MF and the lvl 85 area

[TheNix]

MF and the lvl 85 area

In a vein attempt to complete a self found grail, I have been running lvl 85 areas. To stop my brain melting and seeping out my ears, I've been running lvl 85 areas in series starting with the Pits, then AT, RoF/CS and finally WSK/Baal. After weeks of running these I've noticed that (baring RoF/CS/Diablo that is as tight as a fishes ars.. er, vent when it comes to drops) the other areas drop at more or less the same rate. The scoring on the MFO seems to bare this out. Is there any real difference between running these areas for the purpose of MFing? Or is it a matter of choice? AT is as boring as hell, but safe and gives me fairly good good drop rate. On the other hand WSK/Baal is far more interesting, with fewer rewards but a lot more dangerous. The Pits are sort of middling both ways. I've got a good AT map and I can run it in under 2.5 minutes (lightspeed for my computer), but I always feel that I'm one run away from a meaty TC87 in the WSK. Do you guys in SPF land usual just get a good map and stick to one area? Or do you play the field? Just interested.

Edit: I keep telling myself only 28 to go, only 28 to go, only 28 to go.........

 

[TheMuttonExplosion]

Re: MF and the lvl 85 area

As far as I know any boss pack should drop roughly the same, no matter if it's in the Pit, AT or WSK. But the density of boss packs can be different and not every build is as effective in one area as it is in another. So basically the number of packs you can hit in a given amount of time in the respective areas should give you a good idea about relative efficiency.

I'm not aware of any build and setup that is optimal in all of them, so I tend to have at least one toon for every area, with a specific build and setup and just switch between them to keep things interesting. That way it's also easier to get good maps which helps a lot to reduce running time and the need to equip many different toons is a great motivation to keep playing.

But in the end you will get the best results if you play in a way that is fun for you. Better to play a 2 years with only half efficiency than 2 months with full.

 

[Baltha]

Re: MF and the lvl 85 area

Getting those elusive last grailers will take a fair amount of time anyway, it doesn't matter how hard you try. So relax, play confortable and try to have fun. Mix things up. Running only one area with only one char till your eyes bleed is not a good way to reach your aims.

 

[Rhone]

Re: MF and the lvl 85 area

I think the most efficient MFers find one area to specialize in and run it like mad. Personally, I'm like you in that I get bored if I'm doing the same area over and over so I switch areas and switch characters a lot.

In terms of what a single monster or boss can drop, one lvl 85 area is the same as another. So that Devilkin boss you insta-killed in Pits is just as likely to drop a Tyreal's Might as that gloam boss that almost insta-killed you in WSK. (That probability, BTW, is 1:452682 with 300 MF--good luck! :thumbup: )

What would make one area better than another (in terms of S/U gathering speed) is how many bosses you can take out within a certain time frame. There are a lot of variables that go into that--how quickly and safely your character can kill the targets in the area (Blizz sorcs in AT being an example of a perfect build/area combo), how many bosspacks are usually in the area and how small of an area they are packed into, how long it takes to get to the area and how it's laid out, etc.

Variables like that are why we never talk about running things like Mausoleum and the third floor of the Maggot Lair. They are level 85 areas too (actually, my only Windforce dropped in the Mausoleum, which I was only running because it was part of an MF tourney I started right before I put down D2 for a while), but their distance and design makes running them relatively inefficient.

Personally, I like Pits as my "I can MF it safely with any character I feel like MFing with" area, AT for the rare occasion that I feel like running it with my Blizz sorc, and WSK+Baal when I want more excitement. It's also fun to test out recently pat/mat'd characters on WSK/Baal to see how they perform. Yesterday I stuffed lots of MF charms on an overpowered Fanazealot (Death BA + Fortitude + 4fpa fanaticism zeal = fast killing) and ran WSK+Baal with him a bit just for fun. I probably won't use him long-term as an MFer, but he brings down Baal faster than anything else I've played.

Most of my serious "buckle-down and do lots of runs" MFing is done with Pindle, though. I already have Arachnid Mesh and a few Azurewraths, and don't care if I never find a Tyreal's Might.

Hrus' MF Guide is a great read, BTW.

Edit: Whoops, I meant to say my Windforce dropped in Mausoleum, not Maggot Lair.

 

[fuzzy wuzzy1]

Re: MF and the lvl 85 area

Specializing in one area with one hero makes your runs more efficent than switching areas. For myself, I cannot stick a place for 5k-10k runs (which is a con as all of us know). It is your decision to stick in a lvl85 area or changing it.

For Mauseloum, I think that people do not want to run there because it is far away from Cold Plains waypoint, which can be assumed for the Pit.However, Pit has 2 levels and more bosspacks than mauseloum.
For ML, there is not that much to talk about, it is obvious that it is hard to run and the reasons are written.

There are other lvl85 areas like temples in Kurast Causeway( between Travincal and Upper Kurast) you can run but I've never known a person who specially runs them for MF. Moreover, you can run Kurast Sewers. If I remember correctly, there are monsters with PI(water watchers and undeads),LI(I don't remember which bat demon is spawning there) and MI(horadrim ancients).You can run there with sorceresses.

In act5, you can run for Snapchip Shatter like pindleskin.Besides there is a sparkling chest, but you need a good pattern like this to make runtimes short.

There are monsters with CI mostly, pit vipers with CI and PI, succubi with CI or Physical Immune, LI with gloams and a kind of bloodlord but I don't remember which one (probably Hell lord with CI). The best option for this area can be a firesorc.

I will write when I remember some more info and I'm sorry If I do not know the right mobs.

 

[TheNix]

Re: MF and the lvl 85 area

I find that by cycling through the areas I can play for 2 or 3 hours. When running a single area, I'm lucky to get an hour. Running SU's I barely get to half an hour. My Nova/Orber is my current MFer, taking over for my Fishyzon since just before the last MFO. She eats up all the areas faster than my Fishyzon with fractionally less %MF (330 to 350) but she is able to carry a Gull on switch giving her 450ish for boss kills.

 

[thefranklin]

Re: MF and the lvl 85 area

Don't higher acts drop higher runes, or is it based on monster level?

 

[Kimppi]

Re: MF and the lvl 85 area

Act only affects runedrops from chests and bosses/superuniques etc. who don't get upgraded TCs.