Elixer Chugging?

[Arterra]

So, last i checked, elixers where not a necessary part of the game. Teams could very well run through a map on skill alone.

Yes, I have been gone since BS, and I realize Nuri's is supposed to be this extra hard area. But frankly, PL has had extra hard areas for ages now, naming the original swamps (or so i hear) and the original Ao3 (from experience) and as far as I remember, although it was grueling and tough and killed everyone's k/d ratio, it was still a great way to learn to play well and actually do-able, with none of this elixer stuff...
http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac221/yuyuhakushi/AO3wall.jpg

Is Nuri's actually so impossible that you are forced to spend hundreds of dollars on skill-replacing enhancements? Because that is all they are... the game HAS to be designed to be playable by anyone, as long as they reach the level requirements. So the only way to look at multi-elixer chugging players is that they dont trust their own abilities and are making up for it...

now... is this their fault? or is the current expected skill level in the latest maps actually that difficult? no really, i have no idea xD give me opinions!

[Ellyidol]

I think it's more like a drug, once you're in it there's no going back :p

[Arterra]

that, unfortunately, is what i fear the most. my above image does not apply if they are inhibited by the said drug xD

[MightyMicah]

There have been alot of people complaining about needing elixars lately. Not saying you are btw just saying many have noticed what you have.

[Cahaun]

This is why I started hating the BS the instant it came out: DIFFICULTY. I remember that I could solo all the places (except the elite levels and OA3 of course) except that accursed place with its super lower drop rate. I use a bear now because it feels like my bird just keeps getting squishier. Actually I sorta feel like I have the original health of a bird in combat with my bear.

[mackjack]

For Nuri's, elixir is not required -- a full group of skilled 55/56 players (2 or more mages and everyone with good level 55 gear) can run through it elixir free. The difficulty increase from Sewers to Nuri's is pretty significant, but can be done without elixirs. Elixirs are very tempting, though, when you get constantly one-shot killed by the mobs.

Mount Fang, with the exception of the 3rd floor boss, is also possible with a group of skilled 60/61 players running without elixirs. Mount Fang actually feels easier than Nuri's due to the fact that the mobs don't hit as hard. The 3rd floor boss, though, I haven't been in any groups that was able to take him down without at least 2 people on 4x elixirs... One of the devs claimed to have solo'ed him "trivially", but (1) he didn't say if he was juiced up or not, and (2) none of us mortals has yet to discover this alluded-to strategy.

On a side note, if anybody has managed to take down count vlod with an elixir free party, would you post a video of it? I'd love to see it.

[Gaunab]

I run alot on elixiers. It's not because it is too hard to run without. It's simply to save time. With a potted group the runs are much faster and your also gain much more exp and get faster drops (if the droprables would actually work >.<).

Personally, I don't like PvE that much so I want to cover this part as fast as possible. I'm more the PvP guy, but to be able to compete with other top players, you need to have top gear and preferably also the vanities. PvP gives no money. Thats why PvE is still needed. But I don't want to spend all the time there.

I know that other people might disagree, and love PvE, that is just my personal opinion, and explanation for why I use elixiers.

[Arterra]

Time is a factor... hmm... I was only thinking within my own box of opinions (pve oriented mostly) so i see now a greater reason to use elixers.

[Whirlzap]

I'm pretty sure Unity or Revelation has done it once with Count Vlod.

Anyways, it is possible to solo Emma. With Vlod, you need to have good gear, lots of HP pots, and kite the boss.
Just need to firestorm/use heal when he beckons.

Anyways, I did most of Nuri on 1.5s and most of Mt.Fang on 1.5s.
Except I wasn't use combos, rather depended on others to use em.
So in one way, I was indirectly using combo elixirs.

[Gaunab]

I'm pretty sure Unity or Revelation has done it once with Count Vlod.

Revelation is full of elixier junkies, so we can't know :witless:

But I think any group of skilled players should be able to do it (I manage to survive the fight unpotted). Just needs some kiting, decent gear, loads of pot spamming and some revs ;)

[arischal]

I'm pretty sure Unity or Revelation has done it once with Count Vlod.

Anyways, it is possible to solo Emma. With Vlod, you need to have good gear, lots of HP pots, and kite the boss.
Just need to firestorm/use heal when he beckons.

Anyways, I did most of Nuri on 1.5s and most of Mt.Fang on 1.5s.
Except I wasn't use combos, rather depended on others to use em.
So in one way, I was indirectly using combo elixirs.

