If the game is too easy then . . .

[heavenandhell]

Do the quests with empty gear slots. Solo VOD elite no one is impressed. Solo VOD elite no rings helm neclace gloves cloak and boots then youhave my respect.

For fun try epic hard lord of dust easy quest no gear except 1 piece. Its doable different and a challenge. If you are fully decked out ever quest shiuld be easy.

Try Epic hard von 6 with only one gear item ---- that would be a real raid and require teamwork. Its doable but requires teamwork.

Anybody else have an idea about a gear restricted challenge?

[Ape_Man]

We've started doing EEs with no arcanes or divines. That is fun as hell.

[Hambo]

Any quest run "nekkid"... I.E. you cannot use anything not looted in the quest, with varying exceptions to taste. You might allow casters a limited quantity of each casting material; Rogues/Arties get a limited number of non +x tools, etc. You never saw such loot sharing in your life!

My first guild used to run nekkid Tempests' Spine when it was the only raid besides VON. As an option we had a drinking game concurrent, one shot-rule being the clerics having to do a shot every time someone died. We put many a healer under the table

[arminius]

We've started doing EEs with no arcanes or divines. That is fun as hell.

Agreed. Some people get very nervous though. Depending on your attitude that can also add to the fun.

[ReaperAlexEU]

Any quest run "nekkid"... I.E. you cannot use anything not looted in the quest, with varying exceptions to taste. You might allow casters a limited quantity of each casting material; Rogues/Arties get a limited number of non +x tools, etc. You never saw such loot sharing in your life!

My first guild used to run nekkid Tempests' Spine when it was the only raid besides VON. As an option we had a drinking game concurrent, one shot-rule being the clerics having to do a shot every time someone died. We put many a healer under the table

ahh, nekked TS runs, now thats what i'm talking about . though these days we have to tell the monks to stay at home, they tend to cheat!

we used to do a nekked TS run every xmas, grab guildies and friends first then open the doors to the rest of the server to celebrate xmas and my gf's birthday (yeah, she was born on xmas day). never failed to pull in a fun crowd for some giggles

and yeah, the loot sharing is funny as hell

wizard: i got a mace of shattering here, any one need a mace of shattering?
barbarian: ohh, yes please!
fighter: yeah, that would be really handy
wizard: bard called it first, sorry mate!

later...

barbarian: woop! i got a greatclub of lesser reptilian bane! hey, mr fighter, do you want this mace of shattering?
fighter: yes please, i've been using a returning throwing dagger i found, itching to get a melee weapon!

like i said in the other thread, us old farts used to make our own fun so we did, these younguns dont know how good they have it!

[voodoogroves]

We've started doing EEs with no arcanes or divines. That is fun as hell.

5 monks and a bard do not count ;-)

[xTethx]

Do the quests with empty gear slots. Solo VOD elite no one is impressed. Solo VOD elite no rings helm neclace gloves cloak and boots then youhave my respect.

For fun try epic hard lord of dust easy quest no gear except 1 piece. Its doable different and a challenge. If you are fully decked out ever quest shiuld be easy.

Try Epic hard von 6 with only one gear item ---- that would be a real raid and require teamwork. Its doable but requires teamwork.

Anybody else have an idea about a gear restricted challenge?

There is no fun in running something gearless, you can challenge yourself in different ways. You just have to find a way to do it. Me personally, running a quest naked wouldn't be more fun for me. A challenge maybe, but fun? Not for me.

[Gkar]

ahh, nekked TS runs, now thats what i'm talking about . though these days we have to tell the monks to stay at home, they tend to cheat!

we used to do a nekked TS run every xmas, grab guildies and friends first then open the doors to the rest of the server to celebrate xmas and my gf's birthday (yeah, she was born on xmas day). never failed to pull in a fun crowd for some giggles

and yeah, the loot sharing is funny as hell

wizard: i got a mace of shattering here, any one need a mace of shattering?
barbarian: ohh, yes please!
fighter: yeah, that would be really handy
wizard: bard called it first, sorry mate!

later...

barbarian: woop! i got a greatclub of lesser reptilian bane! hey, mr fighter, do you want this mace of shattering?
fighter: yes please, i've been using a returning throwing dagger i found, itching to get a melee weapon!

like i said in the other thread, us old farts used to make our own fun so we did, these younguns dont know how good they have it!

Oh yeah. And those blackguard HURT back then. I remember one Cleric Only Naked run, that was a blast.

[Zlingerdark]

Do the quests with empty gear slots. Solo VOD elite no one is impressed. Solo VOD elite no rings helm neclace gloves cloak and boots then youhave my respect.

For fun try epic hard lord of dust easy quest no gear except 1 piece. Its doable different and a challenge. If you are fully decked out ever quest shiuld be easy.

Try Epic hard von 6 with only one gear item ---- that would be a real raid and require teamwork. Its doable but requires teamwork.

Anybody else have an idea about a gear restricted challenge?

