Can someone sum up all the outpost stuff?

[kyesmith]

Do crystals really pose that big of a threat? How many skills can you get to 250? Even using crystals all the time, how long would it take to get everything to 250.

People powerleveling and being ignorent isn't really your problem, it's theirs. If they have a 250 dig skill and don't know where to get any materials, the only way that effects you is if you choose to use that person as your material supplier. And then you could simply tell them or show them where to go if you really wanted what they can get.

No ones under any obligation to help anyone else if they don't want to... I think having people who need escorts might be kinda fun. Here you have the idiot digger savant who can't take care of himself, but he sure can dig!

Are you sure the XP crystal thing isn't just related to personal feelings of being ripped off and cheated? You guys hard to work hard to get high level skills... and now with outposts people can get the same skill in half the time with much less struggling and hard work... I know that'd feel kind of cheap to me, personally... but I don't really think its going to destroy the game.

i have 7 lvl 250 skills and used crystals for bugger all really so i could have 14 lvl 250s now....
Working hard at getting 250s to have someone gamming for a few weeks in a guild with crystals having the same lvls isnt good but as people have said experience in game counts for alot, so i guess i have alot of that of my side: )

[naratuul]

i have 7 lvl 250 skills and used crystals for bugger all really so i could have 14 lvl 250s now....
Working hard at getting 250s to have someone gamming for a few weeks in a guild with crystals having the same lvls isnt good but as people have said experience in game counts for alot, so i guess i have alot of that of my side: )

LOL Kye. I'm kinda your opposite then. I have no 250 skills, but i get around pretty well. Yep I used crystals on and off as I progressed my toon, but I think that putting them in the game was a bad idea. I've come to the conclusion that crystals really aren't that necessary, you get more mileage out of the game without them

[naratuul]

People who are bored by grinding and prefer more creative, productive activities like exploring, roleplaying, helping others, etc. benefit from crystals.

I think this sums up the attitude of "I had to work hard to get my precious high levels, so I feel bad when others do it in half the time":
"Back in my day, I had to walk ten miles to school uphill both ways in the snow without shoes...young'uns these days ought to have to do the same!"

You can do all those without crystals. Last time I checked exploring roleplaying and helping others were not on the skill chart

In every MMORG I've played double xp devices of any type have had a negative impact overall on player competence. It's not that everyone should be ubergamers, but it sure is nice to know that when you team with an AoD or a CG that you could know for sure that the person knows what they are doing


Hey instead of crystals lets just give all newbies 150 in all skills as soon as they leave the island....

[cdhollan]

...Hey instead of crystals lets just give all newbies 150 in all skills as soon as they leave the island....

I like that idea as a newbie! =)

Seriously though, hehe. I don't mean to sound negative, but is this game really growing at a rate where player incompetence because of crystals is that big of an issue? It isn't like there's an incredibly large subscriber base with a huge influx of new players every week... Granted it'd be nice if there was.

[katriell]

I hate grinding. A lot. So I'm biased. I usually get bored of training within an hour or so. I would really hate to have to get through 225-250 without crystals. o_O

It isn't like there's an incredibly large subscriber base with a huge influx of new players every week... Granted it'd be nice if there was.

No it wouldn't be nice. We'd end up with a community like WoW's.

[varelse]

Some people just don't have the kind of time it takes to grind grind grind grind to a reasonably useful skill level. For them, the cristals would be a godsend, since they could reach a point where the game was more about 'doing stuff' and less about 'trying not to get killed' before they ran out of patience completely.

I had leveled up two 250 skills before these cristals were in the game and was close to two others when the cristals were introduced as Episode 2 rewards. Because I am so used to playing without them, I often forget to activate them even when I do have them available... old habits die hard...

Still, I haven't yet met anyone who leveled so quickly that they had no clue how to use their skills. Level grinding even with cristals is still quite slow, especially at the higher levels.

Cristals aren't killing this game, lack of development funds that are needed to finish the promised features such as the rites, the guild challenges, the dynasty system, the bardic skills, and the RAID system that hasn't worked properly since before the game launched... and that kind of stuff... that could be what does us in eventually.

As a game killer, doubled leveling rates don't even come close to the lack of developer resources and the resulting lack of promised game content.

[katriell]

Some people just don't have the kind of time it takes to grind grind grind grind to a reasonably useful skill level. For them, the cristals would be a godsend, since they could reach a point where the game was more about 'doing stuff' and less about 'trying not to get killed' before they ran out of patience completely.

Quoted for emphasis. Most of my point, phrased much better than I could've.

[naratuul]

Some people just don't have the kind of time it takes to grind grind grind grind to a reasonably useful skill level. For them, the cristals would be a godsend, since they could reach a point where the game was more about 'doing stuff' and less about 'trying not to get killed' before they ran out of patience completely.

I had leveled up two 250 skills before these cristals were in the game and was close to two others when the cristals were introduced as Episode 2 rewards. Because I am so used to playing without them, I often forget to activate them even when I do have them available... old habits die hard...

Still, I haven't yet met anyone who leveled so quickly that they had no clue how to use their skills. Level grinding even with cristals is still quite slow, especially at the higher levels.

Cristals aren't killing this game, lack of development funds that are needed to finish the promised features such as the rites, the guild challenges, the dynasty system, the bardic skills, and the RAID system that hasn't worked properly since before the game launched... and that kind of stuff... that could be what does us in eventually.

As a game killer, doubled leveling rates don't even come close to the lack of developer resources and the resulting lack of promised game content.

I agree that the content issue is larger than the cristals overall. And for the record I have met someone that leveled so quickly they had no clue... I met a level 220 melee player that couldn't walk from the void Kara tp to the plod spot down near zo-kian without an escort. The person lacked the skills required to navigate cross country solo because the person was spoon fed cristals and leveled only in teams at the standard high xp spots.

Either way suffice it to say I don't think cristals should be in the game at all, if the devs feel the leveling curve is too high then just lower the xp requirements.

[naratuul]

I like that idea as a newbie! =)

Seriously though, hehe. I don't mean to sound negative, but is this game really growing at a rate where player incompetence because of crystals is that big of an issue? It isn't like there's an incredibly large subscriber base with a huge influx of new players every week... Granted it'd be nice if there was.

In a small game like Ryzom player incompetence can mean the difference between having a succesful team and eating DPs all night. Granted you could just not team with certain people, but I feel bad for the folks that play at off peak times where there isn't a whole lot of choice when you are trying to put together a team.

[varelse]

I agree that the content issue is larger than the cristals overall. And for the record I have met someone that leveled so quickly they had no clue... I met a level 220 melee player that couldn't walk from the void Kara tp to the plod spot down near zo-kian without an escort.

I get lost going from the stables to my guild hall, Naratuul. Until recent changes to the agressive mobs (such as they now lose agro after a certain distance, and there's fewer of them, etc) I needed an escort to get to the plods too, and I've been playing this game since Sept 2004. Some of us are just naturally 'lost'

Not all of the incompetence is down to 'fast leveling'. Much of it is due to guilds grabbing new players fresh from the teleporters and spoon feeding them everything, from equipment to powerleveling sessions - and that's been happening since well before the cristals or the outposts were released.

Still, love them, hate them or ignore them, cristals and the outpost drills that make them are now part of the game. For those who really don't like them, one can only hope there's a change in the works that you will like better. One thing is for certain, though, we can't survive without change and if there's one constant in the universe, it's people complaining about changes