What is the best ToV zone and why is is ToFS?

Discussion in 'The Veterans' Lounge' started by Sirene_Fippy, Jan 7, 2020.

  1. Sirene_Fippy Okayest Bard

    Please discuss.

    ToFS is an amazing zone revamp for these reasons (among others):
    • Zone looks amazing
    • Key method is clever and original
    • Named aren't too rare
    • Each floor has its own personality
    • Progression through the zone getting the keys feels like an accomplishment
    • Level design is creative & interesting
    I'm curious what zones other people like in ToV, and why.
    Scornfire, Zaray, Ssdar and 3 others like this.
  2. ROFL@mycorpse Journeyman

    I like Kael because it added a new way to play. It gives npcs to help kill the mobs. That's cool since the tank merc thing has been a flop.
    Gundolin likes this.
  3. Beimeith Lord of the Game

    Key zones best zones, as long as you don't need a picklock class.
  4. Sancus Augur

    I agree with these points. I especially think the uniqueness of each floor provides a really nice contrast to the rest of ToV which is otherwise all pretty white/icy. That's thematically appropriate for Velious obviously, but it makes ToFS, especially the upper floors, stand out even more for their varied visuals/settings.

    I really like that the keying didn't use the task window or have some overarching Partisan quest. It was fun hearing rumors/different accounts about how to get each key, and I say that as someone who spent ~10 hours doing incorrect things trying to get the keys. I also like that there isn't some massive carrot forcing you to do the keying; those who don't want to do it can just find someone with the keys to do the mercs and move on.

    I've enjoyed most of the other ToV zones. GD/EW are fine although they aren't really special (they're basically big ice squares), but the dungeons are all pretty cool IMO. I think it was a nice change from TBL. I loved that TBL had all new zones that were very visually appealing, but their layouts were really basic (mostly symmetrical circles with a lot of copy/pasting). I wish the ToV zones were new, but I really appreciate the more complex/less symmetrical layouts of the older dungeons.
    Sirene_Fippy likes this.
  5. Derresh Augur

    I dont really have a favorite so ill just point out things i liked about them.

    ToFS, because it is the only dark zone and my nerd light-sensitive eyes cant handle the brightness of everything being white.

    Velks, the amount of effort put into the old classic-velious dungeons always amazes me. Although new velks allows levitate and has 2-way fake walls instead of 1-way so it is not the true velks experience.

    EW, I like the rings of living ice going outward from sleepers it really intrigued me and made me want to know whats causing it. It was probably explained in the lore but i cant read so ill never know.

    Kael, using lev or jumping up the stairs in the south really made me feel like I was in a Giants home.
    Allayna and Sirene_Fippy like this.
  6. Lisard Silly

    my favorite zone is the mission 'Seeker the Sorcerer' because i like seeing how fast you can do the missions with different players of different classes. Fastest I've been able to do it was 43 seconds combined.

    *all the zones are reused zones so nothing special or exciting for me =P i did enjoy the restless ice protruding through the ground everywhere.



    1.
    /GU Restless Tijoely in 6s, 64669k @10778126 | SK 23625k@(3,937.5k in 6s) {H} | Berderper + pets 20668k@(4,133.5k in 5s) | Lisard 12846k@(3,211.6k in 4s) | Ranger 6728k@(1,345.7k in 5s) | Bard 801k@(267.2k in 3s)

    /GU Combined: Icebound Bledrek in 43s, 266.3m @6193546 | berdrper + pets 96150k@(2,289.3k in 42s) | Sk + pets 66619k@(1,549.3k in 43s) {H} | Lisard 59326k@(1,447.0k in 41s) | Ranger + pets 27326k@(650.6k in 42s) | brd + pets 14111k@(352.8k in 40s) | Havoc skpet 1699k@(62941 in 27s) | Clr 1090k@(38943 in 28s)

    2.
    /GU Restless Tijoely in 7s, 64698k @9242615 | Berderp + pets 28450k@(5,690.0k in 5s) | SK 24291k@(3,470.1k in 7s) {H} | Lisard 10630k@(1,518.5k in 7s) | burd 1103k@(157.6k in 7s) | Necro + pets 115k@(57481 in 2s) | necropet110k@(22074 in 5s)

    /GU Combined: Icebound Bledrek in 51s, 268.8m @5270873 | berdepr + pets 103.6m@(2,114.4k in 49s) | Lisard 67059k@(1,314.9k in 51s) | sk + pets 55205k@(1,082.5k in 51s) {H} | brd + pets 19380k@(380.0k in 51s) | necro + pets 14194k@(302.0k in 47s) | necropet 4674k@(93474 in 50s) | shm + pets 3866k@(99133 in 39s) | Havoc sk pet 829k@(37701 in 22s)

