Partying near a Beastmaster

[Brocktree]

Throwing this up on the boards as well, just moved it over from alla.

I'm sure that most of you have partied near a bst before, and probably experienced confusion or difficulty. Even I manage to get some harsh looks at lv 75 in bibiki bay. Hopefully this guide can iron out some details for everybody to help things run smoothly.

1. Beastmaster CAN be your friend, we arent all out to "get" you, and ruin all exp destroying your party.

2. A party that cannot function properly with a bst in close proximity is doomed for failure or death.

3. A party that can cooperate with a beastmaster exping nearby is guaranteed a much safer, more productive exp enviornment.

The best way to exp along side a bst is to organise a system of who kills what. In any well populated exp area there are often 3+ types of mobs, that can be categorised as follows.

Party Prey: Often consists of low dmg enemies with few powerful special attacks. Prime targets are crabs, beetles, flys, single bats, rabbits, and worms. These also make prime bst targets, but bigger prey tends to be more rewarding, as these mobs generally are decent challenge by the time powerful potential pets have arrived.

Beastmaster pet potentials: These are the opposite of the party prey, we bsts pick our pets as lean, mean, fighting machines. high dmg, high hp,and hard hitting special attacks. We love leeches, scorpions, spiders, fungars, bats (3 bat type), and jellies.

Big Game: These are the baddies in each zone. All of these mobs are anything impossible to charm by Beastmaster. Goblins, Quadav, manticores, doomed, malboros (im still scared to mess with the malboros), gobbues, skeletons, pots, bombs, dolls, demons, shadow, and any other creepy things that go bump in the night, which I may have missed.

Generally, groups of parties can exp off of the mobs in their prey category with a safe assumption that the bst will not interfere with them, as long as there is 1 or more types of beastmaster pet potential in the zone.

Big Game is what beastmasters tend to hunt, were exping in the same zone at much higher levels, so its not too hard for us. Both party and bst can exp off of these without too much hassle depending on the type/level difference. These mobs can often be shared between beastmaster, and parties running low on easier prey without difficulty.

Organising a battle plan in /tell with any bst in the area is definitely the best way to work things out. If your friendly I'm willing to say the bst will be friendly in return.

4. Watch your toes: Beastmaster constantly focuses its exp effort on suicidal mobs like goblins, bombs, and dolls. You have nobody to blame but yourself for standing too close to a mob that can kill you in 1 shot with a suicide attack. Beastmasters can also move to areas where normal parties have a difficult time exping, so dont be afriad to ask a bst to finish his/her battles in a different areas.

5. VERY IMPORTANT: When the inevitable happens, and a mob is pulled that is too difficult to handle, or you bring a few links along. ~DO NOT CALL FOR HELP~ Mobs that have been called for help on can no longer be charmed during the duration of the effect. Beastmaster, although a great DD, has no effective way to produce glaring hate needed to instantly save a life, like provoke for instance. Instead, the party leader needs to step up and order all members of the group to disengage immediately, sleeping it is also a good idea. When the mob goes grey it can be easily charmed by the bst, often not even interrupting his/her exp pattern. Just lend the bst a friendly warning so s/he is ready to make the quick switch. I have seen countless players fall as I frantically wack away at a mob that is called for help on, when simply disengaging prevents all hazards.

[Matera]

Very informative, thanks. :D

[Stromgarde]

For some reason, it seems many BSTs choose to exp anon, and then become shocked when a standard party shows up and begins competing for mobs. Why is that?

[Omni]

for the same reason people are anon in parties. personal preference.

but here is the issue, if you see a bst, which is pretty obvious to pick out of the lot. ie: heart shaped bubbles flowing out of them, a mob following them with a light blue name, the all white bst af, etc. dont just setup camp anyways. i had this happen to me last night. im camping in the tunnel where hellmines are in the basement of gc and pulling things back and forth. a pt arrives, checks me a few times and then proceeds to buff up. a lot of the time, the whole 6 vs 1 mentality goes on. only until i said (take care) (self-destruct) did they get the picture and move else where.

[DakAttack]

It's easier to figure out where you should camp when you can /sea an area and see the Bsts. Anon screws everybody over.

[Brocktree]

Anon bsts really do throw off the balance of things, generally certian bst solo camps can only support one or two bsts. When bsts go anon they hide themselves from other bsts who then show up expecting an open camp. I agree and I disaprove of bsts exping anon in certian areas without a search comment in their bazarr. Many bsts ignore this rule and it is frowned upon, jp are the major offenders there.

