Exploring

[Relinquish]

When exploring I found that some areas have extremely odd and hard spawns. The webbed woods having many phase spiders. The bogs I have seen trolls, shambling mounds. Now for a path a level 2-4 should be able to take (I only assume this because there are level 2-4 quests that are only reachable that way) it seems rather hard for them. I'd suggest there being a raft to these quests or a relatively safer path, or scaling of the spawns.

[Relinquish]

Nevermind. I kind of just found a different way. However the spawns are still pretty tough. Group with the highest being level 6 spawning a shambling mound.

[putrid_plum]

No

I disagree.  The island is a wild and untamed wilderness where people have not walked in some time.  It is and should be very dangerous to walk openly.  Also if you look around a bit I think you will find what you seek.

[Relinquish]

I wasn't saying the island is supposed to be tame and not challenging. Though when I wrote the first post I thought the only way to get to said level 2-4 quests was that route, which I have figured out is false. Though if anyone expects a level 2-4 to beat a spawn of trolls or a shambling mound, I doubt that will happen.

[Jayde Moon]

How about a PARTY of level 2-4s?  With nifty consumables?

What if they hire guides who are higher level?

[petey512]

At the risk of gaining the reputation of a guy who wants an easier gaming experience, I'd like to say that it'd be definately nice to be able to explore a reasonable amount of this new island without having to worry about goblins that can see through your skill focus in hide/move silently, and other dangerous beasties... (perhaps it can be where the further from the ziggurat you go, the more powerful the said beasties are.) That way I don't have to try and get a group of level 9s together to adequatly explore the server.

Not that it should be really really easy. Just toned down a tad. Especially the uncanny spot checks that all these creatures seem to have rolled up. Often.

[RIPnogarD]

Personally I don’t send my PC’s after the pile of wood any more. Twice now I’ve been fugue’d by damnable leopards I don’t see until they hit my weenie PC’s ass. I think that pile of wood should in the least be moved closer to the transition point.

[putrid_plum]

I don't think it takes L9's to explore.  My L3 with no gear made it around just fine to most parts of the island.  You can always hire a local guide or ask a druid or hire a team to explore.

It's dangerous out there and I think it should be that way.

[I can has fun?]

The jaguars are pretty freaking intense. This is very good when you're out in the wild, but not so good when you're level 3 and trying to do a quest. My guess is that the jaguars are following PCs across transitions into the gate area and dropping the scent once the PC makes it to the stairs. After that, they just wander randomly.

I, too, thought the 2-4 quest all the way across the island was a bit odd. I had no idea there was any other way to get to it. Is that a spoiler? The first time I ever got anywhere near it, I was level 5 in a party of 8.

[Kotenku]

A group of five level 4-6's (and a level 7), are able to walk in a complete circle around the island with little trouble. It's also great fun. Don't explore alone, guys, groups are much more awesome.

[MisterPAIN]

There are PCs that can make it alone through the webbed woods and kill the spiders quite easily.

[Egon the Monkey]

I think people are missing the point a bit.
I've gone through the woods in a 2-man group on my way to *spoiler" and completely trashed the spiders. 16 Con Dwarf Cleric FTW :).

But.
You have lvl2-4 quests were lvl 2-4s are going to be scared to go (with good reason, freaking TROLLS for one), and in an area they can't know about to go and put a party together.

It doesn;t help that as Howland said here (http://www.escapefromunderdark.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20444), the spawns don't go away until killed. So spiders especially can accumulate to ridiculous levels. I would suggest making it easy to get to the level 2-4 quest region (ferry with a toll), but leaving the tough spawns in the middle to make it still a challenge to reach the other areas leading from there.

[I can has fun?]

Especially the uncanny spot checks that all these creatures seem to have rolled up. Often.

Try exploring at night. I know we're not used to having this huge fiery orb of anti-stealth hanging over our heads, but it's definitely there now and best avoided by stealth types.

[petey512]

.... Nightrisers.... Unless theyr'e gone now??

[Egon the Monkey]

Nightrisers only appear within the city walls. At night in the wilds, you just have to worry about gigantic werewolves with natural DR tearing your face off and loling at your corpse ;).

Also, about those 2-4 quests. My mage has on occasion done paid invis runs for lowbie PCs. Getting them over there for information about the interior of the Ishishtia shrine, or a first pick of any items they loot from the quests.