Leveling up to 70 is a grind? My response to a chat discussion...

doctordna

Over the prior weekend some players were whining about having to grind up to level 70 and how the game is "pay to win". Win what? The game has lots of faults but they are sadly mistaken. I made this female Drow, I played her to level 11. Then stopped and had her learn to invoke. She is now over 30 from invoking 3 times in the morning before leaving to work, the remainder after I returned home. That is not paying or grinding, that is just pushing a button.



I suppose this means I will have to do all these quests next weekend.




Conclusion, you can hang by a campfire for months and have a level 50 or 60 maybe?? (I haven't done the math) or just play the game and try to enjoy yourself. If these players were saying getting from level 60 to 70 is a grind, I would agree with them. This is a very dull game without the Foundry supporting it.

That is only my opinion but go ahead and post your opinion below.

yokki1

doctordna said:

Over the prior weekend some players were whining about having to grind up to level 70 and how the game is "pay to win". Win what? The game has lots of faults but they are sadly mistaken. I made this female Drow, I played her to level 11. Then stopped and had her learn to invoke. She is now over 30 from invoking 3 times in the morning before leaving to work, the remainder after I returned home. That is not paying or grinding, that is just pushing a button.



I suppose this means I will have to do all these quests next weekend.




Conclusion, you can hang by a campfire for months and have a level 50 or 60 maybe?? (I haven't done the math) or just play the game and try to enjoy yourself. If these players were saying getting from level 60 to 70 is a grind, I would agree with them. This is a very dull game without the Foundry supporting it.

That is only my opinion but go ahead and post your opinion below.

pvp comes to mind... well forget that...

taitinhakkaaja

p2w or play to win, both are viable.

kvet

I strongly suggest you check out Preview and take a look at the new leveling campaign. You still have to do the same content, but the rewards have been much improved.

vagabond56

Took me 3 days from lvl 1 to 70. This game isn't a grind in terms of leveling.

zibadawa

vagabond56 said:

Took me 3 days from lvl 1 to 70. This game isn't a grind in terms of leveling.

If you did that in the current siege event zone, and/or with tons of high rank azures etc., then your experience is kind of irrelevant.

urabask

doctordna said:

Conclusion, you can hang by a campfire for months and have a level 50 or 60 maybe?? (I haven't done the math) or just play the game and try to enjoy yourself. If these players were saying getting from level 60 to 70 is a grind, I would agree with them. This is a very dull game without the Foundry supporting it.

http://neverwinter.gamepedia.com/Experience

Getting to 70 takes 7,084,800 exp. On the toons that I invoked to 70 it took nearly a year.

Even getting to 60 takes ~ a month or two.

zibadawa said:

vagabond56 said:

Took me 3 days from lvl 1 to 70. This game isn't a grind in terms of leveling.

If you did that in the current siege event zone, and/or with tons of high rank azures etc., then your experience is kind of irrelevant.

Yeah, anyone that thinks the rate at which you gain experience in the current event is normal is just crazy.

bioshrike

For me, a big part of the issue is the drastic drop in the pace of leveling and gating of content once you hit 60. I tend to roll a lot of alts, and after playing 1-60, and getting used to that, then having to the the Minsc intro quests and the slog of EE, it just becomes less palpable.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

oliboyph

zibadawa said:

vagabond56 said:

Took me 3 days from lvl 1 to 70. This game isn't a grind in terms of leveling.

If you did that in the current siege event zone, and/or with tons of high rank azures etc., then your experience is kind of irrelevant.

It can be done. With x2 even you can make lvl 70 in 2 days. Without event, about 48 hour play time is enough for lvl 70 with rank 7 azures in utility and xp boon. For new players it might take 2 weeks if they really play everyday. It's far from the grind I'm used to with other games.

urabask

oliboyph said:

zibadawa said:

vagabond56 said:

Took me 3 days from lvl 1 to 70. This game isn't a grind in terms of leveling.

If you did that in the current siege event zone, and/or with tons of high rank azures etc., then your experience is kind of irrelevant.

It can be done. With x2 even you can make lvl 70 in 2 days. Without event, about 48 hour play time is enough for lvl 70 with rank 7 azures in utility and xp boon. For new players it might take 2 weeks if they really play everyday. It's far from the grind I'm used to with other games.

48 hours of play time is ~24 days for most players. Most people quit before that.

