Think I've joined this game too late!

[EnglishBob]

I've just hit CR40/RR48 as a RP. Hooray!! To be honest it was with a significant amount of dread since I had a strong suspicion it's where being competitive/having fun would end. After trying a few scenarios it's worse than I'd imagined.

I naively thought there would be a spread of RRs. To test this (poor) theory, I sampled the RRs from a 12v12 scenario, which we won (no thanks to me):

Avg order RR: 80.25
Avg destro RR: 81.08

So naive! Of course it's almost entirely RR80+ players. Clearly the game has been live for so long that the gap is now a gulf. What a shame.

[gisborne]

Not too late. I recently salvaged all the gear on my rr85 RP and started over in Ruin gear, using just 25 renown points. I've earned a million renown, mostly in scenarios, so just yesterday upgraded to Conqueror and 45 renown points. I plan to gear only through pvp gear, spending crests (no bag drops).

Do I die quickly when attacked? Sure. Has it affected my scenario win rate? It doesn't seem like it. Is RvR any different? I haven't noticed much difference.

The biggest difference I noticed is not having the amazing Vanquisher/Triumphant and Fort Staff procs. Other than that, meh.

I also not too long ago had my IB hit 40rr45ish (before I deleted her and rerolled). Scenarios didn't seem that bad. RvR was boring but that's a tank issue, not a gear issue. Heck, today (at lvl 34) I spawned ram in Caledor and ran it solo to keep to initiate the successful siege.

Feel free to hit me up in game and I'll hook you up with free +23 wounds talismans for your gear and some 60 wounds +25% renown liniments.

[EnglishBob]

Not too late. I recently salvaged all the gear on my rr85 RP and started over in Ruin gear

Sorry for being a bit slow, but are you saying you have a RR85 RP and you salvaged all their gear and for some reason went back to ruin gear? Or are you saying to started over with a different class? I don't see why you'd sell your gear and then buy a load of worse gear. What am I missing?

[gisborne]

Not too late. I recently salvaged all the gear on my rr85 RP and started over in Ruin gear

Sorry for being a bit slow, but are you saying you have a RR85 RP and you salvaged all their gear and for some reason went back to ruin gear? Or are you saying to started over with a different class? I don't see why you'd sell your gear and then buy a load of worse gear. What am I missing?

You're missing that I got bored but still like playing my RP. I'm starting over but keeping the same character.

[Panzer80]

Would you have preferred to have been fighting destro with an avg of 50 rr? I don't get it. You won. The match making worked. Also, the game isn't just scenarios. People who have 80+s level new characters all the time. They don't seem to have any issues.

[gisborne]

People who have 80+s level new characters all the time. They don't seem to have any issues.

This is another good point. You might have noticed by people's signatures that they have many alts. It's rare for players to stick to one character as there's no progression past rr80 and believe it or not, people like progression (and variety). Just look at the open warbands and you'll see a good 10-20% of players are sub-40, and of those 40's many are going to be sub-rr80.

The biggest advantage players who make new characters have is knowledge. They buy potions. They use good talismans. They know where and when to get new gear. They have perspective of how scenarios and RvR ebb and flow over time. Some of that you just have to learn by playing, but a lot of it can be gotten by asking for help in advice or guild (which is why many people recommend finding an active, helpful guild). This game has a fantastic community and lots of people willing to help if they know you are a new player.

[Nameless]

Healer archetype is easiest to be competitive on low rr you just need good positioning and combat awareness and you are not so far from bis geared char.
Redeye and beastlord is quite good start

[EnglishBob]

Would you have preferred to have been fighting destro with an avg of 50 rr? I don't get it. You won. The match making worked. Also, the game isn't just scenarios. People who have 80+s level new characters all the time. They don't seem to have any issues.

Obviously I would absolutely prefer to be playing against people around my own level. I'm not a masochist. Surprised a bit that you don't get it, it's not that difficult, surely.

But I'm realistic enough to know that this will never happen simply because the population is clearly skewed to RR80+. We won despite me being on the team, not because of it, so kudos to the team. I was little more than a passenger, an encumbrance. I'm sure they appreciate the odd res when I'm not being ganked.

Other players don't have "issues" at RR48 vs RR80+, you say? What is their secret? How do they compete? Or perhaps they accept it's just the nature of the game, and don't write about it on the forums? Most likely that's what you mean. Shut up and suck it up ?

[EnglishBob]

People who have 80+s level new characters all the time. They don't seem to have any issues.

Just look at the open warbands and you'll see a good 10-20% of players are sub-40, and of those 40's many are going to be sub-rr80.

Open RVR is a bit different. You really can just hide at the back and toss in heals. You sometimes get wiped out, but then that happens to the whole WB. You don't tend to get focused quite so much, and if you do there's sure to be another healer to res you. Unless you wipe, of course.

But RVR is a bit uninspiring. Struggling to see what the long-term interest in it is tbh. Just saying that is probably heresy around here

[Inwaves]

Your frustration is valid. Heard the same from other new players and also seen video POVs of fresh 40's in SCs (a lot of suffer).

First, the extent of it. As said above, healers are less gear-dependant than other roles. I've noticed this guy, name's Benlir. He has 65rr and Vanq gear, which is higher than you, but still frankly low. Check his scenario history, somehow he pumps very impressive healing scores. No passenger for sure

https://www.returnofreckoning.com/armor ... er/1753907

Second, how to improve your situation. If gear truly concerns you, try to get it from PVE. You want three options: beastlord quest chain, gunbad dungeon and crypts dungeon. Monitor LFG for parties (healers are in demand in pve) Also, right now there are almost daily Chapter 22 PA 24-men raids. There's guild that organizes those, and they always take like 8 pugs to fill slots . You have to either figure out their schedule, or monitor LFG chat for smth like "ch22 bloody". Be a good boy, listen to what they say in discord, do not stand in voidzones and you'll have Onslaught gear in 3 days (this is better than Vanq).

Lastly, if you feel useless in SCs then maybe focus on RvR for now? In RVR healers almost never get seriously focused so it's even less gear-dependend.