Candy Popping Your Contacts for Solo xp

[Jim_G]

Here's another little exploit-ey trick for soloing that I stumbled on a few days ago.

My main scrapper had just hit level 21, so I was starting to hunt in Talos Island, but I got a contact in Independence Port. The Port is still a risky place at 21, even around the train everything is at least yellow and red.

The contact was right near the station, fortunately. While I was getting a mission from him, I noticed I could see a group of red minions from the Family just a block away. I glanced at his store, and saw that he's one of the contacts that actually sells all six flavors of inspiration-candy. Then I realized that although the relative cost of enhancements has of course gone up with each level, that isn't true of inspirations. The basic ones still cost 50, which is just pocket change after you get past level 15 or so. Essentially they are free, the limit the devs place on us is just how many you can carry at once.

Except that since the mobs were just a few yards away I didn't have to carry anything, so that wasn't really a limitation, was it? I decided to push my luck and go after the reds. At 21, soloing a group of reds is a good way to eat pavement, so it all depended on how I managed the inspirations. I only had 8 slots, so I bought and ate 4 reds and 4 purples (you can eat the candy without even leaving the store). Then I quickly bought and ate 3 yellows, and grabbed few blues and greens in case of trouble. I 'ported over to the scary looking group of reds, said a prayer to the gods of mayhem, and jumped in.

It wasn't easy, exactly, but it was possible, and a heck of a lot of fun. I was careful about the order I had eaten the candy, so when I saw my reds starting to drop I knew I had just a few seconds left to finish or retreat before the purples expired. Fortunately they were all down to a sliver and a single AoE dropped the remaining three. The influence I got was something like 10 times the cost of the inspirations, plus they dropped several high level DO enhancements worth far more.

I just stayed in the area, candy popping the contact, and taking out groups for the next two levels. This is certainly a high risk/high gain kind of strategy, but it worked very well, and made for short, intense battles. I died several times, but the xp was good enough I didn't really mind. I'm on a dial-up connection, and the biggest risk was getting a map server disconnect because of all the hero activity near the train station. Dropping your connection in the middle of a pack of reds pretty mucn guarantees you a ride in the ambulance.

I'm hesitant to mention this last point, since it's REALLY on the edge of an exploit--you can even pull a group back to the contact, go in to the store, and keep on fighting while you munch that sweet candy! I tried to avoid this since other heroes need to come to the contact, but the fights are generally pretty short when you're standing there gobbling reds and yellows as fast as you can buy them.

[SteveII]

Very cool idea. Never thought of doing something like that.

I wouldn't call that an exploit because of the very high risk.

[Psyconus_Prime]

Honestly dude, this game has been out since May (not including beta), and you think your the first person to figure this out? When i was doing this last summer it never crossed my mind that this was something hard to figure out.

[Jim_G]

[ QUOTE ]
you think your the first person to figure this out?

[/ QUOTE ]

Nope. I think I'm the first person to write about it in an easily accessible form, include specific tactics like the order of candy munching, and share the information on the boards.

[ QUOTE ]
Very cool idea. Never thought of doing something like that.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks! It's funny, but now I've gotten used to these pumped-up battles, and I find it a little hard to go back to standard missions. Normally, a large group of whites with a few yellows is actually threatening, but I've been pummeling oranges and reds for two levels and I have to readjust. I know people talk about "embracing your debt," but I'd rather keep it far, far away. Kind of like a distant aunt you only hug when really necessary.

[TheRockit]

Nice post and defense of such! I think with some range enhancements and a good sniper shot my Blaster may be able to solo on these ideas when the team ups are slim. Thanks!

[WingedKagouti_NA]

That was the way my level 5 or 6 Tanker solo'ed a level 5 Eochai during the Halloween event.

Spent more inf than I earned but the badge and xp was great for the level.

[Chick]

Brains over brawn
2 points

[Cheekers]

LOL. I did that with my Steel Canyon contact when my kin defender was 16! Run to the contact, buy 4 lucks and run around the block killing what I could. Rinse and repeat.

It kinda gets old though.

[Jim_G]

[ QUOTE ]
It kinda gets old though.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, I'm sure it will, but the xp I'm getting is so lovely it's hard to stop. In a different thread somebody said "A power gamer is someone who, if they find they can get experience most effectively by standing in one place and jumping, will do that for hours, and honestly have a good time doing it."

