Screening for epics…*sigh*

[Tobril]

Heads up kids…


If you character looks like this:

Epic Pirate Armor
Epic Pirate Ring
Pirate Hat
Bold Trinket
Complete NON EPIC Abishai set
0% Fortification
< 300 HP


You are not ready for epics.

Just letting you know.

[Doxmaster]

****...misread that.

At any rate...

wut

[TheDearLeader]

I am McPhail, and I endorse this message.

[morticianjohn]

The pirate full plate, hat and ring are viable options for toons running epics and I'm not sure why you would lump them with 0% fort and 300 HP

[Faent]

He is apparently claiming that someone hit his LFM for an epic run in this gear set-up. And yes, that's quite the embarrasing set-up (mostly because of the full non-epic Abishai set, lack of HP and Fort). It's also, of course, possible that DDO didn't update between a gearswap and the toon runs Minos. But 300 HP is way too squishy.

[voodoogroves]

Tsk tsk. What does it really take to ride backpack in the Claw?

[MsEricka]

The pirate full plate, hat and ring are viable options for toons running epics and I'm not sure why you would lump them with 0% fort and 300 HP

This.

In fact the pirate hate is nice to consolidate two normally found attributes onto one item such as concentration and fortification or one rare item which would be superior false life plus a skill of some type. Toughness can be slotted onto the Epic Cavalry Plate.

If the user had 0 fort and 300 hp it's because they had that BEFORE the event. And they still have 0 fort and 300 HP afterwards.

[Astraghal]

Heads up kids…


If you character looks like this:

Epic Pirate Armor
Epic Pirate Ring
Pirate Hat
Bold Trinket
Complete NON EPIC Abishai set
0% Fortification
< 300 HP


You are not ready for epics.

Just letting you know.

I agree, I've encountered quite a few of these lately.

I would wager that the plate, ring and hat are actually sub-optimal choices for most builds in most situations.

[Quikster]

I agree, I've encountered quite a few of these lately.

I would wager that the plate, ring and hat are actually sub-optimal choices for most builds in most situations.

So what, its not like you need optimal gearing to fill a role in an epic group.

[Jaid314]

So what, its not like you need optimal gearing to fill a role in an epic group.

it's not like i want exceptionally non-optimal builds in my epic groups either.

don't get me wrong... i have no problem with people who don't live for squeezing every last drop of performance out of their character with absolutely no attention paid to anything but performance.

but neither would i want to run around with some clown who couldn't dps their way out of a wet paper bag, either. i don't demand that the caster in the group have DC 45 in every school... but i don't think it's unreasonable to ask that they have at least low-mid 30's for the easy epics, and high 30's for the harder epics (can be attained with minimal gear investment... my pale master drow has DC 37 mass holds on first life with nothing more impressive than a +2 tome and +1 enchant DC item, for example; no yugo pots, no exceptional int, no guild buffs, no greater focus item (i do have both focus feats for enchant though) and no alchemical pots required. once i get my greater focus item (i'm gunning for eardweller) i plan on heading for farming yugo pots, and at some point along the way i'd like to get my exceptional intelligence bonus and/or epic +7 int item, but even without all that stuff my DC is pretty decent.

i even have a level 20 repeater rogue build that i'll bring along for epics (DPS isn't exactly awe-inspiring, but it's not that bad) although i warn groups in advance what they're getting... because really, it doesn't take an amazing build to run epics. however, that doesn't mean i would bring a 300 HP build with no heavy fort to an epic quest, nor does it mean i would be pleased to find out someone else in the group did so.

admittedly, the other items that were listed weren't a huge problem (they weren't exactly conducive to efficient completion of epics either, but they weren't horrible), but the reality is, the described person was extremely underprepared for even the easier epics.

[Tobril]

The pirate stuff is fine, some of it even outclasses previously available epic items for certain builds/gear sets.

The problem I'm encountering is similar to when F2P people first entered raids.

It's not that they are bad, just unprepared.

They have incomprehensible level splits, extremely low HP with no obvious haggle/magi swaps, etc.

I've rarely before the event screened, but the sudden influx of people who are unable to contribute at the same level as the "regular suspects" in the epic PUG scene.

A few weeks ago you could take whoever applied. Every now and then you might get someone who was a little shaky, but now people with 0% fort and 250 HP think they can wander into things like EDA and contribute.

It will probably take a little time for these people to adjust. Once they do everything will once again be fine.

Until then, however, I'm going to be a little careful about letting people into groups. (100+ tokens don't come quick when half the party can't hit, survive, etc)

[Tobril]

This.

In fact the pirate hate is nice to consolidate two normally found attributes onto one item such as concentration and fortification or one rare item which would be superior false life plus a skill of some type. Toughness can be slotted onto the Epic Cavalry Plate.

If the user had 0 fort and 300 hp it's because they had that BEFORE the event. And they still have 0 fort and 300 HP afterwards.

The hats are awesome.

The problem is that people slap a few toys on their barely gianthold/vale-class character and expect to be uber because their gear is "epic".

[Astraghal]

So what, its not like you need optimal gearing to fill a role in an epic group.

I've found there to be a close correlation between the number of epic cove items someone is wearing simultaneously and the likelyhood they end up being incompetent in the role they were accepted to fill in an epic quest.

