So what if some people can lvl Afk that does not mean that you have too. No one is forcing you to AFK lvl, If you simply play the game you will lvl naturally. The argument that a game is bad because it allows Afk playing is like saying a game is bad because people can cheat, IE.. Every game ever made is bad. Name one game just one (1) that someone never cheated in using a hack, glitch or bug exploit, there is not one but by your rational this means that every game ever made sucks…. All I can say is wow (and I do not mean WOW).
The problem is not that people AFK level, the problem is that gameplay is so weak and unchallenging that you can do it with absolutely no effort at all. The problem is that gameplay is so boring, repetitive and non-interactive that many people would rather level AFK than actually sitting there watching their TOONS fight.
And FYI, a "serious" gamer would have enough MMO experience to understand that "toon" is a very commonly used term.
People here have so different ideas why AFK leveling is bad, so here i some reasons.
Is afk leveleling something what player have to do in this game. NO
Is Afk leveling something what happens in this game. YES
Why are people AFK leveling and what does it mean?
1. People AFK level because so much heavy same kind action can become too monotonic and You just can't continue without having break. This is caused by automatic actions and heavy grid. Like standing in same spot, because You don't really have to move because fast spawn rate.
2. Because so many players are afk leveling, could be even 50% of players, game feels like everyone is sleeping or be somewhere else. This means there is no real community in that game and there is very little reasons to talk or help other players. if You try to help or talk, it's like no-one is there.
3. Because You can afk-level, it can make playing like why I do all the work, when so many others just afk level they ways.
So, for player who like good communties and game feeling, the no: 2 will affect the game atmosphere real bad ways. If You however are solo player, then You may not neccessary care about it and it doesn't affect You.
People here have so different ideas why AFK leveling is bad, so here i some reasons. Is afk leveleling something what player have to do in this game. NO Is Afk leveling something what happens in this game. YES
Why are people AFK leveling and what does it mean?
1. People AFK level because so much heavy same kind action can become too monotonic and You just can't continue without having break. This is caused by automatic actions and heavy grid. Like standing in same spot, because You don't really have to move because fast spawn rate. 2. Because so many players are afk leveling, could be even 50% of players, game feels like everyone is sleeping or be somewhere else. This means there is no real community in that game and there is very little reasons to talk or help other players. if You try to help or talk, it's like no-one is there. 3. Because You can afk-level, it can make playing like why I do all the work, when so many others just afk level they ways.
So, for player who like good communties and game feeling, the no: 2 will affect the game atmosphere real bad ways. If You however are solo player, then You may not neccessary care about it and it doesn't affect You.
At last some real points:
1. This can actually be said of any game though. For example in Counter Strike you could actually just camp a spot as everyone will eventually come to you. The point, Afk lvling is a choice of play styles, not the only way to play.
2. I have hand no problem squading up, the problem is that most people are using the squad chat not the global and it does not flash to show which is being used. This does need to be solved as I have also asked or been asked for help/party etc but because I was in the wrong chat did not see it. But until you can filter out all the garbage that comes across the global chat, players will continue to stay in squad chats.
3. If it's more like work why would you play? Or perhaps people are in such a hurry to LVL that they forget that lvling is a natural progression of playing.
The first time I heard the term "toon" was from my 12 year old nephue who had begun playing Toontown. It took a few min for me to realize what he was refering to as the term Avatar has been used for not just ones electronic counterpart but the minitures we used 20 years ago were our Avatars. Also in any P&P, MUD and MMO a squad is refered to a Avatars (plural), just as you would refer to your group in a P&P WH2k as your Avatars you refer to your squad in SOTNW as your Avatars.
Not to mention that most Guild Wars instances are way larger (and offer more freedom) than the GE maps...
Both have a linear sequence of maps through which you proceed, but in Guild Wars you have a (not that bad) story and way more variety and no painful, mindless grind. In the end you have several high end areas as well, not to mention GW:EN coming soon. One other thing:
AoC had half the budget and didn't have the same experience or talent of the people at IMC games have.
Actually Anarchy Online evolved over the years, to become one of the most well-done, polished and (probably *the*) content-richest MMORPGs ever made. While GE appears to me as a boring, repetitive and uninspired grindfest.
So I fail to see why IMC is supposed to be so much more talented than Funcom.
Unless of course it was meant to be ironic.
