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What Level is This Area?
Posted: 21 Aug 2008 10:41 AM |
Eltarial has just died for the 38th time. Hardly surprising in itself, but the circumstances are even more frustrating than the time she took 30 damage trying to climb the fircrag.
I was exploring the port royale sewers when I found an area transition I hadn't used before. I went through into an area called the slime pit or something which was full of stink beetles. They were labeled as 'effortless' so I started fighting them and exploring the area. All went well untill I set of a trap: a 'deadly blob of acid trap'. When I failed the DC 25 reflex save it dealt me 54pts of damage. Even though I had full hp, it was enough to kill the character instantly.
So I ask the question: For what level of character is this area intended?
Deadly traps are appropriate encounters for what, characters of level 15+? The small number of stink beetles could feasibly be killed by say, a few level 4 characters. So why are they in the same area?
(Feel free to ignore this, it's a flame after all.) |
"Absolute precision buys the freedom to dream meaningfully." - Donal O' Shea: The Poincaré Conjecture. |
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Re: What Level is This Area?
Posted: 21 Aug 2008 05:47 PM |
The entire sewer is actually much more dangerous than it at first appears. There are references throughout the forums to necromancers and what not dwelling there.
While some areas have lower level challenges than others, anything that isn't patrolled by a friendly guard type NPC is not safe for any solitary character regardless of level. As a general rule of thumb areas are progressively more dangerous the further you get from a "safe" zone.
All that said, I feel for you. I was killed by that same trap once when I was still exploring Vives. I had been just about to level too. Thankfully its been a couple years and characters since then for me, and I'm not so upset about it anymore. |
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Re: What Level is This Area?
Posted: 21 Aug 2008 06:09 PM |
I can solo fine in the rest of the sewer (and indeed in many areas of vives), although obviously not in the catacombs. In most other areas I can at least tell when I need to run. Here it was just a few beetles and three 'deadly' traps guarding nothing but three completely normal corpses.
The only clue I got was that the area description said there were corpses in the sewer. But this is Port Royale! Of course there are!
Even if you think it makes sense for three bandits to hide out in the sewers guarded by traps, before getting killed by beetles, this is still poor area design. It basically meens that new players are at a huge disadvantage compared with people who have played on the server before. I could now create another character, identical to Eltarial and reach the same level as she is now, in maybe 30 hours, where it took me 140 the first time.
It wouldn't have made any difference had I been in a party unless one of the characters could cast resurrection. I even had regeneration, I could have taken 41 pts and got up again. |
"Absolute precision buys the freedom to dream meaningfully." - Donal O' Shea: The Poincaré Conjecture. |
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Re: What Level is This Area?
Posted: 21 Aug 2008 06:39 PM |
The area may not be particularly well designed. I'm not going to say much about that. It does however have an IG purpose for appearing as it does however odd it happens to be.
So again, I hear your frustration. I've been through the same thing. BUT my points above stand. Whether or not you can solo any area doesn't mean much when a DM isn't on.
Adventure at your own risk when soloing. Vives is VERY dangerous. Few other worlds like it are as difficult to solo. |
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Re: What Level is This Area?
Posted: 21 Aug 2008 07:37 PM |
It basically means that new players are at a huge disadvantage compared with people who have played on the server before. I could now create another character, identical to Eltarial and reach the same level as she is now, in maybe 30 hours, where it took me 140 the first time.
It basically means Eltarial is moving up in the dirtnap league! Wear it like a badge! Nobody will rank like your first character, unless you are going for a high score : ) |
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about dying."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means lying in the ground with dirt on your face and holding your breath forever."
-Burt Reynolds, "The End" |
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Re: What Level is This Area?
Posted: 21 Aug 2008 07:40 PM |
| That's the spirit! I sometimes get jealous of players on top of the dirtnap league. Because let me tell you: those are the characters with stories to tell. |
CHOO CHOO!
- - - - - -
Bereil Yadashem.
Markus Mortriety, Herald of Novus Aristi. |
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Re: What Level is This Area?
Posted: 22 Aug 2008 05:05 AM |
That area shouldn't actually have Deadly traps. I'll add it to the list of traps to fix when I next have the mod (there are quite a few that I need to crank down the settings for).
In the meantime, submit a bug report so I can see it on the list and I don't forget. |
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Re: What Level is This Area?
Posted: 22 Aug 2008 05:05 AM |
| PS. I can't believe Jessup is no longer #1 in the Dirtnap League. Tsk tsk, someone's standards have been slipping. |
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Re: What Level is This Area?
Posted: 22 Aug 2008 05:30 AM |
That area shouldn't actually have Deadly traps. I'll add it to the list of traps to fix when I next have the mod (there are quite a few that I need to crank down the settings for).
In the meantime, submit a bug report so I can see it on the list and I don't forget.
Thanks Fictrix, will do.
