The Lone Wolf ~A Solo Player's Guide~ Yes I'm Still Alive~

Holy Crap! Arky's alive!

OMG!	29.4%	[ 308 ]
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Fffffffffff-	5.2%	[ 55 ]
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I R POLL WHORE	20.2%	[ 212 ]
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Total Votes:			[ 1049 ]

[Arkyron]

The title says it all! This will merely be a guide composed of tips and tricks for the anti-socials of you out there, as well as recomendations for what you should and shouldn't try to solo and how! If you'd like to help out, please PM me, Arkyron, with any suggestions, as I may not notice if you post in the thread, especially while I'm gone! ^_^

Check the announcements frequently, and be certain to keep in mind that everything is susceptible to change from update to update!

Beloved Volunteers and Contributers

SykoCaster
DeathWyrmNexus
My Spirit Shadow
UPC Leen
Valheita
Raxa
Ixor-san
Maris Pallitax
Cyrus Lurch
Lux Fortuna
[-Zera-]
Soulskourer
Nanenna
WildBlue45
DarkCreator16
grounderous
Meet Your Mistress
Mizz Faith
Good As In Awesome
Regorund
swordsnstars
Judeau_The_Modest
Dustytuft

Section List In Post Order

You are at the bolded location.

Intro
Announcements
Individual Rings and Sets
Second Opinions
Tips and Tricks
Farming
What Not To Solo
Hive World
Otami Ruins
Shallow Seas
Bosses

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Other Guides

Sticking Together! A Crew Guide, Also by Me! (Not responsible for awkward gumshoe situations...)

My Spirit Shadow's Visual Guide to zOMG!

Sensual Soul's Player's Guide of Glitches, Fixes, and More

Faith's Guide to zOMG Badges

Shallow Seas and Beyond - A Guide of Tips and Tricks- By Cleosombra

Tome of zOMG Tactics - By Z741

CH0Z0's Ecstatic Guide to Your Static Stats

Schizo's Guide for Newbies

About the OP
I'm 21 years old, and studying child psychology. I have a 4 year old sister, and am currently spoiling my 6-week old cousin.

As per here on Gaia and zOMG, well, a good clan friend of the Sons of Plunder, Blades of Nexus, zOMG Renegades, and the healer thread, an avid roleplayer, and general mischief maker. In zOMG, you'll almost always see me with a different build on. Some days, I'll be a ninja, others, a medi-buffer, etc. It all depends on my mood and whether or not I'm crewing up with friends. You may very well see me randomly going around defibbing people in lower level areas, or buffing players about to fight a boss. I'm always willing to lend a helping hand so long as the person I'm helping isn't acting arrogant, childish, or using anything other than proper English (unless you speak another language, that's obviously the exception).

[Arkyron]

Announcements

3/16/09 - Alrighty, everyone! I'm adding a nifty little section to the end to advertise clans and such! If you'd like yours added, just send me a PM with the clan name and the general info regarding it. Use proper English though. If I'm going to advertise for you, you should atleast try to sound intelligent.

5/1/09 - I'm doing some experiments this weekend! If you want to partake, just shoot me a PM!

5/3/09 - EB Solo Attempt Proved Possible!

5/4/09 - Forming strategies for potential successful EB solo runs! Any help is appreciated!

5/4/09 - There's a new contest open! Generate two random numbers! If either of them is 77, then congratulations! You're the proud owner of a new, unsoulbound CL 10 Teflon Spray ring! Cancelled due to utter lack of participation.

5/10/09 - Take note that I probably won't be online at all again until the 17th. I have exams and prom this week.

5/21/09 - Plenty of updates. Added a section for Otami. New contest up.

5/27/09 - koko tokei won the seeking contest, and was awarded a Anima Adamantea.

8/28/09 - Shallow Seas overhaul will be started, if not completed. Updated with a Qixter quote. :3

10/16/09 - Up to date.

3/9/10 - Wow, been lazy with the announcements. Updated again today though.

7/22/10 - Made a small update. Most probably won't notice because it was so small, but oh well.

7/23/10 - There is now a petition to up the size of the zOMG team. Please support it here.

Outside Links and Clans

Sons o' Plunder
Do you want to sail the high seas? Do you enjoy general mischief and the random finds? Do you want to lead the life of a pirate? Then this is the clan for you!

The Blades of Nexus
The cult of the dark dragon god, DeathWyrmNexus!

Valheita's Many Ideas for zOMG's Future

EB Duo with My_Spirit_Shadow Part 1

EB Duo With My_Spirit_Shadow Part 2

Arky's Golden Sun DS Coverage and Discussion Thread!

[Arkyron]

Section One- Rings: Sets Vs Versatility

Ah, yes, a question that faces many solo players- do I go for sets, or do I just go for rings with great effects? This section attempts to answer that to the best of capabilities. First, we'll focus on the individual rings.

CC

Qixter

Mantis
You create a katana from nothing to do your bidding. Does light damage, but attacks again very quickly. At higher Rage Ranks, it also drains an enemy's Willpower.

This is still one of the best rings to date. However, most of your rage will be going into your buffs, so I wouldn't worry about the higher rage effects.

Qixter

Slash
You slash at the nearby foes in front of you, doing damage to all that you hit. Your slash becomes wider and deeper at higher Rage Ranks, allowing you to hit more enemies.

IMO, one of the only attack rings worth raging. The attack radius and power are insane! This is easily the best AoE ring, however it requires more skill to implement properly than Dervish.

Qixter

Dervish
Whirling at incredible speed, you deal damage to all foes close to you. Higher Rage Ranks knock your enemies farther back and increase the area you hit.

Considering the fact that knockback is actually a bad thing unless you're a ranged attacker, the bonus effect isn't very appealing. Still, the attack area is absurd, and at max rage will cover most of the screen.

Qixter

Bump
Turn that hip around and BUMP your opponent away from you. Knocking them FAR away at higher Rage Ranks. The process *is* painful to your target.

This is actually a fairly good ring now. Great on juggling builds, but useless otherwise.

Qixter

Hack
Land a colossal blow to your foes! Hits things hard, even causing them to bleed for a bit after you hit them. At higher Rage Ranks, the bleeding lasts longer, thus causing more damage.

This is actually a superb solo ring now. While I still prefer Mantis, Hack is far superior at full rage, dealing over 400 damage to any enemy after DoT is accounted for. Excellent for bosses.

