I am a bad man (confession of a solo grinder)

[Seagoon]

I like to solo. There, I said it. Let the torrents of hate begin! In the world of Telon, apparently, this makes me a bad person, and the game mechanics seem designed with the idea that I should be punished for my game play choices. At level 15 I'm beginning to feel like my options for fun things to do without a group are rapidly shrinking, and from other comments on the board I fear that things are going to get worse, not better, the higher I get.

I'm not against groups, I just hate the hassle of getting a group together. I typically play late in the evening on the west coast. Most of my guild members seem to be east coasters, and seeing as we're not a huge guild people have drifted so we're thinly spread across Telon. With travel times as they are, this pretty much precludes guild grouping. Yes, sure, we could better organize ourselves, but I'm a gamer not a party planner or social coordinator. With the process of covering space in this game taking a vast time commitment, life's too short to go running about the world on the off chance we might be able to get a group together.

From time to time I try to get groups started, and I keep an eye out for others in a similar situation, but it's all a very frustrating and time consuming experience. What's so wrong with giving us a wider variety of solo content to play while we're trying to get a group together?

There's so much I love about this game, it feels like such a shame that I'm not able to get much out of it right now. I feel as if by force of circumstance I'm playing in a way that runs counter to the game designers intentions. The word "Freedom" seems to crop up quite often in the current marketing for the game, and I'd like to see this idea extended so that I feel I have more freedom to choose a game play path that isn't all grouping and raids.

[jvelite]

That would be sweet...

[Hokonoso]

I like to solo. There, I said it. Let the torrents of hate begin! In the world of Telon, apparently, this makes me a bad person, and the game mechanics seem designed with the idea that I should be punished for my game play choices. At level 15 I'm beginning to feel like my options for fun things to do without a group are rapidly shrinking, and from other comments on the board I fear that things are going to get worse, not better, the higher I get.

I'm not against groups, I just hate the hassle of getting a group together. I typically play late in the evening on the west coast. Most of my guild members seem to be east coasters, and seeing as we're not a huge guild people have drifted so we're thinly spread across Telon. With travel times as they are, this pretty much precludes guild grouping. Yes, sure, we could better organize ourselves, but I'm a gamer not a party planner or social coordinator. With the process of covering space in this game taking a vast time commitment, life's too short to go running about the world on the off chance we might be able to get a group together.

From time to time I try to get groups started, and I keep an eye out for others in a similar situation, but it's all a very frustrating and time consuming experience. What's so wrong with giving us a wider variety of solo content to play while we're trying to get a group together?

There's so much I love about this game, it feels like such a shame that I'm not able to get much out of it right now. I feel as if by force of circumstance I'm playing in a way that runs counter to the game designers intentions. The word "Freedom" seems to crop up quite often in the current marketing for the game, and I'd like to see this idea extended so that I feel I have more freedom to choose a game play path that isn't all grouping and raids.

I'm not sure what class you are but generally soloing 2 dot yellow-reds is teh fastest xp in the game and most classes can solo grind at a supremely higher rate than the average group will allow so as long as you know what you are doing you should have no problem reaching 40+ solo. so fear not!

[garath]

20/60/20

20 percent solo, 60 percent group, 20 percent raid.

The 20 percent solo content is there, I've found some up to level 20. I will probably find some more post 20 when I look for it.

Explore and hit quest givers.. You can often find good solo wilderness mobs from the quest locations.

You can also hit the crafting and diplomacy spheres. Personally I find crafting duller than a butter knife but diplomacy is pretty cool.

[Kursa]

Don't worry. You're not the only one. Ive been involved in MMOs for well over eight years and during that entire time, I've been involved in only 6 raids.

I hate em. Unless there a guild raid, you sit there for hours getting people together only seeing your healer or tank leave after 30 minutes or until they get their prize.

±Kursa

[Slyde_Rule]

I'm a level 16 Shaman and have soloed probably 90% of the time so far. I like to solo, but I'm always ready to join a group when the opportunity arises. I wouldn't say you're a "bad person" if you solo a lot. But you are missing out on a whole other aspect of the game.

Most of the time I get in a group it's when I'm soloing in an area and another person (or more) shows up to hunt in the same area. Sometimes I invite, sometimes they do.

Soloing and grouping each offer a different playing experience, especially for healers, so I welcome the chance to do both. And in Vanguard, you have that choice...

