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f13.net  |  f13.net General Forums  |  The Gaming Graveyard  |  Ultima Online  |  Topic: God help us - Let's get a roster 0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
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Author Topic: God help us - Let's get a roster  (Read 22902 times)
HaemishM
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Reply #35 on: March 20, 2006, 11:43:29 AM

I just can't take it anymore. I leveled to 20, went to the mainland, found nothing but red mobs to try to level up on, went back to the n00b island and started the climb to level 21 there, when I finally just broke inside. I had to immediately log off and I'm not sure I can log back on.

I weep, because the character building is just that good. But goddamnit, the actual PVE levelling is so fucking awful, especially without other people. The existing n00b playerbase is worse than WoW's. It was like being beaten about the head with mental retardation.

Merusk
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Reply #36 on: March 20, 2006, 11:55:59 AM

The noob playerbase was ALWAYS that awful.. you just had the majority of HD there to get you past it.  Since I wasn't on during the PST times everyonene else was, I got a nice facefull of the idocy every time.  The few times I've logged in to attempt to level up (i've gotten to all of level 4) it's been the same stupid as it ever was.

As to the restrictive lore charters, it's better for the game, honestly.  When the majority of the game was using the ARAC charters, there was little point to the backstory or any attempt at political intrigue.  Need a group of stealthy assassins, or a few channelers? Roll 'em up and have 'em join, you can have 'em hit R5 in a few day's time while they hang out with the gold farming groups.  No need to go after that sub-guild that's hiring themselves out.  A better reason to go with one of the restrictive vs open-charters was also one of the few requested items I recall seeing from the game's early history.

The past cannot be changed. The future is yet within your power.
Alkiera
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Reply #37 on: March 20, 2006, 12:03:04 PM

That's all well and good, but unless someone takes some initiative and picks a charter, there will be little if any usefulness out of playing on Vindication.

Alkiera

"[I could] become the world's preeminent MMO class action attorney.  I could be the lawyer EVEN AMBULANCE CHASERS LAUGH AT. " --Triforcer

Welcome to the internet. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used as evidence against you in a character assassination on Slashdot.
squirrel
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Reply #38 on: March 20, 2006, 12:42:06 PM

I just can't take it anymore. I leveled to 20, went to the mainland, found nothing but red mobs to try to level up on, went back to the n00b island and started the climb to level 21 there, when I finally just broke inside. I had to immediately log off and I'm not sure I can log back on.

I weep, because the character building is just that good. But goddamnit, the actual PVE levelling is so fucking awful, especially without other people. The existing n00b playerbase is worse than WoW's. It was like being beaten about the head with mental retardation.

Yup. Unless you can get a macro PL to 60'ish the game is hell. Which as you say is incredibly frustrating cause the character options and PvP environment is really pretty good, but the PvE is just an insult.

The Lore server is good but only for organized guilds that can field good groups based on their charter. Also, loreplay vastly restricts your access to casual PUG's which is a problem if you're looking to join quick PL groups. I agree it's good overall for the game, but only for a certain playstyle.

Dunno, free is a very good price but I'm enjoying other games and don't know if i can suffer the PvE in SB again to get to a competitive level.

Speaking of marketing, we're out of milk.
Merusk
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Reply #39 on: March 20, 2006, 12:49:28 PM

which is a problem if you're looking to join quick PL groups. I agree it's good overall for the game, but only for a certain playstyle.

See, but that's the playstyle SB has ALWAYS demanded.  If you didn't have a guild, you were fucked.  Perhaps they've changed it to allow the guildless to have an easier life, but that wasn't the original intentof the game.  Its stated goal was to be a game-of-thrones, not random-pk-fest.

The past cannot be changed. The future is yet within your power.
squirrel
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Reply #40 on: March 20, 2006, 12:53:36 PM

which is a problem if you're looking to join quick PL groups. I agree it's good overall for the game, but only for a certain playstyle.

