Crystals and Treasure Chests

[Miki McNaughty]

Not to long after Elemental Crystals became the most important, hardest to obtain imbuing material on Pandora, they were added to SoS and TMap chests, special Khaldun chests amd more. Not in great numbers, but random, maybe every 5 to 8 maps you would dig, you would get a crystal(s). Having removed them, makes them sooooo much harder to get for all of us. Those of us, like myself, who help the new or younger players get the boost they need to hunt and explore Pandora, or just helping a neighbor who needs crystals, will find themselves helping less and less. Not because they want to, but because they won't have the extra resources. I have never charged anyone to do their imbuing and if they don't have materials it doesn't matter. To tell new and young players "No imbue without mats" is just keeping them unable to grow, to become excited about the next level, and ultimately becoming the long time player. I remember my first good weapon, it was forged and fully imbued by Jest so I could go to a Champion spawn With Nigel Horns and Jest. I only lasted 10 minutes before I died, but I was so excited. It made me want to be bigger, badder, stronger, and work harder to get there. I still use that axe 800 days later. By removing the crystals I beleive in the long run it's going to lessen our ability to Pay it Forward. Just a thought!  Please rethink your decision.  Thanks  Miki

[Tyrone Biggums]

Not long ago someone else posted that crystals are hard to get. I replied by saying its the LAST hard thing on the game to get. No one  listened to me and now crystals are easier then ever. Any champs spawn or peerless can drop 5-12 crystals of every type. In the PvM room yesterday the champ dropped 840 earth crystals, 840!!! Come on crystals are nothing to get anymore, even running thru a dungeon I get a few each time while looking for people in Fel. I didn't want  it easier before because there's nothing to work for. When our guild did a champ it was awesome to get 3, now we get so many we tell the other person just loot it we don't need em. I can't even sell 12 earth crystals for 500k on my vendor anymore. It's a dead market. Gold is nothing to get on this shard, I've had a new  char tell me he gave away 2 mill to a friend because he told me gold was easy to get. So if anyone wants to buy crystals HMU

[Dewo]

I don't get it. Where is the fun if you got feed with silver spoon. Its not like it is imposible to start from zero. First runes will be slow, but every next one comes faster. PS are relatively cheap, even stat scrools dont cost milions + at begining every skill is set to 100. Also meatshield can be tamed prety easy.
..So totaly doable, just need a litle bit of time.

[Miki McNaughty]

I see your point, 840 earth crystals on one champ.  It took me almost 2 years to get the great armour and all the accessories that goes with it. I built it one piece at a time, working hard and paying someone else to do the imbuing or purchasing a piece here and there.  I didn't start imbuing until after I soloed my first Champion about 5 months ago.  What took me so long, I have no idea. I read wiki alot, made alot of mistakes, had to take apart and start over. I learned and I also had to learn the best way for me to farm crystals and it was treasure chests. Aside from crystals most of the mats neeeded are there and over time it also gave me the chance to help others. Not everyone neeeds the help but I feel good when someones asks and I xan answer with a big "I sure can."  Im sure  I will figure it out.  Tyrone how about a pm so you can whisper the Champ with the 840, lol, I can just make them that way!

[DamJ.NeT]

Ahahaha 840 ?! You obviously got a bugged pack, this is insane... I personnaly found 7 earth 2 fire and 1 poison crystal so far. And yes I nearly only farm in Felluca.
Tho I noticed some places don't seem to give rough stones or crystals at all...

So Tyrone I understand when you are a well set player it could seem 'easy', specially if you solo champs/peerless...
But what I see is crystals are not that easy to get in dungeons, and with a new gargoyle char in a house that give +5% and the special forge, I have 30% chances to do an unraveling rune... And around 20% to craft any other rune...

Bad RNG luck, to get ONE unravelling rune I used 15 rough stones last time...
I don't even imagine how many crystals and imbue mats I'm gonna need to craft a few runes...

I was tempted to buy mats... but if I get that unlucky I'm better off buying already crafted runes / imbued items. Maybe you should do that, instead of selling crystals, sell runes...

