Newb player reached 60 and stopped

eqmesme · November 2016

well 63 but still...

I was doing fine in all my quest zones, happily questing away, killing things, sometimes not easily, but still killing things. Did all my zones 1-59 as I reached 63. Then I entered one of my lvl 60 quest zones. And all the mobs were 70. So was I. But they kicked my HAMSTER, normally I would be able to take on a group of normal mobs 3-5 will a small amount of kiting. This was a group of 3 normals, and I died in seconds, my companion died before I could blink (comp capped at 35, level 7 runes), all my gear is level relevant (within 1-3 levels) and all with level 6 or 7 runes to level 60.

So I tried a different level 60 quest zone. Same thing. And again. And again. Surprisingly it stopped being fun. I had no clue what I was doing wrong, I checked my line up of powers, I watched You Tube build videos for my class for what felt like forever. I still don't know what I'm doing wrong, everything seems fine build and gear wise.

So I came to the only assumption I had left, I sucked big time.

But this seemed anathaema to me, I used to rock RPGs/MMOs, and even since I became disabled I still wasn't bad once I found a class I could play reasonably well, I have always managed to solo level to cap, it may have taken some time but I've always done it. I've never had this difficulty before. I mentioned it to my partner, who has suffered my gaming for nearly 20 years, and he suggested taking it to the forums and asking you guys if it's really me or if I'm missing something, or something happens at 60 that I don't know about being new to the game.

So here I am, asking you guys if it's really me who sucks (be gentle!) or if something happens at 60 that I've missed/don't know about and should, or something else entirely.

matthiasthehun76 · November 2016

No, you don't suck, never say that. A healthy self esteem is key to winning and mastering things in RL and games are exactly the same.

It is an action combat game and it is surely a bit harder for disabled or chronically ill people, BUT still i know lots of people who have some sort of disadvantage and still can be pretty competitive.

The best advise i could give you is to try out more or better all classes and you will find something that suits you well.

If i may go a bit off topic, a famous snooker player once said, all people can master snooker, be it very hard, even for healthy people, only difference is, that some need more practice, some less. But i can go further, one of the all time greatest snooker players had one eye less working and he still won tons of world championships and all kinds of titles.

Now since you have played for a while now, you are not missing anything crucial, so it only needs tweaking.

Coming to the zones, after lvl 60, which was formerly level cap, there is a small gap that needs to be mastered and trust me even healthy people have some troubles on some classes when it comes to Elemental Evil maps, especially Spinward Rise.

Boy my poor pure healing DC still suffers under some zones, i think Devs have to iron this out in the future, pure support has a very hard time, so it's not just you, no wonder many left those classes or are playing them by simply skipping some content.

Also find a good guild and don't be afraid to ask a guildie for help, if you are stuck and as your char grows more in IL you will get stronger, all natural.

Hope i could help you a bit and heads up!

silence1x · November 2016

Those levels are much harder. Try joining a guild or using LFG to help you find some others that are struggling.

qexotic · November 2016

If you could provide a little more information, then you will get some useful responses. What class are you playing ? Can you be a bit more specific about which zones are giving you problems ? At a guess, I would imagine you are probably hitting problems with the mini lairs in Tyranny of Dragons. 'Ghost Stories' in particular can be a real shock to the system the first few times you try to run it solo. It is hard and you would be well advised to find another player to help you through it until you get to a higher iLevel.

@matthiasthehun76 offered you some good advice with regard to finding a good guild to help you through this stage.

sigillmacfinn · November 2016

You should also bear in mind that it was announced that content added after the level 60 cap was raised to 70 was designed to "make" players play together - if you are not in a guild then consider joining 1 & ask for help - most players will happily join u to help or LFG in the zones you are in & team up - it is NOT you or your build @ lvl 70 & with most boons I can still struggle in WoD & IWD

We'd be happy to have you in our Guild/Alliance - feel free to PM me in game @sigillmacfinn

Good luck

divectore · November 2016

3 possible reasons:
1. You are attacking Elite type foes, those are mostly found in Heroic Encounters, they look like normals mobs and have the same level, but they have like 20 times more hit points and hit for dozens of thousands of damage.(Elite mobs a differenciate from normal ones by looking it's HP bar, it looks like thicker and with more rectangles.)
2. The same reason as 1, but this time instanced, like for example the mission: ghost stories, these kind of missions usually are done with a party untill you are strong enough to complete them yourself.
3. You are in a zone in where you get temporal re-leveled, this usualy re-level your items as well, but difficulty is not the same, so for example, you are lvl 60 and go to guild stronghold, you get re-leveled to 70, but your items are not as good as lvl 70 ones, so the difficult is even higher.

eqmesme · November 2016

Thanks all for your comments, especially @matthiasthehun76 for the supportive comments - I hadn't realised content type changed so drastically.