Ranged Combat Attacks

Qixter

Shuriken
Hurl spiny metal stars at your foes! In addition to damaging your target, higher Rage Ranks increase the effect to an area around your target, plus they cause your target to have reduced Accuracy for a time.

It's better than it was, and is still part of the ninja set, so it's definitely worth usage. At higher rage ranks, it gets an AoE that extends out from you in a cone.

Qixter

Shark Attack
Groundsharks attack your foe, often knocking it away from you, and also causing some bleeding to persist after the attack. Higher Rage Ranks result in longer bleeding duration and sometimes paralyzing your target with shock. (Root)

Next to useless. While incredibly powerful, especially at higher rage ranks, its range is mediocre at best, and there's a delay in the attack. Those two factors make it little more than a stamina burner.

Qixter

Hot Foot
Set your target's feet on fire, causing it pain for several seconds after the attack occurs. While the target is on fire, it also suffers a Dodge penalty, making it easier to hit. Higher Rage Ranks make this ability affect an area around the target.

Another vastly improved ring. It debuffs a foe's dodge, has fairly heavy DoT, and at higher rage ranks, becomes AoE.

Qixter

Hornet Nest
Hurl a nest of hornets at the ground, creating a swarm that attacks nearby foes. Higher Rage Ranks increase the area affected, as well as making the target sometimes panic and run away. (Fear)

Useful for keeping mobs at bay, but bested by Scaredy Cat, mediocre attack strength... This ring has really lost its shine.

Qixter

Heavy Water Balloon
You create a giant water ballon and hurl it at your foes, causing a colossal splash in a large area, damaging those affected. Higher Rage Ranks make bigger splashes and Taunt the enemies in the area to attack you instead of your friends.

Mediocre at best. It's more useful in crews. I mean, really, going solo, you won't want a gigantic mob after you.

Qixter

Solar Rays
Focus the power of the sun into a beam that damages your foe and, at higher Rage Ranks, can knock it away from you, or even stun it to Sleep for a short time.

Solar Rays and Hunter's Bow compete for a spot as the best ranged ring for a solo player. Given Hunter's Bow's reduced chance of effect, however, Solar Rays is now preferred.

Qixter

Hunter's Bow
This bow lets you fire arrows often and far, damaging your foe and slowing it down so they can't get to you easily. Higher Rage Ranks reduce the target's Footspeed.

It's essentially as it was prior to the update, except now the effect is more scarce unless you rage it. Thus, Hunter's Bow is now bested by Solar Rays in all but reach.

Qixter

Guns, Guns, Guns
When all else fails, haul out the artillery and drown your target in lead! Higher Rage Ranks create a wider spray of bullets, causing more damage in a bigger and bigger area around your target.

This is actually worth consideration. Moderate damage with moderate stamina usage, and an AoE worth mentioning.

Qixter

Fire Rain
Summon burning rain from the sky to fall in an area around yourself damaging your foes and draining their Willpower. Higher Rage Ranks result in bigger damage areas and greater Willpower drains.

Usable, but better for crew play. Burns too much stamina for solo play.

Crowd Control

Qixter

Duct Tape
Wrap your target up and keep it from moving (Sleep). NOTE: Hitting a target while it is taped will weaken the tape and allow it to move again. Higher Rage Ranks start affecting foes around your original target also, as well as increasing the chance that they get bound by tape.

Handy for anything that isn't a boss. Else, it's pretty much useless. This is one of those rings that's actually great, but can't see its full potential due to misuse by many, and one of its greatest assets was taken when bosses were given Crowd Control immunity.

Qixter

Quicksand
Cause the ground at an area to become mostly water and then solid mud for a short while, trapping your enemies where they stand. (Root). Higher Rage Ranks increase the area affected, as well as the chance to stick your foes in the mud.

Superb in combination with any AoE ring, most notably Slash and Dervish. However, it has little use otherwise.

Qixter

Taunt
Sometimes, you need to pull enemies away from your friends. This ring does the trick, making foes in an area angered at you for a while. Higher Rage Ranks increase the area affected and the strength of the Taunt. The highest Rage Ranks also make your foes tremble, draining their Dodge for a time.

FREAKING USELESS RING, AWAY! ~ Cue corny superhero spoof music. Yeah, it's that useless to a solo player. You don't want an entire screen of enemies coming at you.

Qixter

Scaredy Cat
Make your foe flee from you in sheer panic! At higher Rage Ranks, this ring affects entire areas and the tendency for your foes to flee is bigger also.

A far superior ring now. Great for keeping foes at bay while you recover, especially when paired with Gumshoe.

Qixter

Gumshoe
Make the feet of your enemy sticky and slow its Footspeed substantially. Higher Rage Ranks make this ring affect increasingly-sized areas and slow the targets within even further.

Technically, this is a speed-debuff and not a crowd control ring, but why question the mighty Q's logic? Anyway, this is actually one of the most useful rings in the game, IMO. It will save you in instances like Shewolf. As a debuff, it actually works against bosses. Yup, RR4 that thing.

Defenses

Qixter

Teflon Spray
This makes some of any incoming damage bounce away instead of hurting you or a friend (Persistent Armor). At higher Rage Ranks, it also makes your target harder to hit (Dodge) and eventually can occasionally Reflect an attack back against your foe.

This ring is made of win. So what are you waiting for!? Use it! Use it now! Especially at higher rage!

Qixter

Turtle
When trouble is overwhelming, the best thing to do is curl up in your shell and hope the bad things go away. This creates a protective field that can absorb an amazing amount of damage out of any incoming attack, but only lasts a short time. (Armor Pool) Higher Rage Ranks create stronger shells.

Excuse me while I bust out laughing. BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! A laughably poor excuse for a defensive ring. It was nerfed to hell. Any persistent armor will end up reducing far more damage over the time it's active than this thing. Sure, it'll keep you invulnerable while it lasts, but that's all of what, 5-10 seconds?

Qixter

Rock Armor
Cover each of your allies in Rock Armor giving them strong protection against incoming damage. (Armor Pool) The Rock Armor lasts for several minutes, or until it absorbs enough damage to break up. Higher Rage Ranks make stronger and stronger Armor.

Rock Armor is now win. Use it, or I'll find you. >___>

Qixter

Pot Lid
Use Pot Lid to give you or a friend moderate defense (Persistent Armor) and to sometimes Deflect an attack away from you or a friend completely. Any Deflected attack is nullified completely! Higher Rage Ranks make it more and more likely that a Deflection will occur on an attack.

See Teflon Spray. This ring is made of win.

