The Tail of The Comet

[btamilio]

These "cliques" are slowly disentegrating away. The powergamers are also slowly getting bored and cancelling their accounts.

That's great news. Not that folks are leaving, but the social structures established in the game are starting to disintegrate. Closed off guilds of powergamers this early in the game stunt growth and adoption rate -- the problem is two fold: 1) The guilds are advancing much quicker than the rest of us 2) They are doing so because they are learning things about the game they are not sharing back, because they have no reason to -- they don't interact with many outside the guild.

It may come off that I am jealous of these guilds or whatver, and I am not. Every MMO I have played I have rejected big organized guilds. I can't handle certain personalities that are present in those kinds of guilds, nor some of the mandatory expectations.

As someone that has been in game every single day since NA release, and I see you are level 75 - which is 10 levels higher than I am... I have to stand on my tip-toes just to see the bottom of a casual gamers foot!

I have also been playing since, well the first weekend of release (was not in Beta), and this is my third roll of a character. I guess I just make better use of my time *wink* It's quick to solo, just boring.

Personally I wouldn't envy anyone that is really high up. Its not like they got there with hard work.

They got those lvls because of a flaw in the system thats how I got so many easy lvls.

Yup. And that's why there are so many 15 page threads of whinewhinewhine. Patch 1 is all about turning Easy Mode "off" once you get above 100.

Once the story begins to unfurl I believe whether your an uber level character or a loley peon of one the history will add to the fun of the game.

Right on Xasher. That was how I read it originally too, however, I was using this to bait responsed on what people thought about the casual gamer/independant player experience.


--

The reason I put all this out there is because I very honestly feel that Patch 1 and the one following it are helping to re-center the game, and pull focus away from the "guild and guild alone" mentality that is out there. At least, there are some good first steps.

Simple things like NPC merchants will mean a lot to the casual gamer. It changes everything about the economy. To the guild crafter and forager, it will be hard to resist the temptation to sell your goods on the market.

Easy Mode: OFF is key. It sounds like the game is getting even harder 150+. Fine. It really should be a grind at this point, IMO, sorry.

And I understand it's a work in progress I would really like to see an LFG Flagging/Finding mechanism. This would make the casual game a lot easier -- though, there are good strategies folks brought up to make a group happen which definitely work.

[zukor]

This is a great thread! My $0.02:

By btamilio:
"Yup. And that's why there are so many 15 page threads of whinewhinewhine. Patch 1 is all about turning Easy Mode "off" once you get above 100."

I really really hope that this is true, but I 'm not so sure. My concern is that the patch also makes things much harder for low level players, and that is NOT necessary or desirable. If I can only kill suckling yubos after the patch (I'm level 30 fighter), how does that help? I think it would just make the problem alluded to in the first post of this thread much worse. If there is not an enjoyable experience for the lower level players, with a sense of reward and progression, the "tail of the comet" will indeed be cut off.

By xasher:
"Once the story begins to unfurl I believe whether your an uber level character or a loley peon of one the history will add to the fun of the game."

Again, I really hope this is true. But I have my doubts. If there is no path open to the lower levels chars to enjoyably advance, how will they be able to contribute to the story? If I see a kitin when I'm at my current level, the only story would be my running away as fast as I can, and hiding. Not exactly the stuff sagas are made of.

(Exception to above: If I become part of a Monty Python movie, the bards might sing the following. "Brave Sir Zukor, Brave Sir Zukor. When danger reared it's ugly head, he bravely turned his tail and fled. Brave Sir Zukor, Brave Sir Zukor".

I hope I'm not the only one old enough to understand the reference.)

Doctor Z.

[moriant]

Yup. And that's why there are so many 15 page threads of whinewhinewhine. Patch 1 is all about turning Easy Mode "off" once you get above 100.

The issue people have with Patch 1 isnt that its getting harder. The main issue is the decreased intake of material quantity. The rate of intake for materials is the backbone of this game. No materials = no equipment making = no crafters getting better.

Making things harder is a good thing. Blind was a joke. Its not the players fault that the developers left it alone for so long when it was obviously flawed.

The reason I put all this out there is because I very honestly feel that Patch 1 and the one following it are helping to re-center the game, and pull focus away from the "guild and guild alone" mentality that is out there. At least, there are some good first steps.

Simple things like NPC merchants will mean a lot to the casual gamer. It changes everything about the economy. To the guild crafter and forager, it will be hard to resist the temptation to sell your goods on the market.

Almost everything about Patch 1 puts even more focus towards having a good guild. Harvesting will require teams of people to be efficient (casual harvesting groups? lol). Critters are going to hit harder and be more difficult (casual/pickup groups get even harder). Both of these equate to LESS materials being sold on the open market.

--Moriant

[mikwana]

Well, I think part of the 'problem' it that region chat is still fairly limited. For example, head 200 meters north or west out of Zora, and you are in a different region. Head down south below Min-cho to where most of the fighting is being done, or northeast into the purity, and again, you are out of the region. Those in the capital arnt' able to get a message out to those groups that are the ones they actually want to be with.

It *might* be a good idea to take a walk into those and ask, instead of sitting in the capital and waiting. Heck, I've even had to leave the Cities of intuition to find better mats, and almost always I see a group or two out tehre, and am usually asked if I want to join, and when I'm in the mood, it has always been a great time so far. (shout out for DoZ!)

On the other hand, this is only the situation that I see in the jungle, I've not traveled too far yet, so can't say for other areas (and I'm told that Zoraï lands actually have an even lower population than Tryker and likely will be even more-so after the patch when Trykers can harvest).

I'm fairly casual as well, but I think most in Zora know me as I will reply to region questions or idle chat usually, many do, actually. I'm also pretty far behind most of the other players who play as much as I do (hours logged, I'd probably be considered a 'hardcore'), since I don't specialize. By saying I don't specialize, I mean I do *everything*. It's slow, but it's got it's own rewards. I also like to explore, and just chat with the NPCs. They really do have a story in game already.

Anyway, I'd reccomend finding a guild, there is to be a guild meet and greet in Zora on Saturday, and that way you'll have a group likely whenever you want it. Some of the big 'power' guilds may not be right for you, but there are lots of others as well.

[legynd]

On-line gaming is about groups and people interaction, but Imho the person that can solo and kill a level 75 type mob should get a extra bonus for doing the deed alone..lots of risk...not so with groups. What the hell lets just play .........