GM BLOG The Battle of Crimsonwood Keep

pointing out the quote from NXProse that Deviant posted, he said "High-levels (and by this I mean the 90+ crowd)". So I'm guessing it'll be 90+ pq... maybe?

Well they made apq's boss cater more to be challenging for about a lvl 9x-10x party. Lvl 9x definently aren't strong enough to handle firebrands, nightshadows, and gaurdians. CWK 2 is supposed to be bigger and badder than ever before. Maybe they will make the starting lvl 90/100, but what lies inside will probably be too hard for them.

Minimum lvl for apq is what? 40 or 50. That doesn't mean lvl 40/50 are very useful for anything other than filling out the 6 person party.

Well they said they didn't like lvl caps so it'll probably cap at 200.

About the lvl thing; my guild is lvl 140+, so I'm actually one of the nubs of the guild. I'll probably be going with all 15x-17x =X. I feel nub just thinking about it .

Watch it be a level 80 to 150 PQ, then you won't be feeling so nub.

Well they made apq's boss cater more to be challenging for about a lvl 9x-10x party. Lvl 9x definently aren't strong enough to handle firebrands, nightshadows, and gaurdians.

Huh

I could kill Firebrands since late 7x and I'm training on Nightshadows since 83. (they have KB of 0 so basically no threat to any ranged class)

Guardians are a problem mostly cause they do way too much damage (something like 2.5x my max hp)

Huh

I could kill Firebrands since late 7x and I'm training on Nightshadows since 83. (they have KB of 0 so basically no threat to any ranged class)

Guardians are a problem mostly cause they do way too much damage (something like 2.5x my max hp)

I could kill a grim as a lvl 70 chief bandit, does that mean I'm gonna train there? Nope. The lowest levels I've ever seen trying to train on nightshadows/firebrands are lvl 12x, and they didn't look like they were killing em very easily. Nightshadows especially... Very hard for melee classes. You need like 17x acc to hit 100%.

Meh, I won't complain about 20% per hour.

I never tried training Firebrands for long though. Avenger sucks at flying mob control, if I break 2 at once I'm kinda screwed.

I think the pq will involve something with the statue helping at the boss battle.
Like in the stage before the boss you have to find one weapon of each class and drop it in the statues arms, and i will become alive and help you fight the boss

In Golden Sun 2, there's a boss fight at the end of Gaia Rock. If you open these windows, then a beam of light hits the boss and substantially weakens it. You can save yourself a lot of trouble by opening all 3 windows and bringing the boss to a severely weakened state before you even engage it.

Maybe we have something like that here, where you do something to the bow, and the Windraider Grandmaster is weakened, etc. That'd definitely make the PQ much more varied, and give a variety of level ranges the opportunity to run through it fully. The rewards could be given based on how many of the 4 Grandmasters you weakened before engaging them (weaken 0, best prize, weaken 4, worst prize)

I think this would be a really cool way to do it actually.

well, looks like february is gonna be a great month for MS
A posible big update for KMS and GMS and 2 new bosses (both strong hopefully)
btw isn't the new tokio expansion suppose to be this month aswell?

I'm not sure if anyone mentioned this earlier.... but maybe the gravestones might give us some hints?

"30,101, Hidden."

"Tempt fate, discover the path."

Something among those lines.

"30,101, Hidden" sounds like it might relate to the pq.... :| But it's just my guess...

I could kill a grim as a lvl 70 chief bandit, does that mean I'm gonna train there? Nope. The lowest levels I've ever seen trying to train on nightshadows/firebrands are lvl 12x, and they didn't look like they were killing em very easily. Nightshadows especially... Very hard for melee classes. You need like 17x acc to hit 100%.

I trained on Upper Ascent on my Outlaw from level 85-88 (this was during the Christmas 2x so finding a Newtie map was pretty much impossible). Firebrands and Nightshadows are about as hard as Cornians and much more pot friendly.

I got 22-24%/hr, which was only a tad slower than Newties. Firebrands are a joke for Snipers and Outlaws. Freezing them renders them completely helpless in both forms.

well, looks like february is gonna be a great month for MS
A posible big update for KMS and GMS and 2 new bosses (both strong hopefully)
btw isn't the new tokio expansion suppose to be this month aswell?

New Tokyo expansion....?

It has been out in JMS for a long time. And there is no way in hell we would even get close to getting it soon. or ever.

I dunno...requiring all classes sounds nice but really when you think about it, previous times that pqs have required all classes it really meant you need someone with lvl 20 haste and teleport >_>

Sounds kinda fishy, I wonder if my bucc would be needed

Everyone seems to be missing the very obvious way they could "require" someone from every class - Just make portals that can only be entered by the appropriate class tree like they did with < 30 in GPQ.

Then it doesn't actually matter that what's inside could be solved by more than one class - If only one set of classes can get in it's "their" room.

It's quite clear they have the ability to do this already - Look at the "door of dimensions" you enter for advancement that are class specific.

Everyone seems to be missing the very obvious way they could "require" someone from every class - Just make portals that can only be entered by the appropriate class tree like they did with < 30 in GPQ.

Then it doesn't actually matter that what's inside could be solved by more than one class - If only one set of classes can get in it's "their" room.

It's quite clear they have the ability to do this already - Look at the "door of dimensions" you enter for advancement that are class specific.

