How you play the game can effect how you feel about it in the end.

[rrwfreak]

I want to share something I've come to find in my years of playing mmorpgs and other games: How you play the game can effect how you feel about it. What does this have to with Ryzom or mmorpgs for that matter? If you are going to play a game by power leveling you are going to eventually run into grind and get bored real quick no matter what mmorpg you play. MMORPGs aren't FPS or like any other type of game. Now, I'm not saying that Nevrax doesn't need to do some things to Ryzom or that other developers don't have the responsibility of putting out a good game to begin with and especially putting forth things in a game that they state will be in it. There are a list of changes that most players agree would make Ryzom a better game. Hey, I want the massive RAIDs and Outposts just as much as the next guy or gal.

Before anyone says to me: "But rrwfreak, You just don't understand because power leveling is just another way or another style of playing the game. I play mmorpgs for the levels and titles." Aye, you would be correct that you can play the game how you want, but if you just play for the levels and titles, you will be limiting yourself to a very small part of the mmorpg and missing out on the rest of the game's experience. I do realize that people do power level to get as high a level as possible to take advantage of the other aspects of the game, ie: Outposts(although not in game as of yet), PvP, Gladiatorial games, ect........, but one is still going to miss out on many aspects of the game and the gaming world.

I played with Itachi alot before I had to have surgery at the end of June and couldn't play for a month. I probably leveled my heal from 40 to 218 in about a 4 to 6 week period from March to May helping Itachi, and then he helped me level my elemental from 21 to 165 in about a week after we got one of his many 250s (Please don't ask me which one cuz I can't remember although Tachi might). We were talking about the up and coming Outposts that were around the corner and looking forward to them among other things. Needless to say I was definitely feeling a whee bit numb from clicking the macros over and over (ie some beer or other spirits though can also lead to a numbing affect and/or make you not care about the repeated key and/or mouse clicks), and then there was the grind to the point I was watching Ninja Scroll and Ghost in the Shell whilest playing Ryzom. I put a stop to it. I cut back on the leveling, began helping people(although I would like to think that Dekkert has always been helpful ) and participating in the events more as well as getting back to rp'ing. I started paying alot more attention to the story, the people and the beautiful world around me. The grind seemed to not be such a big deal and become non existence.

I'm not saying that people shouldn't power level or that it is a bad thing, but if one is going to power level, then one must accept the fact that there is going to be some sort of grind at some point. MMORPGs should come with a disclaimer with the statement: The grind is there as much as you want it to be. While I have not played every mmorpg there is out there, I found this to be true in the ones I have played: Dark Age of Camelot, DarkSpace, EverQuest, and in Pristontale, and it is true here in Ryzom as well.

When you read my statements and before you throw me in the frying pan and turn on the flame, I ask you to be open minded and think about how you play the game that can eventually effect how you feel about it. In addition and especially on the business end of things, I do believe that Nevrax needs to get on the ball and start putting forth the massive RAIDs, Outposts and some other things which could really bring Ryzom up to another level all together especially as the months draw closer to some other mmorpg releases which would bring further competition and the potential for a loss of players that migrate to try out these said new release mmorpgs.

Just my opinion. I don't mind if you disagree with me, but please put forth a thought out response and not a one liner. Ty for taking the time to read my thoughts.

[rushin]

Yeah, i can agree with that.. I have played so far as anything but a powerleveler, and often my hunting buddies have far outstipped me in level which causes a whole lot of problems or leaves me healing Have made a bit of an effort to catch up in recent months and i'm glad i did.

I think if i was starting again i would probably level 1 combat branch to 200+ fairly swiftly and then forget about it and enjoy the game with other skills. But it would be there if needed for invasions, events and high level teams. For me levels get in the way of having fun a lot of the time, but ignoring them is hard to do and somewhat detremental to overall enjoyment.

So i guess I'm saying i can see both sides of the argument, but if your only reason to play SoR is to b powerful then i think it gets boring very quickly for lots when u have achieved that goal..

[amitst]

I just want to look at the pretty sites, and that forced me to powerlevel, now I'm upset that even maxing my level means I'll still die when I'm just trying to take pretty screenshots.

[gialla]

I agree 100% with rrwfreak.
People should be more relaxed when playing a MMOG, it is not a job, it is a game

[dazman76]

A good post Dekkert, and I agree with you in regards to Powerlevelling. In a game where progression is supposed to be steady and slower-paced, desiring high levels quickly is only going to lead to powerlevelling. This, I think, is a given.

However, I think you may have posted this in response to the update replies (I may be wrong here), and I feel I need to make a point which joins the two. Sure, if you're going to powerlevel, you may become bored of the game. The important thing is there are different types of boredom, or maybe 'boredom profiles'?

The boredom profile of a powerleveller will be distinct - the powerleveller craves levels, and power (duh obviously! get on with it...) - and usually, nothing else. So, I think it's safe to say with most powerlevellers, the boredom purely comes from a lack of further power or levels to be gained. Nothing more - why would there be, the person is just a powerleveller?

