I hate double xp weekends..

[Ragtag]

For a lot of you, double XP weekend is great, a time to beef up your aa's and double box and alt, so it seems.

However, I have been playing the game few a few months, maybe three. Now, for me, double xp weekends means that every time you try and find someone to quest, grind or whatever, there will be a level 90 powerleveling their alts or their friends through that area, blowing past you, killing everything in sight and totally ignoring you.

You can't get groups, you're generally just ignored. This means that I can't take advantage of double XP weekend at all as every area within the game is just toally camped and overcrowded by people who have been playing the game a lot longer.

Anyone else feel like I do?

[DamselInDistress]

Well, people are not going to change the way the play just because you don't like it.

SOE designed the game this way, you actually lose xp if you group with someone, so son't blame the people. Everyone plays by the rules.

Your choices are simple, continue like now and completely miss everything, or find a place to grind and join the xp bonanza.

All group instances are 90 minutes reset so you can just do them over and over.

[Ragtag]

I think you totally ignored the part of my post which says people don't want to group. Also you mentioend group instances and then claimed yourself that people don't want to group. Pick one.

[hoosierdaddy]

Yeah, I usually avoid playing on double-exp weekends for the reasons you mention.

I'm not an alt-aholic and have no desire to power-level or be power-leveled.

Here's an idea: how about enjoying the holiday weekend and finding something to do besides play EQ2?

Let the people who want to grind the hamster wheel do so, and you'll be off on your own and no worse off.

[DamselInDistress]

Ragtag wrote:

I think you totally ignored the part of my post which says people don't want to group. Also you mentioend group instances and then claimed yourself that people don't want to group. Pick one.

Read my reply again and see why people don't want to group anywhere.

We do group instances solo, I think this is where you got confused. You basically pick an instance you outlevel, mentor down to the perfect level so all mobs are green and just mow them down.

I said group instances yes, but I never said you need a group for them .

[DamselInDistress]

just remember that, at this point in time being in a group actually cuts into your xp, people lose xp by grouping. I am not saying this is a smart move, but this is what we have in this game.

[Ragtag]

Apart from that fact that I can't do that because I'm not "uber" like all the people that have been playing longer.

[DamselInDistress]

Ragtag wrote:

Apart from that fact that I can't do that because I'm not "uber" like all the people that have been playing longer.

At this point in time you don't need to be uber. Anything under lvl 90 is simple. 

You didn't say what level you are, but there must be an instance you can solo. If not, that's ok, keep leveling and you can do it next time there is a double xp event.

I am not going to tell you where my favourite spots are, daft people tend to get them nerfed so it's better if they are not mentioned at all, but any instance you can solo will do. Quested gear is fine.

I'll give you an example, yesterday I went into Crushbone with my lvl 32 Zerker. He had whatever gear he got from quests.

Any triple up kill in there netted 25% from an AA level. I got him to 37 and about 70 AA before I got bored. I realise Crushbone is an open instance but for some reason it was almost empty.

[DamselInDistress]

Here's an idea for you so you don't hate these xp days any more.

Go to the broker and buy all cheap collections you can find, there are quite a few cheap ones. I did it yesterday on 3 guys spent a few plat and got them all about 50 AA just by turning in those cheap collections. That should give you a nice boost. You can even use an xp potion if you have any in your /claim. That bonus applies to collections as well .

[redwoodtreesprite]

Or you can do I did.  Realized that most of the level 90s would be busy power leveling themselves or others.  And chose then to do the Bristlebane quests that are usally a pain, like finding 10 rats 3 times, or doing the candy grab when there aren't 4 others doing it. 

Plus there are lots of ways to bring up one's AAs soloing.

[DamselInDistress]

Of course, if you only have 1 char you will get less xp than other people are getting, but it's still a lot more than you would normally get. Do not do any quests, seriously, no quests. this is where many people go wrong. Just grind mobs somewhere, it's much more effective. Preferably double or triple ups and names .

I am getting 530% bonus on these days. 120% from having 6 lvl 90's. 110% from a /claim xp potion, 200% vitality, 100% server bonus.

Without my bonuses you can still get 300% ( just from vitality and server bonus ) which is not something to sniff at.

I don't know if you got the welcome back packs, those give you 2 vitality potions you can use.

[S_M_I_T_E]

DamselInDistress wrote:

Well, people are not going to change the way the play just because you don't like it.

SOE designed the game this way, you actually lose xp if you group with someone, so son't blame the people. Everyone plays by the rules.

Your choices are simple, continue like now and completely miss everything, or find a place to grind and join the xp bonanza.

All group instances are 90 minutes reset so you can just do them over and over.

As much as they try to get people to socialize more and group with itemization at end game you'd think adjusting this to NOT be true on a fun faceroll powerleveling weekend like this where cooperation would be valued over competition that they'd change the code for something so fundamentally broken.

