Dismiss Notice
This Section is READ ONLY - All Posts Are Archived

Grand Tour frustrations

Discussion in 'Release 13 Feedback' started by kristen.maxwell, Dec 21, 2014.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. kristen.maxwell

    kristen.maxwell Avatar

    Messages:
    12
    Likes Received:
    32
    Trophy Points:
    3
    I spent about 5 or 6 hours playing this release last night, and more than half of that felt like a total slog, unfortunately.

    I was attempting to do the Grand Tour, since it seemed like the devs had devised this as a way to steer us to checking out locations that needed some play-testing.

    I managed to find all the automatons, but i cannot speak to the last one i found, inside the gem mines. He was clearly placed within a heavy combat zone to make this a challenge. Unfortunately, the extent of this challenge was not clear to me before i embarked on this quest, or i would not have even bothered. Even after leveling-up several times and taking a very careful, strategic approach to the dungeon, i was never able to survive an encounter with more than one Kobold.

    This was frustrating, since i had put in time to find all the others. it felt like punishment for playing solo (or not having days to put into the game to be badass enough to take on 3+ enemies at once). At this stage the combat feels so unbalanced that i really wish that these quests would either make the combat optional, or warn us about it before we even get invested.


    it might also help a lot to make it clearer how to train up skills in towns (i wandered around Owl's head for almost half an hour and could not find the trainer. none of the NPCs i spoke to would tell me anything about them, and i finally gave up).

    finding places to buy health potions would be a big boon too. I used my 2 starter potions early on, and never found a merchant who'd sell me more.

    but if i were to choose, i would prefer untying the TOUR from forced, high-level combat (especially with mages who appear to have unlimited mana and spells that seem to automatically hit).

    Sorry to sound so whiny, but i dropped a lot of late-night hours into that dungeon, and it just got more and more frustrating to realize that i shouldn't have even tried.
     
  2. Sargon

    Sargon Avatar

    Messages:
    447
    Likes Received:
    708
    Trophy Points:
    55
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Illinois
    The trainer in Owl's Head shows up as a "Villager." I'm not sure why he isn't named to identify him as a skill trainer.
     
    mbomber, kristen.maxwell and Heradite like this.
  3. Duke Death-Knell

    Duke Death-Knell Avatar

    Messages:
    1,751
    Likes Received:
    1,825
    Trophy Points:
    125
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Philadelphia PA area
    yeah, the one in the mines is poorly designed. The automaton should not be partially merged with the reindeer. That's just silly. I had to run around and around, finally coming back to the two trying to double click on the automaton and not the reindoor. That should have been fixed back on thursday.

    As to the mobs, I'm wearing a complete set of reinforced heavy (I think it's called) and that gave me enough time to complete it. But you have to keep moving.
     
    mbomber likes this.
  4. Heradite

    Heradite Avatar

    Messages:
    733
    Likes Received:
    1,110
    Trophy Points:
    105
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Hollywood!
    Not sure what "build" you created for your character but as a Blades guy with top-of-the line armor, I was able to easily fight my way to the tour guide at level 11. I actually got to level 13 by the end of it. It shouldn't take THAT long to get to that level. Getting the armor might be a different story. I only have it because a random player gave me better gear for free (why bother earning it when a wipe will eventually come? Eternally grateful to him though!)

    Having said that, the real problem for me was that the tour guide was being blocked by a box and I had to talk to him in a very specific place. So that's really the issue as well (otherwise you could run up to him, talk to him, and quickly log out and sign back into the world map before you die. I know because I tried that before I put in the effort to clear the mob. What, I'm lazy.)
     
  5. draykor darkale

    draykor darkale Avatar

    Messages:
    254
    Likes Received:
    471
    Trophy Points:
    28
    That automaton...I have no idea what they were thinking, I had to get a guildie to help, there was no need for that one at all.
     
    kristen.maxwell likes this.
  6. 4EverLost

    4EverLost Avatar

    Messages:
    1,441
    Likes Received:
    2,742
    Trophy Points:
    125
    Gender:
    Female
    Location:
    In a Swamp far away from the beaten path
    You can do the mine one just like the tour last time if you're low-level/armor. Run like a madman (or woman in my case) to the back of the mine, jump up and land on the box by the guide, look down and click like mad on the tour guide. Eventually, you'll die but the progress line pops up and lets you complete the tour.
     
  7. Lordy2

    Lordy2 Avatar

    Messages:
    35
    Likes Received:
    57
    Trophy Points:
    8
    uhmmm i did that automation with a level one character....just run my way till the lowest level of mines....jumped into the water...waited fo rkobolds to move away jumped out of water and completed...

    It's possible...i made it

    I agree though that NPC response is not immediate and sometimes it's quite frustrating.
     
