New solo encounter I found in Antonica. (solo group of beetles)

[LadyEternity]

<DIV>This morning I was running around enjoying some soloing with my level 15 Crusader, just wandering around Antonica looking for trouble when I came across some grouped beetles. First time they aggro'd me ( I didn't see them on the other side of the tree) and...seeing they were white and multiples..I ran like heck <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />. Bit later I came back and actually conned them and to my shocking surprise it said that they were a solo encounter! With an evil...oh yeah this is gonna be cool..look on my face ( irl <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> ) I waded into the white conning group and began fighting. It was a hard battle...but SO much fun! And it dropped a chest <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> I waited for respawn, and began killing them again, this time white conning as well. No chest, but alot of fun! Waited around again, and this time they where blue. No chest, but man...I am hooked now! <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> Unfortunately I had to log off.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Now I have never seen this before in Antonica, so I assumed it was a Test only thing. I wanted to comment on what a wonderful and exciting thing this was. Not only did it make me feel heroic and worthy, but it made me use my noodle on what to press...instead of button mashing and mad HOing...as I had to keep enough power to finish the fight should I need to ward. **Claps enthusiastically** I would simply kiss ya'lls feet if you could somehow figure out how to dynamically spawn these encounters ( with different critter sets ofcourse ) in the place of group content that is not being used. There are so many group party encounters all over the world...and alot of it is wasted, and never used. It would be nice if some of this content would spawn as "solo" adventure camps and so on. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> Shoot...even duo's could have a blast with these encounters...and threesomes would find the 'adventure camps' challenging I think...as you have to clear all the mobs so fast..</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>But anyhow...Kudos to whomever had the idea, and I hope to see ALOT more of this kind of thing. It's exciting and fun, and very rewarding at the end of the battle. You definately feel like you have accomplished something...probably because you are taking on more then one critter.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>(Asharia)-Mystic</DIV> <DIV>(Ellsa)-Templar</DIV> <DIV>(Infinium)-Crusader</DIV> <DIV>(Blacksabath)-Summoner</DIV>

[SemaJyn]

<DIV>This has been around since the beginning, just becoming more common.  There are 3 types of 'solo' encounters:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>1 mob, no arrow</DIV> <DIV>2 mobs, both 1 down arrow</DIV> <DIV>3 mobs, all 2 down arrow</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Likewise there are (generally) 3 types of 'group' encounter</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>1 mob, 2 up arrow</DIV> <DIV>2 mobs, both 1 up arrow</DIV> <DIV>3 mobs, all no arrow</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Keeping this in mind, you can gauge the difficulty of non-standard encounters:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>1 mob, 1 up arrow.  Roughly equal to 2 normal mobs at once.  These are the new mob types they added recently.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>A common spawn of giants in TS in the valley is 1 giant with 1 up and 4 giants with 1 down.  </DIV> <DIV>1 down = 1/2 normal.  So 4 of them is about equal to 2 normal mobs,</DIV> <DIV>1 up = 2 normal.</DIV> <DIV>So all together, its equal to roughly 4 normal mobs, but with 5 total targets.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Some times you'll find a herd of antelope.  3 with 2 down arrows, 4 with 1 down, 1 with none.</DIV> <DIV>2 down = 1/3 normal.  So the 3 is about 1 normal.</DIV> <DIV>1 down = 1/2 normal.  So the 4 is about 2 normal.</DIV> <DIV>All togeher, the encounter is roughly equal to 4 normal mobs, but with 8 targets.  (could also have all been 1 down arrow (8 mobs, 1/2 normal each, equal to 4 mobs), but mixing it up makes it a little more interesting (an ae will kill the 3 weak first, but the normal will live longer...)</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I really like the differing encounters.</DIV>

[Miral]

<DIV>I like the groups thats are like 6 or more double downs =) really fun when playing a berserker =) </DIV>

[yes4]

<DIV>I really want to know if you gain as much exp if you fight a group of 4 monsters green double arrow up versus a group of 4 monsters white...</DIV>

[Scrav]

<blockquote><hr>yes4me wrote:<DIV>I really want to know if you gain as much exp if you fight a group of 4 monsters green double arrow up versus a group of 4 monsters white...</div><hr></blockquote>4 -- mobs = roughly 1 normal solo mob experience wise.While -- encounters have always existed, the beetles mentioned by the OP are a new encounter currently on the test server.

[Kyralis]

If you really want fun, run over to the back entrance to BB. There's a gnoll encounter there that can often (always?) spawn as *10* -- mobs. It is group, but it's a blast if you can get a few friends with AEs together. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />