What's the most challenging leveling path for newly rolled small group. Heroic content path

[Magum]

<p>Hello all, my friends and I are just coming back to EQ2 since leaving in '06. Starting from scratch with an Inquisitor, Shadowknight, and a Mage class. Here's what we are looking for:</p><p>We want a challenge and to play 95% group content. What zones / dungeons are our best bet?</p><p>Is this listing still accurate? <a rel="nofollow" href="http://eq2.wikia.com/wiki/Dungeon_Timeline" target="_blank">http://eq2.wikia.com/wiki/Dungeon_Timeline</a></p><p>We started in Timorous Deep and have discovered real fast there's not much Heroic content. I was hoping some new lower level Heroic dungeons or some Heroic zone content from the expansions but If we have to go back to the Shattered Lands so be it.</p><p>Any suggestions on the toughest content route to 90+  <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p>

[Ulrichvon]

<p>The bloodlines chronicles may be the lowest level epic stuff in game, and thats still T5.</p><p>There really isn't a challenging way to level up as a group anymore, and unfortunately, its considerably slower to do it this way.</p><p>Me and some friends used to run something called 'Monday Alt Night' where we played a new group of characters all the way up.  We only played those toons that night and grouped up.  It was some time durring EoF that we abandoned that past-time as it became too frustrating.</p><p>So we moved our Monday Alt Night to different MMO's and play other games instead of EQ2, cause EQ2 is no longer a group progression game.</p>

[Finora]

<p>Just going to point out to save you trouble in the future, epic content is raid content. Now, not all raid mobs and zones are created equal & some are fairly easy these days, especially in the old world, but in general you will need more than just the three of you if you are doing epic content at level.</p><p>I think you might be meaning heroic content? That is single group content.</p><p>As far as the timeline you linked, it seems to have everything except the newest dungeons added with Skyshrine & Sleeper's Tomb updates (all level 92ish stuff).</p>

[Magum]

<p>I did mean Heroic content instead of Epic. Bit rusty on the EQ2 Terminology. Thanks for pointing that out.</p>

[Magum]

<p><cite>Ulrichvon wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>The bloodlines chronicles may be the lowest level epic stuff in game, and thats still T5.</p><p>There really isn't a challenging way to level up as a group anymore, and unfortunately, its considerably slower to do it this way.</p><p>Me and some friends used to run something called 'Monday Alt Night' where we played a new group of characters all the way up.  We only played those toons that night and grouped up.  It was some time durring EoF that we abandoned that past-time as it became too frustrating.</p><p>So we moved our Monday Alt Night to different MMO's and play other games instead of EQ2, cause EQ2 is no longer a group progression game.</p></blockquote><p>Wow this makes me sad <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" /></p>

[neuroticspaz]

<p>Wow, similar situation, friends and i looking to get back into a decent old fashioned mmo where there is a challenge and death means something....</p><p>Really is EVE the only thing that exists anymore?</p><p>went back to daoc but interface hasn't been redesigned for higher rez screens</p>

[Gilasil]

<p><cite>Magum wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Hello all, my friends and I are just coming back to EQ2 since leaving in '06. Starting from scratch with an Inquisitor, Shadowknight, and a Mage class. Here's what we are looking for:</p><p>We want a challenge and to play 95% group content. What zones / dungeons are our best bet?</p><p>Is this listing still accurate? <a rel="nofollow" href="http://eq2.wikia.com/wiki/Dungeon_Timeline" target="_blank">http://eq2.wikia.com/wiki/Dungeon_Timeline</a></p><p>We started in Timorous Deep and have discovered real fast there's not much Heroic content. I was hoping some new lower level Heroic dungeons or some Heroic zone content from the expansions but If we have to go back to the Shattered Lands so be it.</p><p>Any suggestions on the toughest content route to 90+  </p></blockquote><p>That list still looks pretty good for lower levels although it leaves out some of the Qeynos and Freeport sewers.  I think you can get started on those sewers with levels in the single digits.  Then again, you'll be leveling so fast at that point by the time you make it to that sewer you'll have outleveled it.</p><p>Also, I didn't see Kaladim which is probably worth visiting.  For you, I guess mid 20's might be a good time to try it out.  If you hadn't mentioned you wanted a challange I might have said upper 20s.</p><p>There's actually a ton of heroic content, but they made overland zones pretty much solo many years ago (although maybe after you left).  The newbie areas are all solo.  Almost all dungeons are heroic and there's plenty of them.  If you want to stick to heroic stuff you should be able to do that with a huge variety of things to do.  You'll outlevel them long before you exhaust the content unless you level lock for a long time.</p><p>That said, many quests which end up heroic may start out with some solo steps.  You'll get plenty of heroic content but may have to do a few solo steps first.</p><p>As for toughest route, it's hard to say.  I suppose that would be only doing dungeons when the mobs are orange (I don't mean yellow).  It seems that once mobs are red the combat mechanics start to fall apart.  So hit those dungeons several levels before EQ2i says to.</p><p>Also, if you want it challanging, only use gear that drops.  No twinking.  Don't even buy from the broker.</p>

