Obelisk of Lost Souls... a failure in concept

[electricninjasex]

On a whim I decided to visit good ol' Obelisk to see what was going on.   HOLY CRAP.  There wasn't one group, nor two groups, nor three groups, but FOUR chinese multiboxing plat pharmer groups at once.  And not a single other person.The first group: 50 Shadowknight, 49 Fury, 50 WarlockThe second group: 52 Berserker, 52 Fury, 52 WarlockThe third group: 31 Guardian, 31 Fury, 30 Wizard, 30 Wizard, 37 WarlockThe fourth group: 40 Berserker, 31 Fury, 40 Wizard, 40 WarlockGroups 1 and 2 would double-swarm nameds in the basement, and groups 3 and 4 would clear the main cave floor. You better believe I petitioned every single one.Obelisk is a swamp infested with mosquitos, and I feel like I'm gonna get malaria if I stay down there too long.  The zone needs to be re-thought, and the loot tables need some wave of the wand.  Because the same exact thing always happens in a cycle... a chinese multiboxer grinds to T5, 24/7's the zone, gets banned a long time later, another takes his place, already waiting in the wings.  Apparently the zone design is friendly to this kind of thing, and offers minimal incentive to questers and legit adventurers to spend any length of time down there.  You dumped a bunch of masters on the nameds, and look where that got us... nowhere.Maybe the zone just isn't fun.  Something has to be figured out.And if EQ2's anti-botter guy is getting swamped with dealing with these kinds of players, you need to hire a second one to help.  Because the action time is way too long and that's why we have fruitcakes with names like Odfslsbfiusaer and Buyaofengwohao running amuck and without fear.

[ncrawler]

the biggest problem whit that zone is how to get to it. rember my first toon that was lvl up didnt even know of it before I was past it in lvl range. and new players dont get to know it becuse old players never use it... its need to be bether intrudeds send some long quest line or something that starts in citys or whatever new peoeple will notised em<div></div>

[SorynD]

i think it should be redone into a high end group dungeon like MM & be given a new loot table. though would prob have to move some of the HQ update things to the area outside the building. <div></div>

[Maroger]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> SorynD wrote:<BR>i think it should be redone into a high end group dungeon like MM & be given a new loot table. though would prob have to move some of the HQ update things to the area outside the building.<BR> <BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><FONT color=#66ff99>First thing get rid of chinnese Plat Pharmers!! Who wants to go in an instance and find it clogged with PHarmers!!<BR></FONT>

[Illustrious]

I spent a heap of time in this zone while leveling up, me (monk) and a mystic pretty much  leveled up there almost to 50 and could clear all but the 2 ring events right down in the bottom pyramid rooms. Great zone but even then was almost hardly used by anyone. Used to have an access quest tho to enter via Feerot or else hope that the other entry point you checked just happened to be open when  u got there.

[Lader]

the main problem is that this zone has 2 components required to advance in a few signature quests for base game and kos, not sure about eof. Without access to the lower levels, you cant get these two components and cant proceed with the signature quests. You should try training the bots, it will get you a bit of time when going for those nameds for the access.

[socrates3]

I love killing the bot groups down there. please don't change this zone it is so fun to kill them over and over again.<div></div>

[Zard]

I was there today for about two hours and no one else was in or entered the zone the entire time! I commented on it in the chat channels and people said that they petitioned the farmers that overrun the place so effectively that they all got banned or stopping doing it. This was on Oasis, btw.

[SorynD]

<DIV><!--StartFragment --> <FONT color=#66ff99>First thing get rid of chinnese Plat Pharmers!! Who wants to go in an instance and find it clogged with PHarmers!!</FONT> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________________________________</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Why quote my post & say this? of course everyone wants them gone but i don't see what your reply has to do with a zone revamp, a zone revamp would kill 2 birds with 1 stone, would get the bots out & revitillize an under used zone. as for banning bots they just canned 50,000 accounts & i'm sure more will come, the main problem is players buying the plat if ppl would stop buying the bots would be gone tomarrow.</DIV>

[Araxes]

<div><blockquote><hr>electricninjasex wrote:.... and that's why we have fruitcakes with names like Odfslsbfiusaer and Buyaofengwohao running amuck ...<hr></blockquote>Fruitcakes can run?  The ones I recieve each Christmas seem like they would survive a nuclear explosion maybe ... but run?  WowSeriously though ... it is a problem ... and so is the constant gold spam /tells (I find these far more annoying than bot groups).But for now you are doing what you can do ... petitioning and reporting.We can hope a more decisive form of action will come at some point.  To be fair this is hardly unique to EQ2 -- every game has farmers and in some cases they are far more rampant than in this game.  There is a fairly small market for EQ2 compared to certain <i>other </i>games.  It's just that the lack of players in some areas of EQ2 (like the Obelisk) make it an easier target for farming.</div>

