Splitpaw saga

[Cheddar]

I was out tonight roaming around TS, minding my own business (killing gnolls), when I ended up in this instance.  How is it, and did they give it to everyone for free when I was not looking???

It seemed cool, but due to time constraints I was not able to explore it or really accomplish anything within. 

[schild]

I've wondered where it's located. Can you give a more.....exact location in the steppes?

[Cheddar]

I've wondered where it's located. Can you give a more.....exact location in the steppes?

There are a group of gnolls west of the alternative entrance to Antonica (Tech Moll or some such nonsense).  They are all grouped together, named "abductors."  I began a battle with them, and BAM I was kidnapped and put in a nifty cave with a gimp. 

Alternative entrance is near the griffins, or NW of Thundermist Village. 

[Soukyan]

Sounds fun. Can't wait until I gain some more levels and have the chance to check it out. If I understood the little adventure packs properly, you get a certain amount of the pack for free and then at some point you need to purchase it to continue and finish the entire thing. Splitpaw Saga sells for $7.99. However, if you have the SOE All Access (or Station Access as they call it) for $21.99 per month, then you get the Bloodline Chronicles and Splitpaw Saga adventure packs included free of charge.

[Murgos]

I've wondered where it's located. Can you give a more.....exact location in the steppes?

There are a group of gnolls west of the alternative entrance to Antonica (Tech Moll or some such nonsense).  They are all grouped together, named "abductors."  I began a battle with them, and BAM I was kidnapped and put in a nifty cave with a gimp. 

Alternative entrance is near the griffins, or NW of Thundermist Village. 

Thats the little preview adventure they give you.  If you have the adventure pack enabled then when you get to the end there are two teleporters, one will take you into splitpaw proper and the other sends you back to thundering steppes.

[schild]

That's a clever way to demo new content. I wonder who/where that idea came from.

[UD_Delt]

The abductor part was included for everyone regardless of whether or not you have the expansion. When you enter TS just follow the main road past the first crater. Just past the crater on the right is one of the teleporters that will take you into the first part of the splitpaw quest series. Around that teleporter are abductors that will take you into the free instance.

If you have the expansion and complete the first part you'll have to then make it through upper tunnels which is far south in TS. Take the Griffin to the coldwin beach tower and you won't be too far away from the gnoll cave that will take you into upper tunnels.

After getting through upper tunnels you make it into lower tunnels which is a city zone and has a series of quests there that all scale to level. Once you do enough quests (gain enough faction) you will get a recall shard that will take you directly into lower tunnels from anywhere in the world.

The best part of the whole expansion is how it all scales to level. Even the abductor part will scale to your level.

[schild]

So I could start the Splitpaw stuff now if I have it? Ok, is the whole thing soloable? I've been wanting to try one of these Chronicles jobbers.

[UD_Delt]

You can start it at level 20. The only difficult part will be getting to the entrance of upper tunnels in Steppes. You'll have to dodge and/or sprint your way past a bunch of 28^^^ mobs. Shouldn't be too hard but could be tricky if you don't know exactly where you're going. On the other hand if you have invis it should be cake.

In lower tunnels I believe there are 8 or 9 different quest instances. All are repeatable although Harclaves can now only be done once per level. 3 of the quest instances are solo (solo arena, harclaves, and hideout), there's at least one which is doable with 2-3 people (alone in the dark), then a few that are doable with a single group (flammable fur, hot water, crawlers nest, group arena), one that is group x 2 (anvil paw's grotto) and one that is raid force (acts of war).

If you can manage to gather enough people anvil paw's grotto is one of the coolest ideas for a quest zone I have ever seen. I really wish they would have added something similar that 2 people could do. Basically both groups go down a different path and have to solve puzzles in order to open the way for the other group. Lots of working together needed to get all the way through.

[Furiously]

Harclave's is probably the best storytelling I have ever encountered in a MMOG. Plus it's damn cool.

[Miasma]

I liked doing the splitpaw saga quests, if you do a certain number of them you get an item to recall Straight to Thundering Steppes and a fairly good spell/skill.  I soloed what I needed to do but the fight in the arena was really, really close.  There is also a minor problem solving aspect since you have to place/climb on boxes, planks, and place bombs.  Invis makes it all much, much better.  I think there are cheap items melee can buy to go invis.  Otherwise it would be quite a dungeon crawl to get to the bottom of the second dungeon.

Harclave's is great because (spoiler?) you can just invis lighting torches and then you get this massive buff that makes you close to invincible so long as you only take on one group at a time.  Then all the enemies' levels shoot up and you run around slaughtering groups of yellow^ getting good xp and loot.  I guess that's why they made it once a level, too many people using it to grind.

