Purple Crystal Mine QA Suggestion

[Vlaid]

I have started to really feel that this quest does not particularly contribute a positive effect to the server as it currently exists. I have seen, on occasion, a desire for larger groups of players to segment out into smaller 2-3 man groups to get more crystals/hour/day/player in a rather MMO-oriented manner.

Just a couple ideas off the top of my head that could possibly replace this:

• Change it into a persistent location with more areas within with searchables; limited to search each area once/player/reset or something fair that doesn't make people want to rush out and hit it at the beginning of each reset but instead naturally over the course of time
• Break it up into several small areas around the server, farther out, to facilitate to explore/trek out of Sanctuary to get to them
• Add a larger chance for purple crystal mines to pop up as randoms in certain areas
• Maybe finding alternative ways to get healing trinkets into the hands of players in more elegant ways; dissipating buff/healing trinket drops being more common off ambient spawns/certain tough spawns in harder areas.

I don't know the rules and restrictions of the EFU systems well enough to realistically propose how to fix the problem. But I do think the QA in it's current form is something of a problem.

[The Old Hack]

One possible way to improve the quest would be to simply add distance to where the area with all the crystals are. Add some tunnels, spawn and possibly traps as well. By making it more time consuming and possibly harder as well it might reduce the temptation to split into smaller teams and just wait for 'everybody to be done.' As it is, you just go in, win one fight and start looting.

I miss the old quest with the duergar. At times it was hard as all out but it was so satisfying when you finally nailed the darn boss and his arcanist. I can see how the large supply of permanent crystals possible from it might not be desirable, though.

[Zango_Unchained]

Or, Lia could just have murderbandits move in and return the quest from EFU:A-M

Mage will need to be renamed into ruffle-wearer.

[Knight Of Pentacles]

A murderbandit quest would be awesome.  Alternatively maybe a ambient purple crystal mine rife with its own dangers and unique appearance.  Put a druidic groove there, mineable crystals, and places where crystals spawn on occasion.  Let people have to fight whoever would claim it to get to the healing inside.   Then again this could cause nature folk to have a disproportionate amount of healing.  Though perhaps limit taking crystals to non-druids as it'd be against their vows.

[Vlaid]

Just for reference, my particular idea for searchables might have it's own problems; not sure what all you can do with the EFU systems to allow it to be fair and not just a new form of the same "farm spot healing quest".

The main point is just that this quest feels like it's a little too easy for what you get and is most likely just being abused by people who don't need it rather than being something that helps those people who genuinely might need it (such as higher level PC's who get mugged/use a lot of supplies and have no good way to gain more healing trinkets/supplies).

[Letsplayforfun]

Could be only a few mineable crystals in open field, but once you've mined one you can't mine any other on the same reset.

And located near a critter spawn point.

[Capricious]

Could be only a few mineable crystals in open field, but once you've mined one you can't mine any other on the same reset.

And located near a critter spawn point.

The issue with this is that after a reset people would charge out to find them and they'd be gone inside an hour, likely to the same basic set of players each and every reset. Only way I see this working is if they're somehow attached to randoms, so they spawn over the course of a reset.

To me the whole point of this kind of thing is to help those who might be struggling supply-wise to keep afloat. Any implementation that works in such a way that those PCs won't benefit isn't desirable, and will just mean more profit for those who employ a more MMOish mentality. Better off without any kind of mine at all than one which will reward a select set of players who really don't need the help.

[Dillusionist]

To address the issue of "earning" crystals - putting the mine farther afield and nearer the lowerdark might help with that. The ambient spawns can make travel to those areas nail-biting, and interesting.

[Kotenku]

Could be only a few mineable crystals in open field, but once you've mined one you can't mine any other on the same reset.

And located near a critter spawn point.

For reference, to others who may not be aware, the quest is already like this, in that you can only successfully mine one of the purple crystals in there.

[The Samophlange]

I think the quest is in a fairly good place where it is. It offers very little EXP, which fits as it poses few risks, and has almost no monetary reward. When done with 2-3 people each person walks out with maybe 1-3 crystals, and often they are either weaker or thin, or dissipating and need to be used immediately. There is a very real chance you'll only get chips or shards, I have walked away more than a few times with nothing. So, it is not as if our cups runneth over with healing.

It prevents people from getting in a rut where they have to spend too many consumables to do fun quests/events, and allows everyone to be a bit more generous and helping each other out.

[Arc]

There are more crystals in town then I can imagine right now, would love to see it slowed, yeah.

[MaimedGod]

Make these into areas various PC factions can fight over and claim and have these be an interesting part of the server as opposed to something people farm every reset for free healing. RwG had the right idea when he laid claim to this area and the sheer number of people he pissed off with it should show how much potential for conflict and RP exists here, in this Deathmine.

[scrappayeti]

I think this quest is a necessary evil.

Although it hasn’t happened to me in a while, over the years of EfU I have at least a dozen times been ground down to zero resources. Once you have absolutely nothing, it is really hard to get back into the game. You tend not to be able to contribute to quests, die more often, etc. It is discouraging and frustrating when it happens. Having an out for this problem that doesn’t require constant DM inventory searching is a great idea.

If this QA needs a tweak, I would suggest that all the crystals there are dissipating, with no chance of a permanent drop. That way people wont do it for the chance of a permanent piece of loot.

[Cat]

I think the quest is in a fairly good place where it is. It offers very little EXP, which fits as it poses few risks, and has almost no monetary reward. When done with 2-3 people each person walks out with maybe 1-3 crystals, and often they are either weaker or thin, or dissipating and need to be used immediately. There is a very real chance you'll only get chips or shards, I have walked away more than a few times with nothing. So, it is not as if our cups runneth over with healing.

It prevents people from getting in a rut where they have to spend too many consumables to do fun quests/events, and allows everyone to be a bit more generous and helping each other out.

My thoughts are the same as this.

[Bearic]

The first time I ever did this quest, five of us went in, and a dm spiced it so that there were far more enemies than normal, five or six times the amount, or so. This was awesome, and I had thought normal at the time. Though I could see why it doesn't happen all the time, that made the quest much more enjoyable, if difficult.
 
 Though, I won't complain about extra healing, I end up using it fighting stuff much more difficult, and I'm horrible at hoarding.