[Amocus]

Last time I was in this zone was sometime last week, there were just three of us in there. 3 of us. For hours, just us three.Pretty lonely. But, easy to get the mob's we wanted that way anywho.<div></div>

[arieste]

<P>its a great and interesting zone, and very rewarding since they changed the loot table for it.  However, most of the old-timers remember this zone for a very time-consuming access quest (which is optional and not nearly as bad now).  I leveled my alt there, absolutely loved it.  Dragged people there who had never been and they all really liked the place. </P> <P>I plan to bring more people there with my next alt.  Now that there is no access to get in and plenty useful legendary gear to be had, I cant wait to get deeper into it.</P> <P>As far as making it a high level zone, didn't they already do that? O.o  </P> <P>On a side note , in all my hours in Castle Mistmoore, I've yet to see a single bot there (hint, hint devs!).</P>

[Lader]

panth, i think they only got rid of the first half of the access quest, i still had to get all the nameds inside the obelisk to move to the lower levels. I just didnt ahve to do the 4 outside the obelisk.

[arieste]

yes, but it is vastly easier now.  I've done it for 2 different characters, one took 20 minutes, one took an hour as i had to clear PHs. 

[electricninjasex]

<div></div>The zone feels like it has no direction or purpose.  I go down to the bottom floors and constantly ask myself:  why am I here?  It is completely underpopulated, and a complete hassle to navigate due to the slow vertically-opening doors all over the place.  I can't count a whole lot of quests that need this zone.  In fact, the only four off the top of my head are (a) Speak as a Dragon, (b) the access quest to the main plat pharming floor, (c) the access quest to the empty basement floors, and (d) the obsolete access quest to the instance that everyone kept saying was so dismal.A pretty peaceful place for all the sit-on-the-keyboard character names that blurt out broken English and random Chinese phrases to one another (and they always do).  I'm sure they are grateful for this zone, because we sure aren't.Those of you with temporarily empty Obelisks, enjoy it, because on Permafrost the flies are a-buzzin.<p>Message Edited by electricninjasex on <span class=date_text>12-27-2006</span> <span class=time_text>02:42 PM</span>

[Quicheng]

Stupid question time..How exactly do you enter this zone?   I found the spot in Antonica which had it marked (up past Windstalker Village) but could not find anything resembling a portal or zone-in.   I did find the lvl 35 Shadowman mobs and killed the 3 groups of them for 3 respawnings.Is there a quest required for access?   I did loot the Shadowman Language starter if that helps.Thanks for any guidance.<div></div>

[Krooner]

<DIV>Well Im sure some of this has changed But :</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>First anywhere like in the commonlands or Nek or Enchanted lands or other places where you see shadownmen guarding a purple mist you can kill them and enter there.  You can also enter through the portal in Ferrott.  Not sure anymore what is needed for other door access but I think you still need to killed the neameds to get second door access.</DIV>

[Quicheng]

Thank you for the reply Warbird1.   I did not see any purple mist.  Maybe my settings are whacked or something<div></div>

[Quicheng]

<div></div>Bah.  I think I answered my own question. (Search ftw!)<a href="http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=zonepop&message.id=17206&query.id=140985#M17206" target=_blank>http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=zonepop&message.id=17206&query.id=140985#M17206</a><div></div><p>Message Edited by Quicheng on <span class=date_text>12-28-2006</span> <span class=time_text>10:23 AM</span>

[IllusiveThoughts]

<BLOCKQUOTE> <P>Revamping this zone into a lvl 70 dungeon with appropriate loot would rock.  Oblisk of blight is a fun instance, making a new lvl 70 dungeon that isn't designed around raid gear would be totally fun.</P> <P>We really didn't get a POA type dungeon in Fadwer, and I'd like to see another one, re-hashing a sporadically used zone would save time and resources.</P></BLOCKQUOTE><p>Message Edited by IllusiveThoughts on <span class=date_text>12-28-2006</span> <span class=time_text>11:51 AM</span>

[Krooner]

<DIV>I had a talk with a guildy the other day about this.  It would be cool if as you grow in levels the Obelisk reveals more to you.  Like as you become more powerful your perceive that there is more to the Obelisk than meets the eye.  So you go in there at 50+ and you see whats there now.  But when you reach oh lets say 75 or half way into the next level cap that you are able to see new portals.  That everyday objects there have more meaning.  They move and take on a life of their own, and they dont like being looked it :smileymad:  And remember the Obelisk connects to many areas in Norrath.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I like the idea of a central point for a progressive dungeon that gets harder as you go up in levels and power.  Something like this would become a focal point for end game content.  The Obelisk of lost souls seems a perfect fit for this.</DIV> <P><SPAN class=time_text></SPAN> </P><p>Message Edited by Warbird1 on <span class=date_text>12-28-2006</span> <span class=time_text>01:20 PM</span>

