Plane of Innovation (Guide)
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[edit] CTG: Plane of Innovation
"The Plane of Innovation is an industrial wasteland that surrounds a massive factory. Narrow valleys filled with refuse cut through tremendous heaps of junk. Small niches have been dug out of the junk by old, cast-off clockwork automatons that were long ago replaced in the Factory by newer, more efficient models. These derelict beings retain a built-in desire to exist, and so they scour the factory junkyard for spare parts to help maintain themselves." -- Official Planes of Power Site
The Plane of Innovation is a place that Tinkers are eventually drawn to. It is an intriguing land where wonderous works of engineering and automation lurk with a threat of death around every murky corner.
To get to the Plane of Innovation you need to find the windmill in the Plane of Tranquility. (You must be level 46 or higher to enter the Plane of Tranquility, and thus you will have difficulty visiting PoI prior to level 46.) Inside the windmill look for a gnome, Elder Gelok, who will instruct those who ask to click on a motionless transcentrifugal axle. Doing so will transport you into PoI. The area you zone into is known as the zone entrance (obviously), zone exit, as well as the graveyard. Buff up a bit and cast invisibility before zoning in. You may arrive in the middle of a bad situation. A smart gnome will note how many people have recently zoned out of PoI back to PoT (zone out spot is a few yards outside the windmill entrance). The more people you see zoning out from PoI, the more likely there is a nasty train waiting for you when you enter.
The most important thing to know before your first visit is how to exit PoI. There is a stubby lightbox on your right side from the direction you're facing when you zone in. (The lightbox looks like the one in the lower right corner of the Manaetic Behemoth image below.) Click on it to make sure you have identified the exit properly before you need to find it during an emergency. Sitting near the exit has the advantage that you can exit quickly, but it is also the destination of most trains.
PoI is often wrought with frequent and very deadly trains. Two creatures can deal out a couple thousand points of damage in a few seconds. A fair number of creatures (viz. Obsolete, Archaic, Tin Soldiers) see through various forms of invisibility making it tough for anyone but the very brave and hearty to venture too far past the zone entrance alone. Even with a skilled hunting party, the tide can turn unexpectedly and quickly leaving you in a desparate situation. Other problems typical with the zone include: difficultly for some classes to find a group, difficutly with lag or link death (yours and others), and the zone can be empty during off-peak hours (which is good for those who don't like crowds).
[edit] So why hunt in PoI?
Firstly, the risk is rewarded nicely with noticable experience gains. PoP zones have the highest Zone Experience Modifier (compared to non-PoP zones: 50% for most outdoor zones, 85% for most dungeons, 100% for the hole). It is convenient to hunt near the safety of the zone exit. If trains become frequent, your party can work their way to areas that are safe from nearly all trains. Secondly, many players tend to stay near the graveyard facilitating the creation of groups, buffing, and rezzing. Thirdly, a group can have a lot of fun pushing the limits of their combined strength. It seems rare that an experience hunt is boring in PoI. Death is close at hand and the ocassional reminder of this fact makes players hearts beat a little faster when they venture deep. Corpse retrieval is effortless (thanks to the graveyard feature) and a kind request/gesture will often get you a full rez. Another reason to hunt in PoI is the items dropped from creatures. Tinkers benefit greatly from the drops available here. Non-tinkers benefit from both the non-Tinkering drops as well as the Tinkering drops (which can be sold/traded or used to recharge Tinkering devices). There are of course items that can be turned in for experience or decent rewards. Certain tinkering supplies are only sold by a gnome merchant, Nitram Anizok. (The Nitram-only supplies can be purchased an resold by entrepreneurial players.)
A final reason to hunt here is the wonderful atmosphere. Immediately upon entering PoI you will be surrounded by the sights and sounds of a technological wasteland that will impress any true adventurer. Animated clockwork mechanisms dance, spin and whirl. Steam fills the air and blows out hoses in the ground. Scrap litters the landscape -- filling gnomes with ideas of what they can construct with it. The music has a dark industrial overtone that mixes well with the sounds made from the hostile creations. Far above the trenches is the mysterious factory. And of course there are incredible sights such as the Junk Beast and the mechanical dragon, Xanamech Nexmirthafen.
