How many people can actually solo

[Heartseeker]

I enjoy soloing, one on one and threesomes.

Read into it whatever you want.

 

[Uvtha]

In my opinion it all comes down to jealousy.

Yes, because no one who can solo peerless would EVER suggest that its out of whack. Its impossible for people to see defects in things they profit off of.

God, so sick of the whole jealousy thing that seems to crop up any time someone points out something being dumb or over powered. People CAN be rational and objective, it IS possible.

 

[Xel Naga]

Yes, because no one who can solo peerless would EVER suggest that its out of whack. Its impossible for people to see defects in things they profit off of.

God, so sick of the whole jealousy thing that seems to crop up any time someone points out something being dumb or over powered. People CAN be rational and objective, it IS possible.

If one person has the brains, dedication, and skill to do it so can you. I believe in you, just don't hurt yourself trying to think of a way to do it.

 

[Uvtha]

Because UHall is such an accurate representation of the playerbase, and nobody here would ever lie just to get something they don't like nerfed...

And yeah, I can. Did it with vamp and wraith, still will, still gonna be making people cry cry cry for the nerf stick.

Meh, I think its probably pretty accurate. National polls use a sample of less than 1% of the population and are pretty accurate.

I would wager the % of players that post/read this board is pretty decent.

 

[Uvtha]

If one person has the brains, dedication, and skill to do it so can you. I believe in you, just don't hurt yourself trying to think of a way to do it.

See, there you go, assuming that I CAN'T solo a peerless, because I don't think they should be soloed. This is exactly what I'm talking about. There are scads of things in this game that I do, and/or take advantage of that I think are either stupid or imbalanced but am forced to use to do my daily activites (greater dragons) or I think are clear examples of a poor direction in game design (soloing peerless).

 

[Trevelyan]

I think somebody must have set a wrong variable or something because I am pretty sure they were not meant to be taken on solo!

 

[Uvtha]

I think somebody must have set a wrong variable or something because I am pretty sure they were not meant to be taken on solo!

No you fool, they were clearly designed to he soloed..

 

[Anakena]

LOL, what's a peerless? Really...I have yet to venture to these locations. Where are they found?...la

While reading your comment I wondered if the Travesty could Mimic the stealing skill, if a thief entered the instanced area?

Wouldn't it be funny to be robbed by a peerless?

 

[Bodhi]

What Xen Naga said, i agree with.

 

[Vyrquenox]

This is a bunch of BS. To start with, yes there are people out there with the jealousy issue. But if you are using a LOOPHOLE to make yourself better, then you are exploiting. Whether the DEVs chose to call it that or bad game design matters not, it is still exploiting (look the word up).

Second ... Draconi chose his profession because of playing this game. Sakkarah was a well known player until she became a UO DEV. Sure, some of the others maybe not so much so (the newer ones who recently introduced themselves) but your core DEV team most certainly are/were UO players. Just because you don't like their vision doesn't make it less true.

The fact is, people here on UHall cry about exploits, loopholes, overpowered this and that ... and want it all fixed for ANY TEMPLATE BUT THEIR OWN.

I was one who said I could solo part of the things, and 2-man most of the rest. I am sure if I really wanted I could solo most of them. Guess what? I have never had a "Sampire" and a good amount of the time the char I use for these things does not even have Bushido OR Parry. Just a LJ Swords char. Why would I need Vamp form if I am hitting for large damage with a life/mana/stam leech weapon?? Soulseeker works sometimes, the rest of the time I have axes and an occasional sword (for those times I need to chug pots). Why would I bother making a whole char around a loophole when I don't need to?

Really exploit and loopholes?

I wasn't aware using a disco provo bard mage to solo doom was considered an exploit and loophole. Care to explain how that template is exploiting the game and why a bard shouldn't be able to solo a DF and the rooms with magery summons and bard skills?

