Experiencing Difficulty Bump

[Zandafolf]

Hey there,

So I have started playing the game actively again after previously not getting too far past Korthos. Loosely followed a few guides on what to actually build for, spells to get etc and I'm back into the game. Its been a lot of fun.

But as I have started tackling quests around my current range, (level 16 warlock) its gotten a lot more difficult. Protection from energy, stoneskin, and displacement along with staunch and that other spell that heals you that I forget the name of felt great. They used to make me feel unkillable but not nearly as much anymore. I get utterly destroyed in some of these quests and I feel like I have to be doing something wrong. Also worth noting I have been completely solo up to this point, sometimes with the odd hireling but ended up ditching those after a bit once my character felt like it was getting off the ground in power. They're also quite dumb and its annoying to manage them.

I found very quickly that in this game you win or lose by knowledge check a lot of the time, so are there any general tips anyone can give me?

 

[Dragavon]

Go on a difficulty you can handle, or join groups.

 

[Titus Ovid]

Hey Zan,
the thing is that the difficulty is influenced by the time the dungeons/packs are released. A good rule of thump is: the older the content, the easier it is. Of course there are exceptions to that rule but it is something to keep in mind.

For example most of Vale of Twilight (base lvl 16 - 2008) feels trivial now vs. Sharn (base lvl 15 - 2019) to me. But Against the Slave Lords (base lvl 8 - 2016 ) is more difficult than some of the Isle of Dread (base lvl 7 - 2022) quests because of the then popular quest design of high density mobs, imo.

So be assured it is not you but the game

Cheers,
Titus.

 

[Zandafolf]

Hey Zan,
the thing is that the difficulty is influenced by the time the dungeons/packs are released. A good rule of thump is: the older the content, the easier it is. Of course there are exceptions to that rule but it is something to keep in mind.

For example most of Vale of Twilight (base lvl 16 - 2008) feels trivial now vs. Sharn (base lvl 15 - 2019) to me. But Against the Slave Lords (base lvl 8 - 2016 ) is more difficult than some of the Isle of Dread (base lvl 7 - 2022) quests because of the then popular quest design of high density mobs, imo.

So be assured it is not you but the game

Cheers,
Titus.

I have noticed a huge jump in the amount of stupid annoying stuff mobs cast on you in the newer content but that's the thing. I want to clear that content. I want to do reaper eventually. I really like systems such as mythic+ in wow because I like being able to scale up the dial and blast away at some hard content.

But I can't do that yet. Every time I watch or read a guide they make it seem like I should be stomping through everything at this point but at any time I can get locked in place by any number of random garbage thrown at me and then annihilated. Damage isn't the problem. I do plenty of damage. I just get beat up a lot. Is this normalr? Did I watch videos of people just paying to win? Why's everything hurt so much and I don't know what to do about it because they do not really explain much in the game or give you much of a heads up that you're about to take a big hit or debuff.

 

[Dragavon]

The difference in power between a first life character with suboptimal gear, and a completionist with reaper points and perfect gear is massive.

Quest knowledge is also a big thing. When you know what to expect and what to do in every encounter in every quest it is much easier to do the right things than it is for someone who is doing quests for the first time.

 

[Jack Jarvis Esquire]

A lot of damage mitigation comes from layered defences and from understanding context of what hits and how that can be addressed.

I don't know if this will be of much specific help as I don't really know enough of what you're facing, but fwiw my own experience was helped enormously by joining PUGs and learning from what my team mates did. This was especially true when I first ventured into R10s at endgame. It took a good bit of time to get from clueless to just not a burden but eventually I got to contributing and leading in some aspects. That progression beyond initially feeling completely out of depth now seems perfectly natural to me and I see it all the time from newer folks.

There is no better way to learn than from experience.

So I'd recommend joining groups and learning from them. On our own, we don't know what we don't know.

Good luck. We've all been there. It's not just you.

 

[Speed]

I have noticed a huge jump in the amount of stupid annoying stuff mobs cast on you in the newer content but that's the thing. I want to clear that content. I want to do reaper eventually. I really like systems such as mythic+ in wow because I like being able to scale up the dial and blast away at some hard content.

But I can't do that yet. Every time I watch or read a guide they make it seem like I should be stomping through everything at this point but at any time I can get locked in place by any number of random garbage thrown at me and then annihilated. Damage isn't the problem. I do plenty of damage. I just get beat up a lot. Is this normalr? Did I watch videos of people just paying to win? Why's everything hurt so much and I don't know what to do about it because they do not really explain much in the game or give you much of a heads up that you're about to take a big hit or debuff.

Playing solo is much harder than playing in groups, but you can take cleric or favored soul (ones with single target cure/heal instead of much slower mass cure/heal) in guard mode (do not use active mode and command them to stop/follow between traps or lava).
Free to play and older quests are much easier than paid and newer.
Higher difficulties are supposed to be for people who have knowledge (game is more complex when compared to some MMO or hack and slashes, because it is full of parameters and enemy differences), collected named/crafted gear, extra passive bonuses (past lifes, tomes, reaper tree) or just want challenge.
Higher levels are supposed to have enemies with more abilities (variety and changes are more interesting), but you also have more "tools" to deal with them properly.
If you are blocked with various statuses too often, then improve your saves (fortitude/reflex/will) and maybe spell resistance with gear/buffs/tree (do not take feats, but you can consider resilience if you are fine with longer cooldown for spells).
Attack spellcasters first.
Get deathblock item, because death ward can be dispelled.
Just stay in difficulty that fits you best to have fun until you are ready to go higher.

 

[saekee]

Which quests? Maybe we can give you some specific tips. A lot
of new players are F2P and find themselves in Acid Wit at that level and it is a slugfest

 

[Zandafolf]

Which quests? Maybe we can give you some specific tips. A lot
of new players are F2P and find themselves in Acid Wit at that level and it is a slugfest

Well I'm VIP, and playing through quests around eveningstar are where I've been at. Lvl 16-17 range. I was easily knocking out hards and elites leading up to this but now even normals can feel tough. A lot of it is just the random spells and archers whacking at me. Everything just hurts a lot and my character has sustain with all the ways to get temp health as a warlock but I'm not thick enough to stand up to much at once. Its pretty brutal. If I get knocked down or otherwise stopped by something at a bad time before I can hit staunch or protection again I just die. Sometimes I'll take a hit that instantly knocks off an elemental protection. Feels pretty bad.

Also traps suck when you learn the hard way where one is. I really hate those stupid bear traps as a warlock with no strength lol

 

[festasha]

I don't know what gear you are currently working with or what content you own but crowd control will be your biggest friend.
If your conjuration is not high enough I have listed few items to help if Evards web, greater command, hold monster, or whatever cc you have from your pact is not working.

Level 7 Sacrarium Suncatcher offers 2 profane spell focus mastery 2.
Spinneret offers quality spell focus mastery 1.
Summoner's spectacles will give you conjuration 3 and insightful conjuration 2.
Topaz of conjuration will add a +1 enhancement to conjuration DC's.

Of course, after all of this you will still need to defeat the boss but I hope this will at the least help you get through content a little easier.

 

[Zandafolf]

I don't know what gear you are currently working with or what content you own but crowd control will be your biggest friend.
If your conjuration is not high enough I have listed few items to help if Evards web, greater command, hold monster, or whatever cc you have from your pact is not working.

Level 7 Sacrarium Suncatcher offers 2 profane spell focus mastery 2.
Spinneret offers quality spell focus mastery 1.
Summoner's spectacles will give you conjuration 3 and insightful conjuration 2.
Topaz of conjuration will add a +1 enhancement to conjuration DC's.

Of course, after all of this you will still need to defeat the boss but I hope this will at the least help you get through content a little easier.

Its usually been pretty easy to kite out most bosses with an expeditious retreat wand. The problems I mostly run into are being bursted down and CC'd myself

As far as enhancements and spells go, I've been doing what I commonly see in guides. Evard's tentacles, hold monster, and mass etc I just don't understand enough about the game yet on that for what button goes where because it feels super bad to throw a spell into a pack and you get a lot of *IMMUNE* popups and you take a blind and several acid darts to the face. DC's definitely could be better too but I'm working on it

My gear isn't all that great as well. Its a bit too damage focused but my crafting isn't that high and I don't quite have the money to snag much off the auction house and even that tends to be slim pickings.

Does this sound like normal new player problems?

 

[The Narc]

Improve your AC, use displacement, and inorove your saves.

 

[Ying]

My gear isn't all that great as well.

Not keeping up with gear is why you're falling behind as you level up. Here's the optimal gearset for level 16 as a brand new player:

Dread Isle's Curse gear (5pc):
Offhand: Power-Packed Barrel
Ring: Signet of the Earth
Back: Walking Ancestor's Shroud
Head: Walking Ancestor's Helmet
Trinket: Blue Raptor Feather

Feywild gear (6pc):
Wrist: Green Dragonscale Bracers
Belt: Belt of the Ram
Chest: Leafmail
Gloves: Deadringers
Boots: Thorn Boots or Deepsnow Boots
Neck: Amber Pendant

Non-set bonuses:
Ring: Spinneret
Mainhand: Sceptre of Corrosion (I typically play a GOO/Acid warlock, but there's a similar scepter for each element).

I'm not including Sharn gear because you don't typically run it until level 17/18.

Feywild, Isle of Dread and Sharn expansions are worth the money. Typically Feywild and Sharn are available at a deep discount during Black Friday, so right on time for you.

 

[Dragavon]

My gear isn't all that great as well. Its a bit too damage focused but my crafting isn't that high and I don't quite have the money to snag much off the auction house and even that tends to be slim pickings.

Does this sound like normal new player problems?

Yes, sounds very normal to me.

the solution is to find friends or a guild that can help you with gear and levelling.

 

[Archest]

you would have to post gear and such and + info from your character sheet to see if there anything that can be suggested to help you other then general suggestions. Level 16 warlock. is forced power for your blaster if your using it. I use it on chain unless I'm getting beat to death by bosses. you want your force spell power and force lore as high as you can get it. damage will scale with spell power and lore will multiply the change the damage will critical hit. for double damage. #2 you want to protect your self with the best armor your toon can use without spell failure. for a warlock its mithril light armor I believe unless you can get Medium armor proficiency to avoid spell failure from multiclass enhancements.
I use duel scepters for spell power and lore. force and your primary spell power which ever "pact" you choose. look to have Sheltering/Defense: PRR and MRR as high as you can. get your AC up too if you can watch the spell failure chance. Dex ability would be good for AC as well . PRR and MRR work when your get hit. AC is the chance you never get hit at all. Dodge even taken as a feat if you have access. as a 1st life you need all the buffs you can get. weather potion, scroll or spell. Charisma modifier adds to UMD if you have at least 1 trained level of UMD:

 

[The Narc]

you would have to post gear and such and + info from your character sheet to see if there anything that can be suggested to help you other then general suggestions. Level 16 warlock. is forced power for your blaster if your using it. I use it on chain unless I'm getting beat to death by bosses. you want your force spell power and force lore as high as you can get it. damage will scale with spell power and lore will multiply the change the damage will critical hit. for double damage. #2 you want to protect your self with the best armor your toon can use without spell failure. for a warlock its mithril light armor I believe unless you can get Medium armor proficiency to avoid spell failure from multiclass enhancements.
I use duel scepters for spell power and lore. force and your primary spell power which ever "pact" you choose. look to have Sheltering/Defense: PRR and MRR as high as you can. get your AC up too if you can watch the spell failure chance. Dex ability would be good for AC as well . PRR and MRR work when your get hit. AC is the chance you never get hit at all. Dodge even taken as a feat if you have access. as a 1st life you need all the buffs you can get. weather potion, scroll or spell. Charisma modifier adds to UMD if you have at least 1 trained level of UMD:

This is some good advice! And if you can wear the light armour there is no other choice then the light armour from the sands(tourney armour), throw a heavy fortification augment in the augment slot and it is good permanent TR armor. Best thing about this is you dont have to be milked of your money from SSG by trying to be encouraged to reroll chests, ransack the chest it comes from if you dont get it just farm out bronze tokens and trade in for it, the firestorm greaves are also not bad to wear as boot gear with fire resist speed and fire absorb plus a yellow augment for your choice.