Nope not ironic at all. One thing IMC Games did was only hire the best of the best in Korea. They also took a trip to Europe to get an eye for the architecture. One thing that you point out is that Anarchy Online wasn't that good at the beginning and it took time for it to be polished, well-done, and have rich-content. One thing I have been repeating is that IMC games is updating this games in leaps and bounds since its release in Korea. Thats why this game really needs time to become better just like any other mmos. It already finished 1 thing not many mmos accomplish on release. It was incredible well polished and optimized.
The first time I heard the term "toon" was from my 12 year old nephue who had begun playing Toontown. It took a few min for me to realize what he was refering to as the term Avatar has been used for not just ones electronic counterpart but the minitures we used 20 years ago were our Avatars. Also in any P&P, MUD and MMO a squad is refered to a Avatars (plural), just as you would refer to your group in a P&P WH2k as your Avatars you refer to your squad in SOTNW as your Avatars.
I played AD&D, Twilight 2000, Car Wars, Starfleet Battles and a whole host of other P&P role playing games for years with many different groups of people and I can tell you right now that the only way anyone ever referred to their characters was with the word "character". I never heard the word avatar used until RPG's hit the computer screen where they were actually graphical representations of a character. The words "toon" and "avatar" have been interchangeable terms since the days of UO and EQ1. The fact that you are getting so hung up on it tells me and I'm sure some others just how weak you're arguments supporting SotNW actually are. Do us all a favor, if your losing this argument just give up instead of finding fault in people for using widely accepted and commonly used terms for an avatar in an online multi-player environment.
Originally posted by CleffyII Originally posted by Vasburg Not to mention that most Guild Wars instances are way larger (and offer more freedom) than the GE maps... Both have a linear sequence of maps through which you proceed, but in Guild Wars you have a (not that bad) story and way more variety and no painful, mindless grind. In the end you have several high end areas as well, not to mention GW:EN coming soon. One other thing:
AoC had half the budget and didn't have the same experience or talent of the people at IMC games have.
Actually Anarchy Online evolved over the years, to become one of the most well-done, polished and (probably *the*) content-richest MMORPGs ever made. While GE appears to me as a boring, repetitive and uninspired grindfest. So I fail to see why IMC is supposed to be so much more talented than Funcom. Unless of course it was meant to be ironic.
Nope not ironic at all. One thing IMC Games did was only hire the best of the best in Korea. They also took a trip to Europe to get an eye for the architecture. One thing that you point out is that Anarchy Online wasn't that good at the beginning and it took time for it to be polished, well-done, and have rich-content. One thing I have been repeating is that IMC games is updating this games in leaps and bounds since its release in Korea. Thats why this game really needs time to become better just like any other mmos. It already finished 1 thing not many mmos accomplish on release. It was incredible well polished and optimized.
If it's not irony, we are too far into the waters of polemics - I am not even comment this. Especially, since you are obviously a GE/IMC fanboi, making your "IMC is more talented and experienced than XY"-claims even more ridiculous.
(As a side-note: If IMC really hired the best of the best in Korea, than I consider the best of the best in Korea rather pathetic, since -- in my humblest of all opinions -- their games (RO and GE) are utter junk. But that's just me, to each their own, 'nuff said).
Ok, first off the discussion about the usage of the word toon was and is a side issue, that’s why it came at the end of the posts.
Did you ever go to a Comdex (ok I’m dating myself here) and play in an event? When you rolled your character you did use a Character sheet but when they called for placements for everything from random events to dungeon crawls they would announce, place your Avatars (miniatures) not place your characters. When you played in a BattleTECH match they call, “place your Avatars” not place your characters or even place your mechs.
I must run in different crowds than you because I had never heard any on in EU, EQ1 or any other classic MMO use the word toon (until my nephue). Actually I asked a few other gamers at work who are heavly into MORPGs (not MMORPGs) what they called their in game Avatars and both gave me the look and said "Avatars" So I asked the youngest one who is 23, have you ever heard the term Toon? "Like in cartoon?" he replyed. No for your Avatar. He thought I was making it up.
Now I will admit I am old and thus still use the original terms so I understand that it may be the hip (do they still use the word hip?) word to use but the problem is that it is leading to a degeneration of the language and a dumb down of society. The other day a teenager called in because he was having trouble with his computer system.
Well the first thing I asked him was what did he see on his monitor?
My what? He replied.
The CRT or do you have a Flat panel Display? I asked
No my computer is not working, he said.
