Ryzom

I hope I am not asking a question that have been answered a thousand times before..(probably) but here goes.
I have been playing the trial now for about 2 weeks (slowly) and I think I about ready to leave the island for the mainland (and start paying to play!)
I would like to know what to expect when I arrive.
I have heard a few things about the mainland as opposed to the trial island...but wanted to get the "lowdown" from people that know.

I have heard there are no missions / quests on the mainland - is this true ?
If so, what is the driving "force" in the game that makes players want to continue playing.
I just want to get an understanding on what I will expect when I "land".
I am not a mmo player that LOVES missions / quests and has to be hand held in a game...but I am just wondering what the average Ryzom player does from day to day....
Any info would be really helpful to me.
Thanks in advance.

I see no one has replied yet, so I will try to answer this question as best I can.

First- Think big. Think bigger. Now think massive. The Mainland is huge, each homeland of the tribes is probably 4-6 times the trial island in size. There are 4 sections and many extra areas such as the Prime Roots(which is underground) and other places I have not yet explored.

As for missions, they are here. However they are not what they are like on the island at all. These missions are rewarded with fame and a little money. They are not mandatory and the rewards are subtle and make little difference on gameplay at all.

So you ask, without missions, what is the driving force of the mainland? Freedom. You can do whatever you want, whenever you want. Craft a little now, join a party and group hunt, attend a role-playing event, go explore the massive lands, ect. This game emphasizes freedom and versatility. You do what you want, when you want. The mobs on the mainland are more challenging and fun than the trial island ones. Though I haven't ever experienced it, I have heard that boss fighting is fun and rewarding.

To enjoy the game, you must enjoy freedom and the community. Now I'm relativly new, so you may want to rule my opinion out and let someone more experienced answer your questions. I love Ryzom and enjoy every minute of my time on Atys.

I hope that I cleared some stuff up for you.

Oh, and welcome to Atys!


[one more post til senior member! ]

badgeruk wrote:...If so, what is the driving "force" in the game that makes players want to continue playing...
.

It's the community and all my friends. What can beat the experience of being able to have a chat and some fun with people you have the pleasure of being in contact with?