How does ToA work?

[Shadoo]

Hi
Im making my not so triumphant return camelot and i have ordered ToA but im not quite sure how this works. I know that you can get master levels and scrolls and artifacts. What is all this about. What are all these Ml raids ive been hearing about?

 

[FoxeH]

ml raids are just a bunch of people doing the mls together to make it easier.
what you'll get out of toa is;
better graphics & own UI skins
uber itmes
uber abilities
a hell of alot more PvE
fun

 

[Blondy]

& Half-trolls

 

[Pogel]

OK, aside from the general features like improved gfx engine and interface the bulk of ToA is its PvE content. This can be broken down into the following:

Master Levels

Essentialy MLs are sets of quests. There are 10 MLs and you progress through them by completing all of the quests for that level. There are 10 quests for each ML (e.g. ML 1.5 refers to the fifth quest of the first ML) and you can do these in any order, except you'll only get credit for the last of each level 1.10, 2.10, etc. if you have completed all the others. Additionally you need Master Level XP to complete the level and you get this by helping out others to do the quests that you have already done.

To start doing the MLs you first need to speak to an NPC in the Hall of Heroes (ToA entrance zone). From then on you can use the /master command, which will show you a list of the quests for your level along with clues as to what to do. When you complete a quest it will be shown as [Done]. The quests will show whether they need to be done solo, with a single group or with a battlegroup.

Each ML will give you additional abilities (some good, some less good). The abilities you get depend of the choice of path you make when you get your first ML. You will have a choice of two paths and the paths avaiable are dependent on your class.

Artifacts

Artifacts are powerful items that get more powerful as they increase in level. Artifacts normally gain XP and level through killing a specific mob type or by killing mobs in a specific area - for instance the Scorpion Tail Ring will gain XP when you kill Atlantean scorpions. Each level that the artifact gains may grant additional stats or abilities. Artifacts usually have 5-6 stats and two abilities at level 10. The stats and abilities vary per artifact but some can be very powerful.

In order to get an artifact you must have the artifact (dropped by a high level mob), credit for being in a battlegroup that killed the mob and three scrolls related to the artifact. When you have all of these you can combine the scrolls and find a specific NPC who will activate the artifact for you. Once it is activated it can be levelled but cannot then be traded, though you can trade the artifact and scrolls before they get activated.

New stats:

With the artifacts and other high level quest items there are now a bunch of new stats/bonuses and dropped items can now hold more stats (up to 10). Some of thes stats are pretty powerful: bonuses to cast speed, healing, AF, haste, etc. increased stat caps.

Boats and underwater:

A significant part of the ToA zones is underwater. In these zones you can swim and explore in all 3 dimensions (water breathing potions are available to boost swim speed and allow you to stay underwater for 30-60 mins). You can also buy boats to get about the place, though they need a crew of at least 2. There are also ferries betwen various points in the zones that work a bit like horse routes (or Djinn portals between the 4 major settlements).


There's a bunch more stuff but that covers the basics.

 

[Shadoo]

Wow thanks for all the info i should have it soon.

 

[TheBinarySurfer]

I know this is an old thread, but a question. How much of a difference do the ML's really make (especially in solo RvR), and what do people reccomend - a full set of SC'ed MP armour for RvR, or as many of the levelable ToA items as possible for armour?

Heard two very different schools of thought on this already...Not really played since just before SI came in and coming back next month...

 

[Gef]

I know this is an old thread, but a question. How much of a difference do the ML's really make (especially in solo RvR), and what do people reccomend - a full set of SC'ed MP armour for RvR, or as many of the levelable ToA items as possible for armour?

Heard two very different schools of thought on this already...Not really played since just before SI came in and coming back next month...

Combination of the both, you get the items you need with the new stats on them and build a SC suit to fill the holes. Just another huge timesink you have to go through if you want to compete in RvR.