Curse

Blackest Rose · Feb 05, 2006, 07:46 AM // 07:46

Am I the only one who finds it frustrating that when I go to SF I can find noone interested in doing any of the actual SF quests!?!

Unless you're a healer/bonder/stance tank/SS/MM you're just out of luck.
That Oro guy is everyone's favorite! and no-one's even interested in doing the quest...

In short SF is for farming now....
Will any of my characters even complete their quests there - I don't know.

Nothing against farming but this place is ONLY for farming now it seems.
To me Anet's work on SF is completely wasted as everyone just follows the same route through SF and kills the bosses hoping for green drops.

Anyone else have the same problem?
Any ideas on how Anet could address this complete imbalance?

heavyduty · Feb 05, 2006, 07:51 AM // 07:51

Find a guild to help you instead of relying on pugs. Most of them will ruin your day anyway.

semantic · Feb 05, 2006, 07:52 AM // 07:52

Increasing the group forming functionality would help. For example, if I could put my name and skillset down on a list of people who would like to do the Tasca quest - but then go someplace else (like Random Arena) while waiting for a group of others looking to do the same.

Feb 05, 2006, 07:56 AM // 07:56

Go with your guild maybe? Or hench? Why wouldn't players that have finished it already not farm it? I see groups forming for quests when I'm there.

nitrile · Feb 05, 2006, 11:52 AM // 11:52

I've also experienced problems getting groups for quests around Sorrows, going on for some time now. True enough most can be done with henchmen only but that's hardly the point of playing an online game. At least before the prevalence of the stupid keg/gear "trick" you could get people to help with orozar quest occasionally and it's that that bothers me most about the area, I rarely go there anymore because it's so monotonous and fake. To me this is the worst current problem. It's a pity as it used to be a fun area.

aron searle · Feb 05, 2006, 12:44 PM // 12:44

Well speaking as one of the evil farmers your talking about consider this.

Ive already done the quests, why else would i return if not for green farming.

(and purleeees dont say for the challenge, because its not really that challenging, esp as its so easy to do with 5 people).

Quote:

Anyone else have the same problem?
Any ideas on how Anet could address this complete imbalance?

highten the green drop rate, maybe.

Or give quests rewards other than a pointless 5k or whatever xp, its of no use.

Like i said for me and alot of other people theres no reason to go there again other than to help out guildees or to green farm. If im going there to green farm i wont go in a group larger than 5. Why, becuase even with 5 people your really lucky to get anything these days, forget about getting anything in an 8 man team.
And if im there with guildees to do missions, we wont take randoms anyway.

Dont take this as a whinge, as i think its ok as it is. But if you want to meet people there that are not just farming, those are some of the reasons why.

Kakumei · Feb 05, 2006, 12:49 PM // 12:49

Welcome to three months ago?

Seriously, this is nothing new at all.

=HT=Ingram · Feb 05, 2006, 01:14 PM // 13:14

I finished the fist 2 quests with henchies... and I still have the final quest to do... but honestly I'm in no hurry... The problem is if they complete the quests. Then they don't have access to it for what way too many people do... farming... But I can't complain... I mean. on occasion I'll admit I do go down there with friends for some fun. and normally yield a green or two for our efforts... But in reality its more about the fun of this quest area... SF is fantastic. Nice strong bosses... lots of degen mobs... Good groups of priests healing mobs... its just fun.... And the greens that drop... well that's just a bonus to the area as far as I'm concerned... Its not as long as the new tombs... and its not as short and many quests or missions... and its not expensive like the underworld or fissure of woe is... so hey. its a win win situation... Work with it...

Like many said. Pugs... generally speaking are going down there for one thing and one thing only. Greens... They will s(rew you over in a heart beat for the item they want NOW... and if they don't get it they are normally gone... Is that fun? of course not... The trick is to get with friends and go do whatever you want. Heck recently we were just going back and doing fun missions in new ways... Just cause we can... The new Underworld from tombs was possibly one of the BEST new additions to the game from the PvP preview... and I know everyone I play with say they enjoy it immensely... I mean what is there not to like about a Bonus high level Mob area that has great drops, and great chests. And at the end of a long and concentrated effort normally yields a green item or two... This is wonderful fun... Not farming drudgery... its not easy... small teams can be done, but not as quickly... so that encourages a full team... and the best thing is many builds can do it given enough time and most importantly Patience. This is what EARNING green items should always have been like. So as they were truely a feat worth trying and repeating...

Great job Anet... Thanks again... for possibility the last great addon for the classic age of Guild Wars... Both SF and the New Tombs are Crowning achievements to the PvE part of the Prophecies chapter. I am looking forward to seeing what you have in store in the next chapter...

=HT=Ingram

jaymat · Feb 05, 2006, 01:32 PM // 13:32

if u need the oro quest just go in a 5man farm team as they will get the quest completed anyway. just change ur build to fit what is needed

Kakumei · Feb 05, 2006, 01:35 PM // 13:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by =HT=Ingram

ellipses

Put more in next time okay?

LordDeArnise · Feb 05, 2006, 03:15 PM // 15:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaymat

if u need the oro quest just go in a 5man farm team as they will get the quest completed anyway. just change ur build to fit what is needed

It's a sound plan, but unless it's a full quest team going to do Oro, Ele's, Rangers, and Mesmers are out of the mix. The thread starter is right in that Stance Wars, SS and MM Necros, Healers, and Bonders, have it best in SF right now simply because if it's not for doing Oro and FA quests, then it is for going for those valuable greens that many people want (Drago's Sundering Flat Bow, Brohn's Staff, Razorstone, Malinon's Shield, etc.).

