Grinding :(

[iceyfire]

Anyone else forced to get their levels through adventure grinds?
I loved the idea of coming to layonara for the gm run quests and such, but the problem is for me is that they are all starting around 3am -7am in my morning.
Yep you guessed it im an Australian living downunder .
I was just wondering how many others come from downunder, just curious anyway.
Just hate missing all the world changing events due to being asleep .

[LoganGrimnar]

sleep is for the weak of mind. next time you fell the sand man sneaking up on you look him dead in the eye and say, "akona matata, its a wonderful phrase".

[Deacon]

I feel that gaining levels this way is the fastest up to a certain level, but you will reach a point where quests is the only way to go. There are some quests being run at that time, I think. Try asking if anyone from Aussie is around and knows when the quests are being run in your timezone.

[crazedgoblin]

i do agree really but the best cure to that or atleast the symptoms is not to look at your character sheet :P

[Weeblie]

Agree with crazedgoblin...

Don't care about your levels. That's the best way.

Personally, I feel that character development is much, much more important than levels.

"One gets XP when one gets XP..."

[stormspirit]

All my quests run in aus time, being in Melbourne myself, though the current series is closed off at this time that will change once certain criteria are filled. Pans also run in aus times, same as my own. Usually they start at 9 pm my time. Dezza also runs in aus time, usually between 8.30-9pm start. Pan and I run once a week or so for the moment, Dezza a little less often but when he can. The number of quests in the timezone is not extreme, but they are out there to be attended.

[Weeblie]

Hint: Check the calendar.

[SuperMunch]

You think you have it bad?

I'm stuck half way between the US east coast and the UK - that might seem good and all but when I'm logging on, the UK is logging off and when I'm logging off, the US is logging on. I also won't commit to a DM quest unless I _know_ I'll be able to stay on for the haul so I won't start a quest I'll have to log off prematurely from.

It's like drooling at the window of a candy store. I'm SO close but... not close enough.

I'm happy with what I've accomplished so far but I'm sure I'll tire of Freldo in a couple months because of my terribly slow XP gain - I enjoy role playing greatly but it's not profitable due to the absolute lack of XP incentive for role playing out of quests (which, as I said, I won't commit to unless I can finish it to a satisfactory end). To be honest, I did receive 500 XP when the GMs were testing some gnomes and the pack beetle - a nice reward but I believe my actions paled compared to my everyday interactions. That pretty much condemns Freldo to a quick death when I tire of 500 XP a day.

[NEXUS7]

This has been a big thing with me.
Layo is one of the best RPG servers going, so most any one will tell you and in the next breath they say RP is its own reword,
but that’s not how DnD works, do you know any one who would play the same level for the 1000 of hours in a PnP game.
No you have to get a steady level fix or you adventure is not a PC there just boring NPC you just happen to be playing.
The way a DnD world works is that the farther out you go into the world the harder the challengers are, that’s how layos set up.
You move for area to area getting better but as you do the challengers get harder you then hit the limiting factor of the 10DT rule hit that and its GAME OVER start over 1000’s of game hours gone. That’s why the percentage of higher level players drops of very quickly so there is less and less RP out there in the world the farther out you go.

(unless your in a Epic team or DM’ed there)

That’s why plays hang around Hlint it RP rich and EXP poor and seeing as this is a RP server once you hit 7th level your only RP way up that level ladder is DM games its that or 10,000 hour crafting in the wilderness only popping back to sell stuff and bye more Minarets/gems/tools etc.

I my self don’t craft the RP payoffs to small for my light play.

Layo is at its hart a low level world, higher and epics there are, but few and very very hard to get, Most players to get them have put so much time Like Ozy they become more than just a player PC by that time they are part of LAyo history.

So do as I do, play for RP, think of a very good Low level PC 7th to 9th that will get along with all levels and play that.
Also the DMS are grate as seeing players like you and me and most will set up on the spot Mine-DM games just for the fun of it.
I love them there my bread and butter and so much fun. One moment you’re sitting chatting the next Demon Spiders pop out of the drains
all the plays who are there at the time have to sort RP and play the event.. Its Spontaneous and grate fun.

So hang in there, make you PC so much fun to be with as you can and others PCs will come and find you in your time zone just to play. I played 5 PCs befor I hit on Mille Mooneyes the Map Maker, and she has had some much fun just being around
when other PCs are upto stuff as she can look after her self and will always try and help.

Dwarfen Armys have taken her along to war, Big L let her see the land of the Fey even if she did run off with a Fey boy
and miss then end of the DM game.

I think what Im trying to say is think of a PC thats can pop in and out and fit your time zone.
You can wright notes in LAyo and give them to players ingame.

Also you can set up your own Player game and as see who comes along,
Plus you dont have to ask GMs all the time I have asked long time players PCs if they will show me a place
or help me get there, for them its a grate chance for RP and fun to show off what there PCs can do after
1000 of hours getting there levels. I have seen most of the Layo world this way.

Well that’s my take

yep I know bad spelling again

[Faldred]

crazedgoblin - 3/28/2006 1:29 AM

i do agree really but the best cure to that or atleast the symptoms is not to look at your character sheet :P

Sometimes, though, you just have to look.

Last night, for example, after letting Kali and Dervish talk Zug into a rather foolhardy lizard hunt, Zug got very, very close to hitting level 6. As in, 37 XP away. How (as a player) could you not "grind" just a little to hit that mark? Especially when you consider that BAB would go up to +6 (2 attacks/round) and a feat was coming.