Qixter

Improbability Sphere
Use the Improbability Sphere to give you or a friend moderate defense (Persistent Armor), as well as to Reflect an attack back against the attacker of you or a friend! Any attack Reflected back on the attacker does the damage to the attacker instead. Higher Rage Ranks increase the amound of Armor and the…probability...that Reflection will occur.

See Teflon Spray and Pot Lid. Granted, you don't need all of them on one build, but still, I'll be damned if it's not incredibly useful to have them all.

Healing

Qixter

Wish
Heal any of your friends, one at a time with this quickly-recharging and powerful ring. Higher Rage Ranks heal targets standing around your target also. The bigger the Rage Rank, the bigger the area affected.

Ally-only, and useless to soloers.

Qixter

Bandage
Start a bandaging process on you or a friend. Healing then occurs over a short time, a bit at a time. Higher Rage Ranks increase the amount of Health recovered.

The solo-healing ring still. It's been buffed to its former glory. While it's heavier in stamina burn than it was, it's still the best option.

Qixter

Diagnose
You analyze the wounds of all allies in the area around you and heal them of some of their wounds, including your own! Higher Rage Ranks increase the healing effect and the area affected.

While the effect is all at once, bandage is all-around superior. Less stamina, and more single-target heal. Stick to that. People will argue, "But Diagnose is immediate, and bandage is delayed!" If you're a half-decent solo player though, you'll make sure you're never low enough in health that you need an immediate heal. Monitor your HP closely, and cast the occasional bandage instead.

Qixter

Defibrillate
Use this on a Dazed ally, and you'll instantly Awaken them. Higher Rage Ranks increase the amount of Health and Stamina recovered, as well as reducing the number of rings temporarily locked because you had been Dazed.

Yeah, this is ally-only, so it's useless to a solo-player.

Qixter

Meat
Be a meateater and beef up big and strong! You heal a big chunk of damage you've suffered as well as increasing your maximum Health the same amount. Higher Rage Ranks increase the amount of Health increased.

Technically this is a health-cap buff. Still, it's superb at what it does. Abuse that full-rage!

Qixter

Healing Halo
Create this halo over you and your nearby allies. You all then regenerate health more quickly, even during combat! Higher Rage Ranks increase this effect and the highest Rage Ranks also make all affected targets harder to knockback. (Weight)

After a massive buffing, this ring is actually fairly good. Definitely worth consideration.

Qixter

Divinity
Use this to draw lifeforce energy to you more quickly, increasing the rate at which you and your nearby friends regain Stamina, even during combat! Higher Rage Ranks let you recover Stamina even more quickly, and the highest Rage Ranks even help you find loot more easily. (Luck)

Technically a stamina regeneration buff. Use only at RR4 or not at all. It's superb at what it does, and is guaranteed to make things alot easier, but not necessary in most cases.

Buffs

Qixter

Coyote Spirit
Use this ring to give you or any friend a faster Footspeed. Higher Rage Ranks increase the Footspeed bonus, as well as providing you the Luck of the Coyote (increased Luck).

Usable, but not useful for the general strategies. Good for collecting dailies and upping your drop rate, but seldom else.

Qixter

Fleet Feet
Sometimes, you just need to get away. This makes you, and any friends around you, greatly increase your Footspeed for a brief time. Since you're probably running into or out of trouble, this also bolsters your Willpower with a modest bonus at higher Rage Ranks.

This ring is good for exploration. If you accidentally stumble into an "OCRAPRUN" scenario, you'll have little trouble making your escape.

Qixter

Keen Aye
Use this on you or a friend to help them spy out where a foe *will* be, letting you hit it more easily. (Accuracy) Higher Rage Ranks increase the Accuracy boost. (Accuracy bonuses also increase the chance that you will Critical Hit a monster on any particular attack.)

A very handy ring, especially when facing foes that aren't grounded (Clutch, Grunny Sub, etc.) that have higher dodge.

Qixter

Ghost
You become slightly ethereal and matter occasionally, err, passes through you in a fairly disturbing fashion. (Dodge) Higher Rage Ranks increase the amount of Dodge bonus you receive. (Dodge bonues also decrease the chance that a monster will Critical Hit you during a fight.)

This ring is made of win. Use it. Or I'll find you. D=< In all seriousness, a massive dodge boost, a decrease in your odds of getting hit with a crit... Why wouldn't you use this?

Qixter

Iron Will
When you fight a foe using Sleep, Root, Fear or other Willpower-based ability, Iron Will erects defenses around your mind (or the minds of any of your friends) to help you resist their evil influence. Higher Rage Ranks amplifies your mind still further, allowing you to Deflect occasional incoming attacks.

This ring is really only useful once you hit Otami. Once you do though, it's a godsend! You don't want those nasty sleep and fear effects.

Qixter

My Density
Are you getting knocked around by monsters? There's an easy way to solve that. Weigh more! Using this ring increases your Weight and sticks you to the ground. Higher Rage Ranks actually make you dense enough to resist some damage directly! (Persistent Armor)

Useful for the Duneslam instance, and little else. Not many noteworthy enemies will knock you around. The Persistent armor boost is worthy of note, however.

Qixter

Fitness
When you wear this ring, you just get…better! Accuracy, Dodge, Willpower, Weight, Health Regeneration, Stamina Regneration and even Luck are all given minor bonuses. This ring is passive and does not need to be clicked to be fully functional. Just wear it and it works!

Eh. Just eh. I mean really, just... eh. Nothing great, nothing horrible. You'll get more out of another defensive buff IMO though.

Quote:

Sweetheart (GC Item for Valentines 2010)
Blow your sweetheart a kiss with this wonderful ring and make them gush with giddiness. Sweetheart causes the heart to swell with emotion and increases maximum Health.

Sub-par at best. Useful early on, but at later stages of the game, quickly loses its shine. A collector's must-have, however.

Debuffs

Qixter

Knife Sharpen
You draw the keen edge from a foe's G'hi and use it to sharpen your own metaphorical knives. Your foe suffers an Accuracy drain for a short time as you disrupt its lifeforce. Higher Rage Ranks also cause damage to your enemy.

Useful for dodging powerful foes like Walkers. Otherwise, sub-par.

Qixter

Adrenaline
You jump up the nerves of your foe, causing them to jitter and shake, spoiling their ability to Dodge your blows for a time. Higher Rage Ranks also cause damage to your enemy.

It's alright, but a solo-player should focus more on the defense than the offense.

Ring Sets

Qixter

Pirate: Shark Attack, Slash, Quicksand, Keen Aye (Bonus = Persistent Armor)

Playable, but as I already pointed out, Shark Attack is just stamina burner.

