An Explorers guide to Ancaria

[Gordius 6]

Hi all. I have just finished writing an exploration guide for the Wiki. Gogo has suggested that before it is edited beyond all recognition I post it here for you to peruse, something to do with changing to from first to third person etc. Maybe you have something you would like to see added or changed.

 

Those who set aside time for exploring the world of Ancaria do so for many reasons. Everyone does a little while looking for quests or following the main storyline but there are also those who are seeking to increase their chance of finding valuables, gain the two achievements for exploration, hunt down 20 Temples, search for 100 Dungeons, try to find the way to the next boss and so the list grows. For me, after years of playing the game, I decided I wanted at least one character with that elusive "Map revealed 100%" or more. I believe we all need a new challenge from time to time. I have a lot of experience exploring maps, my wife says too much, in other games such as Guildwars.

 

This guide aims to give you a head start by explaining how gear and techniques can help the intrepid explorer.

 

Included within the figure shown as "Map revealed" is Land, Water, Dungeons and Caves. It is impossible to explore all of the Sea, however it is possible to explore more of the map than was perhaps expected by the game developers and therefore possible to raise the "Map revealed" figure above 100%. It is also possible to explore parts of the map which the developers believed were inaccesible raising the figure still higher. The maximum which can be achieved without bonuses offered by gear and without visiting those supposedly inaccessible areas is not far above 80%, with gear and careful exploration it is possible to reach 120% or more. I will not be telling you how to find the hidden areas, if you want that information it is available elsewhere on the internet. As far as I know exploring the two new areas of the Ice and Blood Expansion and the starting area of the Single Player Dragon Mage, which cannot be reached in Multiplayer, will add to your "Map Revealed" total.

 

One of the benefits of Exploration is that for every 0.4% of the map revealed the possibility of finding better items increases by 0.1% therefore with 100% explored that is +40% chance of finding better quality equipment. Add to that the benefits gained from the Survival Bonus, gear and the Perception skill and it could be raining greens from heaven. How the Perception skill and the Survival Bonus work is explained elsewhere.

 

When to start

 

For some the time is from the first day of your new character. I waited until the Gold level of difficulty because I wanted some items to socket or wear with +visibility range which I could only get by completing at least part of Silver.

 

Which Character?

 

There are at least three Characters which have Sets that extend visibilty range, either as a Set bonus or by having one Set item giving the +Visibility range attribute. The information below is mostly from Niobium so expect the bonus to be less for lower difficulties.

 

Seraphim: Illuminated Skies (Niobium). Shoulders +49.7%

 

Seraphim: Twilight of the Gods (Niobium). Arms +31.1%.

 

Temple Gardian: Cybernetic Tormentor (Niobium). Helm +48%.

 

Temple Guardian: XTM-2174 (Niobium). Helm +46.2%, Set bonus +43.7%. Total +89.9%

 

Shadow Warrior: Infernal Torment (Niobium). Helm +46.2%, Set bonus +43.7%. Total +89.9%.

 

Shadow Warrior: Infernal Torment (Silver, Level 50) Helm + 21%, Silver Set bonus unknown.

 

So, going by the Set piece bonuses the best appears to be either of the Temple Guardian wearing XTM-2174 or the Shadow Warrior wearing Infernal Torment, statistics for Dragon Mage Sets from the Ice and Blood Expansion are not available. All characters have access to non Set gear which offer +Visibilty range.

 

 

Build

 

There is no skill which offers +Visibility range therefore your build makes no difference. Expect to be spending time alone so you might want to avoid builds with a very low defense (it can be boring for the Explorer but will be impossibly boring for observers). If you are exploring to increase your chance to find valuables you might want to include Perception too.

