EverQuest 2 Alchemy Guide-chapter055
EverQuest 2 Alchemy Guide
5.3. Harvesting in Tiers 3-5
The act of harvesting doesn’t change throughout the tiers but as your tradeskill level increases you’ll find yourself harvesting in progressively higher level areas. This can be a dangerous practice if your adventuring level is low. Luckily most zones have areas that are reasonably safe for those who are harvesting in areas they’re not high enough to fight in yet.
In addition, several instanced zones contain harvest nodes. These can be more dangerous to harvest in depending on your level C the advantage here is that you get to harvest by yourself in a secluded area with no competition for nodes. The Vale of Shattering (near Stormhold in Antonica) is one such place that contains tier two nodes.
5.3.1. Tier Three
Tier three zones include Nektulos Forest and the Thundering Steppes. In addition you can harvest in a zone in the Commonlands called Zarvon’s tower, which is a convenient place to harvest from the mid-20s.
Most people I know prefer to harvest in the Thundering Steppes when they need tier three items. In a sense it is an easier zone to harvest in. It’s full of wide-open space and light, so it’s easier to see and react to danger. However this means there’s a lot more node competition. In addition there are two or three medium-level heritage quests that require items harvested specifically in the Thundering Steppes. For these reasons I did most of
my tier three harvesting in Nektulos Forest, and once you get used to it, it isn’t much more dangerous.
As with all harvesting in areas with mobs that are aggressive, the key is to learn how close you can get to creatures before they decide to attack you. Once you figure that out it’s fairly simple. The best places I found to harvest in Nektulos Forest are close to the entrance of N`Marr’s Ascent. On either side of the bottom of the ramp are some smallish areas that have a high concentration of nodes and few wandering monsters, so they’re reasonably safe areas to harvest. River bank areas are also good places to harvest as there tends to be fewer trees in those areas so visibility is better. If you’re high enough level to avoid aggression, the best place to harvest is in the north-eastern section of the map C past the wisp area and along the road that leads to the Thexian camp.