This is based on recent experience.

[cdemeritt]

Well... I have a toon that has the plate, hat, ring, bold trinket, Gloves, incomplete GS, and have slotted toughness onto my armor.....

I can imagine what people must think when they see it if they screen, but with 100% fort, 641 hp and enough epic completions to slot the toughness... It's not all bad...

This toon was only a month or 2 old when the event first came out, and the gear is much better than I've pulled so far in the time I've had to raid.

The plate w/ sup false life, DR, demonic shield, and now toughness was a hard call over my DT guard plate...

Yeah it looks bad, but it's not so much.

[Towrn]

I'm not arguing either way what is good or not because I have no idea what the build was or what it's purpose was, but I have 1 question.

How did it have a pirate hat AND a full non epic abishai set on?

Just saying!

[Bigrtt]

Just wait for U9 to go live and that will be the norm for epics...

[bryanmeerkat]

I've found there to be a close correlation between the number of epic cove items someone is wearing simultaneously and the likelyhood they end up being incompetent in the role they were accepted to fill in an epic quest.

This is based on recent experience.

This is obviously how it will be as these people will likely be new to epics .
Everyone has to start somewhere though , its upto you if you will be helping them learn or blocking them .
I understand both sides of that and people can do as they please

[Quikster]

it's not like i want exceptionally non-optimal builds in my epic groups either.

don't get me wrong... i have no problem with people who don't live for squeezing every last drop of performance out of their character with absolutely no attention paid to anything but performance.

but neither would i want to run around with some clown who couldn't dps their way out of a wet paper bag, either. i don't demand that the caster in the group have DC 45 in every school... but i don't think it's unreasonable to ask that they have at least low-mid 30's for the easy epics, and high 30's for the harder epics (can be attained with minimal gear investment... my pale master drow has DC 37 mass holds on first life with nothing more impressive than a +2 tome and +1 enchant DC item, for example; no yugo pots, no exceptional int, no guild buffs, no greater focus item (i do have both focus feats for enchant though) and no alchemical pots required. once i get my greater focus item (i'm gunning for eardweller) i plan on heading for farming yugo pots, and at some point along the way i'd like to get my exceptional intelligence bonus and/or epic +7 int item, but even without all that stuff my DC is pretty decent.

i even have a level 20 repeater rogue build that i'll bring along for epics (DPS isn't exactly awe-inspiring, but it's not that bad) although i warn groups in advance what they're getting... because really, it doesn't take an amazing build to run epics. however, that doesn't mean i would bring a 300 HP build with no heavy fort to an epic quest, nor does it mean i would be pleased to find out someone else in the group did so.

admittedly, the other items that were listed weren't a huge problem (they weren't exactly conducive to efficient completion of epics either, but they weren't horrible), but the reality is, the described person was extremely underprepared for even the easier epics.

If you read my post, and the post I quoted, there was a specific set of criteria for my, "whats wrong with that"

That criteria was epic pirate gear.

I've found there to be a close correlation between the number of epic cove items someone is wearing simultaneously and the likelyhood they end up being incompetent in the role they were accepted to fill in an epic quest.

This is based on recent experience.

Yeah and I see nubs posting all over these forums about how they screen for shroud normal runs, and they have lots of epic gear.

The point is you cant tell much about a person by their gear other than the obvious 0% fort 200 hitpoints.

The real point is, lots of people posting lately about nubs with no gear trying to get into epics, were doing the same exact thing a year and a half ago. Of course they will never admit it. They were the one guy who was always prepared for a run before they tried to get into a group. Yeah right.

When I started playing at end game, I had a super squishy drow sorc who could easily get one shoted by a raid boss if I swapped out my heavy fort item accidentally for one reason or another and forgot. I read up on all the info available, asked questions when I got in groups, and did my best to follow instructions.

Guess what happened. I learned about end game. I learned who knew their stuff and who just parroted those that knew their stuff (and there is a huge difference, all to often I see the latter spouting things off around here). When I made a new build, I asked them about it and they steered me right, not only telling me, "You should do XYZ" but why I should do xyz.

You see not everyone in DDO reads the forums here. And it would be nice if some of the people around here that have easy access to a huge resource would share it when they come in contact with others in game, instead of just....MYDDO......./point........../laugh.........../run to forums and make a funny post about some nub who though he could ambush my pug in an epic quest and ruin my day.

Look, im not saying everyone needs to run out and teach the world about the game. But I see posts every three or four days here about "gimp tries to get into epic/raid group....not in my run he doesnt! HAHAHA isnt that funny"

No. Its not funny. Everyone of us has been nub one way or another at some point in time in our lives. It sucks being nub. Help some of these people out when your pugging spots. If your so **** uber you have to come here and make fun of nubs out there, to show us how freaking superior you are, a nub or two in your shroud wont make any difference at all. So gtf over yourselves, and stop being so elitist, because you dont deserve that title.


/rant off

[Quikster]

This is obviously how it will be as these people will likely be new to epics .
Everyone has to start somewhere though , its upto you if you will be helping them learn or blocking them .
I understand both sides of that and people can do as they please

Amen +1

[B0ltdrag0n]

I was gonna comment something useful about this turning into a doom thread, from a standard drama post, but then I saw what server boards we were on.


Carry on Sarlona. Carry on.