Author Topic: For those fast leveling characters out there (Read 6557 times)

Nehetsrev · « **Reply #60 on:** April 17, 2007, 09:12:46 pm »

Don't get me wrong, I was trying very hard to keep Treana alive. The fourth death that sent her back to Hlint wasn't even expected, she somehow got caught in the blast from a hellball, or something like that cast by the main baddy, while she was round a corner and a short ways down the hall. Treana couldn't even see the main baddy, and she thought she'd be safe where she was and would thus survive that final confrontation. So, I do try to avoid death as best I can (usually, as long as it's in-character for my character to do so in a given situation), but on the same token, I don't let a death ruin my fun.

My personal view is that no one should be playing this sort of game (or any game really) with the attitude of wanting to be the best. Folks should be playing the game because they enjoy interacting with other folks and improving themselves to the best of their own abilities, but not nescessarilly on any scale that bases itself on the stats of other characters or abilities of other players. But then I hold the odd view that competiton isn't about who wins or loses, but about having fun playing the game and learning from those who've developed differeing styles and techniques.

kuchida · « **Reply #61 on:** April 17, 2007, 09:17:38 pm »

I think quests should generally group people of the same range together. This place is like high school in a lot of ways, both good and bad, and "Seniors" and "Freshmen" don't always mix well. I'm sure we've all been to high school (or are still there in some cases) so hopefully you understand what I mean.

Interia_Discordius · « **Reply #62 on:** April 17, 2007, 09:21:53 pm »

It could always help to send Tells and make sure both parties are aware of feelings...It's not always intentional.

MJZ · « **Reply #63 on:** April 17, 2007, 09:58:43 pm »

Quote from: Nehetsrev

But then I hold the odd view that competiton isn't about who wins or loses, but about having fun playing the game and learning from those who've developed differeing styles and techniques.

As it should be! Nothing would be more dull than a world where everyone wore the same armor because it was best, wielded one of the same few weapons because they were the best, and had the same skill/spell allocation because it was... the best. *cough* WoW *cough*

But I think it's clear that we can cook up (read: remember) many examples from each side, but still *points to section in previous post where made witty rejoinder about world heroes*

And you know, trying to get a lot of information out of an epic seems like the logical thing for a wee one to do - and it seems to be in line with their epic-ness, not ignoring it. Or am I misunderstanding?

In any case, epic level characters ARE going to affect RP - how can they not? Like I said, if you have a decorated war hero in your party, you're not going to be talking to that person as if they were Joe Shmoe the Half-Elf. If you are but a humble Hedgewizard who finds himself tossing missiles next to a mighty Magus, you're going to gawk at him in all his Weavey-wonders like a starved stink beetle gawks at yon napping warrior with his full-plate off. (Okay, I'm an idiot, but you get my point. It's 4am.)

Which is well and good. Levels shouldn't restrict RP, and I don't think they do, beyond the server level sets. (The fact that people who have been on Layo long enough to be high level likely have their own populous set of friends and acquaintances already, aside.) But certain quests.. just don't work so well with many high levels and a couple low levels. *Shrugs* That's what I've experienced.
And now we have successfully variated off topic. :p

Praylor Falcus · « **Reply #64 on:** April 18, 2007, 07:01:31 pm »

Hmm, All i can say is welcome to layo guys. View all the contradictions as part of the challenge. Only way to remain sane and make some sense of the What i call "Layo Logic"

MJZ · « **Reply #65 on:** April 18, 2007, 10:07:50 pm »

What contradictions? What are you talkin about? :p

Gunther · « **Reply #66 on:** April 23, 2007, 08:48:42 pm »

I empathize. I truly do. I was kicked out of quests as the mandatory level requirement was increased while I was standing there, hence booting several people. I've been in your shoes. So have most of the folks on here.

On the other hand, Gunther (20th level halfgiant barb) just got killed yesterday in about 20 seconds flat on a GM quest. Now I'm not saying that Gunther is the toughest character out there, he's not. But if he gets scragged that quickly, then level requirements are a necessary thing. A necessary thing for your protection. And a necessary thing because some of these quests have world altering consequences. Frankly, sometimes a lower level character simply doesnt belong. It'd be more of a hazard to the other characters to try to protect you. And the higher in level you get, the higher your chance of getting a DT. To be perfectly blunt, I dont want Gunther to have an increased chance of perming because he's trying to protect someone from something they have no business facing.