    3.
    /GU Restless Tijoely in 12s, 64655k @5387876 | berderper + pets 31593k@(3,949.1k in 8s) | Lisard 19123k@(1,912.3k in 10s) | Warrior 5832k@(486.0k in 12s) | rogue 5678k@(567.8k in 10s) | Burd 2429k@(220.8k in 11s)

    /GU Combined: Icebound Bledrek in 59s, 266.4m @4514499 | Berderper + pets 118.1m@(2,146.9k in 55s) | Lisard 73297k@(1,308.9k in 56s) | Rogue 27699k@(494.6k in 56s) | Warrior 22876k@(401.3k in 57s) | Burd + pets 22518k@(395.1k in 57s) | Scaledwolf + pets (lisards shm box)1844k@(48536 in 38s) | Reverse DS 41650@(1666 in 25s)

    4.
    /GU Restless Tijoely in 13s, 64783k @4983311 | berderper + pets 29947k@(2,994.7k in 10s) | Lisard 26645k@(2,049.6k in 13s) | monk 6545k@(595.0k in 11s) | BST + pets 1003k@(91200 in 11s) | Wizard 438k@(54758 in 8s) | Gator bst pet 205k@(22814 in 9s)

    /GU Combined: Icebound Bledrek in 73s, 266.2m @3646062 | Berderp + pets 100.9m@(1,461.8k in 69s) | Lisard 77791k@(1,065.6k in 73s) | monk 56783k@(799.8k in 71s) | wizard 20944k@(299.2k in 70s) | BST + pets 7937k@(111.8k in 71s) | Gator bst pet 1842k@(26317 in 70s)

    5.
    /GU Restless Tijoely in 11s, 64670k @5879126 | Berderper + pets 31321k@(3,915.1k in 8s) | Lisard 22549k@(2,254.9k in 10s) | PALADIN 4976k@(452.4k in 11s) | WArrRIor 2916k@(485.9k in 6s) | Burd 2905k@(290.5k in 10s) | Reverse DS 4250@(1062 in 4s)

    /GU Combined: Icebound Bledrek in 55s, 266.1m @4837896 | Berderper + pets 117.5m@(2,258.8k in 52s) | Lisard 76129k@(1,409.8k in 54s) | PALADIN 38602k@(701.9k in 55s) | Burd + pets 23747k@(439.8k in 54s) | WarRiOR 10005k@(196.2k in 51s) | Scaledwolf (lisard box shm) 139k@(69462 in 2s) | Reverse DS 4250@(1062 in 4s)

    6.
    /GU Restless Tijoely in 20s, 65621k @3281035 | Lisard 26871k@(1,791.4k in 15s) | Ranger 12540k@(1,254.0k in 10s) | WaRriOr + pets 12403k@(620.1k in 20s) | Ranger + pets 10089k@(593.5k in 17s) | Wizard 3718k@(413.1k in 9s) {M}

    /GU Combined: Icebound Bledrek in 92s, 267.1m @2903385 | Lisard 92688k@(1,065.4k in 87s) | Ranger + pets 54032k@(607.1k in 89s) | WizArd 46626k@(582.8k in 80s) {MM} | RangEr 39764k@(484.9k in 82s) | WarriOR + pets 33682k@(366.1k in 92s) | Scaledwolf (lisard box shm) 320k@(159.8k in 2s)
    aozs, Sirene_Fippy and Nniki like this.
  7. Nniki Augur

    Every expansion definitely needs a mission and a raid with a simple, fun burn.
    Lisard likes this.
  8. Nniki Augur

    I enjoy both ToFS and Velk's because it's fun to travel through them. As the OP stated, each floor of ToFS has its own personality. It's fun to do the run back up to the floor you left off with to continue your keying journey. Similarly with Velk's, it changes from spider ramps to a kobold camp to a hidden castle to underground tunnels. It's refreshing to move around inside. I love the fake walls... and just running around the zone.

    Also, I love the fact that when you finish keying in ToFS, you can simply click to the mirror room and pick the floor you want to go to. Such a simple reward that makes it all worth it.

    I really like how the library looks in the new version too.
    Sirene_Fippy likes this.
  9. Yinla Ye Ol' Dragon

    ToFS after the bottom floor. I dislike the bottom floor more than the rest of ToV put together.But then again ToFS was also my fav zone from original Velious. Really dislike it moving from Iceclad to Eastern Waste.

    Where did the stairs come from on the ghostly student floor? I'm sure the original didn't have them.

