"Average" XP Farms

[SemiraLynn]

There seems to be only two ways of gaining experience (specifically when it comes to a TR).

1. Super fast xp zerg run(s) of a high xp/min quest where everyone must be able to solo and self heal and overall just be awesome. No dying. TRs only. Elite streak. And often an implied "know me". This gives a ton of much needed xp but at the cost of enjoyment (if you can get into a group to begin with).

2. Some random quest with random people which may or may not involve a lot of explaining and resurrecting. This is extremely variable and can often be slow, frustrating and involve a lot of waiting.

I'm wondering if out there somewhere was some kind of middle ground for "normal" players. I want to run quests at a fast pace, but not a frantic pace. I want the quest to be populated with decent players, but no extreme requirements where you're expected to solo elite blindfolded with one arm tied behind your back. I would prefer no deaths but want a group that won't go crazy if one happens to occur. I like running with other TRs but regular characters like xp too. Elite is fine but Hard is good enough for me. And most of the xp farms are posted by certain guilds that have this aura of discontent where they're ready to pounce on anyone that shows any signs of not being as awesome as they are. I want something that is actually friendly.

Pretty much every lfm seems to be either option 1 or option 2. I'm sure people will tell me to just make my own lfm, but the vast majority of the time that just ends up with me soloing the quest which is rather boring and not very efficient. I crave a grouping option that falls between 1 and 2.

[bree22]

There are blends out there. It is usually best to be in a guild that you can form a static group of TRs with. In my guild we 3-5 of us that TR together. We do a combo of xp/min and try an do a variety of quests to break the mundane of rinse and repeat. We maintain an Elite streak. Our TR runs avg about 1.5 weeks to 3 weeks per run depending how discipline we are as a group and our personally schedules. We are not uber but not bad either. We do have some of the better players join us in there TR runs (but not for long they usually out level us pretty fast).

Don't know what times you play but might be able to help you out. You can send a message in the forms or in game to me. My current TR project is breelleena.

[eclipse668]

I'm wondering if out there somewhere was some kind of middle ground for "normal" players. I want to run quests at a fast pace, but not a frantic pace. I want the quest to be populated with decent players, but no extreme requirements where you're expected to solo elite blindfolded with one arm tied behind your back. I would prefer no deaths but want a group that won't go crazy if one happens to occur. I like running with other TRs but regular characters like xp too. Elite is fine but Hard is good enough for me. And most of the xp farms are posted by certain guilds that have this aura of discontent where they're ready to pounce on anyone that shows any signs of not being as awesome as they are. I want something that is actually friendly.

(snip) I'm sure people will tell me to just make my own lfm, but the vast majority of the time that just ends up with me soloing the quest (snip)

Most of the time I TR solo. when I want company I just fire up a lfm and take the first 5 ppl that aply.
I don't harass ppl if they die, I might suggest to buy pots if I see that ppl don't bring them on a run without a friendly guy passing out heals.
The only 2 things I can't stand (that will make me kick ppl) is impoliteness (join - share pls!) and summoning a hireling without asking.

once you get past the first 5-8 lvl it works rather well for me. I have a nice flux of new faces in my groups, nice chitchats here and there and with time I noticed that veteran players will look you up to get a change, enjoy some 'pugmadness' or just for the company (while the rest of their TR-group sleeps/eats/cleans their rooms ).

[MRMechMan]

Well, not on your server...but I've seen about the same. It is one or the other. But between flower sniffing and power zerging, I tend to be about 80-90% of the way towards the latter.

-I'll almost always lfm. Even if it is soloable.
-I'll accept just about anyone to the lfm. I'd love it to be someone like me running a 1barbXsorc that knows the quest and can trivialize it even more but if it's a squishy rogue or a barb without heal amp I enjoy teaching as well. As long as they listen, are willing to learn and aren't bein' dumb.
-I'll complete the quest as fast as possible...but I won't typically lock people out or screw people from loot or finish without them (within reason).

