[ADV] Simple Leveling Pattern for Dragons

[Racktor]

This is a reply to this post made by Lantis in the "Attn New players" thread.

Looking at his/her avatar, I'm very weakly guessing that they seem to play a dragon character. So, I opened this to share my leveling pattern/tactics with him/her, and the rest of the community as some sort of tip or whatever if you're stuck.

To start off, I have 4 ancient lvl 100 characters and a lvl 44 hatchling and I can definitely say that lvls 20-40 are a pain in the tail. Yes there are lots of side quests, but I generally don't do them because they are very long and I have done them before or... I'm lazy.

What I do to level "quickly" (about 2-4 levels a day if you're half-playing the game, or up to 10 if you're very very intent) is simply do quests. Quests, quests, quests, trophies, trophies, trophies! I pick up every single possible quest I can find around me (generally only ability quests though). Some quests overlap, so try not to miss any. Then, I go out and execute them. Really, it's simple. Most ability quests give out about 1/4-1/2 of a level of exp depending on the tier. The mobs also drop trophies which you can turn in for an (tiny if lvl 20) exp bonus.

You get ability quests every 5 levels. On the 10th, 20th, 30th, ect. levels you get about 5-7 quests. Then on the 15, 25, 35, ect. you get another 2-3. Haven't really counted. At level 40 or so, those 5-7 quests will get you to and past lvl 45. Then those 45 quests will bump you up to 50.

Rinse and repeat.

That's really all I do and why I get burnt out so easily. It's repetitive if that leveling pattern is all you do. But then again, that's what I said in the title; simple.

Also when I get 'stuck' with no quests, I go out and hunt a mob a few levels higher than me or on-level with me to get there. Generally that only happens at lvl 28 or 37 or so. For 28, I go for Large Ruxus. At 37, I hunt Granite Golems with the heals of an ancient.

So that's my pattern. What's yours? ^^

[Lantis]

Thanks for your post. I really hope some more people read it and can use it to there adantage.
That dragon costume is to disguise me as a dragon. I dont want to be mistaken as a gnome .

[Kaelia]

Great advice! I've been putting together a sort of dragon leveling guide as well; many guides actually, as I've noticed it's somewhat difficult to find current information on many subjects now that the game is being updated so frequently.

I've managed to level my dragon from 1 to 30 in about a week, doing just as you've described. Granted I've been playing more than usual as I'm sick, but it shows that leveling isn't as nearly as slow and impossible as it sometimes seems when you're first starting out.

[Northwind]

I never, ever, had any issues leveling the Dragon. The biped on the other way...

[LOVWYRM]

North- I play a drag since summer 2004.
When I started to grow up Luna (2 years ago), fun started at lvl 30-40.
I said this before, I feel the first level are really hard.
Esp. if you have to play them all by yourself
So I agree with Racktor.
But anyway-no pain -no gain

Thank you for the input Racktor

[Racktor]

You're welcome everyone who has said thank you!

Also North, I've seen many people who have actually quit because it's "too hard" before. Mostly it's people who don't put effort in, but still.

[Northwind]

He he, Racktor. You are sooo **** right.

I started Northpole. But as a single solo biped in crap gear and with no help at all - I quit playing him at lvl 15 war / 10 cle
So I'm one of them

Then I started the dragon - OMG - that was a such breeze and I loved any single minute of his adventuring.
It is somehow slower at levels below 30 - but waaaay faster than my biped was leveling.


PS. Let me be clear: I'm Not saying that Dragons are easy goin, but merely that they are easier to level than a single classed biped

[Racktor]

Haha yep. Bipeds are a huge pain, but from what you see uber peds can do, they're certainly rewarding. ;D I've leveled about 3 characters to 14, 44, and 30 in less the time it took me to level my biped to 11... xD

The thing is, dragons are stronger and can take things on on their own much easier than a single class biped. Still some people have their own opinions on it.

....I just can't seem to find the biped quests! xD

[awdz]

....I just can't seem to find the biped quests! xD

Adventuring quests are either general or school-based. If general, dragons can do them too. Dragons have only one adventuring school, so the school-based quests have been well developed. Bipeds have a gazillion (okies, so I don't know the exact number, something more than 10) of different adventuring schools, and I think in the past the quests got divided among them, so a single-class biped was comparatively limited on how many quests they could do. I'm also not sure what's currently in game for adventure-class quests, but I've enjoyed the expanded ones at high level, like rangers being able to do the burning archer quest.

[Andrakhyn]

To start off, I have 4 ancient lvl 100 characters and a lvl 44 hatchling and I can definitely say that lvls 20-40 are a pain in the tail.

I recently levelled another hatchling to 40. I do think some of the low level dragon quests are difficult (but not impossible) to solo. When you're level 70 and mobs are 5 levels higher than you it's not a problem. It is when you're level 15.

At those low levels I think you're better off not doing some of those quests straight away. Put on some levels first. Otherwise it could be painful.

For specific advice, levels 31-35 is incredibly easy. There's a Town Marshall and Trophy Hunter quest in Chiconis for killing ruxus - which spawn within spitting distance of the quest givers.

