What Ryzom has to offer...

[capn123]

As far as MMOs go, what does Ryzom have to offer? I've played around in the Ruins of Silan for about 10 hours. I spent most of my time just grinding and doing missions that teach me the technical aspects of the game. To be honest, what I experienced wasnt much different than any other grindfest MMOs that I've played. I'll have to admit, the visuals are by far the best that I've ever seen in any MMO. And the water is by far the best looking in any game that I've ever played. I'd say it's right up there with Half Life 2's water effects. So what are your opinions on Ryzom? What makes the game fun to you? What separates Ryzom from other MMOs and keeps you coming back? I'm sure that things are different on the mainland, so I wanna hear it.

[katriell]

The first thing that comes to mind as I read your post, is that you spent most of your time "just grinding and doing missions." One of the best pieces of advice one can give or receive regarding Ryzom, I think, is that if it seems like a "grindfest"...one is simply choosing to grind too much and should stop that. So if you do start feeling bored by grinding...stop grinding. Stand still a moment. Look around. Absorb all the beauty and detail in the environment around you. Watch a yubo pee on your shoe. Then run off in a random direction and see where you end up (watching out for aggro, of course). Simple, random exploration like that has brought me to some of my favorite experiences in the game, such as sharing hidden locales with friends.

As for what keeps me in Ryzom: firstly, the guild my main characters are in and the strong roleplay atmosphere there. Also the rich world of Atys which seems to hold an endless sense of discovery and mystery for one who patiently enjoys the journey, rather than racing toward a max level.

[bluefve]

Too many things to disclose, and too many threads disclosing.

[naratuul]

The first thing that comes to mind as I read your post, is that you spent most of your time "just grinding and doing missions." One of the best pieces of advice one can give or receive regarding Ryzom, I think, is that if it seems like a "grindfest"...one is simply choosing to grind too much and should stop that. So if you do start feeling bored by grinding...stop grinding. Stand still a moment. Look around. Absorb all the beauty and detail in the environment around you. Watch a yubo pee on your shoe. Then run off in a random direction and see where you end up (watching out for aggro, of course). Simple, random exploration like that has brought me to some of my favorite experiences in the game, such as sharing hidden locales with friends.

As for what keeps me in Ryzom: firstly, the guild my main characters are in and the strong roleplay atmosphere there. Also the rich world of Atys which seems to hold an endless sense of discovery and mystery for one who patiently enjoys the journey, rather than racing toward a max level.

"It's a journey, not a race."

[rushin]

Hmm

From my admittedly fairly narrow experience of MMO’s there are two general approaches:

1) the WoW, DDO kind where by you are lead through the game with a vast multitude of missions, more often than not with instanced content and ‘culminating’ with an ‘end game’ where by you raid an instance over and over to equip people with marginally better equipment than you already have to enable you to tackle the next raid. These types of games can be played in a way similar to an offline RPG with teams and community activities very much a second thought

2) Games like Eve, Horizons and Ryzom which are almost be frit of ad hoc missions, quests etc. Often referred to sandbox, I prefer to think of them as a world rather than a game. The point which is often sorely missed by the WoW crowd is not to grind, or get to max level asap to experience the end game, because there isn’t one. In games like this the community is what makes the game, the content is in the world we are given. The things you do in a lv50 area are just as exciting and rewarding as those in a lv250 area. Getting a high level really isn’t the point.

The sense of community is much greater, people treat each other with a lot more respect as we all rely on each other to make and keep things fun and entertaining. Generally crafting plays a prominent part as there is no ready made equipment to be had from killing things. Politics are more involved as being in a guild or part of a faction means more than spamming LFG and going off to kill things.

I hope that helps a little, the ‘grind’ you talk about is the process of advancing your character, in a game that never ends its reasonable to assume that people will want to better themselves over a long period of time, but getting the levels is the least important part my friend, the idea is to experience the world with your fellow players.

[acridiel]

/tar Rushin
/agree

Exactly Rush.
For me Ryzom realy IS a way to delve into another world. Rich lore, fantastic surroundings, deep mysteries that will be revealed over time and not by just clicking a NPC, or a row of them, making friends and staying in contact with them. Contributing to their game as well as they contribute to mine.
Gaining Levels is a bouns, I don´t grind so it can´t be tideous.
Sometimes if fancy strikes me I just get my pick and focus gear from my appratment and go down into the prime roots to look for a new Material spot, regardless of Death Penalty. I just do it and then I´m happy I´ve found whatever there was hidden in the Bark. If I gain a level or two in the process fine. But not my main goal.
Just yesterday a few friends and me, went down into the canyons in Fyros to hunt Kinchers (level, effectively) but what it turned out to be was a fight for pure survival. We´d found our prey, but we kept being attacked by more then one (stood too near the spawnpoint mechanically speaking) and other creatures and fought for our very hides. (We didn´t even consider to leave the dangerous spot, it was just too much FUN )
We had a two lowlevel players with us and it was as much fun for them as it was for us, because we made it our priority to protect them and they did what they could to aid us with a bit of healing and some small offensive magics. It worked like a charm. We didn´t get maximum XP, but we had one hell of a time.
Most of us didn´t even gain a level, only the new ones did, but that wasn´t the point anymore. We were having the time of our live, trying to get RP messages out in chat whilst fighting of the next Kirosta, or Zerx, or whatever just had chosen to try to make us it´s next meal.

