Path of the Oracle Reassemble the Vermillion Lens,Really?

@Chris @DarkStarr
So If I understand this part of the quest correctly. "Reassemble the Vermillion Lens" You have to go to the Hilt Fortress and use the Obsidian Forged to assemble the lens. As far as I can tell you can't do this solo. At least at the level a Character would be doing this quest considering it is part of the main story line.
Why on Earth would you make a main story line quest so hard you need a whole party for? I have watched videos of people trying to do this with a full party with out success.
All I have to go on is what it tells me in my Journal.Which it tells me to go to the Obsidian Forge.

It was not very fun doing all the searches for the pages/lens to get stuck at this unbeatable roadblock.
Please consider changing this.
Thanks

 

Yes you must compose a group of friends I would say probably 6 or 7 of them if your AL is below 70 less with higher levels.

My biggest issue is good luck doing this in offline mode depending on AI controlled party members.

 

The main story seems to have quite a few leaps in difficulty. Particularly if you don't know what you're doing. If you start with the path of Love you have the Shuttered Eye.. I can see the game sending you there before you're level 20.. but that's not happening. Other areas along the storyline can be done at lower levels but you need Samael to be a meat shield for you.

I was able to do Malice around level 40ish+ before I had Samael's help though it was a pain in the butt.. better now.. but then you have the kobold camp to deal with.. good luck with that before level 60 or so.. You have the ghost corpion at Boreas Colossus.. what the hell is THAT thing there for? Really? Is it just there to provide you with an unnecessary death? Then there's the Grannus Colossus. Ok I was able to do that offline in the low 60s.. but we still have a 20 level or so gap between that and Malice or Malice and the kobold camp.

THEN comes Hilt. I've heard of people doing this solo but at what level? And with what very specific skill set that not everyone is going to have?

The XP earned from the main storyline should be enough to get you through it. Game shouldn't force you to stop and grind for 20+ levels before you can do something.

 

Uh..? Did they change something? I never had to use the Obsidian Forge for the main story. I got my 3 shards of the lens from wherever I got them and re-forged the lens at the final destination of the Path of the Oracle. Definitely a bummer if you've got to use the Obsidian Forge because that's not a something that's realistically solo-able, ever.

 

It was changed in R46, I think.

EDIT: R48, actually. See: "Path of the Oracle Polish: (SPOILERS) Players must now find a new way to reassemble a broken lens. Instructions on how to do this can be found where the first part of the broken lens was originally found."

 

That is extremely disheartening. My social anxiety issues make grouping very difficult for me; to hear I may need to in order to complete the story makes me regret the money I have spent on this game to date.

 

Only my opinion:
Once the game is released, with three main storylines, it is slated to be there for (at least) a year, before episode 2 appears, with new content and who knows what additional quests. I suggest looking at it like a single player standalone offline game - yes you start out pretty weak and useless, but after a long time has passed (there are plenty of other things to do) you will be tough enough to achieve the main goals. And it may take a year to get there.. If it does, so be it. Have fun along the way, and the victory will be even sweeter.
Or, if you are inclined and it's possible, group up with others. If not, see above
A further thought - I suspect it may not be long before enterprising avatars set up a business - for x amount of gold, you can give them 3 pieces of vermilion lens, they will take them to the forge and combine them for you. This is already happening in the realm of crafting - why not in other areas?

 

Can you give/trade quest items? I don't think the game lets you.

 

Yes that could be a problem. Back to plan A maybe....

 

Problem = offline. In theory.. in theory mind you.. your companions should be helpful enough to get you through this.. BUT.. 3 months out from first launch candidate.. where are they? We only have Fiona and she doesn't power up much at all and has no armor. Good luck keeping her alive long enough to be useful to you.

This is something they really need to get worked out pronto. I don't see that they have much choice in the matter. Being playable offline is one of the games selling points. 40+ hours of gameplay does not mean 40+ hours of mindless grind.. it means the main storyline can be completed in 40+ hours.. (no nitpicking the "+" part please).

 

I thought there won't be any required grouping to finish the story... when was this changed?

 

It sounds as though it may not be required, but very difficult otherwise? To be fair, I'm going on what the OP said, and not my own experience.

 

Wow, what a crappy decision. And here I was waiting to reset my quests on release.

 

I was able to solo this part fairly easily. Kill everything in the room and immediately jump to the platform. Water elemental helps a lot. Douse/shield of ice helps with the fire elementals of course. I want to say I was mid 70s adv level at the time.

That's not to say it was easy though, and I definitely think it should be easier considering it's supposed to be a single player campaign (I think anyways). Not saying I'm the best player ever but I could see more casual players having trouble with it.

Also, potions. Focus potion for in case you have to jump off the platform as it drains your health.

 

Get the spell Summon Lich or maybe a water elemental is resistant enough to tank and then go for it

 

I am glad I completed my Shroud when I did. Now, there is no way I could get it with the Obsidian Forge being the requirement. Will I redo my quests? Now, no.

 

@Lum the Mad @Lord British , please add the LFG (looking for group) feature ASAP if this change will be kept in the game to help others that want to finish the story.

 

My point though is that it is a Main Quest that requires you to have a party to complete. Up to this point I never needed a party, and ran through it all when it was difficult. Side quest and Raid quest like dragons are fine to need a party with, but to have a Main quest content blocked does not set well with me and I don't think it will make sense to the new players at release either.
Anyway, maybe it was an over site by the Devs. So just wanted to make them aware it is a little much to ask for the main Story line to require a group to complete.

 

Or, simply make the main quest line accessible to a ~lvl 70 solo character. For me, game time is difficult to 'schedule'. It happens when it happens. Therefore, I'm an unreliable guild member or party member. So rather than force me to be like, 'Ok five other strangers join me within 5 minutes with this as the earliest warning to finish this quest or it's a no-go' over and over again until that impossible group forms and is successful, simply make the main story line solo accessible.

 

Spoiler: Obsidian Forge

You have to fight about 3 Fire Elementals and 2 Earth Elementals before you turn on the Forge and they respawn fast! Once you get them out of your way and turn on the forge the forge is draining your power and about 12 or so Fire Elementals spawn and attack you.It is beyond difficult for a solo player ;(