Qixter

Ninja : Shuriken, Mantis, Divinity, Ghost (Bonus = ACC/Dodge)

Still one of the better sets, and it has Divinity now. No AoE beyond raged Shuriken though.

Qixter

Medic : Adrenaline, Bandage, Diagnose, Defibrillate (Bonus = Footspeed)

A buff not worthwhile with a ring you can't use. I'm gonna say no.

Qixter

Chef : Hack, Knife Sharpen, Pot Lid, Meat (Bonus = Dodge)

This set is made of win. Use it. Or I'll find you. ... Yes, I already used that joke. Get over it. Now.

Seriously though, it's a great set with perfect synergy. Only thing it's missing is Ghost for moar dodge. *hinthintnudgenudge*

Qixter

Space Trooper : Guns, Guns, Guns, Duct Tape, Improbability Sphere, My Density (Bonus = Accuracy)

An alright ringset, but nothing more. It will never escape the notion of being, "alright."

Qixter

Demon : Fire Rain, Scaredy Cat, Teflon Spray, Iron Will (Bonus = Health Regen)

Thy name is useless.

Qixter

Angel : Solar Rays, Hunters Bow, Healing Halo, Wish (Bonus = Luck)

Useless for anything but farming.

Qixter

Prankster : Hot Foot, Heavy Water Balloon, Gumshoe, Fleet Feet (Bonus = Extra Max Health)

Usable, but pushing it. Gumshoe+Hot Foot is win, but other than that... eh.

Qixter

Shaman : Dervish, Hornet Nest, Rock Armor, Coyote Spirit (Bonus = Stamina Regen)

Thy name is useless.

Qixter

Athlete : Bump, Taunt, Turtle, Fitness (Bonus = Debuff Resist)

Thy name is useless.

The New Armor System

Qixter

Persistent Armor vs. Armor Pools

The armor system was rewritten.

The old system had only one kind of armor. It subtracted a specific number of armor points from the incoming damage. It wasn’t very good at balancing against different monster types. You could be invulnerable to grunts, but then have the armor be near-to-worthless against Boss monsters.

The new system uses percentage damage reduction instead. So…instead of subtracting only 5 points from an attack, you might subtract 15% of its damage instead.

Persistent Armor : This armor only goes away when the duration of the effect expires.

Armor Pool : This is an "ablative" version of Persistent Armor. That means that as you hit it, it chips away until eventually it becomes useless. It still reduces incoming damage by a percentage, but damage is also drained out of the ability's Armor Pool at the same time. So…if an attack is hitting you for 100 points of damage, the Armor Pool might stop 20% of that damage (20 points), but it would remove that same 20 points from its Armor Pool reserve. The Armor Pool effect goes away if the Armor Pool reserve is drained to zero OR the ability's duration expires, whichever comes first.

Abilities with Armor Pools generally give more protection than Persistent Armor abilities, but they can crumble under heavy damage loads.

[Arkyron]

Section Two- Second Opinions And Tid-Bits Of Contributors

Cyrus Lurch

I don't know if this would fit, but my number one piece of advice for soloers is...

Relax.

Realize that if you turf, you've lost what you were on. You're not going to get back to the instanced Boss and keep kicking butt before it heals. You're probably going to lose the chest, because you're going to need to come back and by the time you do someone else will probably have finished the job and claimed the chest. You're not going to have the same spawn, because someone else will have been in the area and polished it off for you. But they all respawn, you can always reinstance.

There's nothing in the game that a soloer needs that you can't wait fifteen minutes, tops, and take another shot at. If you keep that in mind, you probably will save yourself a lot of needless anger and frustration.

Ixor-san

Hornet's Nest. Horribly useful when you're going solo, especially in areas where you get mobbed. Now that it has the Scaredy Cat effect on it (I'm told it wasn't always that way), not only do you do damage, but the enemies run away giving you a valuable few seconds to kneel and regen some stamina. I can't tell you how much fun I have nickel and diming TTs with that and resting in between whee

Solo1990

Actutally Hunters Bow can be great combined with duct tape. Ive used this against the clams in SS by myself. When ive have done this they couldnt even touch me since i know they need to be really close to attack, ive duct tape them, to a other location with a far range and keep spamming, it works 100% if the time. The only down fall is that the area has to be big, doesnt work against other ranged monsters or that teleport. i would like to try this against landshark, i need to exact his range.

SoulSkourer

1. This time- THE CASE OF LONG RANGE RINGS (the logistics and what you need)
Today, i'm going to discuss why i think that long range ring sets are either good or bad for soloing. Alright, so, first of all, we must check the RING SETS to use. As a soloist, it is essential to keep yourself alive, using all the buffs you can get. So, you will have about 2 or three buffs (Divinity is a must, Teflon, Pot lid, and Ghost are good too), at least ONE healing ring, and Fitness (the most important of them all). That is already 4 or 5 rings. You might want a crowd control ring, which is 5 or 6 rings. This leaves 2 or 3 spots left for you to have attack rings.
2. In order to have an effective attack set (long range), you'd need a knock back move (shark, hack, or bump), Hunter's Bow, and another ring. If you can coordinate this very well, it will work. Though, this is only good for one on ones, and totally inefective for mobs (which is what later levels all are). In addition, all bosses cannot be knocked back or have long range. The use of a long range set is to not get hit. For AoEs, Hornet's nest could be a great alternative.
3. Though, i would recommend a close range set, with the other set build, with 2 to 3 spots left. Obviously, you must have SLASH, the best AoE ring in zOMG! In addition, you must have a 1 on 1 attack, which could easily be Mantis or Hack. Though, Hack has a knock back, and that is not good for a long range set. Bump also has a knockback, which is not that good. If you have one last slot, it'd probably be nice to put a LONG RANGE ring (to balance your set), such as Hunter's Bow, which is a great lurer, and slows the enemies down.
SO, it is your own choice whether to use a long range set, but it's all about strategy. If you're very good at executing strategies, and don't want to get hit too much, use a long range. Though, if you don't want to go through that trouble and enjoy close range attacks, definetally use the close range set. Though, the first build (non-attack) is essential

Nanenna

My opinion on GGG: minimal damage, slow animation, but quick recharge time (by the time the animation finishes and the enemy has taken damage you can already shoot again). All in all I don't think it's a solid choice.