I just saw a quest the other day that was restricted to levels 1-9. Deliver seeds or something like that. Not to be mean, but thats what a level 1 barb should be doing. Delivering seeds. Not trying to go toe to toe with Ozzgulfuzz, the 8th Demonlord of the Abyss, as the party attempts to save the world from encroaching demon hordes. Should the DM tweak the encounter because a lower level is present in this case? Maybe change it to the invading horde of Gnarly Toadsmacker, the kobold commando? Thats no fun for the folks who worked long and hard (and sometimes it feels like work), to get their character to a higher level.

Anyway, I feel for ya. It is tough. The quests are fun to go on. And its no fun to be excluded (especially if you show up, meet the requirements, and are booted anyway). Sometimes, the quests seem to be set up for certain individuals beforehand (as the above where Gunther got killed. He was invited by somebody else who was already involved). In these cases, I recommend that you roleplay and get to know people. As annoying as it sounds, dont worry about levelling, those who are worried about it probably arent going to be here that long.

And I've been here for almost two years and still havent made it on a plot quest. Maybe someday.

jrizz · « **Reply #67 on:** April 27, 2007, 05:17:14 pm »

isnt this thread about fast leveling PCs?

Dont take your eye off the ball, you may miss the game

Pen N Popper · « **Reply #68 on:** April 27, 2007, 05:24:22 pm »

I'd like to level fast! Please sign me up for your spam newsletter on how to do this!

Once I reach 20th level I promise I won't complain on the forums ever again about RP vs. XP!

Well, until I succeed at my WLDQ!

jrizz · « **Reply #69 on:** April 27, 2007, 05:31:00 pm »

Sorry cant help you it took wren 15 months to make 20th LOL.

AeonBlues · « **Reply #70 on:** April 28, 2007, 11:40:47 am »

Try playing ECL +0 is a good start as any.

Hi, my name is Aeon and I am a gameholic.

I spend sixty hours a week playing on Layonara.

darkstorme · « **Reply #71 on:** April 28, 2007, 04:41:59 pm »

*chuckles* ECL'll get you every time. Kell's been in-game for 11 months. He's level.. um.. nine.

jrizz · « **Reply #72 on:** April 30, 2007, 04:34:20 pm »

um fast leveling is not just a 1 to 20 issue.

Joyrock · « **Reply #73 on:** May 31, 2007, 06:42:04 pm »

Hmm only advice I can give about being I guess you could call being uber at a lower level so your more equal with the higher level chars is play a mage, or cleric. both gain spells that allow you to out last most other classes when the bad stuff hits. be it G-sanc, prem, improved invis.

but there pretty weak to start out but once you get good with them, know your spells and when to use them, you can out last any higher level char.
The question wether you can last, or be useful in this party is not as much in question.

Eight-Bit · « **Reply #74 on:** June 12, 2007, 07:57:12 am »

Level requirements on quests are an unfortunate... requirement. If there is a wide range of levels you have leechers and leaders. Leaders are the ones at the front, doing all of the work, all of the talking, and hold all of the quest to themselves. Leechers hide from arrows and toss the occassional potion.

I'm being dramatic, of course, but I've GMed enough to know that if you're not within a certain level of ability the party and the quest tends to fall apart. It is not fair to a GM to have to pander to individuals anymore. Back in the day, when 8 people made a BIG quest it was possible and fun. These days, at least a few months ago when I actually played and GMed, 8 is a bare-bones quest with a heaping helping of "maybe more than two thirds of them will survive."

kilraq · « **Reply #75 on:** June 17, 2007, 10:47:43 pm »

I might be new in the community, thus really have no place to say anything, but I just feel I should.

Level Req's - Hell yes this should be a valid and needed part of designing your quests. This saves the GM's a TON of headache. It makes people work and ensures they do get a challenging battles/puzzles. This in turns will make the party form a bonding gained from working as a unit, a whole. I completely agree with this activity and think it should be encouraged. I also think that if you are below level, who says you need a GM with you do go do something at a lower/higher end of leveling? How hard would it be to organize a player event, posted on the calendar, where you RP a situation where your character want to go explore some part of the land? Its what I would do.

Fast Leveling - Reading from the standpoints here I can't really give a say. I can see why some folk would level to fast with little RP development, but I can't see a good reason to other than boredom. Who says the only way to play is to go and kill monsters? Why not create and plan to build a temple to your god? Organize and structure a community for the NPCS by clearing an area of monster and attempting to settle it. Make a trade route, or start your own actual business? If we are playing these characters and want to develop them as if they were real people, they needs dreams, aspirations, and more importantly, hobbies. RP it.

Sorry if this sounds a bit arrogant or presumptuous from a newbie, but that is what a good GM would have us if this was a normal pen and paper adventure.