[DamselInDistress]

S_M_I_T_E wrote:

As much as they try to get people to socialize more and group with itemization at end game you'd think adjusting this to NOT be true on a fun faceroll powerleveling weekend like this where cooperation would be valued over competition that they'd change the code for something so fundamentally broken.

Not everyone powerleveling is lvl 90 already and they still don't want to group. I think that pretty much sums it up

[Peogia]

S_M_I_T_E wrote:

DamselInDistress wrote:

Well, people are not going to change the way the play just because you don't like it.

SOE designed the game this way, you actually lose xp if you group with someone, so son't blame the people. Everyone plays by the rules.

Your choices are simple, continue like now and completely miss everything, or find a place to grind and join the xp bonanza.

All group instances are 90 minutes reset so you can just do them over and over.

As much as they try to get people to socialize more and group with itemization at end game you'd think adjusting this to NOT be true on a fun faceroll powerleveling weekend like this where cooperation would be valued over competition that they'd change the code for something so fundamentally broken.

If Sony wanted people to group up they would add a nice big XP/AA Bonus for (Each Player) you had in group but instead they would rather penalize grouping by degrading the XP amount to nothing to deter players from wanting to group up

[yohann koldheart]

Ragtag wrote:

I think you totally ignored the part of my post which says people don't want to group. Also you mentioend group instances and then claimed yourself that people don't want to group. Pick one.

because you really dont have to group anymore.

hire a merc , and you can clear a good bit of the heroic overland content, and most instances with exception to the harder ones.

[Alenna]

DamselInDistress wrote:

Of course, if you only have 1 char you will get less xp than other people are getting, but it's still a lot more than you would normally get. Do not do any quests, seriously, no quests. this is where many people go wrong. Just grind mobs somewhere, it's much more effective. Preferably double or triple ups and names .

I am getting 530% bonus on these days. 120% from having 6 lvl 90's. 110% from a /claim xp potion, 200% vitality, 100% server bonus.

Without my bonuses you can still get 300% ( just from vitality and server bonus ) which is not something to sniff at.

I don't know if you got the welcome back packs, those give you 2 vitality potions you can use.

And that is so wrong this is Everquest and grinding mobs even on none bonus xp weekends still levels you and gets you aa faster.

don't get me wrong I do the grind especially on bonus xp weekends but as I said the game is called EverQuest not EverGrind.

[Katz]

Everytime we have a double xp weekend people someone starts a thread to whine complain about it.   You know it is just a few days that people can level some toons a little faster, or get aa's a little faster. They don't happen that often, and they don't last that long.   What is the point in complaining about it?   It's like complaining that your brother is getting cake for his birthday and playing with his friends that were invited over to his birthday party and not you.   Kind of comes off as selfish.

[Tigress]

Ragtag wrote:

For a lot of you, double XP weekend is great, a time to beef up your aa's and double box and alt, so it seems.

However, I have been playing the game few a few months, maybe three. Now, for me, double xp weekends means that every time you try and find someone to quest, grind or whatever, there will be a level 90 powerleveling their alts or their friends through that area, blowing past you, killing everything in sight and totally ignoring you.

You can't get groups, you're generally just ignored. This means that I can't take advantage of double XP weekend at all as every area within the game is just toally camped and overcrowded by people who have been playing the game a lot longer.

Anyone else feel like I do?

it is hard to get a group on double XP bc of the grouping penalty .  here's what i do...  either play with my son or hire a merc and pick a zone that i can solo with the merc. 

i dont go to the open zones, only instances so there isnt competing PL'ing ppl killing the mobs.  it may not be the best XP, sometimes the closed instances do give great XP, but at least i can still play.

[Cloudrat]

Make toons on several servers and check out the guilds that are recruiting during your usual playtimes.  Join some get to know people, make friends  find the right fit for you .  A nice bunch of friends goes a long way to making things more fun.  This kind of environment is best when it's a shared experience. Find the right people to share your experience with.  Might take a little longer to get a good start, but once you find the right guild you will be amazed how much more fun it is.

[DamselInDistress]

[email protected] wrote:

And that is so wrong this is Everquest and grinding mobs even on none bonus xp weekends still levels you and gets you aa faster.

don't get me wrong I do the grind especially on bonus xp weekends but as I said the game is called EverQuest not EverGrind.

The only thing that matters is efficiency and that only matters to the vets. New players could just play the game normally and not come here to complain. They could, for example quest ...

[MrWolfie]

[email protected] wrote:

And that is so wrong this is Everquest and grinding mobs even on none bonus xp weekends still levels you and gets you aa faster.

don't get me wrong I do the grind especially on bonus xp weekends but as I said the game is called EverQuest not EverGrind.

I don't grind. Ever.

When the expansion goes in ALL of my level 90 characters will have over 280 AAs. Some are already well over it. And barely any of them have stepped inside a DoV instance, so next time there's that to look forward to.