Maris Pallitax

Random input:

I really like Scaredy Cat. It's fantastic for when you're being overwhelmed by four or five Animated. I used it with great success in Zen the other day and I heart it <3! It's awesome against Lanterns. I also like it for Gold Beach, at night. Those water spouts hurt. ;_;

Quicksand is good... when it works. ><. More times than not it's missed for me, but I haven't used it with rage yet. It holds the enemies in place for a little while, and it's good when you have little health and need to heal. It's basically like Duct Tape only when you hit the enemy they don't regain the ability to move. Very useful... when it works. XD

More when I get a chance to play zOMG. Dx

Maris Pallitax

Got a chance to play earlier. :3 I solo'd GB, doing the repeatable Anchor Bug quest, at CL 7.7.

Attack rings: Mantis (speed and damage), Dervish (for the Bug mobs), Hunter's Bow (for the slowing ability X3)

Buff/Healing: Bandage (health<3 at a low cost), Teflon (buffbuff), Divinity (Stamina fail happens to me a lot so..xD)

Out of habit: Defib, Rock Armor (for the random dazed person)

I did fairly well, but my health got decimated because of low damage rings. >< I probably would have done better if I hadn't taken Defib and RA. But... habit. XD I'm too nice to travel without defib. But I did fairly well. ;3

DarkCreator16

Oh yeah! Btw there's one thing you should have on your set. A low lag between attack/healing rings. Cause whenever there's a lag between them you'll usually die because of that.One set that has a lag is :Hack,Bandage/Diagnose, Slash, Mantis, Dervish, Turtle, Divinity, Fitness (There are other sets out there with ridiculous time between attacks and healing...)

UPC Leen

I'm a big soloer (although not famous for it like some people), and I just want to say this...Pot Lid. Okay, so I haven't gotten the chance to check out Turtle (which I do intend on doing very soon), but Pot Lid, especially with polishers, and especially at full rage, is a work of genius. (And now that I've said that, the devs are going to come along, see this post, and nerf it. gonk Just kidding, guys!) But seriously, I've soloed my way to the robofish multiple times in the past few days, and Lorelei in particular is practically a snap with it.

Speaking of which/whom, I do have to agree with the whole "make sure your buffs are still on" thing. I was fighting her once and my Pot Lid wore off. xd ; Granted, it has a really long recharge (and a duration of almost 7/8 that!), so there wasn't much I could do at that point, but nowadays if I see it's at 3/4 or more right before a big battle, I wait it out till I can reapply. It takes a bit, and my G'hi does deplete, but it's gonna deplete anyway, and waiting a few extra seconds is better than having to go alllllll the way back (if you can help it).

...It also keeps your powerups from going into a sink. xp *goes to buy more*

UPC Leen

An unlisted strategy for Duneslam that I used (mule, 6.1 eek ) is to just run around in circles hitting it with Solar Rays (or whatever your preferred ranged ring may be). Great stamina saver (I don't have to continually hit the thing) and keeps me from getting attacked most of the time (and there's plenty of time to heal when I do). Great for the duct-tape-less. xp

grounderous

Meh, I've got a solo farming strategy I thought might be worth mentioning at least.

If you can manage to keep yourself alive from repeated Cherry Fluff attacks at a C.L. of 3.4 with an Angelic Set and Fitness, it's a very profitable way to earn extra orbs and loot items while going solo. You effectively "kill" at most 6 Green Animated in around 3 seconds with a good amount of the Luck stat.

They're almost a substitute for Lantern farming with the same rings, but there's always that hidden risk of getting in over your head if you start Dervishing all over the place (which makes drop gathering faster). Packing a Turtle helps a lot, as well as Meat (the highest instant HP heal). You also might want to watch out for other people who might K.O. during your suicidal farming.

It's very risky and very rewarding at the same time. I think that orb rates with this farming match or even exceed a 2-person crew strategy for Lantern farming (gather them all up then take them to the other person who AOE's the heck out of them) in the same area. But there are a few big problems with pushing it forward as "absolutely brilliant"... No doubt there'd be big crowds back in Zen Gardens again, competing with each other to go all kamikaze.

Meet Your Mistress

The secret source of humor is not joy but sorrow;

About Kat´s Kokeshi Doll - some help in the boss soloing topic

Duct Tape = solo´s best friend

I got it down with that ring, together with Teflon, Bandage, Divinity, and the Pirate set (Slash, Hack, Shark Attack and Keen Aye).

It goes like this:

First of all, before entering the battle site, Teflon yourself.

Also, if you have Divinity, consider yourself a blessed being, because you´ll have from very few to no time to kneel down in-between the multiple-doll battles.

Enter the doll´s lair, and go into action -like this:

Duct Tape the collectibles, and kill the common dolls ("Slashing" them like crazy) that will appear. After you finish them, heal and recharge Stamina if needed, then go for the collectible. If the collectible wakes up during that process, remember that Duct Tape has a short recharge time.

As for the Collectibles, hitting them with Slash, then Hack, then Shark Attack, made them an easy job. Don´t have the Pirate set? This is the idea: first, a potent close-range, then a blow with knockback, and last, being apart from the doll, a long-range hit (you can also heal in this part) And repeat until the yellow-kimono thing is gone.

Use the same Collectible-designed strategy with Kat´s doll (if you have Keen Aye, the accuracy boost will help) and you´ll finish her in no time.

Arkyron: I suscribed to your guide. It´s awesome. Hope this tips are helpful for everyone here, and wish you success in your graduation studies.

there is no humor in Heaven. Mark Twain

MrBlueberryMuffin

I've solo'd duneslam at 6.1 CL. It takes a long time with my strategy (maybe because I was at such a low CL), but it works.

Rings you'll need:
At least one long range ring. I used hot foot.
Fitness. Its nice.
Meat.
Bandage.
Divinity.
A buff. Pot Lid, Teflon, or ghost. I used teflon.

So, first thing you gotta do is full rage divinity, then use your buff on yourself. Then get in the boat and head out. The basic strategy is to run around in circles and use your ranged ring to slowly bring down their health. Get rid of all the golems first before you get rid of duneslam, simply because they're annoying and if you aren't careful they can all attack you at once. When your rage fills up, full rage your buff, divinity, or meat. Whichever you need. When they get an attack in, use bandage on yourself rather than your range attack. Then switch back to your range when your health is full.

Uh. Yeah. Took me twenty minutes. Only because I was at 6.1. But it works. Just be careful about your health and avoiding the sand castles.

