Miles
Prowler
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2007
- Posts
- 1,214
- Location
- Colorado, USA
- Society
- Al Nahar Wanderers
- Avatar Name
- Stanley Miles Stardust
WARNING - LONG POST!
Seriously, I hear so many people say that the goal of uberdom is unreachable, at it may well be, but what ubers do can provide lessons for all of us.
I say uber is a state of mind, not a level of skill, and gear is only uber in relation to its use.
Being truly uber should be an extremely daunting goal in a game with the scope of EU. Those who started early did have an advantage, as MA needed some ubers fast, but the time frame for uberness today is much more realistic in terms of the intended lifespan of EU.
Now I firmly believe that there is no right or wrong way to hunt, just more and less expensive ways. If had more disposable income, I might choose to hunt big and deposit on a regular basis. If I was rich I might choose to hunt without regard to money, buying the big gun, strong armor, and serious FAP. The fact is, I am not in either situation right now, but I can still hunt non-stop, have fun, and keep progressing.
My solution, my method of breaking even and skilling upwards and onwards it based on one overriding principle; to be relatively uber. Let me explain.
If you are saying "duh, Captain Obvious" feel free to stop reading now.
The advantage of an uber is in their ability to hunt big mobs with speed and efficiency, using gear that permits them to kill these mobs much more effectively than the rest of us, than all the wannabes striving to join them.
My solution is to find places where I can be uber right now. Places where my HP and Evade allow me to down-armor. Places where my gear permits me to kill mobs quickly and economically. Places where I can dominate now.
This does not mean hunting the smallest mobs - the proverbial popping Snabbles - but finding the biggest mobs that still let me hunt this way. Like an uber, I want dense spawns that permit non-stop shooting, I like quick kills (and the killshot skill gains that come with them), taking down mobs almost (but not quite) before they hit me. Mobs that drop items with markup.
The Breer M2a or Riker UL1, for example, may be slow weapons in the overall scheme of things, but it is all relative. Against the right mob they are as devastating as any weapon in game.
Think of a poker room. Played at the correct level, poker is a game of skill. If you honestly know just how good you are, you can find a game you can beat constantly, another game where you have shot, and yet another where you are just a fish, giving away chips. It is good to test yourself occasionally against the next level to see if you are really ready yet, but to win consistently you play the game you can dominate, the game where you are the shark.
To me, hunting at my level means hunting at much lower level than other avatars with similar skills. Going on a hunt to kill 600 mobs with 100hp yields similar skills and loot with less risk and less cost than killing 200 mobs with 300hp. Certainly the urge to go bigger is there, and I do it at times for extra fun, but my bread and butter hunting strategy is to resist that urge.
This strategy is for those of us who can rarely (or never) deposit, or just don't want to, but still want to actively participate as hunters and increase our skills with an eye to the future (perhaps even true uberdom) It can apply to any level of player beyond the absolute newb, and it can be plenty of fun. The thrill factor of hunting is relative, too.
Good Luck and Happy Hunting,
Miles
P.S. I may have set a record for using the most variations of the word 'uber' in a single post.
Seriously, I hear so many people say that the goal of uberdom is unreachable, at it may well be, but what ubers do can provide lessons for all of us.
I say uber is a state of mind, not a level of skill, and gear is only uber in relation to its use.
Being truly uber should be an extremely daunting goal in a game with the scope of EU. Those who started early did have an advantage, as MA needed some ubers fast, but the time frame for uberness today is much more realistic in terms of the intended lifespan of EU.
Now I firmly believe that there is no right or wrong way to hunt, just more and less expensive ways. If had more disposable income, I might choose to hunt big and deposit on a regular basis. If I was rich I might choose to hunt without regard to money, buying the big gun, strong armor, and serious FAP. The fact is, I am not in either situation right now, but I can still hunt non-stop, have fun, and keep progressing.
My solution, my method of breaking even and skilling upwards and onwards it based on one overriding principle; to be relatively uber. Let me explain.
If you are saying "duh, Captain Obvious" feel free to stop reading now.
The advantage of an uber is in their ability to hunt big mobs with speed and efficiency, using gear that permits them to kill these mobs much more effectively than the rest of us, than all the wannabes striving to join them.
My solution is to find places where I can be uber right now. Places where my HP and Evade allow me to down-armor. Places where my gear permits me to kill mobs quickly and economically. Places where I can dominate now.
This does not mean hunting the smallest mobs - the proverbial popping Snabbles - but finding the biggest mobs that still let me hunt this way. Like an uber, I want dense spawns that permit non-stop shooting, I like quick kills (and the killshot skill gains that come with them), taking down mobs almost (but not quite) before they hit me. Mobs that drop items with markup.
The Breer M2a or Riker UL1, for example, may be slow weapons in the overall scheme of things, but it is all relative. Against the right mob they are as devastating as any weapon in game.
Think of a poker room. Played at the correct level, poker is a game of skill. If you honestly know just how good you are, you can find a game you can beat constantly, another game where you have shot, and yet another where you are just a fish, giving away chips. It is good to test yourself occasionally against the next level to see if you are really ready yet, but to win consistently you play the game you can dominate, the game where you are the shark.
To me, hunting at my level means hunting at much lower level than other avatars with similar skills. Going on a hunt to kill 600 mobs with 100hp yields similar skills and loot with less risk and less cost than killing 200 mobs with 300hp. Certainly the urge to go bigger is there, and I do it at times for extra fun, but my bread and butter hunting strategy is to resist that urge.
This strategy is for those of us who can rarely (or never) deposit, or just don't want to, but still want to actively participate as hunters and increase our skills with an eye to the future (perhaps even true uberdom
) It can apply to any level of player beyond the absolute newb, and it can be plenty of fun. The thrill factor of hunting is relative, too.Good Luck and Happy Hunting,
Miles
P.S. I may have set a record for using the most variations of the word 'uber' in a single post.
