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View Full Version : Did the zone EXP mods have much of an effect? Also, Kerra Isle was not given enough


Zuranthium
06-05-2020, 03:46 PM
As someone who doesn't play right now, but is interested in game changes like the kind they finally implemented, how much impact has there been? Are people actually flocking to Gorge, Runnyeye, Splitpaw, Permafrost, and Temple of Cazic-Thule for exp groups? Are there regular groups going in Kedge Keep?

I find it strange there was a blanket 33% increase to every outdoor zone. A place like Oasis was already heavily overcamped as an exp spot. It's safer to exp outdoors because of having more room to move around, and it doesn't seem like some dungeons are balanced properly now in comparison. Are all of the areas in L-Guk actually being hunted for exp, as they were back in the day? Because why should a more dangerous area like that be giving less exp for an equivalent level of NPC that can be hunted in an easier outdoor area?

Places like L-Guk have valuable loot in comparison to other areas, but that's limited to specific camps. Regular dungeon exp groups that are just trying to play, don't get any extra benefit of loot. Maybe it's too much work to code exp bonuses for each specific NPC in the game, but this is an example of why exp modifiers should really be tied to each NPC, rather than entire zones. Different areas of the same dungeon, or any zone, have much different difficulty levels. A blanket exp mod per zone does not properly reward these things.

Lastly, Kerra Island, constantly one of the least utilized zones in the game, is probably still empty most of the time, right? Why not give that place a bigger boost to try and attract a crowd? If it doesn't even have a better modifier than any typical outdoor zone right now, then this update actually nerfed Kerra Island and made it probably the least worthwhile place in the game.

Baler
06-05-2020, 03:49 PM
In my opinion it just moved where the masses went. People crowd the highest ZEM locations that have other people to group with. Paw/CT got tons of players. Guk got less.

Runnyeye was always good ZEM, the buffed is even better. But there just isnt people hanging out there to group 24/7.

Gorge is more active, win there atleast.

loramin
06-05-2020, 03:52 PM
Lastly, Kerra Island, constantly one of the least utilized zones in the game, is probably still empty most of the time, right? Why not give that place a bigger boost to try and attract a crowd? If it doesn't even have a better modifier than any typical outdoor zone right now, then this update actually nerfed Kerra Island and made it probably the least worthwhile place in the game.

Amen. Terrible location, faction hits we all don't want to take (even though Kerran Lives Don't Matter), and poor mob placement make this one of the most underused dungeons in the game (if not THE most). It needs a decent ZEM.

Snortles Chortles
06-05-2020, 05:14 PM
problematic post detected

Cen
06-05-2020, 05:37 PM
all I know is kithkor was tuned so hard that I blasted from 40-50 in a couple days since it has certain mobs which are level 40 with 1000 HP. You have to know which ones to target for highest XP per HP but once you learn them its awesome even if its only 30 minutes out of 72 it still beats any other camp or group I could find due to the wonky super ZEM, it was like 2x highkeep nobles but for half the game day so you xp'ed faster for less work and could take breaks.

Guesty07
06-05-2020, 05:39 PM
Maaaaaaaaaan, Kerra Isle should have been the Crushbone of Odus.

cd288
06-05-2020, 07:05 PM
The ZEM rotating is classic. LGuk was super popular so they reduced the ZEM to encourage people to go check out other dungeons including more difficult and dangerous ones. I’m sure the ZEMs will get rotated again eventually.

The only ZEM change I didn’t agree with was significantly reducing Befallen because I always thought dungeons where you could be screwed if you died behind locked doors should have high ZEM

Ivory
06-05-2020, 07:25 PM
Lastly, Kerra Island, constantly one of the least utilized zones in the game, is probably still empty most of the time, right? Why not give that place a bigger boost to try and attract a crowd? If it doesn't even have a better modifier than any typical outdoor zone right now, then this update actually nerfed Kerra Island and made it probably the least worthwhile place in the game.

Kerra Island is my favorite place to level from 11-14! Just solo doing mices...so peaceful and great exps.

Zuranthium
06-05-2020, 09:52 PM
Runnyeye was always good ZEM, the buffed is even better. But there just isnt people hanging out there to group 24/7.