[Feenicks]

Is there still bias against BST for all sorts of silly reasons? I would have thought people would know better by now ...

[Sarren]

Is there still bias against BST for all sorts of silly reasons? I would have thought people would know better by now ...

I don't think it's just bsts that encounter this. I've gotten some scorn from soloing with my blu as well. Some people will have a problem with one person using a spot when it could be used by a party for some reason. The responses I got when I explained that I was using a camp were along the lines of, "your being selfish, it's only you and we could all (their party) be getting exp here". One member even went as far as saying letting me have the camp was pointless.

[avhmia]

I don't think it's just bsts that encounter this. I've gotten some scorn from soloing with my blu as well. Some people will have a problem with one person using a spot when it could be used by a party for some reason. The responses I got when I explained that I was using a camp were along the lines of, "your being selfish, it's only you and we could all (their party) be getting exp here". One member even went as far as saying letting me have the camp was pointless.

That's pretty much why I avoid normie PTs whenever it's possible. It's funny, almost everyone you meet in this game is so cool on their own, but when people are in a party... well, let's just blame it on that LFG frustration

Personally, if I'm camping in a "normal" camp spot, I'll clear out for a regular party. If I'm in some goofball spot, though, no way. If you go so far as to research an alternative campsite and actually convince a party to go there, you can /search the area. My /seacom always says where I'm camped and what mobs I'm using for pets & prey.

[Jei]

imo soloing or pting, if the hunting spot don't have enough mobs for multiple PTs, people will get angry.
When a new party come camp near another group for instance. The PT that was there first often will start complaining.
So it's not just lone levellers that encounter this problem. But it's a bit easier to pick on you when you're alone I guess.

[Sarren]

That's pretty much why I avoid normie PTs whenever it's possible. It's funny, almost everyone you meet in this game is so cool on their own, but when people are in a party... well, let's just blame it on that LFG frustration

So true, I ended up having a disagrement with a party member...I won't go into details, but it wasn't pleasent. 2 or 3 days later my HNMLS split and the part I was in merged with an existing LS. That same party member stood right next to me in the first LS meeting. I thought it was going to be akward, but he turned out to be a really cool guy. Even said he learned from the experience... Oh, and you're Mindel aren't you I recognize the avatar. Nice to see some of the intelligent posters from Alla here.

So it's not just lone levellers that encounter this problem. But it's a bit easier to pick on you when you're alone I guess.

I think you're right. having the numbers in their favor tends to make people bold. What I always found funny about the situation when it happens to be a bst thats getting picked on is that the person being picked on has so much more power to cause harm than the one doing the bullying. Not that I would even think about MPK, but I remember chuckleing to myself when people would threaten the hellmine dragging bst 10 levels above them.

[avhmia]

Oh, and you're Mindel aren't you I recognize the avatar. Nice to see some of the intelligent posters from Alla here.

It's me! :D I'm just trying to confuse everyone that came over from there

I think you're right. having the numbers in their favor tends to make people bold. What I always found funny about the situation when it happens to be a bst thats getting picked on is that the person being picked on has so much more power to cause harm than the one doing the bullying. Not that I would even think about MPK, but I remember chuckleing to myself when people would threaten the hellmine dragging bst 10 levels above them.

I remember being in the early 20s and really struggling trying to solo, so I went to Valkurm Dunes and found myself a nice little spot by the zone to Gustav. I went up there because there were no parties. Using an EM fish, I could cycle through a fly, 2 gobbies and a crab spawn. Anyway, a party started camping on the opposite end of the beach-- I only know because I saw their puller once or twice, though I don't think she even noticed me. That beach can easily support two full parties as it is.

After an hour or so, they linked gobs and decided to zone in to Gustav, and at that point they realized that (OH NOES!) there was BST on their beach... and so the {Beastmaster} {Leave} crap started. If they hadn't zoned right past me (with their gob train, btw, thanks :p), they probably would never know I was there. I guess everyone needs a scapegoat once in a while.

I really don't mean to be disparaging. Like I said, most people are really cool... In fact, I actually have a happy normie party story. I was exping on the killer mushrooms down in the nest when someone came in and started farming over me. While it's annoying, I usually don't get bent out of shape over it. Most people leave after a couple of spawns when they realize how.. wonderful the drop rate is on king truffles. I crossed the ball room and killed some scorps, then went back to the ball room where there was a single party exping. I started chatting with the PT in /say. I whined about farmers, and they were very sympathetic. I messed around with the lizards and worker crawlers in the area. We cooexisted in that room for an hour. Their RDM even buffed and cured me here and there, when she had the MP to spare, and I was able to repay the favor by charming a link off them.

