Ye Olde Sully's Grog

[DrAwkward]

If we are serious about announcing every new character that runs through the Wavecrest, can we at least make that quest hard again?

Drexlehand doesn't really come across as a villain, so much as the bartender saying "Hey Noobsauce, welcome to Stormreach! There's a crazy hobo in my basement and all his pet kobolds are in heat. The noise is driving me bonkers. Go rough him up and I'll give you a snack."

Quest Objective: Kill all ten of the crazy hobo's beloved pets.
Quest Objective: Kill the crying crazy hobo.

World Announcement: "Noobsauce has succesfully tormented a friendless drunkard"

[Symar-FangofLloth]

It used to be hard? How so?
I, at worst, kill him in 3 hits. At best I've one-hit killed him. He could use a ramp up slightly.

[DrAwkward]

It used to be hard? How so?
I, at worst, kill him in 3 hits. At best I've one-hit killed him. He could use a ramp up slightly.

Back in the day, they were real Kobolds. Not the underfed one-legged "lil Brudder" kobolds that we see today. Drexlehand at least used to menace you a bit before he bellied-up.

Mostly I just wanna see:

"Due to Noobsauce's recent failure to fetch beer from a basement, Sigmund Bauerson urges Stormreach's adventurers to avoid grouping with this idiot."

[Mad_Bombardier]

Mostly I just wanna see:

"Due to Noobsauce's recent failure to fetch beer from a basement, Sigmund Bauerson urges Stormreach's adventurers to avoid grouping with this idiot."

[Citymorg]

It used to be hard? How so?
I, at worst, kill him in 3 hits. At best I've one-hit killed him. He could use a ramp up slightly.

When the game first came out, this was actually a more difficult quest. Kobolds were the same kobolds as in Waterworks and Drexelhand was actually a decent caster and had an armor class beyond some first level characters. Casters didn't have enough damage spells or spell points to be able to defeat, and frequently had to beat him with their staves. This didn't always work out well and was difficult for many to complete. The quest was, literally, nearly impossible for a level 1 rogue to complete solo.

"Due to Noobsauce's recent failure to fetch beer from a basement, Sigmund Bauerson urges Stormreach's adventurers to avoid grouping with this idiot."

Best Global Announcement, ever!

[Sue_Dark]

When the game first came out, this was actually a more difficult quest. Kobolds were the same kobolds as in Waterworks and Drexelhand was actually a decent caster and had an armor class beyond some first level characters. Casters didn't have enough damage spells or spell points to be able to defeat, and frequently had to beat him with their staves. This didn't always work out well and was difficult for many to complete. The quest was, literally, nearly impossible for a level 1 rogue to complete solo.



Best Global Announcement, ever!

Bolded that bit I totally disagree with and disagreed with back then also. I played a rogue as my first and third characters and with absolutely no twinking never had/have a touch of trouble with Drex or the kobolds.

These days I particularly enjoy going in and charming all of the kobolds, so I dont hafta kill them, then just resting before i waste Drex.

I sometimes reroll just for the sheer pleasure of doing these things.

The old school grog run wasnt all that difficult for a rogue, IF the player had a thought in mind as to what the character's role in combat would be. If you tossed some numbers on the screen to get thru and didnt give any thought to what roles you'd be filling, I can see it being very difficult.

The old mages.... well, i'll not comment because I cant, never played a mage back then.

[DrAwkward]

Bolded that bit I totally disagree with and disagreed with back then also. I played a rogue as my first and third characters and with absolutely no twinking never had/have a touch of trouble with Drex or the kobolds.

One of my guildmates took an un-twinked 6 str halfling rogue through that quest (back when it was harder) just to see if he could. That ended up being his first character to get 1750 favor, and he likes it so much he never bothered to re-roll.

Of course, another guildmate couldn't get a bard through no matter how hard he tried. *shrug*

[Quartzite]

Bolded that bit I totally disagree with and disagreed with back then also. I played a rogue as my first and third characters and with absolutely no twinking never had/have a touch of trouble with Drex or the kobolds.

These days I particularly enjoy going in and charming all of the kobolds, so I dont hafta kill them, then just resting before i waste Drex.

I sometimes reroll just for the sheer pleasure of doing these things.

The old school grog run wasnt all that difficult for a rogue, IF the player had a thought in mind as to what the character's role in combat would be. If you tossed some numbers on the screen to get thru and didnt give any thought to what roles you'd be filling, I can see it being very difficult.

The old mages.... well, i'll not comment because I cant, never played a mage back then.

My first character was a 6str heavy repeater rogue and given the fact that I didn't actually HAVE the heavy repeater feat until a fighter splash at level 2 trying to use my Starter Shortbow/ Starter Shortsword at a -2 damage penalty made things quite hard. I managed to get through, but only by actually using the shrine down there! Nowadays the shrine's more of a wall ornament...

[Sue_Dark]

"Due to Noobsauce's recent failure to fetch beer from a basement, Sigmund Bauerson urges Stormreach's adventurers to avoid grouping with this idiot."

