Shield 0 Posted April 12, 2020 #1 Report Share Posted April 12, 2020 (edited) Quest Spoiler Floor 8 «Ferocious Foe» Recommended Level: 25 Non-Repeatable | Party Limit: 2 Credit Goes to: @Hikoru Rewards: 2,000 Col. 2 SP. Kumatetsu Statue: A small statue [Uncommon Item] that can be placed in a home, proving that you defeated the Ferocious Kumatetsu. If used within a thread, it gives +1 Base Damage for a thread. When touched, it can give off the smell of the deep forest, the moss-covered logs and the smell of the morning rain. The distant sound of the three rivers can be heard, giving a soothing and seemingly peaceful area where one can rest. It can also be taken to group gathering to give an atmosphere. Requirements: Find «Kumatetsu» with an LD roll of 15+. Defeat «Kumatetsu». Summary: Deep within the woods of Floor 8 lies a large creature in the form of a bear, who has secluded himself while he trains train and becomes stronger. Lately, the bear has become angered, attacking traveling players on roads and killing NPC's livestock. It is up to players to find the beast's den deep in the woods and defeat the large foe. While it seems easy, the bear is smart enough to stand on hind legs and fight like a man would, but unable to speak any words or communicate. Outline: [Note: «Kumatetsu» receives his own separate roll from the player] Statistics: HP: 300 DMG: 75 MIT: 50 ACC: 1 EVA: 2 Abilities: Dodge and Parry: On a player's natural attack roll of 10, the attack will miss «Kumatetsu». Instead «Kumatetsu» will gain a +2 Accuracy and +15 Damage for his next attack. Beast Form: When «Kumatetsu» is reduced to 150 (or lower) health, he will transform and turn into a bulked-up creature, increasing his damage to 100, but losing his Accuracy and half of his mitigation Ferocious Roar: When «Kumatetsu» rolls a CD of 10+, he lets out a mighty roar instead of his attack, paralyzing the party. Event Spoiler Eg, Egg, n Eggy's Wondrous Shop of Wonders! Event will run until April 22, 2020 The Easter Bunny has scattered Chocolate Eggs all around Aincrad. Eg, Egg, n Eggy - three children of dubious morals and ravenous sweet-tooths (teeth? teeths?) - need your help to find as many Chocolate Eggs as possible! Chocolate Eggs may be found by hunting mobs, gathering materials, or even fishing! Bring enough to Eg, Egg, and Eggy in exchange for amazing prizes! Please put [E3] somewhere in your title to demonstrate it is an egg-thread! Chocolate Eggs may be found via looting slain mobs on a LD9+ CD1-3: 2 Eggs CD4-6: 3 Eggs CD7-9: 5 Eggs CD10-12: 6 Eggs Chocolate Eggs may be found via gathering on a LD6+ CD1-3: 1 Egg CD4-6: 2 Eggs CD7-9: 3 Eggs CD11-12: 4 Eggs If gathering with Full Energy (LD6+ still required): CD1-3: 2 Eggs CD4-6: 3 Eggs CD7-9: 5 Eggs CD10-12: 6 Eggs Chocolate Eggs may be found via fishing on a CD3+ LD1-5: 2 Eggs LD6-10: 4 Eggs LD11-15: 6 Eggs LD16-20: 8 Eggs Chocolate Eggs are a bonus drop and will be obtained in addition to any other items. Rewards Tier x Material (Limit 100) 1 Egg Specified Unidentified Equipment 5 Eggs Reroll Ticket - Reidentify a single slot on a single piece of gear at a merchant. (Limit 3) 25 Eggs Easter Bunny's Favor - Reidentify a single slot on a piece of gear at a Merchant using only their Unique Enhancement table. (Limit 1) 50 Eggs Bunny Stamp - Increase the Rarity of a single item up to Demonic, selecting a normal Enhancement in the process (Limit 1) 150 Eggs Special Dungeon Map 100 Eggs Note: Players may only participate in the event with a single character. Alts are banned from this event. If caught using an alt, you forfeit all rewards from the event. Special Dungeon Purchasing the Special Dungeon Map unlocks the Special Dungeon <<Easter Bunny’s Chocolate Factory>>. Inside the Chocolate Factory, you will be pitted up against enemies of the same tier as the one who initially used the map. So, a Tier 3 Player spawning the dungeon would create a Tier 3 version of the dungeon. The Special Dungeon must be undertaken with at least one other player, with a maximum number of players being 4. Players may pool their eggs together to purchase a Special Dungeon Map, but in all other cases Eggs are bound to the player. Within the Special Dungeon, players will fight Unique Mobs and roll on a Unique Drop Table. Note: Players may only enter the special dungeon once. Encounter 1: The Caramel Warren Frosted Bunny: 150/400/650 HP | 50/125/250 DMG | 2 ACC | 2 EVA | 25/35/50 MIT While the Frosted Bunny is alive, all of the other members of the Warren heal for 10% of their maximum health every rotation. Toffee Bunny: 275/600/1000 HP | 25/75/150 DMG | 2 ACC | 0 EVA | 35/80/125 MIT While the Toffee Bunny is alive, no other member of the Warren can be attacked, including via AoE. Red-Hot Bunny: 150/400/650 HP | 75/150/400 DMG | 2 ACC | 2 EVA | 25/35/50 MIT The Red-Hot Bunny applies a Burn debuff on a BD7+, inflicting 20/50/60 Unmitigatable DMG every round to the target. Dark Chocolate Bunny: 150/400/650 HP | 75/150/400 DMG | 2 ACC | 2 EVA | 0 MIT | Stealth Rating: 13+ Every 2 Turns, the Dark Chocolate Bunny enters stealth. Attacks from stealth strike all members of the party. Rewards 2 SP Each member of the party rolls for Loot LD1-8: Frosted Necklace: Tier x Perfect Trinket - Life Mending, Recovery, Recovery LD9-15: Toffee Armor: Tier x Perfect Heavy Armor - Bloodclot, Thorns, Thorns LD16-19: Red Hot Weapon: Tier x Perfect Weapon - Burn, Burn, Bleed LD20: Dark Chocolate Rabbit’s Foot - Change one weapon/armor type to a different one of your choosing Encounter 2: The Way-Too-Big Peep The Giant Peep: 700/1000/2000 HP | 10/25/30 DMG | 3 ACC | 0 EVA | 50/100/150 MIT Ability: Every three turns, the Peep splits into smaller Peeps. Players then have the opportunity to play Chubby Bunny with the peeps by rolling a CD. The CD corresponds to the number of Peeps one can shove down their gullet and still speak. After the Chubby Bunny phase, the Giant Peep reforms and players gain bonuses equal to the amount of Peeps they ingested. 