Darks own sacred maiden

After each wave of underlings before the mask, I would suggest you save you rage for the scaredy cat ring. That way when the Mask comes for the Fight you can rr4 fear it. This gives you plenty of time to kneel and regain health and lost stamina. :3
This works really well throughout the battle, repeat on every mask. However there's that chance that you'll miss.

Just thought I'd throw this in there.

[Arkyron]

Section Three- Tips and Tricks From the Common and Not So Common Sense

- If you can, try and use a ranged ring to lure one animated away from a group and take them out one at a time unless you intend on using AoE rings. An alternative strategy is using Scaredy Cat and/or Duct Tape when mobbed.

- Make sure to check to see if your buffs are active often. It sucks to think that you're godly and then find yourself far more vulnerable.

- Ghi Amps/Boosts are your friends. Buffing your ring effects by 25% is nothing to scoff at. This boosts melee rings like Hack and Mantis to ridiculous damage levels, and makes healing rings just flat out wrong.

- Don't forget to take a knee when you can- running into a battle with low stamina can end in tragedy, or atleast more damage than you would have taken.

- Make sure to have Iron Will or some sort of willpower buff when you reach Otami, or the Masks of Death and Rebirth will have their way with you.

- Sets aren't always the best idea, but their buffs can sometimes outweigh the negatives. Experiment and find what play style and strategies work best for you.

- I don't recommend investing in Double Orbs until you reach Gold beach. Before that point, your drops won't be near as significant, and they will therefore be a better investment.

- Make sure to watch your G'hi. As it drops, not only will your buffs do the same, but your chances of obtaining items will as well. Drop by Barton every now and again. It typically doesn't even take a minute to completely refill your gauge.

- Don't intentionally camp an area you know people will be going in and out and then get angry when they kill a spawn in self defense. Not only is it poor planning, but it's asking to cause trouble that just isn't needed.

Feel free to contribute anything to this section. ^_^

[Arkyron]

Section Four- Farming Solo

- It's best to have a ranged ring like Hunter's Bow to lure a single animated away at a time when possible. The less you aggro, the less damage you'll take, the less time you'll spend healing, and the more time you'll have to farm while your G'hi is high.

- When surrounded, use AoE rings to finish off groups of weakened foes simultaneously.

- Use Scaredy Cat and Duct Tape often.

- If worst comes to worst, flee using Fleet Feet, and/or Coyote Spirit.

- Make sure to keep an eye on your health and stamina if you find yourself in the midst of a mob. If you notice either getting low, you're probably already screwed.

- At later areas, to alternatively conserve G'hi, farm groups of enemies you know without a doubt you can handle, but are still green to you (IE Tiny Terror mobs). Buff yourself up with something like Turtle, then aggro all of them, then proceed to AoE them to death. If you have Divinity, use it to reduce the waiting time while your stamina recovers.

- The Angelic Set is your friend in terms of getting drops, but be sure to bring rings to compensate for the practically useless in solo Healing Halo and Wish.

More to come. Feel free to contribute something.

[Arkyron]

Section Five- What Not To Solo

- As of right now, there's only one thing an experienced soloist may have trouble with- a group of 3 Masks of Death and Rebirth that appear just southeast of the Throne Room.

- It is impossible to truly solo the Sealab Compound due to the 3 switch requirement. It is possible to solo the EB if two companions aid in pulling the switch and then leave, however.

- DMS. Do not solo it at this time. It will only end in heart-break.

[Arkyron]

Section Six - Hive World

Solo hive has been completely revamped, and the strategies that work have changed. The Ninja Set is still usable, but no longer as potent.

The Chef set is highly advisable, and Keen Aye is nearly necessary. Make sure to have adequate defensive buffs like Teflon, Improbability Sphere, and Meat. If you aren't already using the Ninja set, bring Divinity.

Essentially, the solo run is as follows-

4 waves of just bugs, no walkers, then a single Walker or Landstrider during the walker wave. Walkers and Landstriders are actually, somehow, the easier to handle.

Use AoE to rid yourself of the Shockroaches, and when a Lightning Bug spawns, use powerful single-target attacks like Hack and Mantis, especially the former at full rage. You'll find yourself aggrivatingly missing alot of the time, but it's not hard.

Neither are the walkers. Simply chip away at their bulky HP, and they'll fall with ease. Nothing more to comment, really.

If you don't bring Divinity, and your stamina runs low, simply run around in an infinite-symbol pattern around the crevices on the left and right sides of the portal during a bug wave. Walkers can shoot you, but the bugs will mindlessly follow. 3nodding

[Arkyron]

Section Seven - Otami Ruins

Alrighty, this tends to be the first map that really hates solo players. Mobs are everywhere, and the Masks of Death and Rebirth are a constant annoyance. So, to help, I'm compiling a list of the easiest routes through the ruins, as well as ring suggestions.

To get to the blood tree-

From Blaze, head one space up, and immediately walk one panel east. Notice the lack of Coatls. Head two panels north, then one west, and try your best to avoid the Coatls. Head one panel north, and wait for the opportune moment to pass through the passageway underneath the tree. If the tiny terrors swarm you, you should be able to take them so long as there's not a Witch Doctor present. Head one panel west, and then north. You'll notice a basket. If you defeat the Coatls that spawn there, you'll get a badge. Head one panel east, then north again, trying your best to avoid the tinies. Head west a panel and pass under the stone overhang. You'll come to a panel with a stone ramp. Go up the ramp. You'll now be at the blood tree. Run a circle around it, and you'll be fine.

To get to Rin & Lin and Mika-

If you have Scaredy Cat or Iron Will, the Masks of Death and Rebirth shouldn't be too much of a problem for you. Shoo them away if you have Scaredy, or Iron Will up and take them out. From Blaze, head two spaces west, and go up the stairs, then head one space west again. A mask will be there. Take it out or scare it away, then proceed up the stairs and west once more. Stick as far south as possible one this panel unless you want to fight the Tinies. At best, you'll still have to fight the vases, unless someone's been through recently. Don't go up the stairs here. Instead, head west one more panel, and go up these stairs, fight off the Coatls, and enter the alcove. You'll spawn at Otami Cliffs, where you can find Rin and Lin. Head one panel north and one east if you want to do the Mika quest. If not, Rin and Lin are another panel north.

