Ryzom is not for stupid people

[kuroari]

4) Open the overhead roots for exploration

can't do that just yet - it takes a number of years for the roots to grow enough for us to be able to explore them safely! the evil factions would probably not let us go up there until they deem it safe. so by the time the roots are safe to explore, our current land will be mostly darkening up like the misnamed "prime roots" we know today!


*sigh* where the hell do you find lore like this in other games? you just don't!

[50kal]

Regarding the Ryzom, we can’t expect a massively multiplayer game to be financially successful, if it is not designed to attract massive masses. The idea behind this game is very original if not revolutionary, but its “starting difficulty level” needs to be toned down a bit so that more people can enjoy the game at first trial. (more people--> more money --> running game)
Of course this will come with a price (see below) but life is full of compromises!

“133t n00b Killa” has just stabbed you in the back while you were harvesting that node!

Ryzom is different for a reason.
Why compete with all the others out there and be just another clone.
If they actually did change Ryzom completely to be more idiot proof they would probably loose more members than gain.
The majority of the existing Ryzom player base would leave, and they would need to compete with WoW (Excuse my Language) & other Clone MMORPGs for players.

Just take 20 minutes to read that guide and if there is something you don't understand, just ask.

I think the people axone are talking about either cannot read, or don't have an attention span longer than 8 seconds.

Indeed, there are some little things like that which are safe to tweak and polish.

I agree 200% with this. Lots of little things can be tweaked to make life on Ryzom slightly easier for Vets, a little more fun for everyone, and a lot more welcoming to new players.

[arcane00]

As someone who has tried an UNBELIEVABLE number of mmorpgs, I feel I can express my personal opinion about Ryzom VS other mmorpgs.

If you ask me, "Ryzom" has something, well, classy about it. It's that certain something that creates a compelling atmosphere (and the charming atmosphere is the main trigger that made me love this little videogame). It's that certain something that, for example, has things in a way that no mark points display on the map unless you create them -a feature I found irritating at first, but I now come to understand and even appreciate.

The "Ryzom" community is so surprisingly polite that it's something I rarely found on an online videogame before. This is the second important feature I incurred in this product. There's some "lol wutz" here and there, but it never is so exagerate as to end up feeling like players are stupid and not just being silly.
On the other hand, the "Ryzom" community is sometimes closed to newcomers. I had the feeling everyone knows each other in this game, and I am just an unknown person suddenly intruding into a group of good old friends. This of course doesn't make a new player feel too welcome and integrated. But it's not too big a problem because, thanks to the above-mentioned politeness of the elder players, all my questions about the gameplay and such got kindly answered and, well, that's all a starter really needs.

So I think I may agree with the topic starter; apparently "Ryzom" has this certain something that makes it nearly an "elitist" game (with all the positive, and the negative, aspects of it). Frankly though, better to be an elitist game than to be a game popolated with annoying lowbrained spammers -and well, doesn't this imply that I speak as an elitist too?

[acridiel]

Digging is only hard at the beginning.
While that might put off some less patient people, it is realistic. Everything gets better with practice.
I and I´m sure many others do like it much, much more than running up to a strange Knob in the landscape, doing a motion with the Charakters hands as if screwing the lid off a Jar and PUFF I´ve got Material... *cough*

And the contend... well...
Sadly the whole bankcruptcy issue did put of the Plans fpr that a tiny little bit.

As far as we know there are more than enough new Missions and other things (Kitin Lair) stranded in the final stages of development. *sigh*

A new owner would probalby just have to translate the texts and implement the stuff. If it realy is that far advanced as was said by the late Nevraxers.

We only can wait and see.

CU
Acridiel

[iceaxe68]

foraging/digging is both long AND boring. If one of the two were reduced, it would go a long way towards not hypnotizing yourself. Maybe look into the rate the animations of the cursors repeat. That might effect people mentally.

The first 20 levels of foraging are quite frustrating. I am in the midst of running a new character through the foraging missions on Silan, which I've skipped before. Even with the (admittedly shallow) knowledge I've gained in 120+ levels of foraging on the mainland, the missions on Silan are slow and difficult.

However, if you have the persistence to keep at it and learn, it gets easier and easier, to the point that it becomes a very relaxing and peaceful way to spend some time. And it is very profitable, although by the time you get to that point you probably have dappers overflowing anyway...

[kipestia]

The first 20 levels of foraging are quite frustrating. I am in the midst of running a new character through the foraging missions on Silan, which I've skipped before. Even with the (admittedly shallow) knowledge I've gained in 120+ levels of foraging on the mainland, the missions on Silan are slow and difficult.

However, if you have the persistence to keep at it and learn, it gets easier and easier, to the point that it becomes a very relaxing and peaceful way to spend some time. And it is very profitable, although by the time you get to that point you probably have dappers overflowing anyway...

I had a paid account a couple years ago where I went up to around 150 in digging or something. (strangely enough, I can't find a screencap of my levels right before I quit)
"relaxing and peaceful" also translate into "falling asleep".

and as for the missions, I hope they put in enough. The great thing about "that other MMORPG" is that it has so many that usually you have to pick which ones to do because you can't do them all. In this game you're not usually doing a mission. There's just not enough of them to compare to the time it takes to level your skills.

[iceaxe68]

The great thing about "that other MMORPG" is that it has so many that usually you have to pick which ones to do because you can't do them all.

I tried that game, and absolutely HATED the endless stupid pointless missions. But there was nothing else to do, since I was surrounded by 90% infantile morons. So I quit playing it.

Sometimes I do fall asleep while digging. So I turn off the computer and go to bed. Not a problem for me.