I have fought vlod unelixiered with a few of my hella good guildies, but in the end I ran through a ton of pots. ( I'm a mage in demonic)

[Econodeath]

As the others above me have said Elixers aren't a must.
I know what you are saying and while I do use elixers lately its for my own reason.
I missed the shield in nuri by a drop and its just a goal I really wanted, so in saying that
I don't want to miss out getting the 66 item... I have to say though that if you are playing
with a skilled group where people aren't just sitting idle you can move through the nuri's and mt fang
quite nicely without using elixers. I did nuri for the most part without elixers and then only started using them
to bypass it cause I didn't enjoy it much. Thats just a personal thing though. We all have our favorite areas.
My personal is Alien oasis.

[Conradin]

I wouod say the elite lvl items and elite items stat bonus drives the elixur craze. People want these things before the next cap so they level like mad to get it.

[mackjack]

I wouod say the elite lvl items and elite items stat bonus drives the elixur craze. People want these things before the next cap so they level like mad to get it.

Yup, especially now that STS has set the precedence of releasing campaigns early...

[drewcapu]

i see now a greater reason to use elixers.

welcome to the dark side!

[Pakax]

Need to start a thread called "Elixir Anonymous", so that we can all share our addiction problem...

[Rare]

So, last i checked, elixers where not a necessary part of the game. Teams could very well run through a map on skill alone.

Yes, I have been gone since BS, and I realize Nuri's is supposed to be this extra hard area. But frankly, PL has had extra hard areas for ages now, naming the original swamps (or so i hear) and the original Ao3 (from experience) and as far as I remember, although it was grueling and tough and killed everyone's k/d ratio, it was still a great way to learn to play well and actually do-able, with none of this elixer stuff...
http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac221/yuyuhakushi/AO3wall.jpg

Is Nuri's actually so impossible that you are forced to spend hundreds of dollars on skill-replacing enhancements? Because that is all they are... the game HAS to be designed to be playable by anyone, as long as they reach the level requirements. So the only way to look at multi-elixer chugging players is that they dont trust their own abilities and are making up for it...

now... is this their fault? or is the current expected skill level in the latest maps actually that difficult? no really, i have no idea xD give me opinions!

Well, unfortunately, the elixir run/booting are here to stay I think. And the skill will continue to be at a lower level. In this "now" world, people want to do things faster with less work. This game isn't any different.

I also think STS is leading us in this direction by giving a vanity items at the level cap, setting the cap more than ten levels away ( even at 10k exp per level), and by giving such a short time to do it (especially if the cap vanities are not stashable). Don't get me wrong, I'm not blaming them for wanting to make money, but its the path they chose to go with the game.

I think all these maps are completely doable without elixirs, its just slower and requires more than a couple players that know how to play.

[Suentous PO]

I'd disagree with the don't trust their skills part, for me it is also a time issue. I got to nuris without them then, but I used to pug almost exclusively then so the pots made up for the players with less skill or lower level.
They're not needed but they are also fun. I keep my alt bear drug free so that I don't loose perspective.
To each their own. }=^)

[Battlelock]

Not being able to afford elixirs, I ran through Nuris, with many unelixired groups, with ease. We farmed Nuris for 56 gear with 2-5 level 56 players. Bluiydbabe & I duo'd Pain & Lions, due to them being shorter maps, on our 56 mages. Granted we went through a lot of pots.

I am now 63 on my bear & have trio'd Vlad. I spanned all my skills ACCEPT taunt to keep him stunned & rooted in place. The bird kited around @ max distance spamming skills @ the mage healing & reviving his butt off. When Vlads bats would attack we would all kite with the bird.

not sure if this is the right technique but seemed to work for us this 1 time.

[FluffNStuff]

I did some running last night in the first map of Nuri on my level 56 Mage, both with potted groups and without, and noticed something. The potted groups of course tended to go faster, but the non-potted groups where birds make sure to target the Mages first were going almost as fast. That made me realize that 3x damaged players kill the mobs so fast they don't have to worry about the mages healing them, so I am guessing they never learn 'proper kill order'. So I guess I am saying, yes Nuri is hard, and you can make it easy by either 'paying to play' or learning kill order and debuffing techniques. (Or in your case Arterra, teaching your group about those)

[Fyrce]

In Fang you can do the same -- kill mages 1st. Unless there's a bird in their midst -- then kill bird 1st.

