Recently I've been playing with leveling a bunch of my lower level characters past their second class change quest.
I've noticed that which mobs I choose to kill can shift back and forth a bit. For instance, as an elven oracle in Execution grounds I could two shot (using Disrupt Undead) Neer Ghouls, Neer Ghoul Beserkers, Spectres and Strains. Even though I could two shot all of them, I concentrated on Strains because they gave me the most XP per mob. At my next level of Disrtup Undead I could now one shot Spectres and Neer Ghouls, but still required two shots for Neer Ghoul Beserkers and Strains. Even though Strains gave more XP per mob, I moved to killing the mobs I could one shot because of improved mana usage per kill.
At my next level of Distrupt Undead, I could then one shot everything, including the Strains. I moved back to killing them, because again, they gave the most XP per amount of mana expended.
I wondered how many other areas were like this and how often this might happen to casters. I knew that part of this was just a product of the limitation healer classes have with what they can kill.
I moved to a couple of other areas briefly to try the mobs there. At one point I tried Rakuls in the Heine area because I could two shot them as well. There were too many agro mobs in the same area that I couldn't efficiently kill and this seemed to be the main problem with all other areas. Too many non-undead mobs mixed with the undeads.
Although this example uses a healer class, I've done similar things on my nukers.
So I'm interested in comments on this from others. Have you found yourself staying in one area through many levels (10 or so)? If you do have you made adjustments to what you kill to maximize your XP? Do you find it difficult to find mobs weak to your kind of caster that are killable or are there problems, such as the Rakul example, that make it difficult for you to fight in an area?
My only comment - I played a human wizard for many levels in Cruma Swamps, because of all the fire-weak mobs. Between the fire-weakness and a borrowed +10 SoL, I could always find mobs that I could one-shot. This was good for conserving money on shots, mana conservation, and fast leveling. However, once I got to 35+, I found the mobs were so spread out that the leveling was really slowing down. At around 36 or so, I headed on over to Field of Whispers and Alligator Beach. Even with mana breaks, it "felt" like I was leveling faster than in Cruma Swamp.
I'll stay in an area until the mobs go blue. As long as the xp is somewhat competitive (meaning, as long as I can get within the average % per hour others do in other areas) I don't leave.
My only comment - I played a human wizard for many levels in Cruma Swamps, because of all the fire-weak mobs. Between the fire-weakness and a borrowed +10 SoL, I could always find mobs that I could one-shot. This was good for conserving money on shots, mana conservation, and fast leveling. However, once I got to 35+, I found the mobs were so spread out that the leveling was really slowing down. At around 36 or so, I headed on over to Field of Whispers and Alligator Beach. Even with mana breaks, it "felt" like I was leveling faster than in Cruma Swamp.
I think this is a very good point about some areas as well. If the mobs are 'weak' to your magic but spread out so that you have to do a lot of running around, it is less efficient than closer packed mobs that give a bit less XP per kill.
My only comment - I played a human wizard for many levels in Cruma Swamps, because of all the fire-weak mobs. Between the fire-weakness and a borrowed +10 SoL, I could always find mobs that I could one-shot. This was good for conserving money on shots, mana conservation, and fast leveling. However, once I got to 35+, I found the mobs were so spread out that the leveling was really slowing down. At around 36 or so, I headed on over to Field of Whispers and Alligator Beach. Even with mana breaks, it "felt" like I was leveling faster than in Cruma Swamp.
I think this is a very good point about some areas as well. If the mobs are 'weak' to your magic but spread out so that you have to do a lot of running around, it is less efficient than closer packed mobs that give a bit less XP per kill.
And that is exactly why I still hunt in Blazing Swamp. Close totgether, fast spawning mobs AND herbs.
I moved back to killing them, because again, they gave the most XP per amount of mana expended
This is generally a good rule of thumb, taking into account mob density/proximity, respawn rates, and variety.
At lower levels you will easily be able to hunt in areas where most mobs are similar kill difficulty. But as you progress in levels, you'll find more difficult to kill mobs interspersed with easy to kill ones. This may be attributed to resistances or differences in mob levels.
For pure nukers, this won't pose a tremendous problem. But for buffers and healers, you'll find yourself in places where undead types hang out with the living...and the living are usually aggro. Nothing to really fret, but just be prepared.
With my low level DE Wizard I'm shooting about everything in my range, same with my Kamael Warder. I don't calculate much for now, but this may be because of level and because I hunt in areas with Herbs.
When I solo with my Bishop it's different. It's exactly the same thing as what you describe. In Devasted Castle you have to had your survivalability to archers and knights stuns in the equation. But if someone buffed me Empower just before I had to kill other mobs. There's also a calculation of the necessary use of BSPS.
