Ukase

So, at level 16, I opted to boost my difficulty to +1/1. My reasoning for this was I was hoping that any recipes I got would be level 20 instead of 15. And, of course, fighting Vahzlok for Penny Yin - they drop Science or Science/mutation, and if they're a level higher, I have a bit more time to accumulate more drops. Additionally - and this may sound strange - but the Yin maps are mostly narrow hallways, and at this difficulty level, it's often 2 minions or 1 lt/boss. Easy enough to handle, even without slots, provided I ensure I have some inspirations in case I get into trouble. My biggest hope is for an end mod, followed by some damage IO/enhancements, followed by recharges. I figure I will be level 19 before the accuracies are dead, and then I'll have some serious trouble, as my challenge rules dictate I boost the difficulty to +1 at level 18. I'd expected to have more common IO recipes crafted at this point, but I don't seem to be having much luck so far. Just have to wait and see what the future brings.

The problem with ouro is that you don't get enhancements when running flashback content. I have no rule against it - but see no reason to use it other than for quick zone transport.

Use of merits is not allowed in my challenge until 50. Ordinarily, I would never waste a catalyst in such a fashion, given the way the IOs are bucketed in the AH. I would typically craft the recipes, convert them to something useful and sell them, then buy an attuned for roughly the same price. With the rules of this challenge, however, that's a no-go, at least until level 50, when all restrictions are lifted. If I get that far, lol.

I will say my character is crippled because it is crippled. It cannot function as it normally would if I had it slotted even with DOs. There's more than a few red enhancements at present which means the slots may as well be empty. That is crippled. I made the rule to not team because I, personally, would never want to carry someone else in a mission. Add more players who are largely unslotted like me, and nobody can carry anyone and you'd end up in an increased possibility of defeat and then I'd have to start over. With just me, I have a lot more control and can just SS out of harm's way and not leave teammates dealing with my aggro. What's presumptuous about not wanting to subject other players to a crippled character? I don't get that at all.

Hah, I remember. I wondered if it was possible to re-run it through ouro, lol.

Well, level 13, just did the SSA 1/7, Who Will Die twice, for an accuracy SO each time. No rule against going red side and doing the villain version for another one to put in Gloom. I am anticipating more random salvage for the few common IO recipes I have. Some are level 15, some are 10, which I'll probably sell. Fortunately, endurance isn't an issue with AM running, not like it was with the dark/dark. But, I do miss Shadowfall, because I can't just buy a celerity. It's really ...well, not difficult, but a little frustrating, because even if I get the exact IO recipe I want from the rng, I've got to have double love just to get the proper salvage to craft it. Current inf sits at 134,591. Just enough to pay to craft some IO recipes if I only had the right salvage. Soon, I hope, lol.

Well, I won't shut the door on turning xp off, but first I want to start getting more common IO recipes. They'll last longer. My gut says that turning xp off would make the challenge a bit too easy - in a tradeoff for more time as a lowbie.

I'm at level 12, and it's taken about 3 hours, I think. If I see an NPC walking around with a name beginning with M, I'll ask. Apparently, I've spent more time afk than I thought. Maribel in Steel Canyon just told me 9 hours. I know I went afk for a trip to Costco yesterday, so that was at least a couple of hours. So, I have no real clue.

Leveling without 2xp and without dfb doesn't seem that fast to me right now, lol.

After re-visiting a post of mine in suggestions, I'm all but convinced that enhancement drops are just random. What's crazy is this perception bias. When I was magic origin, it seemed like most of the drops were science. Now it seems like they're all natural origin. And it's the same content I've been running. I notice in AE - when I farm, the drops align with the origin of the farmer. I wish the missions outside of AE would do this.

Oh yeah - I'd always thought Council dropped Science. Anecdotally, I got two tech SOs in a radio mission in Steel vs. Council. So, there's that. I'm wondering if the HC devs just opened the field on drops across NPCs. Anecdotally, it seems like that.

Truth is, Flea, I've not allowed myself to do that. The reason would be that it's like going to the supermarket and getting what you want, instead of just going out and hunting for it. Granted, AE tickets are earned and not given. So, there's certainly room for gray area. But for me, I just want to see how the game treats me from an rng perspective. I do want to make one thing clear - if/once this character hits 50, all restrictions are lifted. As for your all SO challenge, when does that meet?

Hard to see, maybe. Level 11, just finished Frostfire. Got a Shield Wall End/Defense. I lack the salvage to craft it - and odds are, given the rare required, I'll be toting this thing around until level 50. I could sell it as is...but I've nothing to spend the proceeds on, as the challenge forbids the use of AH to buy anything. The common IO recipes, I lack the salvage for those, too. Should be interesting, the next few levels.

