Ruined Logs with Orichalcum Logging Axe
Content Designer
Were you in combat while harvesting? That can cause you to receive ruined items.
Ah, that could be an explanation. Somebody was so kind as to bring an aggroed karka veteran to the node. I was in the middle of harvesting at that point and probably got hit by that massive karka puddle AoE.
May I say that I find the decision to include the possibility that others ruin your harvest doubtful?
Yes this really sucks before all people could do was get you killed now they can kill you and ruin your gathering…
MESS WITH THE BEST, DIE LIKE THE REST
Yup, although in many cases getting killed is quite easy to avoid unless you have only cleared a narrow path to a resource node in the middle of enemy-infested Orr for example or when a train hits you while you are already in combat (probably, again, in enemy-infested Orr where it is easy enough to get additional aggro as is), but all it takes to count as “in combat” is one single hit from an AoE.
Also, not every character has quick-recharge condition removal and some need an enemy for that, and standing around for half a minute next to a node because a mob – just before breathing his last – infected you with one of those age-long conditions that are all too common with certain enemy types in high-level-zones does not sound especially thrilling to me, either.
I can imagine that this was implemented to discourage “ninja-gathering” and I do not know how big the chance of this happening is – usually I am quite meticulous about killing anything red-named in the vicinity just because I can – but especially in the very same areas where those high-level-nodes are enemies are abundant and respawn quickly, so eliminating all possible sources of aggro that you or other players might attract while gathering resources or approaching a node is often impossible without a zerg at your back. And the fact that you can be completely aggro-free and still unexpectedly get ruined goods because of some 30-seconds cripple or weakness that a dead enemy left you with (and that you normally would not waste a cooldown on with no living enemies left) does not help.
As a result, consciously I doubt that it will affect my material-gain significantly, especially since it is only a (probably small) chance, but subconsciously it makes me feel worse, because every now and then I will get ruined goods because of no fault of my own.
(edited by Locce.8405)
I don’t see this being a problem unless you are running a bot to gather mats for you. I just kill everything then harvest the area. So far it hasn’t failed me yet.
Were you in combat while harvesting? That can cause you to receive ruined items.
On my mesmer or thief, I frequently harvest during combat (because it’s often more efficient than waiting until the fight is over or risking foes respawning). I’ve never seen ruined items using the appropriate tool. Has something changed?
Why is this the desired mechanic?
John Smith: “you should kill monsters, because killing monsters is awesome.”
I don’t see this being a problem unless you are running a bot to gather mats for you. I just kill everything then harvest the area. So far it hasn’t failed me yet.
I am not a bot and I kill as few things as possible. I mine in combat too, outside Orr. It’s only in Orr that I get ruined stuff.
Tallis – Perpetual newbie – Tarnished Coast.
Always carries a towel – Never panics – Eats cookies.
Always carries a towel – Never panics – Eats cookies.
I don’t see this being a problem unless you are running a bot to gather mats for you. I just kill everything then harvest the area. So far it hasn’t failed me yet.
That is nice in theory, but in practice there are places, mostly in Orr, where this is just not possible without support or really impressive killspeed and the incredible luck that players around you are similarly sensible and do not train mobs exactly to your position – the latter condition is quite unrealistic, especially so when your position is right on a rare resource node, but vaguely possible.
I remember many occasions where I had to effectively clear areas (around Skill Challenges etc.) more than once because long-lasting conditions and patrolling groups initially cost me too much time to beat the respawn delay.
As a matter of fact especially bots should be largely unaffected as they mostly seem to appear in droves large enough to keep any area free of mobs. So there is that.
(edited by Locce.8405)
As a ranger, I often harvest while in combat – I let my pet deal with killing the creature around me while I harvest.
As far as I can tell, this mostly happens when you take heavy damage while harvesting. As an ele with knight’s armor and cleric’s accessories (lots of toughness), it barely ever happens even when I have four risen beating on me. If I try that in my magic find armor, though, it’s much more common.
Interesting observation. I never gather materials under heavy fire and I am quite sure that the huge part of acid puddle damage on the occasion mentioned above came in after I was already done harvesting since I only realized the other player with the karka in tow when I had already begun, but then again I am known for occasional peaks of extremely good luck connected by long streaks of incredibly bad luck, so it might as well be one of those instances where everybody else would have gotten away scot-free. ^^
(edited by Locce.8405)