Goblin Squad Member
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This is not a challenge about power. This is a challenge about skill.
Challenge: Using a party of only 1st rank characters, built only with the 1000 experience point at character creation, how strong a monster party can you take out without losing anyone?
Can the team from Aragon do better than the team from Phaeros? Can the dwarves of Forgeholm do better than the elves of RiverBank? Who will be the best over everyone else?
Purpose: A lot of Alpha has seen powerful parties/groups with quality gear bulling through monster encounters. In the first week of EE there will be no such gear. The purpose of this challenge is to see just how strong a monster encounter a low level party can take on successfully to gain higher value loot before the crafting economy gets into full swing. By successfully, I mean with as few characters having to re-spawn as possible. Time is important when taking on an escalation or an escalation quest. Having to wait for party members to re-spawn and re-join the party takes away from that time. A smart party can progress a little slower using tactics rather than brute strength, and still be faster that the brute strength party in collecting loot. Gaining loot faster will mean an economic advantage for new characters that will make them valuable to settlements.
Reward: At the end of each week up until the start of EE, the team with the highest score (as defined below) will have a topographic feature in the Unofficial PFO Atlas named after that team.
Timeframe: The challenge will be conducted each week until the start of EE. The first challenge period will end at 11:00 pm Sunday, December 21, 2014.
To Enter the Challenge: Post to this thread the name of your team and who you represent to indicate if you want to accept this challenge. A separate thread will be available each Friday for you to post your encounter scores for that week’s Sunday deadline.
Challenge Rules:
1. Each team must be composed of characters built ONLY with the 1000 exp awarded at character creation.
2. Each team may be composed of any combination of character race or role, as long as each character meets the 1000 exp criteria.
3. Each team may be composed of more than the six characters that form a party, but there are point penalties for these additional characters.
4. The score for an encounter will be marked as follows:
- +2 point for the level of each monster in the encounter based on the monster level from Dazyk’s PFO Quick Reference Monsters tab (just because it is convenient to use)
- +1 points for each monster in the encounter
- -5 point for each character re-spawn during the encounter
- -2 for each additional character that participates in the encounter outside first 6
- +5 points for each character less than six at the start of the encounter (i.e., +5 for a party of 5, +10 for a party of 4, etc.) provided that no additional players participate after the beginning of combat
6. Only encounters that are completed (all monsters killed) can be eligible for the challenge.
7. Encounters must be completed within 15 minutes from the start of combat to be eligible for the challenge.
8. Teams will report the results for an encounter they enter as follows:
- Team name
- List each character by name, race, and role that participate in the encounter
- List the number, type and level of each monster in the encounter
- List the number of times characters had to re-spawn before the end of the encounter
Examples:
- Party of 4 vs encounter of 5 skeletons with 2 character re-spawns = 15 [+10 for number in party, +5 for number of monsters, +10 for total monster levels (2*1), -10 for re-spawns]
- Party of 6 vs encounter of 1 Ogre and 2 goblin bombers with no re-spawns = 21 [+0 for number in party, +3 for number of monsters, +18 for total monster level (5*2 for ogre, 2*2 for each bomber)]
- Party of 8 vs encounter of 3 adventurer skeletons with 4 character re-spawns = 15 [-4 for number in party, +3 for number of monsters, +36 for total monster level (6*2 each), -20 for re-spawns]
Things to Consider:
- Before you start your encounter, it would be good to do some spying on the area to determine which encounter could give you the highest score if successfully completed. That makes it easier to record monster type and number.
- This challenge assumes that you will be honest. You could lie, but you never know when you might be observed by members of a competing team who will rat you out.
- Any yahoo can cut down a tree with an ax. Can you do it with a knife?
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Goblin Squad Member
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Are you limiting the gear ?
If the first example is generic skeletons it is solo-able with a 1000 point char with wizard staff and any ranged AoE cantrip (other than neg energy) plus Wraiths Cry (sonic).
I think example two may be solo-able with a 1000 point char as well if setup right and you use hit and run tactics but have not tried this one :D
Also, I would prefer that teams did try to record their encounters in some form. A simple screen shot every minute or so would suffice for me.