Basically it's because exploit in the real world means 'to use to one's advantage.' which is generally acceptable in say, sports or games of any kind; however, in this situation people throw the word around without a subject, relying on the general consensus that an exploit is 'using a bug to one's advantage' instead of using game rules to your own advantage. Anyone who doesn't exploit what is available to them can go have a picnic in Anwar. All the pseudo-logic about using the game mechanics to your own advantage in builds/equipment being exploitation--yeah, well, you are supposed to do that, look up the word. Use all the skills and items you can to do whatever you can dream up. The only arguement I've heard that makes sense on the 'sampire' thing (lucky me I never bothered with bushido so I will still be running around out there annoying people by soloing things till they try to nerf vampally build too even though i have gm necro now) is that they just decided to change it for reasons of there own. There was no 'abuse/cheating/exploiting the frail maiden of UO' going on in that regard. By the logic the authoritarian chalkboard scratchers around here use, I could call 'exploitation' on probably anybody in the game. Let's see exploit exploit, isn't it common to say 'the brave exploits of hercules/other hero' as well? It's a loaded term.

 

[hawkeye_pike]

I don't think the creators of the game figured on the original creatires being soloable. I really don't. Did it happen... yep. Is it a shame it did... yep again. But I don't think it was meant to be that way.

During the Early Days, nobody killed dangerous creatures all by themselves. You couldn't "solo" a Dragon, and even Daemons were a challenge. People would go into Covetous Dungeon in groups to face Liches, cause they were too dangerous for most single players. This only changed with the introduction of high-end magic items.

...the handful of people voicing their opinions to nerf something means the entirety of UO feels that way. Only such a small portion of the game's playerbase posts on stratics, however they are the ones that dictate where the game goes.

It certainly is true that the opinions posted here only represent a minority of the player base. However, if you'd ask EVERY player, I'd expect even more people saying that they cannot solo Perless and that it should only be doable in a group.

*shrugs*

I don't understand what's there to get upset about.

 

[Vyrquenox]

Because UHall is such an accurate representation of the playerbase, and nobody here would ever lie just to get something they don't like nerfed...

And yeah, I can. Did it with vamp and wraith, still will, still gonna be making people cry cry cry for the nerf stick.

Meh, I think its probably pretty accurate. National polls use a sample of less than 1% of the population and are pretty accurate.

I would wager the % of players that post/read this board is pretty decent.

There is one difference between 'national polls' and a poll on stratics. Pollsters don't ask a question and take the first 1000 people to call in with an answer. Even in sociology at university you can't just turn in statistics based on whomever gives you an answer, you have to use demographics. Stratics misses the general demographic of people who aren't going to post on here because they don't give a flying **** or have no inclination to submit their opinions to the crossfire.

 

[Sarphus]

I don't like the direction discussions about soloing peerless usually goes, because I think a lot of the interesting things you can do in UO get damaged when these topics come up.

Don't get me wrong... I like having a balanced game assuming we're talking about what I would consider game balance. I define game balance as having been achieved when the power of individual skills and abilities is balanced from one skill to another. For example, chivalry isn't balanced, because you can invest 75 skill points and derive most of the power from the skill where as you have to invest many more skill points for most other skills.

Here's where this type of discussion rubs me the wrong way. This line of discussion creates an attitude of class warfare (battle of the haves vs the have nots... the can do's vs the can't do's). The natural outcome is regulation (nerfing), which is sometimes warranted and sometimes not warranted.

IMO, nerfing should ONLY be applied when you have a skill or ability that is disproportionally powerful when compared with other skills and abilities. It should NOT be applied to address the ingenuity of the player base in coming up with intelligent ways to use skills and abilities together to form interesting and powerful hybrid characters.

For example, I support a fix to vamp embrace, because there is an abuse with the ability that allows people to use it without paying for it (in skill pts). I do not support a nerf of what vamp embrace does, because I think needing to spend 99 skill pts to get the ability is balanced.

As for the discussion of soloing peerless. I have solo'd all but 2 of the peerless. Some day I will devise strategies to solo those too, but I don't think that my characters should be nerfed. The system SHOULD allow for players to use their head to surpass the challenges in the game.

 

[Ailish]

Basically it's because exploit in the real world means 'to use to one's advantage.'

Basically, yes, it means that. The definition I found and have always looked at the word to mean is to use or manipulate to one's advantage (selfishly is often thrown in there) a weakness. When you apply that to the game world, a weakness = a bug, poor game design, or loophole.

I think those people who use a Sampire template while keeping on their equipment or having real skill are doing just fine. That is consistent with all other uses of such things. It is the ones who remove the items/skill and keep the benefit that are exploiting (a weakness for advantage).

 

[RoycroftLS]

As for the discussion of soloing peerless. I have solo'd all but 2 of the peerless. Some day I will devise strategies to solo those too, but I don't think that my characters should be nerfed. The system SHOULD allow for players to use their head to surpass the challenges in the game.

