Opinion from a so called Casual Player on AOM and recent Changes The new spell system as example. I have a LV 100 Sage, what for ? Only reason to make a Expert spell now, is to lower the research time, or the SC needed, to upgrade to a GM spell. I am still using the 10 level lower masters, cause they are better than the current expert ones. Right now FTP People have scribed the better spells, they scribe their masters, stupid me collects them in hope to get a Ultra Rare to make a GM out of it. At the current drop rate, gathering daily, I maybe will find my first Ultra Rare in 2016. I play EQ2 since the Release with a few breaks in between, always paid for my Account(s). I was raiding and grouping for many years, now I mainly solo or play with friends in small groups. I don’t have the time anymore and play to relax, nonetheless I want to progress too. A new Xpack usually opens old content for me I could not play earlier. I always run my main through the new Xpack 1st, my alts I level in new content until I get bored doing the same again, then I move to old content to make some exp there. Now I can’t do that anymore, as example, killing a lv 95 Giant in Kael gave me 2exp + 3exp bonus. I don’t want to pl in old content DM Style, I only want to progress at least a bit killing things in old zones, so it’s fun. New Solo and Advanced Solo zones are real unrewarding right now, the bosses in the normal zones mostly don’t even drop anything. The Advanced Solo zones are, playing for 30 to 60 minutes, to get a item to transmute and a few Adornments to sell. Are Master Spells even on the loot table in Advanced Solo’s? I’ve never seen one drop so far. Why don’t new Mercs drop in the Advanced Solo’s? I for myself canceled my subscription, using up some dusty Kronos. If they change back some things I am more than happy to subscribe again. I still play but see myself log in less and less. Greetings Sepp
As far as I can remember new tier expert spells have never been better than previous tier masters. The expectation for masters and additional loot to drop in Adv Solos is a bit far reaching. The sole point of adv solo is to allow a player to gear up to the point of being able to run the easy/entry level heroics and gear up further from there to progress in the game. Not sure why an adv solo is taking so long. I am sure class has some effect on time but really they shouldn't take any longer than 15 mins at the most. The alt/XP issue which is more prevalent after this DM xp change and stuff is a tough argument for the players since having alts and leveling is a choice on the players side and not a requirement. If a person chooses to have multiple characters then they need to go through the motions to level them up.
I keep seeing this posted, but I'm not sure I agree. Although I don't really memorize this stuff, I swear it has been the case in the past that the current tier experts were better than last tier masters, even if by a very small margin. I could be totally wrong though, I'd be happy for someone to post a screen shot confirming or debunking it, as I am genuinely curious. Right now on my server people are selling Warlock experts for 200+ plat each. It's cheaper to buy last tier's masters, tbh.
I think the point you all missed is that the advanced solo progression is a very limited one. the mobs have no loot tables so finding even a rare master or GM just will never happen. yeah there is a progression level for the solos but often the end result isn't very worthwhile. as a purely solo player the last 2 expansions have been quite boring.
Granted, my fury is one of my lucky toons, but I have had an exquisite chest drop off trash in the Hidden Caldera advanced solo, so the chance is there. It dropped a level 99 illy master. I've also had an exquisite drop off the named in the AS zones as well, and had a 279 stat/21k resist fabled ring drop from it. There is a chance for nice stuff to drop in the advanced solos. Just got to run them.
If I didn't have the time I do to play EQ2, I don't think I would ever get anywhere with any class! That said though, it has been alot of fun doing the quests, and the occasional advanced solo instance to give relief from grinding. I am glad I started on AB, it seems that other servers seem to be faring worse, but from what I have seen so far being part of a guild and networking with other guilds has led to lots of friendships and groups for whatever content I wish to do! In the long run, the drops don't really matter against the experience of the content. Which has been spectacular thus far!
adv solo's take too long to run considering you only get one chance at useable loot. Not fun spending an hour to get a ring that isn't as good as handcrafted.
I've picked up a master for my own class in a solo zone, so I think the value is there. The recent adjustment to xp, where bonuses apply to these missions, is good too. I ran a solo zone (with a friend) on a lower character (~95) and got about 1/5th a level for about a half hour (maybe less) of work.
I logged in today after a couple of days of doing other things. That has been the pattern lately log in one day and then walk away dissatisfied for two or three days. During my time to playing I asked myself what the heck am I doing? I play MMORPG games for the high fantasy: elves, orcs, dragons etc. and here I am playing a cross between a pirate move and "land of the lost". What is going on? Throw in the creeping in of raid mechanics into heroic zones, strange mouse over antics and a hamster wheel that no one is even bothering to throw a sheet over any more and I ask myself; is this the game I want to play? For the moment it is by default (all the others are worse) but for how much longer?
They need to change the loot tables of the solo's and Advance solo's to give a rare of something, maybe purple patterns blank runes or the rare to make the rune. Or even a chance for a Grand Master component. At least last expansion you could run the zones for war runes patterns and purple and ethereal adornments now its completely pointless once you're geared. I have had most of the fable items dropped nothing much more to do in the zone. The zones become obsolete. Which leave trying to form groups on mostly empty servers. Sadly the damage has been done I cant group have no intention of trying to level my 22 level 95 alts to 100. You can only one shot the solo and advance solo names so many times before it also becomes boring, They leave little to do that is not a grind that gives little reward. I have spent a few days even harvesting to keep myself occupied waiting for that rare PUG until raid starts. I have now started going to other games to fill my time until raid and am seeing more and more people do the same. Until you make basic changes like putting xp back into the game and stop funnelling the game into PLAY EQ2 SOE's way and give it back to the player base to choose how they level how they play the game this game will dwindle and continue to dwindle.