  8. bloocow

    bloocow Avatar

    Messages:
    18
    Likes Received:
    22
    Trophy Points:
    3
    I agree that the game is tough on newbies as I have experienced. One reason is that we are allowed to roam as we please & will probably encounter some creature tougher than a newbie. Actually everything is tougher than a newbie (except stags, sheep, turkeys...). To complete the tour, a newbie has to gain significantly more experience but there is no guide/hints to doing it. Monsters are all tougher & become deadly in duos. Simply put, the learning curve is high & can be a turn off especially for those unfamiliar with the origins of this game. Hopefully this will improve in future.
     
    Svahn and Pashta like this.
  9. Satan Himself

    Satan Himself Avatar

    Messages:
    2,702
    Likes Received:
    12,806
    Trophy Points:
    165
    You can run into the water area behind the automaton in the gem mine, and it's easier to click on him, and you can avoid the mobs.
     
  10. kristen.maxwell

    kristen.maxwell Avatar

    Messages:
    12
    Likes Received:
    32
    Trophy Points:
    3
    THanks for the input guys! I kept trying to make the "hide in the water" bit work, but the mage kept targeting me and i would get murdered before i could chat up the Automaton (often because of accidentally activating the reindeer instead). I probably made 3 or 4 successful contacts with one or the other of them, but never long enough to get any conversation in.
     
  11. Mugly Wumple

    Mugly Wumple Avatar

    Messages:
    1,268
    Likes Received:
    2,424
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Space Coast
    It is difficult to get the Gems Mine guide to talk. If you recall from other conversations, the NPC will try to face you. In this case the guide is boxed in and cannot move. I found that if you position yourself such that you are facing the guide he will then start his conversation. There is a little nub of land between the guide and the water.

    You'll also need to be fast or wearing plate armor. Look for a blacksmith shop in the Owls Head inner market.
     
    Pashta and Sir Cabirus like this.
  12. Logain

    Logain Avatar

    Messages:
    1,004
    Likes Received:
    1,734
    Trophy Points:
    125
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Munich, Germany
    What's your in-game name?

    @Chris is there any chance we'd get figures of how many players talked to at least one tour guide but never finished the tour? I think that would be rather valuable data!
     
    FrostII likes this.
  13. 4EverLost

    4EverLost Avatar

    Messages:
    1,441
    Likes Received:
    2,742
    Trophy Points:
    125
    Gender:
    Female
    Location:
    In a Swamp far away from the beaten path
    Did you try jumping on top of the box? The reindeer is shorter so you won't click on him that way, the guide's head will be sticking out from the bottom of the screen - at least it did for me.
     
    Sir Cabirus likes this.
  14. Sinclair

    Sinclair Avatar

    Messages:
    522
    Likes Received:
    840
    Trophy Points:
    75
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Germany
    Which lvl do you had if you tried it? Wondering that you are not able to kill a Kobold. I am not sure which lvl the Koblds have, but with lvl15-20 it should be possible getting the reward.
     
  15. 4EverLost

    4EverLost Avatar

    Messages:
    1,441
    Likes Received:
    2,742
    Trophy Points:
    125
    Gender:
    Female
    Location:
    In a Swamp far away from the beaten path
    You can do it in a peaceful manner too. No fighting at all, someone mentioned in another thread they did it at level 1. I just kept running and healing myself until I bumped into the tour guide.
     
    mbomber and Sir Cabirus like this.
  16. amnipar

    amnipar Avatar

    Messages:
    62
    Likes Received:
    66
    Trophy Points:
    8
    I agree that the mine would be difficult for a beginning character, and the difficulties in talking to NPCs in this release doesn't help either. The mine is one of the tougher locations. But since there is time to complete the tour, it might be a good idea to level up to something like 10-15. It doesn't take a long time, if you go to the easier places, like Valeway South and West Ravenswood, and try to engage one enemy at a time. True, it requires some grinding but only takes a few hours. Get some better equipment for free from rhe two battle camps (the Kobolds tolerate you there if you keep your weapons sheathed) or the Owl's Head guardhouse.
     
  17. enderandrew

    enderandrew Legend of the Hearth

    Messages:
    7,359
    Likes Received:
    15,646
    Trophy Points:
    165
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Omaha, NE
    There is a known bug in this release where you can't talk to an NPC if you are too close. I've found a few NPCs I just can't talk to period. I did talk to the automaton tour guide in the mines with no problem.
     
  18. Shadoweaver

    Shadoweaver Avatar

    Messages:
    111
    Likes Received:
    119
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Osaka Japan
    I had a hell of a time talking to the guide as he was INSIDE the reindeer.
     
    Duke Olahorand likes this.
  19. enderandrew

    enderandrew Legend of the Hearth

    Messages:
    7,359
    Likes Received:
    15,646
    Trophy Points:
    165
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Omaha, NE
    That sounds illegal and immoral.
     
    mbomber likes this.
  20. Shadoweaver

    Shadoweaver Avatar

    Messages:
    111
    Likes Received:
    119
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Osaka Japan
    I am not one to judge peoples personal preferences but given that the guide is an automaton there are probably exceptions to most legal issues.
     
    4EverLost and enderandrew like this.
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.