High Level Quests and Doing It Hard Core
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I'm curious folks, why aren't the high level (7th level +) quests done more often? We've adjusted xp levels, made it easier to reach the levels to do the quests, but I still don't see them done very often.
What gives? What would make them more enticing? Higher XP rewards or gold rewards? Better loot? Take a little less time to run through?
Please be specific in your responses, ie: if there is something you've noticed with a specific quest like Pilgrims, make sure you ID the quest you're talking about.
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My two reasons are:
- I am almost never above lv 7.
- I don't know of anymore than 2 quests of this range, due to the above point.
But I think in general, even tho they are highlevel quests, there should be some that are long, winding and challenging, and others that are shorter, but equally challenging.
Having something that makes different classes shine on some spots is not bad either. I am also a great fan of puzzles, but these are hard to implement on scripted quests I guess. -
The main problem I see is the mix of high level characters around at the moment.
For example; you may have a bunch of high level ebul people; they can't do Kanthea's because they would be, rightfully, shot in the face on the way there.
As for high level good people, there's not really that many of them and usually they're too busy dealing with other things - plots, helping out lower level guys, stuck in meetings in HQs, waiting for the ebul people to appear so they can shoot them in the face, etc.
Also not knowing about said quests is a bit of a hindrance. There may be a bunch of quests that a level 10 character can go on. But off the top of my head I can think of three (frost giants, Kantheas, bresk vampire).
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Here are some reasons i have noticed due to having a few high level characters:
#1 At high levels exp is difficult to come by and the loss becomes huge when you do die, which makes less people want to do them.
#2 It becomes more difficult to get money the higher level you get, as the primary source of money is questing. With the crafting system gone there are not alot of ways for a high level to make a income.
#3 At that high level people tend to want a "ideal" party to minimize the chance of a full party wipe.
#4 The lower level quests in the 3-7 range give better or the same magic items as the level 7-12 quests.
#5 Very few people who want to quest at high level, and even less people who are capable of going on the quest, which is why they are mostly done by tight group "clicks" or people of the same faction
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My opinion: High level characters intentionally won't do them because of the risk of death and loss.
Secondly, people don't quest as often as they used to.
Why? Who knows. But its frustrating for someone like me who loves to quest and try new stuff.
Lastly, the high level quests I've done give out decent gold and XP, but low level or little loot.
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I tried to do them all the time when I was high leveled. No one ever came to my sendings. Don't know why. =(
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For me, right now, I dont do quests because most of them are out-of-doors which poses its own set of problems. Others, because to get a group of enough high levels to do it, considering my "special situation" would be difficult most evenings, since we're on opposing "teams". That and I dont get xp for much of anything, so there's too little reward for my risk.
It would likely be different if I was playing someone other than Raslyn, though
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I do them when I'm able , but my current character insta-fugues to a single round of archery or melee at lvl 7+ quests, so I am rarely 7+
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Several reasons for me
-) I can play a couple of hours on a few days. This means a character that I've played for 40 hours has existed for two months, while a lot of other characters would have been played for 160 hours or even more over those two months, and are either stale to their players or 4+ levels above mine, so my character will have no peers to go on the quest with.-) By the time I get a character to level 7 or 8, much of the little time I do have to play them goes into interaction with other characters.
-) I tend to just get killed by some random spawn on the roads just around Arabel and be back at level 6 rather soonish and not be able to come on these quests.
-) At a certain level it just takes longer to recoup XP after a death than the time between deaths, so I can't stay 'high enough' level long enough to do these quests.
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I enjoy those quests more then the lower ones, but some reasons since i've hit Level 7 are
-Prison IG for over a week
-Limited Times due to studies
-Allies are unable to walk to the questgiver for being eb0lIf the chance pops up ill goto it, but i've found in the past many people are afraid of the higher quests without having those high level tanks that can make it a non-party wipe.
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I play the high level tank, for just such occasions. But the main limiting factors for me are time and death. Time, because I don't have a lot of free time to play, and death, because I feel terrible when someone dies on a quest that I start.
I most likely know of most of the high level quests, could come up with 12 I think that can be done by a party of level 10 PC's, but getting those PC's together and interested at the same time is problematic. At the times I play, there are only a handful of folks at those levels on, in fact often just a handful of folks at all, and getting a group together for a challening quest is rough. I often think of just getting a random group to tackle some of these, but several folks will most likely die, and I really hate that.