Do the lvel 30 gold rage quest, repeat the above until you hit 35, then do all the other level 30+ dragon quests. Should get you close to 40.

Personaly I find just killing mobs to usually be quicker than doing quests because of all the downtime running/flying to and fro. Find a good spot and slaughter everything in sight. Ruxus (eg. on Abandoned Island) are good candidates. Not social. Weak defences. They go down like lead balloons. Golems are also usually fairly easy.

Their loot isn't very exciting but the xp is solid.

If you want to do town marshall quests, find mobs who spawn reasonably close to a teleport pad - eg. Lapis Lazuli golems for 36-40. They're a short glide from the Observatory. Dragon quests are often good because they lead you to sites like this.

[Northwind]

...Personaly I find just killing mobs to usually be quicker than doing quests...

Yeap, word!
And if you kill them with a purpose, other than xp, leveling seems even faster.

I remember my Dragon in lower 60's. I decided that lvl 60 teched crafting armors would be a nice improvement over what I was wearing at the time, so I proceeded to hunt for components.
When I had all components sorted out I realized that I was really close to 80. OMG
No point to bother with lvl 60 armors anymore.

[Racktor]

To each their own. I get really bored killing the same mobs over and over again, which is why I mentioned quests so it may seem like less of a "grind". My good friend Cynny tends to just grind on mobs twice her level or more because she loves the challenge and the exp.

Of course, I also hate ending up with quests at the end for the ARoP. xD

[Andrakhyn]

And if you kill them with a purpose, other than xp, leveling seems even faster.

Definitely.

I returned to find my lair - which I'd given to a friend before leaving - was for sale but had been reclassified and now cost 5g instead of 500 silver. I was several gold short.

I started kill for cash at level 82 and was 95 by the time I had enough.

To each their own. I get really bored killing the same mobs over and over again....

I can only take so much of it too. Unless I'm particularly eager to level the most I can take is an hour or so before I need to flap away to something else.

But in terms of efficiency I think it works out to be better than questing a lot of the time.

[lonewolf_kai]

This is a reply to this post made by Lantis in the "Attn New players" thread.

Looking at his/her avatar, I'm very weakly guessing that they seem to play a dragon character. So, I opened this to share my leveling pattern/tactics with him/her, and the rest of the community as some sort of tip or whatever if you're stuck.

To start off, I have 4 ancient lvl 100 characters and a lvl 44 hatchling and I can definitely say that lvls 20-40 are a pain in the tail. Yes there are lots of side quests, but I generally don't do them because they are very long and I have done them before or... I'm lazy.

What I do to level "quickly" (about 2-4 levels a day if you're half-playing the game, or up to 10 if you're very very intent) is simply do quests. Quests, quests, quests, trophies, trophies, trophies! I pick up every single possible quest I can find around me (generally only ability quests though). Some quests overlap, so try not to miss any. Then, I go out and execute them. Really, it's simple. Most ability quests give out about 1/4-1/2 of a level of exp depending on the tier. The mobs also drop trophies which you can turn in for an (tiny if lvl 20) exp bonus.

You get ability quests every 5 levels. On the 10th, 20th, 30th, ect. levels you get about 5-7 quests. Then on the 15, 25, 35, ect. you get another 2-3. Haven't really counted. At level 40 or so, those 5-7 quests will get you to and past lvl 45. Then those 45 quests will bump you up to 50.

Rinse and repeat.

That's really all I do and why I get burnt out so easily. It's repetitive if that leveling pattern is all you do. But then again, that's what I said in the title; simple.

Also when I get 'stuck' with no quests, I go out and hunt a mob a few levels higher than me or on-level with me to get there. Generally that only happens at lvl 28 or 37 or so. For 28, I go for Large Ruxus. At 37, I hunt Granite Golems with the heals of an ancient.

So that's my pattern. What's yours? ^^

Excellent posting, especially for me as I'm an extremely casual player and leveling is a pain for me.

Just one question/suggestion to add to the guide (especially for newbies like me): How do you know which quests are the Ability quests?

Also @Andrakhyn, a guide to flat out killing mobs would be nice too. Like which mobs to go after when starting out, what to kill in the 20's, 30's, 40's, etc.

[Racktor]

Glad you appreciate it.

I'd add it up there if I could edit it, but the ability quests are the quests generally with the ability name, level, and then the quest title.
Ex:
"Gold Rage VII: One Strange Oastic"
(That name isn't 100% accurate)

All of the ability names follow the same pattern. The abilities I can recall off the top of my head are:
Hardened Scales
Gold Rage
Drain Strike
Spiked Scales
Dragon's Reach
Primal Instant Heal
Accurate Breath
Dragon's Gift

There may be more. Almost all trainers for ability quests are either in the floating rock/crystal islands in Dralk or Chiconis. There are a few "hidden" ones, such as the Spiked Scales trainer in the cave underneath the Dralk floating lair, and the Gold Rage & Dragon's Gift trainer in the cave near the southern exit of Chiconis. All ability quests start at Gerix in Kion, however, and he has a complete list of all the quests. (However not all are available at first if you are below level 15)

[Racktor]

In a sort of 'follow up' to this, I made a list of all the Dragon trainers for anyone who needs it.