[edit] What level will I be able to hunt in PoI?
Technically, you can enter the PoI at level 46. Don't expect to find a group excited to take you in at this level however. The "generally accepted" level is 55 and above. (Outdated - most groups at 55+ on Al'kabor will be in Pov, or PoS.) YMMV (your mileage may vary). A PoI group (as with most PoP zones) generally requires a tank or two, a solid healer, a slower, and the rest of the group can consist of nearly any class. A group that is desperate for a healer, slower, or tank may be inclined to accept one that is lower in level. Obviously the issue for casters is avoiding agro and having spells stick. Tanks must have the ability to hold agro and take damage. Level 50 enchanters have reported being able to slow without much problems and even mez. Level 56 clerics are generally preferred due to their 96% rez.
Many factors can make or break a group. For example, a well balanced group of 60+ can go down quickly if the tank cannot hold agro, the cleric is lagging, or the enchanter unleashes every debuff in the first 5 seconds of a fight. I'd personally take a lower level cleric that has a horse/drogmor to avoid sit agro than their high level counterpart that has no mount. Unfortunately all a group initially has at their disposal when picking a group member is the level and class. It logically follows that a higher level player will be better prepared/equipped/experienced. With the LoY group search tool you may be able to use the comments section to increase your chances of finding a planar group. For example, mention if you have a mount, your epic, a fast computer with a stable broadband connection. If you are a lower level tank but have gear that's better than most at your level, throw up your self-buffed HPs/AC.
The bottom line: If several high level people of your class are looking for a group, don't expect to receive a group invitation soon. If you are closer to 46, you may have better luck finding a group hunting in the Plane of Justice. Of course, if you have friends it will help. Also considering forming your own group -- take control of your fate instead of waiting for someone else to.
[edit] Creatures
As far a creatures go, most of them dual hit for around 250 damage/hit and have around 10k hitpoints. As stated previously, groups benefit greatly with healing and slowing magic. Some specific notes on creatures:
- Archaics are unslowable, unstunnable, unmezzable. If an Archaic is in camp, your group should be focusing on taking it down first.
- Tin Soldiers are unstunnable, immune to root/snare, unmezzable, but are slowable.
- As stated before Obsolete, Archaic, Tin Soldiers are among the common see-invisible mobs you will run across.
- It is reported that the only dire-charmable mob is "an obselete unit" (the little tiny two-legged unit).
- Metallic Slime are immune to nearly all spells and have very high AC.
- The Junk Beast double hits for 975, AE blinds, has a knockback attack, and is slowable.
- Xanamech Nezmirthafen hits for 1300+, AE snares, AEs for 800 damage, AE stuns for 300 damage (every 15 seconds or so). Clerics often use heal spells with short casting times between the stuns.
- Manaetic Behemoth AEs a fire lure for 900 damage every 6 seconds for 3 waves. The Behemoth may also have a gravity flux and a Silence AE (prevents spell casting).
- Manaetic Prototypes quad for 400, flurry, enrage, AE for 800 damage, and AE snare. They are slowable (at least by shaman). It appears they are immune to root and snare. Can they be memory blurred or mezzed?
- Named creatures include: Corroded Prototype, A Malfunctioning System, A Rust Covered Model, A Tin Soldier
[edit] Items
What mob dropped items are useful to a Tinker? In order of preference I'd arguably state: Steel Ball Bearings, Coiled Springs, Clockwork Carapaces, Knuckle Joints, Mana Batteries -- Class Six, Innovative Clockwork Gears, Innovative Clockwork Bolts, Mana Batteries -- Class Five, Silicorrosive Grease, and Raw Diamonds. The foraged Clockwork Grease is a useful tinkering component as well. It is easy to remember that any item that is tarnished, rusted, broken, worn (or some other adjective that is similarly negative-sounding) is unlikely to have a known use. You should strongly consider saving any item that is marked for use in tradeskills. Please dispose of junk in an environmentally kind manner.