So even with the big buff, and being adjacent to Gorge which also received a massive buff, there still isn't a ton of traffic in Runnyeye?

Baler
06-05-2020, 10:59 PM
So even with the big buff, and being adjacent to Gorge which also received a massive buff, there still isn't a ton of traffic in Runnyeye?

It's by no means a ghost town. I see a couple groups on the upper level from time to time. But it's still pretty rare to see a group down in the higher level content sucking up that juicy exp bonus.

Zuranthium
06-06-2020, 12:43 AM
Runnyeye is by no means a ghost town. I see a couple groups on the upper level from time to time. But it's still pretty rare to see a group down in the higher level content sucking up that juicy exp bonus.

Well that's disappointing! The zone is much closer to a good-aligned bank than Cazic-Thule Temple, and not too far from another popular spot that is overcamped (Highkeep), so with that exp modifier the zone really deserves to have lots of groups in it. What about Permafrost and Kedge?

The only ZEM change I didn’t agree with was significantly reducing Befallen because I always thought dungeons where you could be screwed if you died behind locked doors should have high ZEM

Yeah, Befallen is much more difficult than a place like Crushbone, especially for forming and maintaining groups. It deserves a significantly higher ZEM.

Grimstrike
06-06-2020, 01:23 PM
I'm gonna let you finish, but GUK has some of the best loot, hands down!

romomike
06-06-2020, 02:12 PM
I'm gonna let you finish, but GUK has some of the best loot, hands down!

That may be, but it's apparently not good enough to encourage many people to go there anymore.

Baler
06-06-2020, 02:30 PM
Another factor about guk was the high pop early on for manastone & guise. People would go there for legacy camps but not exp camps. Now that those camps are gone, Other items camps are still camped but the zone population is even lower.

cd288
06-06-2020, 03:17 PM
That may be, but it's apparently not good enough to encourage many people to go there anymore.

Thing with EQ is you don’t technically need a lot of gear/loot for many classes in order to be effective in a group. So you can go to the high ZEM zones and get some exp and then just come back for gear much later on.

Although I believe perma has some good drops for a number of different classes so it’s not like Guk is the only dungeon with loot

turbosilk
06-06-2020, 04:18 PM
Apparently it's not all about the exp. Ppl still avoid Kedge like the plauge.

Jimjam
06-06-2020, 06:08 PM
The entire premise of it being a zone where folk come to destroy pussy feels like a rather distasteful joke. Its up there with Pain Eel and The Hole. Just an incredibly cringe continent.

fastboy21
06-06-2020, 06:09 PM
Its not perfect, but it opened up the game and let people (some veterans) actually learn a couple very cool zones...which is part of the classic experience imo.

I really hope they do this in Kunark too...there are so many super well designed kunark dungeons that nobody really uses much. rotate some of those through a ZEM and give the min/maxers a reason to get off the beaten path they have run down so many times.

Over all, not perfect but I definitely think it improved things.

Baler
06-06-2020, 06:52 PM
I've been preparing myself everyday for when kurns tower ZEM gets nerfed. :(

fastboy21
06-06-2020, 06:58 PM
Apparently it's not all about the exp. Ppl still avoid Kedge like the plauge.

Kedge is just a niche zone...but you can find an occasional exp grp there off the beaten path...certainly lots trying to solo there (at least more than just the named hit man solo'ers who typically own the zone).

You're right though...Kedge is still off the beaten path with the changes. Still nice bonus for folks who like to play there.

Zuranthium
06-07-2020, 05:19 AM
I really hope they do this in Kunark too...there are so many super well designed kunark dungeons that nobody really uses much. rotate some of those through a ZEM and give the min/maxers a reason to get off the beaten path they have run down so many times.

Yeah would be nice, maybe something like:

170: Nurga, Dalnir
150: Kaesora, Emerald Jungle
135: Droga
125: Chardok, Howling Stones, Skyfire Mountains, Trakanon's Teeth, Warslik's Woods, Burning Woods, Swamp of No Hope, Timorous Deep
100: City of Mist, Kurn's Tower, Firiona Vie, Frontier Mountains, Field of Bone
85: The Overthere, Dreadlands, Lake of Ill Omen

Also bump up Lower Guk to 125, Sol B to 110, and Mistmoore to 100 after Kunark comes out, because otherwise they are too bad in comparison to everywhere else.