[ZeroG_NA]

I've done this as well. It allows a blaster to have scrapper like defenses while mass slaughtering an area. You can even herd farm portal corp missions with a blaster due to the handy contact at the entrance to portal corp. It does feel like a super cheap tactic because 50 inf per insp is truly meaningless compared to the inf per kill as you get higher level.

I hate street grinding but it is amazing how fast you can rack up the kills when hunting around a contact in an area with mobs higher level than you would otherwise be fighting. I like 2 green, 2 blue and the rest luck. That way you have no downtime between batches of mobs and can periodically restock from the contact.

It gets old quick.

[MissInformed]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
you think your the first person to figure this out?

[/ QUOTE ]

Nope. I think I'm the first person to write about it in an easily accessible form, include specific tactics like the order of candy munching, and share the information on the boards.


[/ QUOTE ]

And The Award for Troll Handling goes to... Jim_G

Thanks for taking the time to put this together and post it for everyone.

[SBeaudway]

well I have been playing since April and never thought of this... Must be just dumb!

Great post!

Hmmm, I wonder if filling my tray with rages would let my non-pet controller solo... Interesting....

naw, + 300% of crap damage is still crap damage!

:D

[ColdSnapps]

I do this in Brickstown at level 36. I have contacts all over the zone... one near the hospital, two along the south wall, one on the east wall, and one near the train. It's a very simple matter to run to a contact and get 300% damage and 300% defense whenever I see a nice, juicy group of reds/purples spawn.

If you do a few missions from those contacts, they'll offer all insps. If you haven't done any missions, all you can get is Enrage, Luck, and CaB.

[reyalp]

[ QUOTE ]
I do this in Brickstown ...........If you do a few missions from those contacts, they'll offer all insps. If you haven't done any missions, all you can get is Enrage, Luck, and CaB.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yea pure gravy in Bricks with just those Inspirs. Lvl 31 scrapper and I munch down on Enrage and Luck go prowlin for that group of 5th Column 35s.

[d0a0b]

This can also be done at the contact at the AP entrance to the Hollows. He too starts selling all insps from the beginning.

[TheHawkes]

How is it I never thought of this before now :o Oh well those troll's are in for a supprise as soon as I can log in :p

[Retro]

i wouldnt call that an exploit at all, what, would you want the contact to not sell inspires?

anyway i figured that out a long while back when my 1st toon was lvl10 or so by watching others, and ive NEVER seen anyone lvl22+ use this ability, there is just no need, 1st lvl inspires are crap by then.

[Jim_G]

[ QUOTE ]
ive NEVER seen anyone lvl22+ use this ability

[/ QUOTE ]

Right now I'm level 23, and continuing to candy pop in Independence Port, although I'm usually loading up and leaving rather than eating them right at the contact. Three purples, three reds, and two yellows fit in my tray just fine, and provide a big boost to my powers. It's harder to find a group of red mobs now, but within 2 'ports distance I can usually find a group of oranges near a group of yellows, herd them together, and have a nice little battle.

[ QUOTE ]
1st lvl inspires are crap by then.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you're accurately expressing the general attitude, but of course they're still exactly the same level of + to defense and damage that they were at level 1. Three reds and purples are +75% to each. Most heroes don't have either defense or damage at the cap, so the candy is still a big boost.

[SBeaudway]

Well my lvl 26 controller is candy popping 6 rages to kill -4 con mobs for kill X missions. Works great for my pathetic attacks! HA!

[Compgod_]

i did this in bricks from 33-37 in Bricks. I would buy 15 +def from a contact, find 3, 4, or 5 large spawns of nmes in close range, pop 8 +def turn on lightning field and gather up all 5 groups and have them close in on me, pop 8 +def, then Nova everything :D then i would finish off the rest of them. Nova was up again by the time i filled up on inspirations.

[MissInformed]

[ QUOTE ]
...ive NEVER seen anyone lvl22+ use this ability, there is just no need, 1st lvl inspires are crap by then.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not always. I'm lvl 42 and just this weekend I soloed a Rikti mission filled with mentalists. I'm an empathy defender with clear mind, but I can't use it on myself. Usually I have to get a friend to help me just so I can get around the mentalists. But this time I wanted to play alone, so I loaded up on 10 of the light purple clear mind (can't remember what they're called) inspirations and got through my mission without being held once.