[trout]

Honestly, if soloing is your prefered method of gameplay this probably isn't the right game for you. While I suppose it's possible to solo all the way thru to max lvl, it's possible to make chicken french in a microwave too but it sure isn't gonna taste very good.

[Seagoon]

I'm not sure what class you are but generally soloing 2 dot yellow-reds is teh fastest xp in the game and most classes can solo grind at a supremely higher rate than the average group will allow so as long as you know what you are doing you should have no problem reaching 40+ solo. so fear not!

I'm playing a Ranger, so I'm better off than most in this respect. I'm also over dramatizing for effect ;) The underlying point, however, is (I think) a good one. During my peak play times (PST, evenings) the population seems sparse, and that does make me kinda gloomy that I'm not getting the best out of the game.

[ShadeVice]

There is actually a lot of solo content and even more duo content.

Best xp to be had at this time is Duo content.

[DocSavag]

There is actually a lot of solo content and even more duo content.

Best xp to be had at this time is Duo content.

from level 14-16 I know that Three Rivers on Thestra is pretty good solo content. The StoneSmashers have 2 dots wandering around far enough apart that you can get one at a time if you're careful. There is group content in that area too. I would start out early in the evening and solo there until my wife came on and then we would duo against the same things and then if 1-2 others from our guild came on we would take on more group like content.

(Its a great place to level harvesting too as there is mining, quarrying, reaping, and skinning all in the same general area)

[Seagoon]

from level 14-16 I know that Three Rivers on Thestra is pretty good solo content. The StoneSmashers have 2 dots wandering around far enough apart that you can get one at a time if you're careful. There is group content in that area too. I would start out early in the evening and solo there until my wife came on and then we would duo against the same things and then if 1-2 others from our guild came on we would take on more group like content.

(Its a great place to level harvesting too as there is mining, quarrying, reaping, and skinning all in the same general area)

I'm deeply disappointed that this thread has devolved into helpful advice. I was hoping to stir up some good ole' fashion forum drama ;)

Seriously though, having played during beta I knew exactly what type of game I was getting into. There's so much I genuinely enjoy about the game that I just wish it was a little more accommodating to my style of game play. If players invest the time and effort into getting a raiding guild up and running, they deserve the best gear. No issues there. I just want Vanguard to have a healthy path for dissenters such as myself to follow.

As for crafting, a co-worker used the word "complication" in conversation yesterday and I had to restrain myself from punching them out there and then.

[Ceros]

I think grouping in Vanguard will be more compelling as the game gets better documented by the community and the game dynamics become better understood by everyone. People will know their roles better and there will be intricate spawn maps of all dungeons. Many future players will choose their eventual main class and plan their path to level 50 from what they read on sites such as this. People will learn the best places to exp in and those chunks will be full of decent pickup groups.

If you started playing an EQ enchanter in 03/99, you probably had no idea what you were getting into. If you started playing 09/99, you had extensive guides that described you class and role in great detail. You could learn to play your class based on the experience of others before you even made the character. People who didn't know you or play your class had expectations about your role and play-style that you most likely met. The same will be true in Vanguard within a couple of months.

Everywhere I've traveled seems to have a good mix of solo/duo/group content. For a group oriented game, there's a lot you can do alone.

[Chabu]

If you like to solo, I have one word for you.....Missives. Really, most missives I've done are solo-friendly and give great rewards. They are truly the solo-grinders best friend. :D

[Dhobeli]

If you like to solo, I have one word for you.....Missives. Really, most missives I've done are solo-friendly and give great rewards. They are truly the solo-grinders best friend. :D

Don't know what race the OP is but Missives are not available everywhere. For example, Kojan. Brad, in another thread on Missives has already stated there are no Missive Boards on Kojan but I believe that he indicated they would be available to those of us on Kojan (martok area) in one of the upcoming patches.

Back on Topic.

Nothing wrong with soloing in a group oriented MMO, it's your time and your money, do as you wish. Your soloing in no way affects anyone else at all. Grouping, when you can do it, IMO, is the most 'fun' you can possibly have in a game like this, may not be the best XP or may not be the best loot though. Personally, I enjoy grouping, did so extensively in EQ1, WoW and EQ2. Have not even tried it in VG because I'm having some FPS/performance issues and would most likely be a liability to any group I joined. There are many reasons why people can't/don't group.

[GiggsBeckham11]

I don't think many people think that you are a bad person because you solo. You can do as you wish in this game.

In my experience in Beta of over 6 months I found that you can successfully solo through 30 without much problem. SO, there is plenty to do.

