Back to Basics

*Note* Ed is away on holiday for a few days, so you are stuck with my ramblings and no funny or insulting comments made at my expense. I am sure he will rectify this on his return.

It’s been quite strange over the last few weeks. I have had the interest to play EQ2, but when I log in I find myself effectively ‘kicking my heels’ for something to do. It has got that bad that recently I have pretty much only logged on to raid. I know that I still have a huge amount left to do, especially on Adurj, like gaining more alternative advancement points. I mean I need those bad. Real bad. It’s getting a little embarrassing that the folks who 4 weeks ago were asking me if I have Battle Cry, and my reply was that I was nearly there, just a few more AA to go. Well the other night whilst raiding, unfortunately I had to give the same answer because I haven’t done anything at all on Adurj apart from raid. Then there are the collections I still need to get ready for the expansion, the harvesting skills I need to progress and my shard stash needs replenishing, and I still need more T4.

So with so much left to do how come I log on with Adurj, or indeed any of my kitted 80’s and find myself just killing time? I know my old crew no longer play, they haven’t for some time. So there is not the constant grouping I used to experience when Konador, Daltieri, Kael, Aurale, Ema and I used to get together way back when. Because of this and the fact I rarely get any tells anymore from most of the people I used to group with regularly due to their quitting or moving elsewhere for the time being. Yes I could go out and just do pick up groups, there is no problem with that at all and I usually end up having quite a bit of fun. So what is it? Why can I not gain any enthusiasm for chasing down my goals on Adurj and actually doing something constructive with him? Well, I think I may have found part of the answer.

I’m bored with the end game. I think it’s as simple as that. There is some raid content I haven’t experienced in TSO and also Trak in RoK and a few instances that I haven’t really visited regularly, such as PoF, Guk3. But I don’t really have any inclination to. It’s an important distinction though. I am bored stupid with end game stuff. But the game doesn’t bore me. It still has so much fun left to offer and actually quite a lot of content I have never ever experienced.

So, I made a decision. Why not spend some time indulging in the content that I still find fun and distinctly under explored in my previous races from 1 to 50/60/70/80 depending on the expansion at the time. So that’s what I am doing. I have of course run level 1 to top tier quite a few times with 6 level 80s and a whole hoard of toons from 55 to 80. The difference is with the majority of these, is that they have been power levelled. Not in a hardcore way, but each of those toons have been boxed at some point with another toon of higher level to help squish mobs and achieve a fairly rapid ascension. So this time I have decided to do it a little differently. Here are my ‘rules’ that I will employ with the playing of my new toon;

• No boxing or outside help including funding from any of my other toons

• Help can be given by crafting items for my new toon using alts, as long as my toon harvested the materials

• I will group as often as I can and not solo to 80

• I will make a real effort to experience level relevant game content that I have not experienced before, or rarely experienced (for example I have never visited half of the small quest related instances in Antonica, have never fully completed the peacock or prismatic timelines, or the claymore for that matter)

• I will roleplay as much as I can and as much as the group allows to heighten the immersive nature of the game

• I will when required level lock to ensure my alternative achievement stays in touch with my level progression and I don’t suffer the annoying trying to catch up at later levels

• I will not set myself goals for levelling like I usually do. It happens when it happens

• I will not use quest helpers unless I have been stuck on a quest for more than 2 days.

I am sure there will be a few more as I get further into playing my new toon, but as it stands that’s it so far. So that’s what I’m going to do. In fact I have started. Last night I created Blacke. A Half Elven Ranger based out of Kelethin. I chose Kelethin as I have dabbled in starting toons there, but never actually stuck with any of them past about level 5. As such I haven’t got involved in hardly any of those quest lines. Blacke is currently only level 8 even though I spent a fair amount of time on him. The reason? Well I have been taking my time, enjoying the game and the content as much as I can. I explored the Shroom caves for the first time last night and really had some fun sneaking around and getting lost. I have pretty much finished the quest lines available in the nursery area of G Fay, so tonight I think it’s time to finish the last few in the caves then to venture out in to the big wide world of Greater Fay.

It may all sound a bit lame to tough cookie top end players, but I’m having fun and am quite excited about all of the content I’m going to experience and new friends I will make along the way. It’s good to get back to your roots.

Be well.