[Kevin_Schultz]

As previously posted, this technique rocks the cazbah on the south side of Brickstown. I used it in the deserts of lvls 37-39, when I had run out of missions and didn't care to do the relevent TF for the umpteenth time. I also used it to get out of debt when I couldn't find a lower-level character to exemplar with, or when I would power-level a friend for an hour.

The modifications I used to this technique are based on the assumption that you're fighting yellows and oranges, plus the occasional Red. Therefore, the emphasis here is on continual, low-risk street-sweeping, rather than intense combat excitement.

_______________________________________________

1. Get rid of all Revives

Normally I would carry one or two. However, you're near enough to a hospital that you can easily go there if necessary. Also, you're not doing anything time-critical that will require that you get up and fight right away.

While this normally would be a no-brainer, you need to keep it in mind when you get drops from minions: occasionally they give you a Rez, and you need to be sure to get rid of it as soon as you see it. This will free up your slots to get a more useful Insp, such as a Luck.

2. Always engage with 2 Lucks running

This is the main technique. At the levels I was playing I had enough accuracy and damage that I really didn't need any additional benefit (Build Up + Aim = Dmg and Acc cap), but as a blaster I had lousy defense. Thus, the main thing was to ensure that I didn't get hit. This was the main restriction on my technique, as you really don't get drops fast enough to replenish the two Lucks you use every combat (or so). Therefore, I ended up running between two contacts, replenishing my Luck as necessary.

3. Use Damage and Accuracy insps when you get them

While this makes the encounters go slighty faster (build up + aim doesn't carry you through the whole thing), it's mainly there to keep your inventory open in order to gain Luck drops. The exception for me was when I wanted to use Nova, as I only had a few slots in that power, and most of were filled with recharge reductions.

4. Keep a couple of Health inps around for an emergency

Again, a basic tactic. No real big insight here.

5. Keep one or two End insps for Nova

This is just your basic Nova tactic: buff it up as much as possible, and keep a Breath around to help you keep alive if your big blast misses anything.

6. Remember to sell

Another no-brainer, but it needs to be said. You'll be building up enhancements, and you may as well hit Seraphina (the NPC store) every so often. It's not a real necessary tactic, but it does break up the monotony of street-cleaning.

7. Follow the advice given here consistantly

This may seem to be an odd rule, but I found myself ignoring my own advice on a fairly regular basis. The reason for this is that the rules given here are a bit overkill - obviously, most players can can take on small-to-medium groups of yellow and orange minions without dying. However, doing so pushes the risk out to the point where, over the course of a couple of hours, you're pretty much guarenteed to get into a coule of situations where the risk of debt is high.

My personal form of unluck (aka "honing my stupid sense") usually came in the form of 5th Column bosses - they look almost exactally like other troops, and so I would engage a medium sized group without both Lucks running and suddenly find myself dead.

The alternate version of this would be when I wouldn't refresh my Lucks right after a quick fight, thinking that they'll last thought the next one. The times I died were when they didn't QUITE last the rest of the entire fight, and I don't notice their absence until after the Paragon Protector buried her fist into my spleen.

What was even more odd was that I kept doing this, thinking that the last time was a fluke. Or worse, I kept doing it, even though I KNEW that it was risky, and that there was a very good chance that I would fail and get more debt. When this happens, I decided on rule number 8:

8. If you find yourself ignoring this advice, go do something else - you're getting bored

This was my solution to gaining more debt while trying to get rid of debt. The tactic is sound, but only if you consistantly follow it. However, consistantly following the tactic is boring. Therefore, set yourself a limit as to how much XP you want to get, and once you get it, stop playing that character for a while.

_________________________________________________

With this tactic, I was usually able to engage in 5-7 encounters before hitting up one of my 3 contacts in the area (two along the wall, plus that guy next to the hospital). It worked to get me though the dry levels of the upper 30's, and now that I have missions again, I'm happy to say that I don't feel the need to do it any more.

:p

[AnotherDeadHero]

[ QUOTE ]
anyway i figured that out a long while back when my 1st toon was lvl10 or so by watching others, and ive NEVER seen anyone lvl22+ use this ability, there is just no need, 1st lvl inspires are crap by then.


