Borderlands 2

[NeoVid]

Originally Posted by Salur

Mick Zaford is indeed the boss to farm for the Maggie; he respawns after the quest is done (if you head over to the train station area). So, if you sided with the Hodunks, you can farm him.

I was hoping that wasn't it... my experiences with farming for Legendaries so far have all resulted in giving up in frustration after killing the boss a few dozen times. I'd rather spend most of my time having fun.

[aethernox]

Mick Zaford, at least, is probably the easiest boss in the game to farm. After you finish the quest, if you enter The Dust from the train station in Lynch Wood you'll spawn ~6 feet from Mick and every time you quit/continue you'll spawn in the same spot. I got my Maggie, literally, in like 10 or 15 minutes.

[Triscuitable]

Originally Posted by aethernox

Mick Zaford, at least, is probably the easiest boss in the game to farm. After you finish the quest, if you enter The Dust from the train station in Lynch Wood you'll spawn ~6 feet from Mick and every time you quit/continue you'll spawn in the same spot. I got my Maggie, literally, in like 10 or 15 minutes.

Spare only Henry, and (if you're up for a 20 second jog) Knuckledragger. Thing about Knuckledragger is that he's worth farming from the start, as no enemies spawn after you go through that area the first time. Just him. The Dahl Hornet also kicks some serious ass, and holds up well until level 12-15, depending on the damage output.

[aethernox]

The difference being that Mick has a really favorable drop chance whereas Henry takes four or five times as much investment because of the walk/jump and the drop chance on heads is abysmal.

[Triscuitable]

Originally Posted by aethernox

The difference being that Mick has a really favorable drop chance whereas Henry takes four or five times as much investment because of the walk/jump and the drop chance on heads is abysmal.

And yet, I have every head she drops. I also have every Mechromancer and Siren head, spare Cold Steel.

[Kesnit]

This may sound really dumb, but I haven't had time to play very far into the game.

Do enemies in a given location stay the level they are when you encounter them, or do they get more powerful if you go back later (in the same playthrough).

I got Zer0 to Sanctuary, then started one of each other character. That's when I discovered the challenges. Since I had not done any of them with Zer0, I hopped him back to the Southern Steppes to catch him up. When I went to Migemong's area, I thought the enemies there would be easy for my LVL 10 Zer0, but they seemed just as challenging as they had been.

Maybe I just wasn't over their level enough to make a difference, but it got me wondering.

[Erloas]

The world does, for the most part, scale with your level. I'm not sure how it works exactly but if you go too far away from what they expect things will be higher level then you, but only by a couple levels, and if you go back to old places things will be lower level then you by a bit. Some areas seem to cap out, and some might have a minimum level but I haven't seen that.
One of the main things that determines difficulty though is as much the types of enemies as their level, so if you go back to an early level there will still mostly be the basic/easier enemy types around.

[factotum]

I think the game is a lot more aggressive about level scaling in TVH mode. I remember doing the Firehawk cult quest that requires you to return to the Southern Shelf--in playthrough 1 I was something like level 12 and all the level 3-4 enemies melted like chocolate in a heatwave before me; it was a bit more challenging in playthrough 2.

[Kyrian]

Originally Posted by aethernox

Mick Zaford, at least, is probably the easiest boss in the game to farm. After you finish the quest, if you enter The Dust from the train station in Lynch Wood you'll spawn ~6 feet from Mick and every time you quit/continue you'll spawn in the same spot. I got my Maggie, literally, in like 10 or 15 minutes.

Sadly I sided with him, which sucks because with Zer0 I love my Jakobs weaponry.

Originally Posted by Erloas

The world does, for the most part, scale with your level. I'm not sure how it works exactly but if you go too far away from what they expect things will be higher level then you, but only by a couple levels, and if you go back to old places things will be lower level then you by a bit. Some areas seem to cap out, and some might have a minimum level but I haven't seen that.
One of the main things that determines difficulty though is as much the types of enemies as their level, so if you go back to an early level there will still mostly be the basic/easier enemy types around.

Any area you may be required to go back to for quests, and some of the others I think, scale with you. But if you go back to Boom Bewm and Flint and other not too important area, they'll be a walk in the park. Took Zer0 back at lvl 30 and shot Boom out of Bertha AND killed him in the one shot.

[Chen]

I'm fairly sure the game scales by your main story quest. Areas also have limits on how high they scale. Once you've beaten playthrough 2 all areas scale to max level.

