Quest Issue: The Velium Focus - quest script adjustments

[Rygar]

I was researching some mobs that are giant sized and good screenshot bait, and that is how I came across this quest. I looked into it a bit further and think there are some small tweaks that need to be made. Bummey was nice enough to post logs and screenshot of the event so I didn't need to do the entire quest myself, see the post here.

Here are some issues I see with the quest:

1) The size of the Menhir by all accounts should be HUGE
He should be quite the spectacle, but on P99 he is hardly bigger than a standard Geonid. This does make sense as they all combine their parts together to form the Mehnir.

http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/q...1&p=5#comments

Dec 18 2000 at 5:01 PM
***And they form a HUGE geonid called The Menhir***

http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/i...3&p=2#comments

IMPORTANT NOTE: if you are close to the mehnir when it explodes then you will take damage. want to know how much damage- it is the same as having the spell "Supernova" cast on you FYI. found this out the hard way when i tried to get a screenshot of by this HUGE mob. got my pic, then had to get a rez. [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/q...1&p=4#comments

Then all of a sudden, they disappeared and in thier place, "The Menhir" (spelling?) spawned. Looks just like a Geonid, but is frost giant sized. This creature conned red, amiable to me (52 necro). It did not respond to hails, or anything else (didn't want to hand it my focus). After about 3-5 minutes, I saw a message that said somthing like (didn't get a screenshot, was a bit freaked by the 70 foot tall Geonid)

After doing the Focus quest if follow Pheno outside him and a few other geo's assemble into a giant one.

This is all just text based descriptions of course, couldn't find a screenshot of The Menhir in era (he doesn't even have a ZAM page). However, based on the above I humbly ask he be made the same height as a Frost Giant model.

2) Possibly missing a despawn script text
It's possible Bummey was out of range to 'hear' it (he seemed close in the screenshot), but perhaps the 2nd despawn script is missing. First is the warning to back away, but the 2nd after the explosion should be:

The Menhir begins to shudder violently. A terrifying screech rips through the air. For a split second you hear, from within your mind, the Geonids all cry out at once in fear and regret. The structure then whines as the stone grinds against one another in a last effort of defiance before exploding and showering the area in flame, crystal, and rock. The Menhir is destroyed.

The script is posted in comments here:
http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/q...1&p=5#comments

Note that it appears to be copy/pasted out of their logs, the explosion happens immediately afterwards as it says afterwards 'You are immolated by flame'. Bummey appears to be pretty close during the Supernova cast, so would think the text should have been visible. Possible he just forgot to post the text, but there you have it.

3) Way too many Geonids are forming the Mehnir
I counted 51 geonids from Bummey's logs, but all accounts seem to indicate basically 7 geonids (or maybe up to 10). It seems like you are sending a 'call for help' a la Tunare to all the geonids. I believe they should just be training out from Phenocryst's cave to the entrance. I don't know if there is a limit on the assist call or it is only from his room or whatever, but didn't sound like every single geonid comes running.

The zam log posts appear to just show 7 despawns, note that the Dec 2000 and Dec 2001 log post shows exactly 7 despawning each time:
Dec 2000:
http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/q...1&p=5#comments

a geonid heeds the command and joins to form the Menhir.
a geonid heeds the command and joins to form the Menhir.
a geonid heeds the command and joins to form the Menhir.
a geonid heeds the command and joins to form the Menhir.
a geonid shaman heeds the command and joins to form the Menhir.
a geonid heeds the command and joins to form the Menhir.
a geonid heeds the command and joins to form the Menhir.

Dec 2001:
http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/q...1&p=2#comments

a geonid shaman heeds the command and joins to form the Menhir.
a geonid heeds the command and joins to form the Menhir.
a geonid heeds the command and joins to form the Menhir.
a geonid shaman heeds the command and joins to form the Menhir.
a geonid heeds the command and joins to form the Menhir.
a geonid heeds the command and joins to form the Menhir.
a geonid shaman heeds the command and joins to form the Menhir.