[/ QUOTE ]

My level 47 does it on the streets of Peregrine, come by anytime. Been doing it since I was level 1, I call it Close-Contact Fighting, or Contact Fighting.

Sure the level 1 inspirations arent as good as the highers, but then again I have more slots, and 2 level 1's are better than a level 2, and equal to a level 3.

Someone was giving me a hard time about it, and I told them, inspirations 50 inf, not getting hit/held priceless.

[Jim_G]

Kevin_Schultz: Thanks for the thoughtful additions--you make several great points.

It's funny, Positron posted "Our goal is for you never to run out of missions or things to do... 'street hunting' should be an absolute last resort... not just something you have to do from 34 to get new missions at 35."

The thing is, if you really want to advance effectively, candy popping and street cleaning is generally far easier and safer than missions, at least for the solo hero. Last night I decided to do a timed door mission to reconnect to the spirit of the game, but then at the end I had a missing glowie I had to spend 15 minutes hunting down. I was more connected to the "spirit" of the game cleaning the streets than I was running around playing "hunt the missing object." I hope they add a power to lets you see glowies and mobs on the map: THAT would really be useful!


[ QUOTE ]
Someone was giving me a hard time about it, and I told them, inspirations 50 inf, not getting hit/held priceless.


[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, it's funny, the different attitudes people have about this, like Eric saying that level 1 inspires are crap. They don't seem to be thinking things through, but to be having a knee-jerk reaction to the idea of anything being "level 1." Or perhaps the person who saw you doing that had the opposite reaction--rather than the inspirations being usefuless, they made the game too easy.

Oh well, just another way people who use their brains can rise to the top! ;-)

[OfficerCarrot]

.....how could I have never thought of this........

*smacks head*

[Pixiedust]

[ QUOTE ]
.....how could I have never thought of this........

*smacks head*

[/ QUOTE ]

UGH! DITTO!

*grabs Carrot's hand and smacks self with it*

[Nishnig_Jones]

I thought of it, but it just never seemed to fit my playstyle. I like missions, but as long as you're having fun, you're getting your $15/month worth right?

[BigT_TheFront]

great info! thanks guys!!

[Robotech_Master]

Interesting advice. Got me killed the first time I tried it with my dark/dark Defender, but the next time, when I accidentally aggroed a crowd of orange-red Freaks while getting a mission from Merisel in Bricks, it saved my bacon.

This trick is useful for ambushes that come from getting missions, too, by the way. Every time you get a 5th Column mission in Brickstown, for instance, you'll get an ambush to go with it. Take the mission then pop up on inspirations and by the time you're done, your appointed mobs should have come right up to you.

I've gone ahead and incorporated this tip (and a link to the thread) into my Comprehensive Guide to Rapid XP Gain & Debt Loss, by the way.

[Arctic_Spear]

Great Strat. I don't consider it an exploit because all you are doing increasing your reward. The risk goes up too.

I figured this strat out in my early 10s when I got a kill 10 5th Column mission. Around the contact, there were a bunch of 5th, but they all conned orange. Loaded up on purps(The key to surviving boss fights), reds, a yellow, and a green and a blue in case things went south. Mopped the floor with them, and declared myself the awesome.

[Jim_G]

[ QUOTE ]
I've gone ahead and incorporated this tip (and a link to the thread) into my Comprehensive Guide

[/ QUOTE ]

Great! I'm pleased I could contribute something to the greater community. This is a good example of a tactic that in retrospect seems obvious, but for most of us only in retrospect.

About the temptation to run off to a second group and squeeze in another battle: I've found doing a little mini-herding is much safer. Find two groups that are close together, hit somebody in group one so they aggro, run to second group, and fight them both at once. The counter intuitive thing is that you should make the more dangerous group the second one you run to. There's a lag time for group one to reach group two, so they actually spend less time getting smacked/burned/iced/sliced/diced.

Candy popping should be even more useful when issue #3 goes live. Increased mob hitpoints and xp will make it very tempting to stay near a contact and munch. We'll have to adjust to longer battle times, though, which might make the double-grouping kind of risky.

Anyone recall offhand when you get more than 10 candy slots? My other heroes I barely noticed, but I'm really looking forward to more slots now.

