Sparky's gonna be really kicking when it's fleshed out, but...

I know the system as a whole needs to be tweaked.... and when areas are tweaked right, they rock...

But the more I start out new characters now, the more and more I think that the goblin caves and ant tunnels should NOT be spawkyfied.

Nothing against the system, but even as an experienced aenean player.... a level 2 or 3 new character consistently running into a massive 15-20 member goblin mobs all right behind a door or such is just not fun. I can't even begin to imagine what a new player to the server must think running into that.

De-sparky these two starter dungeons.

Or, just tweak down the spawns by a *lot*.

Space them out more, like the beholder tunnels.

I've never had a problem with the big rooms like that with the 15 - 20 goblins. Really makes you feel like you're fighting a horde of goblins...great for immersion. In fact, i feel its really been toned down since i started playing here a few months ago - It's a lot easier now. But i do understand how frustrating it could be for new players.

I guess all im trying to say is I hope it doesn't become too easy!

Na, not *too* easy.... but a new character at level 2 to level 3 just doesn't have the gear or stats to wage big hard battles right off the bat. Those 10 healing potions you start off with only go so far when they heal just 3 or 4 HP a guzzle.

Totally. The goblin caves seem to have kinda gone from 'relatively easy' to 'wtf?!' for a new PC. The ant tunnels seem mostly OK, in my opinion, however the last chamber with the Queen still spawns Hive Guardians and lotsa Soldiers, even though I'm like level 4. I mean, when you have to wait until you're no longer a newbie to complete the newbie quest...

Somwhat agreed; tunnels were avoided recently at low lvls due to mobs. Plus the blackberry patch can be a killer, too.

That is why I highly recommend this strategy for dealing with the various dangers of low-level Aenea. Also add this ... new PCs now get a gem pouch upon creation, the perfect storage medium for bandages! And those 10 healing potions retail for about 650 gold, allowing one to purchase a fair amount of good gear early on (or at least one piece of really good stuff - for the level, anyways) ...

The biggest problem with the goblin caves is the spawn system seems to be backwards.

My level 3 monk consistently gets mobs of 10+ goblins. My other lowbies at higher leves (with summons to jack up the average party level) didn't get that. It puts non-casters at a severe disadvantage when they're not only overwhelmed, but also don't have the pets to help alleviate the mob swarming.

I think I'll start a new character to see how all this is working now...

I've noted that when Kasigi goes most places, not much of anything spawns.
When Stan Card goes places, he gets swamped by things that don't really threaten or reward him.
Kinda want to see what happens to a lowbie.

I would like to stress the unplayability problem with the ant hive guards and goblin mobbing.

IMO it's a HUGE problem because these aren't just two low level areas, they're THE two newbie areas, and they're the two areas new players, not just new characters, are going to experience first.

The stirges and devourer beetles in the goblin caves, if you're unlucky enough to get them spawning, seriously cripple a character, which is NOT hard when it's a newbie character. That alone isn't so bad... it's not supposed to be a cakewalk. But throw in mobs that spawn in at 10+ goblins...

Went into the ant tunnels with a 4th level power-build character with 30+ AC and 14+ AB and a *lot* of powerful gear donated by higher level PCs, and still got my ass handed to me in no time flat.

It's not fun.

It's frustrating.

MannyJabrielle wrote:I would like to stress the unplayability problem with the ant hive guards and goblin mobbing.

IMO it's a HUGE problem because these aren't just two low level areas, they're THE two newbie areas, and they're the two areas new players, not just new characters, are going to experience first.

The stirges and devourer beetles in the goblin caves, if you're unlucky enough to get them spawning, seriously cripple a character, which is NOT hard when it's a newbie character. That alone isn't so bad... it's not supposed to be a cakewalk. But throw in mobs that spawn in at 10 goblins...

Went into the ant tunnels with a 4th level power-build character with 30 AC and 14 AB and a *lot* of powerful gear donated by higher level PCs, and still got my ass handed to me in no time flat.

It's not fun.

It's frustrating.

I have to say, based on my personal experiences in those two areas as well, this scenario is entirely plausible. I have absolutely no problem believing a power build with those awesome stats got destroyed by the spawns in those areas.

It is absolutely critical that the spawns in those areas get tweaked/balanced to near-perfection. Those areas are what new players base their first impressions off of. Challenging is fine. Go ahead and make less optimized PCs burn through all their heal potions to clear both areas..... but make sure if they have to expend that much resources, that they will clear those areas.

Ant hive guards will be adjusted in the next module update.

Goblin caves upper level will also be adjusted so that goblins will not appear right near the entrance, and I'll check on the spawn numbers.

The goblin caves seem to be MUCH better. Still get mob spawns, but the numbers are much lower, much more doable.

However... the "tiny fire beetles"... I'm not sure if I just got two instances where they spawned with really good bonuses to their stats, or if they're just naturally tough as hell... but they were nailing my new ascetic for 8 or 9 damage a hit, and they had 23+ AC.

If they're that tough base stat wise, might want to tone them down just a bit. AC 20 would be a good "high end" target AC.

If the killer-beetles-of-doom thing was from spawn-in bonus enhancements... then I think it may be a good idea to not have baddies in these two areas spawn with the random stats. At levels 2 and 3, a +3 or +4 bonus on an enemy can influence the battle VERY dramatically, much less a +6 or +8

Agreed. At lower levels when pcs have very few hitpoints, every modifier and point of various bonus becomes that much more significant as it regards the probable outcomes. For low level baddies, less is, quite literally, more.