After reading some of your responses, I went away and did some homework on the 60+ content changes, and it does seem it was geared towards enforcing grouping and whilst I realise it is no one's fault but my own (and ok maybe the devs) - this is something I can't do - I can do my 1 daily dungeon a day but my disability (and chronic pain) means I have to dump my group with very little or no warning for any game play time longer than 30mins, and I have learnt in the past, and rightly so don't get me wrong, it really annoys people and you start to get a rep for a group-dumper and start to get less and less groups.

As to joining a Guild, the idea is nice, even if just to shoot the breeze in guild chat (and also I'd love to do something with those guild voucher things from my daily box other than sell them on the AH), but I have also learnt from previous games that joining a guild, but then not playing for several days, sometimes a couple of weeks, often results in being kicked even if you provide an explanation - if I'm not active, I'm not providing for the guild in whatever form that particular game requires... and again I completely understand, some games restrict membership size per guild rank etc, inactive players waste precious space. So my past few MMOs I've not even bothered finding a guild.

Haha I just reread the above, no wonder my bloke complains I'm a grumpy cow.

I probably should be more social when I play I guess I just don't want to relearn past experiences

However, on the plus side, I am now leveling up another char to 60 - it's a fun game even if all I do is take them to 60.

@qexotic my 63 is a HR ranged not traps and omg you were right it was all the Tyranny of Dragons stuff. And yes, Ghost Stories... /shudders that was just rinse repeat death - I refused to admit I couldn't solo it until I changed my layout 4 times and died about 9.

sockmunkey · November 2016

The problem isn't you, its the scaling. Anytime the game levels you up, expect to get punished. If the game levels you down, you will feel like a demigod. Basically just put the Tyranny of Dragons stuff on hold. Focus on Elemental evil, the maze engine, and Sharandar. Once you hit 70, naturally, you will find ghost stories a lot more tolerable. Even then, avoid doing anything more in the Well of Dragons or Icewind Dale until you have around 2100-2200 Item level. They are pretty much the most difficult areas of the game. You should be able to solo all the campaigns, up to well of dragons, without a group. Provided you take them in the right order and continue to progress your gear.

pitshade · November 2016

It will slow your progression down, but it is possible to do the ToD campaign and avoid the lairs. Common Cause gives you the Pages that you need for boons, and enables the lair quest which will give you Sigils, but you can get 2 Sigils a day in Rothe Valley fighting weak mobs and zerging the dragon, and once it's unlocked, in Whispering (though less people do that dragon fight)

Also, while soloing any of the ToD lairs is going to be rough if you're not already level 70 and geared, Ghost Stories is by far the worst. The other four don't even come close. It was horrible even when the level cap was still 60 and the lair mobs were as well.

tuesdayrolld20 · November 2016

Look regardless of the cause, you should find a guild that suits you. I belong to one of the best guilds in the game. (IMO). If you want I can work with you when I am online to help you with the content. I can refer you to an HR to see if your spec is capable of adventuring these areas. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Our guild understands people who are disabled. We have a few in our guild. If you want ping me in game and I will come to help you. My handle is @tuesdayrolld20 and my character name is Miri Droverson.

Sucking is not what you should be thinking.

Look me up. If my guild leaders agree, I can possibly get you into the guild. As long as you play, or if you tell us you will be taking a break for a few weeks, our guildes DO NOT get removed from the roster

I know some guilds are heartless, some ask for initiation fee, minimum requirements etc... VA does not.

Hope this helps

qexotic · November 2016

eqmesme said:
Thanks all for your comments, especially @matthiasthehun76 for the supportive comments - I hadn't realised content type changed so drastically.

However, on the plus side, I am now leveling up another char to 60 - it's a fun game even if all I do is take them to 60.

@qexotic my 63 is a HR ranged not traps and omg you were right it was all the Tyranny of Dragons stuff. And yes, Ghost Stories... /shudders that was just rinse repeat death - I refused to admit I couldn't solo it until I changed my layout 4 times and died about 9.

For the record, my first character was also an HR Archer and getting him through the ToD stuff was a real challenge. I could only complete 'Ghost Stories' with help for a long time. I now run him as a Trapper/Archer hybrid which is a reasonable compromise.

Back to your situation, inspite of your reservations I would suggest you look around for a supportive guild. There are some available who will help you along even if your circumstances mean you might not be the most active member. I am in Greycloaks part of a well populated alliance. They are a friendly and helpful bunch

Details can be found elsewhere in the forums:

http://www.arcgames.com/en/forums/neverwinter#/discussion/562624/the-greycloaks/p1

One suggestion I would make, is to see if you can make some progress in Sharandar. The fourth boon on offer in that campaign is really, really worth the effort from a survivability point of view. It's also quite a fun zone, at least I enjoyed playing in there, with a good mix of quests. They aren't all go to somewhere, kill XX somethings, rinse and repeat. Though you will develop a healthy dislike of Poweries >:)

Have fun

kvet · November 2016

(have to second the call for Greycloaks

)

Outside of joining a guild, I would suggest a few courses of action...