[James_Bonnell]

Third row of inspirations at 25, fourth row at 40. You get 20 slots max.

I've done this since my now-50 kinetic was 22, off and on. IP was great for this, as near the tram there are several contacts, and a brief hop away are lots of 5th, Family, and Tsoo in appropriate level range.

It's repetitive and definitely gets old, but I think I went from 23 to 24 in two hours doing that.

I was also doing that some in PI in the 40s when I was on at odd times or SG mates weren't on ... Blackstar + Fulcrum Shift = even to +2s nuked, no problem. It wasn't worth wasting on even cons, though, yellows, only just... oranges usually great.

But to reliably nuke +3s, with 3 damage SOs and a reliable +100% damage from Fulcrum Shift (even with an acc AND slotted Tactics, FS has an acc penalty - and it would miss up to 5 of 10-12 nems.)...

... 4 enrageds. Good old, basic enrageds would push my nuke to the damage cap reliably... which would usually kill or leave +3s with a sliver, easily dispatched with Dark Blast.

This works for possessed scientists also. I'd probably chew down 4 disciplines to fight a group of these guys... bloodly lack of status protection...

[BlackDecember]

I'm candy popping right now in Brickstown using the contact right by the hospital and I'm leveling quite nicely. It IS a little repetitive, but a nice way to either elimiinate debt or get those last two or three bubbles you need to get you to the next level.

[selflove]

I did this a lot in Talos too. It's like buying quad damage and running around blowing things up Quake style.

Also, for those that don't know (and I know there are because I still meet lvl 40+ players that don't know this), if you right click on the inspiration you want to buy, then press B you will buy it. And if you press B twice really fast, you'll buy 2 of them.

[Pixiedust]

[ QUOTE ]
Also, for those that don't know (and I know there are because I still meet lvl 40+ players that don't know this), if you right click on the inspiration you want to buy, then press B you will buy it. And if you press B twice really fast, you'll buy 2 of them.

[/ QUOTE ]

oh hell. that work for enhancements too? If so, very good to know whern it's time to update all 50 slots :p

[Amazing_Ant]

I actually discovered this trick by accident in the Hollows while trying to talk to Talshak contact and somehow aggroed a group of pumicites. since I had the dialog box opened I clicked store instead of mission and was able to survive the encounter. When it came time to hunt X number of pumicites I had a plan and although it is a little harder, it will work while trying to stop the damming in the Red River where you seem to only find red/purple con enemies in the area you have to hunt. Overall I have found it most useful in the Hollows but very handy elsewhere.

[Netwyrm]

I do this, especially with low-level characters who don't yet take debt, with a slight variation. In the SG base, we placed an Inspiration Rack next to the Resurrection Altar, next to the telepads. I load up the Inspiration Dispenser with 100 useful inspirations, then start loading up and rezzing in base, using the base portal to return to the zone, or the telepad if the zoning point is closer to the mish.

Over and over again. One alt used it this morning at 7 to beat up the requisite 10 Circle Mages in Perez Park. Another used it at 41 to take down Fake Nemesis on the Peregine Docks last night for the Unveiler badge, until he could complete the prerequisites for the Freedom Phalanx accolade... (really wanted that!).

[Pep_Cat]

=0_o=

This thread must've just respec'd into a self-rez power. <_<

:p


I was going to post, after reading some of the "why didn't anybody think of this" threads, that somebody did in fact think of this some time ago, and posted it here. <_<

Of course, that would be this very thread. =^_^=

Although I wouldn't bother doing this for a lengthy amount of time, I've used this technique for those annoying street hunting missions, where the only thing I can find is a couple of levels above me (like Council in Founders, when I'm only 30).

[Zombie Man]

[ QUOTE ]
it will work while trying to stop the damming in the Red River where you seem to only find red/purple con enemies in the area you have to hunt. Overall I have found it most useful in the Hollows but very handy elsewhere.

[/ QUOTE ]

Just so you know... there are level 5 foes on the banks of the river. If you pull them into the river and 'defeat' them there, they count.


[ QUOTE ]

This thread must've just respec'd into a self-rez power. <_<

[/ QUOTE ]


I found a lot of abandoned guides deep in the archive of the forum and put them in the new Guide to Guides. Expect a lot more Resuscitate Thread powers being used in the near future.