Ok, do you have the monitor plugged in and do you see any lights on the CPU? I asked
I don’t see anything on my computer, he said.
Well after chasing this around for a sort time he finely stated that his screen (flat panel display) was not working, but that his CPU (computer) was working as were all his peripherals.
Now what does all this have to do with the toon subject, well to use this quote from above:
Toon is used because it's short and sweet...both to spell and say.
No it is used for the same reason that kid used “computer” when describing his monitor, laziness. Now why is that a problem? Because the same people will out of laziness use PVP and PK as the same term which they are not.
So you might say, Hey it their opinion so it’s ok if they want to call their Avatar their personal incarnation on screen (PIOS) but wait that’s too long so they just call it “P” (short, sweet and easy to spell). Well from a freedom of speech point of view you could almost make a point except that what you are doing is not supporting freedom of speech but the dumb down of the language and the people that use it because you are not just allowing people to be lazy but encouraging it.
Now, all my post to this point has to do with the topic of the term toon being used for as shown in read above the correct term Avatar.
To return to the original topic I will sum up my statements:
It’s free, try it and decide for yourself if you like it as no one but you will know what you like or do not like.
Originally posted by Brenelael
Originally posted by LeJohn
The first time I heard the term "toon" was from my 12 year old nephue who had begun playing Toontown. It took a few min for me to realize what he was refering to as the term Avatar has been used for not just ones electronic counterpart but the minitures we used 20 years ago were our Avatars. Also in any P&P, MUD and MMO a squad is refered to a Avatars (plural), just as you would refer to your group in a P&P WH2k as your Avatars you refer to your squad in SOTNW as your Avatars.
I played AD&D, Twilight 2000, Car Wars, Starfleet Battles and a whole host of other P&P role playing games for years with many different groups of people and I can tell you right now that the only way anyone ever referred to their characters was with the word "character". I never heard the word avatar used until RPG's hit the computer screen where they were actually graphical representations of a character. The words "toon" and "avatar" have been interchangeable terms since the days of UO and EQ1. The fact that you are getting so hung up on it tells me and I'm sure some others just how weak you're arguments supporting SotNW actually are. Do us all a favor, if your losing this argument just give up instead of finding fault in people for using widely accepted and commonly used terms for an avatar in an online multi-player environment.
Most of the posts here complain about the grind... When I read the review is said, "Catered to Power Gamers" So by logic is a grind game. Grinding to 100 is the easy part, getting the veteran levels and veteran stances, and ultimately getting the ultimate weapons is what is time consuming and challenging.
And don't tell me that is boring, ESPECIALLY all those of you who have sit 4+ hours during a raid in WoW and EQ2; 12 hour raids in CoH/CoV; etc... And then continued raiding to get epic gear, is a similar grind, however you don't have to wait for 39 people to get online.
There is also material for squads, mission lobbies.
There's fun for crafters, crafted weapons/equipment are better than looted in most cases.
If after all that, you still don't like it. Too bad!
The first time I heard the term "toon" was from my 12 year old nephue who had begun playing Toontown. It took a few min for me to realize what he was refering to as the term Avatar has been used for not just ones electronic counterpart but the minitures we used 20 years ago were our Avatars. Also in any P&P, MUD and MMO a squad is refered to a Avatars (plural), just as you would refer to your group in a P&P WH2k as your Avatars you refer to your squad in SOTNW as your Avatars.
I played AD&D, Twilight 2000, Car Wars, Starfleet Battles and a whole host of other P&P role playing games for years with many different groups of people and I can tell you right now that the only way anyone ever referred to their characters was with the word "character". I never heard the word avatar used until RPG's hit the computer screen where they were actually graphical representations of a character. The words "toon" and "avatar" have been interchangeable terms since the days of UO and EQ1. The fact that you are getting so hung up on it tells me and I'm sure some others just how weak you're arguments supporting SotNW actually are. Do us all a favor, if your losing this argument just give up instead of finding fault in people for using widely accepted and commonly used terms for an avatar in an online multi-player environment.
Bren
I agree with Le John to a point, I heard it as avatar first as well. In P&P D&D, AD&D, Vampire, Mechwarrior, Star Wars, etc... Some people called it characters, persona, my other, etc... Toon I have heard it since 1985 with the nintendo where you controlled a character (toon, persona, etc...) in the screen.
