Motivation...how do you guys do it?

[mince]

Been playing the game for well over a year and still haven't reached the illusive 50 not that im all that bothered but it would be nice to get at least one char up there. Problem im finding now is im 1 bub from 47 and still finding groups hard to get. As a consequence I started playing with a few alts and am totally hooked on my paladin so much so that i'd rather play him than my minstrel. How did you high level dudes peservere through those final few levels? I've set myself a target of a bubble per day which should get me to 50 sometime next month but i find soloing with a minstrel a bit hit and miss and can often come away with less xp than I started with. Usually try to find a group in Avalon or DF but the need for a minstrel seems to be low at the moment (either that or word has spread that I'm crap and nobody wants me ).

 

[Diddyman]

The trick in getting to 50 is to choose a Paladin to start with

[Just don't choose a 2H one like I initially did ]

Diddy

 

[sru]

Originally posted by mince
Been playing the game for well over a year and still haven't reached the illusive 50 not that im all that bothered but it would be nice to get at least one char up there. Problem im finding now is im 1 bub from 47 and still finding groups hard to get. As a consequence I started playing with a few alts and am totally hooked on my paladin so much so that i'd rather play him than my minstrel. How did you high level dudes peservere through those final few levels?

<smile> I can only go my my experience.

Sru, my first 50 was easy. Pre-DF days etc. Was good fun and some very special people around made time fly. Still remember his training very fondly - even Trees! My best ever DaoC moments were with him.

Roe, the second, stalled around 45 or so and remained there for 5 months. Avalon became his only stomping ground as Ice wizzies were in much demand. But the class really is so one-dimensional that there was little joy in it. 49 was the toughest level as it was a real grind to complete. Shows a class has to be appealing in order to give some motivation to logon.

Ose, a real challenge and was only bearable because of great people once again. But scouts are also a fun class with lots of difference styles depending on time and place. This combination is a winner everytime.

Still, the best tip of all is to get a reputation as a solid, reliable hunting partner who contributes to groups - preferably in both your skill and your company. Levelling is so much faster when a group is having a good banter. The worst times are usually when nothing is said by anyone for hours except "inc" " pulling" "heal" etc. uggg.

Doing this will also give you a social circle that motivates you when things are going badly. When you have had the 23rd death and only 1 bubble to show, having someone take oyu to a favourite hunting spot and show some TLC is wonderful.

Oh - joining a good guild helps <smile>

 

[Adelle]

<points at Mince's signature>

He already did

Or are you trying to imply something, Sru?

 

[mince]

lol Cauton

With regards to guilds, if it wasn't for Utopia i would still be lvl 10 or even would have quit the game. I can't thank them enough for that.

With regards to my style of play. I refuse to sit down and play power song whilst afk etc. I will crowd control on pulls or backup a sorce if present using stun or dds where needed to keep agro of casters/healers. Once cc is taken care off up goes ablative chant and i melee (obviously hitting for peanuts but i like to get stuck in). Whilst meleeing i will pan my camera to keep an eye on the mezzed mobs and for anything additonal that may cross our path. If during a long battle the tanks have plenty of health left but the casters/healers are getting lom i will step back and play power song for a bit (if mana crack is not available that is). In downtime power or healsong dependant on whats needed.

If i join a group who just wants me to sit there and play powersong i make my excuses and leave as I like to be involved in the levelling of my character.

If im going wrong with the above feel free to point me in the right direction.

 

[sru]

Originally posted by Cauton
<points at Mince's signature>

He already did

Or are you trying to imply something, Sru?

<grin> naw ... he is fine where his is

 

[Danya]

I used trees! Dull as most people found them, minstrel was the most active member of a tree group as you're primary CC (even when we had sorcs I was the CC), power supplier and backup melee all at once. Of course at the time there was no mana crack and few sorcs so minstrels were very much in demand for tree groups.
Unfortunately in Avalon the trend is to just take a sorc and not group minstrels.

 

[eben]

Hmm my mincer gets grps in Avalon a lot.

I know sorcs have power regen, but usually not as high as my powersong. Plus sorcs don't have ablatives.

Try Avalon mate.

 

[old.mattshanes]

You should have no problems getting exp in avalon city,would be nice if people made krondon groups too,if you get 2 fgs going there with pbaoe the exp is madness the most i have ever seen in daoc.

 

[Aoln]

Originally posted by mince
If i join a group who just wants me to sit there and play powersong i make my excuses and leave as I like to be involved in the levelling of my character.