I'm at level 10, and for a science character, the drops (Flux is contact - what can I say, I'm a traditionalist) haven't been good as far as enhancements go - but happy with the IO recipes. Will soon see how the salvage drops so I can craft that heal IO. I've got no heal enhancements at all yet.

I have considered it - but level 10-12 is when the common IOs drop. I've got 51k so far, and if I have the salvage, that will be close to crafting the accuracies and recharges. But I am going to try and hold off for level 15s, rather than 10's since even without 2xp I outleveled them fairly quickly last attempt. Good thought though!

Interesting. My experience has been that only Trevor Seaborn and Hugo Redding and Hayley Philips gave that mission outside of Ouro. But, then again, I've been relying on Paragon Wiki which is likely outdated.

I can't use the Heal/absorb - wrong origin, but I can use that recipe! My first one, at level 9. Crazy that I'm more excited about this than a purple, lol.

I thought about gold side, but in the near future I have a gold team activity and wanted the content to be fairly fresh. But, it's definitely food for thought.

Actually -- this got me looking at all the other day job powers - and logging off in the store grants an enhancement upon mission completion - so that's where my character is at the moment.

Catalysts for reasons which escape my logic only drop when you're level 50. So, they're out until then.

So far, I haven't used it, because, well, expense. But then, I haven't sold anything other than enhancements that don't align with my origin. In my mind, I was thinking once I own the enhancement, I'm not buying it. I'm not going to the store or using the AH - but you raise a fair point, so I won't be using it. I'm at level 9 now, and if I slot any newer enhancements, I'll post a picture, but so far, the drops have been for other origins. Clockwork are supposed to drop tech or tech/science or natural/tech, but I kept getting natural/tech DOs, which this character can't use. I did get a raptor pack from the Atlas safeguard, though. When I get high enough, I'll actually run the SSA 1 for an accuracy SO, lol. And I will run it twice to see if it will let me get the SO twice. Can't believe I'd ever take an SO over 20 merits, lol.

I keep reading that red side missions don't have you going to zone A, then B, then back to A. Have you done Graves, one of the earliest arcs? Yeah, it does that. Done Black Scorpion patron arc? It does that too. There's a host of red side arcs that send you all over the place. I keep reading that the writing is better. Um..that's subjective. There are a couple of good arcs where the writing is decent, and that's really about it. Maybe 3 arcs total. Again, it's really subjective. I doubt anyone seriously expects quality writing in this game. If you do, (again, subjective) be prepared to be disappointed. There are no excellent stories in this game. None. A few mildly amusing ones, but that's really it. But, then again, who am I to say what's quality? I only know what I like, and none of the stories in this game are worth my time to read them. I play in spite of them, not because of them. The atmosphere/ambience on red side is dismal and depressing. No villain worth their salt would be there because there's no money there. The place is a slum. A real villain would be in Founders, where the loot is. Now, that's a nice neighborhood for a villain to have some fun! Those are just my thoughts, and well, they're shared by a number of people. There is one thing Apparition said that I do agree with: On average, the players on red side are typically more competent. You don't see villains standing around having their spandex assessed, that's for sure. They came to play and do so, on average, better than the blue siders. But, that's subjective, and a lot has to do with the gaming experience you're after. I personally feel like Red side should have been a pvp expansion. You go to rob a bank, and hero has to pop in to stop you. Actual player or an NPC that would give a fair challenge. The way it is now, the only difference between villain and hero is the alignment and the location and the npcs that are being fought. Other than that, it's pretty much the same gaming experience.

I thought this might be interesting for a couple of you. At level 7, this is what's slotted so far: I really wanted to upgrade those talisman damage enhancements, but the game wanted quite a bit to move those from level 1 to level 5, (when I was level 2) and I didn't have the inf. And, as you might imagine, the more enhancements you have slotted, the more it costs. I'll try to revisit with slotting updates every few levels without being too dull.

I've seen an uptick in folks using the teleport pool, primarily for the fold space option. I've no idea how it would play out for me, unless I could relocate them away from me. Unless I'm melee, ordinarily, I don't want to be in melee on a ranged character, unless there's a good reason to be there - like burn, hot feet, etc. Otherwise...I'd just as soon keep them at bay. I used to use TP foe back in live on my ice blaster with great success. Makes for a nice pull when you port them right onto ice patch.

Update - made a rad/dark defender, Lulu Palooza. (the aforementioned deleted Dark/Dark was called Lila Palooza - I already re-made that one with all the good IO trimmings, non-challenge route and another one called Lola Palooza) Went through the tutorial for surprisingly, two "talisman of the initiate;Damage" enhancements. They each give a 30% boost in damage, which is a pleasant surprise.