Yes, they are a disease and they are contagious. The 9D German server from Games Campus now has a sizable number of them at fairly high levels, for that server anyway.
The problem with this disease is that the Vietnamese players don't view 9Dragons as a game. For them it's a business. It's a chance to make some real world money by selling their gold and precious drops to the gold sellers who also infest almost every MMO out there. First of course, they have to get that gold and those drops.
Low level maps don't have much of a drop rate for gold and goodies on any version of 9Dragons, even if it's particularly bad on 9D Germany. The Vietnamese solution is to level hack, by repeating every quest they possibly can. It's a lot faster than grinding and they have identified quite an interesting array of quests that can be repeated. I personally watched a guy repeating a quest from the Bisha tavern yesterday, and the same guy was repeating The Disturbance of Shimei I very early this morning.
The in-game items that are easily sellable are the drops from the important bosses in the Cave of the Conqueror. The Defense trink, the HP trink, Blood Beads, Karma Plates, high damage wrist bands, etcetera. The Vietnamese have no problem with hacking the game any way they can in order to out-damage anyone else who might want those items too. These are mostly memory hacks using small, precise applets to repeatedly reset memory locations to allow faster recast, or higher damage while their characters are on the attack.
So far GameGuard isn't able to stop these applets from altering specific memory addresses during game play.
This became a problem over night, at least for me, because I couldn't sleep again last night. My AxtTreiber character was EC2 so at 4:30 this morning I decided to take a run at the def trink boss in the Cave of the Conqueror. Well, I would at least go camping for a while. When I got there I found a group of well known Viet players camping too. I had a pretty good idea what would come next but I stuck around anyway. I think I got called a lot of dirty names too.
A couple more known Viet players came and went, and after an hour or so the boss spawned. We were all over it immediately of course but the boss was dead as fast as it spawned. I think I got in 4 hits, and that's just not normal. The nuker behind me seemed to be on auto-cast, and the others around me had to be doing 10 times the damage I was doing.
I've done a lot of boss hunting in the last few days. I know how long it takes to kill one, even the easy ones. This was just unreal. I didn't get any external wounds from the boss because she wasn't alive long enough to hand it out. I've never seen anything like it. Fortunately there was no drop or I would have been really upset.
Games Campus would like to keep the gold sellers out of their game. Who can blame them, and that's why our drop rate is so miserable to begin with. Campus can go after the gold sellers themselves, and cut off their IP access to the game, and eventually all proxies too, but I would suggest Campus is going to have to do the same with the foot soldiers who are willing to sell their gold and precious items for cash. Fortunately they are easy to identify.
It's your move Games Campus.
- AxtTreiber
It's been a long time since we had this topic on the blog and because I made EC6 with my warrior character yesterday I thought I would bring it up. It's an important milestone for all players but for warriors in particular the game suddenly gets a lot easier to play, and starts to be enjoyable again.
For the last 8 levels or so I've been struggling. A warrior needs a full set of buffs to be able to grind effectively and unfortunately healers and hybrids aren't always around when you need them. I was grinding on yellow Devas for quite a bit of the time because they can't really gang up on you. Still though, I had to meditate after 2 of them, and only sometimes could I kill 3 before I had to run and meditate. The other advantage to the deva grind is there is a place to run to, when you have to meditate.
At the low EC levels you start to get a series of Road to the Dragon quests, but only if you've completed all of the previous RTD quests. Don't ignore them, they are there for a reason. If you haven't already seen them, Fullneo wrote a great set of guides for those quests for all the black clans; Brotherhood of Thieves, Sacred Flower and Heavenly Demon.
The quests mostly involve a lot of running back and forth to the Cave of the Conqueror, which has never been my favorite grind spot. It's a lot easier now that we have the anti-PK buff, but I died once anyway when one of the bosses spawned right on top of me.
I really hate when that happens.
