My Adventures in Masochism (Level 50 w/o Any Missions)

[McSpazz]

Ladies and Gentlemen...BEHOLD!

 

No, this isn't the result of me running the Mapserver event. This is the result of me, after about seven months of not overly aggressive playtime, leveling a character up almost exclusively through street sweeping. The one AE mission you see completed there was for RP purposes, but even so, 80 is hardly a drop in the bucket in the number of defeats I needed to reach this point.

The rules were simple.
 

1. No missions of any kind. Anything that provides a mission completion reward is off limits.
2. No joining a team of more than 4 people including myself unless the only objective is to defeat a giant monster.
3. No SKing up to a level higher than 5 above my own.
4. No farming of any kind. That means that while I can trick or treat and knock on doors, I cannot join a large team of people spamming doors. I basically skipped the Mapserver event on her.
5. No AE. An exception was given for an RP event that didn't amount to much experience.
6. Double EXP is allowed (because I don't hate myself THAT much)
7. Optional Rule: No crafted enhancements except for invention origin and procs. This can be lifted at level 47.

 

Was it painful? Yes. I'm glad I did it though. It was an odd departure from normal leveling that kind of gave me a new perspective on the game.

Inspirations were more valuable, exp debt was more painful, and I had to be more careful about what kind of mobs I tackled and how. It often forced me onto a more even playing field against enemies that, in the past, I just steamrolled with a kitted out team. Literally any foe my own level was a potential hazard. I also learned that Perigrine Island is TERRIBLE for street sweeping due to weirdly irregular mob level placement and a small area. I got my last few levels in Grandville.

Why do this at all?

Between incarnates, set bonuses, and the speed at which you can level up, there's not just a lot of the game you miss but a sense of hazard. This gave me an honest to god feeling of being a street level hero clawing their way to the very top and not once looking a mob and not just assuming I'd win. I think this might be the most satisfying ding to 50 I've ever had.

Now, if you excuse me...I'm going to be over here in this corner. Doing what? Not this challenge again, I can tell you that much.

Probably finally unlocking my last three costume slots.

Yes. I even put that off for this.

Edited April 16 by McSpazz

[McSpazz]

I'm sure this can be done much, much faster by someone with a higher pain tolerance than I. To you, I wish the best of luck and the strongest of drinks.

[UltraAlt]

2 hours ago, McSpazz said:

I also learned that Perigrine Island is TERRIBLE for street sweeping due to weirdly irregular mob level placement and a small area.

 

Taking on mobs in Perez Park solo with the mobs being your level or higher is a challenge. 

 

 

I had a really good time on live getting at least one level fighting the turrets on the fortress wall in Striga Island.

Since I've been on Homecoming, I've never been at the correct level to enjoy doing that and/or the turrets have been nerfed (or my characters are simply that much more powerful/set-enhance-slotted than they were before the Sunset).