1. Continue with Elemental Evil until you hit 70 and avoid all of the campaign zones.
2. Supplement the EE quest by starting ToD and Maze Engine as you're able (careful, since you'll still fragile without end-game gear).
3. Sharandar comes available before you're 70. Start it, but be careful, those dark fey buggers bite...

All of the other campaign zones will more or less destroy you until you're level 70 and have gear that's better than the generic blue drop stuff. An active guild/alliance will help you get quality gear. Do yourself a favor and don't rely on PUGs (pick up groups - when you queue solo) or LFG (look for group channel - basically pre-made PUGs). Instead, get with a solid and active guild that you can run with consistent, get to know, and enjoy playing along side.

Clearly I'd recommend the Cloaks, but I'm a bit biased there. There are many many quality guilds out there that you'll have a blast running with, just be careful, there's also a lot of guilds out there that you won't have fun with. Bigger isn't always better.

guille23mx · November 2016

Get lvl 70 get lvl 135 Equipment (Drowcraft), invest $200 Dlls(10 millions ad) get a Weap/Armor Enchant and some R9 and R10(or better if u can). Get a Augment Companion and Fill it with Equipment and Rings,and Stuff. Problem Solved.

mentinmindmaker · November 2016

The content intended for levelling from 60 to 70 is the Elemental Evil campaign. It will also provide you with a fair dose of basic gear.

In general do the campaigns in the order they appear on the campaign page, starting at the bottom. If you move directly to the higher ones you will get massacred.

Also, if you have a 30 minute play window, most of the campaign lairs should be within reach with a team. They often take at most 10 minutes if the group is somewhat geared.

gphxgphx · November 2016

Leveling up I find a well geared companion to be invaluable. Areas such as Sharandar and Dread Ring used to be level 60, now they are effectively level 70. In my experience (that of others may differ) the best way to level solo if you're having difficulty is the main quest line. You can also gear blue runes in your utility slots to boost the rate you level per a given amount of time and effort. XP gained from leadership is independent of gear. Doing those skill tasks are worthwhile, especially on double XP days. Once you get a single character to 70 being able to hand gear and companions to your new toons makes things a lot easier. In my experience defensive characters such as paladin and warrior are easier to level without dying a lot but the leveling tends to go slower.

Just some ideas that've helped me level almost a couple dozen toons to 70. They may work for you or you may find ideas better suited to you. If I find something really tough and troublesome I just skip it and come back to it focusing on the easy stuff in the meantime. Make sure you've completed all the lower zones for example before tackling the higher ones. They give less XP but they go remarkably fast when you've leveled past them.

Hang in there.

emilemo · November 2016

eqmesme said:
well 63 but still...

I was doing fine in all my quest zones, happily questing away, killing things, sometimes not easily, but still killing things. Did all my zones 1-59 as I reached 63. Then I entered one of my lvl 60 quest zones. And all the mobs were 70. So was I. But they kicked my HAMSTER, normally I would be able to take on a group of normal mobs 3-5 will a small amount of kiting. This was a group of 3 normals, and I died in seconds, my companion died before I could blink (comp capped at 35, level 7 runes), all my gear is level relevant (within 1-3 levels) and all with level 6 or 7 runes to level 60.

So I tried a different level 60 quest zone. Same thing. And again. And again. Surprisingly it stopped being fun. I had no clue what I was doing wrong, I checked my line up of powers, I watched You Tube build videos for my class for what felt like forever. I still don't know what I'm doing wrong, everything seems fine build and gear wise.

So I came to the only assumption I had left, I sucked big time.

But this seemed anathaema to me, I used to rock RPGs/MMOs, and even since I became disabled I still wasn't bad once I found a class I could play reasonably well, I have always managed to solo level to cap, it may have taken some time but I've always done it. I've never had this difficulty before. I mentioned it to my partner, who has suffered my gaming for nearly 20 years, and he suggested taking it to the forums and asking you guys if it's really me or if I'm missing something, or something happens at 60 that I don't know about being new to the game.

So here I am, asking you guys if it's really me who sucks (be gentle!) or if something happens at 60 that I've missed/don't know about and should, or something else entirely.

