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No Country for Maximalist Man

AuthorMessage
Defender
Apr 07, 2011
155
Hi!

This is not a "cry thread" or a thread that will accuse KI commiting a "crime" against the w101 community. :) Its about my personality, that can't match with the aquila update, especially with one item named, The Amulet of Divine Influence.

My w101 carreer was always about two things: joy and be the best (reach warlord level, getting the best gear possible, getting the best pet...etc) Until the Aquila update i could always reach my goals, so joy and result came together.
I wanted the best crafted gear? Then i farmed hard for the reagents and TC!
I wanted a pet that rocks? Then i spent a lot of time and gold in the hatchery.
Wanted a specific drop? Then i went back to kill a specific boss over and over again. I could even succesfully farm for a Myth Mastery amulet.

I never complained about anything like "KI pls improve the drop rate of x or y", or "KI pls remove selfish talents from the talent pool to make hatching easier". Never did this.

To summerise the period before aquila, i can say: i could always reach my goals with time and dedication to success.

But then that cursed amulet was implemented to the game, and brought a new level of monotonity to my playing experience. It was okay for me to farm WW for more than a month to get everything i wanted, but that was nothing compared to Tartarus.

I lost counting how many times i tried for the amulet. I have a multiply copy of all level90 sets, but the amulet is still missing. My three hours of gaming time is like this every single days for 3,5 months by now : login, go to tartarus, get a party, kill the faun, kill minotaur, do the puzzle, kill cerberus, kill hades, and then type in: "junk, as always lol".

As i said i am a maximalist (like in real life), and thismade me to want the amulet more every time i failed. At the same time i was getting more and more frustrated. After three months i realized w101 is not fun anyomore for me, as I didn't see a real chance to get divine influence. I tried for an additional two weeks without success.

3,5 months of gaming without ZERO success? Come on, really?

What if i give it three months more? Will i get it? Who knows.

If yes? 7 months for a couple of kbytes? Hmmm....

I take a break and maybe search for another game that rewards my efforts and loyality better.

Adherent
Jul 03, 2010
2634
Jerry Saibot on Nov 25, 2013 wrote:
Hi!

This is not a "cry thread" or a thread that will accuse KI commiting a "crime" against the w101 community. :) Its about my personality, that can't match with the aquila update, especially with one item named, The Amulet of Divine Influence.

My w101 carreer was always about two things: joy and be the best (reach warlord level, getting the best gear possible, getting the best pet...etc) Until the Aquila update i could always reach my goals, so joy and result came together.
I wanted the best crafted gear? Then i farmed hard for the reagents and TC!
I wanted a pet that rocks? Then i spent a lot of time and gold in the hatchery.
Wanted a specific drop? Then i went back to kill a specific boss over and over again. I could even succesfully farm for a Myth Mastery amulet.

I never complained about anything like "KI pls improve the drop rate of x or y", or "KI pls remove selfish talents from the talent pool to make hatching easier". Never did this.

To summerise the period before aquila, i can say: i could always reach my goals with time and dedication to success.

But then that cursed amulet was implemented to the game, and brought a new level of monotonity to my playing experience. It was okay for me to farm WW for more than a month to get everything i wanted, but that was nothing compared to Tartarus.

I lost counting how many times i tried for the amulet. I have a multiply copy of all level90 sets, but the amulet is still missing. My three hours of gaming time is like this every single days for 3,5 months by now : login, go to tartarus, get a party, kill the faun, kill minotaur, do the puzzle, kill cerberus, kill hades, and then type in: "junk, as always lol".

As i said i am a maximalist (like in real life), and thismade me to want the amulet more every time i failed. At the same time i was getting more and more frustrated. After three months i realized w101 is not fun anyomore for me, as I didn't see a real chance to get divine influence. I tried for an additional two weeks without success.

3,5 months of gaming without ZERO success? Come on, really?

What if i give it three months more? Will i get it? Who knows.

