Project 1999 - Miscellaneous: Mines of Malfunction not quite functioning

I quested 3 or 4 Bull Smashers on various Live servers. A 6/20 hammer on a level 5ish char on a PvP server was good for some memories... Took me many hours altogether, so I consider myself something of an expert on this little corner of Norrath.

Anyway, I don't think we're getting enough obsolete models down here, and I don't think "clockwork scrubber" belongs in here at all.

I'm just getting spawn after spawn of "a rock snake" and "a rock spider", both static and patrolling. There's maybe 2 or 3 decaying gnome skeletons that never seem to spawn as anything else, either.

The way it worked on live was this: Red V either spawned as himself, or an obsolete model in either clockwork rat or male clockwork gnome form. This much is working correctly. To get more obsolete models to spawn, you could clear the snakes and spiders. You could also clear the skeletons, but this was dangerous because they were buffed and the evil gnome trainers would assist them. On P99, I'm not seeing these other spawns generate obsolete models nearly enough. It seems like certain spawns are always the same mob.

There's also a "clockwork scrubber", which is on the "good gnomes" factions sets wandering in here, which doesn't seem correct and definitely should not be occupying a spawn that can produce obsolete models.

I found the following string of posts on Allah's that more or less corroborates:

"OK, VERY stupid question, but for me the problem is not getting RedV, but finding obsolete's to kill. The only place I seem to find them are in the Red V spawn.

Am I missing something? I've spent like an hour and a half to get the box (no problem) and two pieces (the problem.)

Any help would be appreciated..."

"I've been doing this quest (so far 32 times, no bullsmasher, but I did get the absorber on try 29 or something), and sometimes I have problems with the fragments too -- especially when Red V decides to spawn five times in a row.

I've gotten to know the mines pretty well, so that I never get lost running around them anymore. Besides the Red V/obsolete spawn, there seems to be 4 other spawns, with spawn points in certain areas, but they shift around a bit over time (maybe it depends on where the last one died? I haven't figured it out). Get to know the mines and you'll be able to find them. Two are near the Red V spawn.
These spawns can be rock snakes, rock spiders, rat-shaped obsolete models, gnome-shaped obsolete models, or spider-shaped obsolete models. The gnome and spider obsoletes are what you want (they always drop the fragment, and the rats never do), but you've gotta kill the other things to get them out of the way. So basically, kill everything. :) [Otherwise, you'll end up waiting for them to despawn and respawn, much less effective.] Sometimes I'll get a couple backpacks full of fragments and no Red V, and other times I'll be out of them and running around trying to get them before another Red V spawns.

No bullsmasher yet, but I've made 14 plat between selling the quest rewards (I can't wear the armor), and spiderling silks. Not shabby for level 7; I'll actually be able to afford my level 8 spells!"

"Thanks for the post. Actually I figured out the act that the rock snakes and rock spiders took up obsolete spawns by accident. I was SOOOO bored I decided to see if I could work on tailoring with the spider silks. Pretty soon the obsoletes were spawinging like mad, so I made the connection (and had 16 fragments and no box... ;-) )

As a total side note, I got the bullsmasher (around try 11-12) and whether it was coincendence or not, the faction on Manik switched from Indifferent to Amiable on the one that gave me the bullsmasher. It certainly could be coincidence, but just wanted to post it.

Goldtoe"

Thanks for reading. I know this is a real heavy-hitter ... lol.