.

So my new goals? Hit 80 on my ‘main’ (Goudia) and continue to work the major quest lines with her. When I’m not doing that, I’m going to try very hard to get all of my crafters to level 80. Do I think I can do it? Yes. It’ll take time and resources of course, but I don’t see why not.

In the mean time, keeping busy making my Christmas cards this year by hand. I’m excited about it. I’ve always hated how commercialized everything is, and this also keeps me busy. I’ll post some pictures of the cards I’ve designed once I get them finished up. Still trying to collect addresses from family and friends as well. It’s astounding the number of people who have moved and who I’ve lost touch with over the years. Oh, side note. Anyone go to see that new Disney movie “Enchanted”? I was thinking of seeing it but not sure if it’s exactly something I want to pay to watch. I have to remind myself some times that I’m 26, not 6. *grins*

Kunzar Jungle questing

stargrace November 22, 2007 3Comments

Goudia sports a few new titles, and I find them a little amusing. I typically keep my titles off, because who wants to deal with having to read all that every time they look at me. She doesn’t even have a last name! Running around Kunzar Jungle last night warranted me enough experience to hit level 75 on the troubador, and make a good deal of coin from vendor sales, as well as obtain my “rubble-rabble rouser” title, and “Quatcha Catcher” title. I love titles, they’re fun little rewards, but I think they’re slightly over the top now.

This is basically how my evening of questing went:

Goudia – Hellos mr / miss / mrs <random name of npc> I’m here to aid you!

Random npc – Great! Can you please head to point A, kill 10 <random name of mob> then come back to me

Goudia – Uh. But didn’t I just do that?

Random npc – Yes, but we’d like you to do it, again! Isn’t that wonderful?

Goudia – Uh.. I suppose..

Spends 10 minutes hunting for mobs, then returns to npc

Random npc – Great! Now, do that, only.. this time. go to point B first. Then visit merchant in point C, grab their quest to kill around the same area the very first quest I gave you made you kill, jump 5 times, and return to me (again).

Goudia – Uhms… ok… *stifles a yawn*

Complaining? No. But just like I need a break from doing any dungeon crawls, I also need breaks from the quests. They all make me run around difference sections of the zone, kill x number of y mobs, return, and then do it again. Numerous times. I did get some fairly nice gear upgrades from doing very little work. But it actually feels as though I have not done anything to get these past five levels. Not complaining, just finding it different.

Happy Thanksgiving to those who live in the states, it’s not turkey day here, since ours was last month, but I hope everyone enjoys it. As for myself… we’re on our second foot of snow in two days, and it’s great. Excited about Christmas!

Got the jeweler to level 71, ran out of vitality and pristine experience so decided to put it on hold for now. I still find it easiest to do the rush order writs on the provisioner, and the location of the tablet to get my writs is an annoyance in every good aligned instance, I have to run through doors and down floors. Grumbles.