1-3 Peeps - Phase 4-6 Peeps - Apply Burn on a BD8 7-9 Peeps - Holy Proc on the player’s next Critical. 10-12 Peeps - Next successful attack procs double Fallen. Rewards 3 SP 20000 Col 30 Tiered Materials <<Peep's Tears (it's basically sugar water)>>: Grants a +1 CD Bonus for Familiar Training Each member of the party rolls for Loot LD1-8 Double Col and Material Rewards LD9-17 The Big Peep - Demonic Consumable: Overhealth, Overhealth, Overhealth, Overhealth LD18-19 The Bigger Peep - An item that turns your familiar into a tiny version of the Giant Peep LD20 The Biggest Peep - Tier x Perfect Trinket: Holy Blessing, Recovery, Recovery Encounter 3: The Easter Bunny’s Second Cousin (twice removed) Sebastian 500/1000/2000 HP | 75/200/350 DMG | 2 ACC | 2 EVA | 25/50/75 MIT Ability: D-D-Drop the Egg - Every three turns, Sebastian drops a massive egg onto the battlefield (100/250/500 HP | 50/100/150 MIT). If not successfully destroyed, the entire party suffers 75/150/250 Unmitigatable damage and become struck by the funk, causing them to lose their next turn to Sebastian’s sick beats. Rewards 5 SP LD1-6: Bass Cannon - Unidentified Demonic Weapon LD7-12: Dope Shades - Unidentified Demonic Trinket LD13-19: Sick Jacket - Unidentified Demonic Shield/Armor LD20: The Ultimate Chocolate Egg - Crack this bad boy open for an amazing surprise. That surprise is a Quad Fall- I mean literally all of the above. Shield Spoiler » Shield, The Immovable Object Modified HP: Modified EN: Modified MIT: Modified ACC: Modified DMG: Modified EVA: Battle Heal: Search: Temp Buff: Temp Buff: Temp Buff: » Base Stats Base HP: 1770 Base EN: 168 Base MIT: 169 Base ACC: 0 Base DMG: 2 Base EVA: -1 Battle Heal: 85 HP Search: +5 » Items Equipped: Manticore Mask - T3 Perfect Shield - Flame Aura I / Taunt / Mitigation I Stinging Nettle - T3 Perfect Heavy Armor - Envenom (Defensive) I / Thorns II Blessed Greaves - T3 Demonic Heavy Armor - Mitigation II / Holy Blessing II Wedding Ring [+18 MIT] Hammerspace Backpack (HB) +1 BR item (allows stacks up to 7) » Battle-Ready Inventory: Golden Keys x7 | Unique Item | +2 Search on Chests Golden Keys x3 | Unique Item | +2 Search on Chests Basic Teleportation Crystal x4 | Good Item | Teleports player to the Town of Beginnings Safeguard Potion x3 | Perfect Tier 1 | Safeguard » Skills: Searching | 5 Ranks | +5 Bonus to LD, +0 to Stealth Detect Battle Healing | 5 Ranks | While in combat, recover 1% per rank (85HP) at the beginning of your turn First Aid | 5 Ranks | +4% HP per rank (+20% HP) on Post Action Picking | Purchased | +3 LD when opening chests Heavy Armor | 5 Rank | +35 Mitigation Energize | Purchased | Restore 8 EN to target Block | 5 Ranks | +25 Mitigation Howl | Purchased | +2 Hate against each opponent (up to 4) Fighting Spirit | Purchased | +1 Hate when using Howl or Focused Howl Parry | Purchased | 3 Turn Cooldown | 5 Energy | Reduces incoming damage by 50% Fishing | Purchased | Fish for equipment and gain prestige among old men » Extra Skills: Concentration | No Ranks | Gain +1 BD for a single attack | 5 Turn Cooldown Familiar Mastery: Healer | 3 Ranks | +135 HP (Does not require post action) Martial Arts | 1 Rank | +1 Base Damage per slot with Unarmed Weapons Meditation | Purchased | Recover an additional 15 EN on Post Action | 3 Turn Cooldown Survival | Purchased | Increases out of combat health regen to (15xTier) 45 per post » Mods: Athletics: +1 DMG +30 HP Focused Howl: +4 Hate against single target on Post Action Dismantling: +2 LD when opening chests Stone Wall: +Gain 10 MIT and 45 HP from heavy armor. Reduces DOT by 25%. -1 to Evasion. Justified Riposte: A successful Parry also stuns the target for 1 turn. | 3 Turn Cool Down Vengeful Riposte: A successful Parry returns 50% of DMG back to your opponent - mitigatable. | 3 Turn Cool Down Search for «Kumatetsu» Spoiler Search Roll: ID# 140976 results: Loot: 4+5=9 [No Success] Shield had done his share of farming for materials and items in his absence from the front lines. Actual quests, however... he had stopped talking to his info broker. He hadn't even looked at the online postings for newly discovered quests. At least not until today. He had capped out every unique thing there was to buy from the event themed Egg shop. It was time to direct his attention elsewhere. Sigh a sigh, he sat down at the dust-covered table in his kitchen, flipping through page after page of unopened notifications until something caught his attention. It was from his usual info broker. Subject: Quests You Should Look At Hello, Shield, Haven't seen you around, but you were always a good and reliable customer. I thought I'd throw you something as a show of good faith and in the name of good business. Check out the forests on the 8th floor. The coordinates are included below. It's the start of a quest chain that will benefit both you and your boo greatly. Look for the