Doctor Archive
Thread: How does everyone feel about grinding?
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KyridIce
Tue Jan 25, 2005 12:03 pm
#1
Well, I'm kinda bored waiting for the servers to come back online, and I started posting some thoughts about grinding. Unfortunately, those posts were in someone elses thread (which I appologize for) so I'd like to move them here.
To those of you who mastered Doctor way back when the game launched, congrats on doing so without grinding, and I imagine it was quite fun. But we all know the game dynamics are not the same now as they were back then.
I fear that nowadays, its near impossible to become a master doc without grinding. If you ask to tag along with groups to get healing xp, they will probably laugh at you and tell you to go find a tumbler. The only thing I can see a person doing to master without grinding is heal people's wounds when they come back from space. That kind of work can be done fairly well by medics at any skill level. (Similarly for crafting, you can make a decent profit selling wound packs because most masters are slack when it comes to making these - so even if yours aren't the best quality, they sell ok due to limited supply).
I mastered doctor over 2 days about 6-8 months ago (well, minus the crafting part I think). Sure when I was a master, I didn't know the ins and outs of the profession, but I stuck with it and am now a very competent doctor. It is my opinion that in this state of the game, people are meant to learn their professions only once they've mastered them. Its unfortunate, butwith so many pressures on characters to reach master quickly,grinding has become unavoidable.
Any thoughts?
DarthMarksman
Tue Jan 25, 2005 12:16 pm
#2
I'm not a "pioneering Doctor", i just mastered a couple of weeks ago. As far as "grinding" goes, it's what you make it. I got much of my medical XP going out with hunting parties on Dathomir, Yavin 4, Geo Caves, Fort Tusken, Squill Caves, etc.
Sometimes I would take residence in a clinic, because that is where you can get good healing XP from wounds players have sustained in space, in quests, and dungeons. The question you have to ask yourself is "how fast do I want to master?" Many players "grind" because they just want to hurry up and finish mastering the profession. I personally take my time, because I feel I learn more.
Doctor, being a somewhat complicated profession is one where I have taken my time to learn about the profession. Believe me, I'm a better Doctor for it. I did the same with Rifleman. I like having a thorough understanding of the profession before I hit master level. That's just me. So, you can "grind" just to fly through the levelling quickly, or you can take your time and learn more, like I chose to you. It's really a matter of how the individual chooses to play the game.
Happymob
Tue Jan 25, 2005 12:18 pm
#3
I would agree that in-combat damage healing is now a poor way to earn medical experience. That's a real shame. I would still prefer to "earn" the experience rather than heal a tumbler, duel and revive, etc. In my mind, viable ways to get experience are:
1) Heal wounds. Yes, maybe you have to do this with a droid as people load into Theed or Coronet rather than at a hospital, but people still get wounds and still appreciate the healing.
2) Buff people. At lower levels, you might be restricted to A or B enhances, but so what? Crafting your own packs is a easy and you need the crafting exp anyway, and new players in Mos Eisley will appreciate the buffs even if your local master TKA/Rifleman will laugh at them. Given the fact that stronger buffs will overwrite weaker buffs, there is no real downside to getting these weak buffs.
3) Organize your own hunting party. Take relatively new players to fight things they wouldn't otherwise be able to kill. Distribute some vasarian brandy (unless you want to see the idiots who can't stop spamming specials incap themselves repeatedly). Heal the action and health damage. This works particularly well if you have revive, since the group will stay together and revive is worth a decent amount of exp anyway.
KyridIce
Tue Jan 25, 2005 12:34 pm
#4
Happymob wrote:
3) Organize your own hunting party. Take relatively new players to fight things they wouldn't otherwise be able to kill. Distribute some vasarian brandy (unless you want to see the idiots who can't stop spamming specials incap themselves repeatedly). Heal the action and health damage. This works particularly well if you have revive, since the group will stay together and revive is worth a decent amount of exp anyway.
I love this! Made me laugh so much, just thinking about leading your buddies on a suicide mission just so you can get XP reviving them!!!
Seriously though, good suggestions.
speedluver
Tue Jan 25, 2005 12:54 pm
#5
KyridIce wrote:
Happymob wrote:
3) Organize your own hunting party. Take relatively new players to fight things they wouldn't otherwise be able to kill. Distribute some vasarian brandy (unless you want to see the idiots who can't stop spamming specials incap themselves repeatedly). Heal the action and health damage. This works particularly well if you have revive, since the group will stay together and revive is worth a decent amount of exp anyway.
I love this! Made me laugh so much, just thinking about leading your buddies on a suicide mission just so you can get XP reviving them!!!
Seriously though, good suggestions.
LOL Yeah, not even buddies, but rounded up newbies 
The first time I mastered doc and CM was a long time ago, too. It was much easier then, when you could go out with a big group hunting, and run around healing everyone over and over. Now with buffs the way they are, you don't even see the groups except in the really hard POI's, and the groups don't need nearly as much healing. You used to be able to pick up enough CM for area stims, and then spam away in the groups, and watch the XP roll in. Now, I've been snipe healing people in starports for med xp, and it takes forever.
