Gumbeau Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 The question is simple. How far can a solo, casual player expect to go in the Oricon storyline? Because of work and other RL obligations, I don't have time to join a guild, and it's difficult to get into pick up groups when I can get online. So again the question in another form; I have reached the heroic +2 mission on all my characters, am I done as a solo player? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkelefantos Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 Well, the H2+ is easily soloable if you and your companion are decently equipped. But from your description, you will most likely be done after that, since the storyline continues with 2 Operations (it's finished after those), and you seem to lack the time for those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subach Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 So the heroic is indeed soloable? Is the story content decent afterwards? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gumbeau Posted November 20, 2013 Author Share Posted November 20, 2013 Well, the H2+ is easily soloable if you and your companion are decently equipped. But from your description, you will most likely be done after that, since the storyline continues with 2 Operations (it's finished after those), and you seem to lack the time for those. Thank you. I was afraid of that. I guess I'll roll a new toon and start over. I really enjoy the game and I wish I had more time to get the full benefit of being in a guild, but I have to pay the bills :-). Thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkelefantos Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 So the heroic is indeed soloable? Is the story content decent afterwards? Yes, it's soloable, and not too difficult. Most people I've seen do it actually just kill the same champion the required amount of times. Incredibly boring, I would assume, but whatever works for them. And yes, I would say it's decent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psandak Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 Thank you. I was afraid of that. I guess I'll roll a new toon and start over. I really enjoy the game and I wish I had more time to get the full benefit of being in a guild, but I have to pay the bills :-). Thanks again There are PLENTY of casual friendly, zero commitment guilds out there. Their general intent is to create a friendly environment where players can get to know one another and help out when possible and/or convenient. AND, If by chance you have an extended period of time to play you can participate in large group content AKA operations. My point is you do not have to be a "hardcore" player to participate in elder-game content; you just have to be willing to align your schedule (AKA set aside a block of time as little as two hours one night a week) and find a group/guild that fits your desires and schedule. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeweledleah Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 its soloable, but I wouldn't call it easy. why? trash packs are plentiful and spread out enough that you cannot just use a single AoE to mow them down. and they hit fairly hard (especially since all that damage adds up) I would suggest not even trying it without at least 69 gear + for you AND companion (or copious amounts of presence). its more doable if you can stealth around them and just find an out of the way champ - there are two leading up to the quick travel point and you can usually separate one out if you wait carefully (though those guys can hit pretty hard too AND stun, so i wouldn't attempt it without healing companion or ability to heal yourself and companion) on a flip side, in general if you play during peak hours, you can usually find a group for that part pretty quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilirubin Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 (edited) This. Group up, will take only a few minutes that way. Most folks are really friendly out there! ETA: I am also really busy in my life, but I try to find the time to run one SM OP per week. Occasionally I will parachute into a HM when needed but cannot, like you, really commit the time it takes to progress in a more hardcore way. OPs usually run 2-3 hours, depending on how good the group is and how quickly it assembles. Casual guilds, like mine, offer scads of OPs at all levels throughout the week, plus you get to know folks who are willing to meet up for quick daily runs, flashpoints, etc. Edited November 20, 2013 by Bilirubin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkelefantos Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 its soloable, but I wouldn't call it easy. why? trash packs are plentiful and spread out enough that you cannot just use a single AoE to mow them down. and they hit fairly hard (especially since all that damage adds up) I would suggest not even trying it without at least 69 gear + for you AND companion (or copious amounts of presence). its more doable if you can stealth around them and just find an out of the way champ - there are two leading up to the quick travel point and you can usually separate one out if you wait carefully (though those guys can hit pretty hard too AND stun, so i wouldn't attempt it without healing companion or ability to heal yourself and companion) on a flip side, in general if you play during peak hours, you can usually find a group for that part pretty quickly. Well, judging from what the OP says, he doesn't have the time to play during peak hours. Also, here's why it's not that difficult, for me anyways. If you enter the Heroic area from the south (closer to Imperial base), you can get past the mobs barring the way without too much of a hassle. Just go to the right, and then there is an area with 3 shuttles. Just try to get to 1 without killing yourself (or get yourself killed, if you don't mind the repair bill and the seconds of being on the ground), then destroy that one as often as you need. In the same general area, up on a ledge, there is a champion, a Twi'lek, Hekken Bol'trop or something like that is her name. Not only is she one of the weakest champions in the general area, she also respawns pretty quickly, causing a lot of players to just outright wait for her to respawn rather than bothering to look for another one. I find this approach pretty boring, and I generally don't use