by Moorgard on 2001-09-14
Nixx reports that some much-needed changes have been made to Chardok:- Experience gain is comparable to that in Velketor's Labyrinth
- Some roamers in the halls have been replaced by statics
- Level 55-60 Kunark spells are dropping "like candy"
Chardok, in case you weren't aware, is one of the most dreaded zones in the game. My guild hates it, and people immediately curse at the mention of this place.
Why? Mostly because the bad pathing, aggro through walls, the old gate & summon trick mobs like to use, and other odd mob behaviors. But because several classes require trips to this zone to complete their epics, Chardok is seen as a necessary evil.
Aside from the odd group fighting near the zone line or raids for epic pieces, Chardok sits empty almost all the time.
Wisely, Verant is doing something about underused dungeons. Runnyeye and the aforementioned Velk's Lab have already received upgrades in both experience and loot, as well as improved mob behavior. Velk's went from being a place people ran through on their way to fight boss mobs to being a zone that surpasses Sebilis in terms of popularity on many servers. Runnyeye, while remaining geared towards mid-level players, became a much more player-friendly place.
Chardok, which is fairly accessible from either Skyfire or Dreadlands, could become another outlet for high-level players who don't necessarily want to take on 100,000+ hitpoint mobs in Velious all the time.
But even more importantly, the new version of Chardok on Test is fertile ground for level 55-60 Kunark spells. Why is this such a big deal?
Because some Kunark spells, especially the shaman's malo and torpor, are ridiculously rare. Since this class is so dependent upon their ability to debuff a mob and slow it, the lack of malo can be a huge emotional drain upon a shaman. While torpor is only useful in certain situations, there are times when such a huge, low-cost heal would help out greatly.
Casters need full spellbooks to feel their class is useful, and shamans in particular feel a dependency upon these two spells. Aside from Veeshan's Peak--not exactly an easy place to go--Kunark dragons and the Emperor in Sebilis offer the best shots at malo and torpor, but even long camps usually come up dry.
While Verant shouldn't make crucial items into freebies, the availability of certain spells takes on an issue of greater importance to the players of that class: they are necessary to feel a useful part of a guild and a raid. If slowing mobs is the shaman's class-defining ability, then malo becomes a vital component to fulfilling that role in the high-end game. Let's hope that the changes to Chardok do go live and the spell drop rates remain favorable, because happy shamans means happy raids... and happy players all around.
Oh, and by the way, Verant needs to upgrade the loot in Chardok to really make it a winner. As the Velk's upgrade proved, nothing brings the players like great exp and phat lewtz.