MyT_Chicken
Tue Jan 25, 2005 2:18 pm
#6
KyridIce wrote:
I fear that nowadays, its near impossible to become a master doc without grinding.
No it's not "near impossible" I did it in 3 days without wasting a single stim on a stupid Monkey or AFK entertainers. Run around and heal people waiting for buffs, thats what I did.
If you ask to tag along with groups to get healing xp, they will probably laugh at you and tell you to go find a tumbler.
Groups are hard to find currently, but as other people said, create your own hunting party. You would be suprised how many people will show up to a No buff / Armor hunt if you post on your galaxie forum.
I'm not gonna touch the tumbler topic today.
The only thing I can see a person doing to master without grinding is heal people's wounds when they come back from space. That kind of work can be done fairly well by medics at any skill level. (Similarly for crafting, you can make a decent profit selling wound packs because most masters are slack when it comes to making these - so even if yours aren't the best quality, they sell ok due to limited supply).
So whats the problem with doing this? I see no problem. Much faster, Tips are way better, and you don't waste money on items you should be able to craft. The only thing you should be spending money on is *MAYBE* resources, unless you get you own; which is what I did.
I mastered doctor over 2 days about 6-8 months ago (well, minus the crafting part I think).
I Mastered Docto in 3 days this time around, and that includes crafting. The first time I mastered it took me about 4-5 months to get on my feet. The 2nd time it took me about 2 months. First and second times took so longbecause I was limited on Resource / Credit intake. This time I spent 5-6 months harvesting before I even started with Novice Medic / Doctor. Turned out to be the best way to go IMO
Sure when I was a master, I didn't know the ins and outs of the profession, but I stuck with it and am now a very competent doctor. It is my opinion that in this state of the game, people are meant to learn their professions only once they've mastered them.
I disagree. How many times have you taken a test in school without going over the material first. Unless your in some weird school you answer should be zero.
Grinding is an Excuse to be the "best" without having to be "Knowledgeable". And grinding hurts the community because 90% of the people that grind *any* profession don't know what the hell they are talking about. Thus giving everyone else in that profession a bad name.
Its unfortunate, butwith so many pressures on characters to reach master quickly,grinding has become unavoidable.
Grinding is for the lazy. It really hurts the Medics/Docs/CM's because we are HEALERS. And when people see Lowbies ignoring their wounds and such, it gives a bad name to everyone in the professions. Doctors seem to have a so-so name currently, but the prime reason for that is because we are known for "buffs" only. Which is a real same because this is probably the best overall profession in the game.
MDEUK
Tue Jan 25, 2005 3:31 pm
#7
:smileywink
eople only grind because they are obsessed with hitting Master - in the old days we didn't even know what the things in the Master boxes meant so we just enjoyed the game... I think thta people that enjoy the game a lot more when they do not put themselves under pressure
eople only grind because they are obsessed with hitting Master - in the old days we didn't even know what the things in the Master boxes meant so we just enjoyed the game... I think thta people that enjoy the game a lot more when they do not put themselves under pressure
Ojes
Wed Jan 26, 2005 1:43 am
#8
KyridIce wrote:
Happymob wrote:
3) Organize your own hunting party. Take relatively new players to fight things they wouldn't otherwise be able to kill. Distribute some vasarian brandy (unless you want to see the idiots who can't stop spamming specials incap themselves repeatedly). Heal the action and health damage. This works particularly well if you have revive, since the group will stay together and revive is worth a decent amount of exp anyway.
I love this! Made me laugh so much, just thinking about leading your buddies on a suicide mission just so you can get XP reviving them!!!
Seriously though, good suggestions.
I love to do this still. Just choose a planet with a good herbivore or avian spawn and shot at some newb starport that you are getting a hunting party together. Have them pick up novice scout if they don't already have it and you will end up with a nice stack of meat after an hour or so of hunting. Everyone has a pretty good time as well...
hamhamthe3rd
Wed Jan 26, 2005 2:34 am
#9
i have not read any of the replies but all i have to say is that i do not grind the first time through a profession. i just play it at my own pace, learning it in and out.
SlowNStoopid
Wed Jan 26, 2005 1:38 pm
#10
DarthMarksman wrote:
The question you have to ask yourself is "how fast do I want to master?" Many players "grind" because they just want to hurry up and finish mastering the profession. I personally take my time, because I feel I learn more.
So, you can "grind" just to fly through the levelling quickly, or you can take your time and learn more, like I chose to you. It's really a matter of how the individual chooses to play the game.
I agree. It depends on how you want to play the game.
Some want to grind simply for the DOT cures and self-buffing abilitiesandmiss out on learning about the profession itself, but they probably wouldn't be interested in it anyway since having Doc skillsare often seen asmeans to an end. Grinding is, and always will be, the only way to go for this group. That's their choice.
From healing entertainers in the cantina while crafting Stims at the same timeto crafting stims while running along withthe hunting group and keeping them alive (yes, we used to hunt on foot and got torn up on the way, but as manyhave said before, it was great fun 
. Tips and lessons learnt through these experiencesgo very far.Being able to exploitthisknowledgeextends my fun in more ways and makes me feel more complete as a player.
End of the day though, it's "To each, his own". Whatever gives you your jollies.
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