Current expansion group content gear should have current expansion focus. Does current expansion raid content drop current expansion focus items or do you have to farm it a while?
/agreed Group T1 gear should have been scrapped just like raid T1 was. Tempest and KattaB should have been the same tier as the Caverns and Brother Island and dropping what is currently T2 items: relevant focus and upgrades from CotF T2. There is not enough content in TDS for 3 tiers, and the 'overlap/catch-up' T1 was a waste. I guess there was an order from up high to corral all players into this expansion by force. RoF got destroyed by nerfs, and CotF was also going to be destroyed by nerfs (and was partially saved by the player outrage). But since everybody was supposed to be in TDS from day 1, they made this useless T1 and wasted 2 zones on it. TDS really starts from T2. Just ignore the T1 garbage.
I could get on board with a 2 tiered system for groupers. I'm not dissatisfied with the HME on t1. You could make the focus current and I would be fine. Make t2 what is currentjy t3 with slightly better HME and focus and I'm done whining. This is the first expansion that I can think of where the gear dropped is really only appropriate for the past expansion.
Oops, to the Rk.3 VoA spell, comparing Level 94 and 104 is deliberate. Casting Level 99 Pyre is often a really good idea. Sometime after that before the Level 99 Pyre wears off it will often be a good idea to cast another Pyre from a level that ends in a 9 or a 4. Other classes like Wizards are in sync with "There's no reason for any CoTF raider to buy the majority of rk1 spells." Buff type spells are normally an upgrade at Rk.1 but: [35782/16506] Bucolic Harvest Rk. III Classes: WIZ/97 Skill: Alteration Mana: 1 Target: Self Resist: Beneficial, Blockable: Yes Casting: 12s, Recast: 7m, Timer: 3, Rest: 3s 1: Increase Current Mana by 21722 [44589/16606] Quiescent Harvest Classes: WIZ/102 Skill: Alteration Mana: 1 Target: Self Resist: Beneficial, Blockable: Yes Casting: 12s, Recast: 7m, Timer: 3, Rest: 3s 1: Increase Current Mana by 21722 [40365/9554] Shield of Fate Rk. III Classes: NEC/97 WIZ/97 MAG/97 ENC/97 Skill: Abjuration Mana: 930 Target: Self Resist: Beneficial, Blockable: Yes Casting: 4.5s, Recast: 1.5s, Rest: 1.5s Duration: 90m (900 ticks), Extendable: Yes, Dispelable: Yes 1: Absorb Spell Damage: 60% over 8000, Total: 136435 2: Absorb Melee Damage: 75% over 10000, Total: 104469 [44360/9654] Shield of Consequence Classes: NEC/102 WIZ/102 MAG/102 ENC/102 Skill: Abjuration Mana: 977 Target: Self Resist: Beneficial, Blockable: Yes Casting: 4.5s, Recast: 1.5s, Rest: 1.5s Duration: 90m (900 ticks), Extendable: Yes, Dispelable: Yes 1: Absorb Spell Damage: 60% over 12000, Total: 146668 2: Absorb Melee Damage: 75% over 12000, Total: 112304 You can discuss whether taking more damage but the Shield potentially lasting longer is an upgrade or not. Rk.2-3 also let 12k through so frequently recasting you probably wouldn't ever use the TDS version. [35510/6502] Shield of the Dauntless Rk. III Classes: NEC/96 WIZ/96 MAG/96 ENC/96 Skill: Abjuration Mana: 1179 Target: Self Resist: Beneficial, Blockable: Yes Casting: 9s, Recast: 1.5s, Rest: 1.5s Duration: 90m (900 ticks), Extendable: Yes, Dispelable: Yes 1: Increase Max HP by 3588 2: Increase AC by 270 3: Stacking: Block new spell if slot 1 is 'Max HP' and < 4588 6: Increase Magic Resist by 138 [44357/6602] Shield of the Pellarus Classes: NEC/101 WIZ/101 MAG/101 ENC/101 Skill: Abjuration Mana: 1238 Target: Self Resist: Beneficial, Blockable: Yes Casting: 9s, Recast: 1.5s, Rest: 1.5s Duration: 90m (900 ticks), Extendable: Yes, Dispelable: Yes 1: Increase Max HP by 3857 2: Increase AC by 284 3: Stacking: Block new spell if slot 1 is 'Max