Muckbane (ok, also ghostbane)

[Paleus]

Oh hi everyone, it’s just another random person posting their personal take on the game even though we all know these posts are meaningless exercises in self-aggrandizement. But enough about my personality disorders, let’s start by talking about one of the most frustrating mobs new players encounter, possibly turning them off to the game, and how the designers addressed it in a popular way. That’s right, I’m talking about oozes.

There has been many a tale told in taverns about new adventurers coming to Stormreach to cleanse the sewers of kobolds. To their horror, their family heirloom +1 rusty longsword inexplicably broke often when fighting oozes. Along came a grizzled veteran who remarks, “do you have a muckbane? No, well maybe you should go run Durk’s got a secret until you can loot one. It’ll help you fight them oozes without breaking your weapons.”

In this example, we have an easy to acquire piece of gear specifically designed and named to fight a certain mob. It wasn’t spectacular, but filled a need of new players, it was named making it feel special, it motivated them to play a certain quest a few times for a sense of accomplishment, but not rare enough to make them want to kill themselves. If even that was too much effort, they could get a handout from a vet encouraging a sense of community or just buy it off the auction house.

Now compare that to ghosts, which apparently have long been haunting new players and making them decide to leave this game. Now you might say, hey, why don’t we take the muckbane solution and apply it to ghosts. Perhaps in Miarra’s Sleepless Night we make the optional Canton fight drop a weapon called Ghostbane. It’s a themed and roughly level appropriate quest for the need, its F2P and easily farmable. Ah heck, who am I kidding, let’s just make ghostbane drop in every single chest in the game, every single time. That’ll fix the problem.

Now I’m no game designing genius, but one of these solutions seems to have been favored by players, and one of them, let’s just say there are just a few threads about it. Its the subtle and not so subtle shifts in game design philosophy like this that have worried players for a while now about the direction of the game.

[Eilierie]

"...easy to acquire..." LOL

In the four years I've been playing I've only ever seen Muck like 3 times... forget about Muckbane !!!

[willox2112]

I think that by the time you get to Mirra's Sleepless Nights might be too late. A good place to have such kind of weapon might be the optional chest in 'Recovering the Lost Tome'. Same level as Durk's, it is also an optional chest, and it is an undead oriented quest.

[HAL]

I disagree that muckbane is easy to get, but I agree with the OP in general that there should be a specific quest to get Ghostbane rather than seeding it throughout the entire loot table. I think it would be great for new players to get some kind of in-game hint to run Durk's to get a Muckbane and then Muckbane should be a guaranteed drop. Yes it will devalue the efforts that the rest of us went through to get a Muckbane, but since Ghostbane is so easy to get I don't see why Muckbane shouldn't be also.

And I agree that Recovering the Lost Tome should be the quest to get your guaranteed Ghostbane item.

[Livmo]

An nice how to guide would be great on how to farm muckdoom from the Pit. Got lots of regular mucks, but want one with an auggie slot.

BTW ran Dirk's last night on elite and no extra chest

[Arnhelm]

An nice how to guide would be great on how to farm muckdoom from the Pit. Got lots of regular mucks, but want one with an auggie slot.

BTW ran Dirk's last night on elite and no extra chest

Muckbane is now BtCoE, and has a Red Augment Slot

[Gauthaag]

An nice how to guide would be great on how to farm muckdoom from the Pit. Got lots of regular mucks, but want one with an auggie slot.

BTW ran Dirk's last night on elite and no extra chest

regular muckbane has red augment slot

[Livmo]

Muckbane is now BtCoE, and has a Red Augment Slot

OMG really? That is exackly what I want!!! To dual wield with a different spell power slotted on each one. It certainly allot easier to farm Dirk's that the Pit. TY you made my day.

I want to get ice and force spell power buff on my L6 Sorc.

[Rykka]

Well I just joked about this in another thread, but Muckbane has a red slot. You can just throw one of your 27 mabar ghostbane rubies in it and use it for skellie bashing.

[Kalevor]

Muckbane is now BtCoE, and has a Red Augment Slot

This, now u have a nice weapon to fit in an augment that it cost you 2 days of mabar inferno.

[Livmo]

Wikied them and here they are in all their glory:

Muckbane


Muckdoom