See, but that's the playstyle SB has ALWAYS demanded.  If you didn't have a guild, you were fucked.  Perhaps they've changed it to allow the guildless to have an easier life, but that wasn't the original intentof the game.  Its stated goal was to be a game-of-thrones, not random-pk-fest.

True, and that's partially why the game is now free with 3 servers at medium - low population. That playstyle married with the capability for the hardcore guild to 'win' the server didn't work. I had several lvl 75 characters when i quit, and my favourite was an errant character. He got PL'ed in random druid/warlock macro groups to 60 or so, joined a guild to get to 75 and then went errant.

I don't mind requirements to be in a guild, like you say that's the nature of the game. But i do mind having to mindlessly grind through shitty PvE because i can't join the macro group that's running due to 'lore'. I realize that's not a problem if you're in a hardcore play2crush guild, but i don't have any interest in making SB my second job either.

Speaking of marketing, we're out of milk.
tazelbain
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Reply #41 on: March 20, 2006, 12:54:20 PM

I have a level 30 master skill book for you, Haem.  Come back to EQ2!

On topic: I was trying to say this in the first thread.  BYOG or don't bother.

"Me am play gods"
HaemishM
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Reply #42 on: March 20, 2006, 01:04:38 PM

I'm not even sure it was the lack of people. It was that PVE is a flat-out grind, with no trappings, or gravy or anything. It's GODAWFUL. It always was, but it was bearable because I was coming off of EQ and DAoC. Having playing CoH and WoW and EQ2 now, it's SO FUCKING SLOW. It isn't even about how fast you gain experience, but how boring is the actions which must be done in order to gain exp.

sinij
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Reply #43 on: March 20, 2006, 06:08:00 PM

I petitioned making it a bit more fun since few months after release, usual response is that there are higher priorities than PvE. Not sure if they are entirely wrong about it ether, I'd rather have mines than improved PvE.

Eternity is a very long time, especially towards the end.
squirrel
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Reply #44 on: March 20, 2006, 06:59:50 PM

I petitioned making it a bit more fun since few months after release, usual response is that there are higher priorities than PvE. Not sure if they are entirely wrong about it ether, I'd rather have mines than improved PvE.

The problem really being that the two are mutually exclusive heh. Anyway at this late stage i doubt PvE will get anything, my assumption is Wolfpack expects people to be PL'ed to 60.

Speaking of marketing, we're out of milk.
Der Helm
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Reply #45 on: March 21, 2006, 01:02:51 AM

I'm not even sure it was the lack of people. It was that PVE is a flat-out grind, with no trappings, or gravy or anything. It's GODAWFUL. It always was, but it was bearable because I was coming off of EQ and DAoC. Having playing CoH and WoW and EQ2 now, it's SO FUCKING SLOW. It isn't even about how fast you gain experience, but how boring is the actions which must be done in order to gain exp.
I agree, AFK powerleveling is more than mindnumbing boring.

I am enjoying the game quite a bit though, my scout just reached level 25, I CAN solo in the lowlevel zone near duskfall (now). Also I managed to grab about 150k gold from the graves of new players who forgot to bank every now and then, so my training costs are covered for now. I even got in a guild and the excitement in hot zones (double xp/loot or something like that)  is quite a nice diversion. You know you will get rolled by a  gank - group sooner or later, so it is not a big deal, escaping them or denying them their precious loot satisfies me for now.  evil

Oh,  AFK and "gank" are missing from the spellchecker

edit: The grammar, she eludes me ...

"I've been done enough around here..."- Signe
HaemishM
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Reply #46 on: March 21, 2006, 07:57:42 AM

Shit, I think I would have WELCOMED getting rolled by a gank group.