[ObadiahtheSlim]

I have both Maggie (farmed) and Conference Call (traded for). I kind of prefer confrence all because it adds elemental damage. I just sorta wish I was a gunzerker so I could dual wield both.

[DiscipleofBob]

I just got past the Core Control boss, and the most recent plot event really bugs me...

Major Spoilers for those who haven't gotten this far yet.

Spoiler

There is no reason Roland should have died. It makes no sense.

First of all, there's the fact that it was a single pistol shot from behind which killed Roland. A player-character from the first game who has epic-level gear, including what must be a powerful shield. Not only that but between the numerous possibilities for health regen, and the fact that Roland was the closest thing to a healer in the first game, he would have to have been at full health and shields by the time Jack showed up.

Also, even if Jack got the drop on Roland, forgiveable since it was earlier established that Roland sometimes lets his guard down, there's still Lilith and at least one of the player characters. No one else noticed the teleporting sound and teleporting visual effect after a boss battle which was nothing but bots teleporting in?

Even forgiving all that, assuming Jack has some uber-pistol that can even one-shot a first-gen Vault Hunter at full health and shields, assuming the Fight For Your Life mechanic doesn't do the trick (in my playthrough we had Maya who could insta-revive people as well), there's still one important plot hole: The New-U Station.

In other games, respawning at the save point is handwaved as a game mechanic. In the Borderlands games, it's a plot point. The Hyperion Corporation provides the New-U Station to make insta-clone respawns with all the clothes, gear, memories, and experience of the recently deceased. These clones are treated as the original and are the exact same as the original, even duplicating Sirens' powers, making murder a minor offense at best. The only possible side effects are a possible existential crisis over the possible realization you're a clone, and possibly infertility. It even explains the respawning of enemies/bosses since they can have the New-U insurance as well. It also explains why so many NPC's are captured rather than killed, as merely killing them would be a temporary inconvenience.

One could make the argument that since these devices are run by the Hyperion Corporation, Jack could just revoke the "life insurance" they provide for a target to stay dead. But even that doesn't make sense since if he was capable of turning those off to the Vault Hunters and bandits, he would have done so long ago, as Jack's entire campaign throughout the game has been to kill the Vault Hunters, Sanctuary, the Bandits, etcetera and wipe them from Pandora. If he had the power to turn those stations off, he would have done so long ago. And the New U Stations clearly work for the Vault Hunters after the event in Core Control, so it's not like he just changed his mind.

There is no reason Roland would not have respawned at a local New U Station. There's no reason he wouldn't have a large cash stash being the head of Sanctuary so it's not like he couldn't afford the respawn.

His death doesn't even add anything to the plot really. Sure we get some good mourning reactions from characters, but honestly, it wouldn't change the plot any if he lived. Lilith would still get captured (seriously, what part of Stay in the City don't you understand?), Jack would still be that much closer to the Warrior, we'd still hate Jack just as much for killing everyone else in the game and acting like the unsufferable ass that he is. (RIP Bloodwing)

The only good reason I could see is if there's a zombie DLC and you fight alongside zombie Roland mounting his zombie Scorpio turret atop a zombie Bloodwing raining redundant zombie death on foes.

[mangosta71]

Decided to pick this game up over the weekend and started with Zer0, going Bloodshed because I never saw a sniper rifle until I was level 7 (I'm up to 12 now) or so, and they're still (by far) the least common weapon type I've found. Basically I've been thinning the herd with my rifle and then mopping up with sword and shotgun.

I see that people were complaining about Decepti0n aggroing things from really long distances, but I haven't had any issues with that. I'm currently working on the fifth rank of "Surprise!" (sniping unaggroed enemies) and I need the damage bonus to oneshot an ever-increasing number of things. I hope to one day find a sniper rifle that isn't a complete piece of ****, but for now I'm stuck with a level 8 white.

Couple quick questions - how does one throw a weapon? And is there a reason badass psychos always come in pairs?

[JediSoth]

Originally Posted by mangosta71

Decided to pick this game up over the weekend and started with Zer0, going Bloodshed because I never saw a sniper rifle until I was level 7 (I'm up to 12 now) or so, and they're still (by far) the least common weapon type I've found. Basically I've been thinning the herd with my rifle and then mopping up with sword and shotgun.