 

[Zandafolf]

you would have to post gear and such and + info from your character sheet to see if there anything that can be suggested to help you other then general suggestions. Level 16 warlock. is forced power for your blaster if your using it. I use it on chain unless I'm getting beat to death by bosses. you want your force spell power and force lore as high as you can get it. damage will scale with spell power and lore will multiply the change the damage will critical hit. for double damage. #2 you want to protect your self with the best armor your toon can use without spell failure. for a warlock its mithril light armor I believe unless you can get Medium armor proficiency to avoid spell failure from multiclass enhancements.
I use duel scepters for spell power and lore. force and your primary spell power which ever "pact" you choose. look to have Sheltering/Defense: PRR and MRR as high as you can. get your AC up too if you can watch the spell failure chance. Dex ability would be good for AC as well . PRR and MRR work when your get hit. AC is the chance you never get hit at all. Dodge even taken as a feat if you have access. as a 1st life you need all the buffs you can get. weather potion, scroll or spell. Charisma modifier adds to UMD if you have at least 1 trained level of UMD:

I also have dual scepters, and have the enhancement for evil damage as very few mobs resist that. Also the fire pact, lots of light and fire power and lore. I also use cone. The damage part of my setup seems to be mostly fine as I have no problem killing things for the most part. I mow through trash, but I can get got pretty easily by some casters and archers. Sometimes I have had to turn my pact off because the fire damage is healing what I'm hitting or whatever situational thing like that is happening but I can kill the majority of stuff that comes at me in 2-3 blasts unless its particularly tough. Boss, champion or something.

I think I'm sitting around 26 mrr and 38 prr, 226 hp. My dex is...poor, like 10. I dumped everything into charisma constitution at character creation.

Durability is the biggest problem and I know its partly because I've been solo but I appreciate the good info

 

[Speed]

Feywild, Isle of Dread and Sharn expansions are worth the money.

I do not think that new player will buy expansions until playing enough to be sure to stay longer in a new game (and he already paid for VIP).
Not to mention that all items must be farmed (repeating or astral shards "test your luck" payment, 10% drop rate per try on normal, 30% on elite - sounds like exciting experience for first timer to keep playing).
I brought here some non casual gamers and most of them left this game saying something like "if you must farm/pay like crazy for just passives instead of using your gaming skill to enjoy the game, then I am done here".
Still, this is good direction to start collecting gear if this idea of playing convinces you enough.

 

[Zandafolf]

I do not think that new player will buy expansions until playing enough to be sure to stay longer in a new game (and he already paid for VIP).
Not to mention that all items must be farmed (repeating or astral shards "test your luck" payment, 10% drop rate per try on normal, 30% on elite - sounds like exciting experience for first timer to keep playing).
I brought here some non casual gamers and most of them left this game saying something like "if you must farm/pay like crazy for just passives instead of using your gaming skill to enjoy the game, then I am done here".
Still, this is good direction to start collecting gear if this idea of playing convinces you enough.

I'd like to say that I am not new to MMO's, I'm just new to DDO. I've played world of warcraft, black desert, stuff like that for a long time. I like the grind, I like chasing loot, learning the in's and out's.

I grabbed three months of VIP to give the game a good try and if I ended up not having fun I'd just simply put the game down and go play something else. I am liking the game, and still am despite the speed bumps I'm hitting.

Getting told "hey you got the right idea but your gear sucks. Here's where you could find better stuff. These are the good items" is great because that's something very fixable.

 

[DBZ]

Try ES lock 100 percent more survivablity really hard to kill Staunch and Shining through 1 2 combo never die

Also max umd most useful skill in the game greater resto scrolls heal scrolls now penaltys removed out of fights there good again

Until you can farm all that gear personally feywild to sharn gear all u really need TNT don't need dcs spam all that force aoe

And ES lets you tank up with medium armor if you want that route