 

Gear

 

To pass around 80% you will need at least something offering +Visibilty range, there are three ways of achieving this other than by wearing a Set or Set Item. Firstly, as I said, there is non Set gear for every character which gives +Visibilty range. There are also Rings and Amulets which can be worn or socketed. The maximum +Visibilty range jewellery in Silver is around 10%, in Niobium that figure increases to over 20%. Bonuses stack so a Niobium Shadow Warrior wearing the Infernal Torment Set and with only six items of jewellery will have at least around +210% Visibility Range. I am told that it is possible to reach more than 400% with the right gear and socketing. You will probably not want to fill every available socket with +Visibilty rings and amulets, for example I carry only one set of weapon and shield with +visibility and a couple of two-handed Hammers for those times when I need something better to fight my way through the game apart from other gear which offers me +visibility. By carrying a single weapon and shield or using the Dual Wield skill you will have more sockets available to you for rings and amulets.

 

Techniques

 

Climb rocks, get your feet wet, walk through wooded areas, hug trees and go underground.

 

Water. When following the waters edge it is not enough to simply run along the beach getting your feet wet, run in the water at an angle of about 45 degrees facing the water and you will find that sometimes you can run further into the sea than is normal or across a river. If you see a rock try to jump onto it, I have found that the Seraphim's Assailing Somersault is better than the Shadow Warriors Belligerent Vault for that purpose, both also seem to work better unmounted for some reason. Unless you use your "Jumping" combat art for any other reason I suggest reading the maximum number of runes for that CA and modifiy it if possible to increase the distance you can "jump".

 

Rocky areas and cliffs. Again use the 45% rule, it is sometimes possible to walk up rocks and cliffs a little. There is at least one place where it is possible to "jump" but not walk across stone to a hidden area but I cannot tell you where that is. Sometimes you can "jump" to a patch of grass which is seemingly impossible to reach.

 

Wooded areas. Some you can run through and some you cannot, use the same techniques to look for a way to run through or deeper into a wooded area but unfortunately jumping will not help. Just two days ago I found a cave which I had never seen before by doing just that.

 

Caves and Dungeons. Although the area surrounding them is black it still counts towards Map Revealed so follow the edges and explore every room.

 

Follow quests. Some will open otherwise unaccesible areas, for example "The Pirates Cave" in Chapter 1.

 

Spend time looking closely at the main map while holding down your middle mouse button looking for places you might have missed.

 

Extending the range of your "Radar" to just beyond your maximum visibilty (not always possible) might help you a little by sometimes showing the edge of your explored area.

 

If you are in a Single Player game and after creating your character start a multiplayer game, choose LAN and explore the island normally accessible only to Multiplayer Characters. Although your Quest Progress will not be saved with your character that island will then be included as part of your Map revealed.

 

Summary

 

Sacred 2 is a game. Climbing rocks, getting your feet wet, trying to find a way through wooded areas and "jumping" can take a long time and get boring after a while. Sometimes some of the techniques above will make a noticable difference and sometimes not so find the method that best suits you. Everything depends upon how high you want your "Map revealed" to be and how easily you get bored, perhaps you just want the 80% (PC) needed for the Master Cartographer Achievement. Exploring the whole map will take many hours and it does get boring so take breaks from time to time and go kill someone. I see nothing wrong with starting to explore in Bronze and finishing in Niobium! Remember though that every 0.4% of the map you explore will give you a 0.1% better chance of finding better gear so there is no such thing as time wasted exploring.

[Barristan 14]

Heya,

 

didn't seraphim's Twilight of the Gods olso have a full set bonus for visibility?

 

Good job btw!

 

Greetz

[Gordius 6]

Heya,

 

didn't seraphim's Twilight of the Gods olso have a full set bonus for visibility?

 

Good job btw!

 

Greetz

 

Dangnabbit youre right. I'll make the change when I get a chance. Thanks.

[gogoblender 3,070]

Beauty work Gordius! It's a huge article you put together, I'm happy you were able to add it to the Wiki. I've already begun to begin editing so that it's in third person perspective as a facts page, course you can make changes to that page or any others you want to help with as well using this forum's access.

 

Again, thank you for the writeup!

 

 

gogo

[Gordius 6]

I need more information, which I will edit into the page when I can. I have posted at the Offical Sacred 2 Forum here http://forum.sacred2.com/showthread.php?p=655352#post655352

 

I have written an article for SacredWiki about Map Exploration. Contributions would be greatfully appreciated. I am sure that my own techniques etc might not be the same as yours. I have searched the web and forums but I know there is more than I can find that way.