It really doesn't matter what anyone says, it depends where you grew up and what people you got together with. That will always be the truth to you, because that's what you experienced. There is not really a rule that you have to call them in a special manner.
Although, if you really want to go into the past, I can catered that to you. Rule books from D&D from 1976 have the word avatar instead of character to refer to the PCs. Vampire rule books call it kindred or childer. RPG games in the computer in the early 80s, like D&D and Ultima called the character, avatar.
However, in the end, this won't matter at all becuase you and me are going to keep calling them how we have been calling them for all our lives.
People keep saying that this game is easy because you can AFK or else they are using their newbie experience and assuming that it applies to the rest of the game.
In any MMO, if you fight monsters that are below your level, it's going to be easy. In WoW, you can move your character from monster and monster and just watch your character autoattack everything to death. You'll level really slowly in WoW, and the same holds true for SotNW.
In regards to the difficulty level, once you get past the newbie levels, the difficulty ramps up really quickly, if you are fighting monsters at your level. You may actually find it impossible to continue if your trio isn't suitable for the area.
Once you get to the higher levels, PvP becomes an issue for AFK'ers as well. If you run across an AFK group, you can kill them quite easily.
As for the idiotic discussion about the word 'toon' or 'avatar', it reminds me of people who annoy everyone by constantly pointing out grammatical/spelling errors. No one ever, ever appreciates being corrected. This is especially true in this case because in this context, 'toon', 'avatar', 'character' are acceptable and has been accepted for years.
Comments
I'm still trying to figure out what he wanted to tell us, by writing 2 pages about cheating, the word avatar and his mom's new tattoo.
Maybe he posted in the wrong thread.
The problem is not that people AFK level, the problem is that gameplay is so weak and unchallenging that you can do it with absolutely no effort at all. The problem is that gameplay is so boring, repetitive and non-interactive that many people would rather level AFK than actually sitting there watching their TOONS fight.
And FYI, a "serious" gamer would have enough MMO experience to understand that "toon" is a very commonly used term.
People here have so different ideas why AFK leveling is bad, so here i some reasons.
Is afk leveleling something what player have to do in this game. NO
Is Afk leveling something what happens in this game. YES
Why are people AFK leveling and what does it mean?
1. People AFK level because so much heavy same kind action can become too monotonic and You just can't continue without having break. This is caused by automatic actions and heavy grid. Like standing in same spot, because You don't really have to move because fast spawn rate.
2. Because so many players are afk leveling, could be even 50% of players, game feels like everyone is sleeping or be somewhere else. This means there is no real community in that game and there is very little reasons to talk or help other players. if You try to help or talk, it's like no-one is there.
3. Because You can afk-level, it can make playing like why I do all the work, when so many others just afk level they ways.
So, for player who like good communties and game feeling, the no: 2 will affect the game atmosphere real bad ways. If You however are solo player, then You may not neccessary care about it and it doesn't affect You.
MMORPG.COM has worst forum editor ever exists
At last some real points:
1. This can actually be said of any game though. For example in Counter Strike you could actually just camp a spot as everyone will eventually come to you. The point, Afk lvling is a choice of play styles, not the only way to play.
2. I have hand no problem squading up, the problem is that most people are using the squad chat not the global and it does not flash to show which is being used. This does need to be solved as I have also asked or been asked for help/party etc but because I was in the wrong chat did not see it. But until you can filter out all the garbage that comes across the global chat, players will continue to stay in squad chats.
3. If it's more like work why would you play? Or perhaps people are in such a hurry to LVL that they forget that lvling is a natural progression of playing.
The first time I heard the term "toon" was from my 12 year old nephue who had begun playing Toontown. It took a few min for me to realize what he was refering to as the term Avatar has been used for not just ones electronic counterpart but the minitures we used 20 years ago were our Avatars. Also in any P&P, MUD and MMO a squad is refered to a Avatars (plural), just as you would refer to your group in a P&P WH2k as your Avatars you refer to your squad in SOTNW as your Avatars.
An so it begins
Take the Magic: The Gathering 'What Color Are You?' Quiz.[/CENTER]
Actually Anarchy Online evolved over the years, to become one of the most well-done, polished and (probably *the*) content-richest MMORPGs ever made. While GE appears to me as a boring, repetitive and uninspired grindfest.
So I fail to see why IMC is supposed to be so much more talented than Funcom.
Unless of course it was meant to be ironic.