The farmer didn't leave before it was time for bed, but I ended up with a solid 2k exp from piddling with the DC crawlers, a few seals and silk threads, and proof that BSTs and PTs really can battle side-by-side.

[Sarren]

It's me! :D I'm just trying to confuse everyone that came over from there

I thought as much, bad Mindel. ^^

And, as long as we are sharing party interation stories I've got funny one. I've actually managed to get the first room in Boyahda(sp?) all to myself. Fast forward an hour, two parties have shown up and are now competing for spiders. They won't touch the fungars though so I've still got pleanty of prey. I'm being a very hospitable bst and making every attempt to keep my former pets from linking or walking back through the parties camps. I even save the parties from links when they do happen. Their puller was terrible, and seemed to constantly go out of his way to link something I had previously used.

After about 30 min I start getting hate tells from a member of one of the parties. First he says I'm in their camp and I should go somewhere else...being a bst I have so many options. I reply I was here well before them and won't leave until I'm good and ready. Then he starts shouting that I should leave. Other party members from both parties join in I'm being flooded with shouts, tells, gm threats, ect... I stick to my guns and finish when I got my level as planned then log out.

When I log back in the next day the same guy who started the whole thing is in a different party right next to me. He sends me a tell that I'm fine here this time, there's more than enough mobs for his party and one bst. In other words all the threats, and what not weren't because I was doing anything wrong, but because I was compition. I know I should have been at least a little pissed, but I thought it was halarious.

[Cade]

Commonly, its better(an more fun) for BST to be xping in areas that aren't frequented by parties. Otherwise the party will get slow xp, an the BST risks death from a lack of available backup pets.

[Fangorn]

I'm sorry to say Cade that saying that Beastmasters can always go "somewhere else" is neither correct or fair to the Beastmaster. The reasons for this are as follows:

- The supposed anti-MPK patch introduced 12/12/05 ruined a vast majority of these "unusual" zones as we can no longer drag pets to our xp'ing area. Prime case in point here is Bos. <tab> Oubliette which was "THE" xp'ing spot for BST from level 52-57 where we dragged a DC slime across the zone to the West Ronfare exit. The patch destroyed this xp area forcing the BSTs back into major competition with parties in Crawlers Nest / Garlaige Citadel.

- Secondly is the NPC pet syndrome. Put bluntly - we can't win - if it's not parties that are upset with us we then get some high level person running through a zone with their NPC "pet" killing anything and everything, thus ruining our xp. The areas mostly affected by this are Rolanberry Fields & the Altepa deserts.

- Next is when the "other" areas aren't used by parties for the sole reason that they are major farming areas - i.e. parties wouldn't get any xp either. Quite a lot of the time BST just have to suck up to this potential xp loss, quite simply because there aren't many other areas available. Rolanberry Fields is the case in point here. (Horrible levels in the mid 20s) or just as bad is Beaudecine Glacier later on (59-61) where ppl farm the bison or snolls.

- Lastly, but not least is for those job levels where there are very few zones with suitable pets. These are particularly apparent in the latter levels i.e. levels 65-75. BST need to have available Even match pets to be able to xp most efficiently. This means that most of the time we are using pets 10 levels or so higher than most parties (bringing in a really wide xp party "audience"). The worst time is 70 upwards, where until ToA came out we've only had 3 areas possible - Boyadha Tree, Bibiki Bay or Sky. As a BST we can basically forget the latter two due to the large numbers of parties / farmers in the zones, which means that the tree is the only real option. This is obviously a major party zone as well, where we will be fighting for mobs between us.

In summary, please don't just force Beastmasters out of "your" xp spot - sometimes we have no other option as to where to go. I must also stress that 99% of the time (and as stated by the OP) having Beastmaster near your camp will help you out in the long run, by getting rid of links / aggroing mobs etc etc. Even in the Garlaige Citadel basement, xp'ing alongside BST shouldn't be a problem - as long as your not too nervous about having Hellmines running past you after a nervous BST looking for a new pet >.> - I promise you that he won't be trying to kill you - he's just trying to save his own butt.

On the other hand - some BST xp spots are most definitely not for spectators. Whilst you may be full of admiration in the way we are killing those Hellmines / Snolls / Dolls etc, please don't stand in the AoE range waiting for the outcome - you should be standing where we are watching - I do remember almost taking out an RDM75 in Garlaige fully buffed with Stoneskin / Phalanx etc when he decided to watch me fight a Hellmine....