PS. Who is number 1? Frobozz? The legendary 'Mushroom King'? I thought he was a DM monster.
Jessup still has more actual deaths anyway. |
"Absolute precision buys the freedom to dream meaningfully." - Donal O' Shea: The Poincaré Conjecture. |
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Re: What Level is This Area?
Posted: 22 Aug 2008 07:09 AM |
Frobozz doesn't count because he's a CPC. The list is sorted according to deaths per hour, and Frobozz:
1/ Was artificially levelled to test the Epic Spells system
2/ Has died a lot as a result of the aforementioned testing
*Looks at deaths and time IG*
#1 is probably Lucifer. That makes sense. I think he's zapped himself with his own spells more often than zapping monsters. Keeping company with Xaranthir doesn't help. That man's just trouble.
We now return you to your regular program.
Hardknott (most of the traps) and Fangduin (creatures) are the other areas on that list. |
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Re: What Level is This Area?
Posted: 22 Aug 2008 07:32 AM |
I don't think I've ever been to Fangduin, but I've been killed by traps in Hardknott before. I would have mentioned it, but just assumed the area was designed for high level rogues to enjoy.
PS. Other areas that see particularly unheroic deaths are:
Carfax (main town and that house in the woods) some of the spirits here are wield scythes which thanks to a x4 critical modifier occasionally one shot the low level characters who adventure here (alone or in a party).
And Buckshire Ruins. The grizzly bears seem a little out of place here. The area is frequented by characters of all levels above 5 or so and (depending of build) is fairly safe, apart from those few bears which I think are probably about CR 10.
But then again, vives is meant to be hard. |
"Absolute precision buys the freedom to dream meaningfully." - Donal O' Shea: The Poincaré Conjecture. |
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Re: What Level is This Area?
Posted: 25 Aug 2008 11:13 AM |
| Oh my, yes. The Fangduin is vicious. I remember the deeper tunnels of Port Royale Sewers from long ago, which is where that trap originates. It previously had freakishly gi-normous spiders patrolling its realm. The trap was a warning (albeit severe) to the colossal arachnid that awaited beyond. I miss those days. Any chance those might come back, or deeper access to even more forbidden tunnels? |
Do not ask of them questions. You will receive three answers, all of which are true and horrifying to know. |
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Re: What Level is This Area?
Posted: 25 Aug 2008 03:19 PM |
Vindicta,
Your signature says it all. |
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Re: What Level is This Area?
Posted: 25 Aug 2008 08:14 PM |
The trap was a warning (albeit severe) to the colossal arachnid that awaited beyond.
There are some lovely spider-infested areas IG (far from the starting areas) now. I'm sure The Jester will be happy to show them off. |
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Re: What Level is This Area?
Posted: 09 Sep 2008 03:49 AM |
That area of Port Royale Sewers used to be patrolled by the monstrous spiders. Previously if you could get past the spiders, the trap was probably no problem at all.
Also, one of the corpses used to have a unique treasure drop. The acid trap and the gi-nourmous spider protected it rather well.
I guess when that part was scaled down, the trap was missed. |
Purpose in life: finding better ways of allowing players to kill themselves. Repeatedly.
--
"...Cause he mixes it with love
And makes the world taste good."
--
<@James42> Lawful good isn't in your vocabulary, it's on your menu.
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Re: What Level is This Area?
Posted: 10 Sep 2008 03:59 AM |
Thanks Paul, I gathered that was what had happened. Traps are hard to choose anyway as they pose massively different threats depending on where they are and the build of the character encountering them.
Fortunately at the time the locks in port royal gave a total of 1800xp each time you picked them. I was able to get the xp back in a few minutes. :)
Incidentally, Some locks in completely different areas seem to share scripts with those in the port. I picked one in the scorched earth sphinx dungeon for the first time and got 1xp. I would imagine it is impractical to correct this though, especially as most locks give 0xp. |
"Absolute precision buys the freedom to dream meaningfully." - Donal O' Shea: The Poincaré Conjecture. |
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Re: What Level is This Area?
Posted: 10 Sep 2008 08:57 AM |
There is a lock that gives 1800xp????? That's definately a bug. Does that still happen, or can you tell me where the locks that do that are?
There is a "pool" of lockpick xp given out. When the PC empties the pool, the PC gets 1 xp per lock. If the PC has a multiclass XP penalty, then that may reduce it to 0 xp.
- Paul |
Purpose in life: finding better ways of allowing players to kill themselves. Repeatedly.
--
"...Cause he mixes it with love
And makes the world taste good."
--
<@James42> Lawful good isn't in your vocabulary, it's on your menu.
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Re: What Level is This Area?
Posted: 10 Sep 2008 10:47 AM |
| 1800xp total. not for one lock. |
"Absolute precision buys the freedom to dream meaningfully." - Donal O' Shea: The Poincaré Conjecture. |
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