If yes? 7 months for a couple of kbytes? Hmmm....

I take a break and maybe search for another game that rewards my efforts and loyality better.
I think your post has a very valid point - how long is it suppose to take to get items that are "chance to get" in the game? How much are we suppose to put up with before we just walk away in frustration? How fun is it to hear someone say "I got it" after their 1-3rd time and you have been though it 50 or more? How many people who play the game actually have this amount of time to devote to this "farm" thing? How is it fair that these things are available to only some players and not all?

Personally you put a lot more into the game then I do any more. I quit the "farm" thing when Water Works came out and I had to repeat that over and over again for the gear. I prefer a game I control, not one that controls me. I did get it for my Life and then Death wizard but I just couldn't bring myself to repeat it over an over again for any of my future wizards. Personally I have enough disappointments in real life I don't need to pay a game to give me more. I don't feel great when and if I finally do get said item, I feel relief that I don't have to repeat that long drawn out instance again.

Worse is when game play difficulty is focused around the fact that we all have this "best" stuff and we are actually struggling with the content to get by because we don't have the stuff. I am a perfectionist, I know my wizards are very ill equipped for the upper worlds because I won't "farm" any more so I usually call it quits in Zafaria/Avalon part of the game.

I still go under the no wizard left behind theroy and you would be amazed to see how many are right now. As we quest though the Spiral many we help a long the way never make it to the end of Celestia. Many are kids that only have 1-2 hrs. play time tops a day or even less days per week. I can imagine what they think of the game and it gets more difficult to progress. Menu chat gets the real short end of the stick.

In the end what happens is: those who can not get have to quit, those who get most of it end game Zafari/Avalon, those who get it all complain the game is to easy. The game player base is just to diverse.

Mary StarGem

Historian
May 06, 2009
633
Northlite on Nov 25, 2013 wrote:
I think your post has a very valid point - how long is it suppose to take to get items that are "chance to get" in the game? How much are we suppose to put up with before we just walk away in frustration? How fun is it to hear someone say "I got it" after their 1-3rd time and you have been though it 50 or more? How many people who play the game actually have this amount of time to devote to this "farm" thing? How is it fair that these things are available to only some players and not all?

Personally you put a lot more into the game then I do any more. I quit the "farm" thing when Water Works came out and I had to repeat that over and over again for the gear. I prefer a game I control, not one that controls me. I did get it for my Life and then Death wizard but I just couldn't bring myself to repeat it over an over again for any of my future wizards. Personally I have enough disappointments in real life I don't need to pay a game to give me more. I don't feel great when and if I finally do get said item, I feel relief that I don't have to repeat that long drawn out instance again.

Worse is when game play difficulty is focused around the fact that we all have this "best" stuff and we are actually struggling with the content to get by because we don't have the stuff. I am a perfectionist, I know my wizards are very ill equipped for the upper worlds because I won't "farm" any more so I usually call it quits in Zafaria/Avalon part of the game.

I still go under the no wizard left behind theroy and you would be amazed to see how many are right now. As we quest though the Spiral many we help a long the way never make it to the end of Celestia. Many are kids that only have 1-2 hrs. play time tops a day or even less days per week. I can imagine what they think of the game and it gets more difficult to progress. Menu chat gets the real short end of the stick.

In the end what happens is: those who can not get have to quit, those who get most of it end game Zafari/Avalon, those who get it all complain the game is to easy. The game player base is just to diverse.

Mary StarGem
That's a rather depressing view point, in my opinion, Northlite. It's like you're a war ship whose been hit so many times you're sinking and you don't see a reason to move on.

To the OP: Well, I was a bit into some frustration when I tried to solo Cronus. Time after time, it was defeat after defeat. I got to a point where I almost had him, but lost again. I was infruriated I went on a rampage and stuffed my face with a whole plate of French Toast Sticks. So I talked my dad about this and I was like what this even worth it? Is hard work and trials rewarded with bitter anger and nothing?

What he asked me then, "Do you know when the darkest hour is?" I really didn't know. And what he said was...

"The darkest hour is just before daybreak."

He told me that he gets frustrated with his job and life and he's been frustrated all the time. But he doesn't give in to frustration and give up. He's always working. So he went on to tell me that I'm going to get frustrated in some of the things I do in life. With all this frustration, I'm getting closer to achieving my goal (which is to get the Blade of the Felled Titan in-game wise). He asked at one point if I'd been learning any ways off how to beat Cronus, and I have been getting farther and farther to beating him. He told me if it's worth getting then I have to put in the effort and I'd be frustrated (if I remember it right).

So that built my confidence up. I haven't battled Cronus again yet, but I think I'm very very very close to daybreak. Once I find the strategy I need to beat him, I can just farm him easy for Amber and my long coveted Athame. The Amulet of Divine Influence you're after, is very very very very very rare. And if you truly want it, then you're going to get frustrated. But you can't give into it and give up, if it is something you truly desire. I'd like for you to ask if this is really something you want and need to have. And if it is yes, I would say keep trying for it. I would think in time with all your effort, 101%, you will get it.

Explorer
Sep 19, 2010
72
I have been farming for the Amulet of Divine Influence since August 16, 2013 with zero success. When I say farming, this is what I mean: Staying continually hidden to friends, logging in everyday and finding a group. Having to deal with people jumping off the sigil at the very last second. When we finally get a full group in, one leaves for no reason, or better yet, one always want so fight Cronus " real fast " After dealing with all that, there is always one who goes AFK right around the death minotaur fight. Or the one for whatever reason, can't or refuses to go in the maze for the urn Pieces. And the occasional one who either intentionally or unwittingly assembles the Urn in the wrong Order, cause yet another 30 to 45 min fight with an Extra Boss. Then after that, we struggle with Cerberus, Blade like crazy with 5-6 stacking Blades and, to no ones surprise, Earthquake! Finally we get to the Hades fight, and no one wants to enter the fight first, so we stand around arguing about who goes first and why. After all of this, woot! Senator Gear, some reagents, gold, pet snacks, and a wand. Repeat that all over again, 3-4 times a day, ever since August 16th. And all I can say is Ugh!!!!!

Defender
Apr 07, 2011
155
Cunning Finnigan S... on Nov 27, 2013 wrote:
That's a rather depressing view point, in my opinion, Northlite. It's like you're a war ship whose been hit so many times you're sinking and you don't see a reason to move on.

To the OP: Well, I was a bit into some frustration when I tried to solo Cronus. Time after time, it was defeat after defeat. I got to a point where I almost had him, but lost again. I was infruriated I went on a rampage and stuffed my face with a whole plate of French Toast Sticks. So I talked my dad about this and I was like what this even worth it? Is hard work and trials rewarded with bitter anger and nothing?

What he asked me then, "Do you know when the darkest hour is?" I really didn't know. And what he said was...

"The darkest hour is just before daybreak."

He told me that he gets frustrated with his job and life and he's been frustrated all the time. But he doesn't give in to frustration and give up. He's always working. So he went on to tell me that I'm going to get frustrated in some of the things I do in life. With all this frustration, I'm getting closer to achieving my goal (which is to get the Blade of the Felled Titan in-game wise). He asked at one point if I'd been learning any ways off how to beat Cronus, and I have been getting farther and farther to beating him. He told me if it's worth getting then I have to put in the effort and I'd be frustrated (if I remember it right).

So that built my confidence up. I haven't battled Cronus again yet, but I think I'm very very very close to daybreak. Once I find the strategy I need to beat him, I can just farm him easy for Amber and my long coveted Athame. The Amulet of Divine Influence you're after, is very very very very very rare. And if you truly want it, then you're going to get frustrated. But you can't give into it and give up, if it is something you truly desire. I'd like for you to ask if this is really something you want and need to have. And if it is yes, I would say keep trying for it. I would think in time with all your effort, 101%, you will get it.
Thanks for your point of view. It's very motivating, maybe i gonna give another try.

