Question - Is Level 70 Plus the Start of EQ EXP Grind? (1 Viewer)

[sirkenshin]

Hello Everyone,

I have returned after a couple years break from EQ and decided to go fresh with 6 F2P characters (WAR,CLR,ENC,MAG,MAG,DRU) on the FV Server. I have been having a blast getting reacquainted with all the nice things MacroQuest has to offer. Levels 1-10 I used a tutorial.mac with some character adjustments to get through it. Levels 10-20 I went through Crescent Reach and started to learn RGMercs. Levels 20-30 I went next door to Blightfire Moors and tried a few scribe macros in POK along the way. Levels 30-45 I blasted through some HOT zones making in game adjustments with RGMercs. Levels 45-60 I explored Velketor's Labyrinth and managed to meet other players in the outer castle (love the music btw!) 60-70 was either hot zones or PoP.

Levels 70-75 is where I start going crazy with the exp grind. Killing level 68ish stuff rewarded me around 0.3% each kill. Anything level 70+ took considerable more time or resources or both causing longer breaks just to earn around 0.7% each kill. Even the HOT zones had a similar exp rate.

If anyone can remember could you please share your experiences leveling 70-75 on Live Servers. Did you find someone to help power level your characters? Did you have a similar exp gain experience? I think level 75 onwards will be more bearable with Heroic Adventures but this last stretch has been driving me insane.

Thank you for your input!

 

[LorDeth]

I don't know about you, but I always enjoyed doing the progression through SoD, and doing the questlines will reward you with consigned gear, which is not to be scoffed at (at those levels).. That is in the 65-80ish range, and with a full team, you should be capable there.

When I hit 80ish, I'll move to HoT and do those zones, also stuff I enjoy doing..

Because the xp rate slows down if you're not PLVL'ing, you may as well find some content that you enjoy... No sense making it feel like a chore!

That's what I've been doing since my return to EQ last month.. You may even see me on FV with my new team!

Cheers
Lordeth

 

[Redmonkey]

Totally agree with LorDeth on the SOD and I really liked the Oceangreen Hills grind. It was very rewarding so you kind overlooks how long it all was.

There is a little rotation you can do at the "Farm" This is in Dragoscale Hills and you get the 3 quests from Sigglik which are Farm clean up - Crows & Doombugs & Scarecrows. The you set up at the edge of the field and go at it. Once one of your team as collected the kills have them run back to Sigglik who is right up the hill and get the same quest again. Rinse repeat until you throw up.

There is also a simple kill 10 minotaur quest in the same zone that gets you good exp and a bonus of an illusion called Mask of the Mighty Minotaur

I might be a little low on exp vs level but they are worth a shot

 

[sirkenshin]

Thanks for sharing your experiences! I agree next time it would be better to focus on quests and armor progression rather than watching the exp per kill get lower and lower. I'm finally 75 and starting the heroic adventures to gear up my characters and hopefully make my leveling experience more enjoyable. If I ever do this on another server, however, I'll remember Oceangreen Hills and Dragonscale Hill quests!

 

[sodapop87]

I am feeling this now too. Just got 71 and man, what a stop. Current in Dragonscales killing Minotaurs. Was about to get a sweet dagger, Fearpoint, off Overseer Sickletooth. Wasn't aware of this illusion mask so I am going to grab that and do. I keep forgetting to go grab the daily to kill minotaurs and nymphs but also I camp by the Minos so just really pure laziness running back to it lol

guess I just got to bite down and fight through this.

Did 75+ get better with Heroic Adventures? Never did them before so no idea what to expect. My old character only got to 61 back in the day so a lot of never-before-seen stuff now.

 

[LorDeth]

I am feeling this now too. Just got 71 and man, what a stop. Current in Dragonscales killing Minotaurs. Was about to get a sweet dagger, Fearpoint, off Overseer Sickletooth. Wasn't aware of this illusion mask so I am going to grab that and do. I keep forgetting to go grab the daily to kill minotaurs and nymphs but also I camp by the Minos so just really pure laziness running back to it lol

guess I just got to bite down and fight through this.

Did 75+ get better with Heroic Adventures? Never did them before so no idea what to expect. My old character only got to 61 back in the day so a lot of never-before-seen stuff now.

