Even more praise for Three Barrel Cove quests

[jkm]

well, if you implement trebuchets and a siege ladder mechanic i'll storm the castle while litz flings himself through the air...

[Dirac]

Since I play with a static group in addition to my regular guild, a fair amount of content I do with a group that has no experience in the quest. In all things, moderation is good. The puzzles and mazes are cool, but once they get too long or too many it becomes unfun in a hurry. I have really enjoyed the new 3bc quests and the explorer area. The ladders in prove your worth got a bit tedious and frustrating for us. The rest of the quest was awesome. I did not care for the puzzle in ghost of a chance. I like spending the afternoon on the NTY crossword as much as the next guy and there does not exist a level of sudoku I don't find trivial. But my DDO time is more of a "let's get some friends together and kill things." Don't get me wrong, I like the puzzles and mazes. The one in prove your worth is about perfect. But if it starts taking more than 20 min, I'm sick of it. The three rat mazes in the tier 3 tomb quest went beyond irritating when one was cool. The crucible maze could be 1/2 the size. After about 30 min in the Ghost of a Chance room, I was simply sick of it.

Oh, and there had better be a logical way to figure out the solution of any puzzle or maze. Requiring looking for clues is fine. But having to do some things randomly until it works is very bad form.

[SkyCry]

Finally got to see those new quests myself.

The dart puzzle was rather easy to do, once you figure out what controls what. (And tell others to stop randomly switching stuff!!)

Now the tile puzzle was more challenging. While it's the same old tile puzzle as in many other dungeons, it took some time to realize what is actually has to happen. Some of the circles do need to light up, some don't matter? The poor guy screamed when I tried to turn it on the first time, thinking that tile at the end is not connected to anything, but in fact the light went along the wooden path and to the next cube. The confusion aggravated when light started to move through the ceiling in a rather non-obvious way. To be honest, once you know what needs to be done, the puzzle is rather easy and personally I wouldn't mind something more challenging (more random?), but with obvious start and end.


All in all, I can tell that the good thing in the new quests are definitely the puzzles, which are fun (at least for me). The bad thing, however, is that others have nothing to do, while I'm solving that puzzle (perhaps allow the team to split into two, making others search for something?). Trying to solve the puzzle, while everyone randomly switches stuff is really annoying.

The ugly thing are the ladders - it would've been much better if there was some way to let others through. For example in Crucible the whole party doesn't need to make the swim, however the more people can make it, the easier it is to fight after the swim. Also the fact, that rogue can sneak after the swim, adds yet another possible solution to the situation, which is always good. The ladders, however, had to be climbed by everyone and if one person is not proficient enough with jumping he basically has to stay behind - that's ugly design, unfortunately. (Also in the pit not everyone has to climb the Furnaces - that's how it should be done.)

[Arianrhod]

The ugly thing are the ladders - it would've been much better if there was some way to let others through. For example in Crucible the whole party doesn't need to make the swim, however the more people can make it, the easier it is to fight after the swim. Also the fact, that rogue can sneak after the swim, adds yet another possible solution to the situation, which is always good. The ladders, however, had to be climbed by everyone and if one person is not proficient enough with jumping he basically has to stay behind - that's ugly design, unfortunately. (Also in the pit not everyone has to climb the Furnaces - that's how it should be done.)

I believe there's a switch in the puzzle room to open a gate to an area well before the ladders, so only one person needs to actually make the climb.

[VonBek]

I believe there's a switch in the puzzle room to open a gate to an area well before the ladders, so only one person needs to actually make the climb.

Your are correct. It is near the priming/firing levers.

[Enir]

I'll throw my two ducets in.
LOVING TBC!! Especially Two-Toed and Prove Worth. Still hate Scoundrel's Run.
Greatly enjoy all landscape objectives. More fish please.

[SkyCry]

Your are correct. It is near the priming/firing levers.

Nice. Guess we didn't notice. Five of us managed to get through, but 6th (monk) just gave up and quit on us! They just don't make monks like they used to...

(It's tough to climb them without feather fall item, but monks often don't have those just because they have slow fall and tumble.)

[VonBek]

We found climbing easier, if we scrolled the camera POV way back, and pointed it straight up. You get a great view of your backside! And, it lets you talk yourself into seeing the vertical shaft as a horizontal tunnel. Sort of like how Adam West used to climb Gotham's skyscrapers. The results helped a couple of our more challenged players.

[Heathcoat]

I guess I am the lone dissenting voice, but I do not like the prove your worth puzzle at all, the one with the switches. Its one thing to have to figure something out, its another to tediously try multiple combinations over and over and over. boring. I am usually the puzzle guy, and enjoy doing them, especially the reaver. But unless I am missing something, this isnt a figure it out puzzle, its a keep trying random thing until you get it puzzle. I must just be missing something. Did the quest solo

[MissErres]

I guess I am the lone dissenting voice, but I do not like the prove your worth puzzle at all, the one with the switches. Its one thing to have to figure something out, its another to tediously try multiple combinations over and over and over. boring. I am usually the puzzle guy, and enjoy doing them, especially the reaver. But unless I am missing something, this isnt a figure it out puzzle, its a keep trying random thing until you get it puzzle. I must just be missing something. Did the quest solo

It is a figure it out puzzle. If you look at the ceiling and the tiles and switches you can figure out what controls what. It's not random.

[Heathcoat]

My bad, im an idiot move on. Good quest

[Django]

I'll throw my two ducets in.
LOVING TBC!! Especially Two-Toed and Prove Worth. Still hate Scoundrel's Run.
Greatly enjoy all landscape objectives. More fish please.

Really appreciate it. As my first two quests and first landscape for DDO I'm glad to see that you (and others) are enjoying them. (I also have some quests in AC1 if anyone plays that ).

The puzzle was a bigger question around the team than the ladders, it's always interesting to see how these things turn out when they go live.

On a side note... yes more fish.

I really hope to be able to dive deeper (pun intended) into the water area of Three Barrel Cove at some point in time. As of right now more dungeons and more landscapes in the building

[DoctorWhofan]

Here's my praise, such as it is.

http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=154481


Still hate that stupid dumb ladders, and haven't seen that side of the quest after 40 times.