[Cloudrat]

<p>For grouping, I have always felt and still do, that the HQs are the best bang for your buck.</p>

[Freejazzlive]

<p><cite>Gilasil wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Also, if you want it challanging, only use gear that drops.  No twinking.  Don't even buy from the broker</p></blockquote><p>Using just dropped gear won't give you that much challenge, especially if you're grouping. The low level game is simply too easy to level in.</p><p>Ulrichvon's post is 100% correct.</p>

[Drupal]

<p>You're a few years late. There is no challenge whatsoever in the pre 90 content.</p>

[Mohee]

<p>From what it sounds like, your best bet is to follow that Dungeon Timeline guide. Overland zones (like Antonica, Thundering Steppes, Feerrott, Nek Forest, Butcherblock, any of the outdoor zones) you won't find any heroic mobs/content there. Sounds like you want to stick to dungeon crawling, and to do that, just follow the timeline link you posted! </p><p>Enjoy and have fun! <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/e8a506dc4ad763aca51bec4ca7dc8560.gif" border="0" /></p>

[Magum]

<p><cite>Drupal wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>You're a few years late. There is no challenge whatsoever in the pre 90 content.</p></blockquote><p>Thanks for the info everyone. I've already cancelled my gold membership and will give it a try through the remaining days. Small vent here, maybe if EQ2 hadn't tried copying World of Warcraft's easy mode style and worked on making a "challenging" fun game for both groups and solo they could have even more subscribers than they do today. Not knocking everyone that's enjoying EQ2 in its current form, just disappointing yet another MMO copied WoW's solo everything to max level and screw grouping.</p>

[Ulrichvon]

<p><cite>Magum wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Drupal wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>You're a few years late. There is no challenge whatsoever in the pre 90 content.</p></blockquote><p>Thanks for the info everyone. I've already cancelled my gold membership and will give it a try through the remaining days. Small vent here, maybe if EQ2 hadn't tried copying World of Warcraft's easy mode style and worked on making a "challenging" fun game for both groups and solo they could have even more subscribers than they do today. Not knocking everyone that's enjoying EQ2 in its current form, just disappointing yet another MMO copied WoW's solo everything to max level and screw grouping.</p></blockquote><p>FWIW, the grouping and raiding at max level is fairly strong.</p><p>You can certainly group up and grind dungeons to level up, but there ends up being an xp penalty related to how many people are in your group.  And as others have stated, the inflation of gear compaired to these old mob's buff packages, it is hardly a challenging path.</p>

[Boethius_Permafrost]

<p>Yes, that dungeon timeline should be accurate for group content.</p><p>Additionally, there are some level scaled dungons which are listed in that timeline.  Those are the ones that list a level range like: (50-90)</p>

[Rainmare]