it, but really, if you want to get done quickly, can't find a group and want to save yourself some trouble, it's a convenient option to have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kacynski Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 I can confirm that the H2 on Oricon is solo-able, even with just 66 gear on you and your companion. I did it with a healer class and a tank class, never tried as DPS class, though. I just tried it a few times to see if I can pull it off, but it is far, far more efficient to do it grouped with someone else. Just ask in general chat if someone wants to do it with you. If I am about doing Oricon by myself (without a guildy) I will usually even ask before I start if there is someone who wants to do all the dailies as a team; not only is it way faster, it is also way more fun - even if your mate is not of the talkative kind. Oricon seems to be designed to be tackled as a small team, and its much more fun to do so. Also, as others have said already, don't be afraid to look for a guild. I was a loner for a long time as well, as my playing time is way out of synch with server prime time. But I did occassionally group up for heroics and other things and got a guild invite from a group that seemed nice. Never regretted it. They are relaxed and casual and know that my schedule doesn't really fit with theirs, but we meet on weekends and get at least to do a few things together - again way more fun. Being a loner with limited time or difficult schedule also does not mean you cannot do OPs. Just listen on the fleet, when there is someone looking for a last missing member for a raid. Do a whisper and ask if they would take someone unexperienced with rather low gear. In some cases there are raids that just want to have a quick run for comms with one of their regulars missing and they will take you and carry you through more or less. You will need to join their TS and not do something terribly stupid and no one will care in such a raid. I managed to see all OPs in story mode this way and made the experience that groups that are willing to take a "noob" with them tend to be relaxed and fun to play with. The upside is that after one such raid you could be pretty much geared up in 69 gear. Just make sure from the beginning that you have no experience but are willing to listen to their instructions, so there are no surprises. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wainot-keel Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 its soloable, but I wouldn't call it easy. why? trash packs are plentiful and spread out enough that you cannot just use a single AoE to mow them down. and they hit fairly hard (especially since all that damage adds up) I would suggest not even trying it without at least 69 gear + for you AND companion (or copious amounts of presence). its more doable if you can stealth around them and just find an out of the way champ - there are two leading up to the quick travel point and you can usually separate one out if you wait carefully (though those guys can hit pretty hard too AND stun, so i wouldn't attempt it without healing companion or ability to heal yourself and companion) on a flip side, in general if you play during peak hours, you can usually find a group for that part pretty quickly. Yeah, not easily soloable, lol. I remember Dulfy commenting on this and saying that even with full Kell Dragon gear, which was what she had at that time, she had to work for those kills. Anyway, while I never bothered trying to solo them, I know those mobs hit really hard. Even at not peak hours, you can find people to do them. Last week I managed to get one to help me in less that a minute when there was only 19 peeps on the only Oricon instance. With 2 people and their companions is in fact easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cxten Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 (edited) The question is simple. How far can a solo, casual player expect to go in the Oricon storyline? Because of work and other RL obligations, I don't have time to join a guild, and it's difficult to get into pick up groups when I can get online. So again the question in another form; I have reached the heroic +2 mission on all my characters, am I done as a solo player? I'm not exactly sure where you're coming from, so here's a bit of an expansive answer: 1. Background to the Oricon storyline The Dread Master storyline, in order: a. The planet storyline quests for Belsavis on the Imperial side (i.e. the level 40ish quest series you start on the orbital station; probably you did this if you have an imperial character) b. Karagga's Palace (level 50 operation), opening and closing cutscenes c. Black Hole quests d. Explosive Conflict (Denova, level 50 operation) e. Section X quests f. Terror from Beyond (Asation, level 55 operation) g. Scum & Villainy (Darvannis, level 55 operation) h. Oricon quests i. Dread Fortress (level 55 operation) j. Dread Palace (level 55 operation) Some of these are just brief tidbits, and I wouldn't worry too much about doing them out of order. 2. How to do the heroics from items c,e,h above: These areas each have a heroic quest. If you're not used to grouping, it can be frightening, but it's really not bad. Just ask in chat for a group for the heroic or wait to see someone offer a group for the heroic and respond to them. If you like to try to solo things, go for it (except the heroic on Section X, which can't be soloed for mechanical reasons as you need 4 people to each click something at the end, and you need some to click in the middle). For finding a group: It might take a little while, so be patient, but even on off hours you should be able to find a group eventually. Even just one other player can do the Black Hole or Oricon one with you with little to no trouble. 