If you read my original post again, you will see, that i make difference between healthy frustration (the one you explained in your post) and suffering. I have nothing bad to say about the other challanges of the game, but getting divine is just an impossilbe task. You CAN'T PLAN to get it, it's like you can't state that with time and great efforts you can win the national lottery.

Historian
May 06, 2009
633
Jerry Saibot on Nov 28, 2013 wrote:
Thanks for your point of view. It's very motivating, maybe i gonna give another try.

If you read my original post again, you will see, that i make difference between healthy frustration (the one you explained in your post) and suffering. I have nothing bad to say about the other challanges of the game, but getting divine is just an impossilbe task. You CAN'T PLAN to get it, it's like you can't state that with time and great efforts you can win the national lottery.
Lol I see you're point. I just thought what I had experience might help you out. In any case, best of luck getting the Amulet of Divine Influence. I'm sure it will be most rewarding once you achieve it Just think about the positives. Like believing in the Law of Attraction. If you keep saying you're going to get it, you're bound to eventually win it. Just another thought to nimble on

Delver
Mar 10, 2009
236
Cunning Finnigan S... on Nov 27, 2013 wrote:
That's a rather depressing view point, in my opinion, Northlite. It's like you're a war ship whose been hit so many times you're sinking and you don't see a reason to move on.

To the OP: Well, I was a bit into some frustration when I tried to solo Cronus. Time after time, it was defeat after defeat. I got to a point where I almost had him, but lost again. I was infruriated I went on a rampage and stuffed my face with a whole plate of French Toast Sticks. So I talked my dad about this and I was like what this even worth it? Is hard work and trials rewarded with bitter anger and nothing?

What he asked me then, "Do you know when the darkest hour is?" I really didn't know. And what he said was...

"The darkest hour is just before daybreak."

He told me that he gets frustrated with his job and life and he's been frustrated all the time. But he doesn't give in to frustration and give up. He's always working. So he went on to tell me that I'm going to get frustrated in some of the things I do in life. With all this frustration, I'm getting closer to achieving my goal (which is to get the Blade of the Felled Titan in-game wise). He asked at one point if I'd been learning any ways off how to beat Cronus, and I have been getting farther and farther to beating him. He told me if it's worth getting then I have to put in the effort and I'd be frustrated (if I remember it right).

So that built my confidence up. I haven't battled Cronus again yet, but I think I'm very very very close to daybreak. Once I find the strategy I need to beat him, I can just farm him easy for Amber and my long coveted Athame. The Amulet of Divine Influence you're after, is very very very very very rare. And if you truly want it, then you're going to get frustrated. But you can't give into it and give up, if it is something you truly desire. I'd like for you to ask if this is really something you want and need to have. And if it is yes, I would say keep trying for it. I would think in time with all your effort, 101%, you will get it.
Now I am starting to understand why your posts are always so articulate and so well thought out. You have a very wise father and his best traits have been inherited by you. When you get the time, please do me a favor......Let him know how much you appreciate him and how much he means to you. It really sounds like he has put a lot into you and his hard work has really paid off. Well done to the both of you. All that hard work is working, in both Father & Son.

Adherent
Jul 03, 2010
2634
Cunning Finnigan S... on Nov 27, 2013 wrote:
That's a rather depressing view point, in my opinion, Northlite. It's like you're a war ship whose been hit so many times you're sinking and you don't see a reason to move on.

To the OP: Well, I was a bit into some frustration when I tried to solo Cronus. Time after time, it was defeat after defeat. I got to a point where I almost had him, but lost again. I was infruriated I went on a rampage and stuffed my face with a whole plate of French Toast Sticks. So I talked my dad about this and I was like what this even worth it? Is hard work and trials rewarded with bitter anger and nothing?

What he asked me then, "Do you know when the darkest hour is?" I really didn't know. And what he said was...