*Throws his 2 cents on the table*

Laters.

Shadowblade225 · « **Reply #76 on:** June 20, 2007, 07:57:28 pm »

It doesn't sound arrogant at all kilraq

A lvl 30 that hasn't done much in the way of influence will quickly be forgotten over a level 15 who's been around for 2-3 years and has contributed significantly to their character's clique. The more you branch out into affecting the NPC population (aka 99.99% of the actual humanoid population), the more your character will be remembered. And how you define "influence" is of course dependent upon character type.

Eight-Bit · « **Reply #77 on:** July 24, 2007, 01:03:28 pm »

Look, there are a few double standards that aren't even intentional here at Layonara. One of them are the quest limits. "Don't level fast, but don't go on quests either!" is pretty much how most people think about the rules. However, from experience, a wide mix in levels makes it hard on the GM to keep people entertained along with mostly alive. It's no fun to watch people run, regroup, then die trying to raise the newbs.

Trust me.

ZeroVega · « **Reply #78 on:** July 26, 2007, 06:10:43 pm »

The biggest thing I've learned about leveling is that it's never enough. I went through phases where I was content with my level. Phases where I wanted to be a lower level. And phases where I did nothing but run around killing stuff all day because I felt I had to get that level so bad. It's a cycle that everyone goes through (and it NEVER stops... even at level 20+).

Thing is, the most satisfying thing about Layonara for me was always the role playing. Often I'd lose sight of that when the powergamer in me would pop out. It's not wrong to want to level (I always want to), I just have to remind myself that no amount of levels will make Layonara fun for me. It's the people you hang with and how you hang with em.

I've been on worlds that seem to have nearly as many areas as Layonara. I can level two or three times faster and the items are more powerful. What are they lacking then? They're lacking Rhynns, and Frins, Peragos, and Tolinars, Rhizomes and Nawens. Yeah, levels are good (heck, they're freaking awesome), but you can't role play with your levels.

My advice: seek people out, play your character, work on developing his/her personality, his/her story, his/her emotional depth and knowledge of the world and the plot. Go on quests, forge friendships, adventure and explore. The less you concentrate on levels, no matter how much time you play every week, the faster they'll seem to come.

Xirion · « **Reply #79 on:** July 27, 2007, 05:47:27 am »

Quote from: ZeroVega

The biggest thing I've learned about leveling is that it's never enough. I went through phases where I was content with my level. Phases where I wanted to be a lower level. And phases where I did nothing but run around killing stuff all day because I felt I had to get that level so bad. It's a cycle that everyone goes through (and it NEVER stops... even at level 20+).

Thing is, the most satisfying thing about Layonara for me was always the role playing. Often I'd lose sight of that when the powergamer in me would pop out. It's not wrong to want to level (I always want to), I just have to remind myself that no amount of levels will make Layonara fun for me. It's the people you hang with and how you hang with em.

I've been on worlds that seem to have nearly as many areas as Layonara. I can level two or three times faster and the items are more powerful. What are they lacking then? They're lacking Rhynns, and Frins, Peragos, and Tolinars, Rhizomes and Nawens. Yeah, levels are good (heck, they're freaking awesome), but you can't role play with your levels.

My advice: seek people out, play your character, work on developing his/her personality, his/her story, his/her emotional depth and knowledge of the world and the plot. Go on quests, forge friendships, adventure and explore. The less you concentrate on levels, no matter how much time you play every week, the faster they'll seem to come.

I have to agree fully to your post. When I started here at Layo (not long ago hehe)I was trying to get my char leveld and the big steps between the levels seemed to me abit long sometimes. The more one focuses on RP the more fun you have and your char develops really. Not that he got xp but he gains more depth, wich is worth lot more than the lvl I think.
I am now at lvl 9 and since my last level up (must be at least a week ago) I have earned about 10k experience, so the there are over 310k missing, to point it out clearly, I nearly earned no xp, but I dont care!
I have had some nice talks to some friends, helped a new char in the sewers and no big adventures with high level monsters. The fun level was high anyway. Or maybe even -because- I had much RP and less fights.
If you seek Hack&Slay, play diablo, but if you want RP with realy different chars, storys andstuff like that this is the right place. Thatdoes ofcourse not mean that one can not have fun with the fights here. It is fun to discover new places and win hard fights with some friends! Best when between the fights or even during them there is RP aswell, that journeys are the best.
The ones where there is more to say than just "lets go" "lets rest"... where are arguments and so on. So the post is now longer than I thought he would be when I started and I guess all got what I wanted to point out

Thanks for reading
Xirion