Over the last like 15 years I have only ever played on either FV or TLP server so I dont really understand how people gear on other servers. On TLPs since everyone progresses at the same pace getting geared is easy as there are multiple guilds raiding current content as you go forward and every popular zone has multiple picks. On FV you can just buy all the gear you need to hit 110 from the bazaar for next to nothing. So on a normal server how do people get gear as they level? I know the Defiant stuff is great but after like lvl 75 it becomes pretty bad and there arent even high level versions of it. What do people do to get gear from 75-110 when they can start raiding? I mean are there still groups doing stuff from SoD through newer expansions where you can either find good camps on run missions in order to get geared? Or does basically everyone 6 Box until they hit 110 or buy a PL?
There are quite a few ways from 75 on up - Hardcore Heritige is coming up so might score some drops on that but just for every day play you can follow any of the armor guides out there. This is a good post and in that post are links to more posts with suggestions https://forums.daybreakgames.com/eq/index.php?threads/lvl-75-gear-xp.246744/ and this is another one - https://forums.daybreakgames.com/eq/index.php?threads/gearing.246566/ I used class specific stuff such as oow armor for the clickies and also some paragon from Oceangreen/900 hp for level 75 on most of my guys. Then at level 80 ish you can do the abstruse gear in HOT. Nice stuff and if you do it with player made templates it drops the cost down. I sell the templates in baz for 2 or 3k each all the time. Up at 90 you can do other zones for higher armor.And so forth - it continues as you level - each expansion has level related gear. If you want to buy the gear you can - look in baz but its sometimes expensive.
Truth is, your up against it. I'm not going to lie or blow sunshine. That said, here is my story and some possible options. I started on a new sever about 3 years ago with the plan below. I had several accounts with heroic characters when I started on a new server. I deleted some of the unused heroics and started a 3 box group of tank, bard, caster with 3 mercs. From that point, i talked to teek everyday and if he had bonus daily HAs for me, I ran them. If I had to do an extra one to unlock the bonus one he was offering, I did that. Even the non-bonus ones are good xp at level 85. You will run into some you can't finish until you start getting better armor. You can use the coins you get for CoTF and TBM daily HAs to obtain nice upgrades to the heroic gear. Gear up a bit along the way, and keep plugging. It doesn't take that long to get to level 100 using the daily bonus HAs (some you can't access due to level or required progression, don't sweat it. Do something else that day...work on House of Thule progression or something). Just as a refresher, many of the Call of the Forsaken daily HAs come in groups of 3. You have to do them in order. Teek may give you HA 2, so you won't be able to pick it up until you complete 1. Request 1 and complete it..then do you bonus one. Use fan sites to look up the Daily HAs (Heroic Adventures). So, one path to gearing up from 80-100 is to do daily HAs and turn currency into gear upgrades. That should get you into EoK tier 1 names and cohorts gear. You are off to the races at that point. I personally dumped my other two toons once I got my main into a guild and I just played my main. I HATE boxing, but I did find it to be a necessity. I wish i could say otherwise. You don't have to use heroic characters. You can box from 1-70 fairly easy...then follow the advice above once daily bonus HAs open up. Plan B...you can log onto a server, hang out in general. Try to build relationships. Hope to land with a casual guild that has people boxing their alts that would love to have a real player join in. Those situations do exist. If you are not socially awkward like me, you can just walk up to boxers and say, "Hey, can I replace your merc?" They will either ignore you, make up an excuse (I won't be here that long is the top one), or take you up on your offer. Nothing ventured...nothing gained.
The whole post was good advice and I agree with it, but I wanted to speak to this bit. I often solo and occasionally encounter someone asking if they can join me for a group. The above is my usual answer - but it's not an excuse. The reality is - I solo specifically when I don't have the time or attention necessary to be a fair groupmate - when I need to frequently AFK, or I'm watching a show and just messing around, or only on for 10-15 minutes. I'd strongly bet that's the same reason for most other folks, too.
Understood. I when I boxed, I gave the same answer if it was appropriate. However, I did let quite a few join me for the daily HAs. I just had to explain politely that I can barely box...and I certainly can't chat and box! That is sad, because the social aspect of the game is something I enjoy. All of that said, I continue to believe there are a fair number of boxers who box because they prefer their own company and they simply can't be bothered. I really don't have an issue with it. When I give the advice to ask others if you can join, I fill obligated to level set the expectations against what I actually experienced when I was in that situation.
GMM is a loot pinata Conflagarant available in the bazaar as a workable base level Join a guild and there will likely be T2 TBL stuff rotting all the time.
Ditto here. I have adult responsibilities and my playtime is HIGHLY fragmented and unpredictable. It's not fair to any PUG or guild group to join only to go AFK every three minutes or leave after 5 minutes. So I box.
Plenty of options. Around 75 where defiant get real ineffective, two options open: CotF HAs and TBM. Also with group, can start working Oceangreen and get some Paragon gear. Running HAs one starts accumulating marks of valor, those can be bartered for fairly decent gear in EWK. Occasional named drop helps too. TBM, one needs to try and find some levelled folks who can take them through Into the Temple mission, then they can buy remnants on bazaar and use TBM stuff. Not the best option, but better than using defiant. Going Heroic is a huge shortcut basically full set of T1 HoT included, and you can quest for a set of fairly decent augs. Bazaar options: look for Fear Touched, it yields Boreal usable at 92, and is a better option than most other at that level. Other RoF drops, also req.92, can be found. At 100, there is Castaway from TDS. Then you pretty much wanna run TBM HAs cause thats where you earn lvl 101-105 RkII spells. Lots of remnants too which lets you eventually upgrade to better TBM augs. By 105 can be doing EoK, people grind there a lot and T1 group (Cohorts) stuff often goes to rot. Once hit 106, can wear Conflagrant which is crafted. Cloak and shoulders quite easy to get with 200 fishing and tailoring. By this time, you ought to be in some guild, and doing TBL content. And yeah, GMM too, though all gear there is lvl 110.