I don't mind sacrificing a bit of xp/min if I am teaching someone something or looting a chest or running a chain that has a mediocre xp quest. But I hate waiting around and never wait for a group to get started.

[sirgog]

A good in-between approach is to post an LFM for a quest that isn't on the radar of most powerlevelling types but isn't bad XP.

Examples:
- Prey on the Hunter normal with optional
- VON4 elite bravery
- Gwylan's Stand
- Carnival chain heroic elite

Then once you have run one of these quests, keep the group mostly together and move on to something else.

[Sunarch_Kunari]

There seems to be only two ways of gaining experience (specifically when it comes to a TR).

1. Super fast xp zerg run(s) of a high xp/min quest where everyone must be able to solo and self heal and overall just be awesome. No dying. TRs only. Elite streak. And often an implied "know me". This gives a ton of much needed xp but at the cost of enjoyment (if you can get into a group to begin with).

2. Some random quest with random people which may or may not involve a lot of explaining and resurrecting. This is extremely variable and can often be slow, frustrating and involve a lot of waiting.
[snip]
Pretty much every lfm seems to be either option 1 or option 2. I'm sure people will tell me to just make my own lfm, but the vast majority of the time that just ends up with me soloing the quest which is rather boring and not very efficient. I crave a grouping option that falls between 1 and 2.

That middle ground is pretty much 85% of the lfms up there. It's been a few months since someone's yelled at me for dying, and most groups are just run as fast as you can kill, not zergs.

[zwiebelring]

There seems to be only two ways of gaining experience (specifically when it comes to a TR).

1. Super fast xp zerg run(s) of a high xp/min quest where everyone must be able to solo and self heal and overall just be awesome. No dying. TRs only. Elite streak. And often an implied "know me". This gives a ton of much needed xp but at the cost of enjoyment (if you can get into a group to begin with).

2. Some random quest with random people which may or may not involve a lot of explaining and resurrecting. This is extremely variable and can often be slow, frustrating and involve a lot of waiting.

I'm wondering if out there somewhere was some kind of middle ground for "normal" players. I want to run quests at a fast pace, but not a frantic pace. I want the quest to be populated with decent players, but no extreme requirements where you're expected to solo elite blindfolded with one arm tied behind your back. I would prefer no deaths but want a group that won't go crazy if one happens to occur. I like running with other TRs but regular characters like xp too. Elite is fine but Hard is good enough for me. And most of the xp farms are posted by certain guilds that have this aura of discontent where they're ready to pounce on anyone that shows any signs of not being as awesome as they are. I want something that is actually friendly.

Pretty much every lfm seems to be either option 1 or option 2. I'm sure people will tell me to just make my own lfm, but the vast majority of the time that just ends up with me soloing the quest which is rather boring and not very efficient. I crave a grouping option that falls between 1 and 2.

Cannot confirm this. I see many ''all welcome'' LFMs. Maybe just a matter of time zone . If you see my LFMs, you are welcome to join.

[Gkar]

Start your own groups, run them at your own pace.

[Shaatan]

Start your own groups, run them at your own pace.

You sir won DDO!
This is the easiest solution to a lot of threads posted on these forums.

+1

[karl_k0ch]

Start your own groups, run them at your own pace.

And keep the names of those you like to run with in mind.

[Domfig]

I usually put up lfms like "P2P, IP, first timers welcome" and then they usually fill fast with friendly well geared vets who want an efficient but enjoyable questing experience :-) . I have only had one first-timer join my lfm, well only one admit to it.
Other lfm I do is when I have new content. "IP, learning quest, other learners welcome" again rather then scare vets off it seems to encourage them somehow.

[orobold]

The concept itself of "xp farming" implies somehow a certain level of preparation and survability, so its not so rare that u see this polarization zergin/flowersniffin. But if u talk about just doing quests i think theres a wide variety of lfms that are hard to fit in one or other extreme.

[Sarzor]

I've found the best way of doing it is to put up an LFM saying "Fast run. Either know it or be able to follow directions well. Don't be a buzzkill."

