Double XP Weekend: The Good, The Bad, And The Pugly
Double xp weekend! Damn, am I tired.
First, I got my long-neglected gunslinger from 50-55, which was more difficult than anticipated.
Why the gunslinger? Because I wanted a toon pub-side to muck about on, and NOT melee dps. Also I wanted to see endgame slinger to see if I really want to level my sniper.
First, to Makeb! Makeb’s problem is that it scales up pretty violently, with the first plateau being LOLSHOOT and a few plateaus later, you’re getting your ass handed to you. It was quite unpleasant, especially since it’s not like my gear magically upgraded itself during that time. Makeb quest rewards are also pretty shitty in that regard.
So, I think, I’ll go run a flashpoint or two. Gear, practice, xp… what could go wrong. Oh apparently assholes can go wrong.
I’m dutifully following the tank and killing things that the tank has attacked first. I had mentioned that I was unfamiliar with this instance, but otherwise had not said anything. The scoundrel healer sleep darts a dog, but instead of walking past the pack, the tank decides to engage. Oookay, so we kill the rest of the pack, but we’re still in combat with the one mezed dog, but the tank rolls on ahead. Figuring that they didn’t realize the dog was still in combat with us, and about to break and chew our FACES off, I say “we need to kill that dog.” The dog breaks precisely at that point, and comes to kill us.
Somehow, the healer has already managed to drop group right before the dog breaks, so that was fun. After which, the following exchange occurs:
Tank: I’m the tank, you need to follow my lead. I know what to kill and what not to kill.
Me: We were still in combat with that dog.
Tank: You’re annoying and that’s why the healer left.
I’d be damned if I was going to have to wait in a super-long DPS queue again just because this guy was a tool. So I put the tank on ignore, figuring I couldn’t possibly care about his commentary for the rest of the instance. Then he left – and the other DPS left with him. At that point, the group finder decided I was a lonely loser and not allowed to just fill the spots with subs. I had to leave the instance, reset my instances, and then I could requeue. Eff that.
After multiple embarrassing deaths at the hands of various Makeb minions, I dinged 55 on a random mob in Dr. Oggurub’s compound and zoned the hell out of there without completing the quest. Fuck that, I don’t need the smoochies with Lemda that badly.
Next up, my sorc. This was actually far easier, because people don’t want to offend the healer. Har har.
Playing “chase the tank” was still my main occupation during these runs. However, force speed didn’t eat into my resource pool, so it was less painful than doing the same chasing with an operative. I cannot wait until 2.7 when the operative roll works more like force speed.
Now, why do people think that skipping trash is such a great idea that they must do it at all costs – even if there is a significant chance of failure. It does NOT save time if you have to wait for someone who just croaked to run back, or if it causes a wipe.
On one run, we skipped trash packs by sleep-darting the closest mob and running past. All was fine and dandy until the tank let some mob gnaw my face off, and I had to run back. Except I couldn’t with all those mobs in my way (now, obviously, not asleep). The stealther had to come back and retrieve me. This does not save time!
On another run, the tank insisted on skipping trash by hopping platforms. I missed the jump (what ELSE is new?) and fell to my humiliating demise. Running back cost time, and thankfully I made the jump the second time with assistance from rocket boots. We could just chalk this up to my incompetence and say that this jumping strat works in most cases. However, the next jump, the tank, who had mocked me for my SPLAT on the previous jump, went plummeting to HIS death. Stupid, stupid.
The sorc didn’t make it to 55 because I decided I wanted to watch some TV. So I’ve got maybe 3/4 of a level to polish off with normal (rested) xp. That should’t take long at all.
How was your double xp weekend?