But everyone has different things they like, so I'm not expecting you to like digging. You can have all sorts of fun in Ryzom without ever picking up a pick. I've really only recently started really getting into it. My combat skills are all rather higher level than my digging or crafting, so I guess that shows which way my interests lean, at least in the past.

For me, I like setting my own goals, or deciding with a group on some goal or activity, rather than re-enacting some mission writer's idea of what would be fun. If the encyclopedia missions were complete, I might find those interesting as a means of exploring the lore. But
'kill ten rats" just isn't my cup of tea. I'd rather just go hunting. (even if all I kill is ten rats)

[kipestia]

I tried that game, and absolutely HATED the endless stupid pointless missions. But there was nothing else to do, since I was surrounded by 90% infantile morons. So I quit playing it.

Sometimes I do fall asleep while digging. So I turn off the computer and go to bed. Not a problem for me.

But everyone has different things they like, so I'm not expecting you to like digging. You can have all sorts of fun in Ryzom without ever picking up a pick. I've really only recently started really getting into it. My combat skills are all rather higher level than my digging or crafting, so I guess that shows which way my interests lean, at least in the past.

For me, I like setting my own goals, or deciding with a group on some goal or activity, rather than re-enacting some mission writer's idea of what would be fun. If the encyclopedia missions were complete, I might find those interesting as a means of exploring the lore. But
'kill ten rats" just isn't my cup of tea. I'd rather just go hunting. (even if all I kill is ten rats)

But having quests/missions doesn't stop you from setting your own goals. Not having them, however, doesn't give you the choice to pick one or the other. I personally find my choices for activities in the game rather limited.
Basically use a skill (involving combat, digging, or crafting), typing, and/or emoting. oh, there's also walking (which you could also do aggro-avoiding with).
For me, all the combat really boils down to just combat. Unless you're trying something new, that's likely pretty dull. (I'm not sure solo is much fun either, unless perhaps you're doing affliction, and that might just be a pain in the butt)
Digging... I hear it's quite a puzzle to figure out seasons and spots and times and all that, but to me it just seems like "oh, I found something" or 90% of the time if you're not just repetitively prospecting the same known material in the same known area, "I haven't found anything".
Crafting, again, another complex puzzle. One that requires a lot of time (and mats).
Typing/emoting... if you're into role-playing, that's virtually unlimited, but this game doesn't offer much to really aide in that. I think most games aren't really that advanced as far as aiding RPing.

I think... if you're not into digging and crafting... or role-playing... this game is going to be really dull.

I love the atmosphere of this game. but the lore doesn't feel very present, in-game. When I played Uru: Ages Beyond Myst, another game with great atmosphere, I spent HOURS reading the history of the D'ni kings in the library, and that was just one room. I really wish they would put more lore in-game for Ryzom. Text doesn't take up a lot of space, and it's great filler. "the other MMORPG" may have a ton of quests, and they did have to be play-tested, but there's still a lot of repetition, and a lot of filler text that easily satisfies people interested in lore.

[iceaxe68]

But having quests/missions doesn't stop you from setting your own goals. Not having them, however, doesn't give you the choice to pick one or the other.

I agree with you there, since the mission givers don't have big floaty bright shiny things over their heads to distract and annoy. It wouldn't hurt my play at all for there to be more missions.

I personally find my choices for activities in the game rather limited.

This is where you lose me. My problem is deciding what to do, not finding something to do. Granted you have to decide in a fairly realistic way, you're not presented a multiple choice checklist. But it's very true that the game is not for everyone. Some just don't like it, and that's OK. That's why there are choices in life, and wouldn't life be dull if everyone liked the same things?

I think... if you're not into digging and crafting... or role-playing... this game is going to be really dull.

I wasn't into digging or crafting until very recently, and never was much of a role player, though it was fun the few times I tried it. Yet here I am 11 months on, still having fun... but it's true that I can have fun just sitting and watching the trees wave in the breeze and the little plants and animals moving around.
Or boss hunting, or exploring, or taking screenies, or cracking jokes with friends, or blowing up gingos just for the hell of it even if I get no XP, or finding all the NPCs in a town and seeing who they are and what they do, or babbling in the forums, or planning guild events, or having guild events, OK you get the idea. I never run out of things to do. I run out of time to play.

I love the atmosphere of this game. but the lore doesn't feel very present, in-game.

Sadly, the lore supply has gone a bit dry. "Back in the day", the lore was happening around you, not in text. There were regular lore/RP events, kitin raids, ongoing lore in which you could take part, rather than just read about. And when you participated, you changed the world, it wasn't repetitive and overly contrived. This is a HUGE part of what we are hoping to see revived when we get a new owner. Gameforge did not do a good job with this, and of course with nobody at the helm at the moment we are certainly hurting for such things. Keep your fingers crossed.

EDIT: See in my sig below: "If ya ain't havin' fun, ya ain't doin' it right!"
That goes for virtually every part of your life, not just playing games. Cheers!

[katriell]

EDIT: See in my sig below: "If ya ain't havin' fun, ya ain't doin' it right!"
That goes for virtually every part of your life, not just playing games. Cheers!

Concisely.

Missions are one of the things that extreme caution must be exercised in developing. A few badly-chosen phrases, and you alter the atmosphere of the game to "ur a gr8 epic hero n save teh town, woot." One badly-balanced reward and you nerf one of the game's best aspects, crafting.

The few existing rites are superb examples of ideal missions for Ryzom:
- Their rewards are lore (in the form of stories/histories contained in amber cubes), and things like stanzas, crafting plans, small stat boosts, etc.
- They're not "kill # X."
- They're non-epic.
- It's logical that they are experienced by many different people.