[edit] Other useful items include:
- Golden Ember Powder is a common drop here used in Poison Making.
- Phosphorous Powder is also used in Poison Making.
- Size C Springs and Tri-coated Metal Casings are quest items for an all/all neck item with Knowledge Gate, known as the Clockwork Talisman.
- Parchments are reported to drop from Xanamech, Clockwork Golems and various other creatures inside the factory.
- Moonstone Crystals are pottery components for the Ceramic Hammer of Innovation.
- Raw Diamonds are used in Jewelcraft, Smithing, in addition to Tinkering the Greasy Diamond of Innovation.
- Silicorrosive Grease is used in Elder Gelok's experience/gem quest, a Greasy Diamond of Innovation.
- Size 12 Sprockets, Tri-Platinum Foil, and Mini-Gyro Shields are used in Elder Gelok's experience/gem quest in addition to Silicorrosive Grease.
- Solid Block of Perilium is used in the quest for the Halls of Honor key.
- The various book pages are for the Tome of Dark Power quest which yields Cloak of the Wise.
- A Copper Node, Bundle of Super Conductive Wires, and an Intact Power Cell are part of the quest to gain access to the factory (see below).
- Bundle of Super Conductive Wires is also used with the quest for a very nice cloak, involving Sanfyrd in Ak'Anon and Aid Fimli at the top of the PoK library.
- Junk Beast Power Source is used for the Intermediate Combat Manual quest
- Cohesion Gem and Oxidized Steel Plate are used for the Rallican's Bracer quest for the Magician spell, Summon Steel Bracelet.
- if you are trying to reach Nitram to buy supplies, I suggest: forming a group to fight your way there, following a group or raid force to Nitram, or hiring the services of a trustworthy monk (or perhaps a sneaky rogue or another FD class). I frequently bribe a monk with a tinkered item (e.g. Minimizing Device or Gauze Press) in return for the time, effort, and risk they spend getting to Nitram to buy my supplies.
An important note: You can generally stand inside Nitram's workshop without agro'ing the attention of the mecha outside if you stand directly in front of Nitram, just barely in range of being able to trade with him. If you get too close to Nitram or one of the side walls, you will likely have a nasty visitor arriving in a few seconds.
[edit] The Factory
In order to gain access to the horrors inside the factory, you will need to take down the mighty clockwork dragon, Xanamech Nezmirthafen. This will require a strong raid force. First you must visit Nitram Anizok (see map). Nitram requests a copper node, bundle of super conductive wires, and an intact power cell to repair his new invention. Before you give him the requested items, ask your raid membership if there is anyone who needs to purchase Tinkering components from him (viz. Steel Casings and Vials of Gasses).
Once you give the three aforementioned items to Nitram, he'll ask you to follow him. The journey will take you around to the NE area of the zone. Along the way it is your duty to protect Nitram from danger. But more importantly you must make sure that Nitram's walking path is never blocked or your quest will end. His respawn time is reported to be around 2 hours.
A wise strategy is to clear ahead of Nitram keeping him behind the raid force. In order to do so, you will need to mez, root, or some similiar method to stop Nitram. Nitram will need to be released and have his memory blurred when it is time to catch up with the tail of the raid force. If you need to rebuff before the battle with Xanamech, stop Nitram well before he reaches the end of his walking journey (do not stop him if he is past the last static spawn spot).
"Do not mem blur him anywhere near the final door or inside the room with the dragon. Absolutely do not mem blur him once the dragon encounter begins. This will mess up the quest 100 percent of the time. Either the gnome immediatly despawns, or you kill the dragon and cannot get flagged."
When Nitram passes through to unlock the door to Xanamech, make sure everyone hugs the walls to keep out of Nitram's path. Xanamech will always show on tracking, but the beast is not targettable until Nitram replaces his power cell.
If Nitram is not present at the end of the fight with the Xanamech, you will not be able to get flagged to go into the factory. Position your main assist in such a way that Nitram is standing at the rear of Xanamech. If all goes well, after Xanamech falls, have each raid member hail Nitram in order to receive the flag to the factory. There may be a limit on the number of flags that are distributed, so you may want to have some sort of flagging order established ahead of time.