The boredom profiles of non-powerlevellers are much wider in definition I feel. Some still crave levels or power, or a little of both. In that case, hitting 250 may cause boredom. Or it may kick off levelling another skills. Also, running out of quests or missions may bring boredom.

Basically my point here, is that if you're trying to say the people 'asking for content' are the powerlevellers, you're wrong. In fact, you're completely wrong Because by there very nature, they require and demand no content to play the game in their way. Just an avatar, and some stuff to grind on.

My levels (roughly, I don't remember exactly) are:

Range(50), Melee(60), Elem(88), Heal(118), Jungle Forage(120)

plus some craft levels around 100.

My main point is this - boredom is not only a byproduct of powerlevelling, and boredom is not only felt by those with a need for power, or a lack of imagination in terms of RP or 'creating your own things to do'. Remember, you wouldn't expect to sell a game which presents an empty room to players - yes they could come up things to do themselves, but the majority of people do not buy computer games to create their own itenary.

I feel, if you're saying you think powerlevellers are the only ones getting bored, then you're way off. I also feel the RP peeps out there need to be more realistic about the rest of this community - RPers tend to be at the 'extreme' in terms of opinions. I'm sure Jyudas would say 'give me a pen and paper and I'll entertain myself for hours, and you should too'. Well J, we aren't all like that, in fact most of us aren't like that - so please, consider the non-tabletop non-actors amongst us, and consider the fact that some of us have none of the experience that you do.

Being bored is everyone's right, and I'm afraid if you look at this game and this community, and don't see why people are getting bored - you need to bring your opinions a bit closer to the fence, and appreciate the grass from over here.

[sofiaoak]

Ability have fun in games, requires ability do someting.

Fun problem begins when there is notting to do at all or You don't know what to do after login, because notting interest You anymore. Usually because You have done same stuff over and over, untill it's not fun anymore.

The message is, if someone wanna do someting else in any games than leveling, they need ability do so. It's all about content of the game. Quest, battles, build houses/towns, grow gardens/fields, create adventures, roleplay events, build a career, be part of living world. It's not just a choise of players playing styles, but games ability support those actions.

[grimjim]

I'm sure Jyudas would say 'give me a pen and paper and I'll entertain myself for hours, and you should too'. Well J, we aren't all like that, in fact most of us aren't like that - so please, consider the non-tabletop non-actors amongst us, and consider the fact that some of us have none of the experience that you do.

No, but I can help provide that entertainment for the rest of you and I'd enjoy doing so. This is why our guild runs events as well as participating in them, but there seem to be less and less player events lately, which is a shame.

And TTRPGs still need at least two people

[morzyr]

I stagger in ave of the way you guys manges type things (Envy)

This also one of those thing what keeps me around, the insight and good thoughts players have.

Recpect, is what come to mind then i read your things.

Even grimjims presistent holyness of rollplay and stubberness of give others a good time in RP gameing


For powerlvling i can allways do in singel player RPG's what mmorpg is as you say an adventure game in a bigger picture. But then you hit the blues Its hard to find ways to come around.

[aylwyne]

No, but I can help provide that entertainment for the rest of you and I'd enjoy doing so. This is why our guild runs events as well as participating in them, but there seem to be less and less player events lately, which is a shame.

I've participated in several player events as well as helped organize some. They can be fun to a point, however, it's easy for me to become disinterested in them because they have no purpose.

This isn't a failing of the people trying to run events. It's a fundamental failing of the game to have a system where player actions matter. (As an aside, that's why I'm personally excited about the things they mentioned in the episode 2 news article. It sounds like they're trying to address this weakness.)

For me, I want to participate in events that have a tangible effect on my character, the world, etc. Without this, the events fail to have meaning for me and feel rather empty.

Perhaps this will be somewhat addressed with R2 as it should provide more tools for creating user-defined content. However, my main concern is that they won't give us any means to give a purpose to the content (rewards, changing the landscape, even just basic experience). If that's the case, then I feel we'll just have more elaborate but still meaninglness content.

[dazman76]

Even grimjims presistent holyness of rollplay and stubberness of give others a good time in RP gameing

I had to chuckle when I read that, nice one Tyr Although you were joking, I'd like to take the opportunity to point something out too. Although Jyudas does land heavily on the RP side, I have no problem with that whatsoever - sometimes I see the events that the Samsara get up to, and wish I could do the same things myself. The only thing stopping me is me, plain and simple.

What I'm actually saying, and I think Oshido did a good job of it too, is not that I don't enjoy or don't want to participate in player events (or RP events, whichever), but more that I don't get the same enjoyment from them that people such as the Samsara would. At the same time, it's a testament to their point of view and willingness to make something more of the game, and unfortunately an admission that I don't share their imagination and ability to do this.