I spent this double XP weekend duoing Chapter 5 on my Wizard, who is like my 7th alt. Of course, he'd never been in most of the dungeons and hadn't done any of the side-quests. Guk alone must've netted me 30+ AAs. I was getting 30% XP from just completing a daily shard mission.

All questing. No grind.

[Yimway]

Ragtag wrote:

For a lot of you, double XP weekend is great, a time to beef up your aa's and double box and alt, so it seems.

However, I have been playing the game few a few months, maybe three. Now, for me, double xp weekends means that every time you try and find someone to quest, grind or whatever, there will be a level 90 powerleveling their alts or their friends through that area, blowing past you, killing everything in sight and totally ignoring you.

You can't get groups, you're generally just ignored. This means that I can't take advantage of double XP weekend at all as every area within the game is just toally camped and overcrowded by people who have been playing the game a lot longer.

Anyone else feel like I do?

Blame SOE.

They keep removing all the places for these people to go grind mobs privately in instances and are forcing them out into the areas of the game your trying to play in.

SoE created this problem.

I logged in some toons Friday thinking I might enjoy the double xp thing again.  However, I got bored with it extremely fast.  After 2 hours of denying almost everyone else in Seb the chance at killing mobs I logged and found something else to do with my weekend.  I realized I simply didn't care anymore if my troub and conjy had max aa.  And I got tired of having to gank other players all weekend in order to do it.

I'm quite sure though, as soon as I left, another power boxer came in and did the same thing.

[shots01]

Ragtag, I don't hate them.  I use them to help left crafters for instance.

Otherwise, I just run quests.  I stay out of instances because of all the rude people.

I have never seen where grouping cuts into your own xp, unless you are lvl say 60 with a lvl 65 in the group, then yes, you are losing xp.

For the most part, I just use the double xp's for crafting or questing.  I try and stay out of dungeons or instances.

[Geothe]

shots01 wrote:

Otherwise, I just run quests.  I stay out of instances because of all the rude people.

 I try and stay out of dungeons or instances.

You do know, dont you, that instances are private, heh.

Open dungeons, yes, double XP weekends you probably wont be able to get a nice spot in SoS, Seb, The Hole, etc.

However, instances are all your own, and now they just have a 90 minute reset so you can tear through those as much as you want with zero competition.  Depending on your Level/Class/Gear you can do rounds through 2-4 instances pretty much non stop.  Get insane XP, and have the mobs all to yourself.  KoS group instances seemed to work nicely a couple of loops I did this weekend.  Like Den, HoF, etc. 

[CoLD MeTaL]

Geothe wrote:

shots01 wrote:

Otherwise, I just run quests.  I stay out of instances because of all the rude people.

 I try and stay out of dungeons or instances.

You do know, dont you, that instances are private, heh.

Open dungeons, yes, double XP weekends you probably wont be able to get a nice spot in SoS, Seb, The Hole, etc.

However, instances are all your own, and now they just have a 90 minute reset so you can tear through those as much as you want with zero competition.  Depending on your Level/Class/Gear you can do rounds through 2-4 instances pretty much non stop.  Get insane XP, and have the mobs all to yourself.  KoS group instances seemed to work nicely a couple of loops I did this weekend.  Like Den, HoF, etc. 

Funny that XP in instances seems to be far inferior to 'open zones'.  Honestly $OE needs to stop with the bull and get rid of all the 'hidden' modifiers that are trying to push people through where they want them. 

But to the OP, even with all the suckage around a double XP weekend, I am still glad we get them.

The grouping penalty needs to go and go yesterday.

[shots01]

Okay what is an instance?

[shots01]

Or rather what specific instances do you refer to?

Maybe it is my confusion between instance and dungeon.

[Dawnstrike]

There is a list of outdoor, shared dugeons and instances here:

I go into the instances during double xp days to have the zone to myself and whomever I am grouped with to grind mobs.

http://eq2.wikia.com/wiki/Zones_By_Level

[Raffir]

Define "grind"...for some people, Questing is a mind numbing grind.  As much as normal grinding in instances as we race for level cap.  Dbl XP just lets us smash half as many buttons in a given period for twice the amount of AA or XP. So we can join in quicker on higher level groups playing new material with a new class other than the ones we've grown bored with.

I prefer solo questing as opposed to "grinding" on dbl XP weekends.  But thats my way of using these kinds of events.  Outside of taking a break to go help someone with a Boss or something.  Its not like I'm ever "alone" in any case...guild voice (or even text to some extent) lets us know what everyone else is up to.

Raf

[CoLD MeTaL]

shots01 wrote:

Or rather what specific instances do you refer to?

Maybe it is my confusion between instance and dungeon.

Instance is something you do with your group/raid AND NO ONE else can be in the zone.  Anathema, Ice Shard Keep, Pools, Halls of Fate

a 'shared' dungeon is one where multiple people can be in it at the same time and 'fight' over who gets to kill mobs.  The Hole, Kael, Sebelis, Sanctum of Scaleborn, Wailing Caves are examples.