OMFG!!! LMAO!!!

I agree!

Tho i do think Drex and his sad little pets could use a slight increase in power. Just a touch mind you. Maybe 1/4 of the difference between their present state and a regular creature of the same type/level.

[ahpook]

OMFG!!! LMAO!!!

I agree!

Tho i do think Drex and his sad little pets could use a slight increase in power. Just a touch mind you. Maybe 1/4 of the difference between their present state and a regular creature of the same type/level.

Before they get tweaked they need to change the quest to have alternate methods for success for different classes. Right now everyone has to fight everything like a fighter which means they end up making way to easy for a fighter.

[PurdueDave]

I remember when this game first came out I was on with some RL friends and we wanted to go run some stuff. One of them wanted to use his rogue but he just needed to finish the "grog". He died three times...all in voice chat. lmao. After some ribbing we forked over some pots so he could get through. Ah...the pre-nerfed-down days.

[PurdueDave]

Before they get tweaked they need to change the quest to have alternate methods for success for different classes. Right now everyone has to fight everything like a fighter which means they end up making way to easy for a fighter.

Yeah. If the solo quests get hardened up then they shouldn't require the kill.

[Cupcake]

Back in the day, they were real Kobolds. Not the underfed one-legged "lil Brudder" kobolds that we see today. Drexlehand at least used to menace you a bit before he bellied-up.

Mostly I just wanna see:

"Due to Noobsauce's recent failure to fetch beer from a basement, Sigmund Bauerson urges Stormreach's adventurers to avoid grouping with this idiot."

Dr. the only issue I see with putting them back the way they were is squishies with no str.

When I first started, getting through that quest with my rogue and killing Drexlehand was nigh impossible with no STR. Yes, anyone with 17 or 18 str could do it, but someone with no STR is going to have a very hard time completing that quest without a series of deaths.

Why subject new players to frustration right off the bat?

[DrAwkward]

Why subject new players to frustration right off the bat?

DDO has a steep learning curve. I always saw the Wavecrest as the "proving grounds" of builds rather than a tutorial.

If you couldn't get through it, that toon was not right for you. Play a thug, learn the rules, reroll to a squishie once you think you figured it all out. I give them the frustration *now* to save them from having to delete a bad build four levels later.

Announcing folks that get through it now is an empty gesture of "Noobsauce is student of the month at Wavecrest Elementary"

[Frodo_Lives]

I'm just waiting for all the new characters to be anounced, how many people are going to create characters with names like "Urasis Itchy" just to have it flashed on screen?

[MtnLion]

Dr. the only issue I see with putting them back the way they were is squishies with no str.

When I first started, getting through that quest with my rogue and killing Drexlehand was nigh impossible with no STR. Yes, anyone with 17 or 18 str could do it, but someone with no STR is going to have a very hard time completing that quest without a series of deaths.

Why subject new players to frustration right off the bat?

Greetings, Cupcake! I suffered at the hands of those nogoodnik kobolds when I soloed Olde Sully's shortly after release. I thought it was a nice gesture to make 'em a little sick for the newbs, later. But, honestly, I cannot think of a build that would prevent me from running through very easily, strength or no. I am an old hand, nowdays, though.

They give us crossbows and bolts or shortbows and arrows for a reason.

[Lorien_the_First_One]

It used to be hard? How so?
I, at worst, kill him in 3 hits. At best I've one-hit killed him. He could use a ramp up slightly.

For a NEW player, especially on a weak combat class, this is part of their orientation to the game and its not a complete breeze.

Ok, I admit it, I got to the bottom of where the alter was and I was looking for secret doors or another way out. I had no idea I shoud "use the alter". Almost game up the game on minute 30 of my trial

And fighting him on my first rogue when I was still figuring out the combat system meant I actually took some damage.

Sure, now it takes longer to run the dialogs up top than the actual quest but for the true new players we don't want to make their initial solo only quests too tough or we will scare them off...

I don't think this is any different than other MMOs... I recall falling asleep while runing my first half dozen or so quests on WoW.

[DrAwkward]

At the very least, they should put the beer next to the sleeping kobold. I was so frustrated when I just grabbed the grog and left and Sigmund refused to take it.

"Here's your grog"
"What? already? No kid, go back down and wander around some more"
"Wander...? Beer for Ham! That was the deal, old man."
"I'm sure there's something more down there."
"More...beer?"
"Well... um... no. What about the secret door? Aren't you curious?"
"Gimme the freaking ham, and then we'll negotiate curious."

[rimble]

At the very least, they should put the beer next to the sleeping kobold. I was so frustrated when I just grabbed the grog and left and Sigmund refused to take it.

"Here's your grog"
"What? already? No kid, go back down and wander around some more"
"Wander...? Beer for Ham! That was the deal, old man."
"I'm sure there's something more down there."
"More...beer?"
"Well... um... no. What about the secret door? Aren't you curious?"
"Gimme the freaking ham, and then we'll negotiate curious."

Beer for Ham!

[MtnLion]

Beer for Ham!

Ham for B E E R !