Nobody does Crush, stuck on Map 2

[Mahk]

AO3 map 2 has become farming nightmare, over a week I've tried to find a group to take down crush, complete map and unlock the next map.

Locking the maps I PAID FOR makes me want to quit and spend no more money on this.

Every "crush the keeper" group I host or join is only interested in leveling or farming. Seems like if your not on that first few days push through campaign, forgetaboutit....

Frustrating.

[TwinkTastical]

soloit....

[Ellyidol]

I've come across multiple games today when only Keeper was left, so if you find games like those and manage to take him down, thats easy level finished right there.

[cry]

Crash and burn...

Find a party of other noobs to hit it with you x!

[CanonicalKoi]

I wouldn't say, "nobody does it". I was in 4 separate groups today that did the whole level. You can always ask if you join another group--"clearing or xp". If they're farming xp, find another group.

[TwinkTastical]

Give it a kiss?

[Royce]

At least groups occasionally finish that map simply because shadows get boring, and the Keeper's right there. Just wait til you see how few games exist on subsequent maps. Map 3 should be okay since the boss is easy and people like that, but maps 4 and 5 might take you days to find a group to play. Another reason to nerf the rush... (Yes, it applies here. Without rush farming, more people would play through maps, and less people would grind shadows, which I don't actually think is efficient for XP (though frequent Mynas visits make it more worthwhile. A lot of people grind shadows simply because that's the only type of game they can find to level in, not rush)

[TwinkTastical]

Ill do it with u if u must need help..

[Riccits]

i think there are only two maps where ppl are playing: crush the keeper for leveling to 50 and then victory lap for farming bosses...
could it be the sense of game??

solution victory lap: let bosses only appear when all aliens in area was killed..

[Inching]

if u see me on, I'll lend a hand at finishing it with you... Inching

[jonboy]

Same IGN same as forum name.

[setec]

Crash and burn...

Find a party of other noobs to hit it with you x!

Another constructive post from cry.

[CanonicalKoi]

IGN Yosinabe -- be happy to help, too.

[Stratospaly]

I just started Ao3 and will help you clear the zone so I can get to this Ao3 boss farming everyone is talking about ;)

[FluffNStuff]

i think there are only two maps where ppl are playing: crush the keeper for leveling to 50 and then victory lap for farming bosses...
could it be the sense of game??

solution victory lap: let bosses only appear when all aliens in area was killed..

Solution: Only rush main maps.
Wait, guess that is already the case. Victory Lap rushing is soooo last week. LOL.

Oh, and hint to people needing to finish the map, rushes do happen there, so look for those after they are done, and you can clear solo if you really had no other choice.

[Stratospaly]

and you can clear solo if you really had no other choice.

Clearing trash solo as a warrior is slooooow. I have done it, and will do it in the future, but I would rather have a mage or bird to help with damage.

[CanonicalKoi]

Clearing trash solo as a warrior is slooooow. I have done it, and will do it in the future, but I would rather have a mage or bird to help with damage.

Just give me a holler. I finally did it as a tank for the first time this morning--it was kind of fun! But I'd be happy to pull Mage duty for anyone that needs it.

[FluffNStuff]

Clearing trash solo as a warrior is slooooow. I have done it, and will do it in the future, but I would rather have a mage or bird to help with damage.

It really is slooow, and it really is a shame that it has come to this. Now that I finally got a decent drop and traded for hammer, I will be doing a lot more clearing and helping friends clear. It was just such a pain before, because you would join a game, clear to the boss, people aren't prepared and get one shot, then everyone bails, and you wasted a bunch of time and did not even get a CHANCE for a boss drop. A good idea when inviting friends is to also send a message with what your plan is. Like I get invites from people who just want to exp farm, and some from people who actually want to clear a map. If I get a message like 'having trouble beating Keeper, please help' or ' need to finish this map', I will join, because lately I have been ignoring all invites to Crush the Keeper games except from level 50's.

Another Add On:
If you invite someone and they don't join, don't take it personally. AO3 is requiring a lot from people, and if I am already in a group playing or rushing, I am not going to jump out at moments notice because I was asked.

[Fyrce]

Every game I join in Crush tries to clear the Keeper. Sometimes, it takes a bit (few few xp runs), but if you ask once you're near there the keeper (around shadows), most people are game to try. If you ask at the beginning, they all say they're xp runs. But near the end, lots of groups want to try the boss. First ask "aliens?" or "shadows?" when you get there before people leave. Sometimes the whole group stays; sometimes just a few. You can then invite. Once aliens are clear, ask "Keeper?" You will find most groups are game to try. It helps if you know what it takes to take down the Keeper, because too many group wipes and people will leave. When/If you are alone, you can invite again, including whining to tanks about helping you clear the boss. It doesn't take a week to find a willing tank.

If that fails, do it again - join more games. Within a day, you should be able to get several tries at the Keeper. Now, whether you get a group who listens to you, that's another question. Oh, and ignore the idiots who call the rest of the group idiots, kills everyone, laughs, claims he knows better and then leaves. Tell him to prove it. If he says he can solo, tell him to go ahead. Mostly they will die a lot and again, leave. In the meantime you can laugh a lot. Sometimes killing the Keeper takes a lot of hard work; these guys keep you entertained in-between the hard work.


Oh, if you expect any part of AO3, including level 3 to be a cakewalk, well, you've got the wrong idea...


Clearing a level where a rush group has killed the boss is also a great idea. And again, you don't have to do this alone. When/If rush group leaves (or learn the mob count of the level so you know when one or two are missing), invite people to join you in clearing. You can tell them the boss is gone and you are clearing to unlock the level. Most times when people say they need a level unlocked, I try to help. Sometimes you don't get the right group and you have to wait or start again. But it does not take a week. Just some part of the day.

[Stratospaly]

I just did it on my first try with a bunch of newbs. It took 30 minutes, because the 48 bear diddnt know how to corner him. We ran around his room like a nascar event, and died a few times.. but in the end we got him.

Frustrating to say the least, but now I can move on to the third zone.

[Fyrce]

LOL, nascar event. I think sometimes it just takes either sticking around or knowing how to ask. If I ask most groups at the beginning if they are doing boss, most of them will answer xp. Now, if I play with them, which I would want to do anyways, to see what kind of players they are, and at the right time, say "boss?", "mini-boss?", etc. lots of people will say yes. Inviting fills out the rest. Of course, YOU have to stick around also.

I notice people who leave because the group is not PERFECT. If you are waiting for the perfect group, you will wait a long time. Try to "train" the perfect group, or make the perfect group, or maybe you work with what you have. Most groups that listen can make it work. Well, it helps if it's not all one class, but I've taken down bosses without tanks in the group so it's not impossible. It's not impossible until you work at it. I cannot remember too many incidents where try after try, we die and we do NOT finish eventually. So sometimes you just have to try. Even if it doesn't work, you can learn something. You will also probably acquire a few people for your friends list, which by itself, is worth it already.

Love the nascar event picture. LOL.

[Mahk]

Ok ok . . . Thank you.

It really was that easy, just repeated asking "clearing?" found some willing dudes and we grind for about two hours solid, complete fail..... Then Linz shows up, says, "sure," and I get to witness what a ranged bear attack does to the keeper! Totally fun! Yeah!

Man, this sucks,
I've been stuck on captive now for like two hours..... Kidding!

[Stratospaly]

I got a group through the keeper with the strategie. They were wiping for about an hour before I let them know what to do. He died fairly quick after that.

My problems now are the next zone. I have killed all of the bosses, and cleared the zone several times, but not at the same time. I can not find a group with the skill, time, or patience to do the whole zone. I either get idiots that kick mobs in random directions, pop the un-needed miniboss bubbles, or just die, run back, die, run back without knowing why or how they are dieing.

I need a decent group of experianced players to help me through Captive Audience, because the noob rush groups are getting old. I was proud to have less than 100 deaths until yesterday... where I died over 20x just trying to complete this zone.

[Gryndeon]

Just regroup and tell them to do it slowly. I randomly joined a map 3 group the other day, and they really needed to unlock it. Three mages, an archer and me (tank). It was my first time to play it as a tank (I unlocked it with my mage the first day ao3 came out), and we did it one small group of mobs at a time, being careful to not push them into the other waiting mobs or into the glass cages. When you explain to them what's going on, they will listen, especially when they've been wiped out a few times already.

[CanonicalKoi]

When you explain to them what's going on, they will listen, especially when they've been wiped out a few times already.

Sometimes. Played Crush as a tank (45) for the first time yesterday and it went great. Second time, different group, not so much. First time, they all charge in and die. Second time, not as bad a rush, but instead of pulling one of the "big gun dudes" at a time (which I had explained), they split and go up the sides pull them all plus the Keeper and everybody dies.
Third and fourth, more of the same, but we're whittling down the number of guns. Get ready to get the Keeper and I explain the whole, wait till I get aggro thing, suck a tank pot, they all rush in, block me and we all die. Wasted pot #1. Explain again, pot again, this time they wait, sort of, I get on the bridge with the Keeper on other side. All is good.
Except half of them are trying to shoot him from the bridge, over the void, and are doing no damage. I explain that, they don't move. I'd explained don't push him too much, they do. Many, many times. I lose aggro, they all die and, since they aren't doing much damage to him and it's taken forever, my pots worn off and I die. I explain I'm out of cash for more pots and leave. Then I get nasty-grams from my "friend" that invited me for being a quitter. 3000 gold down the drain with nothing to show for it. Tanks, I'm feeling your pain.

[Fyrce]

OMG, Canon. So funny. And if that guy is still on your friends list, well, that's your own prob. JK.

You do have to suffer a lot of deaths in Ao3 and yeah, sometimes because people do not listen. One other thing I figured out is that not everyone speaks English. Sometimes, they barely even know you said to wait. So unfortunately, you'll have to tolerate that or keep trying or maybe stand back a little bit. Remember you only need one or two to listen. You do not always need everyone to listen. Oh and if you lose aggro and group dies, you get it back because you lived :P Position Keeper and wait for everyone to walk back. BTW, I give gold to tanks who say they have no money for pots, so you might ask your group that if you are going through a lot of pots. Otherwise, it's completely understandable to go somewhere else for a bit.

I think Captive Audience is the most fun level of AO3 but also the most exhausting, prob because the yellows are mean and it's a long level. It seems take forever and you have to go slow. I would say same strategy here. If mobs are being pulled too early, unfortunately, you have to back up. You can back up and say "Back" to your group; some should listen ... eventually. Be careful, of course, of not pulling so far back, the mob resets. Very annoying that way also.

Which reminds me, you know you can use resets as a strategy, right? It's similar to rushing, but this time, you want to pull the mobs, knowing that some of them will be pulled too far and reset, leaving you with just a few to fight. You can also push, of course.

As players leave, replace them with invites or by waiting. Ask other teammates to invite if you are out of friends. I've also sat around while a friend went around Forest Haven asking for help. This wasn't in AO3, it was very unusual, very low level, and I have only ever seen it done that one time, but hey, if that's what it takes. It takes some grinding, but little by little and maybe with different people, you should be able to finish.

[CanonicalKoi]

No, no. No longer on the friends list. :D I don't feel right asking for pot money-- my choice to play tank after all. If I get anything good tank-wise off the drop, I give it to the tank (when I'm mage-ing). Hopefully, they can use it or sell it and it'll help make up for what they spend.

[dirtball]

I smell a money making opportunity. Maybe 2 really good AO3'ers could charge 15000 or so per person to get them thru the level they can't finish. Get 3 at a time and that's pretty easy money. Plus all the pinks that you could sell afterwards.

[CanonicalKoi]

I smell a money making opportunity. Maybe 2 really good AO3'ers could charge 15000 or so per person to get them thru the level they can't finish. Get 3 at a time and that's pretty easy money. Plus all the pinks that you could sell afterwards.

How about I just do it for fun and to help people out? Good grief! Does everything in this game have to devolve into a money-making scheme? Another "friend" dropped off my list when I was bemoaning having problems getting thru a level and they offered to "help"--for a fee.

[cry]

Just got ao3, and no one plays any of em.

[Gavry]

Just got ao3, and no one plays any of em.

You may have to wait a week or so, but Cinco in chat mentioned that after letting the Rush nurf in Haunted Mansion settle they will look at applying it to AO3. Means people will start playing ALL maps again. :)

[dirtball]

How about I just do it for fun and to help people out? Good grief! Does everything in this game have to devolve into a money-making scheme? Another "friend" dropped off my list when I was bemoaning having problems getting thru a level and they offered to "help"--for a fee.

You're a very angry person. It's just a thought. I'm not good enough to do it with my mage or archer. Figure with tank pots and what not, time devoted with new people, it should be worth some money. Why does any business charge money for anything? It should all be free. People pay for job training all the time, that's how they learn to do new things correctly. What's the difference? Perhaps it could help many of the noobs who everybody says don't know a thing. It's only pretend money, stop acting like it's real, its a game, nothing more!