Following the September 30 patch, updates to hunting ground rewards and collections were implemented, along with an event offering Unstable Nine Cores. Afterward, players flocked to Nine Mine and Hidden Cave, while reports of hunting and Unstable Nine Core drops at Grana Sanctuary also continued to emerge.
While some players expressed satisfaction with acquiring large amounts of Nine, others voiced concerns over dropping Nine Core market prices due to the increased supply of Nine. With field hunting efficiency rising, comparisons were drawn over whether completing other content was even necessary. This week's Weekly SOL Issue gathers player reactions and the changed hunting ground landscape after the update.
Adjusted Hunting Ground Difficulty and Rewards! What Are the Actual Hunting Reviews?
Player reviews followed after hunting ground difficulty and drop rewards were adjusted. Some players reported that entering hunting grounds above Hyde Marsh felt easier than before after the patch, and verification posts appeared showing newly added equipment selection chest crafting materials. As Common and Uncommon equipment became obtainable in certain higher-level hunting grounds, players noted they no longer needed to rely solely on the exchange to acquire gear for the expanded collection system.
On the other hand, some shared experiences where lacking baseline stats—such as from collections or traits—resulted in lower EXP and Nine gains than expected even in the marsh, making hunting far from easy. Indeed, eyewitness accounts reported seeing multiple characters fall in Area 49 Nine Mine after entering based solely on news of lowered difficulty. Although difficulty was reduced, actual experience varies depending on character stats.
Unstable Nine Core Event! Players Crowd Open-World Grounds
Immediately after the update, large numbers of players crowded open-world hunting grounds to target the Unstable Nine Core event. Players reported that Nine Mine and Hidden Cave in particular were so packed that killing monsters was difficult. Players could also be seen at Grana Sanctuary, but due to high stat requirements, inner areas remained relatively uncrowded compared to Nine Mine or Hidden Cave.
In addition to Unstable Nine Cores, players are sharing posts confirming drops of Hero Equipment Selection Chest Fragments at a low rate. As players hunt during the event, they can earn Nine while aiming for the fragments needed to craft Hero equipment, building anticipation for crafting Hero gear among those who obtained fragments.
With Nine gain rates for field hunting adjusted, discussions comparing efficiency with daily content have surfaced. Beyond the Unstable Nine Core event itself, Nine drops were adjusted in daily content such as Tower of God, Celestial Sanctuary, and Hellfire Crusade, leading to feedback that there is less need to complete those daily modes. Some argue that even after the event ends, field hunting will remain the better option if the main goal is obtaining Nine.
1,000 New Collection Entries Added! Initial Strain, Later Praise
A total of 1,000 new collection entries utilizing existing Common and Uncommon equipment were added. Players who had previously completed a good portion of their collection expressed confusion at their suddenly lowered completion percentages. With so many items added at once—and some requiring enhancement—many noted that completing necessary collections right away was challenging.
Over time, however, positive feedback began to grow. A significant number of collection entries required only low enhancement levels, and options that aid survival—such as Max HP and MP increases—were included. Players shared reviews stating that completing collections allowed them to enter previously difficult hunting areas, and users actively working on collections to gain necessary stats were observed.
Additionally, some noted that because Common and Uncommon equipment can be steadily earned while hunting, the burden was smaller than expected. While raising stats through collections to move on to higher hunting grounds received favorable responses, opinions remain divided regarding the sheer volume of new entries added at once and the congestion caused by players crowding higher-level zones.
Despite Higher Crafting Limits, What About Nine Core Prices?
While the Unstable Nine Core event is temporary, yielding 1,000,000 Nine per item has driven players to major hunting spots, sparking concerns over increased Nine supply. The worry is that market prices for Nine Cores could drop further as large amounts of Nine flood the economy at once during the event period.
Although Nine Core crafting requirements were previously raised to Lv. 52 for standard crafting and Lv. 53 for unlimited crafting, trading prices continue to fall. Some community members viewed raising the crafting restrictions as a measure to control the supply of Nine Cores and the speed of price drops, but responses indicate market prices are declining faster than anticipated. Once the Unstable Nine Core event ends, additional supply will shrink, but how much the Nine released during the event will impact future market prices remains to be seen.
Are Improvements Not Enough? Mage Class Dissatisfaction Reported
Separate from the update, complaints regarding the Mage class continue to surface. In PvP, players point out that skills can be blocked by specific counters or that responding when silenced is difficult. Despite recent balance adjustments, feedback indicates that inconveniences felt in actual combat persist.
Posts comparing hunting efficiency with other classes also appeared. One player shared an experience stating that even after increasing stats as a Mage, auto-hunting in certain zones remained difficult, whereas switching to a Healer allowed for relatively fast hunting in higher-level areas. Comparisons regarding the Mage's hunting stability versus other classes continue to trend.
A new issue regarding Chain Lightning was also reported. When Chain Lightning hits a monster beyond the character's detection range, ranged monsters can attack from outside that range without the character detecting or counterattacking them. While melee monsters move into range to attack, ranged monsters can continuously strike from outside the boundary, ultimately resulting in character death.
Regarding the Mage, complaints continue across multiple areas, including PvP range and counterplay capability, hunting stability, and skill mechanics during auto-hunting. With new skills teased for October, how much the Mage will change in actual combat and hunting after these skills are added will be something to keep an eye on.
Dev Note Teaser! Schedule and Monster Spawn Improvements Announced
In the Dev Note, developers revealed plans for the next update to adjust spawn areas so monsters do not get cornered, as well as add Divine Authority quickslot registration and world map location sharing features. Changes will prevent alert notifications from triggering when standing in safe zones alongside hostile targets, and the schedule mode will gain a feature that returns characters to hunting grounds after recovering HP.
From minor inconveniences like warning alerts in safe zones to complaints about characters attempting to travel in low-HP states while using schedule mode, some players welcomed the announced improvements. However, since these changes are not yet live, many noted that they need to verify for themselves whether monster placement and schedule mode improvements are properly implemented post-patch.