Unfortunately, the game was designed more for group oriented content. So, yes, you can solo, but this game has always been, out of the devs own mouths, a group oriented affair.

Thus, if you solo to 50 you will certainly not have as good of gear as those who have done raids and all the group premier dungeons. This is not good or bad, but just the reality of game design.

I say, enjoy doing whatever it is you want to do. But, and this is in no way suggesting you will be one of these people, if you solo to 50 and are upset that your gear is nowhere near as good as a well organized guilds gear that has grouped and raided and feel that this is unfair, then I get miffed.

[merpa]

There is nothing wrong with soloing, if that's what you want to do.

However, there is something wrong with lobbying for easier soloing and more solo-friendly content. That's because it comes at the expense of grouping and group-oriented content.

As you noted forming a group can be a pain in the ass. It's even more of a pain in the ass when soloing is more rewarding than grouping. Even if you want to group because it's your preferred play style, you have trouble convincing people to leave their cushy, safe, high-exp solo spots to come with you into a dungeon where they will die repeatedly.

Solo content should be nothing more than a way to pass the time until you can get a group to gether to go after the high risk, high reward, good exp, phat lewt content.

If you truly want to play alone, I highly recommend Oblivion. It's a great game and much like playing a MMORPG with awesome solo content.

Dramatic enough for you? :D

[Darinford]

I like to solo. There, I said it. Let the torrents of hate begin! In the world of Telon, apparently, this makes me a bad person, and the game mechanics seem designed with the idea that I should be punished for my game play choices. At level 15 I'm beginning to feel like my options for fun things to do without a group are rapidly shrinking, and from other comments on the board I fear that things are going to get worse, not better, the higher I get.

I'm not against groups, I just hate the hassle of getting a group together. I typically play late in the evening on the west coast. Most of my guild members seem to be east coasters, and seeing as we're not a huge guild people have drifted so we're thinly spread across Telon. With travel times as they are, this pretty much precludes guild grouping. Yes, sure, we could better organize ourselves, but I'm a gamer not a party planner or social coordinator. With the process of covering space in this game taking a vast time commitment, life's too short to go running about the world on the off chance we might be able to get a group together.

From time to time I try to get groups started, and I keep an eye out for others in a similar situation, but it's all a very frustrating and time consuming experience. What's so wrong with giving us a wider variety of solo content to play while we're trying to get a group together?

There's so much I love about this game, it feels like such a shame that I'm not able to get much out of it right now. I feel as if by force of circumstance I'm playing in a way that runs counter to the game designers intentions. The word "Freedom" seems to crop up quite often in the current marketing for the game, and I'd like to see this idea extended so that I feel I have more freedom to choose a game play path that isn't all grouping and raids.



Well, I play a psioinicist. You should see what I can do when I enthrall a four dotter 3 levels above me (lvl 23 vs 27). I've been playing with the meteor crawlers around trengal keep and it's hella fun solo. I can get fine xp this way, granted it takes alot of practice. The spiders have web and kill me in four to five hits depending on a dice roll (round 500 a pop). It took alot of practice and I died about the first four or five times I tried it right away, but I can now kite those suckers like nobodies business and it only takes about two minutes to chomp a four dotter down when you have another four dotter charmed.

It may be a tad imbalanced but I still die a few times every hour doing this so the xp isn't as good as it sounds when you hear the words "solo" four dots. However, I still manage to knock out about an extra tenth of a level an hour even with deaths as opposed to two dotters.

[Blightless]

You are such a bad bad horribly nasty bad evil bad person for doing the same thing I do becuase I play at odd hours.

I beleive the misses only started getting implemented part way through beta 5. At this point it's not a matter of whether there will be missives somewhere, but when it will be implemented (as from the looks of it, a LOT of outposts will have boards for them)

As far as solo content, theres some realt nice stuff just south of Hathor Zhi. And as you hit 19+ you can head to Misthaven crossing (has some quests killing 3 dots to open a bunch of solo friendly stuff, so kind of limited) and the more northern zones of Coastal Graveyard and Shorline Ruins (shorline seems more solo friendly at this time)

And you are a bad bad person for doing the same thing I do becuase I play at odd hourse

[Isobel]

/points at OP
NOT ONE OF US! Sorry i had to.:D

[Tnice]

I like to solo. There, I said it. Let the torrents of hate begin! In the world of Telon, apparently, this makes me a bad person, and the game mechanics seem designed with the idea that I should be punished for my game play choices. At level 15 I'm beginning to feel like my options for fun things to do without a group are rapidly shrinking, and from other comments on the board I fear that things are going to get worse, not better, the higher I get.

