Slow Levelling and Re-Spec'ing

[Snakespeare]

So, over the weekend I re-spec'd my primary and two of my alts. I was levelling them together so they could share the things they find and each get good stuff. This resulted in everyone having too much stuff, and stat numbers that were quiet bizarre.

My new formula for stats is to put the primary stat just a few points above "the minimun necessary to use the finest item at the level". For example, it is 91 for most level 29 items, so for a level 29 character, I put it at 92. Then I split the rest between the other two stats. This gives me secondary stats that are about the same as my character level. For example, a level 29 mage would have Int 92, with Str and Dex at 29.

My logic for this is that a well-rounded character is better than a specialty character because you get more choices.

Similarly, it isn't necessary to pump you favorite skills to 5. At level 4 they are almost as effective, and you have more choices. For instance, at 29th you get 28 points to spend and you can raise seven (7) skills to level 4, or five(5) to level 5 and one to level 3.

Now, I have been levelling slowly because I want to enjoy each map and experience it from the different points of views that come with the different skill sets. I think I might even be getting more rare items, but I'm not sure. All my characters have some pinks, and I have now got so many purples that I am beginning to think I should liquidate purples. I just have one more character to take through the frozen white wasteland.

I am confused about the next set of maps. There are two that are or levels 30-35, supposedly, but only the Swamps are yellow for my level 30 characters (I refer to the color of the circle next to the opponents' life meter). The Return of Skeller Krunch seems to be red. That would mean I get extra experience points because it is "above my level". So, what level does it go yellow? (By the way, yellow gives some bonus XP, too, but only about 20%.) I mean, what level do I have to be to enter Skeller Returns and have the circles beside the life meters be yellow?

And what's the deal with Skeller Krunch Returns? When I read the most recent blog post (see front page), they don't even mention Skeller. They talk all about the development of modules, but they just don't mention this one. Is it like the next level after the Crypts (which gives level 35 items, but has gray, no XP, colored life meters at 25th level). What am I missing? Should I just go... Lost, Swamps, Oasis?

Also, YAY! It's a two pink day! I hope I get many more!

(Posting this in New Player because, I guess, anything less than level 45 is new, right?)

[jonboy]

Swamps is hard, Return to Skeller Krunch was a bonus map with AO:1 I think.

I'd love to play some swamps for me it was maps thst really felt hard and that you needed a good team to work it well.

ps Shakespeare, I smell a leveling guide in the making here, (not a powerleveling guide) but a let's wander this way guide.

[Snakespeare]

Hello downunderer! :-)

It was great to meet you in game. I'm sort of keeping a journal of Swamps, but I am not having much success. To tell the truth, I may have to switch to Skeller. I have completed Swamps twice now, and I have little to show for it. It cost more in potions than I have earned by liquidating, so it's financially a bust. Both adventures require teamwork. I think Skeller pays a lot better, so I might just do that and make up for my losses in the Swamps.

[Jstizar]

(Posting this in New Player because, I guess, anything less than level 45 is new, right?)

Not necessarily a true statement lol. I did what you did when I leveled my first char back in the day. I would put Int a little higher than it had to be and split the rest of the points between str and dex, however i didn't always do it evenly. The problem with that was it turned into a waste of points at level 45.

[Snakespeare]

I think it's the rounding that gives that impression. People thikn you get 1 M/s at 11 and 2 M/s at 61, so they don't think any other number makes sense. But I think those are rounded numbers. I think I really am getting more like 1.5 M/s at 36. Same for H/s. And I think that each point of Dex improves to hit % and each point of Str improves your Health pool, even if only fractionally. But the main character screen shows only whole numbers. Well, of course it does. An integer takes fewer bytes than a floating point data type. Anytime you can use an integer instead of a float, you should, or your peers will hammer you in code review. But, underneath it all, on the server, I believe they are floaters, so that I think having a 32 Dex and 32 Str and everything else on Int at level 32 gets me, as I said, slightly improved Hit % and Health pool, and I will take any edge I can get.

Thanks for letting me explain myself.