But they did say Nearly every class, so its probably more likely that it will require specific skills.

New Tokyo expansion....?

It has been out in JMS for a long time. And there is no way in hell we would even get close to getting it soon. or ever.

He meant for JMS. They're getting another part of it.

I trained on Upper Ascent on my Outlaw from level 85-88 (this was during the Christmas 2x so finding a Newtie map was pretty much impossible). Firebrands and Nightshadows are about as hard as Cornians and much more pot friendly.

I got 22-24%/hr, which was only a tad slower than Newties. Firebrands are a joke for Snipers and Outlaws. Freezing them renders them completely helpless in both forms.

what about every warrior, hermit, and ranger?

The insides of CWK 2 are going to be much harder than outside. The point im trying to make is that just because the LvL limit might be as low as 90, doesn't mean the monsters inside are going to be to the point where lvl 90's are going to be useful. Like I said before, APQ has a very low level limit. That doesn't mean people that low are going to be useful. Zakum has a lvl 50 minimum requirement... are we going to bring them inside to help? nope. HT has a lvl 80 requirement... same thing with that though. A pq with no level cap isn't going to be made for the minimum requirement. A pq like orbis/kerning where there is a level cap, the pq is going to be for that level range. CWK pq (according to prose) isn't going to have a limit just like APQ doesn't.

what about every warrior, hermit, and ranger?

The insides of CWK 2 are going to be much harder than outside. The point im trying to make is that just because the LvL limit might be as low as 90, doesn't mean the monsters inside are going to be to the point where lvl 90's are going to be useful. Like I said before, APQ has a very low level limit. That doesn't mean people that low are going to be useful. Zakum has a lvl 50 minimum requirement... are we going to bring them inside to help? nope. HT has a lvl 80 requirement... same thing with that though. A pq with no level cap isn't going to be made for the minimum requirement. A pq like orbis/kerning where there is a level cap, the pq is going to be for that level range. CWK pq (according to prose) isn't going to have a limit just like APQ doesn't.

And yet how he plans to allow them to survive is the question. In APQ you can stand around with no fear of death. In zak, HT, etc, you can go the second you have the HP requirement. If this boss is going to be that hard where the lower leveled members will be wiped out, possibly eliminating chances for bonus entry, what makes you think the starting level will be that low?

what about every warrior, hermit, and ranger?

The insides of CWK 2 are going to be much harder than outside. The point im trying to make is that just because the LvL limit might be as low as 90, doesn't mean the monsters inside are going to be to the point where lvl 90's are going to be useful. Like I said before, APQ has a very low level limit. That doesn't mean people that low are going to be useful. Zakum has a lvl 50 minimum requirement... are we going to bring them inside to help? nope. HT has a lvl 80 requirement... same thing with that though. A pq with no level cap isn't going to be made for the minimum requirement. A pq like orbis/kerning where there is a level cap, the pq is going to be for that level range. CWK pq (according to prose) isn't going to have a limit just like APQ doesn't.

Stereo is a Hermit. Rangers can handle them just fine as well, if with slightly less efficiency than a Sniper/Outlaw. Warriors are kind of screwed. I agree with the point you're making, I was just responding to your claim that CWK monsters were too hard for 8x/9x.

And yet how he plans to allow them to survive is the question. In APQ you can stand around with no fear of death. In zak, HT, etc, you can go the second you have the HP requirement. If this boss is going to be that hard where the lower leveled members will be wiped out, possibly eliminating chances for bonus entry, what makes you think the starting level will be that low?

They could also add a safe platform with something to do, like in gpq.

They could also add a safe platform with something to do, like in gpq.

That doesn't sound like nexon though. Adding a safe platform implies the users are useless. Who cares if what they can do up there "helps" (hit a reactor a few times, yay), they have to be more involved. I can't think of anything they could do on the sidelines to help other than weakening, and unless it's infinite it isn't going to be of much help...

Stereo is a Hermit. Rangers can handle them just fine as well, if with slightly less efficiency than a Sniper/Outlaw. Warriors are kind of screwed.

Fury's not bad either - it has higher range than Stormbreakers and Nightshadows & can snipe both pretty easily. (firebrands will mess you up, their breath is the same range as fury)

Real problemb is the 160+ acc you need >_<


In order of pot costs to do the CK quest chain (I did it 3 times) Paladin > DK > Hermit. The Hermit can take down any mob without getting hit, DK can take down 2/3 of them without touch, Paladin takes touch damage like a mofo since Stormbreaker hitbox is so variable (when they swing the spear) and ACB's range sucks.


On the other hand, only my Paladin can kill Guardians yet, mostly cause it's 30 levels higher (DK can't hit them, Hermit can't be hit by them) so if the interior of the Keep matches those, I guess it'll be more useful to be 4th job.




If the boss has a reactor that can turn off his phys/magic immunity (and other buffs), then non-attacking classes can be useful to break those reactors

I'm beginning to think that Lukan's spear may end up being one of the weapon rewards. All the other CWK NPC's weapon's are real as far as I can see. Tagrin has the raven's wing, Fiona has the stem whip, hell even Lukan's second weapon is a real weapon, his crushed skull 1H BW. The other two non-statue NPC I can think of don't have weapons.