I see that people were complaining about Decepti0n aggroing things from really long distances, but I haven't had any issues with that. I'm currently working on the fifth rank of "Surprise!" (sniping unaggroed enemies) and I need the damage bonus to oneshot an ever-increasing number of things. I hope to one day find a sniper rifle that isn't a complete piece of ****, but for now I'm stuck with a level 8 white.

Couple quick questions - how does one throw a weapon? And is there a reason badass psychos always come in pairs?

You throw a weapon if it is a Tediore and you're reloading it, because Tediore weapons are disposable. Unless you mean grenades; that's a separate key binding.

I'm sure there's a reason badass psychos always come in pairs, but I actually have encountered them singly. I think it just depends on WHERE you encounter them.

Oddly, I don't have any trouble finding awesome sniper rifles. I've played Maya and am working on Gaige right now, and my favorite weapons have been corrosion sniper rifles I've found. Totally unlike the first Borderlands, where all the best weapons I ever found were pistols (specifically revolvers).

[Sholos]

Originally Posted by mangosta71

Couple quick questions - how does one throw a weapon? And is there a reason badass psychos always come in pairs?

The thrown weapons are Tediore guns when you reload them. Instead of actual reloading, you throw it out and it explodes and a new one is teleported into your hands. No idea on the other question. Maybe they're all twins?

[mangosta71]

Originally Posted by JediSoth

You throw a weapon if it is a Tediore and you're reloading it, because Tediore weapons are disposable. Unless you mean grenades; that's a separate key binding.

It happens automatically? None of the Tediore weapons I've found so far have been good enough to actually use, so it's just a matter of curiosity right now.

Originally Posted by JediSoth

Oddly, I don't have any trouble finding awesome sniper rifles. I've played Maya and am working on Gaige right now, and my favorite weapons have been corrosion sniper rifles I've found. Totally unlike the first Borderlands, where all the best weapons I ever found were pistols (specifically revolvers).

Above green, I've found two pink pistols, a bunch of blue pistols, and one blue SMG (which I'm using for mid-range second winds). I'm not sure why the game is insisting that my Zer0 use weapons that he can't spec for, but my Maya is going to be thrilled to bits. Once I start her and get her to Sanctuary.

[Dhavaer]

Originally Posted by mangosta71

It happens automatically? None of the Tediore weapons I've found so far have been good enough to actually use, so it's just a matter of curiosity right now.

It's how they reload. You throw, it explodes dealing damage based on how many bullets were left in the clip, a new gun digistructs into your hand.

[Erloas]

I have found very few Tediore weapons worth using, I think just a shotgun I used for a little while, and I think one assault rifle, since they are the primary (only?) supplier of explosive elemental weapons.

I have yet to see any pink loot, I've seen quite a few purple drops though.

As for the sniper rifles, it takes a while before you start seeing elemental ones but you should see pretty good standard ones fairly early on. Most of the early ones are Jakobs. And for the most part sniper rifles are really only useful when you can get criticals with them, so the bonus critical damage specs on them are a lot more powerful then it would be on other weapon types.

Forget what character exactly right now, but even in the 10-14 level range I can easily hit for 1500-2000 damage with head shots from a snipe rifle, which will kill everything I've ran across except bosses in one shot, with an occasional exception for a few high end enemies.

[factotum]

Originally Posted by Erloas

I have found very few Tediore weapons worth using, I think just a shotgun I used for a little while, and I think one assault rifle, since they are the primary (only?) supplier of explosive elemental weapons.

You're confusing them with Torgue. Torgue are the ones who produce nothing but explosive guns, although I don't think I've ever seen a Torgue sniper rifle and their pistols are rubbish...a good shotty or combat rifle of theirs simply owns, though.

[mangosta71]

Originally Posted by Erloas

As for the sniper rifles, it takes a while before you start seeing elemental ones but you should see pretty good standard ones fairly early on. Most of the early ones are Jakobs. And for the most part sniper rifles are really only useful when you can get criticals with them, so the bonus critical damage specs on them are a lot more powerful then it would be on other weapon types.

Forget what character exactly right now, but even in the 10-14 level range I can easily hit for 1500-2000 damage with head shots from a snipe rifle, which will kill everything I've ran across except bosses in one shot, with an occasional exception for a few high end enemies.

Right. I have one with 120% bonus critical damage, and I'm getting 1k+ hits on things, but I'm running into more and more nomads (who survive a non-decepti0ned sniper head shot even without shields). Shielded marauders take multiple shots if they're level 10+. For goliaths, I ping the mask off and hope the rest of the enemies in the area have what it takes to finish them off while I run little a little Japanese schoolgirl fleeing from an octopus invasion.

