Frustrated New Warlock Rant

For combat stuff that doesn't fit into any of the other forums.
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Alicron
Posts: 29
Joined: Sat Dec 18, 2021 2:50 am

Frustrated New Warlock Rant

Post by Alicron »

I am going to preface this rant with two things. One, that I am a new player and don't know everything yet and, two, that I just recently had my rear end handed to me by two different 'supposedly' equal challenge NPC opponents. (according to the consider command) So, I am still feeling upset and grumpy. If you do not like rants or cannot offer objective, useful advice, then please disregard and avoid reading.

::Begin Rant::
I am a new warlock with about 100 skill in sorcery, ranged combat, dodge, armor etc. For a while I have had no major issues hunting to get to this point. Yes, some fights got a little tricky but nothing too major. I have spent a lot of time trying to find a new enemy with around 200 to 250 skill. I would prefer a non-nethrim, humanoid type enemy. Nethrim are just too hard to kill without iron, which I prefer not to use for character reasons.

After exploring for a good deal of time (and dying in the process) I managed to find an infested guard without about 300 skill and an infested marauder with about 220 skill. Both of these enemies wiped the floor with me. It goes something like this, "They tackle, dirtytricks, feint, circle, feint, circle, feint, circle, feint, circle... then while I lie in a staggered stupor either I manage to get a single attack in between those stuns for about 10 damage or run away or die" Doesn't sound very fun, does it.

I have given a great deal of thought as to how I can manage to pull ahead and somehow succeed on this but nothing comes to mind. I can use feint/circle over and over too but with their dirtytricks and tackle, I will have a hard time doing anything as I will be staggered for the majority of the fight. I can try using position avoid to stay away, but all it takes is a single tackle and that will end that advantage. I do not like using stealth as I feel that is not supposed to be the way that warlocks are supposed to work. I am not a ninja or thief or bow sniper.

So what can I do??? I tried using sorcery tendrils to bind the enemy and maybe do the same thing he does with his stunlock... but the effect only lasts for about 3 seconds and offers very little. I tried using shadow orb but all it does is slightly lower the light in the room and annoys them with shadows that seem to offer no real advantage in an outdoor setting. Essence leech is kinda fun but only works when it can be a sustained fight. I also have the shadow familiar skill but have yet to find an area where I can summon one and asking where I can perform works of super evil and darkness in-characterly for me is something of a faux pas.

So what can I do? I do not know where to go as enemy hunting data is very hard to find. (I found Orris' website which offered some help) Exploring is SUPER dangerous as all it takes is one enemy to find and stunlock you. The enemies I have found are godlike in comparison to me. Soo, yea...

Any ideas?
::End Rant::
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Delphine
Posts: 134
Joined: Mon Jan 17, 2022 6:36 pm

Re: Frustrated New Warlock Rant

Post by Delphine »

Hello there, Alicron! I will preface my advice with I have never played a Warlock on here so I can't give you any advice on how best to play that class. But I can do my best with the other bits.

Meeting up with other sorcerer types IC will be very beneficial for you in learning how to do your spooky stuff. I relate to you not wanting to be like, "OI, IMMA SORCERER, GUYS," on an IC level. Absolutely understandable. I also relate to the fact that the sorcery-friendly Mistral Lake is very far out and is quite a walk for a newbie. Have you tried asking in Shadgard if anyone can put you in touch with someone from the Dominion? You can find an equally spooky pen pal or someone else to help you that way.

Have you taken any sort of combat skills beyond ranged for your shooting sorcery blobs off? I would suggest you pick up a weapon if you're trying to just kill people with sorcery. I'm sure someone else can give better advice on what weapon would be best for you. Jerc plays a high level Warlock and will probably have the best thoughts. I play a Warrior class myself, so my combat experiences will be different.

Have you considered teaming up with a Warrior class person (or anyone for that matter) to help you find proper hunting grounds and also help you survive them? I realize this plays into your CONCEAL, DON'T FEEL RP, but again, finding a sorcery-friendly Dominionite would be beneficial to you here. We love sorcerers and will welcome you and your future familiar with open, cookie-filled arms.

While I can understand your aversion to stealth, I think it will be greatly beneficial for you. You can't wear a whole lot of armor as it will interfere with your channeling so your options are hide and sneak or dodge for days if you don't want to get taken out at the knees right away.

And I'm sorry that you've been so frustrated. I can see how that would be very like... flip a table sort of frustrating and I don't blame you for ranting at all. Combat is definitely more difficult for non-Warrior classes and as someone who prefers hunting solo at my own speed, I would be grumbly at the thought of having to team up with someone else just to fill up my exp bucket. But hopefully Jerc will slide in here with some good Warlock-specific combat advice because I know he solos a lot and he seems to have managed!
You think to yourself, "I am surrounded by idiots and petulant children."

You experience a sudden flash of insight, as though you have an increased understanding of who you are.
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Maina
Posts: 172
Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2020 12:32 pm
Location: Colorado

Re: Frustrated New Warlock Rant

Post by Maina »

A few things from a long-time Warlock player.

First: if they have three times your skill (you said you had 100 while they had 300), don't do that. That's a bad plan. You will probably die. Only a Nightblade really has a chance to safely solo that.

Second: You will want to use Nether as your swiss army knife. This is a trap. It severely, severely limits you for no reason. Ranged skill works with all ranged weapons. Use this to your advantage. Pick up a bow or a sling or even a firearm, depending on your needs and IC preferences. This opens up a lot of opportunity for you. Slings are pretty good against a lot of nethrim in particular, being good against armor and skeletons. You can still use spells during the fight to increase your Sorcery skill a bit, then use the sling while they are on cooldown.

Third, and most important: Do not try to solo. At least, don't count on it being core to your playstyle. Warlocks are not really a soloing class. Early game, you can solo about as well as anyone against appropriately skilled targets. Mid-game, it starts to get dicey unless you fight dirty. Late-game content will murder you flat-out even with maxed combat skills. But that's okay, because Warlocks are one of the better support classes. Tendril can trip or disable enemies for the rest of the team to murder. Nether can destroy armor and knock enemies down, too. And then energy leech and your talisman lets you stay in the fight longer than most any other class, while energy transfer lets you keep the rest of the party in the fight if you need to. You can't wear a lot of armor without hurting your channels, and the familiar has a cooldown on its defense. If you can't end a fight in one or two or maybe three hits once you hit the 200-300 skill zones, you will probably take injuries that require you to go back to a physicker. Much higher than that and you risk death if you get hit at all.

On a related note to not soloing, talk to other players. There are humanoid enemies you can fight at your skill level. At your skill level, you can probably solo them without issue.

If you do really want a class that plays well solo and uses sorcery, I recommend Nightblades. But if you're open to the fact that Warlocks are squishy and best used as support in their current state, they can be a total blast.

Another option is just never taking your combat skills so high that you need to go to late game zones for XP, if you want to mostly solo. Just realize that stuff like Binding Tendrils really benefits from a group. You can't take advantage of it very well, since most of the duration is spent with roundtime, but others can really pile on once you disable an enemy with it.
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