I know the write up from the wiki (which I assume was imported) states 'every single geonid in the tunnel runs to Phenocryst', I believe it is either those in his cave or just surrounding (maybe up to exit area). Should not be 'every Geonid from EVERY tunnel'.

Other mentions:
http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/q...1&p=4#comments

Jan 14 2001 at 10:00 PM
AFter a minute Pheno cryst and the other 7 genoids in the room all start walking out the cave, I decided to follow them, we were all wondering what they were going to do, the walk out some and stand around them they all form into one big Genoid named "The Menhir"

We didn't get attacked, so we hung around after I got my focus and followed the geonids. All of them, lead by the Phenocryst, walk out of the cave, to a position (to scale, i guess) about 100 yards outside of the cave, and into the wakening land. There were about 10 Geonids, A Geonid Shaman, and the Phenocryst

So that is 3 posts mentioning exactly 7 geonids and another mentioning 'about 10'. I think it should be something more in that range.





Let me know if you would like any more information to corroborate this, thanks for your time!

[Aalderon Crystafire]

I'm interested -- I wanted to know what the faction hits were for this quest anyway so I intend to do it on live at some point -- we'll see what happens with the script.

[Bummey]

Originally Posted by Aalderon Crystafire [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I'm interested -- I wanted to know what the faction hits were for this quest anyway so I intend to do it on live at some point -- we'll see what happens with the script.

edit: oops, you meant live.
Phenocryst won't respond to "I will gather the stones" unless you have sufficient faction, which I believe is amiable; he definitely won't respond to indifferent. To get amiable you have to start the quest from the beginning, do the run to thurg>cc>wl, which will give you the faction hit you need to say "I will gather the stones" and receive the first focus gem.

If you've killed geonids in CC, dunno. There may be no way to repair it if you're too low faction to do those turn ins. Perhaps with sneak, if you can find a spot to stand that won't aggro every geonid in its room.


I'll double check my logs and see if I got the second despawn message.

[Rygar]

Aalderon isn't concerned with P99 values I'm sure, but what the actual values are from Live (to ensure P99 is accurate). Thanks for double checking the logs!

[Bummey]

Originally Posted by Rygar [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Aalderon isn't concerned with P99 values I'm sure, but what the actual values are from Live (to ensure P99 is accurate). Thanks for double checking the logs!

Yeah, whoopsie daisy, I misread their post.

Going back over my logs, I don't see that second end of event emote. That screenshot looks like it was taken right as it was casting the Supernova and despawning, so I had to be in range for the message. Maybe someone else can confirm?

[Aalderon Crystafire]

Being that he requires Amiable....

I don't see them requiring you having to do the first portion of the quest multiple times (to faction up) before doing the second part... and if we all start at Indifferent I don't imagine us starting above a flat 0 -- that would put it the quest hit at a whopping +100 Geonid Collective. I could be wrong but this is my suspicion. I'll confirm it when I get the chance. Also looking at the screenshot on zam he does look quite big.

[Bummey]

Originally Posted by Aalderon Crystafire [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Being that he requires Amiable....

I don't see them requiring you having to do the first portion of the quest multiple times (to faction up) before doing the second part... and if we all start at Indifferent I don't imagine us starting above a flat 0 -- that would put it the quest hit at a whopping +100 Geonid Collective. I could be wrong but this is my suspicion.

No, you're right. I meant that you might have to do it multiple times if you've killed geonids before.

Originally Posted by Aalderon Crystafire [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Also looking at the screenshot on zam he does look quite big.

It's hard to tell. There's really no sense of scale that I can see.

[Aalderon Crystafire]

Originally Posted by Bummey [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

It's hard to tell. There's really no sense of scale that I can see.

His name tag -- it's smushed... that usually happens on bigger mobs.

[Bummey]

Originally Posted by Aalderon Crystafire [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

His name tag -- it's smushed... that usually happens on bigger mobs.

Oh, hell. I didn't notice that. Right on.