bear. -H Shield copied the coordinates and immediately sent them over to Beat, including a message on where in the forest to meet him. He gathered up his belongings, strapping on his Manticore Mask shield and his best armor. It was time to go questing again. With his gear in place and his best questing companion notified of where to meet, Shield felt a little bit like he was just starting out again from the Town of Beginnings. An hour later, his boots materialized on the teleportation plaza for Flortenthia. He set out at once. Knowing that this was going to be a scouting mission, and knowing that he was currently spec'ed more for scouting than Beat, it seemed prudent to get a head start. The coordinates took him into a dark, old part of the forest, the canopy overgrown. One treetop seemed to mesh together with another to weave an impenetrable ceiling. Only indirect light managed to filter through it. Shield activated his search skill, overlaying the landscape with a tactical green filter. There were a number of tracks, but none of them seemed particularly bear-like. Slowly, he paced his way deeper into the woods, his head lowered, but his ears pricked up and alert to anything approaching. Come on... bear tracks... bear tracks... @Beat Edited April 15, 2020 by Shield Link to post Share on other sites
Beat 0 Posted April 12, 2020 #2 Report Share Posted April 12, 2020 (edited) Beat: Spoiler Beat, The Unstoppable Force Current Stats: Hit Points 1155/1155 Energy Points 110/110 Damage 20 Mitigation 18 Evasion 0 Accuracy 6 Loot Die 6 Prosperity 0 Additional Buffs None Consumed Consumables: Sharp Attack Cheddar (+1 BD) [ID#81073] Equipment: Item Tier Enhancements Eagle's Splendor 1 +3 ACC Spear of Destiny 2 Absolute Accuracy, Holy Damage, Bleed Watchful Sentry 1 +3 LD Ring of Strong Will 3 +1 Damage Vanity Armor 1 None Battle Ready Inventory: Items Type Tier Quality Quantity Enhancement Basic Teleportation Crystal Crystal 1 Uncommon 4 Healing Crystal Potion 2 Rare 3 HP Recovery Swords Dance Potion Potion 2 Perfect 2 Damage Safe Guard Potion Potion 1 Perfect 5 Safeguard Power Bar [Vitality] Snack 2 Rare 3 Vitality Shi's Talon 2H Spear 2 Perfect 1 Absolute Accuracy, Paralyze, Freeze Bulwark H. Armor 3 Perfect 1 Mitigation Skills and Housing Skills Rank Heavy Armor 3/5 Search and Detect 2/5 Charge 5/5 2H Spears 5/5 Quick Change Extended Mod Limit 1/3 Fishing Mods Ferocity [2H Spears] Finesse [2H Spears] 3/3 Precision [2H Spears] Stamina [2H Spears] Athletics (Heavy Armor) Bull Rush (Charge) Extra Skills Concentration [Extra Skill] Survival [Extra Skill] Marital Arts [Extra Skill] Familiar Skills Fighter 3/3 Housing: Buff Effect Uses Well Rested -1 EN cost 3/3 Squeaky Clean -25% DOT dmg / turn 1/1 Hard Working +2 Crafting Exp & +1 Attempt Filling +1 T1 slot to 1 food Item 1/1 Relaxed HP regen now 45/turn OOC Item Stash +1 Battle Ready Slot Multipurpose +2 on Certain Rolls/10 Posts Delicious Feast from 3 same food Skylight (Searching) +1 to LD Advanced Training +2 SP for one thread/month Bear Huntin' Spoiler ID: 140990: LD: 20 + 6 = 26 = Bear Found! OH MY! _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Beat could be found in his home today, cleaning the dust from the until recently unused kitchen that was attached to his home, which he was also not looking forward to cleaning. His face lit up as the familiar ping of a message came to him. It was unheard of for anyone but Shield to message him, so it was usually something good and quest related. His fingers danced in the air as he pulled up the message and read it quickly, noting the coordinates and stuffing a piece of cheese in his mouth. Just what I need to get back into the swing of things. He quickly gathered his gear and made his way to the forest on the eighth floor, following the waypoint he had set for himself as his detection skill went to work. He pushed dense vegetation out of his way and came within view of Shield. He smiled as he approached, "Any luck? I can't imagine a bear is hard t-" His words were silenced by a loud snap and a much louder roar as a nearby tree came crashing down having been pushed down by a gigantic bear that had the name 'Kumatetsu' above its health bar. Nevermind! Looks like he found us!" Beat yelled as the bear came charging toward them. Edited April 13, 2020 by Beat Link to post Share on other sites
Shield 0 Posted April 13, 2020 Author #3 Report Share Posted April 13, 2020 (edited) Quote Action: Focused Howl [-6 EN] Shield [H: 6] - HP: 1769/1770 | EN: 160/168 | DMG: 2 | MIT: 169 | EVA: -1 | ACC: 0 | LD: 5 | BH: 85 | HB: 48 | THN: 69 | ENV: 18/4 Beat [H: 0] - HP: 1155/1155 | EN: 110/110 | DMG: 20 | MIT: 18 | EVA: 0 | ACC: 5 | LD: 6 «Kumatetsu» HP: 300/300 | DMG: 75 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 2 [ENV - 18 dmg 4/4] ID# 140992 results: Craft: 3 [No Roar] MOB: 10+1+1=12 - Hit! 75+2-169=1 DMG [ENV Proc] Abilities: Spoiler Receives his own separate roll from the player Dodge and Parry: On nat. BD 10 vs Kumatetsu, the attack will miss. Instead, will gain a +2 ACC / +15 DMG for next attack. Beast Form: At 150 HP, following stats become: DMG: 100, ACC: 0 MIT: 25 Ferocious Roar: When «Kumatetsu» rolls a CD of 10+, he lets out a mighty roar instead of his attack, paralyzing the party. Shield squared up his shoulders with the beast and filled his lungs. The eyes of the Manticore Mask shone red in the dense darkness of the forest. With a mighty roar, the great