[Elixir_Withdrawal]

I think STS just got lucky, as to how every little piece has fallen into place. With the elixir free trial, and this whole guild update was the best thing sts could have ever DONE! but not because it made the game better or nothing like that lol i meant best thing that could have happen to sts themselves! Before it was more of an individual game where you were competing vs the world thus making the goal of number 1 seem almost impossible. Now with guilds the sense of competition has grown far pass sts own expectations! and as well as making number 1 spot very achievable. All the top guilds have their own sub-guild within their own halls, separating the plat user from non plat users (pay close attention), taking the game far pass a normal level of addiction to a more personal level of addiction. Or in plain english, more desperate!
So the need to abuse elixirs went from "i cant beat this monster or level i need some help" to "if i dont cheat i will fall behind and so will my guild". Simple as that, look at all the elixirs abusers (what i call "POT HEADS") the majority belong to the top ranked guilds! And its quite entertaining because within their guild spending $ to get ahead is considered good, encouraged and also gives you a status of top player. Mean while when you ask them how much $ they spend for lvl 66 they politely dodge the question because it will break that illusion of elite-ness.....lol try it is fun. Also take note what has happen to the meaning of "good player", today PVE shows no importance as to PVP, in other words PVE is just where you gain xp and drops while PVP is where you show your skills (which is completely different IMO). So with that mind set than ofcourse the sense of needing to be good in regular PVE has almost completely vanished.

Oh and you are correct STS has made all their maps decently difficult to beat but still achievable within reason, but with mount fangs debut aka "mount platinum" that statement renders false. You will die and your mage will too, hell even pot heads die in that map vs some bosses thus pushing the need for elixirs even further than ever before. Try it youll see, most non elixir parties dont bother with any boss and just xp run....

Oh and heres a quote i got from a fellow elixir user that i find pretty funny;
Guild member: "So any tips as to how you beat aunt emma?"
Pot head member: "Just stand in middle and blast away"
Guild member: "I do and i keep dying!"
Pot head member: "Oh i forgot you gotta be using 4x combo!"
Guild member: " ಠ_ಠ "

[csb]

Yesterday my bear got booted from many Mt Fang Crypt groups with reason "4x only". Most groups had elixirs, and when they see I don't, I get booted. Elixir people are so annoying.

I killed the boss on the Crypt level with a mage, and we didn't have elixirs. Everyone else in the group left, as usual; why is everyone skipping the boss? I just have Nuri armor, not even demonic. I carefully time my Beckons and Stomps to keep Edward's buddy stunned and away. Maybe Edward is the easiest Mt Fang boss, no elixir required.

[Elixir_Withdrawal]

Yesterday my bear got booted from many Mt Fang Crypt groups with reason "4x only". Most groups had elixirs, and when they see I don't, I get booted. Elixir people are so annoying.

I killed the boss on the Crypt level with a mage, and we didn't have elixirs. Everyone else in the group left, as usual; why is everyone skipping the boss? I just have Nuri armor, not even demonic. I carefully time my Beckons and Stomps to keep Edward's buddy stunned and away. Maybe Edward is the easiest Mt Fang boss, no elixir required.


Soooo true, and the saddest part of them all is that even within your own guild they only accept 4x combo users as well, leaving the rest up to their own luck. But on the pot heads defense, they where desperate enough to actually fork out $ for a cheat code that lasts 60mins; so is only natural that some might feel that the non users are taking advantage of them and their "easy" earned money (Cant be hard earned if they wasting it on 60min cheat lol). Thats the only legit excuse i could give them because 3 people on elixirs is enough for any level, so allowing others to tag along wont slow them down, specially if there are 4 pot heads in one game. If they Still boot with 4 potheads then they are just being A-holes.

[MoarPewPew]

I buy the gold pots. :)

[slaveleia]

It would be nicer if we could play without elixirs but I think it's gotten to where elixirs are a part of the game. I don't mind spending money to support the game & devs but maybe the game has gotten a bit too difficult for players without potting. I know a lot of players claim that they can run Nuris maps easily without elixirs but I'm not so sure I believe that. The regular mobs hit as hard as bosses & the difficulty is equal or more than the Shadow caves! Maybe the Shadow caves were the hardest being an elite dungeon & all those groups of shadow bosses together...ppl would stay away! Lmao.
I miss the days of Balefort sewers where if you had the top gear (MM,Fury Fighter,Raid Roach) you could do the maps pretty easily without elixirs. Maybe you might need a little help with the bosses. Now you really need to play with full groups otherwise your gonna get a lot of deaths. In Nuris circus, players with the top gear Demonic sets were getting killed by mobs if you weren't running elixirs. I was playing a lot in Nuris Madness & you take a lot of damage from never ending shadow enemies. You were eating tons of health/mana pots just to survive. It's not as fun when you have to spam health pots while trying to sneak in attacks.
Playing the game with steroids just makes things faster & more enjoyable. I understand everyone can't afford platinum, it gets to be so expensive but seems the game is headed in that direction. The best gear is underpowered compared to how hard enemies hit you, that's the way I feel. I understand difficulty makes it challenging but maybe it's a tad too much.

[WhoIsThis]

Game is fully playable without elixirs. It just takes too long though, because the mobs have perhaps 8,000 hp and moderate dodge.