3. How to get a group for Karagga's Palace: Sit on fleet. Wait for someone to ask for people for Classic Operations or KP (it will be Hard Mode, which isn't so hard now that everyone is level 55). Ask them for an invite. If they offer Classic Operations EV (Eternity Vault), you can ask them if they'd mind doing KP instead. (Or do EV with them to get your feet wet, even though it doesn't relate to the storyline, it is a slightly easier operation, and was the first one when the game came out. It's also quite cool, and follows up the Republic side storyline quest on Belsavis.) Plan 1 hour for EV. For KP groups can get stuck on the 4th boss if not enough people in your group know how to do the tower of hanoi puzzle part of it. I'd say have at least 1.5 to 2 hours free (it can be done in much less time) in case your group gets stuck at the 4th boss for a bit. 4. How to get a group for Explosive Conflict: Good luck. 5. How to get a group for Terror from Beyond or Scum & Villainy: Sit on fleet. Wait for someone to ask for people for TFB SM (SM = story mode) or S&V SM. Send them a message that you're new and haven't done it before. Usually these are 16 man groups and others can pick up some slack (at least if you're not a tank). Join voice chat if they have it. Some of them may be rude and refuse you, but I wouldn't worry; you should be able to get a group eventually. Some groups will only go to the 3rd boss for a shorter run that completes the "weekly." Probably you should expect this, and be pleasantly surprised if they do a full run (all bosses). You'll want to do a full run eventually to get the ending cutscene back on fleet (and the nice quest reward). Plan at least 2 hours for either (can be done in less, may take longer). TFB is shorter. 6. How to get a group for Dread Fortress or Dread Palace: Get enough basic and elite comms or do Terror from Beyond and Scum & Villainy story mode enough times that you have mostly 69's, maybe with some 72's from elite comms. Then sit on fleet and wait for people to ask for DF SM or DP SM. Repeat the instructions for TFB/S&V. Some groups may only make it to the 4th boss (the weekly boss), and again I'd expect this (though again the cutscenes come from completing it at least once). 7. Joining a guild There are many casual guilds that are just a bunch of people who group for things when enough of them are on at the same time. I'd look for a large casual guild that does end game stuff. Look in the forums for your server or ask on fleet. Guilds of this sort won't require you to be on at any given time. Then, if you're interested in doing something, ask in your guild chat. People are more likely to help out guild members than otehrs because it's a smaller community and they expect to see you around again sometime. Edited November 21, 2013 by cxten Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wainot-keel Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 (edited) @cxten I believe OP was simply asking if he could finish Oricon quest line by himself, since it involves an H2+ with some pretty tough champs to beat. Edited November 21, 2013 by wainot-keel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZeroPlus Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 (edited) Small Tip: The champions will resist the first "crowd control" ability that is used against them. Use your healing companion when fighting the champion and start the fight by selecting the champion and then using your healing companions "crowd control" ability on them. That way, not only will the champion focus on your companion for the first seconds of the fight giving you a few seconds of full out damage on the boss without having to worry about your defensive cooldowns (efectively, giving you an added buffer to your health), but during the fight you will be free to use your stuns on the champion and actually have them work first time, every time . Edited November 21, 2013 by ZeroPlus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshlaBoga Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 @cxten I believe OP was simply asking if he could finish Oricon quest line by himself, since it involves an H2+ with some pretty tough champs to beat. Some of the champions are pretty easy to beat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elusive_Thing Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 its soloable, but I wouldn't call it easy. why? trash packs are plentiful and spread out enough that you cannot just use a single AoE to mow them down. and they hit fairly hard (especially since all that damage adds up) I would suggest not even trying it without at least 69 gear + for you AND companion (or copious amounts of presence). its more doable if you can stealth around them and just find an out of the way champ - there are two leading up to the quick travel point and you can usually separate one out if you wait carefully (though those guys can hit pretty hard too AND stun, so i wouldn't attempt it without healing companion or ability to heal yourself and companion) on a flip side, in general if you play during peak hours, you can usually find a group for that part pretty quickly. I have seen an artifact/Black Market geared Marksmanship Sniper and her Lokin (using her old gear) solo the Heroic. It might take while, but with enough skill and perhaps some consumables it can be done. I can't comment on the exact gear level though, since when I solo'd it my Assassin was already in full Verpine with purple 28 augments and my Talos was almost fully Black Market geared... So it was pretty easy, especially with a presence score that's about to break 800. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeweledleah Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 I have seen an artifact/Black Market geared Marksmanship Sniper and her Lokin (using her old gear) solo the Heroic. It might take while, but with enough skill and perhaps some consumables it can be done. I can't comment on the exact gear level though, since when I solo'd it my Assassin was already in full Verpine with purple 28 augments and my Talos was almost fully Black Market geared... So it was pretty easy, especially with a presence score that's about to break 800. took a while and took some skill =/= easy. black market gear is 69. does she have presence boost? consumables imply that you have to go an extra mile to get it done. and of course in verpine gear and highest level available augments with 800 presence for your healing companions, its going to be very doable. I've been soloing it with less, on multiple alts after all (though I still prefer to group up when given an option, its faster and more fun to me). however - verpine gear takes some time to get, unless you do ops, which OP doesn't. presence takes playing for a while, having multiple alts with maxed out companions (and human race unlocked in legacy - one way or another) with skill and effort, and knowing exactly where to go and which champion to engage - you may not need above to solo 2+ but it STILL won't be easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts