Crystal Cove?

[dakkon75]

Ok now that we have updated level 24 equipment in the cove, when is it returning so we can have the new shinies?

Draz

[Stoner81]

Cove should be appearing the same around the same time that Mabar normally does though I do not know if it will include the new loot or not (I assume it will include it but don't quote me on it).

Stoner81.

[dakkon75]

Ok according to their twitter account crystal cove will be returning this thursday october 16th thru november 2nd.

Draz

[Cordovan]

Crystal Cove is set to begin sometime on Thursday (probably a little before Noon Eastern time), and run through November 2nd.

[Powskier]

aghrrrrrr...allllrighty then

[Gratch]

Your servers are already hitch-tastic instance to instance. This is not on my end or my interwebs. This is your server going brain dead for 5s to 20s periods for everyone in a party, especially on weekends. Possibly the new orchard mega spawns. Possible new AI scripting in the raid getting stupid. Whatever is lagging out one instance on a server seems to smack all the other instances on that same server so that even walking in the Twelve gets hitching. Something needs fixing somewhere before you add another well known event source of lag.

Though the biggest source of crystal cove lag is the opening timed gate of the party-only event of leading the kobolds. Just get rid of that gating and your servers wont be opening and later tearing down tons of instances simultaneously which ALWAYS causes your side instance hitching to anyone else with an instance on that server.

[MadCookieQueen]

Your servers are already hitch-tastic instance to instance. This is not on my end or my interwebs. This is your server going brain dead for 5s to 20s periods for everyone in a party, especially on weekends. Possibly the new orchard mega spawns. Possible new AI scripting in the raid getting stupid. Whatever is lagging out one instance on a server seems to smack all the other instances on that same server so that even walking in the Twelve gets hitching. Something needs fixing somewhere before you add another well known event source of lag.

Though the biggest source of crystal cove lag is the opening timed gate of the party-only event of leading the kobolds. Just get rid of that gating and your servers wont be opening and later tearing down tons of instances simultaneously which ALWAYS causes your side instance hitching to anyone else with an instance on that server.


so basically while Cove is going on...avoid Thunderholme, deathwyrm, fire peaks, epic orchard explorer, MoD, dont' break the ranks, wheloon prison explorer....etc.

guess I should just go get caught up on TV watching till November then ;p

[Phaeton_Seraph]

You're making it hard not to post here Cordo.

Can you tell us if we'll get a Mabar trader during the event? I didn't get to use my stuff last time round.

[Sillk]

Crystal Cove is set to begin sometime on Thursday (probably a little before Noon Eastern time), and run through November 2nd.

Even with Mabar turned off, can you at least turn on the environment in Delera's? The graveyard looks great for Halloween.

[wonko_the_sane]

Can we get (or did I miss it) a preview of the new items?

[TPICKRELL]

Can we get (or did I miss it) a preview of the new items?

http://ddowiki.com/page/Update_23_named_items

[Marupal]

Crystal Cove is set to begin sometime on Thursday (probably a little before Noon Eastern time), and run through November 2nd.

Yarr!
Glad to see this coming around with the updated loot. :)


You're making it hard not to post here Cordo.

Can you tell us if we'll get a Mabar trader during the event? I didn't get to use my stuff last time round.

If they don't bring up the trader, they've announced that the new event (being released after update 24) will be using Mabar's loot stuffs.

[brian14]

so basically while Cove is going on...avoid Thunderholme, deathwyrm, fire peaks, epic orchard explorer, MoD, dont' break the ranks, wheloon prison explorer....etc.
Not sure if you are serious or not. Are you just throwing zone names at random, or is there some reason why extra lag would affect epic Orchard but not heroic Orchard for example?

[MadCookieQueen]

Not sure if you are serious or not. Are you just throwing zone names at random, or is there some reason why extra lag would affect epic Orchard but not heroic Orchard for example?

well...I'm not running heroic orchard so I can't say I thought of it...I was just thinking of the top lag prone areas/raids/quests that I have run into...and epic orchard explorer with a full group is so mob dense it's insane

it's just a basic list...not gospel...your mileage may vary...

take it in good fun...nothing serious

[tralfaz81]

CC, so good we're getting it every two months now ;)

[LrdSlvrhnd]

Any chance of fixing hires needing to be on passive to stay? 'Cause a lot of us like to leave one parked in the center while soloing for shards on lowbies during odd times (and, quite frankly, it's not worth doing it at high levels unless you have a REALLY good group who knows what they're doing, but either way it's oft hard to find a group at any level.)

[rikkitikkitarvi]

I've had sme success with having my follower stay. You have to make sure that if you call them that you wait for the follower timers to finish cycling before setting them to stay. If you don't when the cycle finishes they will switch to follow.

[Powskier]

ill enjoy the event for sure...and make some more heroic items.....but the upgrade 24 stuff dosent appeal much in comparison to other lvl24 gear...is there anything players are looking to get in the new 24 tier?

[PsychoBlonde]

I've had sme success with having my follower stay. You have to make sure that if you call them that you wait for the follower timers to finish cycling before setting them to stay. If you don't when the cycle finishes they will switch to follow.

Yep. That timer is a bit weird, but if you wait for it they hold position just fine.

[Alternative]

seriously, cove again? what is it, 37th time this year?

[bash761]

I just checked the crystal cove items and failed to see any docents but there is plenty of armours.

So how come this is list is anti warforged/bladeforged.:(

[Powskier]

seriously, cove again? what is it, 37th time this year?

38th:~) i see newer players all the time that dont have cove gear,I'm psyched to help my guildie get some spyglasses for his thief

[ddo.rsmo.pt]

Bringing Cove right now, when U23 lag is at its peak (haven't felt it this bad since last Mabar event), will be a bad idea.

We'll be lagging so much, we'll be leveling backwards...

Carry on.

[Chauncey1]

38th:~) i see newer players all the time that dont have cove gear,I'm psyched to help my guildie get some spyglasses for his thief

I know right?
I've got several spyglasses of varying levels.

[Hendrik]

Even with Mabar turned off, can you at least turn on the environment in Delera's? The graveyard looks great for Halloween.

Yes!



PLEASE!

[catouse9]

seriously, cove again? what is it, 37th time this year?

I Miss MABAR!

[catouse9]

Never ran Crystal Cove before because the LFM's I see always say KNOW IT... I have read about it but I am not sure this is adeqate in order to not be screamed at for doing some dumb NOOB thing I am sure to do.

[Chauncey1]

Never ran Crystal Cove before because the LFM's I see always say KNOW IT... I have read about it but I am not sure this is adeqate in order to not be screamed at for doing some dumb NOOB thing I am sure to do.

What server are you on?
I'd be more than happy to walk you through it.
Once you get the hang of it, it's a cakewalk.
If you're not on a server I have any toons on, you could always post an lfm stating you've never run it before.
You might be surprised at the kindness and generosity of your fellow ddo players.

[catouse9]

What server are you on?
I'd be more than happy to walk you through it.
Once you get the hang of it, it's a cakewalk.
If you're not on a server I have any toons on, you could always post an lfm stating you've never run it before.
You might be surprised at the kindness and generosity of your fellow ddo players.

on thelanis.... i have some high level(27th) and some not so high level guys(various levels-I will try to put up a LFM like this on Wednesday but last time i did this for both haunted halls and some other evingstar quest the people that joined just ran thru the quest and finished it for me -I guess they thought they were helping but i ended up just running it on casual by myself to get to know them... Is the cove just level dependent or is it elite/hard/normal like other quests?
Thanks for the offer SIR!

[Chauncey1]

on thelanis.... i have some high level(27th) and some not so high level guys(various levels-I will try to put up a LFM like this on Wednesday but last time i did this for both haunted halls and some other evingstar quest the people that joined just ran thru the quest and finished it for me -I guess they thought they were helping but i ended up just running it on casual by myself to get to know them... Is the cove just level dependent or is it elite/hard/normal like other quests?
Thanks for the offer SIR!

Ah bummer...I've been meaning to roll a toon on Thelanis...
Since you'll be posting an LFM, might want to say something about no zerging.
It's level dependent.
You can choose to run at level or a good deal over level.
I think the highest last time was over lvl 30.But I might be mistaken on that part.
But, regardless, as with anything DDO, higher level=higher reward. You'll be farming for various stolen gems and the green shards to needed to upgrade the gear you purchase from the vendor there.
My suggestion is to go out in the wilderness area and farm compasses and dubloons. Then get a a fancy chapeau from the hat box. Yes, you'll have to upgrade that as well, but it makes running the actual cove quest a bit easier if you get the attribute that hastens the kobolds.

Is it grindy? You betcha! But I find that having that gear is really quite handy. ESPECIALLY the spyglass. But depending on the builds of your toons, you may want some of the other equally spiffy items.

[catouse9]

Ah bummer...I've been meaning to roll a toon on Thelanis...
Since you'll be posting an LFM, might want to say something about no zerging.
It's level dependent.
You can choose to run at level or a good deal over level.
I think the highest last time was over lvl 30.But I might be mistaken on that part.
But, regardless, as with anything DDO, higher level=higher reward. You'll be farming for various stolen gems and the green shards to needed to upgrade the gear you purchase from the vendor there.
My suggestion is to go out in the wilderness area and farm compasses and dubloons. Then get a a fancy chapeau from the hat box. Yes, you'll have to upgrade that as well, but it makes running the actual cove quest a bit easier if you get the attribute that hastens the kobolds.

Is it grindy? You betcha! But I find that having that gear is really quite handy. ESPECIALLY the spyglass. But depending on the builds of your toons, you may want some of the other equally spiffy items.

thanks 4 the info i will give it shot.

[Chauncey1]

thanks 4 the info i will give it shot.

Since you're new to the cove, you may want to take any low level toons to farm some of the low end gems, as you will likely need them. For instance, you're wanting to craft a spyglass for your 20+ toon. Well, you get one from the vendor at level 20, o tiers.
Nice, but could be better, right? Well, you'll need to make one or two trinkets and upgrade them. And you'll need some of the low end gems to start that ball rolling.
That said...Those trinkets fully upgraded are min lvl 4 and VERY handy for tr'ing. Might want to make a couple of varying flavors eventually.

[Aelonwy]

on thelanis.... i have some high level(27th) and some not so high level guys(various levels-I will try to put up a LFM like this on Wednesday but last time i did this for both haunted halls and some other evingstar quest the people that joined just ran thru the quest and finished it for me -I guess they thought they were helping but i ended up just running it on casual by myself to get to know them... Is the cove just level dependent or is it elite/hard/normal like other quests?
Thanks for the offer SIR!

Thelanis here. Hubby and I usually run Crystal Cove in the evenings, or as much as we can on weekends. My husband is a veteran torch runner, I usually scout and clear. Do you have a mic? Works best if the person scouting can call out where the best clusters of purple crystals are but typing will do as well if you can type fast. Look up Crystal Cove on DDO wiki, examine the map, directions are usually given to the torch runner in terms of SE Waterfall great, or NE shrine or SW LOOP Good, etc. Filling the scout and/or Clearing role in a party can familiarize you with the layout. Running torches takes some practice, and patience, I believe hubby ran some low level solo runs to get the hang of it. Don't get discouraged.

IMHO Jack Jibbers can be the toughest opponent in there, he can cast a vast array of spells including magic missile and he sometimes does it all in rapid succession. Ghostbane/Ghost touch weapons for him and deathward/shield for you help.

Because the event is timed Barbarian/monk/Swashbuckler speed bonus help immensely.

[alancarp]

on thelanis.... i have some high level(27th) and some not so high level guys(various levels-I will try to put up a LFM like this on Wednesday but last time i did this for both haunted halls and some other evingstar quest the people that joined just ran thru the quest and finished it for me -I guess they thought they were helping but i ended up just running it on casual by myself to get to know them... Is the cove just level dependent or is it elite/hard/normal like other quests?
Thanks for the offer SIR!

I will definitely be running the Cove on Thelanis (though not usually as a leader)... but I'm newbie friendly.

The basics (with the map) can be found out here: http://ddowiki.com/page/Crystal_Cove

Once you learn the map then it will be a lot easier (similarly: knowing the map is the key to the Cannith challenges).

In short, here's the usual routine:

> quick buffs on entry.
> there's a designated torch-runner. A secondary torcher is very helpful, so that torches can be pulled from one area while being placed in another... keeps the kobolds busy.
> We start in the 'south' - 2-3 of the party go clear that cul-de-sac just south of the entrance while the torcher is collecting a few basic items to get started - notably a teleporter.
> Stronger party members go 'clear' various areas; some 'scout' and clear. Often one will watch the center main room since mobs of hobgoblins routinely head there and disrupt the kobolds.
> After the south is clear, scouts will declare where the torcher should go next... usually it's to the East, since that often has 'purples', and leads to the 'waterfall' area to the east/south. Sometimes, that's barren area, though, and the party will opt to go West.
> On epic levels, there is a single Progenitor crystal located in 1 of 2 places: see the map on the wiki. Either in 'the south' (near the Waterfall) or the far southwest, past the 'bowling alley'. Party leaders may opt to go directly for that.
> Once you've run the map once, your map will show you the location of that Progenitor right away (lightning bolt-like icon). If it's not in one spot, it's definitely in the other.
> Locations of crystal caches are often referred to by direction.... WWWN, for instance means going to the west (from the center room) for 3 intersections, then go north. 'EE' means go east to the 1st interesection, then a bit further east. The NE-loop refers to the area East of center, and the loop that's shown on the map.

> You will accumulate gems and resource requisitions from kills. Use the requisitions to buy extra workers, torches, barrels, teleporters... typically right at the start of a run (using items gained from a prior run). Pirate's Ports should be used sparingly (unless you just wanna buy a bunch of them from the DDO Store) during an emergency when you NEED to get back to the start point fast.

Mobs and bosses
> Hob-mobs (hobgoblin raiding parties) spawn almost continuously, 4 per group. It is important to have at least 1-2 party members patrolling the torch lines to insure that these mobs do not go unchallenged, for they can kill a bunch of kobolds quickly and otherwise disrupt crystal collection.
> Undead pirates are located at most intersections and crystal caches. One of these will be a zombie that is fairly tough to kill.
> There are several early orange-named bosses.... a spectre (East), an orange spectre (tougher) (also East), a drunken sorcerer bugbear (Aroomba) that originates at the waterfall.
> Once you get your quota of 100 crystals collected, Jack Jibbers will spawn. He comes in from the south west. He's pretty nasty. Don't allow him to linger over a torch line or you'll lose a lot of kobolds. He's probably the worst of the bosses since he uses Otto's and acid clouds.
> There's a First Mate (Shakra: a bugbear mage) who shows up with ~10 minutes to go... spawning in the west (I think).
> Finally, there's another First Mate named Gregoir... a red-name Minotaur that shows up with ~4-5 minutes to go. Spawns near the bowling alley. He's pretty much a big hitter to beat down.

You need to be fairly self-sufficient in Crystal Cove, though running in pairs with someone else is a good idea for speedily clearing areas.

I have seen some torch-runners be a bit snippy about somebody else handling their torches, but I think that's gotten better in recent years. As I say, I prefer to have a 'primary' and a 'secondary' runner so that the torch line movement is more-or-less continuous. Having kobolds running out to an area that's already cleaned out is terribly inefficient, for they come back empty. Once an area is cleaned of crystals, word needs to be passed back to the start ramp to 'break the line' and 'start the next line' for efficiency reasons.

It is certainly good to have the 'next' torch line ready to connect to the start once a given section is cleared... and thus multiple torch-runners can help make that happen. good team communications is key

Progenitor Crystal handling: (epic levels only; Not required, but highly lucrative)

There's two parts to this: the preparation and the execution

Preparation: a party member or two should clear the skeletons en route to the progenitor. Then they should clear the exit route away from the site... for usually we're talking about 2 different routes! I won't detail this here, but watch for this... the kobold always takes the shortest route home, but that's not usually the best route for harvesting crystals.

Execution: When the party is ready, the leader should declare that "we're heading for the progenitor". Once that's picked up by a kobold, a Red-named pirate with a hobgoblin mob will appear in the vicinity... about 20 yards away. The party must be ready for this with sufficient damage-dealers to take their minds off the kobold. In fact, somebody needs to escort the kobold... mass invisibility, haste, healing and other buffs are often very useful to help the kobold to survive.

Once the progenitor-laden kobold is clear of the initial red-named and its mob, then it's usually just a matter of the escort making sure there's no further ambush from a "regular" mob or a Boss along the way (assuming the return path was cleared properly). That kobold will not (ever) take a teleporter while holding a progenitor... so he's gotta walk the whole way back.... complaining bitterly as he goes.

I wasn't setting out to do a 'guide', but there ya go... hope it helps, for I really like this event.

[wonko_the_sane]

So I looked over the new items. thanks for the link TPickrell.

I seem to remember a Dev saying there were new augments for Cove next time it came out. Have we seen them?

[Krelar]

So I looked over the new items. thanks for the link TPickrell.

I seem to remember a Dev saying there were new augments for Cove next time it came out. Have we seen them?

The augment idea was scrapped. Apparently too many people complained.


EDIT:

Here's the exact quote/reason given.


We decided to go with a new tier of Crystal Cove loot over the proposed augment plan. This was mainly due to the feedback we received from the community after we laid out the initial idea for the augments.

[LrdSlvrhnd]

Yep. That timer is a bit weird, but if you wait for it they hold position just fine.

The problem is you're a quarter of the way across the map, get hit, and the hires - who've been cheerfully standing around thumbtwiddling as instructed - decide to run to help you out. And then they stop and wait in that spot, until the next time you're hit.

I'm fine with the timer. I don't have any problems telling them to stay put, or waiting for a few seconds for them to stay put. My issue is getting them to STAY put in any mode other than passive, rather than deciding to run over to me. And I know I'm not the only one.

[Syrrah]

Relax dude, it's only* the 3rd time this year (* "only" is relative of course). First one was barely a week open so lots of peeps missed it.