Ring 95 suggestion

[Miyokari]

Hello,

So this will be probably my first suggestion on the forum, but after trying to do Ring 95 for over a week by now, as a new player I have a feeling that there might be one fundamental problems with it : explorables.

I understand some of the things you need for the 95 challenge are in explorable camps. Which means there's a big reason to rush Ring 95 every reset, and the camp might have been looted by the time you arrived. Especially when most resets seem to happen in US hours.

I am really liking the server, but I have PC reasons to push forward to further rings which is hatled by a literal RNG mechanic which I cannot influence in any way, I don't mean to make things easier - but I don't find waiting in hopes for a spawn for several weeks (as I got information some people took days or even weeks to get this specific thing to spawn) fun or entertaining.  I think the issue is that it's just a waiting game and not proactive one.

I am not coming with a rant, but a suggestion, couldn't things be made more accessible in ring 95, by letting an NPC sell two of these items, but for a very high price of like 2k to 3k? For people who wouldn't want to pay or would want to find the explorable, they could still do it, but people like me would have an alternative of doing other places and travel through the city to find items, sell them to make profit and be able to buy the specific thing.

[derkot]

This is small sad thing that players should accept and deal with, RNG. What is an alternative then? An alternative will be to set up permanent quests in the area that will help with progress. So after reach reset character will go to particular places where this quests.
So it is choice between two things. You explore each reset areas hoping to find something, or you do not explore anything and heading in known place. Of course, second option helps with progress but the first one option forces character to explore area, to deal with spawned monsters, and check every corner.
RNG is not pleasant, I agree, but it is better option. Dms always welcome any contributed area for explorables and always trying to expand places that characters can explore and what can spawn to reward characters who spends their time for exploration.
Also, you suggested add NPC who will sell things, but very same thing can do and already doing characters. It is always possible to offer a bounty for whatever is needed.

[Electrohydra]

I want to keep things a bit vague to avoid spoilers, but you understood incorrectly. Rushing ring 95 after a reset, being there "first" in no way increases your chance of getting what you need to pass 95.

The most important thing for ringrunning is a consistent group. Gather a group of consistent, like-minded people and explore the ring is your best bet. The RNG usually only takes a few days unless you are very unlucky.

Derkots suggestion is also good, if you are willing to pay 2-3k for for an item, there are definitly PCs who will be happy to provide them for you, no NPC needed.

[Mushroom Mushroom]

Explorables have been set up to 'reset' for other groups. In the sense that I have had the same bugbear camp three times in the same reset in 95 (which was amusing). I don't know if the other random one-shot content for the entire ring is set up this way.

[Egon the Monkey]

I came back and heard stories like "It took me almost a year to get past 95 the first time" and I ask "How does that make the server more interesting? There's all this mystery in ringrunning but people are stuck on the starting blocks!".  People aren't pushing hard and backing out for a bit when they run into something they can't handle right now. They are held back because they don't want to quest their way through Ring 95 every reset in the hope of passing the requirements. I was close to giving up on ringrunning as I was sick of the 95 grind. The actual challenge itself is good, but the amount of slogging required to get to it is isn't fun. Our group fell apart while trying to get the parts for 95, even though we met up often.

Even if you buy what you need off a PC, it requires someone to find them in the first place.  Which  still encourages "Toot toot, it's time for the Ring 95 quest train, all aboard!".   I was following along on the Greystones' early attempt, and I recall it taking them 2-3 weeks despite smashing a lot of quests. Bad luck isn't unusual. Especially when  the PC holding the things you need dies, or isn't on for a while.  You can't replace them because you need to gather all the things again.

The biggest obstacle to 95 isn't "willingness to take a risk" or "A puzzle", or anything you get a sense of achievement from. It's "Willingness to farm the same area over and over, or subcontract someone else to farm it". That's the opposite experience to the challenging, puzzle-heavy experience ringrunning was pitched as. It's a real shame, as it gives a bad first impression. Everything past that point has lived up to my expectations so far.

It took me two months to pass 95, but then when I got a chance to go from 94 to 90, we managed it in a single evening. Because all the things you need to pass those Rings have a 100% chance of existing on a given reset. Those rings were more difficult than 95, but a hundred times more fun because I knew I could do it, I just needed to figure out how.

The best change I can see here is to ensure that every quest needed to pass 95 spawns every reset.  They'll spawn in a random location in the swamps, but they will always spawn.  Which means that once you have your potential ringrunning group it doesn't fall apart because people get tired of the fact that quest X has not spawned.  Or because someone joins on a challenge run that actually does have the requirements right now. To avoid having too many quests in the area at once, you could halve the number of mandatory quests (I'd make it be the least popular ones), but have each quest let you check off two of the requirements. It still makes you explore Ring 95, but it means when you commit to a run at 95, it's down to you whether you succeed.

None of this would make Ring 95 any easier. In fact, you could argue it makes it more challenging. The current enforced grinding means you're usually hauling a big sack of potions before you take a swing at the challenge. But it makes passing 95 entirely down to the players' willingness to step up to the challenges, not the RNG's willingness to present the challenges.

[Howlando]

Addressed privately, but for the benefit of other eyes this suggestions thread is based off an incorrect understanding of how the ring works.

[Howlando]

The inconvenience of 95 is greatly exaggerated.

The difficulties of OOC coordination and time-zones and all the rest is doubtlessly a big issue, but I think you fail to understand what would happen if there was not some elements of RNG to slow down progression here.

Vets would blitz through in a day in thrown-together groups of convenience. Instead of ring running companies slowly forming and dealing with the initial frustrations and complexities of trying to form a group that has a little staying-power and can struggle past the Ring, the Ring will just be another minor challenge rushed through in a day or two.

I don't think the situation is perfect, but the nature of Ringrunning is such that it is really only good when it is groups of players and characters that are committed to the journey and figure out some kind of solution for timezone issues. Inevitably that means that lots of players won't ever have a chance to join a truly good Ringrunning company, no doubt. But the slow-burn and time requirement is what makes it so a company has a chance to form and endure through the long, tortuous, slow-burn process of conquering the Rings. This is one reason why we're also committed to making the server up to Ring 95 fully satisfying and 100% an awesome EFU experience.

The deeper Rings are an optional and more complicated experience. If you talk to players who have gone through it with a true company, I think they will say it is worth it. But it's certainly not for everyone, and making the challenges trivial would dilute the experience.