Frankly, they should just RIP THE FUCKING PVE OUT COMPLETELY. It's that fucking bad. It serves no fucking purpose, other than a cockblock to the real game which is PVP. It would be one thing if they were going to improve it, but in the two and half years since I quit the game, it has not been improved one iota. The very fact that the accepted wisdom is to create giant AFK powerleveling groups in order to bypass the bullshit makes it even more galling. It is literally graphical Progressquest; it is pushing buttons to get a new skill every few minutes, and people who play the game don't give a fuck about it one iota. You could strip it out completely tomorrow, and the only cockholsters that would complain are those twats who think you have "EARN" things in an MMOG.

There are ways to get around the throwaway character syndrome that might engender, even if I think that would be much less of an issue than they think. Fuck, people treat their SB characters as throwaways NOW.

Xilren's Twin
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Reply #47 on: March 21, 2006, 08:27:21 AM

Shit, I think I would have WELCOMED getting rolled by a gank group.
Frankly, they should just RIP THE FUCKING PVE OUT COMPLETELY. It's that fucking bad. It serves no fucking purpose, other than a cockblock to the real game which is PVP. It would be one thing if they were going to improve it, but in the two and half years since I quit the game, it has not been improved one iota. The very fact that the accepted wisdom is to create giant AFK powerleveling groups in order to bypass the bullshit makes it even more galling. It is literally graphical Progressquest; it is pushing buttons to get a new skill every few minutes, and people who play the game don't give a fuck about it one iota. You could strip it out completely tomorrow, and the only cockholsters that would complain are those twats who think you have "EARN" things in an MMOG.
There are ways to get around the throwaway character syndrome that might engender, even if I think that would be much less of an issue than they think. Fuck, people treat their SB characters as throwaways NOW.

The PVE really only serves two purposes.  Firstly, it's the money faucet to keep gold coming into your guilds coffers so they can pay for and maintain their cities.  (I know they've added mines since I initally left, but since they are limited in number I can't imagine this gets most of the players out of gold farming).  Secondly, it was supposed to provide some points of conflict for the players, i.e. competiting to get run drops from npc mobs. So it does have SOME purpose, although in both examples the pve itself is secondary to something else.

However, both of those purposes are pretty much reserved for elder game ones anyway, so again, the sub 50 level pve part really doesn't add anything to the game.  However, established players PL though it anyway so I dont expect WP to change it.  Change=cost. 

The only other time it playes a factor is on a brand new sever as guilds race for the "best" places for their cities and earning their start up costs and that land rush doesn't last long.  I recall the preplanning locations for city planting for having easy access to hunting groups for both gold and runes.

But, the actually moment to moment pve?  Other than the random loot generator, bleh.

Xilren

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waylander
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Reply #48 on: March 21, 2006, 10:29:13 AM

I petitioned making it a bit more fun since few months after release, usual response is that there are higher priorities than PvE. Not sure if they are entirely wrong about it ether, I'd rather have mines than improved PvE.

Unfortunately I can't go into the efforts I've expended over the years to enhance the newbie experience. If it was up to me, with SB being free, we would by pass or severely speed up the pre level 50 experience.

I have fully developed characters on Mourning, and I can PL myself between 2 accounts.  But if I were to have to start over on a new server, with no guild or group at my back, I probably wouldn't go.


Lords of the Dead
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Reply #49 on: March 21, 2006, 10:41:57 AM

Since the game is free they should make it so you can just pay $5 to have a character upgraded to r5.  It is not like the newbie experience can become any worse.

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HaemishM
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Reply #50 on: March 22, 2006, 07:56:29 AM

Since the game is free they should make it so you can just pay $5 to have a character upgraded to r5.  It is not like the newbie experience can become any worse.

See, in that instance, if they provided you enough gold to equip yourself, I might actually pay the $5 for that. And I HATE paying for virtual shit. But the PVP/siege game can be that fun, it's just that the PVE is so fucking bad, and is NEVER going to get better. EVER. It's not a priority, nor should it be. The PVE is never going to be what people play the game for, at least not until it is improved to the point of being at least as good as EQ2 or WoW, so it just gets in the damn way.

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