I noticed when I was 3-shooting Doom Knights at lvl 69 with Mysterious Sword (Acumen) that my shadow Dasparion Staff didn't suffice to 2-shot them, so of course the Mysterious Sword (Acumen) was faster and cheaper.
But after that the undeads I tried were HPx# (I didn't try FoD so I can't talk about it). While A-Grade weapon took less hits to kill, it was much more efficient to use Turn Undead. And when you start to use Turn Undead, you don't count hits anymore. You just throw your spirit ores in the wind like there's no tomorrow.
Fortunately it's been long since the last time I soloed with my Bishop. It's not my vision of "fun".
at 40, you go into cruma tower to the left two rooms back, sit your ol and ee in the corner, and solo the entire room until about 48-50 then move upstairs.
:P
But yes, its the curse of a mage, the search for the perfect 2 shot.
I still haven't found a better place to solo a D grade nuker than Field of Silence near heine. I usually go there at lvl 30 and stay till lvl 40. Tons of easy onehit mobs, nice exp and herbs.
i'm currently looking for a better place to solo my sh, i can 1 shot some white mobs north of ivory tower, but they dont give the best xp imo (that and i'm tired of trying to win ground from the bots), and i cant solo frozen labyrinth, or ev. and fp doesn't give enough xp either, that and the mobs arnt tight enough there. any suggestions?
i'm currently looking for a better place to solo my sh, i can 1 shot some white mobs north of ivory tower, but they dont give the best xp imo (that and i'm tired of trying to win ground from the bots), and i cant solo frozen labyrinth, or ev. and fp doesn't give enough xp either, that and the mobs arnt tight enough there. any suggestions?
remember, it's not just about whether or not the mob gives great xp. It is also about whether or not you can hunt them fast enough. If you are getting great xp per mob but have to run all over creation to get them, then that isn't great xp.
Now, there is the other factor which is resources. One shotting a mob is great. I most likely use more resources for the xp I get as I two shot mobs. They are fast spawning and close together, and there are herbs. So for me, the rate of xp is fine but I probably use more shots for the xp I get. That is something that I'm willing to live with.
Have you tried the cemetary? I seem to remember that I went from sea of spores to Ivory tower, to cemetary to forsaken plains. I think that was my progression. Don't know how the spots have changed over the chronicles.
Outlaw Forest and FP are probably the two best places you can go at 5x levels. In FP, the money is good once you get past the lowest level of mobs; good enough that you should start to accumulate some adena there. (Two of the mobs are wind-weak, which helps a lot.)
yeah, thats why i tried fp to begin with, but the mobs are spread out and i guess i forgot to mention this, but the bots hang around there too, and if they're not bots, they sure act "automated". i did try the cemetery for a while too, but they are now green to me, except the ghosts (i think they're resistant to wind or was it magic?), didn't go much farther in though. is there a certain area of fp that i should try? i'm currently in a spot that spawns the drakes and both types of gargoyles (plus a few orcs but i leave them be).
yeah, thats why i tried fp to begin with, but the mobs are spread out and i guess i forgot to mention this, but the bots hang around there too, and if they're not bots, they sure act "automated". i did try the cemetery for a while too, but they are now green to me, except the ghosts (i think they're resistant to wind or was it magic?), didn't go much farther in though. is there a certain area of fp that i should try? i'm currently in a spot that spawns the drakes and both types of gargoyles (plus a few orcs but i leave them be).
Well, think about it, green mobs are good. You don't get an xp penalty, they are probably not going to waste you and if they are close together and spawn quickly then you are golden. Mow through them like holy vengeance! :p
On the shamans, do an initial nuke with a low level skill that doesn't use much mp. You'll waste less mp doing this, but the ones that turn into tigers return really good xp.
If you are 54, the Shamans are too high. Somewhere around level 56 -58, I could 2-shot the Archers and Shamans with Empower 3. Just stick to the higher elevations until then. FYI, if/when there are too many bots, you could just head over to the lizards by Anghel Waterfall (Forest Of Mirrors).
thanks for all your help guys, i went into one of the creators with a soul breaker last night and it worked out pretty good, but i dont think i can go down there alone. i never lvled in the forest of mirrors so i'll have to give that a try. thanks again.
Kinda wasteful when they transform, thats a whole nuke wasted.
Well you can See what it is before you nuke it.. If it has a Damage Sheild Icon when you do the pull down thing, its NOT going to change. But if its not there he will change.. so i just Hate (on my SWS) them, and he changes.