Those are the moments that keep me in Ryzom.
What yours will be, that´s only for you to decide and experience.
Hook up with a friendly bunch of Homins and go out to find your Life on Atys

CU
Acridiel

[mugendo]

"It's a journey, not a race."

My highest level is 46...soon to 'ding' 50 and branch out into 'specialisation' .
I don't have skills, but I do have friends and my very own Mektoub (old and unstable, but reliable).........and the mektoub

P.S. I started playing the same day I joined the forum

[tigrus]

Hmm

From my admittedly fairly narrow experience of MMO’s there are two general approaches:

1) the WoW, DDO kind where by you are lead through the game with a vast multitude of missions, more often than not with instanced content and ‘culminating’ with an ‘end game’ where by you raid an instance over and over to equip people with marginally better equipment than you already have to enable you to tackle the next raid. These types of games can be played in a way similar to an offline RPG with teams and community activities very much a second thought

2) Games like Eve, Horizons and Ryzom which are almost be frit of ad hoc missions, quests etc. Often referred to sandbox, I prefer to think of them as a world rather than a game. The point which is often sorely missed by the WoW crowd is not to grind, or get to max level asap to experience the end game, because there isn’t one. In games like this the community is what makes the game, the content is in the world we are given. The things you do in a lv50 area are just as exciting and rewarding as those in a lv250 area. Getting a high level really isn’t the point.

The sense of community is much greater, people treat each other with a lot more respect as we all rely on each other to make and keep things fun and entertaining. Generally crafting plays a prominent part as there is no ready made equipment to be had from killing things. Politics are more involved as being in a guild or part of a faction means more than spamming LFG and going off to kill things.

I hope that helps a little, the ‘grind’ you talk about is the process of advancing your character, in a game that never ends its reasonable to assume that people will want to better themselves over a long period of time, but getting the levels is the least important part my friend, the idea is to experience the world with your fellow players.

I will have to say i agree with Rushin alot here.
Though personally i would like to add that the game developers and CSR's or GMs as they are called here is absolutely the best ive seen in any game.
Ive played many different games. From Roma-Victor, SWG, WoW, Eve, EQ and on and on. And ryzom has the best community, the best skill advancing set up imho and just makes me stunned over and over again.
Like the first time i went to matis lands and saw the "waterfalls that i somehow cant remember the name on and wont say Xeraphim's name on them because that isnt appropriate" i was stunned. THe graphics are amasing.
And the feeling that you get the first time you see a Great Kirosta, or when you get chased by Kirokya and 5 great kirosta's when you are level 160 in melee. (with allort taking screenshots and laughing his butt off i might add). You just have a great bloody time. ALL the time

[elvigy1]

Rushin's post should be copied and pasted across the entire spectrum of mmorpg sites. I don't think I've ever seen such a succinct and accurate summary of the current state of mmorpgs. And I say that as someone who has enjoyed both kinds of games. I've reached max level in WoW (twice) and SWG, enjoyed my time in EVE and am loving Ryzom so far.

Though, in my opinion (and it is ONLY my opinion) the sandbox type games have greater long term potential since raiding does get boring after doing the same dungeon for the 6,541,054,987th time.

[jiell]

My guild came to this game about a month ago, after having before played most of the other online games out there.

The best Ryzom has to offer is; Very nice people (Hard to find though, I have only been to Matis citys and at least they are rather empty) Top of the line customer service, very few bugs, nice graphics. Sound quality is very good but it can get annoying with all the non-agressives growling in your ear all the time, So I usually turn the sound off.

But of course its a grind. Someone said its not more fun to be a lvl250 then a lvl 20 and thats true. However you need to grind up your level if you should be able to move firther then 100 meters outside your capital city, without beeing killed and get to much penalty. When we was lower level then we are now, we often found that the best thing we could do, was to buy a rite and log off, cos we were getting to deep in the penalty hole.

The missions/quest are quite uninteresting, unrewarding and sometimes the objectives can be quite vague. Especially vague about where the target are. Like when you have to deliver a package to someone that cant be found in any of the citys and that noonce has a clue of where they could be. We have stoped to do missions more or less completly.

Fighting is a chapter of its own. Most spells (like 3 out of 4) will fail for whatever reason. The mob will resist, you get "interupted", or they fail outright. Its hard to tell if many of the spells do anyhting at all, and weather or not they are in effect. Same with fighting; you will miss, the target evade, block so often that you after a while find yourself trying to avoid fights as much as possible, to save your armor, weapon and whatever to to those fights to those where you can max your XP.

Then we have the "Ring". Im sure we have missed something, but none of us have found any reason to make or play them. Killing a MOB in a ring mission is like killing them in main game. No more, no less.

We have mounts also in our guild, but they seldom leave the stable. They are sort of best out of the way there, dont eat your dappers away and dont get so tired or wounded there.

We have also apartments. Well, its a tab in the inventory window actually more then an apartment, but we can store items there. Not that we have anything worth storing, but maybe someday we find a use for it.

But its a nice game! Better then many, if not most, of the others out there. Value for your money. Nice people, almost bugfree, and awsome customer service.

The no-classes approach is genious