Or just try Permadeath. Most PD rules forbid twinking, buying pots/wands/brokers/AH/DDO store. NO HIRELINGS! Cannot even trade items between other PD characters unless you acquired it in the SAME quest with the another PDer. No farming for items either.

Die just once without a cleric of level to raise? Sorry pal, delete character, re-roll and start over...

Truly, I do not understand this mentality that this game is too easy. It is too easy because folks have managed over time to twink your character to high-hilt. Well beyond what was typically expected for such a character.

However, most won't go there as well, they cannot wallop everything like they are used to with their decked-out characters. The challenge is always there, but it is what you make of it.

[Phidius]

A majority (not all, but most) of the people who complain that the game is too easy are simply looking for an ego boost after they've refined their build, twinked their gear, and excluded all the gimps from their group.

The ones who don't do all that yet still complain about it being too easy have a fetish for pain. I recommend playing the game with one hand while you choke yourself with the other

[DrunkenBuddha]

Or you could just play while wearing mittens. That way when I die in a PUG, I just say, "dammit guys, sorry about the 10%. Mittens."

[sebastianosmith]

The game is too easy; for those who want it so. Many players, not all by any means, who come to the forums decrying the ease with which they complete content do not seek for the game to change, but they themselves.

These players whose characters trod the game like demigods do not want a challenge; they avoid it. A true challenge presents the possibility of failure. Not the momentary failure of being unable to complete a quest - explanations can always be found - but rather a failure of control exemplified by not being the "best", even if the title is self-bestowed.

Many of these players who publicly complain about how easy the game has become do so primarily to validate the prowess of their characters, and hence, themselves. They then proceed to rant about how Turbine needs to make things more difficult for their characters. This particular behavior is most interesting. While still proclaiming the greatness of their characters, they are simultaneously admitting they feel they have no control over their environment which, in turn, becomes yet another vector of anger.

When presented with alternative methods of play which for others have rekindled some interest in the game, these types of players will respond with derision, indicating that the state of the game is hardly their responsibility; that the game should conform to their needs as they represent the best of the best. Sadly, this behavior is indicative of feelings of inadequacy and lack of control contained within a bulwark of bravado.

Admittedly, this is a highly simplified view of an issue which likely has more to do with factors external to the game and which, and I wish to stress this, does not encompass the entire population of players who find the game less challenging than they once did. However, the relative anonymity of these forum and in-game exchanges does provide impetus for displaying emotional and personality traits which might otherwise have to be constrained.

We should have compassion for these players. No amount of logical argument will persuade them. No number of suggested play styles will console them. What they desire cannot be found in the game. Perhaps it is better they move along and search for it elsewhere.

[Memnir]

If you find the game too easy - change servers and start anew. No items, no money, no past lives, no ship, nothing. Totally fresh start.


I've done it in the past, and frankly it rekindled my interest in the game as a whole.
I understand perfectly why people would hesitate to do this, but in my mind it's really the best way to inject the challenge back into the game.

[zarthak]

how do u turn off your destiny? i want to do EE's W/O destinys

[Postumus]

We should have compassion for these players. No amount of logical argument will persuade them. No number of suggested play styles will console them. What they desire cannot be found in the game. Perhaps it is better they move along and search for it elsewhere.

Yeah it is hard to say goodbye to something you really enjoy. I think for players with stronger PnP backgrounds, it is a lot easier to 'start from scratch' with new rule sets or builds as the goal isn't optimization so much as it is succeeding with what you've got.


A lot of the old modules (A4 - dungeons of the slavelords, the first Darksun stuff, the first Ravenloft stuff) presented new challenges to experienced players by either temporarily stripping them of their gear or throwing them into a completely new and unfamiliar environment where players had to rediscover what worked and what didn't.


But if certain players are truly so amazing at this game that the only way they can challenge themselves it to play 100% naked (which I have a hard time believing), then this ship has sailed and it's time for greener pastures.

[Postumus]

If you find the game too easy - change servers and start anew. No items, no money, no past lives, no ship, nothing. Totally fresh start.


I've done it in the past, and frankly it rekindled my interest in the game as a whole.
I understand perfectly why people would hesitate to do this, but in my mind it's really the best way to inject the challenge back into the game.

And it isn't like you have to scrap the characters you've spent years building. The new server move can be treated like an alternate campaign. You can always go back to your old stable of guys and gallop over stuff Gangnam style to feel uberz.

[Produktion_Malphunktion]

Artificially increasing difficulty is always interesting to play around with.
On Thief :TDP there was a couple of other ways of playing 'Lytha Style' which was Steal all loot in a level. Don't hurt anyone with any instrument, or any AIs at all, for that matter, and 'Ghost Style' which was the same, but you could never alert an AI to your existence.
Other games have build in modifiers, no rocket launchers, no health, melee only exc..
I say experiment, talk about your exploits and how you play it...who knows it may someday become an official mode of play...

Exploits as in your adventures...jeez.

[rest]

talk about your exploits

Will do.

[stainer]

talk about your exploits

That really makes the Cube angry.

[Cernunan]

I'm still here!!

/*Waves hi*