bear, Kumatetsu bore down on them, but before it had emptied its lungs, the forest echoed with the ring of another roar. "YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO BETTER THAN THAT!" Shield's mouth gaped with the force of his Howl, and stopped the bear in its tracks, blowing its for flat against its head. Its beady eyes swiveled and focused directly on the tank. "That's it, right over here!" Kumatetsu reared up on its hind legs and swung at the tank, raking its claws across his face and neck, but they did not leave any marks. Shield shrugged them off like a breeze. It felt good to be back in the saddle again. He braced his shield arm against the creature's chest and pushed off with his legs, sending the bear stumbling back. "I think that's your opening there, Beat! Ten Col says you can't finish him in one swing!" His normally stony features broke into a grin, igniting with the competitive fire that once drove him forward. Edited April 13, 2020 by Shield Link to post Share on other sites
Beat 0 Posted April 13, 2020 #4 Report Share Posted April 13, 2020 (edited) Spoiler Action: Dimensional Stampede + Concentration | -12 EP Shield [H: 6] - HP: 1769/1770 | EN: 160/168 | DMG: 2 | MIT: 169 | EVA: -1 | ACC: 0 | LD: 5 | BH: 85 | HB: 48 | THN: 69 | ENV: 18/4 Beat [H: 0] - HP: 1155/1155 | EN: 97/110 | DMG: 20 | MIT: 18 | EVA: 0 | ACC: 5 | LD: 6 «Kumatetsu» HP: 0/300 | DMG: 75 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 2 [ENV - 18 dmg 4/4] ID# 140994: BD: 3 + 6 + 1 -1 - 2 = 7 = hit! DMG: (20 + 5) x 15 = 375 -75 = 300 Abilities: Spoiler Receives his own separate roll from the player Dodge and Parry: On nat. BD 10 vs Kumatetsu, the attack will miss. Instead, will gain a +2 ACC / +15 DMG for next attack. Beast Form: At 150 HP, following stats become: DMG: 100, ACC: 0 MIT: 25 Ferocious Roar: When «Kumatetsu» rolls a CD of 10+, he lets out a mighty roar instead of his attack, paralyzing the party. Beat watched as Shield's health bar easily withstood a direct hit from the colossal bear. It had been a long time since they had actually fought together and Beat had almost forgotten what the disparity between reality and the game. In the real world, the idea of anyone taking a hit like that from an animal like a bear was unthinkable. Here in the game world, tank builds like Shield could withstand greater forces than anything the bear could hope to muster. Beat grinned at the bear as he summoned his spear, feeling its weight and spinning it slowly, passing it between both hands, as he began to walk menacingly towards the now envenomed bear. "That isn't going to be enough against us!" He shouted as he charged forward, his charge skill activating and blurring his form as he streaked toward the bear at blinding speed. "Here we go!" Beat's form began to leave afterimages as his sword art allowed him to launch a volley of various techniques into the animal. Each impact rang out as the bear spasmed from their force before it's life bar drained completely. Beat watched with a smirk as the form of the beast shattered into red pixels, "Good to know I've still got it. I can't say that doesn't feel good." Edited April 13, 2020 by Beat Link to post Share on other sites
Shield 0 Posted April 13, 2020 Author #5 Report Share Posted April 13, 2020 (edited) Spoiler Action: Energize [Shield: -10 EN, Beat: +8 EN] Action: Searching for Eggs (ask-a-staff inquiry if possible to do both, approved by Stryder): ID# 141184 results: Craft: 3 [1 Egg found] Loot: 15+8=23 [1 Material found] Shield [H: 6] - HP: 1769/1770 | EN: 151/168 | DMG: 2 | MIT: 169 | EVA: -1 | ACC: 0 | LD: 5 | BH: 85 | HB: 48 | THN: 69 | ENV: 18/4 Beat [H: 0] - HP: 1155/1155 | EN: 105/110 | DMG: 20 | MIT: 18 | EVA: 0 | ACC: 5 | LD: 6 Total Loot: Eggs: 1 Materials:1 In the aftermath of the attack, the two players were bathed in the polygons of light as the bear shattered. "I forgot how much lower leveled missions just can't stand up to us," he said clapping his companion on the shoulder. As he did so, a shot of energy left his hand and entered Beat. "You might need that. It didn't quite top you off, but it will help you out finding those eggs that are all over the place." He nodded with his head back towards civilization. "I take it you've had a chance to read through the rewards." Shield started trekking back towards the antiquated settlement of Florenthia. He kept his eyes on the ground, searching to and fro as he went for the bright, tell-tale signs of an Easter basket or foil wrapped chocolate eggs. "They can literally be anywhere as long as you're not in a safe zone. Trust me, as soon as that skill cools down, I'll get you the rest of the way full. The numbers are based off of your energy bar, I think as a means of keeping people from abusing exploits where they bounce back and forth between combat farming." He pulled back a branch and ducked under it, moving around to the far side of the tree. Edited April 13, 2020 by Shield Link to post Share on other sites
