Duo, Trio Action

[ikkleste]

I'm not much of a grinder. Part of me really just doesn't like the regime that goes with it. Get this level go here get this setup kill this mob. There are loads of zones, hundreds of mobs, thousands of party setups, but we use the same jobs time and time again to kill crabs, crawlers and mandies in the same places time and time again.

In that sense the BST way of life appeals to me. The freedom to go where you want, experiment in killing something different. Sounds great. THe probelm is that the job doesn't appeal that much to me.

The other option is to setup a static trio with complimentary jobs with a few buddies, but my play time isn't all that regular. (and most of my linkshell ain't that interested in my odd levleing habits)

Are there other ways to get a more casual leveling experience? or is a static or BST the only way? I understand ther are BST linkshells devoted to joining up for duo/trio style leveling. Obviously these are bst orientated, but are they normally BST exclusive? Are they open to anyone who can contribute to a duo/trio situation? As a RDM i'd imagine that i could be useful. BST/WAR RDM/WHM sounds like a potent combo. Are there other ways to get into the more casual leveling duo/trio scene that i'm missing? Anyone got any experience on duo/trio without a static or BST?

[Ellipses]

Re: Duo, Trio Action

There's also DRG and SMN. I don't know much about SMN solo/duo/trio, but the concept seems about the same as BST: have the pet do the work. With DRG, you sub a mage job and use the wyverns' Healing Breath to get the most MP-efficient curing in the game.

Really, any fairly balanced set can duo or trio to an extent. It's just a matter of how tough the mobs you fight can be. Two WHMs would likely be confined to Easy Prey. A RDM, a PLD, and a DD of some sort could fight stronger mobs than that. But BST, DRG, and SMN (maybe PUP?) are the jobs you're going to have a decent chance of getting a "pick-up" duo or trio with. Even then, a static is much more likely.

[avhmia]

Re: Duo, Trio Action

Typically you find BST-only LSs (which just require you level BST, not that it be your main), or Pet LSs, which contain BST, SMN, and DRGs (probably PUPs too, nowadays). These shells are good for finding pickup members, but I really have to warn you that playing in a pickup duo or trio is MUCH more risky than a regular pickup party. In a duo or trio, you have to count on each and every member to peform at their best, and when you don't know your partner, you really don't know what you're getting. A static is really the only way to go.

I am in a static trio of PLD, SAM, BRD (me). We occasionaly pick up members to fill out a full PT, but usually we just chain T and very, very low VT mobs together. It works out pretty well, but a lot of that is thanks to the PLD (my husband) having really, really strong defensive gear, and being a cook, making himself the best food and juices. As a BRD, I carry a CHR set for debuffing, and switch to a melee set afterward and muck in with my sword. The SAM, thanks to the lower level of the mobs, is able to concentrate on boosting her STR and ATK, rather than ACC, so she is able to excellent damage. She skillchains with both of us, Fusion or Distortion depending on the mob. In the latter case, the PLD bursts with his l33t Paladin divine magic skills. PLD and BRD share the healing duties.

I know all of that sounds crazy, but that's part of the charm for us. We couldn't pull it off as well, though, if we weren't very good friends making excellent use of teamspeak, and investing in the right gear for this setup.

[Murphie]

Re: Duo, Trio Action

As crazy as it sounds, a friend of mine and I duo'd our RDM and BRD on Mandies once upon a time. I think we were in our later 20s, and we hung out just outside Kazham and fought the ones there. I (BRD) pulled, and he tanked. Required a bit of resting after each kill, but we were able to manage pretty well! Not that we needed to wait for long, because it's not like Bards and Red Mages just sit around LFG for days.

[ikkleste]

Re: Duo, Trio Action

hmmm... maybe i'll bully my girlfriend into some sort of static when she starts playing ^^, and then see if we can draft in anyone else... might have to wait a while for that though, don't want to take away her introduction into the game and all the fun things that go with it by rushing her to be my exp buddy.

Ellipses:
I get the mechanics involved but am curious if theres any realistic way of doing this with a pickup (either from a dedicated shell or general searching) rather than a static.

Avhmia:
Risk is my midde name! I have no problems with dying, i spend a lot of time as it is fighting things solo that i really probably shouldn't, i spend more time doing this than exping. It just strikes me if i could find one or two other who are interested in this sort of thing the rewards could be so much better. But like i say committing to a static probably isn't possible for me, due to the fact real life keeps getting in the way.... >.<

Do you think that these duo/trio pickup linkshells would take a non-pet solo capable job? I'd guess shells like this are less pick up more "floating static" once you get to know people involved. If you are only drawing from a pool of 20 or 30 people it's not quite a luck of the draw pickup. And while you won't build the relationship you have witha static you will at least have some faith and a rappor with the other person.

Seems to me though that if a job can solo, when paired up with another job which is solo capable it should be able to streach it's limitations. And while having good comunication and an undestanding of each other will (do an awful lot to) help, i can't see why it shouldn't work with any competent player of a similar mindset. My problem is finding likeminded people to try with.