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Goblin Squad Member
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@sspitfire1, I agree. A screen shot before and after would be good documentation.
@Neadenil, That could be true, but not for 3 red Razmerian priests in 15-minutes. But remember, it is a challenge with only that which you can have with 1000 exp. I will probably need to add a rule that the teams can not use loot from the encounters in other encounters. This is a challenge of skill, not equipment. A few re-spawns will probably push a solo beyond the 15-minute time limit for an encounter.
@Nihimon, I don't think so. This is a challenge directed toward seeing just how big a monster can an entry level party take down rather than how to clear escalations. I want to have the teams find the biggest, baddest group they can and see if they can take them with very little. To do so I believe will require tactics and maximizing the strengths of the roles. Remember that there is a 15 minute time limit to taking out an escalation. The hit and withdraw techniques alone may not be the best strategy for the highest score.
Good comments, all.
I will probably need to add a rule that the teams can not use loot from the encounters in other encounters. This is a challenge of skill, not equipment.
Uh... so we have to use clubs, wands, shortbows and peasants clothes??? I mean, I know that is not what you mean (I hope it isn't, anyways). Please clarify.
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Goblin Squad Member
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@Illilili, a solo entry doesn't match the definition of a team, so a solo entry would be ineligible. However, I may need to set a minimum number of characters to define a team.
@sspitfire1, I ran anrond for an hour last night with a fighter 1 and got light armor and an ax. I should have saved my exp until I got a good weapon and the armor, then trained to use them. That character has only 15 exp left (character not training to gain exp). So I have to discard my comment about not using loot. I think that if a team starts out as individuals first, then comes together and shares their loot to first start out (as I expect that is what parties will do in the very beginning of EE), that still meets the spirit and intent of the challenge. Naturally, as a first rank party they will gain loot. What the party does with it is the more important thing. I think I will ask the winning teams to talk about their winning encounter to share how they approached it and with what.
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Goblin Squad Member
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But remember, it is a challenge with only that which you can have with 1000 exp. I will probably need to add a rule that the teams can not use loot from the encounters in other encounters. This is a challenge of skill, not equipment.
Do you mean that we should only be using the Club we start with?
[Edit] I see Sspitfire already asked this. I would think the best choice would be to limit all Characters to gear that could drop from mobs. Requiring a team to actually loot the equipment they're going to use seems like it would be unnecessary unless there's an overall time limit from the time the Character is created, and if there is then it seems like it would be too subject to the whims of the Random Number Generator.
I intend to use the starter versions of Runespun Robes, Apprentice's Charged Staff, and Apprentice's Charged Wand, along with some Lesser Tokens of Curing. Does that seem reasonable?
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Goblin Squad Member
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The question I would ask is "Is this starting equipment/gear (for the purpose of forming a beginning party) something that a rank 1 role would get from solo play loot?" I think that looting as a rank 1 role would put reasonable limits on equipment to begin a party of rank 1 characters. Another way of asking the question could be "What equipment would be a reasonable expectation of equipment/gear that a character would have in the first few days of EE?"
And the answer would simply be: If mobs drop it, it is legal. If they don't, then it is not. So I can't load myself up with all my spare curing potions and alch's fires. But I can pass a +0 longbow over to him, along with some pot steel plate or hide and steel banded or whatever.
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Goblin Squad Member
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The question I would ask is "Is this starting equipment/gear (for the purpose of forming a beginning party) something that a rank 1 role would get from solo play loot?" I think that looting as a rank 1 role would put reasonable limits on equipment to begin a party of rank 1 characters. Another way of asking the question could be "What equipment would be a reasonable expectation of equipment/gear that a character would have in the first few days of EE?"
I think "gear that could drop from mobs" fits that description exactly, as does the list of equipment I provided.
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Goblinworks Executive Founder
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Expendables have an XP cost to learn. Encouraging use of consumables also works towards the goal of the contest.
I do see a major flaw with the scoring: a party of one scores 28 points for killing a goblin. I propose limiting the points possible from undersized groups to half of the total points scored.
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Goblin Squad Member
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Expendables have an XP cost to learn.
Very good point; I withdraw my suggestion that they be banned.