[Erloas]

Originally Posted by factotum

You're confusing them with Torgue. Torgue are the ones who produce nothing but explosive guns, although I don't think I've ever seen a Torgue sniper rifle and their pistols are rubbish...a good shotty or combat rifle of theirs simply owns, though.

You are right... which means I don't think I've found more then maybe 1-2 pistols in early game from Tediore worth using.

[Sith_Happens]

Originally Posted by mangosta71

I'm not sure why the game is insisting that my Zer0 use weapons that he can't spec for,

Quite the contrary, the Cunning tree probably goes best with high fire rate weapons. I'm specced in there for now at least until I have enough points for Many Must Fall; Executing one enemy at a time just wasn't really doing it for me.

[aethernox]

Originally Posted by Sith_Happens

Quite the contrary, the Cunning tree probably goes best with high fire rate weapons. I'm specced in there for now at least until I have enough points for Many Must Fall; Executing one enemy at a time just wasn't really doing it for me.

Indeed. Most of my Zero playthrough involved me, frankly, pretending that I was Lillith in BL1. He's an amazing SMG/Repeater/Revolver user, and Deception is excellent for healing/repositioning/shotgunning kunai. I'm not convinced that his Sniper or Melee builds are particularly strong in the first place.

[Anteros]

Originally Posted by aethernox

Indeed. Most of my Zero playthrough involved me, frankly, pretending that I was Lillith in BL1. He's an amazing SMG/Repeater/Revolver user, and Deception is excellent for healing/repositioning/shotgunning kunai. I'm not convinced that his Sniper or Melee builds are particularly strong in the first place.

Sniper and melee are both amazing if you do them right. Sniper is very much a glass cannon, but the damage is ridiculous. Melee is good as well, but it really doesn't shine until you get many must fall.

[factotum]

Originally Posted by mangosta71

For goliaths, I ping the mask off and hope the rest of the enemies in the area have what it takes to finish them off while I run little a little Japanese schoolgirl fleeing from an octopus invasion.

The problem there is that, if the enemies in the area DON'T have the wherewithal to kill the Goliath, you're going to end up with a Super Badass Raging Goliath coming after you--you can't headshot them, your only real option is to take them down with lots of bullets at close range (e.g. shotgun or SMG). This is why you need to have a good backup weapon like that even if you're a stealthy sniper build!

[Cespenar]

Originally Posted by Anteros

Sniper and melee are both amazing if you do them right. Sniper is very much a glass cannon, but the damage is ridiculous. Melee is good as well, but it really doesn't shine until you get many must fall.

I played a lot of melee Zer0 before I got Many Must Fall, and it's pretty solid, at least on normal mode. You get a class mod that boosts that kill skill which gives you movement bonus, and you leap, dodge and weave your way through opponents with hilarious speed, cutting them into pieces as you pass. If an enemy is too far, Deception + Execute several times towards him brings you to melee range within 5 invulnerable seconds.

Originally Posted by factotum

The problem there is that, if the enemies in the area DON'T have the wherewithal to kill the Goliath, you're going to end up with a Super Badass Raging Goliath coming after you--you can't headshot them, your only real option is to take them down with lots of bullets at close range (e.g. shotgun or SMG). This is why you need to have a good backup weapon like that even if you're a stealthy sniper build!

Huh? I remember them to be perfectly headshottable. The head bounced around a bit, but shotguns are there for that.

[factotum]

OK, "You can't headshot them with a sniper rifle unless you're a God amongst gamers." That better?

[pffh]

Originally Posted by factotum

OK, "You can't headshot them with a sniper rifle unless you're a God amongst gamers." That better?

Not really. The entire stem from the neck to the head is also a crittable area. In fact I prefer to pop the buckets off them and deal with the God-liaths after they clear the room.

[Tiki Snakes]

I find rampaging Goliaths burn pretty reliably, if nothing else. Infact, that's one of the reason I find it so hard to throw away fire sniper-rifles. Any human enemies just seem to melt wonderfully, especially without shield. With the right rifle, headshots are a bonus, not a requirement.

[ObadiahtheSlim]

I've never had a problem with goliaths (even high level ones) as a siren. Phaselock is great against them. It stops them from charging me and it sticks their whole head back into an easily snipeable spot.