[Zard]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Warbird1 wrote:<BR> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I like the idea of a central point for a progressive dungeon that gets harder as you go up in levels and power.  Something like this would become a focal point for end game content.  The Obelisk of lost souls seems a perfect fit for this.</DIV> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE> <P>I love this idea!</P> <P>I think the Obelisk is like the Matrix, an alternate -- but just as real -- reality. As you learn more about reality by completing specific quests you perceive things you were not able to perceive before. Hidden doors, objects, new options for previously non-interactable objects or even new monsters that were always there but just not noticable (like H.P. Lovecraft's creatures from beyond).</P> <P>This is a chance for the developers to really go wild as the Obelisk is more sci-fi than fantasy. It is supposed to be alien and unknowable so not everything needs a believable explanation.</P> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr> <P>"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. "<BR>- Arthur C. Clarke</P></BLOCKQUOTE> <P><BR></P>

[Ja]

<DIV>BBB was the only reason to ever go to this zone.   DoF killed that.</DIV>

[grimgolem2]

you petitioned them for what exactly..? <div></div>

[Marytaten]

<FONT color=#ff9999>Oh I like the idea of this zone leveling up in the lower tiers..what a great way to bring back a zone that dies when you get past a certain level. I only used this zone for the speak as a dragon, and by the time i descovered it it was all green lol... </FONT>

[SageGaspar]

Obelisk is cool, there are at least sixteenish named in there off the top of my head with a pretty fast respawn rate. Which of course is why farmers end up there, but it's also nice AA and decent drops when you can get it. And the lore and atmosphere are phenomenal, expect to see more obelisks and possibly more with this zone as time goes on. Sol Eye and CT are better EXP and loot in general with the quests, while the Perma statue quests are the EXP superhighway (and the named, while scarce, drop some real nice legendary). I guess there's probably something competing with it in EoF now too (Klak'anon?).Mostly the farmers just farm the first inside area since there's sixish named along one hallway that have a really high spawn rate and a decent master rate. It's the same story as with Varsoon where you have a small area with a very high concentration of named.To increase utilization without much effort at all I'd suggest revamping the final instance to make it worthwhile -- I'm talking to the tune of guaranteed legendary from both of the bosses in there at the minimum, maybe even a master at the rate those things are dropping. A series of simple "kill X" quests off notes tacked to the wall in the dungeon or something like that would add something as well to make the EXP a little more attractive. I have to say I'm pretty happy with it as is though, except for the final instance, and maybe that's even been revamped... haven't mustered up the will to check it out in months.<div></div>

[Traxor789]

Look what SoE did to a zone like Mistmore Catacomes. There are bottom floor nameds. there are Nameds that you have to climb 1 wall to . There are 3rd floor named with see invis mobs all around them. All nameds are on like an hour respawn timer. There is no access quests. Difficult mobs in the upperlevels and walls prevent bot farmage. There are many quests linking that zone to things like Cloak of Flames pages where you spend days killing mobs sometimes. The zone Has dirrection.Make mobs see invis in Oblisk on the second floor. Make it where the mobs on the first floor have NO LOOT if you do take away the access quest give the mobs loot but make it a 30-60 min repop timer.You can fix these problems and 72% of the plat income of chinese bot farmers. This reduces inflation by over 10% and Helps everyone.<div></div>

[Andalla]

Since I dont tend to play alts much, I havent been back to Obelisk in ages, but i remember spending a great deal of time there with friends when i was the appropiate level range. I always thought it was a fun zone. Its kinda sad to hear that its become the new plat farmer haven...<span>:smileysad:</span><div></div>

[denboj]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> How exactly do you enter this zone?   I found the spot in Antonica which had it marked (up past Windstalker Village) but could not find anything resembling a portal or zone-in.   I did find the lvl 35 Shadowman mobs and killed the 3 groups of them for 3 respawnings.<BR> <BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE>I cant see the purple mist in highest performance settings, so allways tune up my settings before killing the shadowmen and i can zone in. <BR>

[Vincenzo]

I agree with the OP on this one.I went to check out OOLS this week, to see what this place was about (after finding a couple of friends who knew how to get inside it).We zone in and there are 3 multibox squads keeping the zone pretty clear.We spent about 1.5 hours in there, were able to get 1 named but basically the nameds didn't last more than 60 seconds usually so it was really tough.Being surrounded by the bottom-feeders who no doubt control the economy on the server was pretty depressing. I won't be going back there.Revamp this zone please. <div></div>

[Munch]

<P>How do you get to the second floor? If you need to kill named mobs, which ones?</P> <P>Thanks</P>