I propose a Shadow Caves group.

[Tengotengo]

For 3 reasons.

1) wearing cave armor is super-awesome, and if it isn't your thing, it's highly profitable.

2) there's XP in them thar caves!

3) Do a search for caves to join. You'll find MAYBE three. Now...go to one. How many elite players do you find, versus how many low 40s, 30s, and even 20s?


Okay, it's not as easy as Bandit Hideout or CTK up to 53. The drop rate is pretty hideous, but frankly the drop rates in BS are only marginally better. Personally I feel bad about liquidating BS stuff, but nobody's buying it, and I don't really like the stats, except maybe for a farming setup to speed things up...

honestly though. It really seems like an elite dungeon with all the darkness and ambient sounds, the shadow beasts everywhere...it's cool, man. Balefort Sewers seems filled with a lot of normal mobs who are on steroids.

So, how about setting up a force?

-50+, with good armor and equipment. No Metallic, Battleforged, Havoc, etc.
-our playing times,
-a good cross section of characters, like 2 mage 2 archer warrior combos or something.
-an agreement to play Caves EVEN AFTER they get the loot they've been hunting for to make sure the group is outfitted before going to sell. Maybe going so far as to set up groups with players who each need something else.

here's my entries: I'm on PST and can be found doing something at some point during my day online.

Foofatooty, 53 Dex Mage, either in Sentinel/Shotgun or Mirage Keepers Enchantress.

Munobroby, 50 Guardian STR bear with a harpoon and a limbchopper. I don't play him much, but will field him if a tank is needed no prob.

Tengotengo, 51 STR bird with either the aforementioned Guardian set or Cyber dex armor with either gun or talon/shield combo.

I'm looking for all Shadow gear, Wing, Hax and Talon (although I'll probably just buy those sooner or later).

We would take the loot that's up for grabs and someone would stash it while we...i dunno. roll for it? I wonder if there's a random number generator script we can use or something....if 4 people are looking for a shotgun, and we find 2, we'd have to figure out a way on who gets them. Ideas welcome!

Anything that goes unclaimed goes back to the catcher to sell or do as they see fit, obviously. I also propose that we sell to each other at big discount, like 30-50% below bottom CS price, which is incentive enough to take part in it. For instance, if I get a shotgun that nobody needs, I'll sell it for 50kg to one of us, or 100kg+++ in market.

What else should happen here? a buy-in?

I'm blue-skying right now. Let's work on this!

[Physiologic]

If you're exclusively hunting for the Lv 50 Vyxnaar helm, I'll join. Since no one currently has that helm, I'd say that would go for about a good couple of mils. Then again, the Lv 50 Vyxnaar is a rare spawn and you have to run through a highly enemy-populated cave :(

[Kossi]

If you're exclusively hunting for the Lv 50 Vyxnaar helm, I'll join. Since no one currently has that helm, I'd say that would go for about a good couple of mils. Then again, the Lv 50 Vyxnaar is a rare spawn and you have to run through a highly enemy-populated cave :(

i would pay 6M for that helm.

noone in the right mind would farm that

[Phoenixking]

How does that helm look like? Is it black and looks like viking, alot of poeple have it
You can press /roll 0 100 to get 100thing or 0 and five its all up to you

[adwin]

I was thinking about the same thing for 2 days, but didn't want to start that thread since there already was one a propos BS...

You have a point there. Furthermore, BS is just yet-another-dungeon. Nothing special.
If you have a good party with everybody knowledgeable about the boss strategies, the latter are no problem at all.

On the other hand, Shadow rule. Even the shadow d'jinns are tougher. + the atmosphere.
Count me in. I'm GMT-4/5 atm (till mid-march).
52 pure dex archer. Depending on the proficiency of the mage(s), I either wear a DPS set or a def. set.


2 mages would seem optimal for Shadow.

[Baked-Potato]

I'm in, especially for the L50 Vyx Helm hunting. I have tried getting groups to farm there or just host a Shadow game in hopes of some good/higher levels joining, but its usually just low levels /:

Oh, and I believe the L50 Vyx guy spawns in Cave V, which isn't easy by any means, but its fun IMO.

EDIT: Happy 200 posts to me lol :)

[Rebel]

If the farming group is still up, I'll join up. Rebelhell.

[BirdJay]

I am very interested in joining the Shadow grouping. I think it is the most challenging dungeon by far.

[Physiologic]

Have you guys played Shadow Caves I through V more than 5-10 times in a row? :( It's excruciating to go through, especially without pots. And by excruciating...it drags on.

[Baked-Potato]

Have you guys played Shadow Caves I through V more than 5-10 times in a row? :( It's excruciating to go through, especially without pots. And by excruciating...it drags on.

I haven't run through all the Caves in awhile... Every team I get usually gives up. The last Cave is bad enough let alone running all 5 in a row with multiple runs.

[Tengotengo]

Might as well farm that too. The 5th cave is where most of the best stuff is.

So add me. I'll add you guys.