I'm not against groups, I just hate the hassle of getting a group together. I typically play late in the evening on the west coast. Most of my guild members seem to be east coasters, and seeing as we're not a huge guild people have drifted so we're thinly spread across Telon. With travel times as they are, this pretty much precludes guild grouping. Yes, sure, we could better organize ourselves, but I'm a gamer not a party planner or social coordinator. With the process of covering space in this game taking a vast time commitment, life's too short to go running about the world on the off chance we might be able to get a group together.

From time to time I try to get groups started, and I keep an eye out for others in a similar situation, but it's all a very frustrating and time consuming experience. What's so wrong with giving us a wider variety of solo content to play while we're trying to get a group together?

There's so much I love about this game, it feels like such a shame that I'm not able to get much out of it right now. I feel as if by force of circumstance I'm playing in a way that runs counter to the game designers intentions. The word "Freedom" seems to crop up quite often in the current marketing for the game, and I'd like to see this idea extended so that I feel I have more freedom to choose a game play path that isn't all grouping and raids.


I am so with you man. This game truly is beautiful, huge, challenging, boats, grifs. It has it all but...

Starting groups and waiting on groups is a PITA.

Grouping is great fun. It is really the best time I have ever had in game but still...Groups are a PITA. After working all day I don't want to work to get a group started.

I think I am at the point where the disadvantages now outweigh the advantages. Just my personal choices, it means nothing against the game. I will see how it turns out.

[Avengelyne]

Qalia and Thestra are very good for soloing. Dont know about Kojan though. If Kojan is bad for soloing switch to another continent.
Most of the time I just run around and look around testing mobs or quests when Im not in a guild group and I make very good XP solo with lvl 21.

Avengelyne

[dancingbear]

I started this game with 0 friends. Solo'd all the way to 14.
Then I started meeting people.... and I can tell you the game became 10 times funner for me :S
Whenever some of the are on, they invite me and we would run through quests together and get so much exp + exploring done that way.

There's so much to this game like you said. And yes you will never get to see so many things if you choose to solo.
Make friends. Its fun. Really fun.

[Vryce]

As many have said: starting and/or waiting for groups is a PITA. It's an effort. It takes a certain skill and definitely takes time.

Why, then, do you expect the same rewards for soloing as you think you get for grouping?

Hell...right now I'm fairly disappointed in the rewards for grouping. Soloing has been far more rewarding...exp, cash, loot drops...all seem to be missing from my group experiences. I still enjoy grouping, but this complaint that you can't progress solo in this game is completely unfounded; based on rumor and expectation not in practice.

[taurus999s]

20/60/20

20 percent solo, 60 percent group, 20 percent raid.



Unfortunately, the 20% was used up when you reach level 10.

[Darinford]

Unfortunately, the 20% was used up when you reach level 10.

I've found two dot areas for every level up to level 40. Name your level and I'll tell you where to go.

[Rozario]

20/60/20

20 percent solo, 60 percent group, 20 percent raid.

lol whenever I see this I can't keep from pessimistically thinking that this breaks down into levels

1 - 10 solo

10 - 40 group / dungeon crawling

40 - 50 raid

I sure hope it doesn't turn out like that >_<

Edit - gah beat me to it

[Xofi]

For me grouping is the game. Its why I play mmo's. Even horrible groups can be interesting to me, but I am first and foremost a roleplayer. From that perspective it makes sense that some people you meet are selfish, incompetent or lazy. Just adds to the immersion for me.

The exception to this is my ranger. To me a ranger is a loner fringe of society type character and I play them that way so I do want some solo content just so my ranger can stay happy. But I dont mind if its hard to find it. Exploring is what rangers love.

[Noldor]

You just have to look harder! I'm a 16 Necro and just recently found how convenient soloing can be. I used to be all about grouping, but I had a hell of a time doing the beaches by Zarbadi Landing (I know that's not it's name, but it's east of Khal). I just turned on some music, and made my way up and down the beaches for a solid 4 or 5 hours with LFG on just in case. I got some incredible drops, amazing XP, and better knowledge of my class. I'll probably be doing the same thing until 20ish.

Good times! Just gotta find a good spot and stick to it.

[Deadguy]

If there was all solo content a group would finish the game very quickly being much more efficent then a soloer.There are plenty of box game's you can turn too.