[edit] Destroy the Behemoth
This quest is for getting flagged for Fortress of Zek. It starts with Giwin Mirakon who is near the entrance to the factory. After a brief talk with Giwin you will take a short walk to engage the Manaetic Behemoth. The Behemoth has a AE fire based lure that does 900 damage every 6 seconds for 3 waves total.
The key apparently in this fight is similar to Grummus. You need to kill the Behemoth quickly (less than a minute or two). It may be wise to have groups setup to kill spiders before they enter the room. Each spider that makes it into the room explodes doing a 4000 damage AE.
Also see this Manaetic Behemoth (Guide).
[edit] Manaetic Prototypes
The Manaetic Prototypes are a fun encounter for a modest sized raid. There are 3 prototypes in separate rooms separated by hallways. Each prototype is tethered to their spawn point -- they can move away from the spawn point, but once they reach the hallway they reset to their spawn point with full health. The key challenge is that the person at the top of the hate list (your main tank usually) will ocassionally get relocated to one of the other rooms where the prototypes are. This can cause the prototype you're fighting to move forward to chase the translocated person down. If the prototype moves into the hallway, it will complete heal. If your main tank is translocated, your raid needs to switch quickly to the next tank on the list and gain agro, stun, etc. This encounter comes down to damage per second and keeping the Prototype from leaving the the room. The best way to stop the Prototype from moving into the hallway appears to be stuns. Note: This guy thought it was a fun encounter - personally I find these guys to be a royal PITA. As usual, your mileage might vary. --Byaga 18:14, 23 November 2009 (UTC)
[edit] Stamm's rant - Xanamech as key to pop progression for small guilds
My arguement is that Xanamech and they access his event provides is the key to raiding PoP for a smaller guild (~10-15 regulars) starting PoP raiding.
Xanamech and his event are beatable by 2 balanced groups of ornate/low tier Luclin geared players and allows access to content beatable by similar numbers The key from the Xanamech Event allows you access to the factory where Prototypes can be beaten by the same 2 groups that beat Xanamech. Their loot tables includes items that are essential for healers to be effective in PoP raiding. Without significant beneficial spell haste, a clerics best PoP raiding heal spell "Supernal Light" is too time-consuming to be useful.
No other PoP event provides as much of an opportunity to progress your raid force.
While some people might say that Hedge is the first event that a small guild testing out PoP should go for, the flag it gives does essentially nothing for the 3 groups that complete the event. The loot stinks and without a lot of other players, the flag is completely useless for anything but TS farming and XPing. Similarly the events in PoN, while fun and novel themselves, do not lead to anything further and don't unlock new content. PoJ trials provide access to the best XP zone, but again offer no raiding content. Even getting all 6 trials is useless to a small guild. PoD is a complete waste of time in terms of progression. Grummus is way too tough for a small guild and everything else is way too easy with minimal reward. Killing BoT tower bosses gets good gear and is essential, but it's no means to an end and can't be considered progressive raiding. The other tier 2 and higher zones are good XP zones with some decent loot, but feasible progression for a small guild.
The loot that Xanamech offers some of the best specialised loot that a 2 group raid can attain: A very decent aggro weapon for a warrior. This hammer is argueable the best aggro weapon that 12 average PoP players can get. A great ring that matches EP tradeskilled items. With 75 mana/HP's and solid stats, this ring is even an upgrade for some players who are in guilds raiding high end luclin. A solid haste item that will outlast most other neck items. 50mana/hp plus 41% haste allows tanks to ditch the dragon cloaks/belts, opening up the back (or waist) slot for some decent AC/HP which they'll need in PoP.
All this and it's a fun event too, with great PP loot along the way.
Ok, that's my rant.
_________________ Marshall Stamm Bladecaster of <Temerity> (Copied from eqmac by --Byaga 13:42, 22 November 2009 (UTC))
[edit] Notes
This is an old guide, rescued from the Wayback machine. It vanished in 2006. It was located at http://www.speakeasy.org/~dudley/ctg/poi.html.
