Alone vs group in wide open areas

[brian14]

It seems to me that in Explorer areas and in some open-air quests a lone toon is actually safer than in a group -- at least in a PUG. I play an Arcane Archer (currently level 7). In Cerulean Hills and Searing Heights I almost always manage to sneak up on a lone target from behind and kill it before it can react, without even using bow. With multiple opponents I can usually assess the situation, decide who to get first, use potions/buffs if needed, then take them out with arrows or backstab followed by arrows. I almost never get surprised.

Few times I explored with either other players or a hireling, there was no question of sneaking. It was just run along, and pull mobs from all around. Sure it was MUCH faster, but I may have taken more damage in the process. And open-air quests are worse in this regard.

Yesterday for the first time I completed Irestone Inlet -- alone. Granted it was on Casual, but I had very limited heals with me. I spent some time sneaking along pathways, staying well away from hobgoblin camps, and eliminating patrols one by one. Most I managed to backstab with no damage to me at all. That got rid of what I think is the worst problem in Irestone -- patrols swarming you while you are busy fighting a camp. Then I would approach each camp, buff up, hit casters with Goblinoid Bane arrows, melee the rest, heal. I had no heals at all for last three camps; Yaryaar was in the last one. (I expected him to come running when ship blew up, but he did not.)

Anyway, a week or so ago I tried this quest on Normal with a party, and it was a disaster. All hobgoblins saw us from way off, "frontal assault" was the only tactic, and we kept dying. Certainly could have been coordinated better, but it was a PUG, and hardly anyone was talking to anyone. So I think that in open-air quests where commotion brings in swarming mobs, a sneaky loner can be more effective than a disorganized group. I will test that theory by doing Irestone Inlet again on Normal (but will bring more heals).

[Oreg]

Solo is like casual mode. If you are soloing on Casual mode then you have skill or build or physical inadequacies issues. Wilderness areas for xp farming are best done in groups. I have no idea how any of this relates to your post tho. Just my 2 cents.

[hydra_ex]

Normal should be about 4x harder, if not more, than casual.

So, its no surprise that you failed, especially when considering that irestone is a very difficult quest for its level.

[brian14]

Normal should be about 4x harder, if not more, than casual.

Well, I just ran Lair of Summoning first on casual, then on normal. Normal was at most 2x harder, maybe not even that.

[brian14]

Well, I loaded up with potions of CMW and goblinoid and giant bane arrows, and repeated Irestone Inlet on normal. Again alone, and with same tactic. Wait for hobgoblins to wander off the camp, backstab them, wait some more. When camp numbers are whittled down that way, shoot casters or ogres. Some hairy moments -- was down to 15 hp at one point, -- but made it.

[katana_one]

Sounds like fun, I'll have to try this myself.

Curious - anyone know if you can sneak into the camps to release the prisoners and steal the powderkegs without alerting the monsters in the camp? Might not have to risk as much damage that way.

[Angelus_dead]

It seems to me that in Explorer areas and in some open-air quests a lone toon is actually safer than in a group

Yes. When you are alone, the game server reduces the enemies' power to a fraction of its normal level.

[brian14]

Sounds like fun, I'll have to try this myself.

Curious - anyone know if you can sneak into the camps to release the prisoners and steal the powderkegs without alerting the monsters in the camp? Might not have to risk as much damage that way.

Steal powder kegs, maybe. Speak to prisoners, I doubt it. For one thing, if you start talking to them while in Sneak mode, you stand up, i.e. leave Sneak mode. Try doing it while invisible?

[katana_one]

Steal powder kegs, maybe. Speak to prisoners, I doubt it. For one thing, if you start talking to them while in Sneak mode, you stand up, i.e. leave Sneak mode. Try doing it while invisible?

You are correct - tried it out last night. I talked to the first prisoner and was promptly walloped by an entire camp's worth of hobbos.

[dkrypt]

You are correct - tried it out last night. I talked to the first prisoner and was promptly walloped by an entire camp's worth of hobbos.

A quick way to handle a wilderness area is to split up your group into its smallest self-sufficient killing units. For example, a cleric with BB makes one unit, a self-healing warforged arcane with fw's makes another, a monk for a third (no one gets their kills stolen lol), a rogue assassin alone for his sneak&kills, and then melee types together with BYOH. Everyone takes a designated area and you clear out the slayer asap, faster than you would as a cohesive group. This assumes everyone plays well enough to survive this - if one must flee to survive (for example), one should flee

The most fun way to clear out a wilderness is up to you . . . I like to aggro EVERYTHING and drop max/emp/ext bb's . . . a melee might not enjoy this as much as I do.

[Talon_Moonshadow]

Sounds like fun, I'll have to try this myself.

Curious - anyone know if you can sneak into the camps to release the prisoners and steal the powderkegs without alerting the monsters in the camp? Might not have to risk as much damage that way.

