I'm writing up a "lowbie" guide right now, in character. The first one is: "where not to go if you don't want to be killed", but I have others I'm thinking about.Here are a few things not in Lore that nobody tells you about:1] There are "flags" around which give experience if you look at them (one time only, of course). Unfortunately, they're not in Vehl.2] There are GM quests set up for low levels to help with your exp. And usually, GMs are quite generous with them. There is one going on tomorrow. See this, for instance.3] The real problem is that most people here play PCs who aren't beginners, so it's hard to get a real party going. Still, just because your a beginner, it doesn't mean high powered PCs won't help you. So introduce yourself to everyone (in character), and ask. That's how I found out about the flags, for instance.4] You can get some pretty good equipment by gathering items and putting them into "boxes" and selling them. The best crafters don't like foraging for ingredients, so they pay good money (usually in credit) for them.5] You can get decent XP by doing a little basic crafting yourself. I would recommend nearly any fighter learn how to brew beer (or at least Malt Barley) for instance. Not only can you get XP, but your character will eventually be able to drink his own stuff.I'm going to also send you a PM for our two PCs to meet. I can show you around.p.s. I'm not a GM.
See the pretty little butterfly? It’s trying to lick you to death.
1] There are "flags" around which give experience if you look at them (one time only, of course). Unfortunately, they're not in Vehl.
Buck-aaaak!!
Hi Dorganath,Luring monsters, I thought it was generally agreed, involves monsters that you already know are there. If you don't know they're there (until they start charging), by definition it isn't luring. You can't lure by accident.
If you are spotted by something that charges you – do not charge it! Instead, back up along the path you already know is safe. The creature charging you may be a sentry of a much larger gang. Surviving the attack of the sentry is much easier than the entire gang.
I also need to point out that many maps depict much larger regions than the map itself represents. So it is not at all clear that a lookout or guard would automatically be able to inform absolutely everyone to go attacking a lone traveler. To quote Leanthar on this topic, caves are built to scale, but regions are not. And since this is largely intended as a travel guide, it's not at all abusive to advise PCs to take pretty standard in-game precautions.
Finally, I think there needs to be a clearer distinction made between the behavior expected of higher level PCs played by experienced players, and lower level ones played by "lowbies". To use your own standard, "Does this feel wrong or like cheating?" - it feels like cheating to me when a high level PC who already knows a spawn exists, uses limits of the game engine to take on high powered groups to maximize their XP. (And this, I've noticed, happens quite a lot.)
But you will never convince me that a low level PC run by a brand new player either, A] Being cautious about not charging, or B] Running for their life from a scary monster, is in any way an abuse. Simply because that is an extremely natural reaction - regardless of how poorly written the NWN AI engine is.
And it's not as dangerous either. I don't leave spawns anymore. But the last one I did was when my PC was 4th level and experimenting with invisibility. Trying to figure out whether it broke the effect (or was even possible to do while invisible), she decided to "Taunt" a chicken. This resulted in her being immediately ambushed by every other chicken. And chickens are dangerous in Layonara, especially to low HP wizards. She ended up running for her life chased into the Hempstead fields by the entire manially enraged flock. Buck-aaaak!!I'm pretty sure that no one else would come to harm from that, unless they died laughing.
So please, continue your work with these guides, but do refrain from statements, IC or OOC, that imply abuse of mechanics, AI or other such discouraged actions. We're all here to have fun, and it's no fun to have your play time ruined by someone else's selfish leavings.
If you are spotted by something that charges you, do not charge it! Instead, back up along the path you already know is safe. The creature charging you may be a sentry of a much larger gang. Surviving the attack of the sentry is much easier than the entire gang.
Forgive me if this comes across as antagonizing or argumentative, but what's read into the above "advice" seems like a matter of communication/interpretation. When I read the above I did not see this as "an IC way of describing the OOC tactic of luring," nor do I think showing how to lure was the intention behind this particular point. I instead read that statement as advice on how to escape a mob you never intended to engage in the first place, where you don't even want to fight the "scout" and much less the whole group. In other words, I read it as a way to avoid fights rather than to solo groups via luring. However, regardless of intention or the way I read the advice, if one person reads it as Dorg seems to have interpreted the statement, then a rewording may be in order.
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Topic: Thoughts on being new..and a lowbie (Read 460 times)
