Trying to figure out if SoR is for me ...

[necrosub]

Hey all,

I know I posted in another thread that I wouldn't post again, but for some reason I seem intrigued by SoR. I /really/ want to like it, so I'm trying to get a better "feel" of the game, in the attempt to understand it.

I have a few things I'd like to ask, so please, bear with me.

-----------

#1. I just wanted to know how many of the players in SoR, or at least those that read the forums, actually like to craft. Personally, I don't really find it all that enjoyable. I've done it in other games, but it was always to either: 1) try it out, or 2) make some money, usually by selling finished items to NPCs.

Also, SoR seems to be fairly focused on crafting, and the player crafted items is a good thing IMO. I've played EVE Online and SWG and I think player economies are a great thing. But, I don't really want to craft myself, nor is harvesting appealing to me either. Even killing specific mobs to collect certain mats is something I'd most likely avoid. Other people can craft, and I applaud them for enjoying it, but I don't want to do it myself.

So, what I was wondering: Is there really a place for me in a game like SoR, where crafting is such a integral part?

-----------

#2. Some people have said that if you can't get a group together, you can always go harvest something or craft. But, if I'm not into crafting or harvesting, is soloing a really viable option? I actually prefer to solo, or work in very small groups, as I've had sooooooooo many bad experiences with poor teamwork in groups. Plus, I have a /very low/ tolerance for stupidity.

Can I really solo that much in SoR? Some say it's slow going compared to large groups. How much slower, exactly? 1/2, 1/4 speed?

As for those who ask why I'm playing an MMO then, when I don't like to work in teams: I'm here to be able to chat with other people, help them out if I can, RP (a major one), and generally explore the world I'm playing in. SP games just don't have this.

-----------

#3. I originally wanted to make a dual sword weilding/magic using character. But I've found the action malus is high if you use medium armour, but the protection from light is almost nothing. What I had originally envisioned was something like the following:

1) toss spell at range,
2) melee attack mob when it gets within range,
3) possibly toss another spell while in melee (like Fear if the fight goes sour)

From my experiences in the Ruins of Silan, this doesn't seem like an effective strategy at all, as the Malus makes spell-casting weaker, and you seem to get hit more often. Is this like Attacks of Opportunity while spellcasting in DnD? If so, is there a way to avoid it?

Other characters I had in mind were a thief/mage style character, but sadly there is no stealth in SoR. Another was a Healing warrior type (like a Paladin), but Heavy armour has such a huge Malus this is not really an option either.

I love the ability to use different skills, but I thought we'd be able to use more than one skill tree at a time. Sadly, it seems like Magic and Fighting aren't very combinable at all.

-----------

#4. Sometimes my character doesn't move when he emotes, and I never hear him make /any/ battle sounds (like grunts, shouts when hit, etc.). Yet I can hear other people's characters making noise.

Is there a setting I messed up or something? I really like some auditory stimuli when I'm playing a game. WoW, even though many people bash it, does this well IMO. I like hearing my character actually clap, laugh, etc. It just adds to the immersion. I hated how my chars in CoH/V almost never made any sounds. It just took away from the experience.

-----------

#5. I love exploring, and it's probably the #1 reason I want to play SoR, with RP being a close second. But if I'm not into harvesting, crafting and searching for new mats, is there much of a reason to explore? Are there cool ruins to find? An interesting cave to explore? Secluded hunting spots to discover?

Exploring would be very cool, but once you've seen everything (or most everything) that aspect of the game is effectively "finished".

Is Atys expansive enough that if I go wandering all over the place I'm not going to see everything in a couple weeks? And I know that I won't be able to see some areas right away as I'll get insta-killed by the high level mobs.

-----------

I'm sure there's other things I could ask, but right now I can't think of them. I'll wait and see if I can think of anything else.

Any answers are appreciated. SoR seems like a very interesting game, I'm just not sure if I'm looking at it with the right attitude, or if it truly isn't for me.

Thanks.
Necro

[xmojo]

Crafting probably makes up 1/2 the game, so if you restrict yourself to only fighting and gaining XP that's half the aspect of the game you're leaving out. Not sure if you're into the PvP part of SoR, if not, that's another feature of SoR you're denying yourself too.

I can only speak about my experiences on the starter island as I'm not a paid subscriber on the mainland. But if I were to abandon the crafting/harvesting side of things and only fight and gain xp and dappers I'd say to myself "is that I can do in this game?" Since the only loot you find on regular creatures are mats, and all weapons/armor in the game are crafted, the rewards for playing a fighter only are not great. Especially if you don't join a guild, because as I understand it there are areas in the game and certain boss monsters that require a group and almost impossible to solo.

[qatzer]

Hi Necro,

Sounds like we have a fair bit in common (apart from the RP which holds no interest for me personally)

#1
I've never been a fan of crafting and my intention was not to get involved with that side of the game, although as time goes by things I keep hearing make it sound interesting and I might be tempted to have a dabble. But up til now I haven't done anything more than the crafting quests on the island and I'd say it's perfectly feasible to play the game without getting involved with any crafting or harvesting at all. Unless you want to level up in ranged that is, because if you don't make your own ammo that can get very expensive.