When you're finally done that running back and forth you'll have the title of Senior member of your clan and a number of new skills are available at your skill trainer. In particular you'll get a new active skill that does a lot more damage than the old ones. You also get a free chance to reset your chi points and mastery points if you've messed them up along the way.
The best thing though, for warriors anyway, is the new Advanced Masteries that open up. For a warrior the first things you get are an extra 500 points of defense and 1000 hit points. You'll also get a set of clothes from the quests that you can use at EC8. Those clothes give another 360 points of defense. Like I said, "for warriors in particular the game suddenly gets a lot easier to play, and starts to be enjoyable again."
Now it's time for the EC level Party Quest.
- SpearDriver2
Last Sunday Ravenclaw held a boss spawn event in Hefei, CC1, CC2 and CC3, with a bunch of True General Wei bosses and others. I decided to try get the TGW epithet for my DB2 warrior. I want to share how I prepared for TGW because I am sure I would get it in normal circumstances.
My spear is nothing special, normal PS +9 and 4 sloted. The relics that I used were: a bad karma 7% damage plate, 5 Blood Beads of Earth, a 300 damage Heavenly Bear Ralisman and an EC bad karma +15 str relic (almost all borrowed).
I use the CS damage clothes set with a 6% critical hit jacket.
For buffs I had 5 Yin-Yang and 4 Body-Soul damage buffs. I also had a TGW buff, Carnival of Souls, normal hybrid and healer buffs, and I used the BoT +120% dmg suicide buff (that made me to eat some kgs -,-).
You probably know you can use 3 pills at the same time. I used a 1k damage pill, a 30% critical hit pill and 50% critical hit rate pill. I had the [Unsealed] Conqueror of North sea epithet too, for even more critical hit rate and damage.
So, Lets dance! The first TGW was spawned in strolling valley and I started to hit him from 100%. A nuker got credit for the kill of course, and the killer epithet. The same happened at event stage too. I was hoping the boss at the event stage was in an LOS spot but many nukers successfully hit him and they got the kill. I went to CC also to try few of the bosses spawned there, without success because almost all my buffs were gone by then.
There is a stun nuke bug, when a nuker gets a critical hit, the damage goes to 65k, and True General Wei has high defense and CK defense so nukers will almost always out-damage the other players with stun nuke, but I won’t quit trying.
- Hinata
It's been a while since I had the chance to write a blog post about a patch and this one looks like a good one. A fair number of things have been fixed and there is a little bit of new content as well. Not much, but some.
First of all there is good news for our friends in the Restless League. The Wu Tang band creator has been fixed and warrior trainer is now selling the correct books again. That fix was a long time coming and I hope Indy21 can keep things straight from now on.
Also, it would appear that various quest based exploits that allowed people to gain experience or karma extremely quickly have been fixed as well. You can't have the options screen open while talking to an NPC anymore, so you can't log out and repeat the quest. That was a long time coming too, and another welcome change.
I haven't tested it myself, but the mini-map box for the Cave of the Conqueror isn't black anymore. You'll be able to figure out where you're going now. Also, there is now a buff from the Bloody Plain and CC Hermits that will stop other players from killing you while you grind in CC. That should stop the random PK karma farmers from making life miserable for other players. It will help with the quests that take you to CC as well.
Another major change has been made to reduce the experience gained from the party quests, and I'm not sure that's a good thing. Fortunately all of my characters have made it past those levels and it doesn't affect me.
As for new content all I can see is a set of new epithets that can be had from killing the very high level bosses on the Tibet map. I'll post the effects from those epithets when I get more information.
And lastly, we're getting a nice experience event this weekend with 3x on both Saturday and Sunday, starting at the normal times.
Did anyone else find anything good?