Nope not ironic at all. One thing IMC Games did was only hire the best of the best in Korea. They also took a trip to Europe to get an eye for the architecture. One thing that you point out is that Anarchy Online wasn't that good at the beginning and it took time for it to be polished, well-done, and have rich-content. One thing I have been repeating is that IMC games is updating this games in leaps and bounds since its release in Korea. Thats why this game really needs time to become better just like any other mmos. It already finished 1 thing not many mmos accomplish on release. It was incredible well polished and optimized.
I played AD&D, Twilight 2000, Car Wars, Starfleet Battles and a whole host of other P&P role playing games for years with many different groups of people and I can tell you right now that the only way anyone ever referred to their characters was with the word "character". I never heard the word avatar used until RPG's hit the computer screen where they were actually graphical representations of a character. The words "toon" and "avatar" have been interchangeable terms since the days of UO and EQ1. The fact that you are getting so hung up on it tells me and I'm sure some others just how weak you're arguments supporting SotNW actually are. Do us all a favor, if your losing this argument just give up instead of finding fault in people for using widely accepted and commonly used terms for an avatar in an online multi-player environment.
Bren
while(horse==dead)
{
beat();
}
Actually Anarchy Online evolved over the years, to become one of the most well-done, polished and (probably *the*) content-richest MMORPGs ever made. While GE appears to me as a boring, repetitive and uninspired grindfest.
So I fail to see why IMC is supposed to be so much more talented than Funcom.
Unless of course it was meant to be ironic.
Nope not ironic at all. One thing IMC Games did was only hire the best of the best in Korea. They also took a trip to Europe to get an eye for the architecture. One thing that you point out is that Anarchy Online wasn't that good at the beginning and it took time for it to be polished, well-done, and have rich-content. One thing I have been repeating is that IMC games is updating this games in leaps and bounds since its release in Korea. Thats why this game really needs time to become better just like any other mmos. It already finished 1 thing not many mmos accomplish on release. It was incredible well polished and optimized.
If it's not irony, we are too far into the waters of polemics - I am not even comment this.
Especially, since you are obviously a GE/IMC fanboi, making your "IMC is more talented and experienced than XY"-claims even more ridiculous.
(As a side-note: If IMC really hired the best of the best in Korea, than I consider the best of the best in Korea rather pathetic, since -- in my humblest of all opinions -- their games (RO and GE) are utter junk. But that's just me, to each their own, 'nuff said).
Ok, first off the discussion about the usage of the word toon was and is a side issue, that’s why it came at the end of the posts.
Did you ever go to a Comdex (ok I’m dating myself here) and play in an event? When you rolled your character you did use a Character sheet but when they called for placements for everything from random events to dungeon crawls they would announce, place your Avatars (miniatures) not place your characters. When you played in a BattleTECH match they call, “place your Avatars” not place your characters or even place your mechs.
I must run in different crowds than you because I had never heard any on in EU, EQ1 or any other classic MMO use the word toon (until my nephue). Actually I asked a few other gamers at work who are heavly into MORPGs (not MMORPGs) what they called their in game Avatars and both gave me the look and said "Avatars" So I asked the youngest one who is 23, have you ever heard the term Toon? "Like in cartoon?" he replyed. No for your Avatar. He thought I was making it up.
Now I will admit I am old and thus still use the original terms so I understand that it may be the hip (do they still use the word hip?) word to use but the problem is that it is leading to a degeneration of the language and a dumb down of society. The other day a teenager called in because he was having trouble with his computer system.
Well the first thing I asked him was what did he see on his monitor?
My what? He replied.
The CRT or do you have a Flat panel Display? I asked
No my computer is not working, he said.
Ok, do you have the monitor plugged in and do you see any lights on the CPU? I asked
I don’t see anything on my computer, he said.
Well after chasing this around for a sort time he finely stated that his screen (flat panel display) was not working, but that his CPU (computer) was working as were all his peripherals.
Now what does all this have to do with the toon subject, well to use this quote from above:
Toon is used because it's short and sweet...both to spell and say.
No it is used for the same reason that kid used “computer” when describing his monitor, laziness. Now why is that a problem? Because the same people will out of laziness use PVP and PK as the same term which they are not.
So you might say, Hey it their opinion so it’s ok if they want to call their Avatar their personal incarnation on screen (PIOS) but wait that’s too long so they just call it “P” (short, sweet and easy to spell). Well from a freedom of speech point of view you could almost make a point except that what you are doing is not supporting freedom of speech but the dumb down of the language and the people that use it because you are not just allowing people to be lazy but encouraging it.