"The darkest hour is just before daybreak."

He told me that he gets frustrated with his job and life and he's been frustrated all the time. But he doesn't give in to frustration and give up. He's always working. So he went on to tell me that I'm going to get frustrated in some of the things I do in life. With all this frustration, I'm getting closer to achieving my goal (which is to get the Blade of the Felled Titan in-game wise). He asked at one point if I'd been learning any ways off how to beat Cronus, and I have been getting farther and farther to beating him. He told me if it's worth getting then I have to put in the effort and I'd be frustrated (if I remember it right).

So that built my confidence up. I haven't battled Cronus again yet, but I think I'm very very very close to daybreak. Once I find the strategy I need to beat him, I can just farm him easy for Amber and my long coveted Athame. The Amulet of Divine Influence you're after, is very very very very very rare. And if you truly want it, then you're going to get frustrated. But you can't give into it and give up, if it is something you truly desire. I'd like for you to ask if this is really something you want and need to have. And if it is yes, I would say keep trying for it. I would think in time with all your effort, 101%, you will get it.
Young wizard a Game should never be compared to real life. A game should be a source of entertainment not frustration.

My problem is I feel bad for anyone in the game who is not achieving what they want out of it.

Mary StarGem

Archon
Sep 17, 2012
4162
Northlite on Nov 29, 2013 wrote:
Young wizard a Game should never be compared to real life. A game should be a source of entertainment not frustration.

My problem is I feel bad for anyone in the game who is not achieving what they want out of it.

Mary StarGem
I think you're wrong. It is like real life. Those who work hard and persevere are ultimately rewarded. Would you rather teach children that whether you try hard or just go through the motions, your work will be rewarded the same? Just like in all games and in real life, school and work... Those who work harder/smarter get rewarded more. Those unwilling or unable to put in the effort or time get less reward. That IS life.

Explorer
Sep 19, 2010
72
I feel like this post is to important and should not be allowed to die. Can anyone else describe their experiences with this?

Geographer
Mar 12, 2013
923
Find a team that's willing to learn a new way of running tartarus.

One way you can do the entire dungeon in less than an hour is using chain stunning.

The only entity in tartarus you can't stun is Hades. Everyone else - stunnable.

Your team needs 2 people who can stun, 1 who can kill all in one shot (storm or fire), and 1 who is death or has death mastery.

Just have 2 people stunning every turn, and for the death, applying stacked feints on bosses or dispelling Hades as needed. The storm is busy blading himself and setting up a massive hit-all like lord or sirens.
You can even have the second stunner blade the storm using a tc tri blade on the first turn, if at least one stun will resolve.

Even with this team and this strategy, it still took me well over 4 months to get one complete set of one type of Hades gear + athame + ring. This is going through tartarus 3-5 times a day, 6-7 days a week, for 4 months.

I have stopped going in with random players and doing conventional runs. Except for one run I went on with a longtime friend who is fiercely independent, stubborn, and a bit contrary. That run took well over 3 hours even with a full dedicated healer and a tanking ice with life mastery. I could only do maybe one of those runs a day, and at that rate would never expect to get any drops at all.

IN order to beat the odds, you have to work smart - and persistence and determination never hurt either. Start looking at other strategies to help you achieve your goal. Remember it doesn't matter who hits - just that all players are still alive and in the battle when the last boss drops dead.

Survivor
Apr 07, 2013
3
Just did my 305th run and let me say this...remember doing quests to collect and getting the "did not collect" too many times?

That is what this is like, a FOREVER did NOT collect quest!!

I bought into pets, gardening, crowns, mega snacks, card packs, mounts and all the "other" ways they get you, to simply play the "lottery" with gear?

You want the ultra rare wand from card pack(insert name here)? Get enough and you will eventually get.
This is fact!
You want the Divine Amulet, do it enough and you should get, but this is just not the case now is it?

My kids and I all have wizards and the amount of crowns I have bought is unreal.