- SpearDriver
The Cave of the Conqueror
Click the picture to see it in bigger size.
 | 1. Heavenly Claw, The White Lord Level => Five Dragons 6 (66) |
 | 2. Blade of Black Shadow Level => Raising Light 11 (59) |
 | 3. Ghostly Claw of Blood ShadowsLevel => Sun and Moon 6 (78) |
 | 4. Steel Blade, The Dark Lord Level => Golden Blossoms 4 (88) |
 | 5. Vicious Fist, The Blood Lord Level => Golden Blossoms 10 (94) |
 | 6. Dark Sword, The Shadow Lord Level => Elemental Crown 6 (102) |
 | 7. General Wei Level => Floral Crown 7 (115) |
Level Range:
Red => boss is 5+ levels higher.
Orange => boss is 3-4 levels higher.
Yellow => boss is 1-2 levels higher.
White => boss is your level.
Green => boss is 1-2 levels lower.
Light Blue => boss is 3-4 levels lower.
Dark Blue => boss is 5+ levels lower than your level.
NB!
- Bosses don't always drop!
- Be careful on their spawning places!
We don't have all the details yet, like "when", but there is a new patch coming. [GM]Fugen mentioned this on the forum last Friday and gave us some details.
The most controversial item in this new patch is a non-PvP buff that we should be able to get from the Hermit in Bloody Plains, or in the Cave of the Conqueror. The idea is that you'll be able to grind in CC if you want, without having to deal with random PK idiots or karma farmers. There are some profitable drops in CC, and many people would like to be able to grind in peace. There are also some good bosses there, with really valuable drops. Now we'll all have a chance at them and I think that's great. We'll have to arrange some league runs to those bosses.
We are also getting some new high level quests (finally!), as well as new material for the Tibet map. Let's use this post to collect details on those new quests, and the Tibet material. Please post anything you find in the comments section and I'll bring that information into this post.
Edit: As per [GM]Fugen, things aren't quite going to plan.
We may be a bit more delayed with this patch. We expected Indy to fix a couple of things, one of which was fixed. One of which still isn't working. So we'll see how quickly they get us the other fix. It may still be tonight, or it may push off to another day.
- SpearDriver
We have an event again this weekend, and yet again I want to remind everyone to pick up your drops. I've been playing in newby areas lately and I can't believe the number of drops that just sit on the ground. I also can't believe how many of these same noobs are asking me for gold later. Pick up your damn drops and sell them to the NPC General Store, and you'll never have to ask for gold again
About this collection quest, here is our first list!
This looks doable to me. The Choice of Fate passes won't be easy, again because the lowby players don't know to pick up the drops they can use to make them. And they don't seem to know where to grind either, to get them.
Anyway, again there is a public googledoc that we can all access, so that we can watch the progress. I have got to give full credit again to the Restless League for saving their drops. They have probably donated as much as 50% of this first list.
You see what they got for trading their collected items? Those are keys for the chests in the Conqueror's Cave, or CC for short. Even if you don't want to, or don't like to play in CC, those keys are sellable to the people who do. I'll be watching that googledoc today and tonight, and tomorrow we'll get organized to see what is missing, and what we can collect.
Update: The first list is done with a few hours to spare. The second list should be out tonight at midnight GMT.
The second list is out and this one has a few items that we will have to spend gold to get, and they aren't stackable. Here is the full list...
Again, I can't grind for much of this stuff and I'll wait to see what's needed on Friday. This one is doable too, but I would like to see the thumb-sitters on the penalty bridge get off their thumbs and do a little collecting.
After a second look, this list is easy. We'll make it, and well get 5x on both Sat/Sun, probably starting one hour before the normal XP event time.
- SpearDriver
The quests for the level 4 Masters now works and for the most part it's just a lot of running around maps that are safe for anyone who is a Master, SM1 or better. The small exception to that is one step that takes you to the Conqueror's Cave where you talk to an NPC and then have to kill a mob a few times in order to get a package back from him. For BoT Masters the mob is Secret Meditation of Shaolin and it only took a couple of minutes.
