I just reactivated for a 14-day trial and I think its disappointing that there are no longer starting base classes and that all races start in the same starting zone. These kind of changes took away a lot of the dynamics and atmosphere of the game, and it feels like the game has been flattened down so it is too noob friendly/mimics WoW.

I wish they'd reintroduce the starter base classes and change back to starter towns. I also wish they never changed the mob/level locations from what it was originally.

Anyone else agree?

nope. and if the game is to have any sort of future it needs to be more like wow in it's leveling. you're just missing nostalgia.

 

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If they had 100k people playing the starter zones then maybe but they don't.

They desperately need content at the upper end where people are still hanging on and to de-clutter (like removing mlxp) all the inane barriers that are in place for the 1 in a million person who is starting from scratch so that they can catch up.

 

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When they made the change, the reasoning was that it was difficult for friends starting to adventure together early on. I can "see" that argument, but it wasn't a problem at all for my Norse to trek from Vasudheim to Ft. Atla or Haggerfel to meet my buddy. In fact it was rather fun.

I still identify with Vasudheim as being "my home" in game.

On the base class and armor thing, I'm kinda split. On one hand, leveling from 1 to 20 is well... Easy peasy now. In 2002-2004 that took a while, and having your class start in studded and eventually get better armor was kinda a nice progression, but it happens so fast now that it may be unneeded fluff.

I will say that the starter town idea while *modern* in mmo design thinking, really does seem to take away from the identity of your class/race combo. You are just another recruit thrown into the mix and being spoon fed gear on missions that are soloable and thus avoiding any real interaction with other players behind the keyboard.

Starting in the various racial towns put me much more in touch with the story line. Gave you a unique place to call home. And not having everything spoon-fed to you meant that I would occasionally have a high level guy save my arse from mobs and then kindly drop me some unused gear. Now THAT is building a community. When I was training up weapon crafting, I used to sit in the starter town and just hand out weapons. It was fun, met a lot of nice people and you genuinely felt like you were helping out the Midgard war effort. I fondly remember meeting up with some groups to pull Vendo for XP and drops. But modern MMO design seems to favor people having an endless amount of soloable quests. It takes SOOO much from the community aspect of an MMO. I play MMOs because I like the MASSIVELY part of multi player. Not so I can just solo quests.

Sorry I got off on a tangent, but its relevant as to why I hate the single starter tutorial town with endless quests and top level gear just handed to you for mind numbingly easy soloable quests.

 

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This is completely true. The problem is that not having a consistent, linear, and soloable path for a player to level up = low subs.

 

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Yes by doing this, they isolated the noobs, quarantining them with the rest of the noobs like a ghetto. From all of my memories, the game only lost its community and depth with these kinds of changes.

but the noobs would have been isolated from the veteran players AND eachother if they started where they used to.

 

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The just need a better questing system. Like other games, completing quests gives alot of EXP and good items. Yes there are these quests in the starting zone but thats it basically. In the BG's im happy with the new patch giving more quests for them and aurulite but they need a variety, some guys dont want to rvr and quest. Have some npc's give quests that take a while and are enjoyable, giving a good amount of EXP and actual good items to choose from, not just armor, like rings/bracers definately, not enough of those around for lower level folks.


If they upgraded the lower level dungeons in all 3 realms, to make you have to have a group to go all the way through them and provide great loot for that level dungeon. Not just aurulite gear or crafted gear and thats basically all you have to choose from. Makes the game to simple and boring.


Whatever happens, to bring new players here or to bring old players back there needs to be something at lower levels that requires people to group for great rewards. Not mediocre rewards, i mean give people a great reason to group up.

 

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Questing and grouping oppose each other. The best time and xp in daoc was grouping and just killing camps. Questing with a group is a headache.

Questing and grouping would have to work now days. The way they have screwed up the EXP in todays game it is alot quicker to just solo all the way up or get pl'd. A quest line would be the best option.

 

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