If you have a ranger, or a nuker, or a mesmer that can interrupt, your best bet, right now, is the new Tombs, as rangers seem to have it best there.

=HT=Ingram · Feb 05, 2006, 03:18 PM // 15:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kakumei

Put more in next time okay?

lol I know.... sorry...

Bleidd · Feb 05, 2006, 05:04 PM // 17:04

I'm in somewhat the same boat with my Elementalist. Partially because, well, she's an Elementalist. Partially because I've not been able to successfully hench the Priest Alkar part of the intial four-part quest (came close; henched the previous three).

I've no problems with folks farming, but its pretty difficult to find a group for quests most everyone has already done. I wound up in that boat when I took a few months off(line). I have a similar problem trying to find groups for the three titan quests, which are more or less impossible to hench near as I can tell (me and my three level 3 henchbots versus level 24 charr).

Savio · Feb 05, 2006, 08:29 PM // 20:29

1. PUGs are a pain to do Orozar with. Kill the Priest? Kill the Taskmasters? Protect Orozar? Don't lower the bridge yet? How many average players would bother to listen? It takes only one person to screw up the quest.

2. I still don't get why people insist on farming Orozar, as it was nerfed long before people called it "oro farming". I used to farm it, but mainly I went with groups doing the quest and finished the quest while killing all the bosses, which took a bit more time but netted quite a bit more in terms of experience and gold. There were others too that did that, the quest/farm runs.

3. It's just new groups thinking all you do is hit up a few bosses then botch the quest, which is pointless as you miss some of the better bosses. The drop rate is already abysmally low now, and it doesn't help if you only kill 4 out of 10 bosses. Rezoning back and re-entering Sorrow's Furnace isn't that much faster than just doing the mission.

4. Like others have said, a guild or group of friends would help you best. I'd take henchies before trying with any of the current groups. Hell, even the PUGs before "oro farming" were better than the groups farming it now.

SisterMercy · Feb 05, 2006, 09:29 PM // 21:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaymat

if u need the oro quest just go in a 5man farm team as they will get the quest completed anyway. just change ur build to fit what is needed

Not true. I'm currently taking a SS Necro in, and have had many a team say "oh sure, we'll finish the quest," only to have them all ditch when they've farmed what they wanted.

Which wouldn't be a problem if henchies' AI was slightly more than useless in this quest.

Blackest Rose · Feb 06, 2006, 01:51 AM // 01:51

Thanks for all the suggestions - I did do a quest successfully today with my guild (Alkar's one - where you split up).

It was fun.

Yes I realise that this is not a new problem but I still think that it's a problem.

One suggestion is since there are 4 missions - adjust the drop/xp rate between them to keep them all playing and make this known.
I know this makes it dynamic but it would encourage everyone to play the other missions and actually vary things a bit.

Again I have nothing against farming but when 100% of people are doing it in that area whats the point of actually having any quests.
I'm not looking forward to bringing my ele there - I suspect she will be the only ele in the district.

Kidney Licker · Feb 06, 2006, 02:26 AM // 02:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Savio

2. I still don't get why people insist on farming Orozar, as it was nerfed long before people called it "oro farming". I used to farm it, but mainly I went with groups doing the quest and finished the quest while killing all the bosses, which took a bit more time but netted quite a bit more in terms of experience and gold. There were others too that did that, the quest/farm runs.

Does that mean I can interest you in a Bortaks Bone staff for 90K?

The main (or at least original) reason is that the boss, Bortak Bonesetter, is only spawned during that quest.

Savio · Feb 06, 2006, 02:39 AM // 02:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kidney Licker

Does that mean I can interest you in a Bortaks Bone staff for 90K?

The main (or at least original) reason is that the boss Bortak Bonesetter is only spawned during that quest.

Oh, I know. Bortak Bonesmelter: 4/5, or 80% chance of spawning during the actual quest in battle. He could be one of the two bosses during the first quest, or one of two bosses in the second quest. Other choices during the quests are Rago Kindlerock, Graygore Boulderbeard, Korvald Willcrusher, and Malinon Threshammer. Bosses that spawn in set locations during Orozar are Tanzit Razorstone, Drago Stoneherder, Brohn Stoneheart, Villnar Painforge, Galigord Stonestrike, and Vokur Grimshackles.

What I don't get, however, is that a lot of "oro farming" groups don't attempt the quest, or they screw it up so badly it's obvious they have no clue how to do it. Plus nowadays drops are down to near nil and green prices have fallen drastically, so what anyone's getting out of it I don't know.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blackest Rose

One suggestion is since there are 4 missions - adjust the drop/xp rate between them to keep them all playing and make this known.
I know this makes it dynamic but it would encourage everyone to play the other missions and actually vary things a bit.

You'd have to make the greens chance drops at the end of the quest, a la Tombs right now. Otherwise you still have all the groups farming and not enough doing the quest. Most farmers don't care about XP but it is a draw for the average player looking for more skill points.

lg5000 · Feb 06, 2006, 03:55 AM // 03:55

Haven't been there in a long time (other than to buy greens) because I got sick of finding groups when everyone was only in it for the farming side of things. Guess I won't be in that area for quite a bit longer by the sounds of things.

Jay the Jake · Feb 06, 2006, 05:28 AM // 05:28

I agree go with guildies, friends or find another guild. Once a week we (being my guild) get together and go to UW, FOW and even SF to do the quests and have fun. If we get drops all the better, but the purpose is not to farm it. We dont just make a 5 man group. If we cant fill the team out with all guilds we invite a friend(s). Even on the offnights some of us will get together and do one of the quest then we will farm the area not as much for the drops but for the xp and to test different builds.