This isn't even something exclusive to NW, just that the vast majority of new players in a F2P MMO quit before their first month of playing and they're mostly going to average ~1-2 hours a day.

So it can be done, but that doesn't mean it isn't problematic.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

zibadawa

defiantone99 said:

Leveling is not really a grind. For new players it would be great. There are so many campaign zones and things to do to build up your character. Problem is that once you do all of those things, there is nothing left to do but grind for RP and orange rings. The focus needs to be on end-game dungeons and raids and a phasing out of heroic encounters. Dungeons are scarce for a DnD game.

Hilariously, if you pay attention to the system notify messages when you enter skirmishes and dungeons, you'll notice that those are also Heroic Encounters.

So what you really want is more HE's, only longer and with their own zones, instead of these cheap 5 minute murder fests.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

zibadawa

oliboyph said:

xp boon

LOL

This is extremely inaccessible to the vast majority of players, especially at the higher structure levels. Most players are not in a high level guild, so most of them do not have access to high rank boons, and they especially do not have access to boons whose structures require pvp currencies to upgrade.

nathan

the only times I felt leveling was a grind was.... While playing without the XP booster. But that's probably because it spoiled me.

That said I enjoyed leveling a lot more than I enjoyed campaigns. The rate at which you make progress doing dailys can be frustrating and honestly there have been times that I just logged off because I had nothing I could progress on.

dsn1118

I always enjoyed 1 to 70 than post 70+(or 60 in the old days) but that gets old after 2-3 character too.Even ToD campaign is more fun than this last 3 mods.

nathan

The post 70 life is interesting. At times it feels like an entirely different game. But that ends pretty quickly when you realize the grind of progression.

I might be alone here but heres some thoughts:

- I would rather do one large quest that gets all similar objectives completed at the same time ( rather than @oick yo xyz from mob", followed immediately by another quest "kill x# of the mobs you just killed.

- I would rather not have to repeat that process daily.

- I would mind it ALOT less if it were similar to the EE revamp. Campaign currency isn't the easiest to come by, limiting the frequency it can be acquired is a extremely poor way to treat your customers who really just want to have a good time. Add up the currencies you need for boons, like I did, then factor in that you can only acquire a set amount per day, and then character progression becomes very bleak.

- item level and refinement. I'm at a spot where I'm sub optimal and going to be that way until at the very least double refinement. And I have full hoard enchants and WF. And only 1 orange, lol

oliboyph

zibadawa said:

oliboyph said:

xp boon

LOL

This is extremely inaccessible to the vast majority of players, especially at the higher structure levels. Most players are not in a high level guild, so most of them do not have access to high rank boons, and they especially do not have access to boons whose structures require pvp currencies to upgrade.

I'm guessing you did not read the rest. I noted that it would take longer for others. It's still not a grind. Other games will require you to grind for a week just to get 1 lvl when you are 10 lvls away from max. Additionally, there are others that strip you of experience and literally decrease your lvl if you die too often.

thefabricant

During a 2x XP event, its possible to get to 70 in under 24 hours with no SH boon or R12s, or zen bonus. Outside of 2x XP event, it takes maybe 48 hours. The trick is to be efficient while leveling.

Level 1-60:
Regular quests + (if you are in any guild, even a level 1 guild) the SH daily. However, if you trying to get to 70 in 1 day, then do not do the SH daily as you will need it for later. (its XP scales)

Level 60-65:
9 Chapters + Maze Engine Quests as well as the starting quests involving Minsc and Boo as well as some quests on drowned shore, also, the SH daily.

Level 65-70:
Giants in the final zone in Spinward Rise. You team up with a group of 5 people and all kill giants together, zerging from 1 giant to another, should take you ~5 hours doing this to get to level 70 from level 65 with no XP boosts and the diminished XP from working together. Alternatively, if you have a level 70 friend willing to help you out and you do it in a group of 2, you can do this grind in 2 hours. With the maximum XP bonus, I was able to do 64-70 in 41 minutes.