HP' and < 4857 6: Increase Magic Resist by 138 Direct upgrade if no Shaman are around, rock on~! Telanaga Rk. III to Telenara - upgrade due to Level cap Stonescale Husk Rk. III to Doomscale Husk - upgraded buff Armor of the Stonescale Rk. III to Armor of the Codex - upgraded buff Bleakmist Guard Rk. III to Darkmist Guard - upgraded buff Aegis of Velishan Rk. III to Aegis of Saturn - upgraded buff There's no reason for any Wizard CoTF raider to buy the >>majority<< of rk1 spells. - absolutely, if you're new enough to not have RoF Rk.3 you're also new enough you're likely in soft cap at 100 focus effects. There's no reason for any Necro CoTF raider to buy the >>majority<< of rk1 spells. - not so much, DoTs work differently than nukes.
I just played EQ for 8 out of the last 9 days in a row (excepting Thanksgiving) for at least 8 hours each day (usually more). Some was progression (up through Dino Island), some was PS camping in Degmar, and some was Hunters in Katta, TT and BI. Out of all of those hours and at least 36 named kills, I saw 4 PSes, approximately 8 visibles, and about 10 spell frags (almost all of which were median). Yes, these were T1 & T2 stuff, but it's still a viable example.
The only plus side to t1 I've found is having attuneable gear to sell. It's crummy gear but at least while the expansion is new, it's selling pretty well on my trader right now. In a month or two though the market will be sufficiently flooded to make it 100% pointless though, I agree .
When spells are still selling for upwards of 250k in the bazaar after a month of the expansion being live, they're probably a little bit too rare. Visibles could probably be a little more common as well. Doing hunter through both Katta and TT I think I got 4 visibles (and a nice tradeable raid ring)
Pyre of Jorobb and the pet swarm were actually the only two spell rk1's I bothered using. 3849 per tick vs 3666 per tick looks like a minor upgrade until you take into account focus effect degradation and the loss of focus effect from the BP. Then you add in the fizzles and increased mana cost of the new spells and it becomes even worse. The pyre of jorobb line is also the only one that sees regular use for three expansions. Some are lucky to see use over two expansions. The rest: practically worthless.
You can throw the kill collectibles into the rare category as well. They also drop too infrequently. I've killed 100's of birds in BI, and still do not have 1 red mite.
I spent my evening in Arx last night in the broom room trying to get a charm upgrade and maybe a visible. Over the course of about 5 hours I saw 2 Mothers. She dropped 1 charm and 1 rogue weapon, no visible, no spell. It is starting to seem like the only way possible to gear up is going to be to farm HA's which I thought was deemed "not fun" by the powers that be.
I'm pretty positive that you are supposed to farm TDS HA's for the currency and buy most of your visible armor, while camping named for the non-visibles and weapons during the lockouts. All those HA's are trash clears, and trash in them drops rk2 spells as well (don't neglect to loot those corpses!)
I spent a the majority of the four day weekend in Arx. The named do not spawn often. One named took 14 hours of camping to pop. Though, it popped back to back and then nothing for another 3 hours.
So, just to be clear, farming the same HA's in CotF = not fun. However, farming the same HA's in TDS = fun. I just wanted to clarify that. The logic is infallible. Whatever I guess. I need the gear so off I go.
My 1 spell we've seen drop has increased now to 2 spells that have dropped for a group I've been in in TDS. Hubby got one, I got 1 (and a 3rd I've seen as a kind guildie gave me one so I had = to merc buffs/Surety Rk. II).