#2
I prefer to solo most of the time. I don't have any time for stupidity either, and neither do I have time for "dithering" which is what I find most irritating with some groups. I just like to get on with it.
Yes soloing is "slower", but compared to Lineage 2 it's still fast levelling, you get about half the amount of xp per kill while soloing, plus the downtime while you regen that you don't need in groups, but it's still possible to progress at a decent rate. I went from 50 to 75 in melee in a few hours solo.

#3
You can't actually dual wield swords, you can either have 1 sword and 1 dagger, or 2 daggers.
Using a combination of magic and melee during a single kill doesn't really work. I just switch between magic and melee on a day by day basis depending on how I feel like playing at the time.

#4
No idea sorry, don't really use them personally so I haven't noticed

#5
Well, not sure about any other aspects, but if you're looking for a decent area to grind in at any given level then exploring can help a great deal, for example - if you're a Matis, once you get on to Orange mobs, if you're fighting plants then you'd be looking at Cratchas (sp?) in KoD, however, if you've done your exploring, got yourself a few tp's, and tried out some mobs in other regions, then you'd find that Stingas down in the lakes are far far easier to kill for the same xp so levelling on them is much faster. That's the only example I know of so far as my experience is somewhat limited, but I'm sure there are other similar examples.

Hope that helps
Q

[katriell]

1a: I love crafting.
1b: It's perfectly viable to do no harvesting or crafting yourself and have all your items made by other players.

4: You have to be using more than the default attack to hear combat sounds. For example, an attack with Increase Damage. Also, make sure sound is enabled and SFX volume is up.

5: Ryzom is really good for exploring. Atys is packed with details, hidden locales, caves, water features, etc etc. It is also oozing with mystery and an unending sense of discovery. From investigating a sunken city in the Prime Roots, to learning how the Fyros roads were constructed by looking at a place where a road is decayed/broken, to wondering about the meaning of the symbols on Matis trees, Fyros roads, etc. Even after playing for 14-15 months, I haven't seen all of it - I find something that is new and cool to me every day.

[chessack]

1a: I love crafting.
1b: It's perfectly viable to do no harvesting or crafting yourself and have all your items made by other players.

1c. Even a crafter cannot (realistically) craft everything he or she needs. Sandaara (my main character) crafts jewels. So she makes her own earrings, etc. But she still needs to buy swords, armor, etc.

C

[mehanson]

1c. Even a crafter cannot (realistically) craft everything he or she needs. Sandaara (my main character) crafts jewels. So she makes her own earrings, etc. But she still needs to buy swords, armor, etc.

C

Actually, there are those who pride themselves on crafting ALL their own gear. Yes, it means that at times they're not wearing/carrying the higest level gear they could use, BUT they made it all themselves.

Another Homin's take:

1. I like to craft. In particular, I like to experiment with combinations of materials to see what gives the best stats in each area. I also buy/trade for a lot of gear, because I've never bothered to "power level" my crafting. I do it when I feel like it. When I need to let out my frustrations, I pick up a mace or axe and whack "bugs".

2. I've solo'd almost all my levels (I play a loner), except healing and afflictions. Healing REQUIRES a group in order to earn XP, and afflictions just aren't real practical to level outside a group. Note I said "level", afflictions can easily be used while solo'ing, they just aren't very practiocal to level while solo'ing.

As for the speed "degradation", all I can say is "it depends". When your level is such that you can easily take down the mobs you're battling, or dig the mats you're harvesting, soloing can actually be faster because you get all the XP instead of sharing it out among the team. Move up a couple of levels (or zones) and you may find your self sitting down for five minutes to regen between kills, or possibly unable to kill by yourself. At that point, teaming is probably three to four times faster.

3. Your proposed tactic does work, I've used it myself frequently. Usually I do this in medium armour if I'm pushing my levels (hitting mobs a little higher than I should) The malus isn't as bad as heavy armour, and it still gives me enough protection for my melee attacks.

Silan isn't a good place to judge this tactic, because by the time you get decent medium armour, decent mage skills, and decent weapons, you're "too high" a level really for most of the mobs around the Ranger camp, and too low to take on the Kitins solo. By the time you can take on the Kitins solo, you've really "peaked" your Silan experience and its time to move to the mainland (and get your butt owned by Gingos or Ragus again ).

4. What Katriel said ^^

5. I've been playing this game for a year, my max level is 140 (happens to be healing), my next highest level is 138 (desert foraging). I still haven't seen all of the Desert, let alone all of Atys. I still haven't mapped all the choice resource spots in Oflovak's Oasis or around Dyron, and haven't mapped any of them in Imperial Dunes (blue zone around Pyr). I still have Frahar Towers to finish exploring, and Sawdust Mines, Outlaw Canyon, and Scorched Corridor to start (along with two more I *think*). I love to explore, and some day I'l finish the desert and start the Jungle, or Forest, or Lakelands. I MIGHT (someday) finish it all, but by then I suspect we'll see the other worlds that the storyline talks about, plus there's the "old lands" which are only opened occasionally, and Prime Roots which will take some dedication (and DP).

I play this MMO for the same reasons you stated, and enjoy it very much (once I made my mind up not to participate in the FvF PvP).