Beat 0 Posted April 13, 2020 #6 Report Share Posted April 13, 2020 (edited) Spoiler Action Searching for mats: ID# 141018: CD: 7 LD: 9 + 6 = 15 1 Post until Survival EP refresh Results: 1 T1 Mat and 3 Eggs Shield [H: 6] - HP: 1769/1770 | EN: 151/168 | DMG: 2 | MIT: 169 + 6 = 159 | EVA: -1 | ACC: 0 | LD: 5 | BH: 85 | HB: 48 | THN: 69 | ENV: 18/4 Beat [H: 0] - HP: 1155/1155 | EN: 107/110 | DMG: 20 | MIT: 18 | EVA: 0 | ACC: 5 | LD: 6 Beat watched his energy bar refill to nearly full, though he knew it would not be too long before it would refill itself, "You need full energy to find more eggs right?" He said as his searching skill went to work as it often did when searching for materials or, in this case, eggs, "and yes, I did. The favor and the stamp seem incredibly good. I want to get those first." Beat's eyes caught a glimpse of something colorful hiding in some light vegetation. He moved the leaves aside to reveal a small basket of 3 colorful eggs, a small box of chocolates, which was labeled as a basic material, and some fake Easter grass. Beat snorted and giggled at the comical nature of his find, which he stowed before standing up and continuing to walk with Shield, "Those tickets and the dungeon map are also interesting. If I find enough eggs, I will probably invest in those as well." Edited April 13, 2020 by Beat Link to post Share on other sites
Shield 0 Posted April 13, 2020 Author #7 Report Share Posted April 13, 2020 (edited) Spoiler Action: Energize > Beat [Shield: -10 EN, Beat +8 EN] Action: Searching for Eggs: ID# 141185 results: Craft: 4 [2 Eggs found] Loot: 20+8=28 [1 Material found] Shield [H: 6] - HP: 1769/1770 | EN: 142/168 | DMG: 2 | MIT: 169 + 6 = 159 | EVA: -1 | ACC: 0 | LD: 5 | BH: 85 | HB: 48 | THN: 69 | ENV: 18/4 Beat [H: 0] - HP: 1155/1155 | EN: 110/110 | DMG: 20 | MIT: 18 | EVA: 0 | ACC: 5 | LD: 6 Total Loot: Eggs: 3 Materials:2 "I've long since gotten more than enough eggs to max out all of those and still buy a map," Shield said, sighing as he formed a ball of energy and tossed it over to Beat. "If I could share what I have, I would, but for now... looks like I'm going to be buying a lot of unidentified gear just in hopes of finding something good. Better than just trading it for materials." He sighed again, heavier this time. "A lot of players, myself included, misread the post, thinking you could go into the dungeon more than once. So... I was saving up for multiple maps." Glancing over at Beat, he threw his hands up in defeat. "Looks like it's not like that. While you can go through the dungeon more than once, you only get the rewards the first time. That means we need to get through this quest chain, get the best loot bonuses we can, and stack them aaaaaall up." He clenched a fist. "Even if it means going in light on a few enhancements, it will be worth it to grab that big prize that drops every type of demonic there is. A weapon, an armor, AND a trinket." It was a dream come true for a treasure hunter like himself. He could feel himself bristling at the possibilities. "I'm going to do some research between now and then. See if there aren't ways to max out rewards..." Edited April 13, 2020 by Shield Link to post Share on other sites
Beat 0 Posted April 13, 2020 #8 Report Share Posted April 13, 2020 (edited) Spoiler Searching: ID# 141050: CD: 11 LD: 4+6 = 10 Results: no mats 6 eggs Totals: 1 T1 Mat 9 eggs "Now where have I seen this before?" Beat said cheerfully as he moved a branch out of his way and ducked under it, revealing a small clearing in the forest where the sun was allowed to shine through. In this clearing, a small pond resided in the middle and acted as a watering hole for the wildlife of the forest. Several rabbits scampered away as Beat continued to speak, "I do miss the day where we hunted treasure. Those were good times." Plenty of bad to go with that good, but oh well... Just as Beat began to think on the past, his attention was was grabbed by a colorful assortment of egges hidden is a marge tuft of grass. He stooped down and admired each egg before stowing them in his inventory. "You know, I can't say I'm surprised they put a limit on things. People who truly enjoy the grind, like you, would unbalance any system that didn't have check and balances put in place." Edited April 14, 2020 by Beat Link to post Share on other sites
Shield 0 Posted April 13, 2020 Author #9 Report Share Posted April 13, 2020 (edited) Spoiler Energy Regen Counter: 1 turn/3 Searching for Eggs: ID# 141052 results: Craft: 10 [4 Eggs found] Loot: 9+8=17 [1 Material found] Total Loot: Eggs: 7 Materials: 3 "While I do understand the need for balance..." Shield began, walking his way around the back side of a stand of fir trees, "there is a double edge to that sword. The finds that you get in that dungeon may turn out to be... well, useless. I have no need for armor with heavy momentum and regen. However, I may find just that. The limited purchase items may balance that to an extent... but as a Merchant, I am all too familiar with the sting of going through large stacks of loot and finding nothing remotely useful." At the mention of useful things, he moved the bottom bough of one of the firs and found a small, bright green basket. He gathered up its plentiful contents and squirreled them away as though gathering nuts for the winter. "I am not saying they should hand us loot," Shield explained. "No game could function on those mechanics. There's no incentive. There's no fun or challenge. Still, for those willing to put in extra work, there should be something decent as a reward, even if that reward is just one or two more chances at something extraordinary which probably will just end up being... okay." Edited April 14, 2020 by Shield Link to post Share on other sites
