Thoughts from Another New Member
Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 9:24 pm
I've just recently discovered Ryzom, seeking an alternative to WoW, and finding no refuge in EQ2 or the many other options available out there.
I am frankly stunned on how wonderful this game is. Of course, I was very confused when starting out. A bit disappointed that my hand wasn't held as much as other games do, where you are practically dragged by the nose through your first ten levels. If you let your mind expand a bit, you quickly learn that although Ryzom's functionality is very rich, you unpeel that richness one layer at a time, and you do that by self-discovery and something even more novel: the community. Ask a question. Get an answer. I can't believe the maturity of those in the game and in chat. I can appreciate why some members of the Ryzom community would be concerned about WoW defectors coming in and bringing that attitude with them, but those are the same reasons I've left WoW behind.
I suspect a part of this experience in Ryzom is the overall complexity of the skills (the variety is staggering), and the fact that you can develop in any direction that you want, as long as you have the time and patience to pursue it. The graphics are about the best of any MMORPG at the moment, considering the richness of the environments. Any game having an built in MP3 player makes my short list. Seriously, this was an amazing find.
Still, in scanning the forums, you see this is a game in transition. Being new, I don't see the issues with some of the new things that others might be having with the changes. I can relate to such changes, such as in DAoC when it launched Trials of Atlantis and completely messed the game up. It does make you wonder if Ryzom is running the risk of trying to appeal to more people, and in the process, lose its core supporters. Ryzom's game design is much more dependent upon a healthy community to sustain it, and the more players you lose, the more the game whithers away and sends more people packing.
I guess after all this, I am expressing concern by investing time in a game where its future isn't entirely clear. I've heard of financial challenges with the company, and I've heard little else about the game itself in the press. If you were not paying attention back in 2004 when the game launched, you would see little if any real news about Ryzom that might attract new players since then. I've tried to find "state of the game" articles about Ryzom, which you would assume would come out now with the Ring in place, but they are few and far between. How would the game be reviewed now in its current state? How can we regenerate a buzz about Ryzom? Just finding new videos on the internet of Ryzom is hard to do. I know in some ways, we want to protect the game from having too many noobs/leets, etc. but I think the design of Ryzom actually screens out those people. Ryzom requires more work to play, and I suspect the rewards are not in finding the ultimate drop, but building a strong character with great attributes who can enjoy the Ryzom world with others in the process. And I also suspect that there are a lot of people out there, like me, who really want an experience like this, but just don't know it exists.
Not sure where I am going with this. Just saying hello to everyone, and acknowledging that Ryzom seems to be a very special experience, and that as a new player coming into a game in transition, I hope that those who are the custodians of Ryzom have the tenacity, wisdom, and patience to keep this universe very alive and vibrant for years to come, and that ultimately, by putting the community first, it will perpetuate and grow. Ryzom doesn't need to become like WoW to be successful. It just needs more people to know it exists. Once they come, if the community is as supportive as I've already experienced, they will stay.
Anyway, thanks for your patience in reading all this, and I look forward to seeing you in game very soon...
I am frankly stunned on how wonderful this game is. Of course, I was very confused when starting out. A bit disappointed that my hand wasn't held as much as other games do, where you are practically dragged by the nose through your first ten levels. If you let your mind expand a bit, you quickly learn that although Ryzom's functionality is very rich, you unpeel that richness one layer at a time, and you do that by self-discovery and something even more novel: the community. Ask a question. Get an answer. I can't believe the maturity of those in the game and in chat. I can appreciate why some members of the Ryzom community would be concerned about WoW defectors coming in and bringing that attitude with them, but those are the same reasons I've left WoW behind.
I suspect a part of this experience in Ryzom is the overall complexity of the skills (the variety is staggering), and the fact that you can develop in any direction that you want, as long as you have the time and patience to pursue it. The graphics are about the best of any MMORPG at the moment, considering the richness of the environments. Any game having an built in MP3 player makes my short list. Seriously, this was an amazing find.
Still, in scanning the forums, you see this is a game in transition. Being new, I don't see the issues with some of the new things that others might be having with the changes. I can relate to such changes, such as in DAoC when it launched Trials of Atlantis and completely messed the game up. It does make you wonder if Ryzom is running the risk of trying to appeal to more people, and in the process, lose its core supporters. Ryzom's game design is much more dependent upon a healthy community to sustain it, and the more players you lose, the more the game whithers away and sends more people packing.
I guess after all this, I am expressing concern by investing time in a game where its future isn't entirely clear. I've heard of financial challenges with the company, and I've heard little else about the game itself in the press. If you were not paying attention back in 2004 when the game launched, you would see little if any real news about Ryzom that might attract new players since then. I've tried to find "state of the game" articles about Ryzom, which you would assume would come out now with the Ring in place, but they are few and far between. How would the game be reviewed now in its current state? How can we regenerate a buzz about Ryzom? Just finding new videos on the internet of Ryzom is hard to do. I know in some ways, we want to protect the game from having too many noobs/leets, etc. but I think the design of Ryzom actually screens out those people. Ryzom requires more work to play, and I suspect the rewards are not in finding the ultimate drop, but building a strong character with great attributes who can enjoy the Ryzom world with others in the process. And I also suspect that there are a lot of people out there, like me, who really want an experience like this, but just don't know it exists.
Not sure where I am going with this. Just saying hello to everyone, and acknowledging that Ryzom seems to be a very special experience, and that as a new player coming into a game in transition, I hope that those who are the custodians of Ryzom have the tenacity, wisdom, and patience to keep this universe very alive and vibrant for years to come, and that ultimately, by putting the community first, it will perpetuate and grow. Ryzom doesn't need to become like WoW to be successful. It just needs more people to know it exists. Once they come, if the community is as supportive as I've already experienced, they will stay.
Anyway, thanks for your patience in reading all this, and I look forward to seeing you in game very soon...