I don't have a problem with people trying to see the limits of their abilities and their chosen template. But I do have a problem when it comes at the expense of enjoyable gameplay for three or more people looking to work together.

If the devs were to introduce "arena" instanced areas, where by rule only one person was allowed to go battle the monster within, that wouldn't upset me. When areas that were clearly designed for multiple players (three keys, or up to thirty people allowed inside) essentially become such "arenas" due to a lack of balancing, that's when I take issue.

 

[Connor_Graham]

I But I do have a problem when it comes at the expense of enjoyable gameplay for three or more people looking to work together.

There isn't one single thing stopping those 3 or 4 people from going in and fighing any peerless or Doom boss in the game. One person fighting one isn't doing anything to affect what the 3-4 people do. There is no "at the expense of enjoyable gameplay" happening because one person out PvM'ing isn't affecting anyone but him/herself.

 

[RoycroftLS]

There isn't one single thing stopping those 3 or 4 people from going in and fighing any peerless or Doom boss in the game. One person fighting one isn't doing anything to affect what the 3-4 people do. There is no "at the expense of enjoyable gameplay" happening because one person out PvM'ing isn't affecting anyone but him/herself.

Just because a game mechanic allows certain behavior doesn't mean that behavior is fun, exciting, or enjoyable for the player base as a whole.

By your reasoning, there's nothing stopping a group of 30 people from going to fight a peerless together. And we all know that happens on a regular basis.

 

[Fluffi]

I can solo a GREATER Mongbat. No, this is not a typo, i said GREATER.......

Screenies or it didn't happen, dude.

phear my sampire

a mongbat AND a mongbats' mummy AND a blue meanie.

 

[Connor_Graham]

Just because a game mechanic allows certain behavior doesn't mean that behavior is fun, exciting, or enjoyable for the player base as a whole.

What one person does in PvM has no affect at all on what anyone else does in PvM. This isn't PvP where what one player does directly affects another. What does the playerbase as a whole care about what a single player finds fun, exciting, or enjoyable? Not a damn thing.

By your reasoning, there's nothing stopping a group of 30 people from going to fight a peerless together. And we all know that happens on a regular basis.

This makes no sense at all.

 

[ColterDC]

What one person does in PvM has no affect at all on what anyone else does in PvM.

This a multiplayer game.

Everything that happens affects everyone.

 

[Connor_Graham]

This a multiplayer game.

Everything that happens affects everyone.

That's BS. What I do on my account has no affect on any other player unless I decide to buy or sell something.

 

[Ender]

This a multiplayer game.

Everything that happens affects everyone.

So... A guy on Oceania kills Lady Melisande by himself... That magically causes a disturbance in the force all the way to Great Lakes?

 

[ColterDC]

Exactly the reponses I would expect to get from 2 self centered people such as yourselves.

Not my fault your limited brain power stops you from seeing how your actions can effect others in a multiplayer game.

 

[RoycroftLS]

What one person does in PvM has no affect at all on what anyone else does in PvM. This isn't PvP where what one player does directly affects another. What does the playerbase as a whole care about what a single player finds fun, exciting, or enjoyable? Not a damn thing.

Umm, I never claimed that at all. My point is that if an encounter is soloable, then it can't be enjoyable to a group of people.

Suppose a person can solo a monster. What if you take N similarly-skilled people together on the same monster? Each of those N people only have to put in roughly 1/Nth the effort as the solo person. A battle that is a challenge to one person is routine or even boring to a group of people. People generally don't play games to experience monotony or boredom.

And that is why you don't see 100 people attacking a mongbat, or more than five people at a peerless nowadays. Sure, game mechanics don't explicitly prevent you from ganging up and overmatching a monster, but the novelty of doing so wears off in a hurry.

For whatever reason, the devs decided to implement an item-based system and group bosses a while back, and those of us who stuck around in PvM adapted our gameplay and community to fit the new system. It's my opinion (and my guild's opinion) that if they implemented such a system, then at least put our subscription dollars to use and rebalance it every once in a while to keep things fresh and interesting.

Otherwise, this game is trending towards limited interaction. And in tough economic times it's difficult to justify spending $100+ a year on a "multiplayer" game that's essentially an 11-year-old RPG.