[Ellipses]

Re: Duo, Trio Action

The only time I've ever had a pick-up trio was around level 13, I and two other players just got fed up with the Dunes and, having partied together five minutes before, just picked up and went to La Theine.

I don't think it's terribly realistic to pick-up duo or trio most of the time. In a dedicated BST/Pet/"let's try weird stuff" LS, you'd have an easier time. Or trying to set one up on forums ahead of time (single-dose static?). But, for example, shouting in Jeuno for a trio probably isn't going to work.

For the most part, yes, a job that can solo can contribute very well to a duo or trio. There are exceptions, though. Part of the issue is hate management. When solo, you're completely responsible for hate, whether making sure you're tanking (DRG) or trying to avoid tanking (BST, SMN). In a duo or trio, that may not be the case, so some abilities that you'd normally use soloing go to waste, because you're performing a different role.

[avhmia]

Re: Duo, Trio Action

Honestly, pet LSs are pretty open to folks. They'll care a lot more, in general, that you've got a good attitude than they'll care about your lack of a pet. Personally, I've had good experiences duoing with a RDM (my husband) on my BST. It took some time to get things figured out, but eventually we just got the point where he rested while the pet established hate, then threw out a few enfeebles before joining in with his sword. By level 40, pets become so powerful compared to a player that a RDM meleeing with a sword is unlikely to steal hate-- and if you do, you have phalanx and stoneskin to fall back on.

A BST+RDM duo will pull in less exp than a BST would solo (but more than a RDM would), but in many situations it would be nice to have that RDM there if for nothing more than Sleep and Raise when things go south.

Honestly, it wouldn't hurt to ask!

[thepirateking]

Re: Duo, Trio Action

I'm part of a BSTly trio. We meet 2 times a week, and exp together. Lately we've been picking up a white mage if we can find one and quickly convince them to try it. It works well. It can be a bit slower because we only meet so often, but it works, it's fun, and even better, it's easy to convince them to exp in places off the beaten path. We were exping in bibiki bay on puropongo island, We did the jungle but far out of the way. We're skipping garliage. It lets us have more flexibility. But if you're going to try this, make sure everyone always has a way home (warp scroll or something) and always have RR on.

[ikkleste]

Re: Duo, Trio Action

We're skipping garliage.

that's it, i'm sold ^^

[avhmia]

Re: Duo, Trio Action

that's it, i'm sold ^^

Hey, Garlaige isn't that bad. I remember awesome exp off the pots, bombs, and skeles on the upper floor.

It's all about knowing where to look. There's more in garlaige than bats and beetles, after all.

[samarium]

Re: Duo, Trio Action

Hey, Garlaige isn't that bad. I remember awesome exp off the pots, bombs, and skeles on the upper floor.

It's all about knowing where to look. There's more in garlaige than bats and beetles, after all.

Garlaige has been vastly improved with the addition of the MPK patch - the main problem people ran into (aside from noooooobs, which are everywhere) was bat trains linking on themselves as they wandered back through the zone; widespread panic and destruction was rampant.

Giant bats and beetles are extremely tame beasts, no nasty AoE, just a few minor status down moves that aren't even a problem if you have Erase.

-sam

[Slip]

Re: Duo, Trio Action

A couple things that can *really* help with solo or small group play (actually they help with everything you just need to watch them more closely when you're in smaller groups):

Know Your Foes:
- Specifically know what level range mobs spawn in. Some places have nice tight level ranges. The Crabs in Rolanberry for example are 23-25. Other places you can have much wider gaps which means that Tough you just pulled might be +1 or it might be +4 and that can make for a very different fight.
- Also know what abilities the mobs have. Gobs are renowned for the evils of the Gob Bomb but critters with strong paralyze moves can be just as bad or worse.

Know Your Battleground:
- One major element here is which mobs linger around where you want to fight. To use Rolanberry again - there's a berry patch near Pashow that has a nice clump of Crawlers in it. Seems like it would be a great spot. Except it has a much higher level set of Quads and a Goobue that roam around there too. So if you fight in the patch you can be sure they'll link in for a bit of fun sooner or later. The same thing applies to spots where Undead will pop at night.
- Related to that is knowing the level and repop time of the mobs your fighting. A small area with 4 mobs might be perfect if they're on a 5 minute repop. If it's a 16 minute timer though you'll probably be sitting around with nothing to fight a lot.

Know Your Own Strength:
- The first question you need to be able to answer is "Can we take this mob". Once you find mobs to fight where the answer is "Yes" you then need to consider "How much does it cost us to beat this mob?" If you can win but it drops you to single digit hp and no mp then, probably, the mob is stronger than you should be dealing with.
- Generally if you need to rest after every fight, then you'd do much better fighting some lower level mobs instead. 20-40xp per kill may not seem like much compared to 200 but the fights will be a lot faster so you'll probably get more xps/hr in the end. Also you'll get better drops in terms of crystals and beastmen seals from fighting 5 mobs that give 40xps than 1 that gives 200xps.