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Well, once I hit level 7 I stopped questing as much and just starting doing plot stuff or free form quests like hunting for bountys.
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Mortek has a good point, once characters hit the higher tier levels, a lot of them stop questing to pursue more IG plots and stuff. I think DM's approve characters who do that?
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@Swifty:
Mortek has a good point, once characters hit the higher tier levels, a lot of them stop questing to pursue more IG plots and stuff. I think DM's approve characters who do that?
What difference does it make pursuing plots if you're lvl 7 or lvl 1? That is beside the point. The question is what makes a lvl 7+ character stop higher level questing? Are you suddenly more important and significant at lvl 7 that you can solve plots all of a sudden?
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It all comes down to how much effort you put into the quest versus the reward. At level 5 you can find a group quick enough, the reward is decent and if you die, you can get back there in a day or two. At level 10, you get less of everything and three times the risk, its also harder to find a group for it.
I figure more people would do the quests if the quest itsself was easier, but had a smaller group size cap. So you couldn't get a large group and breeze through, but it'd be as hard with that smaller group as it was with that large group, rather than easier, or harder. That way you'd get the same result for half the trouble setting it up.
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I like the higher level quests. However, as you would expect, they are hard. This is not a bad thing, there should be challenging quests for higher level characters. However the challenge level means you need a balanced group of suitable skills or their will be deaths. For a start, their needs to be suitbale characters logged in at the same time. I rarely see that in my timezone.
I really don't know how to fix that.
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The main problem I see is the mix of high level characters around at the moment.
For example; you may have a bunch of high level ebul people; they can't do Kanthea's because they would be, rightfully, shot in the face on the way there.
As for high level good people, there's not really that many of them and usually they're too busy dealing with other things - plots, helping out lower level guys, stuck in meetings in HQs, waiting for the ebul people to appear so they can shoot them in the face, etc.
Or getting beat back down to level 6 by the ebul guys
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I think the most on the mark suggestion is that it's very hard to get together a group for them. They're all (rightfully) very tough, and you need a decent, well rounded group for them. This is not something I think should be changed though.
Why this is a bigger issue at higher levels, compared to low, I would guess is as simple as this, once you've played a character long enough to reach lvl 7+, you've more than likley found your place in the world. Your character has established oppinions and relations to most other groups and stand out characters (being 7+, you're a stand out character by default, really), and you're less likley to go do some very dangerous adventure with people you don't trust.This, at least, is what happened to me when I began climbing higher. My character made his stand, as to who's company he would tolerate, and wich ones he'd chase off, and when the math was done, the people who where left to call on simply didn't cut it.
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Used to really enjoy the high level quests with previous characters, when I get my current character up to that kind of level I will probably look to forming a group to regularly do those quests again but experience has taught me that there is a very specific make up for successful groups on these quests and i wouldn't dream of going to battle frost giants with a group of rogues and crossbow wielding wizards.
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I believe that there is an inherent, and possibly false, view that anyone questing at levels above 7 is grinding and to be looked down upon. It actually makes me a sad bunny because I love these harder quests and get a lot of reward of pure pleasure when I achieve them with some friends.
I believe that many people, once they "arrive" at level 8 upwards don't avoid quests but have little time for them because of plot and intrigue. I find it hard work raising a party for the higher level quests. Many of the players I'd take with me are playing characters of an evil nature and as such, cannot join them of invite them.
I think that the character base of higher level characters has swung away from Good and many of the quests, people think, lend themselves to a good/neutral party.
The risks are high and should be for these levels. I'd say that the rewards, XP, monetary, consumables and loot, should also be high. I've been on some of these quests and used 1-2000 worth of consumables keeping allies alive, gained 600'ish Gold and maybe 4-500 XP and sometimes less if I have been one of the highest party members. That is not a good equation. It certainly doesn't always happen like that, but it happens enough that some people will be put off. Me? I love these quests and if I have time and the party alignment is right for my character, I'll be there, unless I've been dragged into one of those interminable and vacuous plot meetings from which I cannot escape!
Me, I prefer:
So scripted quests are fun for me. The DM's spent many hours crafting them for high level characters to have fun on, so why are we not having fun on them?