To get to the Gauntlet-

After exiting Otami Cliffs, head south one panel, then east one panel. Take the stairs here, follow them to the north panel, and then head east a panel, being careful of the Tinies. Head north one panel. It should be empty save for a wide, stone structure and the occasional Tiny Terror on patrol. Head east two panels. It can be difficult to move directly east the second time, but you can do it by clicking. Just don't go to the panel north. There are 3 Masks of Death and Rebirth. By the time you start on the third, the other two will respawn, and you'll just have to wait until they daze you. Head down the stairs, past the tinies, and across the bridge, up the spiraling stairs, and up more stairs you'll see when you reach the top. You'll now be in the Gauntlet.

The Gauntlet Itself-

Suggested Rings-
Pot Lid
Improbability Sphere
Teflon Spray
Ninja Set
Scaredy Cat
Fleet Feet
Coyote Spirit
Scaredy Cat
Gumshoe
Dervish
Mantis
Ghost
Pirate Set
Iron Will
Fitness
Bandage
Slash

All you have to do is touch the Idol of Chaloc at the end, and then run back as fast as you can. You shouldn't have any problems until you run into the Mask of Death and Rebirth. Scare it away or Iron Will up, and keep running. Turtle if you need to for the temporary invulnerability, and make sure to bandage up any and all injuries. If you're surrounded and can't move due to all the attacks you're taking, use Slash or Dervish to clear the way. If you have Coyote Spirit, Fleet Feet, Rock Armor, Bandage, and Iron Will, you should just be able to run through though.

To the Throne Room from Rin and Lin-

After exiting Otami Cliffs, head south one panel, then east one panel. Take the stairs here, follow them to the north panel, and then head east a panel, being careful of the Tinies. Head north one panel. It should be empty save for a wide, stone structure and the occasional Tiny Terror on patrol. Then just head north until you see the massive stone panel. Be warned- when you walk on the steps, a legion of animated will spawn, including a Mask. Take them out as quickly as possible, but do not kneel to rest. Do this inside the Stone Coatl's chamber. Just make sure not to move until you're ready.

To The Throne Room From The Gauntlet- Go back down the steps, across the bridge, back up the steps you came, and head west two panels, then north until you arrive at the cavern.

See boss strategies for info on defeating Giant Stone Coatl.

[Arkyron]

Section Eight- Solo Shallow Seas

Yay! Alliteration! Um... Anyway, there are a few things you'll want to do before starting your little venture. Power ups are a good idea, though not necessary (they can be a lifesaver in the Lorelei battle, however), and can't hurt (especially in times of OMILAWDWUTTEHFUXLAG). Double Orbs are a godsend, though if you have the angelic set, you're just as well-set. First off, there are a few rings you just MUST have. Either Teflon, Improbability Sphere, or Pot Lid, a single target melee ring (Mantis or Hack is typically the best choice), an AoE attack with little lag (Slash demands usage!), a long-range attack ring (Hunter's Bow is perfect for the already slow Brain Clams), and any other buffs and debuffs that you think will come in handy. Duct Tape, Quicksand, Scaredy Cat, etc... All of these are typically handy, though Quick Sand's rate of success can cause problems. Be sure to bring Iron Will.

Alrighty, let's get to the actual farming portion. Don't take on a mob of Brain Clams all at once if you don't have to. Lure one away from the group and dispatch it.

Don't kneel in the maze. The patrols will find you and will rake you.

Coral Fluffs- These aren't a threat in the least, but you already knew that, right? ... Right? Seriously though, if you have Slash, spam it to hell when these little critters swarm you. So what if they have a speed-debuff? They'll come to you.

Brain Clams- This is the very reason I recommend the Hunter's Bow. They already move slowly, so if you're far enough away when you aggro them, you can likely kill them with a barrage before the even get close enough to attack. Should that fail, Mantis is a good back up due to how fast it's ready again after usage. Make sure to Bandage up, as these guys deal quite a bit of damage.

Sea Anchor Bugs- They're Anchor Bugs... but under water. Nothing too different from their land counterparts. However, one place you should atleast show caution is a ravine near a chest you'll cross through if you head straight north after the shell tunnel towards the Undersea Ledge. A gigantic mob rests there, and will maul you. Use whatever defensive buffs you have though, and you should be fine, especially if you brought Slash and get them all close together.

Sea Spouts- are annoying, but easy if you know how to handle them. Make sure to ready your buffs, and then take them out as quickly as possible. Just make sure they don't force you onto the next panel when they hit you, as you don't want to have to fight more than necessary at a time. This is actually one of the few points in the game in which My Density can be quite useful. Also, be sure to isolate those who are healing their allies and take them out first.

Sea Witch Protector- They're... giant Sea Spouts? Not too threatening, really, even for a solo player. Just make sure you've buffed up, and you'll be fine.

Lorelei and Guards- Whether you take out the guards or Lorelei first is up to you, but make sure to buff yourself up, and use Divinity if you brought it. You'll probably need the stamina. Whatever you do, make sure to pay close attention to your health, and make sure to use whatever debuffs you brought along. Scaredy Cat is very useful in preventing them from ganging up on you.

UPC Leen

One thing I can add to that is what I do with Lorelei's guards, which is this: when I enter the screen where the three of them are, I stay on the edge of the screen where I came in, target a guard, hit her, and then move back to the previous screen as soon as possible. That way I only have two (at most) opponents, and after killing them I go back for Lorelei, who doesn't follow if I don't hit her (she likes to hide in the back of the screen as a big puddle thing).

[Arkyron]

Section Nine - Boss Soloing

Gnome General- You can solo this on easy and normal almost right away. However, for hard, you'll need to be packing defensive and restorative rings. Try hard when your ring selection is more broad.

OMGWTF- Mantis, Teflon, Hack, Pot Lid, Improbability Sphere, and Meat are epic win in this battle. Meat will give you the HP to survive while your selected buffs give you fantastic damage reduction. Divinity is also worth a mention seeing as you need to defeat several OMG's before the OMGWTF shows itself.

Kat's Kokeshi Doll- POT LID IS WIN. Use it at full rage as soon as you can, and KKD probably won't even hit you once. Meat, Teflon, Pot Lid, Improb Sphere, the Ninja/Chef Set, and Bandage will pretty much seal the deal on any difficulty.

Shewolf- The KKD strategy works well, but Gumshoe is advised to slow She-wolf.

Mama Saw and Papa Saw- It's a drawn out battle, so you definitely need to be conservative with your stamina. Buffs like Ghost and Teflon will easily reduce your damage intake. Until then, they're not really necessary.

For the first few saws, don't worry too much. The damage intake after buffs is nothing to be concerned about so long as you keep yourself healed, preferably with Bandage. Just use standard attacks like Mantis to bring them down quickly while using little stamina. As you build rage, start to pump it into buffs like Meat and Divinity if you have them. Raged Ghost is also helpful.