As it turns out, Zug had some crafting work to do... get a couple of XP here, a couple there... and... 2 XP short? Ok, off to Moraken's tower to make some alchemist's fire from fire beetle bellies in inventory. Didn't bother equipping armor or weapon since Zug was going straight to the tower.

So what happens? The falcon that spawns near the gate decides to attack. Zug punches the thing out, gains 2 XP, and hits level 6 exactly with 40,000 XP.

[Honora]

I'm an okay time zone for quests, and I've been hunting the calendar for weeks. Pretty much the only things on it are ongoing, closed quests (I didn't make a char in time to get in ground or my char was to low level) or level 10-15 and up. I'm really not happy about that. I guess I grind until 10 and then the quests open up. I did one that I wanted to join, Meatlocker?...but it was Aussie time! My luck. I leveled like crazy to go on the Tolefar one that was open to 6+...and caught an intestinal flu that weekend that my son brought home from daycare, spent the quest lying in bed wishing I could trade my guts in on some that work.

Back to the crypts and gobbo caves.

~Honora

[miltonyorkcastle]

I dunno, but "adventure grind" seems a bit of an oxymoron. It's either an adventure, or a grind. And sometimes you think you're going off to "grind" (like the bazillion times Cole has gone to get silver *whimpers* stupid silver... how do people go through that stuff so fast?), and the whole ordeal turns into much more. A lot of it depends on who you're with and what you make of it.

Also, for me, a great deal of fun is the exploration and the challenge of something new. And sometimes the new challenge isn't new monsters, it's trying to beat them with a different group, an "unbalanced" group, or even alone... okay, yeah, so I die... a lot... but I have a good time doing it!

If ever I start to feel that I'm totally just "grinding" I "quit and sit." Usually a good day or two of that and I'm rearin' again to go kick some monster you-know-what and bleed all over the place. At least, it works that way with Cole. Obviously, not everyone plays crazy killer mercenaries. :P

Also, I am a crazy who alters my sleep schedule (force myself to sleep at 6pm to get up at 2am) so I can make those Aussie quests they let me get into. They usually start at 4AM my time, and I work at 8 so sometimes I don't even get to finish them, but they're way too much fun to miss out on. Errr, though I'm not suggesting you do that for other quests unless you know you can do it without screwing up your RL too bad. (some people can't just hop in bed at anytime and pass out. Lucky for me, I can pretty well go to sleep anytime, any place.)

And finally... I do my bloody darndest to get "low levels" involved in Cole's day to day activities. I remeber what it was like to be that level and not knowing where to go or what to do (and hating crafting =P). There is so much more to explore out there, so many crazy things to get caught up in, but they're all but impossible to do without groups (and a couple of crazies ). I constantly get ragged on for "dragging those younguns" along with me, because they'll slow me down, or just die anyways, or whatever. But the players behind those "younguns" know the risks. Why shouldn't they get the opportunity to see the world just because they're "weak"? And sometimes I end up dragging them to their doom, and sometimes we end up having a grand adventure. But this isn't all "milty's unselfish acts." No, quite the opposite. Cole makes a living getting raw goods to crafters. This work becomes stupidly tedious enough to make me want to hurl. The ONLY way I can keep it up is to bring along company, and preferably company that is getting more out of the deal than a few Topaz. I get to maybe play "tour guide" or show off Cole's skills, or show newer players to Layo some of the interaction between those of us that have been here quite some time. I get to introduce people to new characters, develop new relationships, etc. What starts as a boring, repetition of mining silver becomes a thoroughly enjoyable RP experience. And Cole still gets done what he "needs" to get done.

I dunno. These are just some of my observations and experiences, so, obviously, take it all with a grain of salt. But you know, Icey, you have been "invited" before to Crazy Cole's marches, and you are still welcome, as is anyone willing to risk life and limb for the possibility of great gain or nothing at all. =)

NOTE: this does not mean spam me with tells. I get enough green text in-game as it is that I can barely keep up. I purposefully wander through Hlint often enough and Cole's loud enough that your character will figure out who he is and get your chance to die in some god-forsaken place too. *snickers*

[SuperMunch]

Cole's runs are great but they're a lot more fun if Acacea's around.

Comedy gold...

[miltonyorkcastle]

You can't have the killer without his lucky halflings!!! =)

[iceyfire]

Oh you misread me i dont really care to much about leveling, when i hit 14 i will probably never grind hehe, but i just get so bored not being able to attend about 95% of the quests due to timezone.
Cause the ones i have been on are a bunch of fun.
*Shrugs* oh well rping in hlint! is the way to go!.
(Im slightly crazy)

[Milo]

iceyfire - 3/28/2006 10:05 AM

Oh you misread me i dont really care to much about leveling, when i hit 14 i will probably never grind hehe, but i just get so bored not being able to attend about 95% of the quests due to timezone.
Cause the ones i have been on are a bunch of fun.
*Shrugs* oh well rping in hlint! is the way to go!.
(Im slightly crazy)

Make your own player event! That's what the player event calendar is for

I'm sure people will love dungeon crawls without GMs once in a while ^_^

[crazedgoblin]

i just hang around hlint with my guys talking or mining and go to haven mines whenever there is a trip or dregar or were ever

[SuperMunch]

Halflings? Cole has more than one lucky halfling?

Oh my, oh my...