Talking to a Prisoner will make you stand up out of Sneak mode or become un-Invisible.

But it can be done.

[Talon_Moonshadow]

And BTW, just because all your friends get agro, does not mean you have to get agro too.

[brian14]

A quick way to handle a wilderness area is to split up your group into its smallest self-sufficient killing units. For example, a cleric with BB makes one unit, a self-healing warforged arcane with fw's makes another, a monk for a third (no one gets their kills stolen lol), a rogue assassin alone for his sneak&kills, and then melee types together with BYOH. Everyone takes a designated area and you clear out the slayer asap, faster than you would as a cohesive group. This assumes everyone plays well enough to survive this - if one must flee to survive (for example), one should flee

One of the things which make Irestone Inlet such a pain is that if you flee from some baddies, you are very likely to run into some OTHER baddies, and get encircled. While you are weakened (otherwise you would not be fleeing in the first place).

[brian14]

Yesterday I did Irestone on hard setting. My arcane archer is now level 8, wears Fearsome armor, and I brought a cleric hireling. This time I relied less on arrows -- overall tactic was:

1. Order hireling to stay still
2. Go to next camp in sneak mode, backstab every patrol I run into
3. When just out of sight of camp, buff up
4. With a Backstabbing weapon in each hand, sneak up behind the toughest guy in camp and kill him as quickly as possible
5. Click "summon hireling" button
6. Melee
7. Use bow to kill anyone who hangs back or runs away
8. Repeat

Tried to use Ranger Empathy on worgs, but it only worked once. What makes huge difference is Fearsome armor. Some other time I will form a group to do Irestone on Elite, with condition that everybody sneaks. Should be interesting.

[Emili]

It seems to me that in Explorer areas and in some open-air quests a lone toon is actually safer than in a group -- at least in a PUG. I play an Arcane Archer (currently level 7). In Cerulean Hills and Searing Heights I almost always manage to sneak up on a lone target from behind and kill it before it can react, without even using bow. With multiple opponents I can usually assess the situation, decide who to get first, use potions/buffs if needed, then take them out with arrows or backstab followed by arrows. I almost never get surprised.
Is because you are alone you may take your time.

Few times I explored with either other players or a hireling, there was no question of sneaking. It was just run along, and pull mobs from all around. Sure it was MUCH faster, but I may have taken more damage in the process. And open-air quests are worse in this regard.
The game is quite easy alone when you do not have to account fot the actions of another.


Yesterday for the first time I completed Irestone Inlet -- alone. Granted it was on Casual, but I had very limited heals with me. I spent some time sneaking along pathways, staying well away from hobgoblin camps, and eliminating patrols one by one. Most I managed to backstab with no damage to me at all. That got rid of what I think is the worst problem in Irestone -- patrols swarming you while you are busy fighting a camp. Then I would approach each camp, buff up, hit casters with Goblinoid Bane arrows, melee the rest, heal. I had no heals at all for last three camps; Yaryaar was in the last one. (I expected him to come running when ship blew up, but he did not.)
Casual you can one hit a mob... norm may take two or three, also the mob casters actually have some potency to them. The mob are weak on norm and 5x fold weaker on casual.

Anyway, a week or so ago I tried this quest on Normal with a party, and it was a disaster. All hobgoblins saw us from way off, "frontal assault" was the only tactic, and we kept dying. Certainly could have been coordinated better, but it was a PUG, and hardly anyone was talking to anyone. So I think that in open-air quests where commotion brings in swarming mobs, a sneaky loner can be more effective than a disorganized group. I will test that theory by doing Irestone Inlet again on Normal (but will bring more heals).

Inexperienced group. The hobgoblins are still under par to a PC, (a lvl 7 PC is near a god compared to them on norm) and if the mob saw you before you saw them ... may wish to evaluate your spot skill.

Party leadership and organizining a team play is an aspect upon itself... discipline and organization is a must... communication is a must and I might add if you're new to a quest you should stay pretty close.

Funny is ... many vets have taken to straight soloing everything up to raids except where they actually need someone else to pull a switch or should they need some other class to compensate for a needed task...

Any vet on a level 3-5 can clear these zones/quest you mention within a few minutes - alone or in group, if the group stays back at the entrance , why well simply they know where everything is and have enough experience to know what thier character's ability is compared to that of the mobs. You get six vets in that quest ... split up and they'll finish it in little time.

All depends... one aspect of the game you cannot escape is latter on in raids and epic - you'll have to group with people and your social organizing will have to be on par.

[phalaeo]

Solo is like casual mode. If you are soloing on Casual mode then you have skill or build or physical inadequacies issues. Wilderness areas for xp farming are best done in groups. I have no idea how any of this relates to your post tho. Just my 2 cents.

I disagree.

IMO, it depends on the class and the wilderness area. A rogue who can't sneak attack undead is going to have a ***** of a time in the Orchard. My Cleric rips through it quicker solo.