Are AE groups 50+ still a thing?

[Lickum]

I remember being involved in some AE groups several years ago, we'd pull Chardok for instance. Does this still happen? Is it viable?

If it still is, I have a 54 Chanter I'd like to try and set some AE groups up for if anybody would be interested in grinding out some levels and less importantly some loot.

Thanks!

[Legidias]

Some people still try it in KC

[Lickum]

Some people still try it in KC

Try? Did a mechanic change?

Also, only KC? Is there a reason?

I appreciate you educating me, I've been gone since about 2011.

[DiogenesThaDogg]

After a change 2-3 years ago, PBAE spells (including stuns) only land on up to 25 mobs at at time. You'll see people doing AE in velk's and dragon necropolis, too.

[Lickum]

After a change 2-3 years ago, PBAE spells (including stuns) only land on up to 25 mobs at at time. You'll see people doing AE in velk's and dragon necropolis, too.

Ah, a limit on the mobs, still doesn't sound too bad, 25 is a lot of mobs.

I'm currently level 54 (almost 55), does this put me in level range of doing these AE groups in DN? I'm sure I remember Velks being appropriate level for me.

[DiogenesThaDogg]

It's usually bards kiting DN for themselves or for PL or guild AE groups; I haven't seen a pickup AE group in DN before. If it's a group, it's bards kiting mobs in circles snared while others AE and AE stuns aren't as essential as they used to be. That's not to say you couldn't find people willing to do it, of course.

[Legidias]

That type of AE is usually bard AE kiting. Geneally thats the focus now isntead of wiz / ench blasting AE.

[loramin]

I think the problem is that there's no clear and obvious place to do it anymore ... ie. there's no more Chardok (thankfully). As you pointed out, killing 25 mobs at once can still net a group a lot of XP, but there are issues:


you have to find somewhere that's out of the way (if your pulls mess with other people you will get in trouble for zone disruption)
wherever you go has to let you control your number of mobs (no more just running through the zone grabbing everything: if you pull even 30 mobs by accident then that's 5 mobs beating on your group which aren't being stunned by your Enchanter, and that won't end well)
you have to avoid problematic mobs (eg. ones that snare your puller)


I would imagine there are places that match the above criteria out there: after all, on live people AoEd plenty of non-Chardok places (eg. a friend of mine did late night Sebilis AoE groups during the Kunark era) ... but finding them would require some exploration and experimentation, which means bringing your own group. Also the rewards of doing all that aren't all that great compared to a standard group (as great as it is to kill 25 mobs at once, there's huge downtime in-between) ... so mainly it just seems to me like a good idea if you and your IRL friends happen to be a Cleric, Enchanter, puller, and three Druids/Wizards, and are looking for a fun and different way to level up.

[Evia]

I bet you could still AoE in Seb. I'm surprised I don't see it done as often. ABC or Disco strike me as great camps to pull 25 mobs and not interrupt other ppls camps.

[Erati]

Classically Seb was the first place I did any AE groups. Cleric bard enchanterx2 wizardx2.

Cleric starts around NG pull area, DAs and aggros everything down into D1 pulling the train into frenzy scarab room. Second pull is all of behind disco1 pulled onto the stage of disco2.

Could swap out bard for another enchanter as well.

[Wallicker]

Wyvern tunnels in WW 22 lvl 51-55 mobs on a short timer and bards don’t swarm bc they all summon

[Moerne]

Classically Seb was the first place I did any AE groups. Cleric bard enchanterx2 wizardx2.

Cleric starts around NG pull area, DAs and aggros everything down into D1 pulling the train into frenzy scarab room. Second pull is all of behind disco1 pulled onto the stage of disco2.

Could swap out bard for another enchanter as well.


I had some fun times with AOE groups in Seb as well on my original cleric, with wiz and ench friends. I think we mainly set up at the main junction in front of exit and pull everything from NGE and the different hallways, if I recall correctly. But I think we were doing this after Luclin came out when Seb was relatively empty.

[Lickum]

If this is still a thing and we can get enough people together for a group I'd really like to try some of these ideas out.

[Fammaden]

Classically Seb was the first place I did any AE groups. Cleric bard enchanterx2 wizardx2.

Cleric starts around NG pull area, DAs and aggros everything down into D1 pulling the train into frenzy scarab room. Second pull is all of behind disco1 pulled onto the stage of disco2.

Could swap out bard for another enchanter as well.

Dinged 60 doing exactly this on my wiz back in the day. Bard did the pulls as I recall if we had one, or cleric DA with three ench. Third ench AE stunning really kept shit on lock down and much safer overall.

Velious was out by then but Seb wasn't exactly a ghost town, we just would go down there and take discos as our camp. After Luclin, AE groups of max level moved on to different zones on the moon. I don't remember the popular place for it because Luclin is forgettable, Pald Caverns? Moved back to quadding in Luclin then was all about the quad in PoP as well.

[momotion]

RIP NARADIAN BEST KC AE GROUP

[Foxplay]

While still possible to a degree... the 25 target limit has defiantly cut down on it due to the need for stuns

Thus your limited to stuff that is Snare kitable by a bard, which has limitations on spots that it can be done also the mobs need to be melee only as well as cannot summon

Although hey on the subject... if any bards need a Wizard partner for DN AE im leveling a wizard atm =p have a 3k mana pool

[pasi]

25 mob cap makes AE groups just not worth it imo. Probably harmless to revert the change with new Chardok (and keeping the previous changes to Skyfire Wurms). The only zone in Velious with condensed level ~45-50 NPCs fit for AE is Velketors. And I'm not sure even that would work.

Wyvern tunnels in WW 22 lvl 51-55 mobs on a short timer and bards don’t swarm bc they all summon

Can't imagine this working with even 2x level 60 enchanters. Mobs just too high of a level. The Chardok AE groups generally had 2+ 60 enchanters for mobs that were lower level than 51-55.

[eqtrader99]

I remember seeing AE groups in Fungus Grove on Luclin back on Live

[pasi]

On the topic of Luclin: Luclin had Acrylia, Ssra Mines, and The Deep which were seemingly designed exclusively for AE groups. Not sure I've ever seen a group there that wasn't AE'n. Katta was also prime for AE, but only if there werent any GMs on.

The Deep AE was some of the best exp even at 65. Ultimately worse than Bard kiting entire planes or PoFire tables though.

[loramin]

Probably harmless to revert the change with new Chardok (and keeping the previous changes to Skyfire Wurms).

It wasn't just Chardok that was a problem: Bard's swarmed in multiple other zones. Honestly I suspect that was more of the motivation for the change: while almost everyone agrees the old Chardok was terrible, it very rarely resulted in petitions/staff time being used (it was considered status quo).

In contrast people were constantly petitioning Bards before the limit was added, and I think it's that giant time sink that the staff wants to avoid (and that's the reason why I don't think they will undo the limit even with Chardok 2.0).

[pasi]

It wasn't just Chardok that was a problem: Bard's swarmed in multiple other zones. Honestly I suspect that was more of the motivation for the change: while almost everyone agrees the old Chardok was terrible, it very rarely resulted in petitions/staff time being used (it was considered status quo).

In contrast people were constantly petitioning Bards before the limit was added, and I think it's that giant time sink that the staff wants to avoid (and that's the reason why I don't think they will undo the limit even with Chardok 2.0).

Those adventurers who exp in Overthere and Dreadlands deserve some excitement in their lives.

[kekeshi]

People did it in Seb all the time on live, never seen it here. But as others have said the 25 mob limit makes a true AoE group a rare breed indeed.