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Concerns over ryzom
I'd started playing the newbie island a few days ago and got to 45ish in crafting and melee combat. I decided to subscribe at this point I suppose not knowing what to expect from the main game, but enjoying my playing time so far. When i first got to the mainland the most distinct thing was that there was only 1 person in the what i think was the main tryker town, which was a little bit odd. After looking around for abit i couldn't really find much to do apart from some running around from person to person quest which i didn't really fancy doing and i noticed a few quests on some of the npcs but i wasn't sure whether i was up to them yet or not so i declined and wandered around the nearby areas which again i can't say anything but disappointed, just hordes of mobs over tiny islands. Venturing further on i came across somewhere called Crystabell which again didn't have anyone there and was almost an identical layout to the first town i was in. I had a go at killing some equivalent level mobs to myself and killed a few but with big breaks in between and dying twice, so i sort of presumed alot of grinders are dependant on a group. At this point i was confused about the whole game and decided to log off and maybe look into more detail about where to go from here.
So far it feels like the newbie island isn't a true representation of how the game will later become if you decide to subscribe. Is this quite a typical response to how the game comes across the first time you play it? am I missing something? is the game totally about grinding? is there somewhere you can find groups to play along with? I can appreciate there is some level of self contribution to games and even more so to online games but I feel alot of new players need some direction and especially immersion to want to play again. I've played quite a few online games and my first online game i played around 6 years ago, but i haven't experienced anything like this, you seem to be thrown into something with no idea what to do. As a player of any game should you really have to go out of your way just to know where to start. If anyone could help me out or say whether it gets better or whatever it would be a big help as i really want to give this game a go.
Comments
Join a guild. That will help you feel less alone, and perhaps make it easier to get a team. List of guilds is here: http://ryzom.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23509
The mainland is less populous than Silan for two reasons:
- Many older players are either in high level regions or playing alts in Silan.
- Many newer players are still in Silan.
The mainland does nothing to hold the player's hand. The game is highly open-ended: there is plenty to do, but it takes some initiative and involvement. One of the truest statements I've ever read about Ryzom is "you get what you put in."
Some examples of "things to do":
- Explore. Missions, which are otherwise pointless aside from small tribe/race/faction fame and dapper rewards, are a good way to spur yourself to explore. There are many, many interesting and beautiful locales to discover, especially in Liberty Lake (the region Fairhaven is in). For example, I've counted six waterfalls in the area. Another way to get started exploring might be to open your map (press M), zoom in/out so you can see the smaller text labels of minor places, but also get a fair overview, then simply pick a place that looks potentially interesting and go.
- Events. The game is all about the saga/story, which is advanced via live events. Participation in those official events, as well as player-run events, can be quite enriching to one's experience of Ryzom. One way to keep up with them is to keep an eye on "The Saga" forum: http://ryzom.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=35
Just be sure to post on the forums so people know to attend.
You can also organize your own events, of course.
- Roleplay. If you're into roleplaying, you may find a lot to enjoy in Ryzom. One of the RP guilds, the Samsara, holds a bar night RP event at Thesos (a Fyros desert town) every other week.
- PvP. You can align with a faction by working your fame up to 30 with the desired faction and taking a special mission (from an NPC in the desired faction's temple, IIRC - Karavan have temples at Yrkanis and Fairhaven, Kami at Pyr and Zora). Once aligned with a faction, you can activate a PvP tag that allows you to attack / be attacked by tagged players of the opposite faction. Faction battles tend to start around Yrkanis every so often. There are also outpost battles, which involve 100-200 players usually, and are often faction-related (though not necessarily).
- Set goals for yourself. Whether it be reaching a particular level, trekking to a particular place, being able to solo a named or boss mob, or whatever.
There's more, and I'm sure others will soon add.
In conclusion, yes, it's true that Silan doesn't give a completely accurate impression of the mainland. The "quests" in Silan are meant as a tutorial. The mainland is not at all quest-based. But it isn't a "grindfest" either - unless of course you choose to make it a grindfest. I almost never grind skills or do missions, yet I have been playing for over thirteen months and I'm still not bored or malcontent.