The problem is that it's the Conqueror's Cave and we have no shortage of idiots who will stand there and wait for people to talk to that NPC, even if they can't see the NPC themselves. It turns into a karma collection point and sure enough yesterday when I went in there, there were 4 or 5 nukers just standing around waiting for people. Idiots. I turned around and went back out the door while I was still invincible. I went back a little later with all of my CK Dodge clothing and had no problem from them.
The next quest for Masters is probably at the 10k level of contribution points.
(Edit: Nope, got that level tonight and no new quest. The 2nd quest isn't at 20k either.)
For the students there is now a quest that also takes them to Bloody Plains. They are looking for a returning "spy" that is now a dead body laying on the ground in the Forest of Broken Blades. FD1 level characters can easily survive that as long the usual karma collectors aren't around. Just do it at a quiet time of day.
There probably is another disciples quest but my highest level disicple is only FD9 and he hasn't run into to it yet. Maybe at SM1? (Edit: Nope. My highest disiciple hit that today, and there is no new quest for him.)
I am still collecting contribution points from that disciple and he has agreed to stay until 50k points are reached. Apparently that is the number of points you can get from any particular disicple. He doesn't get that disciple buff anymore though, and he gets no benefit from the In Session or Advantage count.
The In Session and Advantage counters both work now and when you and your disciples run the In Session kill number up to 1000 you get a nice buff that speeds up your blood count and will help you collect free Blood Essence faster. My guys got that number up to 2000 last night and the buff got even better. We're trying for 3000 today just to test that. I love free BE!
What have you found?
- SpearDriver
There is now Clan Wardrobe (deco) that has two slots and is permanent. Yay! Other versions of 9D have had this for quite a while and it's something people have been asking for regularly. It's nice to see that Acclaim didn't put these items into the coin mall. You can buy them in-game from the deco seller on your clan map.
The Black market dealer is now in the Conqueror's Cave on the 3rd floor, and the others have been deleted. At level 73 there will be a quest from the Black Market Dealer, meaning that CC3 is about to become a death trap for the next little while.
There are new collections for both Master Refiner Mo Tailan and Cave of the Conqueror Black Market Dealer. You need to gather 20 Lucky Gold Coin and can exchange them for Blood Essence. I already have my first one!
You can now go to the Cave by using a Couriers' Guild Transport Pass.
There are golden boxex that spawn. That's how you get your Lucky Gold Coins. The boxes are spawned on random spots on maps.
While Purchasing items from the new black market, there are chances to get Lucky Gold Coin instead of the item you purchase, the lucky gold coins can can be used to trade Blood Essence from the new collection. You will get the items you purchase with random boosted stats. However you will not get the item you purchase if you get Lucky Gold Coin.
That's all I know so far. Let's leave this open and update it as we find things! Have fun today.
The Bloody Plain and Conqueror's Cave are pvp areas, and players new to these areas have often had bad experiences of being killed by other players. Above that, you have to spend money on herbs in order to grind in the cave, costing about 1.5k/min. Why then, would anyone want to spend gold and run the risk of being killed just to grind in the Conqueror's Cave (coc)?
There are 2 main reasons for grinding there:
Good exp per mob killed (about 10% more exp than mobs in non-pvp areas)
Good drop rates and drops
Mobs
You will find 2 types of mobs in coc - clan-based mobs who use the kungfu of the various clans, and terracotta mobs.
Clan-based mobs are nice to grind on. They generally have less hp than mobs in non-pvp areas, approximately 10% less; they also give 10% more exp per kill. You thereby gain approximately 20% more exp per unit time spent grinding there compared to other areas. They deal reasonably low damage as well, so they are not too difficult for warriors to grind on. The downside is that the have a rather high movement speed, making it hard for nukers.
Terracotta mobs are less kind. They are fairly tough and most of them have nasty effects such as paralysis, silence, or stun. But, they do give 10% more exp per kill. Melee fighters will find them less appealing to grind on due to their spells; nukers, however, will love them because they move rather slowly in general (beware of the archers though). Do not be discouraged by the disadvantages you face fighting against them, they drop better items than their clan-based counterparts.