Now, all my post to this point has to do with the topic of the term toon being used for as shown in read above the correct term Avatar.
To return to the original topic I will sum up my statements:
It’s free, try it and decide for yourself if you like it as no one but you will know what you like or do not like.
I played AD&D, Twilight 2000, Car Wars, Starfleet Battles and a whole host of other P&P role playing games for years with many different groups of people and I can tell you right now that the only way anyone ever referred to their characters was with the word "character". I never heard the word avatar used until RPG's hit the computer screen where they were actually graphical representations of a character. The words "toon" and "avatar" have been interchangeable terms since the days of UO and EQ1. The fact that you are getting so hung up on it tells me and I'm sure some others just how weak you're arguments supporting SotNW actually are. Do us all a favor, if your losing this argument just give up instead of finding fault in people for using widely accepted and commonly used terms for an avatar in an online multi-player environment.
Bren
An so it begins
Take the Magic: The Gathering 'What Color Are You?' Quiz.[/CENTER]
Most of the posts here complain about the grind... When I read the review is said, "Catered to Power Gamers" So by logic is a grind game. Grinding to 100 is the easy part, getting the veteran levels and veteran stances, and ultimately getting the ultimate weapons is what is time consuming and challenging.
And don't tell me that is boring, ESPECIALLY all those of you who have sit 4+ hours during a raid in WoW and EQ2; 12 hour raids in CoH/CoV; etc... And then continued raiding to get epic gear, is a similar grind, however you don't have to wait for 39 people to get online.
There is also material for squads, mission lobbies.
There's fun for crafters, crafted weapons/equipment are better than looted in most cases.
If after all that, you still don't like it. Too bad!
I played AD&D, Twilight 2000, Car Wars, Starfleet Battles and a whole host of other P&P role playing games for years with many different groups of people and I can tell you right now that the only way anyone ever referred to their characters was with the word "character". I never heard the word avatar used until RPG's hit the computer screen where they were actually graphical representations of a character. The words "toon" and "avatar" have been interchangeable terms since the days of UO and EQ1. The fact that you are getting so hung up on it tells me and I'm sure some others just how weak you're arguments supporting SotNW actually are. Do us all a favor, if your losing this argument just give up instead of finding fault in people for using widely accepted and commonly used terms for an avatar in an online multi-player environment.
Bren
I agree with Le John to a point, I heard it as avatar first as well. In P&P D&D, AD&D, Vampire, Mechwarrior, Star Wars, etc... Some people called it characters, persona, my other, etc... Toon I have heard it since 1985 with the nintendo where you controlled a character (toon, persona, etc...) in the screen.It really doesn't matter what anyone says, it depends where you grew up and what people you got together with. That will always be the truth to you, because that's what you experienced. There is not really a rule that you have to call them in a special manner.
Although, if you really want to go into the past, I can catered that to you. Rule books from D&D from 1976 have the word avatar instead of character to refer to the PCs. Vampire rule books call it kindred or childer. RPG games in the computer in the early 80s, like D&D and Ultima called the character, avatar.
However, in the end, this won't matter at all becuase you and me are going to keep calling them how we have been calling them for all our lives.
QFT...
The sad part for me is more and more often I look back and relize that I am sounding like my grandfather.
An so it begins
Take the Magic: The Gathering 'What Color Are You?' Quiz.[/CENTER]
People keep saying that this game is easy because you can AFK or else they are using their newbie experience and assuming that it applies to the rest of the game.
In any MMO, if you fight monsters that are below your level, it's going to be easy. In WoW, you can move your character from monster and monster and just watch your character autoattack everything to death. You'll level really slowly in WoW, and the same holds true for SotNW.
In regards to the difficulty level, once you get past the newbie levels, the difficulty ramps up really quickly, if you are fighting monsters at your level. You may actually find it impossible to continue if your trio isn't suitable for the area.
Once you get to the higher levels, PvP becomes an issue for AFK'ers as well. If you run across an AFK group, you can kill them quite easily.
As for the idiotic discussion about the word 'toon' or 'avatar', it reminds me of people who annoy everyone by constantly pointing out grammatical/spelling errors. No one ever, ever appreciates being corrected. This is especially true in this case because in this context, 'toon', 'avatar', 'character' are acceptable and has been accepted for years.