Beat 0 Posted April 13, 2020 #10 Report Share Posted April 13, 2020 (edited) Spoiler Searching: ID#141056: CD: 12 LD: 4 + 6 = 10 Results: No mats, 6 Eggs Totals: 1 T1 mats 15 eggs Beat's eyes caught another easter basket, this one larger than the ones before it. He strolled over and sat on the log where the basket was sitting, just waiting for someone to come over and scoop it up. Beat admired each egg as he watched them move from his sight and into his inventory screen. "Well, currently, SAO is a bad example, but under normal circumstances, most people can't put the time and effort we do into games like this. It just isn't feasible." Beat stood up and slowly made his way over to the pond and stared into his reflection from the crystal clear water, "So, there has to be a hard ceiling on what one can achieve numerically in the game." The younger player summoed his spear and twirled it around as he looked at the tank with a grin, "So what you're left with is a soft ceiling of skill, where talent and hard work do pay off, but on an individual basis. No amount of grinding should ever overcome pure skill at the top tier." Edited April 14, 2020 by Beat Link to post Share on other sites
Shield 0 Posted April 13, 2020 Author #11 Report Share Posted April 13, 2020 (edited) Spoiler Energy Regen Counter: 2 turns/3 Searching for Eggs: ID# 141066 results: Craft: 11 [4 Eggs found] Loot: 3+8=11 [No Materials found] Total Loot: Eggs: 11 Materials: 3 "If the enhancements that we're talking about were something unbalancing, I would agree with you," Shield said, giving a nonchalant shrug. He skirted around a separate stand of trees from the last one he had searched. "The thing is, unique enhancements, with very few exceptions, are worse than their basic enhancement counterparts. The only reason they are valuable is because they let you go circumvent the cap on normal enhancements to add something inferior onto something superior to make something exceptional. However... that comes at a price." He glanced up a ways into the tree, and in a 'y' in the trunk, he spotted a basket of eggs tucked neatly into an actual bird's nest. Shield scaled the trunk, using the lower limbs as hand holds to claim his loot. "In order to apply all of those bonuses, you have to tie up more and more equipment slots on that one focus. Yes, you deal more damage than pretty much anyone on the lines. However, your defenses are lacking. If something tied me up for too long and I couldn't get away, you would be in a lot of trouble in a boss fight." As he reached the nest, mama bird arrived, pecking at his head as she fluttered about ant trilled her angry call at him. Edited April 14, 2020 by Shield Link to post Share on other sites
Beat 0 Posted April 13, 2020 #12 Report Share Posted April 13, 2020 (edited) Spoiler Searching: ID# 141093: CD: 1 LD: 6 + 6 =12 Results: No mats. 2 Eggs Totals: 1 T1 Mat 17 Eggs Beat listened as a couple of eggs at the bottom of the pond were clearly visible in the crystal clear water. He got down on his stomach and reached his hand into the cool water. It had a sort of soothing coolness that spread throughout Beat's body as he grasped the two eggs and lifted them out of the water. He rolled them together in his hand before stowing them away and getting to his feet. He shook his now drenched arm out as he watched Shield climb for his own eggs, "Well, you know the kind of things that are out there. This game wasn't meant to be soloed and you are almost required to specialize unless you are truly over leveled by a gross degree." Beat's gaze shifted to his spear which he now rolled over in his hands, "And you're right, if it wasn't for tanks and healers, DPS couldn't specialize the way we do, but we do it because we are able to relatively safely. Plus, it would take something very impressive to give me a run for my money. A boss level encounter is what we're talking about and I'm always in those with you or at least a teleportation crystal." Edited April 14, 2020 by Beat Link to post Share on other sites
Shield 0 Posted April 13, 2020 Author #13 Report Share Posted April 13, 2020 (edited) Spoiler Energy Regen Counter: 3 turns/3 - Full energy searching on next post. Searching for Eggs: ID# 141180 results: Craft: 6 [2 Eggs found] Loot: 17+8=25 [1 Material found] Total Loot: Eggs: 13 Materials: 4 "All well and good," Shield agreed, particularly in the importance of specializing. "However, I put it to you that the majority of your success comes not from the loot that you've acquired through chance, but through smart decision making and proper work, not grind." He hopped down from the tree, swatting away the bird which was still trying to peck at his head. "You have spec'ed out your build to be the logical conclusion of the glass cannon build, in your weapon choice, in the types of bonuses you choose to pursue and apply such as your wedding ring, the opportunities to stack unique consumables like the Freylise potion... and although you do have some fantastic gear, the single best enhancement on both of your spears - Absolute Accuracy - was not gained through grind, but through participation in the right events." He wandered the forest, making sure to stay within earshot of his companion in case of a random encounter, but seeing how he handled their quarry and knowing the power scaling of the current floor, there was no true danger to be found. "In all honesty, the possibility to gain great power through infinite grind is very very limited in SAO. Your only true chance is through merchant ID's, and on their best day, they will not produce equipment better than a boss drop - not without sacrificing ungodly amounts of incredibly rare resources and an unheard of amount of luck. To this day, nobody has ID'ed an item with more than two unique slots, and only one that I know of has two of the same enhancement." He turned the corner around an embankment and spotted a couple of lone eggs tucked behind a flowering shrub. He gathered them up and pocketed them, harvesting a few of the blossoms as well. They seemed out of place, and might be of some benefit to an alchemist or some other profession. Edited April 14, 2020 by Shield Link to post Share on other sites