[UD_Delt]

Haclaves has changed a bit since then. It's not as good exp while grinding through it but the exp for completing the quest is quite nice. I haven't done it with one of my lower level characters but my 58 got 8% exp from completing the quest.

Not a bad deal for a quest you can mostly invis through and finish in 10 minutes.

I'm guessing though that doing harclaves, hideout, and arena will get you at least most of a level if not more all the way up to level 50.

[schild]

I couldn't even figure out how to do quests in there. I assume I have to kill that group and advance the Azure shard stuff. But it was my first trip to the steppes. Since I had the EQIIMAP mod, I went invis, got my griffon egg, jetted around a bit. Killed a bunch of level 23s and 24s (at level 21 no less), got myself level 22 and plan to slaughter some gnolls. Where does Harclave's start? I mean, did I do something wrong? I went to two of the teleporters and neither took me to Harclaves. Is there something that starts it outside of the Splitpaw instances?

[MrHat]

Apparently, if I buy an expansion, I can get Devasting Fist.

[UD_Delt]

This is from the start by memory so hopefully it will help. Don't read if you don't want a quest walk through...







Type /claim and grab the shard. Next time you enter steppes you'll get a quest that automatically pops up.

I think the first instance/quest was called Delving into the Darkness or some such. It's where the teleporter takes you that we talked about. The teleporter near the abductor's. You'll have to avoid the abductor and actually zone into the correct instance using the teleporter.

When you enter the zone there's really only a single path you can take. You're going to have to slaughter a bunch of gnolls that should be either your level or one level below you. Eventually you'll get to a larger room that has a chest up on top of a central ledge. In the back of the room is a named gnoll called A 'something' Fanatic or some such. When you kill him he drops a key. Use the boxes that are here and there throughout the zone to build yourself a little stairway up to the ledge. You can either right click and 'move' or double click the boxes to maneuver them. Use the key on the chest and you'll advance the quest. You'll get a different shard and a new quest.

You HAVE to do this part first as it opens up the rest of the expansion.

Get that part done and then we'll talk about the rest of the quests and how to find them.

[schild]

That's what I figured. Yea, the guy will require at least one more person to take down. Someone of the same level or lower than me. He was one level higher than me and surrounded by 3 other dudes. The EQ2MAP thing actually gave me all the info in your post, I just didn't know it was necessary. I guess I'll do that tonight.

[UD_Delt]

That's what I figured. Yea, the guy will require at least one more person to take down. Someone of the same level or lower than me. He was one level higher than me and surrounded by 3 other dudes. The EQ2MAP thing actually gave me all the info in your post, I just didn't know it was necessary. I guess I'll do that tonight.

I was able to solo him with all classes I've tried so far except enchanter. The trick I used is to wait until just before I level up and then zone in. Use the lead-in mobs to gain your level and you should now be on even footing with the main guy. He's definately a toughie though and will put you to the test of how well you can really solo.

Gear & skill upgrades definately help for this part though.

[Furiously]

Apparently, if I buy an expansion, I can get Devasting Fist.

Pet casters love it in duels.

[schild]

That's what I figured. Yea, the guy will require at least one more person to take down. Someone of the same level or lower than me. He was one level higher than me and surrounded by 3 other dudes. The EQ2MAP thing actually gave me all the info in your post, I just didn't know it was necessary. I guess I'll do that tonight.

The trick I used is to wait until just before I level up and then zone in. Use the lead-in mobs to gain your level and you should now be on even footing with the main guy.

That was my plan. But Ookii is one of my flatmates. When he gets home tonight, I'll just have him run the instance with me.

[Ookii]

That was my plan. But Ookii is one of my flatmates. When he gets home tonight, I'll just have him run the instance with me.

You know you could ask me if I want to, I have feelings too. I also craft now, fighting was just a phase in my life, I love harvesting things to make other things in order to make the things I really want to make.

But then again, I might be inclined to go, anyone else going as well?

[Hartsman]

That's a clever way to demo new content. I wonder who/where that idea came from.

I think it was first suggested by the lead designer at the time.  It was really just another way to add new content for everyone.  If there's one universal truth about devs, it's that we want to give all the content in the world away so everyone can feel that they're a part of whatever the event of the month happens to be.

Including one instance per AdvPack for free (Bloodline Chronicles was the same way) seemed to make everyone happy - Users, us, as well as the business folk.  Not an every day occurrence. ;)

- Scott