    Keys could use some improvement. I'd much prefer kill X amount and the key dropper spawns and is locked to you similar to PoWar rather than random that takes hours....yeah....yeah....EQ hates me!
  10. Moege Augur

    ToFS is okish what spoils the zone for me is the mobs warping/pathing issues. Pull one it warps and you have half the zone mobs on you. The other half of the zone which is player are yelling at you for the fun train you just caused.
  11. Hellowhatsyourname Augur

    The sequence quest for the 4th floor key really really irks me due to how easy it is to get screwed. I was on the 7th and final step the other day and a different group ported up from the 2nd floor and proceeded to train me. Boom. An hour-ish of work down the toilet while I was on the final step. I can't even tell you how angry I was.
  12. Ashian Augur

    I agree with Monge. I really like a lot of aspects of the zone. Camping the keys to progress upwards, the unique feel of each floor, etc. However, the pathing issues are just too problematic to make it enjoyable. I had warp trains when fighting on floor 4, floor 5, floor 6 (damn drolvarg guardians struggle to leave their rooms), and the top floor. It really ruins the experience when you’re trying to dungeon crawl. What’s worse is TOFS pathing issues have been known since release — and they still opted to recreate that zone instead of many others in ToV that I enjoyed.

    Unfortunately I don’t really have a “favorite” zone because none of them really appeals to me. I do hope that Sleeper’s Tomb was reserved as an anniversary zone because I think that would have been a really fun choice for a new zone. Revisiting Plane of Nature would have been fun too, although the zone geometry is simplistic and would end up being another open world GD/EW.
  13. Razorfall Augur

    Wow. Are these normal group numbers? Because our group is no where near that.
  14. Lianeb Augur

    I like how you think this is in any way an intentional thing. Get it while you can I guess.
  15. Lianeb Augur

    We did it in 50s last night with SK, SK, Pal, Bard, Bst, Shm
    SK, Bard, were full tbl the rest were alts in a mix of group gear and raid gear, mainly group gear
    Allayna likes this.
  16. Qbert Gallifreyan

    I want to say Kael but there are two main problems: stun immunity for the majority of mobs (to be expected, with giants), and the overwhelming brightness of the zone. I turned off advanced lighting for this zone for the first time since it has been a game option (it isn't even the ice itself that is the problem for me, just the glare).

    ToFS's issues are limited and mostly avoidable for me. The pathing has been mentioned, and while it isn't perfect, it can be worked around. The maze floor for example is cited as problematic pathing, but I actually used it to my advantage to split walkers apart (they might run crazy, but each mob always runs the same-way crazy depending upon where you are when you tag them). My least favorite floor is the top floor because getting past the first two areas before repops is pretty impossible for me due to fast respawn combined with see invis/ivu mobs and single mobs (bats) that turn into double mobs on death (vampires). I tried for a few hours to find a good pattern to make it through, but eventually DA-ran my bard through with corpses to the top of the staircase so I could finish the keying.
  17. Funky Augur

    personally i can't stand ToFS, didn't like it during original velious. still dont care for it..

    velks and kael by far my favorite. has been my favorite zone in game since velious and well... i just love them
  18. Tucoh Augur

    ToFS was my favorite by far.
  19. aozs Augur


    This is also my favorite. I like trying to speed run missions with my 6-box crew once I've finished the expansion.

    I've always figured groups of actual players would destroy my box crew, but I wasn't sure how big the gap would be. My best is 69s so far:

    /GU Combined: Icebound Bledrek in 69s, 266.0m @3855236sdps | Berserker 72165k@1,045.9k sdps [27.13%] | Rogue 52173k@756.1k sdps [19.61%] | Paladin 50140k@726.7k sdps [18.85%] | Warrior 50133k@726.6k sdps [18.85%] | Shaman + pets 21152k@306.5k sdps [7.95%] | Bard + pets 17336k@251.2k sdps [6.52%] | Unknown Class (shaman pet) 2913k@42223sdps [1.1%]

    Your post is giving me new ideas now though. I see that you're burning on Tijoely immediately; I've been "soft burning" him and going big on the 2nd guy because the awkward 5-6sec delay for him to activate is wasted burn time. I suppose if you clear everything super fast, that doesn't really matter much.

    Thanks for sharing
  20. Scornfire The Nimbus Prince

    I like to go thru each floor in ToFS and make unsolicited dance videos with unsuspecting guildmates

    My only disappointment is the ice river in GD not actually being Ice. I wanted to skate down it like the Rideau canal and pretend I was Sidney Crosby on an endless breakaway, I demand a refund