Apparently it's not all about the exp. Ppl still avoid Kedge like the plauge.

It's a hard zone, underwater play makes things a lot more difficult. The exp mod there would actually be more relevant in Kunark era, as a place to potentially maximize exp gains for those high levels that take much longer to progress through. Maybe better cash drops would draw more people in; such a unique zone like this deserves to be fully utilized.

The Hole having a 150 mod doesn't feel right to me, that's a much easier zone to play in, and if people are able to get an amazing exp mod all the way to Level 60 in a safer spot like that, then why take the risk of going to Kedge for only a minimal potential boost? I would move The Hole down to a 125 mod, that's already enough to make it an attractive place to level.

cd288
06-07-2020, 11:11 AM
Yeah would be nice, maybe something like:

170: Nurga, Dalnir
150: Kaesora, Emerald Jungle
135: Droga
125: Chardok, Howling Stones, Skyfire Mountains, Trakanon's Teeth, Warslik's Woods, Burning Woods, Swamp of No Hope, Timorous Deep
100: City of Mist, Kurn's Tower, Firiona Vie, Frontier Mountains, Field of Bone
85: The Overthere, Dreadlands, Lake of Ill Omen

Also bump up Lower Guk to 125, Sol B to 110, and Mistmoore to 100 after Kunark comes out, because otherwise they are too bad in comparison to everywhere else.



It's a hard zone, underwater play makes things a lot more difficult. The exp mod there would actually be more relevant in Kunark era, as a place to potentially maximize exp gains for those high levels that take much longer to progress through. Maybe better cash drops would draw more people in; such a unique zone like this deserves to be fully utilized.

The Hole having a 150 mod doesn't feel right to me, that's a much easier zone to play in, and if people are able to get an amazing exp mod all the way to Level 60 in a safer spot like that, then why take the risk of going to Kedge for only a minimal potential boost? I would move The Hole down to a 125 mod, that's already enough to make it an attractive place to level.

If you wipe in the hole isn’t it hard to get back in?

Zuranthium
06-07-2020, 12:16 PM
If you wipe in the hole isn’t it hard to get back in?

That can be said about many dungeons, don't you think? The Hole actually has the advantage of being able to use alt characters who worship Brell Serilis to safely pass through some of the areas and drag corpses. In terms of fighting there, things are more spread out and less prone to trains than a lot of other dungeons, and as an Old World zone you get to use Manastone too. With a 125 exp modifier it would still be one of the best places to grind exp for the higher levels.

Bigsham
06-07-2020, 01:10 PM
East to break / pull camps and lots of mobs are more important then min maxing zone mods

sorry if your bad at everquest ( Zuranthium basically )

rolled right off red

see you in thurgadin !

Zuranthium
06-07-2020, 05:24 PM
You might want to try some proper sentence construction instead of trolling. Obviously there's more than the ZEM that determines if a zone is worthwhile to play in or not. That's what I was literally just talking about. Not sure what your Thurgadin mention is about, but come Velious era, I'd definitely like to see Tower of Frozen Shadow get a big ZEM boost.

turbosilk
06-07-2020, 07:02 PM
Don't feed the trolls. Ignore works well too.

Tethler
06-08-2020, 03:26 AM
Kedge is amazing now. I did 47-50 there in 3 sessions. In a group chain pulling pirahnas and sharks I was getting close to 20% an hour as a ranger with the hybrid penalty. It is most definitely BYOG though. No pugs there.

Coridan
06-10-2020, 08:29 PM
Amen. Terrible location, faction hits we all don't want to take (even though Kerran Lives Don't Matter), and poor mob placement make this one of the most underused dungeons in the game (if not THE most). It needs a decent ZEM.

It needs to just be a player city. Make Kerrans playable post Velious instead of moon cats. Warrior, Monk, Rogue, Shaman.