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Saga of Ryzom is comin back...
Today i just found out that Ryzom was bought by a new company and it'll be fully functional soon 
.
Finally another sandbox game thats comin back.
My youtuber Attempt: https://www.youtube.com/@eWazzuGaluga
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aye, soon we'll be back to 100 per side outpost wars and too much time spent digging
its been closed too long
That's so sadly true...
Let's hope it can actually keep running this time.
I think the biggest issue with Saga of Ryzom is its PR, or it's lack thereof. The game lacked serious hype and advertisement. I think a lot of people will enjoy Saga of Ryzom if they just gave it a chance.
SoR's problem was that it kept unapologetically chasing away customers instead of catering to them.
I bought the game at launch and their first patch was an unmitigated disaster that killed the playerbase. I know a lot more people left when it turned into a PvP game.
They've also had a lot of good ideas they just never delivered on like Rites, Kitin Wars, goo infections, underwater adventure and more they just never delivered on.
If they offer a fresh server, a new start, then it should draw in a lot of people, but if they offer an existing 4 year old server, then I am not interested.
Hopefully it's coming back soon. I'm looking forward to giving it another shot. Heard alot of good things about it since I last played in beta.
Until you cancel your subscription, you are only helping to continue the cycle of mediocrity.
I have never played this game but I am interested in it. I saw this one youtube clip of this feature called "The Ring" where someone was making an area and putting creatures down on the ground mapping where they would patrol and what not. Is that a player feature? Is there player made content like that in the game?
Also, will the game actually have Dev team this time around and some actual funding?
I only played the Ryzom trial for a couple days, I don't know much about the gameplay, but the engine was really good. The graphics were good, the world was interesting, and the performance was smooth. I wish a big company picked it up like Sony or EA picked it up. I don't trust these little companies that buy MMOs, just look at Horizons (now Istaria).
Until you cancel your subscription, you are only helping to continue the cycle of mediocrity.
What is the name of company that bought ryzom?
Yes. The first free expansion to Ryzom was titled "Ryzom Ring" which allows you to create scenarios
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In memory of Laura "Taera" Genender. Passed away on August 13, 2008.
a) Yes, Ryzom has never had fantastic... or even lacklustre PR. It's something none of us understand.
b) I only came to Ryzom late and I'm not a pvp fan, but I didn't mind Ryzom's pvp. I'll admit I can think of ways it could be improved, but I liked that the system engendered friendly competition. You could quite happily team and play with folk most of the time, but when an OP came up for grabs, you could go at it like wildcats.
And while there are downsides to large-scale battles, I think that also helps to keep it friendly by virtue of being less 'personal'.
c) Re the Ring question, that feature was in game but I don't believe it was ever fully implemented. Players could make content and invite other players to play it - that much made it in. I tried another player's content a couple of times and it worked well, if a little slowly. I believe there were plans to develop the Ring further but it was one of those things they never got around to finishing.
d) My own distaste for Virtrium aside, I don't think size matters (in this instance). This is an almost finished product that needs a few fixes and maintenance. A large company with a large development team isn't needed for that.
But I think Jag raises a fair concern. Horizons did languish for years in the hands of inept developers. The fact that Virtrium have come along and fixed several years worth of bugs in the 12 months they've had it highlights just how badly a game can be screwed up with idiots in charge.
Virtrium made themselves and their credentials known to the Horizons community. Spiderweb International are a name attached to what looks like a shell company owned by a man with a reputedly very shady past.
Well, at least, having someone that was part of the original prject for 4 years as developer, is something good. I really dunno, as almost everyone here, who really is the new owner, but my hopes raised a bit when i saw an old original dev involved.
About people not playing a 4 years old server, as already pointed out on many other topics, levels really don't metter in Ryzom. As I said, I can restart from scratch and every old player can restart from scratch and still take a big advantage, if you are speaking of that, vs the newbies, because we all know the game very well. Regions, mechanics, recipes, spots, etc... So, would not be hard to regain our levels, it will be more easy.
Ryzom is not a game where you have to show your uberness against other players, Ryzom is a virtual world with it's rules, and you have to just live it. With Pvp, yes, but the differences are very small. There is no pvp at same level really predictable, the same way as you, already at master, cannot be sure to survive in the high regions against the mobs. Even lower level mobs, can kill a master, if he doesn't take care.
So, people, really don't lose anything starting a 4 years old Ryzom. Anyway, it's up to your decision. I can be wrong of course, but, if you are a sandbox lover, with skills and no classes, with total freedom to do whatever you want, with pvp but without the stupid ganking (PK) behaviour (that can be still done in certain areas) you'll play it, old or new.
Nickname registered on www.mynickname.org
Will they just re-open it in the state it was before ? What will be the point of this ? I mean i loved the game when i was on the newbie island, but once you leave, game sucks. Unless they make drastic changes to the experience after the newbie island, i dont see why they should re-opne this game....
It's a question of perception not reality.
There are simply not enough veteran Ryzom players left to sustain development and profit on the game as it is / was. If there were then it wouldn't have closed doors in the first place.
If they don't do a complete reset and relaunch then the new developers are pretty much signing up for failure again. Many players do not want to enter into an old game with old players. Doesn't matter if the reality is different - if the server is new the perception is that everyone starts on an even playing field.
Frankly I'm not so certain that Ryzom will work out this time either without a fair few compromises in the basic game design. Time will tell though.
Can you explain why the game sucks in your opinion? Because there are no quests? The game is sandbox, if you like quest based games you have to choose a different game.
Another thing is to say that the game was not finished in many features because of wrong decisions and because Gameforge last year did nothing to develop Ryzom. Of course something was wrong otherwise Ryzom would have never closed. But it's a different game, so if you expect the usual MMO just with different names in classes and spells then, you are looking the wrong game.
Nickname registered on www.mynickname.org
If you like the newbie island and don't like the rest of the game, Ryzom is simply not for you - games like World of Warcraft are, and Ryzom does not need to be converted from a sandbox gem into yet another banal clone.
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In memory of Laura "Taera" Genender. Passed away on August 13, 2008.
We disagree on this point and I know you know, but for others...
There's a gaping chasm between the game experience on Silan and on the mainland, and I think that's just fine. Silan is an excellent introduction (bar some questlog bugs) to Ryzom's rather unique game mechanics. The gameplay is somewhere between what you find on Ryzom's mainland and what you see in other mmos. Those features you loathe, I think, are comfortingly familiar to mmo players and help to ease them in.
Some players want those elements extended onto the mainland and I think that'd be a real shame, cos the game gets seriously interesting only once you leave those lead-me-around-by-the-nose quests behind. Once you do, standard mmos (eg. WoW) seem tragically banal.
The problem is that once players choose to leave Silan, they're simply dumped on the mainland, with the entirely reasonable expectation that they should be looking for lead-me-around-by-the-nose quests.... because the game gives no indication to the contrary.
All that's needed is some in-game mechanic that advises the player that gameplay on the mainland is different and how and maybe a few pointers to get them started.
My subscribing for a second month was a close thing. I went to Zora and the zone was pretty much empty. I looked around for quests to do and rummaged through the game files trying to figure out what I was supposed to be doing. My initial feeling was that I'd been ripped off.
I was fortunate that some of Ryzom's famously good community stepped up to the plate and with a little bit of advice and some new gear, set me up to enjoy the mainland.
I agree with green13 almost entirely on the newbie-mainland issue.
For me I would be happy with Ryzom as is for around another 2 years of 6-12 hours gameplay a day. Ryzom is a complete game as is and the best MMO as is for me.
As far as never having publicity, that's just not true. Ryzom was advertised for like 4 months or so in PC Gamer at launch time. Ryzom has also won several awards and received good reviews. However timing was just all bad for when Ryzom came out. Ryzom came out just 2 months before both EQ2 and WoW came out.
Personally as an investor I'ld be licking my chops at aquiring Ryzom now; WoW has like 10M subscriptions -- all potential Ryzom players after 3-6 months of WoW gaming. And look at what they got Ryzom for -- very cheap. And there are no really great MMOs that I see coming out -- look at AoC ; lots of hipe and what?
Up to now Ryzom just never got enough players to support the development team and with the liquidation agreement from the first bankruptcy -- GF had to keep most on the payroll -- french courts put a premium on jobs from what I've read. This time the development team can be made very lean and focused.
If the new owners focus on adjusting Ryzom to where the playerbase is growing, they'll have a winner. In the past some pretty lame attempts have been made -- the ring was a lot of work with pratically no effect. A lot of work was put into the 1hand weapon system -- why?
Personally, I'ld fix the counters on Silan quests, make it so everyone in the group gets credit for an Arken kill ( prob that Boss too but personally never did him ), and make the motega wood and zun amber dig quests average about 5 minutes of digging effort rather than the 30+ mins that happens to a lot of players.
Need to remove the Goo mob quests from the mainland as there are Goo mobs there, and remember how does a newbie know that? -- there are Goo mobs on Silan. Prob review all the quests on mainland and remove a lot of em. Really just a few of the encyclopedia quests and the fame faction quests are worth doing.
I'ld also get Ryzom up and running again as soon as possible. Changes can be made after all is stable with a relaunch. No more than a couple weeks modifying a few things before relaunching. If the new owners think they can take months doing major changes and then do a big relaunch and have it work -- well I just don't see it. Hard staedy work improving Ryzom can pay off faster.
Some ideas for making gameplay more attractive.
1 make packers and mounts TPable with the player. Right now there pretty much just storage in town. Very dissappointing to newbies.
2 Give all players a companion. A NPC teammate that forms a 2 person group with the player with exp for the player the same as exp he gets when grouped with another player. However the companion can not group with other PCs so just a solo option. Let the player create em just like normal player creation. And let em create multiply companions to chose from, so one day they group with their imaginary dad, next daughter, next friend -- just store em on client and make it a server request when changing -- its only cosmetic anyways. Give em just basic commands and skills equivilant to the players skill. Heal, 2 hand sword, elemental, and dig skills would be plenty. Let the player provide equipment for the companion, armor, sword,amp, pick, jewels.This would let a player have a CPer for digging if they like -- cuts down on carpal tunnel but at the expence of aquiring experience slower -- solo digging gets about 150% exp compared to a digger with a CPer. Alternatively mercenaries could be for hire in town. There are a number of issues that are addressed with this and really shouldn't be that hard to implement as there are routines for NPCs already.
3 Team talk ingame -- huge if doable.Even limited teamtalk with just team leaders talking to team members. And Battle leaders talking to team leaders.
4 CATS; give a weekly allowance to every account. nontradeable of course. Enough that the casual player gets double exp for 8 hours of gameplay a week.
5 Action book; make one for managing actions; store the file on the client and make transfering actions from the book to the action bar the same as the request for creating a new action from the servers view. Let players transfer whole action bars or even all 10 action bars with 1 request. Make sure players can put notes along with actions, action bars, or groups of action bars that they save. Huge:: ever go to an OP battle and spend like 15 mins adjusting actions for the OP battle?
6: Landmarks;; need to give warnings when the number of landmarks is exceeded. Losing landmarks when creating new landmarks is very, very annoying.
Personally, I'ld expand the landmarks, multiply colors -- maybe 16. Multiply files, accessible in game. So a player could have say sets of Mat landmarks, trek route landmarks, MOB landmarks -- easily switchable to ingame. This is all doable now, just a player has to exit the game and rename files and then reenter the game.
7. Ryzom Ring -- set up a system for incorporating player made scenarios into the game with exp and mats. Could be all volunteer right up to the last acceptance which of course would have to be made by developers.
8. Redo the Nexus zone to PR with all 5* purple mobs and herds of all mobs in the game in the zone. Other than a nice solo trek zone, what's it used for?
9 UI -- keep working on it, the UI can almost always be made a little more user friendly. For starters how about the TP icons being adjusted to where an experienced player can make em out individually without having to mouse pointer em. Maybe numbers a little larger on stacks? Mouse pointering macros giving macro name?
10 Make Klients work easily and installation part of the game installation and update. Want to discourage a new player -- have a help system he cann't get to work!
There are other issues that need addressing/development too but prob need to be put off till the playerbase is growing. Like events, invassions, 1 handed weapons, and expansions.
I too tried Istaria ( when it was still Horizons ), it is a great model to follow for the rezzing of Ryzom. I might even go back to it if Ryzom is done poorly by the new owners.
Those are ideas I'ld look into if I was developing Ryzom, but the biggest point is adjust Ryzom without changing the basic gameplay too much -- till you have a game where the playerbase is growing!! 10M WoW players all being groomed to be Ryzom players, oh it looks fertile to me.
1. agree, but with a timer, rescuing mounts is fun
2. I disagree totally with this concept, I would give you the long version had I time but this would be bad for the game community in my opinion
3. agreed, however not many people are totally comfortable with speaking in a mic
4. god no!, cats create war, war is good, if you wont fight or use your charm/diplomacy to get cats there is no need to interact with the community.
5. agree
6 agree
7. ring is crap, so meh
8. no, we have wastelands for that (prior to it being made nub trek worthy)
9. ok
10. agree
Jackoba, ty for the review.
Free cats and Companions would both be quite controversial. Maybe just a load of non-tradeabl e Q100 cats for a new paying account? No biggy though and as is low lev Q50 cats have been pretty hard to just give away.
Companions/mercenaries would just be a nice solo option for those that prefer solo play -- Ryzom isn't really soloable for most of the skill levels in the game ( digging/crafting aside ). And they would never be as good as being in a good team.
As far as Nexus threw that out there for getting Q250+ mats for all normal mobs. I know most just prefer all uber equip but I would like the option of using basic/fine mob mats too for Q250 equip. And just what is Nexus zone for? really, I don't get it being a red forest zone. I don't think I've ever noticed anyone huntoing there and not sure if I even ever saw another player in the zone while trekking thru.
As for the ring, I've never tried creating a scenario or playing a scenario. But if it allows a player to create a large enough scenario, like 60+ minutes of group hunting -- then it could be interesting to have player made content added to the gameplay. If it just allows small encounters then your right, meh. But player made dungeon crawls like the LDoN expansion for EQ1 would be fun.
Done right; an action book, improved landmarks, user friendly Klients, and a constantly improving more user friendly UI would go a long way to getting Ryzom to a growing playerbase state, imho.
The Ring is complex and allow you to create complex quests. You can have triggers, mpc giving you quests, etc.... you can have the scenario spread in multiple maps called 'act', so you are free to build a small and fast 'hack 'n' slash' or you can build a complex 'lore' scenario divided in chapters for more than 60 minutes. there are triggers, timers, and everything you need to populate a complex map.
You can also scrpit every movements of the mobs and the npc you put in. More, the scenario can be masterless or mastered. Mastered means that the owner can act 'hidden' or can take control of any entity in the scenario etc... masterless means the owner act in the scenario as every other player.
You can build much more than a simple dungeon with that.
Nickname registered on www.mynickname.org
Clearly their hype has been ineffective or you'd know the answer to that question.
It's busty wenches by the bucketful.
I have mixed feelings on both of these ideas. I can see how they'd be attractive to some players, but the adage of:
You can't have your cake and eat it too
applies.
Ryzom, more so than most mmos, is very community oriented. The whole game design is geared towards players co-operating with each other. Throw in companions and free cats, and you undermine that design.
Most of the time that I played I was able to get into levelling teams, and when I couldn't, I spent time harvesting and crafting.
Something like hired mercenary companions would help with solo'ing, but personally I'd rather see them invest time in developing mechanics that make forming/joining groups easier.
Eg. something like City of Heroes' team search function. It would just need an additional field or two for players to enter their skill level/the highest skill level being used on existing teams.
Cos this was, as I recall, a problem with the game. There's no LFG chat channel - I was told to get my reputation up, join a faction, and use that channel, which even then only reaches about half of the game.