<p>this was mostly an issue of a squeaky set of wheels getting greased and new low level content making old low level content easy.</p><p>there used to be heroic/raid mobs in the overland. it used to need a group to do content like stormhold or fallen gate or runnyeye or permafrost.</p><p>then we got post and thread after thread of people that wouls say things like 'I only play 4-6 hours on the weekend..' and 'I can only play 1-2 hours a day' and 'I only play 2-6 hours a week' complaining about how hard everything was and that they didn't want to spend any of thier time LFG. similar arguements were made to get the removal of spirit shards, eq2s original version of the corpse run.</p><p>So things got turned into solo content in the overland, and group in dungeons.</p><p>then the new starter areas, Halas/Gorowyn/Darklight Woods came, and had a questline that went to 20 with a decent set of gear and a newbie mount. and by decent I mean 'you never need anything that'll drop that's not fabled till your 30+.' that pretty much killed zones like Stormhold as far as your looking for a challenge.</p><p>they can still be fun zones to run through, but you really won't find any situations where your going to be on edge hoping you can kill a bad pull or anything.</p><p>though in my opinion it gets better once you get to the mid 30-40 range. zones like Court of Innovation/Kaladim/Nektulos Castle that have scripts and ring events and puzzles/quest built into them get better.</p><p>once you hit the level you can do the Delving Dead/Palace of Sarbon those are challenging to do and fun prolly for a group of three. and those scale with level  in rewards.</p><p>there's stuff out there, but you have to look for it moreso because people nowadays will tell you to solo to 92/320 aa.</p>

[Koleg]

<p><cite>Magum wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Hello all, my friends and I are just coming back to EQ2 since leaving in '06. Starting from scratch with an Inquisitor, Shadowknight, and a Mage class. Here's what we are looking for:</p><p>We want a challenge and to play 95% group content. What zones / dungeons are our best bet?</p><p>Is this listing still accurate? <a rel="nofollow" href="http://eq2.wikia.com/wiki/Dungeon_Timeline" target="_blank">http://eq2.wikia.com/wiki/Dungeon_Timeline</a></p><p>We started in Timorous Deep and have discovered real fast there's not much Heroic content. I was hoping some new lower level Heroic dungeons or some Heroic zone content from the expansions but If we have to go back to the Shattered Lands so be it.</p><p>Any suggestions on the toughest content route to 90+  <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>Follow the Dungeon timeline with your group of friends .. there is a HUGE amount of content to go though.  Hopefully your group consists of Gold Sub members, becasue the F2P accounts will level too quickly to even see or experience half of what is available.</p><p>The key to seeing as much as possible and creating a 'Challenge' is to move that AA slider to 0% when you enter an area of tier which has content you haven't yet seen.  Every dungeon was designed to be run at level where the mobs are yellow or white cons (your level or plus +2 or +3).  Anything less and a group will have little to no challenge.</p><p>So if the dungeon is a level 35 zone, you'll want to get to it and level lock (via the AA slider) around 30 to 33.  Otherwise, you'll just blow through it and level too quickly.  With  maybe a few hundred dungeons available, only a dozen or so are available at the level cap.</p>

[Finora]

<p>Just to chime in again here, if you find something too easy, go to the next dungeon up. Do content when it's orange instead of doing it while it's white/blue. That should give some challenge for the non-twinked set.</p><p>To be honest, low level content in Antonica, Commons & Nektulos got nerfed due to people whining about how hard it was. Then a few years ago there was a massive gear revamp that increased the quality of gear dramatically. Gear that one gets now at 20, is as good if not better than gear many people were playing in when the 2nd expansion was released. Occassionally you'll see drops that didn't get upgraded and they are absolute trash compared to todays gear, yet that is the gear the majority of this content was designed around.</p><p>Once you get out of the newbie areas it gets better.</p>

[Seidhkona]

<p>In addition to the Dungeon Timeline, take a look at the <a href="http://eq2.wikia.com/wiki/Heroic_Timeline" target="_blank">Heroic Quest Timeline</a>.</p>

[LordPazuzu]

<p>Play naked, or at most in handcrafted gear only and even that's pushing it.  Also, don't spend any AA.  Then it *might* be challenging.</p>

[Gilasil]

<p>Don't assume it's all trivially easy until you've done a few orange dungeons.  No mercs.  Just the three of you.</p>