 

[Connor_Graham]

Exactly the reponses I would expect to get from 2 self centered people such as yourselves.

Not my fault your limited brain power stops you from seeing how your actions can effect others in a multiplayer game.

Exactly the kind of response I'd expect from you.

Insults with no real facts to back up anything you've said.

I guess that's about all I should expect from someone that takes things said on Stratics seriously and griefs people in game because of it.


Oh, by the way. I just filled a Bod. You might want to check your characters and make sure their Crimsons aren't missing or anything. You know how everything I do affects everyone else in game and all that......

 

[Shayne]

I can solo quite a few peerless monsters, and Doom is not that bad, but is of course always easier with a group. My character skill template is this:

120 Spirit Speak
120 Swords
120 Parry
120 Tactics
90 Chivalry
50 Necro
50 Focus
50 Bushido

Suit is over 70's on every stat, mr 11, hci 45, dci 50, hpr 8, mana/int + 30, stam/dex + 25
110 str 110 dex 35 int - using 60 or 70%ep on str and agility pots that I keep a stock pile of on me to max out my stats, curse weapon with wraith form to always stay healed, and a few other goodies I use to stay alive.

So its more than possible to solo just about anything in the game with planning and experience.

 

[Dain]

Any decent Samurai, Dexxer/Tamer hybrid or Bard can solo almost all Peerless and the DF. A tamer can solo Grizzle, Mel, Dread and Trav easly, a mage can solo DF and Trav without trouble.

A lot of it has to do with tactics, where you kill them, what with etc and of course your template.

I can solo Proxy and Mel, loot and leave before the keys run out.

How?

100 Alchemy Skill and max EP.

 

[Uvtha]

There is one difference between 'national polls' and a poll on stratics. Pollsters don't ask a question and take the first 1000 people to call in with an answer. Even in sociology at university you can't just turn in statistics based on whomever gives you an answer, you have to use demographics. Stratics misses the general demographic of people who aren't going to post on here because they don't give a flying **** or have no inclination to submit their opinions to the crossfire.

Yeah you do, you take the first 1000 people who are called and agree to do it. Demographics just sort that 1000 out into groups afterwards.

 

[THP]

I think the kids in the game will scream they kill solo.....all the time ... hence u will get an odd amount with 'yes'... myself im ticking 'no'.. then again i aint got a 100 billo kick ass all dancing duped arti suit.. LOL

 

[Connor_Graham]

I highly doubt anyone is wearing a duped suit.

You'll say anything to slander the template won't you?

 

[Lord Kynd]

I can solo a GREATER Mongbat. No, this is not a typo, i said GREATER.......

oh oh, better nerf them also while your at it
new improved Greater Mongbat's .. 5,000 hit points .. 110 each skill... 100% resist's. .........

 

[christy1221]

phear my sampire

a mongbat AND a mongbats' mummy AND a blue meanie.

Boy your character is tuff.


I can't solo a peerless or the dark father. I would die pretty fast by myself.

 

[Warrior of Time]

People can solo if they want when the area only has 1 or 2 peerless. It is just a matter of drag it off and kill them one at a time, if no one else can get in. Lady M is a place you can keep others out long enough that you can solo it. Have an area like Magencia with a doz Dark Fathers running around you don't see someone trying to solo. First if some one has it alone and doing well others are sure to jump in. If a second Dark Father come in it also makes it harder to solo. You can only target one at a time. They know it because they changed the speed they ran as well as the damage they did. Solo stops when you have 2 or 3 DFs on you. You want so real fun? Give DF pack instincts. You will need a pack of people every time. A simgle pet can only target 1 at a time just like a warrior or mage.

I see nothing wrong about solo play, just make it harder to seperat the peerless. People that solo play just to do that. They like it. You gave them the weapons let them use them.

I still rember The rotting corps in Trinsic. I don't know if it ever did die. The area was open so anyone walking past could jump right in. People stuck together for a common cause. Areas can be made to accomedate both.

Miasma can be soloed because it is one on one. # in the same area slows the idea a lot. Toss a Rend in the pack and it is party time.

It is made to be soloed and a group. A quest to get in helps make it a spot to solo in.

UO is for everyone. I say keep it that way. Make room for both. The dev know just exactly how to do it without a million hps. [put 3 Lady M in a small spot] If your the only target they have solo time is over.