[Tyrone Biggums]

I'll make it easier since i'm bored outta my mind today, PM me what u need  and I'll help u out.

How did Chappelle say it? Oh yea, I'm Rich Biotch

Anyways I've helped out I think 3 new players with full suits and  better weps then some vets have in the past week and it didn't hurt me. All ya gotta do is ask for help, just cause i'm red doesn't mean I don't help people, it means i'm bored with PvM and rather just attack anyone.

[Miki McNaughty]

I still think that the crystals should still be spawning in chests!

[Balinor]

I too am in the school that Crystals are not that hard to get.  But after pondering on it a bit I realize that outside of Tyrone and a few champs not much kills me these days. 

A new player, the one who truely needs the crytals for the first time would have a hard time gathering them.  Having a crystal or two appear in level 2 and 3 chest wouldn't hurt.   The fact you have to get a map, go dig a map, fight the spawn from the map, I doubt anyone would farm them just for the crystals thinking to get rich. 

[d35tr0y]

over the past couple weeks since the new player patch I have made a new char and asked for no help nor did I get any help form my other characters since then I have managed to imbue full newb suit from newb dungeon and have no problem now hunting in the regular dungeons to farm crystals for my suit im not against some 1-2 spawning randomlyin a t-map but they need to be rare much more than they are now it makes it toooooo easy even for a new char IMO

anyone remember farming relics? the old imbue system? most people are lucky here on how easy it is i recall farming in a group for hours on end to come up with maybe 20-30 relics then turn around to fail on over 50% of the imbues some 200 relics for a full suit and weps took me 2 years then to get an entire fully imbued suit 2 YEARS and that was close to 6 hours a day game play in 2 years i didnt log on for about 5 days

it needs to be harder much harder than it is now most of all the economy needs to be wiped and balanced i honestly feel if we do that players will want to play/stay here sorry to get off topic typing is not my thing

[Balinor]

I feel an economy wipe would be the worst thing ever.   You may improve for a short time the experience for a newcomer, but to wipe away the wealth collected by a dedicated long supporting player base many of which have donated real money, and in some instances large amounts of real money over time, would be a huge slap in the face to them. 

The UO system has always led to an unbalanced economy, it is the way of the game and I have yet to find a shard that  was able to control over time.   On the other hand the player base here is more than friendly with the wealth they have acquired and most new players have very good gear and powerscrolls in just a short time. 

What I see as a major downfall to all uo shards is the lack of endgame content and a player who is gifted tons of gear and gold to begin with lacks the investment in building thier own legacy and then has nothing left to accomplish so burn out happens much faster. 

I forget that we have a newbie dungeon I didn't spend much time there when I started cause it bored me.   I suppose it probably is a good gateway for new players to become self sufficient.

[Horns Nigel]

I remember farming the relics, what a BIG PITA!!!  Most new people have no idea what we had to go thru or how long it took, the new system has a few drawbacks, but i would never want to return to anything close to what it used to be....Nigel

[Tyrone Biggums]

I just think the crystals need to be turned down some. I've said this since April when the drop rate was increased by a LOT. people can't even sell things now a days. No one buys anything because it's so easy to make it.

[d35tr0y]

wipe was probably the wrong word mainly need to balance the economy imo its very important for new players that is one of the reason i chose pandora over 3 years ago was when i joined the economy was balanced to me that is key and keeps players interested in a sence

Crystals could definately be lowered same thing with unraveling now we can unravel to get all imbuing matts needed no longer need the abyss (mini champs) place is a ghost town that was another one of them things was a pain to do but it was something to work for

[Balinor]

I would love to discuss ways to balance the economy, perhaps a new thread.  The only problem really is that UO does not have any upkeep cost for players or characters.   99% of people don't even have to buy reg.   

And there is no crafting or profession for newer players to earn money as they build thier kit.  Most people barely craft so even ingots and wood are not even in high demand. 

[Horns Nigel]

Mini champs could be brought back by simply adding a chance for a rare or custom drop, this would bring everyone back to doing them again....Nigel