[hawkei]

If you need a lvl 55 tank I'm in

[Tengotengo]

I've been in a couple groups that usually make it through 1.5 to 2 caves, then give up for one reason or another...usually that there's one wipe. I guess if you're worried about your K/D ratio, this wouldn't be such a great venture. The runs need patience above all else. People with guns/bows should know how to kite, people who know the tricks need to share the tricks with the others. Use of metagaming is encouraged when necessary as we're goal-oriented.

The trick is to come prepared. We'll know we're going to encounter a wipe or two, we'll need to know who's gonna carry aggro and tune accordingly. If it means going 1h/shield to lower dps, by all means! It's not all that super to be, say, killing cockroach and pull aggro suddenly. Don't be stingy with the heals, and pot when necessary. I'm guilty of that last one, as I'm usually pretty poor, so potting is pretty much out. If it's a plan, I'll farm up 20k for pots and do it right.

it'll be a slog, but I'm not suggesting all-day runs. I guess...you could if you want to. I probably will, as I have a fair amount of drops in 5.

[giayuan]

metagaming?

oh btw, tengo lets merge our lists in one big thread so everyone can add each other and play with each other; theres certainly some time difference between everyone here.

[Kindread]

I was always curious about why people run out of pots all the time. I always stock at least 1000 of each pot minimum and do my runs. Is this not normal?

[MITSUISUN]

I did with friend the other night just cuz we were bored and want stuff to do. Cave always had a special place in my heart and it's so fun to play. True test of both individual and group skills, very satisfying.
Lv55 bird+Lv51 bear in Cave V. cleaned all, no good drops. but kiting a prince through the map while bear 1on1 with witch is just rewarding.

I hope new elite dungeon or guild entry dungeon soon. need new challenge... besides that, 5 bird party in Bandit is fun too :p

"dont die is tonight's theme"

[giayuan]

I was always curious about why people run out of pots all the time. I always stock at least 1000 of each pot minimum and do my runs. Is this not normal?

No, its very normal. Just that if you farm lots, you lose more pots. And pot refilling smack in the middle of runs is just not doable. And now you ask, why dont you fill it before runs? becuz runs go side by side if its hardcore farming.

[Tengotengo]

I've managed to bank up 150 of each in my stash, as the whole 25/25 reset happens...at some point I haven't figured out yet. My hardware is a little lacking in the processing I've found, so it's less of a pot-burning situation as it is managing to preemptively pot when I think I might die and mash the button 4 or 5 times. Depending on the skill spamming, I get framerates down to probably 10/sec. Pretty awesome. I dunno how I made it this far, tell ya the truth.

[Tengotengo]

metagaming?

oh btw, tengo lets merge our lists in one big thread so everyone can add each other and play with each other; theres certainly some time difference between everyone here.

yea, sounds like a good plan. Even if all of my other roster plans fall through, at least we can get playing in there again.
but, a small problem. 53 is too high a level to get XP in there?

[giayuan]

Yes, xp is gained up until lvl53.

EDIT: Never mind, im looking exclusively for lvl50 vyxnaar and your looking at equips. No merge than.

[Weagledan]

I can make some runs, I'm getting tired of BS: Weagledan

[adwin]

I was always curious about why people run out of pots all the time. I always stock at least 1000 of each pot minimum and do my runs. Is this not normal?

If you are lucky, you have good drops, you sell, then you have $.
You have $, you can buy pots. Vicious circle.

Or if you have a lot of time on your hands and squat CS for n00bs to exploit and resell.

[adwin]

I was in some shadow groups yesterday and today.
I was really surprised to see some 50+, but there was no joint effort. No coordination whatsoever. Wasted pots on tanker is all...
How come ppl achieve lvl 50, go to a high level dungeon and can't frickin' play their role?
Everyone is just looking to make as much damage as possible, disjointly, even the mage(s) (which are critical for group survivability when hacking at the witch and prince).

We'd need the following group:
1 bear, 3 archers, 1 mage
or
2 bears, 2 archers, 1 mage

[Physiologic]

Don't join Shadow Caves pubs. Make your own game and be very selective on who you choose to bring.

"That's all I've got to say about that" - Forrest Gump

[MITSUISUN]

10K exp more Physiologic, then lets go shadow fun :p

[Tengotengo]

Adwin, I agree. I've been doing VL runs again to get Cyber Rift for my Archer...of all stupid things...and there's night-and-day difference between players who do and don't know their place, even a few out of 5. One set was unfortunate to have a pile of archers and one vagrant mage. That was meeessssssy. Lots of wipes, lots of accidentally pulling the bezerker and sniper in when the lorekeeper and sniper 1 were still alive. Calls were made to pot up, to which I ignored, as I refuse to pot on VL.
Then there was the 2 mage group...we barely broke stride up to the Bezerker, and out of the 15 or so runs, the Keeper got to pull mana shield up once. I LOVE it when he can't get his first shield up.

so, right now I'm all tuned up with Sentinel and don't need anything but Shadow and a couple of the trash Hate weapons to complete the set. Call on TengoTengo to break armor and kite in an emergency due to hardware idiocy. Foofatooty to spam health and 2nd mage, and Munobroby to...well, run forward and beat on things.