If im going wrong with the above feel free to point me in the right direction.

imo thats where ur going wrong
sometimes thats all u need to do (twist with ablative and thow in DDs and stun of bored) and usually it means it a pbaoe which is uber xp

 

[huw]

Originally posted by old.mattshanes
You should have no problems getting exp in avalon city,would be nice if people made krondon groups too,if you get 2 fgs going there with pbaoe the exp is madness the most i have ever seen in daoc.

more than willing to do that mate just not gonna sit on my ass and do nothing.

 

[Turamber]

<points at the ever afk Chole.... >

Going afk to hit 50 is certainly do-able for some classes, and if you just want to hit 50 through the utterly boring repetitive and lengthy levelling process in DAOC then it might be worth doing.

Alternatively just have fun with your character, and your other characters, and treat hitting 50 as a nice little bonus. No one with any common sense would look 'down' on you for not being level 50 so try and enjoy the game instead.

Both work, choose whichever is best for you

 

[chretien]

<agrees with Turamber>
It's all about the journey and not the destination. I'm not at 50 yet despite having around 50 days /played and a character well over a year old. I go out with the primary intention of having fun and If I happen to get decent exp at the same time then that's a bonus.

 

[old.linnet]

Mince is a great PvE minstrel (you need more confidence!).

I'd just go with what everyone else is saying. The best way to motivate yourself is to find one or more people around your level who you get on with and try to group with them when you get the chance. (Bonus points if they are an ice wizard, paladin, cleric/friar or theurg )

But if it gets too stressful, then go have fun with your paladin. Even if you only xp by going on guild raids, we'll get you there eventually!

<nostalgia>

Oh yes, trees used to be a very fun camp for minstrels. I remember the double autos


</nostalgia>


Lin

<edited to add: since the last patch, I've noticed that minstrels duo quite well with tanks, which we never used to. Between the ablative and the improved heal song, you can lower their downtime quite a lot ... >

 

[huw]

/hug Linnet

 

[Adelle]

<Agrees with Linnet>

Hey Mince, use just one BW account damnit

 

[old.mattshanes]

I always said take any exp no matter what it is if you not dying, it has to be good at the end of the day as long as you have gained that day and not lost.My merc soloed quite a lot of lv40 lvs about 3 think,heh but i have the patience i guess,as i said avalon city is best place for you i see lots of albs there during the day now.

 

[Aoln]

try mattshanes method of motavation... swear ALOT

 

[huw]

Well thanks to the Legion raid i dinged 47 Thx for organising it and inviting us along - was great

I think my post may have come across as a whine but it wasnt meant like that. What I was trying to get across is that its all so easy to get addicted to an alt when you have a main sitting there so close to 50. I know 50 isnt _all that_ and like i said i'm in no rush and intend to do it in the most enjoyable manner I can. Whether that means soloing, questing or grouping doesnt matter to me as long as I'm enjoying it. I was curious as to how you guys had spent your last few levels so to speak.

will now nuke this account to save confusion

 

[speshneeds]

Originally posted by old.mattshanes
You should have no problems getting exp in avalon city,would be nice if people made krondon groups too,if you get 2 fgs going there with pbaoe the exp is madness the most i have ever seen in daoc.

Been to lair or Yar spot in mid yet with a few pbae SM's? now that is madness for xp

 

[old.mattshanes]

Well in krondon at lv43 i made 0.6 in 5mins

 

[Wolfeh]

heh iv ground to a halt in leveling atm , stuck at 44 , for some reason its become very hard for me to get a group lately , managed 1-35 or so in about 2 an a half weeks but its so slow now :|

 

[Blessus]

I'd love to know how SRU got to hear any banter in his last 10 levels of xp! he was always afk and i have witnesses! <cough> PBT.

 

[old.Plebo]

Dont worry Mince, there are loads of people like you that have played for a year without a lvl50 yet.

My personal opinion is if you are a casual player who just plays an hour or two a day, then it is very hard to get to lvl50, as there are not many opportunies to get a decent grp and go kill the nasty mobs that yield the top xp. If you can regularly play for 7 or 8 hours at a stretch, then you can get a grp and get xp for a good few hours, which is when the xp you get is noticable.

So, your /played may be 20d, with only 10d being xping. Some other people may have /played 20d, with 19d xping.

 

[ashitaka]

1 bub a day? I'm a scout, and I got 5 dots a day at level 49 in a decent group, killing duelists etc in Avalon.. it ain't as hard as you think. infact, the hard part is to get a group