HA's do help, but they changed how the xp is rewarded in them.. its now a larger chunk at the completion of the mission, and kill xp is sorta meh.. So the best bang for your buck with those is having a high lvl toon run you through them.. basically carry you..

 

[Gekko]

I am feeling this now too. Just got 71 and man, what a stop. Current in Dragonscales killing Minotaurs. Was about to get a sweet dagger, Fearpoint, off Overseer Sickletooth. Wasn't aware of this illusion mask so I am going to grab that and do. I keep forgetting to go grab the daily to kill minotaurs and nymphs but also I camp by the Minos so just really pure laziness running back to it lol

guess I just got to bite down and fight through this.

Did 75+ get better with Heroic Adventures? Never did them before so no idea what to expect. My old character only got to 61 back in the day so a lot of never-before-seen stuff now.

I thoroughly enjoyed cycling the 3 Gribble missions. I believe they start at 75. Was also starting to piece together TBM gear using remnants of tranquility.

Be well. Happy leveling.

Edited

Corrected typo. I meant Broken Mirror so TBM not TBL

 

[Shadow]

I tended to skip a lot and leveled in Valdeholm. Spider/Goo under the bridge left side to start, then right side when my toons were better positioned to handle it. I think I did 70-75 in a few hours.

 

[LorDeth]

I thoroughly enjoyed cycling the 3 Gribble missions. I believe they start at 75. Was also starting to piece together TBL gear using remnants of tranquility.

Be well. Happy leveling.

oh man gribbles used to be the staple of XP grind... before they put the cooldown on them...

 

[Gekko]

oh man gribbles used to be the staple of XP grind... before they put the cooldown on them...

I had a rotation of the 3 Gribble and something in TBM. I mistyped earlier I mean Mirror not Burning Lands.

Trying to rambler what I was able to do in TBM at lower level.

 

[LorDeth]

I had a rotation of the 3 Gribble and something in TBM. I mistyped earlier I mean Mirror not Burning Lands.

Trying to rambler what I was able to do in TBM at lower level.

well the TBM HA's scaled to your lvl too.. so those were not usually too bad either.. I dont remember doing them for XP though.. and by the time they came out, was sort of a bit refreshing after killing gribbles for a few years hehe..

The TDS HAs were not really great for grinding I found.. were more just progression missions to me.. do em once, move on basically..

 

[ToeJamSamy]

Even hotzones, if old stuff, are crap. Stick to TBS/TSS or newer for good xp. At that point there are still plenty of options as mentioned above or like direwind etc, katta, tbs itself,

 

[hackzimus]

75-85 is when it becomes very apparent the lack of AAs from FTP makes a difference. My current FTP group I'm working on is 85 in a mix of solteris T1 HoT gear and struggles to do anything higher than fort mech/lvl 80 NPC's.

Actively playing I got them to floor 4 of the Mech Guardian but they were dead within 15 minutes of me setting them up on auto pulls in there and MMM.

So far I'm finding loping plains may be the best bang for your buck location up until 87ish.

 

[dcb500]

If you think it slows down around 70, wait til you get to 111. Level 111+ is like 1/10th or worse the speed of lvling than it is at 110. It changes that dramatically in 1 level and stays that way to max level. There's overseer tho. I don't know if there's a level requirement to be able to use overseer, but type /over and start doing the missions there. Different mission types give different rewards (they all have the option for level experience as the reward) and take varying amounts of time to complete, but you should easily be able to get 10% a level per day once you get the missions rolling and have recruited enough agents. You can just log in and load up overseer then log out, its a nice system to keep progressing even if your play time is low.

 

[durango773]

85 is min level for overseers.

 

[Gringo3]

If you think it slows down around 70, wait til you get to 111. Level 111+ is like 1/10th or worse the speed of lvling than it is at 110. It changes that dramatically in 1 level and stays that way to max level. There's overseer tho. I don't know if there's a level requirement to be able to use overseer, but type /over and start doing the missions there. Different mission types give different rewards (they all have the option for level experience as the reward) and take varying amounts of time to complete, but you should easily be able to get 10% a level per day once you get the missions rolling and have recruited enough agents. You can just log in and load up overseer then log out, its a nice system to keep progressing even if your play time is low.

To be honest, 111+ is not that hard. 111-115 can be done in about 50 hrs in GMM. It is about 0.04% per lightblue, but you slay 120 mobs per hour.