I played warrior to 200+ and never visited any level cave (with the result of having 2+ billion gold), also didn't even open game shop window.
I did skip some kit @ 100+, mainly weapons as they were harder to get, TM pretty well didn't have any items for sale when I played so had to get everything on my own - didn't want to join guild since that's another game spoiling way - get items offered on plate... I've seen others my level with fully orbed kit, no doubt borrowed from guild store because items come and go too fast (even without visiting level caves) to orb them fully up if you do it yourself on your own kit.
Did 140-200 mostly in troll cave (where I got full troll kit and where most of that 2 bill gold came from) with some visits to lower caves for diversion, I think in ice cave on 2F, golems still raped me even in troll kit, you just have to explore and pick the cave that suits your class (of course what's new, wiz tao being overpowered to the point of being boring to play, like on many, even most other servers). Luckily for warrior you can pick any cave under 200, which freedom stops at 200+ caves where you wade into a turtle sea and it gets boring even for warriors .,. the deadly combination of easy going and no alternative cave to try out.
@200+ my highest skill was lev38 CHM, I think all 'new' higher level ones can drop from those special boss maps (I got tao pheonix book there which nobody was interested to trade for warr skill - but I wasn't going to those boss maps that much, maybe you can get all higher level skills from there) or you have to pony up cash and buy from GS.
Can only wish that level or similar specialty caves would vanish from mir servers, don't see any point in them whatever. Three was a poll made on DZ forum this past winter about level caves yes or no and even though the vote was resounding NO, they didn't go away. Yes, they are good gold sink but why drop so much gold in the first place? And if the level caves are in, hardly anybody resists going there, if only if you don't go, you can't compete with those who go.
With all that said, it was OK as solo warr playing DZR server to 200 at which point it became too much of rinse repeat to bear. Don't know what to make of the remark that the game really starts @200+ (made here or on some other thread), all I know the DZ town is empty, as usual everybody stays in BW SZ no matter what :dog: