I took out a toon, today, to work on The Gathering Obsession quest and was delighted by the changes you all have made. I've harvested up to lvl 40, so far, and the only zone that is still a pita is Nek. I actually enjoyed doing the quest in all the other zones--even Zek. I'm hoping the higher zones as just as good since I have 14 more toons needing the quest. Fortunately, most of them were pretty good as they were. I'm sure all the other players, with fuzzy eyesight, will appreciate the improvements too. Quests should be fun, as well as a challenge, and now Gathering Obsession is both.
Huh, what did they change? It hasn't seemed any different for the ones I've done recently, but that was starting the level 50s on up to the end. I haven't been on yet today really.
Don't see anything related to it in the patch notes. So I don't think anything has changed. The main thing I find that makes it easier is harvest node tracking, but that takes a certain level of tradeskill. Which means it still has the same issues it has always had: 1. The quantity of each item needed from bushes is too high, resulting in you looking for bushes long after the rest are done. 2. It still requires you to go to specific zones for T2, T3, and T4, even though other zones in those tiers exist. 3. It still wants you to gather meat from dens at tiers in which the harvest rate of meat is low (T6, for example), resulting in you needing to trap a lot more.
No change to the quest that I am aware of, but since you no longer need to meet a minimum harvest skill for each tier to harvest commons then I guess you could consider the quest easier since you don't have to grind out the skills to finish it. It is still a good idea to improve your skills if you want the rares though. You will also need to be a 90+ tradeskiller to get the pony related quests.
I think this is probably the cause of the improvement. They did adjust Rivervale a while back to make it easier for low levels to harvest the items.
The fact that nobody notices the improvements proves that they didn't dumb down the game by making it easier for those players with poor eyesight.
You still haven't said what they did anytime recently. I seriously haven't seen a single thing different at all than we've seen for months at the very least. Nothing new has been added/changed since last November. They added more nodes at a faster respawn rate in Rivervale years ago at this point, they changed how harvests spawn in Nektulos a bit at the same time (and made it so you could climb up on the hills and such to harvest safely if you are really low in level). More recently they changed how harvesting works in that you can now harvest nodes of any tier at any skill of harvesting (except the bugged roots in Tenebrous Tangle). You just are restricted on getting rares until you meet the previous skill requirements. So what else has changed other than these not new changes?
I would say what I think the differences are but then everyone would complain about the changes lol. Let's just say I can harvest, in most areas now, even if I'm having a lupus flare, and my optic nerves are inflamed. Getting my first 21 characters through the Gathering Obsession quest was often awful. In contrast, I'm enjoying it now, for the most part--except Nek. They still need to work on that zone so I've spaced out my last 14 toons so they aren't all doing Nek at the same time.
Having done an insane number of gathering obsessions and ponies myself, I would seriously like to know what you think has changed. You've stated earlier it helped people with poor eyesight. Since you are being evasive about what you think has changed, I checked the zones with flora enabled and it's all exactly like it has been for years. I've checked the zones without flora enabled and it's also exactly like it has been for years. I've not noticed a difference in the size of nodes (if that changed it was subtle). So yes, I'd absolutely love to know what it is you think has changed, since flora and node size is what you've mentioned in the past. *I did notice that with flora on the flora seems to be loading smoother, which is nice. It's not popping up in my wake so much and seems to be appearing ahead of me fairly smoothly like it used in ages past again.
You are using your [tab] to locate nodes, yeah? Using [tab] may level the field sight-wise I have particular areas I harvest from - even with my 21 assassin/ 95 carp. It's is time consuming yet rarely very difficult. Having good music playing helps tremendously! The zone most difficult imo, is Ferrott! Which may be, in part, my inability to go to Ferrott & NOT gallop or fly around the entire zone looting pages. Happy Hunting!
I've been doing this quest very slowly over the past 5 years and the only improvements to ever come through are the track ability and the harvesting requirement. I suspect a video driver update did something. I don't get why we can't be informed of this alleged change, yet we've been privy to a plethora of things that are apparently wrong with the game.
I'm doing 2 more runs this week and I've seen no discernible difference in the experience. Bushes and dens still make this a terrible chore, unless you get really lucky.
I have seen absolutely zero change in harvesting, I'm at a total loss regarding the op and these secret changes. I'd really appreciate the op clarifying these changes, because I've not seen anything in the update notes (which I do read faithfully).