Exp
The bonus exp given by the mobs compounds with the bonus given by premium, dxp or party bonus. If we take the exp per mob in non-pvp areas as the base rate of 100%, with a full party and premium during dxp, you get:
For a non-premium user:
100% x 110% (from full party) x 110% (coc bonus) x 200% (dxp) = 242%
For a premium user:
100% x 110% (from premium) x 110% (from full party) x 110% (coc bonus) x 200% (dxp) = 266.2%
Adding to that the fact that clan-based mobs are softer than other mobs, you gain about 75% more exp per unit time over the base rate when grinding there during dxp if you are a premium user, or 50% if you are not.
Drops
Blood essences are one of the most attractive features of grinding in coc. It is not uncommon to see mobs drop 2BEs at a go. Sadly, the drop rate for blood essences declines as you grind on higher level mobs in the cave, but the probability of getting blood essence drops still greatly exceeds that you would get in any other area.
Elixir drops are another attractive feature. Mobs in coc drop elixirs more frequently than mobs in other areas, and tend to drop elixirs that are 1 lvl higher than their counterparts in non-pvp areas.
Wristbands, keys and green weapons are what make up for the added difficulty of grinding on terracotta mobs. They drop these on top of elixirs and blood essences; the higher level keys and wristbands command prices in the millions.
Weapon drop rate is also very high here, so make sure you have enough space in your bag if you intend to stay for several hours.
Your Level & Grinding in CoC
"When should I begin grinding in coc?"
Head over as soon as possible. The lowest mobs in coc are accessible to FDs. Start grinding there at FD1; if you are a nuker and have difficulty with clan-based mobs, begin slightly later at mid-FD.
Most people stop grinding in coc from EC7 upwards, when you can gain more exp through EC PQ. Bodyguards, which are FC level mobs, are extremely tough, having about 100% more hp than normal mobs, and give poor exp per unit time spent killing them (about 10% less exp than mobs in other areas per unit time). But for those keen on making money, the keys they drop are worth a few million each, so are the 150 ck/dmg wristbands.
Risks & Prevention
You risk being pked by random pkers or if someone feels offended by something you have done.
There is a general understanding among most leagues that coc is a non-pk area. Sometimes, warring leagues send their high level pkers to keep the lower levels of their rival leagues from grinding in coc. We are, however, a neutral league, and should be safe from such people. The major threat comes from random pkers. Grinding in a group which confers mutual protection to its players is one way of deterring or taking down hostile players. Even if the pker is of too high a level to defeat, he will desist if it costs him too many KGs.
Forgetting to consume herbs has been a thorn to some players. Remember to check on your herb icon for the time remaining, and also watch your hp bar.
CoC Chests
Keys to chests are obtained from the terracotta mobs found in the same level of coc where the chest lies. For example, to get the keys to the chest in coc1, you have to kill the terracotta mobs found in coc1.
The probability of obtaining plates from chests in coc is very slim (it seems to be about 1 plate per 40 chests opened). Most plates you find do not cover the cost of the keys used to obtain them. You may, with a good deal of luck (maybe a one in a thousand chance), find some plates that are worth tens or even hundreds of millions. Also, higher level chests tend to drop better plates.
Other Tips
You lose 10% of your max hp every 3 seconds if you are not protected from the poison mist by a herb. Relog or get someone to attack you if you are stuck in meditation without a herb.
There is a vagabond npc in coc4 that tranports you back to BP, so you don't have to run all the way out.
Conclusion
When you begin grinding here, you would begin to understand why I have previously commented that any money earning venture you undertake that nets you less than 1BE per hour is a waste of time. In fact, you may begin to suspect that boss hunting is a waste of time as well.
If you find a good party to grind with, you may find yourself levelling faster than your premium-user friend who grinds in a non-pvp area.
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