I see others have already given you some good pointers but here is the official advice Cryptic, the game developer gives you. Spend money to buy Zen and get a few epic mounts and companions. Convert the remaining Zen to Astral Diamonds and purchase high power/high rank enchantments from the ingame Auction House. Outfit yourself, your mounts and your companions with epic gear and high ranking enchantments. Watch as any pve monster you meet melts in your wake.

Happy Hunting

btairborne · November 2016

I remember when this happened to me, although I never got completely stopped like you it sure did slow down. Monster groups started taking forever to kill and if I didn't play my absolute best I got wiped. It was HARD.

So I did the following to progress:

1. I got a healer companion (use blue or purple). This helped me tremendously stay alive and not have to play at such an intense level. Combine that with good (at least blue) companion gear and Lev7-9 Eldritch stones in the defense slots. Profane for the offensive slot if any.

3. I started getting boons. Starting off with killing Dragons for Tyranny Campaign and Sharandar Campaign the next easiest. Monsters started to die faster now.

3. I got a mount with +2000 crit. Helped even more. Check purple mounts in the Zen Store.

4. I got a Vorpal weapon enchant. This helped me a lot and will for any class but you will need about 1 million to get what I got.

These days you can also fill out all your open mount insignias. Make sure you have full stable.
Eventually things will be easy again and you will want to switch to a striker companion and buy bonding runestones.

aslan3775 · November 2016

Please don't feel like you did anything wrong. Right now, imho, the Archer Spec on the Hunter Ranger is one of the hardest trees to play in those areas because mobs close so fast and your damage is based upon being a good distance from your target.

I would echo those comments above--those people that answered are some of the most knowledgeable and helpful players out there.

Don't get discouraged. Especially since you ended up discovering one of the best kept secrets of Neverwinter--the level 1-60 content can be some of the most fun to play.

eyebrowstaste · November 2016

Guys is it even real for newbs to buy Zen through exchange? 9.7kk queue

armadeonx · November 2016

@eqmesme the HR is a tricky class to learn and it requires a fair amount of dexterity (yours, not the character stat) as well as understanding. Especially with the Archer path. A friend of mine ran an archer as his first character and had a lot of trouble. I eventually talked him into respeccing to trapper and he never looked back.

Stack Lifesteal in defence slots and get a tanking companion to keep the aggro off you and provide you with more defence.

I think the Paladin is the easiest class to play on many levels. If you stack armor pen so your strikes have full effect you can kill enemies reasonably fast but more importantly you have the option to just stand there with one finger on the trigger and they die whilst you don't (shielding strike is great for this, decent damage, hits multiple foes and gives you extra protection).

If you have a spare character slot I'd suggest rolling one. See the class forums for an up-to-date build as they've had a few changes recently.

schietindebux · November 2016

Vault oft the Nine at level 60 (where you get your class artifact), with no Boons , green gear and no clue how to play my renemof CW ( invoking char ) was the most challenging experience I had in this game so far. Never died that many times from the start, did not get past that spider at the entrance, till I bought green gear with IL 73 and invested in some lifesteal. Lifesteal was also the only solution to level my warlock through elemental evil - Aviar landing - one year ago, but they changed the leveling zones, upscaling is hard, you already got the best advices where to go.
Best investment I did ingame was the dragonborn legend pack at 50% sales, but a perfect vorpal will allways be e solid investment also, in case your char has some critchance (depends on your class)

@eqmesme maybe a Paladin or a GF or GWF is the best choice.
The easiest leveling was GF and GWF in my case, i don't own a Paladin but think that class may be inferior in terms oft damage?

emilemo · November 2016

schietindebux said:
Vault oft the Nine at level 60 (where you get your class artifact), with no Boons , green gear and no clue how to play my renemof CW ( invoking char ) was the most challenging experience I had in this game so far. Never died that many times from the start, did not get past that spider at the entrance, till I bought green gear with IL 73 and invested in some lifesteal. Lifesteal was also the only solution to level my warlock through elemental evil - Aviar landing - one year ago, but they changed the leveling zones, upscaling is hard, you already got the best advices where to go.

Best investment I did ingame was the dragonborn legend pack at 50% sales, but a perfect vorpal will allways be e solid investment also, in case your char has some critchance (depends on your class)

@eqmesme maybe a Paladin or a GF or GWF is the best choice.

The easiest leveling was GF and GWF in my case, i don't own a Paladin but think that class may be inferior in terms oft damage?

It is inferior damage wise but only at higher level content. During normal pve while getting to 70 and acquiring gear/boons the paladin is quite good for a new player. The combination of tankiness and aoe damage is what speeds things up.

xaluhnx · November 2016

I Would love you Have you in my Guild As well, I can personally promise you that you will not be kicked for in activity, I spend all my time helping guild members! and I would love to give you a helping hand message me in-game Mysterious@xaluhnx

Newb player reached 60 and stopped

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