You work hard you should get.

I totally feel your pain and it is a shame that wizards who try hard and adapt their play style for the benefit of a well rounded team to do this dungeon are rewarded with monotonous boredom and junk.

Change how you do it you say...defeat Hades in 6 or 5 or 4 rounds, it doesn't matter, done it.
Defeat Hades with just 2 wizards playing dungeon? Done it and it does not matter.
Defeat Hades in under five rounds five times you say? It doesn't matter, done it all.

Really, what is the purpose of having it set like this?
Waterworks? You do you get right.

Tartarus, you do and you don't get.

Oh you can't beat the zombies in (insert game name here)?
You keep trying and change your group and your play style and then, you do!

This is like no other game I have ever played, where you do over and over for nothing. Junk. Trinkets.
If this is how you are going to play it, I don't want to play it.

Way to go KI

Mastermind
Sep 30, 2009
391
Cunning Finnigan S... on Nov 27, 2013 wrote:
That's a rather depressing view point, in my opinion, Northlite. It's like you're a war ship whose been hit so many times you're sinking and you don't see a reason to move on.

To the OP: Well, I was a bit into some frustration when I tried to solo Cronus. Time after time, it was defeat after defeat. I got to a point where I almost had him, but lost again. I was infruriated I went on a rampage and stuffed my face with a whole plate of French Toast Sticks. So I talked my dad about this and I was like what this even worth it? Is hard work and trials rewarded with bitter anger and nothing?

What he asked me then, "Do you know when the darkest hour is?" I really didn't know. And what he said was...

"The darkest hour is just before daybreak."

He told me that he gets frustrated with his job and life and he's been frustrated all the time. But he doesn't give in to frustration and give up. He's always working. So he went on to tell me that I'm going to get frustrated in some of the things I do in life. With all this frustration, I'm getting closer to achieving my goal (which is to get the Blade of the Felled Titan in-game wise). He asked at one point if I'd been learning any ways off how to beat Cronus, and I have been getting farther and farther to beating him. He told me if it's worth getting then I have to put in the effort and I'd be frustrated (if I remember it right).

So that built my confidence up. I haven't battled Cronus again yet, but I think I'm very very very close to daybreak. Once I find the strategy I need to beat him, I can just farm him easy for Amber and my long coveted Athame. The Amulet of Divine Influence you're after, is very very very very very rare. And if you truly want it, then you're going to get frustrated. But you can't give into it and give up, if it is something you truly desire. I'd like for you to ask if this is really something you want and need to have. And if it is yes, I would say keep trying for it. I would think in time with all your effort, 101%, you will get it.
at what point does keep trying and you will surely get it become invalid? rgillbilly has done it over 305 times. If every single one of those runs took exactly one hour then he has logged in near 13 days of playtime in that forsaken dungeon.

I had hopes of being the best fire wizard the spiral had ever seen with stats skyrocketing in almost every aspect(aside from critical unless I chose to wear the hades hat). but after the continuous horror stories of trying and trying again and still not getting that amulet, forget those dreams I can't even get the hades boots.

the drop rate needs to be increased hands down, or perhaps even 305 runs is just being lazy and quitting to you(no insult intended)?

Champion
Jan 27, 2010
405
LOL I totes understand how you feel I've fought Zeus quite a bit and still no lightning striker but oh well I'll just keep farming.

Defender
Apr 07, 2011
155
Well, i decided to return to w101 yesterday. Guess what was my first game experience? A good senators robe + wand drop from Hades. xD But i dont care, the break refilled my energy (i mean real life energy), and ready to give another chance for this game.

I'm 2x (as i know its forbidden to share your age at w101 forum) now, and hoping to get divine influence amulet, before i hit 30.

Good luck for everyone!

Survivor
Apr 07, 2013
3
Update

After 311 tries at Hades with multiple sets of multiple gears being sold to Zeke in the commons.
I got the Amulet of divine influence today.

go figure