Remember to do the quests in Blacklake as well as the quests in Spellplague for the free bags. Other than using level up XP tomes to push you from 0-70, I think this is the most efficient method.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

schietindebux

I grinded my GF in about 5 weeks to lev 70, only few boons missing.That´s no grind at all.
The grind is when you want to get BIS, legendary equip, transcendent enchant, or want to be competeteive in PVP.
I heared about other mmo´s like Final Fantasy where it takes years to level up and get professions maxed? Not sure if that´s correct.
In terms of getting BIS, years are also needed in NWO to get all that RP/AD.

elrondknight

doctordna said: "... and how the game is "pay to win". Win what? "

1) PvP
2) Tiamat
3) (I am assuming, because I have not unlocked yet...) Demogorgon

oliboyph

elrondknight said:

doctordna said: "... and how the game is "pay to win". Win what? "

1) PvP
2) Tiamat
3) (I am assuming, because I have not unlocked yet...) Demogorgon

Maybe PVP, but Tiamat? You run with a group in Tiamat. If you are talking about scoring the highest, some of the top damage dealers for Tiamat in our channel have not paid more than $50 in the 1 year that they have been playing.

goodyearbadday

oliboyph said: Maybe PVP, but Tiamat? You run with a group in Tiamat.

that's IF you can find a group that doesn't rage-quit after the first run.

elrondknight

goodyearbadday said: that's IF you can find a group that doesn't rage-quit after the first run.

^ THIS ^ ... I hit 70 last week, I have or 4 Tiamat runs under my belt. 0 finishes. 5 minutes in & half the team is gone!!!

zibadawa

elrondknight said:

goodyearbadday said: that's IF you can find a group that doesn't rage-quit after the first run.

^ THIS ^ ... I hit 70 last week, I have or 4 Tiamat runs under my belt. 0 finishes. 5 minutes in & half the team is gone!!!

If 70% of the people (especially the dps ones) aren't well-built 3ks, then you WILL fail (short of maybe some SW exploits/bugs/whatever-they-call-them-so-they-can-sleep-at-night). If you're a fresh 70, then you're an automatic deduction to the team's chance at victory.

elrondknight

zibadawa said:

elrondknight said:

goodyearbadday said: that's IF you can find a group that doesn't rage-quit after the first run.

^ THIS ^ ... I hit 70 last week, I have or 4 Tiamat runs under my belt. 0 finishes. 5 minutes in & half the team is gone!!!

If 70% of the people (especially the dps ones) aren't well-built 3ks, then you WILL fail (short of maybe some SW exploits/bugs/whatever-they-call-them-so-they-can-sleep-at-night). If you're a fresh 70, then you're an automatic deduction to the team's chance at victory.

That may be the case, as I said, it's new for me. I have been grinding away for 6 months looking forward to unlocking Tiamat. I finally have the required stats to get in, & have NO chance of winning?!? That's messed up. Thye need to alter the entrance req's, or re-work the instance so you don't need a team full of Monsters to finish.

dameon2k

oliboyph said:

zibadawa said:

vagabond56 said:

Took me 3 days from lvl 1 to 70. This game isn't a grind in terms of leveling.

If you did that in the current siege event zone, and/or with tons of high rank azures etc., then your experience is kind of irrelevant.

It can be done. With x2 even you can make lvl 70 in 2 days. Without event, about 48 hour play time is enough for lvl 70 with rank 7 azures in utility and xp boon. For new players it might take 2 weeks if they really play everyday. It's far from the grind I'm used to with other games.

You don't even need the event with the right mounts and 10 regal insignias of prosperity. lol

dameon2k

kvet said:

I strongly suggest you check out Preview and take a look at the new leveling campaign. You still have to do the same content, but the rewards have been much improved.

Thank you for this. I like the way they are streamlining the leveling campaign. Should be interesting when they are ready to release it.

oliboyph

elrondknight said:

That may be the case, as I said, it's new for me. I have been grinding away for 6 months looking forward to unlocking Tiamat. I finally have the required stats to get in, & have NO chance of winning?!? That's messed up. Thye need to alter the entrance req's, or re-work the instance so you don't need a team full of Monsters to finish.

Tiamat is in many ways a very social party of NW. It's pretty much the version of WoW's 40 player raid. In this case however, they have a short cut that let's you group up randomly (if that's what you did). Unfortunately, it requires some level of planing. If you just group up and jump in, then that's going to get you nowhere.

But, this is stepping away from my point. Tiamat is not pay to win. I requires more effort in the part of the people organizing it. Which is the challenge of the event.

I'm not sure why it took you 6 months to get to a level that's just enough get in to Tiamat, It's possible that you just don't have the time to grind. Or you probably made some bad decisions in the game investments-wise. Either way, at 6 months most of the free players I know are already at 3k and are well qualified to join a Tiamat channel.