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In memory of Laura "Taera" Genender. Passed away on August 13, 2008.
What time did you come into the mainlaind? I'm based out of Fairhaven, the Tryker capital, and I play just about everyday from 8 - 10 pm (EST US) and there is at the very least a dozen people in that city during that point in time. Other Capitals populations seem the same if not more. While the game has plenty to do solo, the population of Ryzom is very Guild-centric. The best way to get involve with a guild is to team with folks on a regular basis. If you want to level melee combat, go on the regional channel and ask for a healer to help you level. If you want to build offensive magic, ask for a healer and/or tank. etc etc....when you meet someone you like ask them if their guild has any hunts that you can join in on. That way you can start meeting people and eventually find a guild you like and ask to join. Another way is to look for people who are treking. Treking is when a team of individuals travel from one corner of the world to another collecting "pacts" from the various Kami or Karavan Teleport points so that they can eventually travel without having to run/swim everywhere. Treks go through dangerous territories and require attention to the environment and cooperation for the party to survive.
As far as fighting and leveling solo, check www.ballisticmystix.com and see the resources they have. They have charts that break down the strength of creatures and a translation of the colors, stars, and names that tell you what you have a good chance of beating based on your levels.
Newbie island is not a representation of the game, but their are many of the veteran players have alts in the newbie land because it's new, not necessarily better. We all love the game but that doesn't necessarily mean you will love it. We hope that the enthusiasm we see on the new island will spur the creation of new content in the mainland.
One of the things that a lot of people I meet love about this game, and so do I, is that you don't know anything about the game when you come in. There is no set defined good or evil, no set goals, no set tasks to complete. Part of what keeps a lot of us in the game is exploring, researching, cooperating, experimenting and we share what we find out. It's also what keeps the community so close. Once you join a guild and participate in OP wars, and help other players level and travel you will start discovering what the game means to you.
The creators of Ryzom have always had to struggle with limited budget and staff, but their support is the best I've seen in any game and the community the best I've ever seen. With the population growing over the last year their will be more money available for development and Ryzom Ring will allow players to create their own content. Read through the website http://www.ryzom.com/ and take a look at the timeline and you'll see that there is more planned for the future.
I love the game and my guild and the game is great for me. Feel free to look me up anytime (Erom) and I can show you some things and team with you for a while and we can chat while we level something. I understand the frustration of trying to find a MMORPG that is truly exciting and wonderful, and Ryzom is the closest to what I want that I've come across. But it's not for everyone. Give it a couple of months and get involved with other folks, that's the only real way I know of to determine if it is for you or not.
And above all, have patience. Once the novelty of RoS wares of all "oldies" will return to their respective "alts" and the lakelands will be populus again.
MaDSaM
Do you dare to adapt?
some of "us", old players, were a litle afraid, when we first heard of the new newbie island... because the island works with quests, and the game does not.
You won't find in the game exactly the same gaming experience than on the island, I am afraid.
Mainland quests are just jobs - a way to earn some dappers, not a way to have fun...
It has been so for a long time.
The mainland becomes interesting when you are investing yourself in the social aspects of the game. Role playing is what makes the fun of the game. (or if you like exploring, going alone in the wild, like I do!)
I like this game, but yes, newcomers should be forewarned: the island is the "best worked" part of the present ryzom. It can change in the future, I hope so.
The game in itself is interesting - but doesn't offer any questing or motivation for your acts. But what you will imagine. It can be confusing, in the beginning.
I hope you will find companions - it should not be very difficult. If
you find nobody to play with, write something about it on the
forum, I bet you will have plenty of contacts by the end of the day. The community, though sometimes desapointing, is the best you can find in the gaming world.
(and sorry for the bad english...)
I've learned this about the mainland and game experience. Get into a guild. It is vital and important. They make or break this game. A lot of activities in this game require group effort and socializing.
An example I never really got too heavilty into harvesting. The other night we had 8 people in a group doing harvesting and it was really fun and productive.
One person prospects, others dig that prospect and others tend to the health of the spot. Group effort that really pays off with xp, and items.
Still learning this game but it's a very open big sandbox.
What amazes me, it's winter now and the whole look of the area changed!
In Summer the sky slowly darkens overhead, the aminals still hooting and chriping away.
Then the first drops of rain fall and the distand rumble of thunder can be heard.
If you stand still in the middle of the deep jungle you can see clouds of mist, ever so slowly rising up from the ground as the platter of the heavy raindrops hardenes and becomes more frantic minute by minute.
Then the sky goes dark as night and lightning flashes between the heavy clouds, barely visible through the canopy.
Heavy rain pelets the leaves and the animal sounds are almost drowned in the commotion.
Heavy Mists billow up everywhere and the smaller animals seem to seek shelter under low plants.
It´s amazing!!
(HEADPHONES, use Headphones!!!
And in Matis all Seasons are simply great. I don´t like RL Winter very much also so I´m a little biased here, but I can say it´s nice if the sun is out and you can see clouds of fine snow drfiting though the madows... Just like RL
For a look at Matisian Seasons look here , a journey through Matis, from Spring to Winter. A tiny bit laggy at times, due to my equipment at the time of recording, but niiice
Enjoy
MaDSaM
Do you dare to adapt?
This was my one of my only two problems with Ryzom when I played. I had a blast in the newbie area (the old starting islands) and had a good enough time when I got to the mainland at first, but then I realized that a large portion of the "gameplay" elements were centered around grinding either by yourself or in grinding parties.
Which in itself, wasn't completely horrible. The combat is fun enough and as everyone knows, you can easily switch from nuking to healing if your getting bored during a grind-a-thon but in the end, I guess I realized I need a little hand holding, which Ryzom does not do at all.
Mind you, find a good guild and they'll do just about anything they can to keep the game interesting, which is really what makes this game so special. In the end, I think I would have just enjoyed a little more game supprt when it came to having some fun, it would have kept me there longer for sure.
My 2nd gripe with SoR, which isn't so much a gripe as it is a personal want, is the clothing, armor and weapon choices get so completely boring after a few days of playing. I'm just one of those freaks that likes to at least look a little different and there's little to no diversity in the end when it comes to your wearables. Shame too, because the character creation is actually very very solid, only to be ruined by limitied armor choices.
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The game has a strong story and Intellectual property going for it. It is very refreshing world more detailed than anything else.
I agree they need to add more clothing options, and the little stuff that will polish them up a bit. I would love for them to contract with www.directsong.com and add a bit of spice music.
The small friendly community is what makes this game great. They have the home style feeling down pat.
There are thousands of different combinations to choose from. I´m playing for almost 2 years now and I still have to see a charakter in the same clothing as mine.
Granted, due to the limit of Materials on the Newbe Island there aren´t so much choices, but on the Mainland there are MANY more. In color and in Design.
MaDSaM
Do you dare to adapt?
The only characters I see that look similar are very new. I can recognise most characters from far away without seeing their names. If it is possible to do that in a game, then there's no problem with the appearance customization options.
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In memory of Laura "Taera" Genender. Passed away on August 13, 2008.
There are thousands of different combinations to choose from. I´m playing for almost 2 years now and I still have to see a charakter in the same clothing as mine.
Granted, due to the limit of Materials on the Newbe Island there aren´t so much choices, but on the Mainland there are MANY more. In color and in Design.
MaDSaM
Wow, then I must have really been out of it in the 6 months I played, because as original as I tried to be with my own armor set up, I saw tons of people with the exact same thing. Lots of times I'd go to events and see the same thing. Must just have been bad luck then I suppose.
I guess they must have added lots of stuff I didn't know about too, or maybe I just didn't come upon this magical unique armor, so far as I know this: http://ballisticmystix.com/dressingRoom.jsp has always been the options for armor in game. If not, then my mistake I suppose.
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For example I know serveral people who´re wearing heavy Chestpieces, light Armpieces, casterpants.
Or whatever takes their fancy.
Sure if you wear only your own peoples armor and everytime in the exact order of things then you´ll see these parts more often. Combine, combine, combine, experiment with colors and styles and you´ll find what you like best
Sure, it would be fun to have even more choices, but it´s OK as far as I´m concerned
MaDSaM
Do you dare to adapt?