Beat 0 Posted April 14, 2020 #14 Report Share Posted April 14, 2020 (edited) Spoiler Searching: ID# 141222: CD: 8 LD: 13 + 6 = 19 Results: 1 T1 Mat and 5 Eggs 2 T1 Mats 22 Eggs Beat listened as his eyes caught sight of a bloated fish swimming through the translucent waters of the pond. He paced around the water, stalking it like a hunter as he watched for patterns of behavior and watching its pathing. For moment, the fish hesitated and Beat leaped at the opportunity, hurling his spear into the water. Surprisingly, the impact only disturbed the stillness of the water, but did not cloud the the waters. Beat stepped into the water to retrieve his spear, noticing a small clutch of eggs and an aquatic mushroom that looked like it could have some unique properties for his cooking. Beat stowed the items and decided to enjoy the cool feeling of the water on his feet as he looked in the direction Shield had disappeared in. "But that's just it isn't it? Events, raids and dungeons always produce the best loot by chance. The odds for something good are certainly better. If the loot table rolls in your favor, the item is set to be good. It should be rare to get something truly wondrous. Limiting the number of times those dice can be rolled is just one way to control that rarity." Beat trailed off as he stepped out of the water and sat back down on the log that rested near the pond. "You know..." Beat started again, admiring the Spear of Destiny in his hands, "I don't think I ever got the story behind this spear. It's obviously special. How did you find it?" Edited April 14, 2020 by Beat Link to post Share on other sites
Shield 0 Posted April 14, 2020 Author #15 Report Share Posted April 14, 2020 (edited) Spoiler Searching for Eggs: ID# 141226 results: Craft: 4 [3 Eggs found] Loot: 16+8=24 [1 Materials found] Total Loot: Eggs: 16 Materials: 5 "I think you're over-estimating the odds of getting something good from these drops," Shield said, hopping up the embankment to find Beat. He swiped through the air to show a display of some numbers he had crunched. "The way I figure it, the odds of finding anything truly rare, even on a completely unidentified demonic, is not great." He rattled off a long-winded explanation of how to derive probabilities of multiple instances of independent chances, which, even for his own standards, was incredibly dry to listen to. During the whole thing, he even managed to find three separate eggs that weren't even hidden with one another, plus a rare root that he knew would fetch a price on the market. "So as you can see," he said, finally drawing back to an actual point, "an actual demonic identified under the eyes of the keenest merchant has less than twenty percent chance of having a single unique, not even taking into account whether that item would be useful considering its other enhancements. Now only the last boss has been known to drop demonics, and even the best scouts have only gotten him to drop three - one armor, one weapon, one trinket." Shield banished his HUD work space full of scribblings with a flourish. "Therefore! Applying the same math to that same rare drop, we see that even players who were already lucky enough to get all three will only end up with a forty five percent chance to get a single unique enhancement on the entire lot." He turned to Beat, satisfied that everything he had said over the last ten minutes had been understood perfectly. "You see? It's quite simple." Edited April 14, 2020 by Shield Link to post Share on other sites
Beat 0 Posted April 14, 2020 #16 Report Share Posted April 14, 2020 (edited) Spoiler Searching: ID# 141233: CD 8 LD:18+6 = 24 Results: T1 Mat and 5 Eggs Total: 3 T1 Mats 27 eggs oh no... Beat broke out into a light sweat as he realized the sequence of events he had started. Shield had gone full number's guru on him before, but it had been a long time and Beat was not ready to try to keep up. He set his face to one that he believed was one of attentiveness as he stared at the numbers, understanding a few of them until Shield would expand on each one two or three times then move on too quickly for the younger player to adapt. No wonder he kept up with me in Crossreign... As Shield looked away to pull up another screen, Beat took the opportunity to glance into the hole in the stump, finding a rare looking coin and another bundle of eggs. He stowed them quickly before snapping his head back to Shield right as he finished, "Uhhh yeah...umm but..." Beat took a second to rub the bridge of his nose before sorting out the pieces he could understand. "So, the issue isn't capping the chances you have...I seems like the odds themselves are tremendously horrid unless a floor boss drops something good for you?" Beat said with a smile, hoping he wasn't just missing the point. Edited April 14, 2020 by Beat Link to post Share on other sites
Shield 0 Posted April 14, 2020 Author #17 Report Share Posted April 14, 2020 (edited) Spoiler Searching for Eggs: ID# 141235 results: Craft: 6 [3 Eggs found] Loot: 5+8=13 [No Materials found] Total Loot: Eggs: 19 Materials: 5 "In so many words, yes," Shield said, turning back to the ground around him. "With only one shot at the dungeon, and most players only being guaranteed a single demonic, the odds of actually decent items coming from this event dwindle pretty low. At the end of the day, I think the whole thing is setting up those items as the end-all, be-all of the event, when the other items available are already far superior to anything anyone is likely to find rummaging through a slightly less junky junk pile." His booted feet tramped through the undergrowth of the forest, nudging this way and that in hopes of finding something other than stones. His eyes stayed closer to knee height, looking for nooks and crannies in trunks or in boughs of smaller trees and shrubs. Finally, his eyes settled on a small outcropping of rock, underneath which were a few eggs that had either been passed over by other players who had since taken this path, or else had respawned since. "I will concede that the items that you can use to modify existing equipment are very good, and could very easily improve both of our gear in very real ways. It would be very similar to how I've upgraded my shield to work for me, despite starting as a low-level quest drop." Edited April 14, 2020 by Shield Link to post Share on other sites
Beat 0 Posted April 14, 2020 #18 Report Share Posted April 14, 2020 (edited) Spoiler Searching: ID# 141244: CD: 11 LD 17 +6 = 23 Results: 1 T1 mat and 6 eggs Totals: 4 T1 mats 33 eggs Now that the conversation was back to a level Beat could understand, the younger player's attention was much more genuine, "Well, I would say you could complain to the developers, but I think there are more pressing complaints to be made. They really need to fix the logout functionality for starters." Beat chuckled at his own joke, pleased that, despite how 'not funny' the situation was, it had become part of their lives and it was nice to see that coping with humor was still an option for him. Talk about a terrible joke... "Anyway..it seems like, for now, the only thing we can do is milk events like this as much as we're allowed to and pray for good rolls and item enhancement items." Beat said before summoning his menu and summoning his Noxious Pendant, "Hope we get a drop from the floor bosses." He admired the item for a moment before dismissing it back into his inventory. His skill locked onto another small clutch of eggs and another unique looking mushroom that he quickly stowed and made a mental note to use in his next dish. Edited April 14, 2020 by Beat Link to post Share on other sites
Shield 0 Posted April 14, 2020 Author #19 Report Share Posted April 14, 2020 (edited) Spoiler Searching for Eggs: ID# 141247 results: Craft: 3 [2 Eggs found] Loot: 11+8=19 [1 Material found] Total Loot: Eggs: 21 Materials: 6 "Yeah, let's have them get right on that," Shield said, rolling his eyes slightly. "Well, I think even if we continue searching, we should start moving towards the settlement," he said, glancing up at the sky through the thinning trees to try to judge the time of day. "We only have so much sunlight left, and there's still a lot of work to do. There's unidentified equipment that can be purchased with eggs, and I believe they're uncommon quality, which means if you roll well, two Essences of Steel and you've got a viable unique item with no bad enhancements on it." In a small shrub off to Shield's right, he spotted a little flash of colorful foil, and he knelt down. Beneath the lowest leaves, two little green eggs stood out, not quite the same color as the grass. "Sneaky, sneaky, game..." He gathered them up, then noticed that the grass they sat on bore some odd markings. Shield figured it was most likely unique in its own right and snatched up as much as he could. Edited April 14, 2020 by Shield Link to post Share on other sites
Beat 0 Posted April 14, 2020 #20 Report Share Posted April 14, 2020 (edited) Spoiler Searching for Chest: ID# 141257: CD: 12 LD: 13 + 6 = 19 Result: Chest Found! Totals: 4 T1 Mats and 33 eggs Planning to Use slime farm +2SP housing bonus when this thread closes. "Fair enough. We got our bear." Beat said, following Shield's lead as his fingers began dancing in the air to pull up the quest chain and information Shield had sent him, "Okay, so, the next part takes us to...floor ten to look for some kind of undead creature in the Stygian River." Beat muttered aloud as he continued to read the quest details. "Consumes the souls of the other dead monsters to gain strength. I wonder if it will have stat draining. At least status effects for sure right?" He continued as he found a picture of the creature, "Bleh, it definitely won't be hard to fi-" Beat stopped as something caught his eye, something his gamer senses were trained to do without any effort on his part. he grinned widely as he tore away some dense plant-life to reveal a large, royal purple chest with a golden ornate lock set into the top of the lid, "Shield! Get those keys ready, I did good I this time!" Edited April 14, 2020 by Beat Link to post Share on other sites
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