Groups? We don't need no stinking groups!

by Kiara

A while back I wrote a funny (I hope so anyway, if you hated it... just lie) little piece about the perils of grouping. At least for me anyway. So, I got to thinking and decided it was time to toss out my two coppers about soloing. Since, ya know... you either solo or you group...

Anyone who knows me, knows that I die. A lot. Don't ask me why, because I really don't know. I'm not an eternal noob or anything, and I actually know a fair bit about the game. However, for some odd reason, known only to mystics in the deepest, darkest, most remote reaches of (okay downtown Houston, but shhhh) Cambodia, when I get into a group of friends I die. Not just mob induced deaths either. Oh no. I fall. All over the place. It's the strangest thing.

Now, there are times when I don't feel like grouping. So I solo. Soloing as a Templar is an exercise in masochism as ANYONE can tell you. I soloed the Bone Bladed Claymore quest... The thousand sentient beings? Yeah. Five and a half hours, baby. That was pre LU 13. After that it was just painful. Then they (Lockeye!) gave us back a good bit of damage and things were ... well, not perfect, but a lot better.

Then one day, because I was bored, I made an alt.

Now, you have to understand... I don't ordinarily play alts. I tend to focus all my attention in one area. That's because I simply cannot concentrate on more than one thing at a time. Not the sharpest bulb in the box you know. * nod * Making an alt is a big deal. A VERY big deal. I have to have a biography for the character and I have to like her and yeah, it just gets complicated.

Not only can I not concentrate on more than one character at a time, I also cannot effectively play any class which is not a healing class. Don't ask why. Just as well ask why water is wet. It's simply my make up.

I made a Fury.

My little Fury is a GODDESS. She can do ANYTHING. She can solo Nagafen. * nod * Seriously. He ran home crying to mommy when she got done with him. I haven't had that much fun soloing... well... ever.

Things die so FAST. And she has all these nifty DOT's and stuffs. Wow. Just wow.

So. I've gone through the newbie isle and all the little starter quests in town. I'm done with the Caves and ready to make my way in the world.

I rush out into Antonica and smack the first big nasty grr monster that I see.

Dead.

Hmmm.... He seems to have not gotten the memo. I revive and come back.

"Look, Mr. Skelly. You seem to not understand... I'm a Fury," I calmly begin to point out to him that he's meant to give up and die. "Now, we'll try this again... I'm just going to cast this DOT on you and..."

Dead.

What the heck? What just happened? Must have been lag... I'll just run back here and...

Dead.

* boggle * Hey now. I'm little Miss Uber Fury, here. Why aren't they dying?

Then it hits me. I'm SOLOING. I don't have the big giant meat shield in front of me taking all the damage. Here I was thinking that I could solo more easily and die less... But no.

Now, don't get me wrong. Soloing is a ton of fun. It definitely passes the time, and you don't have to deal with people, and it's just thrilling to run around all on your own with no backup doing just as you please and seeing if you can get through without that big giant tree smooshing you.

All in all, either way is really just as much fun as the other. It just depends on the person behind the avatar. There isn't a right way to play the game, and people like me can die just as effectively either way. Now, if you'll excuse me, my Fury and I are going to go decimate the gnoll population of Antonica... One revive at a time.