Tends to work out fairly well for me. I tend to get a fair bit of people who want to level quickly, but are looking for some amusement out of it and not pure xp/minute

[LordMond63]

Frankly, the whole concept of "Know Me" vaguely bugs me.

Seems to me like, if you want to build a group of people who know you, just look at your friends list, see who's on and give them an invite rather than cluttering up the LFM panel with a group that excludes probably 99% of the other players out there. Maybe there's a reason for it beyond inflating one's sense of self-importance, but what that reason might be eludes me.

I think the OP is exactly right. While I acknowledge that there are exceptions to #1 and #2, there aren't many of them. I would think that it would- and should!- be very possible to put together a group that doesn't have to rush headlong through the quest (even if it can) and yet still earn an acceptable rate of xp/min and the group not be comprised of multiple-life TRs, characters twinked to the nth degree or supremely talented and knowledgeable players. Not that there's anything wrong at all with being one, two or all three of them but, realistically, how many of those are out there versus how many first-lifers with some good and some basic gear and of widely varying knowledge levels depending on the quest/class/etc.?

There's few things in the game that I enjoy seeing more than "first 5" or "first 11" groups and raids. Love 'em and will join them whenever possible. You are almost guaranteed of a successful completion and an enjoyable time in the process.

[fork_aka_spoon]

Start your own groups, run them at your own pace.

ya really just do this...

post an lfm, sometimes you'll get zergers join and it will be fast, other times it will be the opposite and slow. you're not guaranteed to get an even balanced party everytime

[Carpone]

Start your own groups, run them at your own pace.

This.

@OP: if you're looking for a TR quest guide then check my sig. It took me a few TRs before I got a good rhythm down. The best TRs I've done have involved coordinating schedules with 2-3 other dependable people. Have people buy into doing a TR as a group and it gets done quickly, efficiently and you will have a lot of fun even if you derp alot and die. I don't TR any other way now.

[Isolani]

This.

@OP: if you're looking for a TR quest guide then check my sig. It took me a few TRs before I got a good rhythm down. The best TRs I've done have involved coordinating schedules with 2-3 other dependable people. Have people buy into doing a TR as a group and it gets done quickly, efficiently and you will have a lot of fun even if you derp alot and die. I don't TR any other way now.

Yes, this is the way to do it. Random pugging is just too painful. I still do it once in a long while, but most of the times I do, it would have been better to just solo. Not to mention, there are many quests where your xp/min is multiplied by 3 or 4 compared to soloing when you have a few people that know the quests and can function independently.

[SemiraLynn]

I'll try to use some of this advice in my lfms and maybe it will increase the odds of people actually joining. I usually just post fairly straightforward lfms [Quest] [Difficulty] [Levels] ["In progress"] but it seems nobody needs those quests when I need them. It's funny but if I post some random quest I'm not really interested in it can sometimes fill fairly quickly but if it's a high xp farming quest it'll just be me soloing for as long as I can stand the boredom.

It would be wonderful to have a group of people to TR with. Unfortunately my schedule is very random and I would not be able to keep up with any group that I was apart of without them growing very impatient.

I've looked up a lot of TR guides and most of them seem to assume things I don't have or choose not to have. Some require multiple people (although I have to say I'm finding hirelings suddenly less useless lately than they used to be!). Most maintain an Elite Steak which can be rough on me sometimes since I don't have any ship buffs as an easy button. Most use experience potions which I choose not to spend my money on. Many require a certain player skill which I admit I'm just not up to snuff sometimes.

I do have my own personal leveling guide that I made but it's about as exciting as running Tomb of the Tormented 10 consecutive times.

[danotmano1998]

I think the best advice is to join a good guild.

This is exactly what their purpose is here in DDO land:
To meet like minded individuals and group up with them, to form friendships, to help each other out, and to have some good people to run with on a regular basis.

In a good guild, you rarely have to worry about the randomness of the PUG unless you choose to. Yes, the journey is what counts, and having good companions along the way makes a HUGE difference.