I do see a major flaw with the scoring: a party of one scores 28 points for killing a goblin. I propose limiting the points possible from undersized groups to half of the total points scored.
Perhaps a static modifier times the net difference in player party size vs monster camp size?
NOOOO!!! No minimum party size of 3. Minimum party size of 2. Two makes a team. Well anyways, Nihimon and I are enough for 3, so what evs.
Whatever Nihimon is about to post, he cheated!
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Goblin Squad Member
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So, just for fun:
Event 1
18: 3 x Ogre Breaker (Ogre Runt Level 3)
4: 1 x Goblin Shaman (Level 2)
4: 1 x Goblin Dog (Level 2)
25: Party of 1
51 Points
Event 2
84: 7 x gutglut biter (Dread Ghoul Wolf Level 6)
25: Party of 1
-5: One respawn
104 Points
Event 2 is why I suggested a penalty for each mob reset.
Documented in Event2_1.mp4 and Event2_2.mp4 (I started to give up after I died, then remembered it was only -5 points) at Videos (once they finish uploading).
[Edit] Event 2 Start Time 1:36 AM Server, End Time 1:45 AM Server.
So, (showing my ignorance) could a 1st rank wizard get a wand and staff with those spells shown in the video within the 1000 exp of a starting character?
Yes
Hammar, Nihimon and I cleared a group of 11 Moloch's.
1xHigh Priest
2xMoloch Captains
2xPriest
1xMoloch Knight
3xMoloch Adepts
1xHellhound
(8+8*2+6+6*2+4*3+4)*2+10+(6-3)*3=145 Points
Screenshots to come.
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Goblin Squad Member
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So, (showing my ignorance) could a 1st rank wizard get a wand and staff with those spells shown in the video within the 1000 exp of a starting character?
I did :) I still have 233 XP unspent from my 1,000. And I'm using Runespun Robes +0, Apprentice's Charged Staff +0, and Apprentice's Charged Wand +0 (the starter one).
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Goblin Squad Member
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So, (showing my ignorance) could a 1st rank wizard get a wand and staff with those spells shown in the video within the 1000 exp of a starting character?
Anything in the bottom row of the UI is a Cantrip and fine to train and use as a beginner.
The tricky bit may be getting the basic charged staff if you are totally solo, as it may take a few hours grinding low level monsters before one eventually drops. The wand you get for free.
A wizard staff with Wraith Cry and Wilting Surge and a wand with windrider is probably the optimal beginner weapon/attack combo for a 1000 XP character - even if later on you intend to build something totally different like a cleric.
Edam, we totally disproved that claim tonight.
It is only optimal if you are taking on very low level mobs. Once you get into the T2 and T3 mobs, the only thing that is viable is a Longbow Exploit- and a lot of them.
We came across an Ustalav Hero- a level 18 mob- and very slowly killed it. I ran in circles, healing myself, while Hammar hit it with the long bow exploit for around 100 damage, and Nihimon pretended to do stuff with cantrips.
Level 8 Melee mobs seem to all have a 45 or higher Physical Resistance, so only exploits can punch through it for a level 1 character. The wizard can still deal damage, but it gradually decreases to nothing at the highest level mobs.
That said, we found the one encounter we probably were not going to be able to beat with our party of 3 1000 exp characters: 2 Knight Legends (level 21), 1 Knight Hero (level 18), 1 Knight Captain (level 11). We'd killed everything else in that mob (it was a 216 point mob in total); but the Legends- they hit with a 35m stun that lasts a LONG time. So, with that said, if you are game for some heavy hitting 1K exp play, we need a party of 6 to see if we can take down the Legends.
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Goblin Squad Member
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... while Hammar hit it with the long bow exploit for around 100 damage, and Nihimon pretended to do stuff with cantrips....
Hey! I was doing around 20 points of damage for every 100 Hammar did!
The wizard can still deal damage, but it gradually decreases to nothing at the highest level ...
It's all about Precise ('bout Precise... 'bout Precise...). I have enough room on my bar for Force Hail, and still have 233 of my starting 1,000 XP unspent. It's less than half the damage factor of Basic Longbow Exploit and only Precise +20, but it doesn't require Opportunity and I can add True Strike for another +30.