 

The kind of thing I would like your responses to are ...

 

1 - Techniques. For example jumping to places which might appear to be unreachable.

2 - Bugs. I know there are bugs with previous patches but exactly what are they?.

3 - Gear. For example rings, gear worn and weapons. One thing I very much need is numbers for +% gear and items at every level, almost all I have is that Silver is just under +10% for rings and amulets, +% gained from Niobium sets, and what you can expect to find at the Merchants in Niobium for Rings and Amulets. I have no stats at all for non set items, I can search through my Characters and Mules but what I have is from Silver and a tiny bit from Gold. I do have the stats for Sets but that is from the Wiki and those items are Niobium.

4 - General Advice. For example socket +% items into your gear.

5 - Character choice. Maybe you have suggestions of which to avoid? I am sure you have.

6 - Exploits. Yes I know that some think of them as cheating and I don't expect to include them in the article but just in case I suggest that they are included.

7. Areas. What are the usual or max possible to reveal within every are of the game. Artamark, The Swamps, etc. I am doing my best to find out for myself but it isn't an easy thing to do.

8. Differences between different platforms.

 

I hope from that list you get the idea of what I need to know but I am sure readers will want to know everything not only what I know personally.

 

Thanks.

[Tr1gg3r 0]

One of the benefits of Exploration is that for every 0.4% of the map revealed the possibility of finding better items increases by 0.1% therefore with 100% explored that is +40% chance of finding better quality equipment.

 

100 % / 0.4 % * 0.1 % = 25 %

 

OR

 

0.1 / 0.4 = 0.25 so MF-Bonus is 25 % of map revealed

[Munera 1]

One of the benefits of Exploration is that for every 0.4% of the map revealed the possibility of finding better items increases by 0.1% therefore with 100% explored that is +40% chance of finding better quality equipment.

 

100 % / 0.4 % * 0.1 % = 25 %

 

OR

 

0.1 / 0.4 = 0.25 so MF-Bonus is 25 % of map revealed

 

He's doing this to see if we are paying attention or not Old tricks

 

By the way, there's a way to explore the sea. If u have a jumping CA and a mount, you can go wherever you want. I may take a looooong time though, specially if that CA has a high regeneration time.

 

Personally, I prefer to explore w/o visibility bonuses, just killing whatever you see, and unveil the hardest places with the special gear. The guide is very interesting and I have enjoyed it very much. lol I thought I was the only mad explorer around ^^

 

As we say in Spanish, bien hecho!

[essjayehm 58]

5 - Character choice. Maybe you have suggestions of which to avoid? I am sure you have.

NOT the Inquisitor - he has no jump/port spell

8. Differences between different platforms.

Consoles only have vanilla Sacred 2 - No Xmas island, no Crystal region, etc. I cannot think of any differences between Xbox and PS3 for your purposes.

Gordius, loved your write-up. Especially the 45-degree angle thingy when wall-running. That was something I noticed when I was wall-running before I found the Ancarian map Schot made up. Wall-running for mini-bosses, FTW! er, loss I mean MAP of the bosses for the WIN!

 

The most important thing for someone looking to uncover the most map% as possible would be to ensure you enter the caves with massive +visibility range as well, I am pretty sure there are caves/areas that exist underground that there is no way to get to... I assume the dev's just didn't get around to adding in all the cave entrances...

Edited October 18, 2010 by essjayehm

[Gordius 6]

Sorry, it has been ages since I checked this thread. Glad you spotted my deliberate mathematical error (that's why I teach English and not Math's)

 

The page is on the Wiki (corrected the maths 2 miniutes ago).

 

Something noone spotted here is that Temple Guardian and Shadow Warrior have the best +% visibility sets but the thing is the Wiki set bonuses are mostly based upon bonuses from a set of all the same char level gear which is probably not going to be the case. Changed that on the wiki too.

 

Wiki Exploring page