When Mama Saw comes out, break out the defenses like to save yourself a headache, as well as your life. At that point, if you have active full rage Divinity, spam Bandage to keep your health up.

The same goes for Papa Saw, but he's definitely a good bit tougher. He'll fall with time though, so just keep the strategy going.

Chef Set is pretty handy, as not only can you defend yourself and deal out raw damage with Hack, but can debuff Mama and Papa Saws' accuracy. You really don't want a critical hit from those guys.

Nearly Necessary Rings: Divinity, Persistent Defensive Buff

Recommended Rings: Ghost, Mantis, Meat

Predator Commander- This guy is actually difficult to solo, not because he's powerful, but for the same reason as the general- he's not an instanced boss.

Duneslam- Chef Set + Healing + moar persistent armor = win. My Density is also useful so that you aren't constantly knocked back. This actually isn't a hard battle even on hard mode so long as you monitor your stamina closely. If you choose to bring Density, I would full rage it and Meat for best effect.

Giant Stone Coatl

Bring Iron Will to deal with the Masks and Witch Doctors.

Phase 1- Feathered Coatls - Simply defeat the Coatls. This isn't very daunting. The first mask will then attack.

Phase 2- Tinies - This isn't an annoyance save for on hard mode. 3 terrors will appear followed by a witch doctor (reversed on hard mode). On hard mode, witch doctors have so much will power that they pull a jedi-mind trick and may render you unable to move or use your rings for a few moments. The second mask will then attack. No problems.

Phase 3- Vases - While the vases pack a punch, if you're properly buffed, they aren't worth mentioning, even on hard mode. After you've killed enough of them, the third mask will attack.

Final Phase- Giant Stone Coatl - Now here comes the tricky part. I'm going to tell you right now, if you don't have Divinity and proper persistent armor buffs, your chances of victory are slim on hard mode. On the lower difficulties however, Stoney's attacks are more spread out and you can kneel out of his range to make up for lack of Div. Just be sure to watch so that he doesn't warp you to him while you're still kneeling, or you'll be obliterated. If you have div and the proper buffs, you're in luck.

Kill his minions until either a Tiny Terror or Feathered Coatl spawn. Do not kill it. Solo, only one animated can spawn at a time, and you want it to be a weak one. Save your rage until it's full, and use it with Divinity! When your stamina is restored, keep giving him a beating until your health or stamina run low. Retreat to the entrance of the Throne Room and make sure that stamina's regenerating! When Stoney gets low on health, he'll switch to his lightning attack, and will do significantly more damage, so be aware. Just keep up the assault up and you'll do him in.

I'll be looking into alternative strategies. Let me know if you have one.

For Lorelei, see the SS farming section.

[Arkyron]

Screenies

Arky at his favorite spot.

[Arkyron]

Ask Arky

- If you have any questions not covered in the guide, but are relevant, you may PM me or post them here.

[Arkyron]

Commonly Asked Questions And Their Answers

Disclaimer: Any and all sarcasm below is directed not at those who struggle with English due to it being a second+ language, but towards those who use it as the primary language and proceed to abuse it horrendously. Being unfamiliar with the language is acceptable, while knowing it and ravaging it is not. It's as simple as that. It's my one and only pet-peeve. Don't cross it, and I'll help you with just about anything.

Q: Should I Use This Ring, or?

A: It all depends on what you're looking for and what your playstyle is. I'll gladly help you deduce such if you'd like. Just don't sodomize the English language if it's your primary language.

Q: Is soloing easier?

A: It depends on your playstyle. If you can play the game with proper tactics, soloing can be much easier due to the time saved searching for a competent crew.

Q: What advantages are there to soloing?

A: Less lag, smaller mobs in instances, and the impossibility of being frustrated by someone who's incompetent.

Q: And disadvantages?

A: You'll get fewer drops, buffs gradually drop, and you'll definitely have a harder time with large mobs that aren't instanced.

Q: Will you help me!?

A: Only, and I mean only if you promise not to sodomize the English language if it is your primary language. This especially applies to PM's. If you send me a PM, and I have to wonder for more than a second just what exactly you said, you will be added to my ignore list.

Q: Can I haz Goldz or Sum of Your stuff!?

A: Not if you ask. I've been known to give stuff away on occasion, but never to anyone who's asked or begged. I practice random acts of kindness, not appeasement.

[Arkyron]

Guide Archives

Contest - Where in zOMG! is Arky!? 5/21/09 - 5/27/09, Won by koko tokei

Summary]
Simply find me in zOMG! It could be difficult due to layering, but hey, you can keep trying, right? Besides, I'll have tips up. ^_~ The winner receives... a FIRST GEN ANIMA ADIMANTEA!

Rules
To win the contest, you must successfully find me three times. I must be able to confirm that you have seen me, so talk to me, and make sure I'm not AFK.

The Hints
Location Number One- Ah, such a romantic place... Now if I just don't drown. O_o
Found by Dustytuft - Date Rock

Location Two- Well, Dusty looked kinda lonely, so I thought I'd hang out with him a little while. That pidgeon's creeping me out though... Who's idea was it to not put a roof on this thing anyway!? Ah well, atleast Barton Architects do their job well.
Found by Nanenna - The most northeastern panel of Barton, next to the arena.

Location Three-

Higher and higher you go... But you can't go any further- there are no steps, and the incline is vertical, leaving you unable to climb.
Found by UPC Leen - A ledge with what looks like it could be just a currently inaccessible area that will be added to Otami Ruins later on. It's the panel north of the triple Mask spawn.

Location Four-

Gah! I knew I should've worn that lifevest!
Found by - Judeau_the_Modest - Panel east of the Duneslam boat.

Location Five-

MAROONED! MAROONED I SAY!
Found by koko tokei - the island at Gold Beach.

Location Six-

Whoa... That's a loooooooooong wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy dooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwn... And the smell isn't exactly pleasant either.
Found by swordsnstars - Bill's Ranch, the canyon looking up to DMP.

Location Seven-

Ah, it makes me think of spring time... The blossoms are so pretty, and the stream's so gentle...

Found by Regorund. - Zen Gardens, just north of the shrine.

Location Eight-

Smoke as high as the eye can see...

Found by koko tokei - Barton, just north of the tavern.

Location Nine-

Two benches and a pidgeon.

Tips
Watch for my name in Area Chat. ^_~
Keep checking the hints. I'll sneak in edits as time goes on and no one finds me.