Which is all I was saying in the first place.
You said that after 2 years of playing the game, you've yet to see anyone with the same armor set up as yourself, while I don't see how that's possible with the current iterations I'll digress in the face of greater experience.
My only point to that one gripe was just as you said in your last sentence, what's there is OK but in comparison to the very flexible character creation tool, it's a bit weak and it would be nice to see some variety for clothing freaks like me. And trust me, there's lots of us.
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A bit more color and style would be nice, yeah.
BUT I´m okay with it as it is. I like it so far, but I wouldn´t complain about EVEN MORE choice either
MaDSaM
Do you dare to adapt?
Just my $.02
Man, that´s the spirit.
The Devs are still pretty close to us, although they have been closer at times I put that on them being occupied with R² and stuff. I´m not sure this year will see an Real Life Meeting, but whatever, we´re a tightly nit bunch and we´re here to stay. Gamer-wise and Dev-wise.
MaDSaM
Ah, and thank you for prooving that SoR works with Vista. I was weary of trying it until I read your sig.
Do you dare to adapt?
There is a grind if you want to be level 250 asap. However, if you look around you you'll find the game world is pretty deep, and I don't speak about the awardwinning backstory. Learning the mobs behaviour and be the best scout on the planet, finding a boss to fight together, experimenting and finding a recipe to make a sword nobody else know (the legendary crafters guard their secrets well), getting your guild an outpost usually requires diplomacy and brute force. Participate in events like raiding a really highlevel kitin nest with 150 others. I never grind.
Now, the game isn't quest-BASED, you wont get an XP bonus for finishing missions in the real game.
I´ll be more then happy to provide. And I´m absolutely sure that others will do so too.
MaDSaM
Do you dare to adapt?
There are many many ways to fill your daily playtime in SoR, but I see many comments about the grind so I'd like to provide my perspective.
Three ways to play are at the forefront of my thoughts.
1. Explore on your own. You can spend a week or more in a given region (some civilization lands have 4-6 regions) scouting out and killing mobs to level your fight and/or magic skills. You can map every spot of the region for harvesting sources. All of this can be done while running missions for the religious cult(faction), allies of the racial area you are in or for the civilization's race.
2. Join a group and hunt. Further this could be done in two ways. Move around a civilization area killing mobs that are a real challenge for the party. Second way would be to camp a series of spawns and grind out the xp.
3. Find a spawn you can camp solo without downtime and grind the xp.
I've found people that group to grind or grind solo burn out fast and get bored.
See, Ryzom is different than most MMOs in that there really is no "cap". You can max a skill to a level of 250 but there are so many skills that there are a total of 11,000 skill levels. People that attempt to grind to the cap just can't. It's futile, so they get bored and move on. People that grind tend to think that they only have to grind to reach some goal which is usually the cap. Ryzom turns this on it's head.
I find the people that really enjoy the game aren't so focused on any cap, but enjoy the exploration, the challenge of the hunt, working with others and building up a reputation in the community.
Dec 20,1999: AC1(DT).Since then:DAoC,SB,AC2,L2,EvE,WoW,SoR
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Currently playing: ArchLord - L58 Knight
LoTRo - L13 Dwarf Guardian
That reminds me of EQ2. The trial is very fun and involved, but when you leave you're out for yourself and the mobs can tear you apart. Not to mention horrid prices for equipment and mounts... good luck getting anywhere.
One thing I don't know about SoR is how massive the world could be. EQ2 has an annoyingly large world. Annoying in the sense that you can see far off landmarks and get to them, but it'll take you about 15 minutes of walking to get anywhere.
Anyway, long story short, I made a bad choice by jumping head-on into EQ2 for three months without knowing what's beyond the pearly gates of newb haven. I paid for 3 months and two expansions... $OE is happy, but I'm not -_-.
Hope it goes well for ya, unlike my experience with a particular similar sounding trial.
Seasons that change, Mobs that are carnivore and hunt the herbivores, harvesting resources, time of day changes, with weather.
The graphics are really nice. The sound fits perfect with a living world.