Eq2

[katriell]

Yup. New trial offer setup is taken directly from Everquest II's "Trial of the Isle."

And I am not impressed. It would've been way far better (™) to simply start a time limit on the trial after one goes to the mainland, instead of completely blocking access to the mainland and forcing one to pay to go there. It's a lame approach TBH/IMO. In fact, some people are already choosing to pass up Ryzom entirely simply because of this. One such person said something like "if they feel a need to hide content from prospective players..."

I remember when I tried EQ2. When I went out to the dock and clicked on the bell to call a ship to go to Freeport. When I got the dialog box that said I had to pay to do so, I shrugged, logged out, and uninstalled it.

As for the NPE, I'm trying to figure out of it's a good thing or a bad thing. On the one hand, it makes it a lot easier to get started understanding the game. On the other hand, now anyone can figure it out. The old learning curve acted as a sort of filtration system - only those with the will and interest to stick with it would stay. Hence, in part, the great community.


I love Ryzom, and I sincerely apologise for making such a negative post. But I'm feeling depressed right now because I hear this suspicious hammering sound...

[acridiel]

Ooough....

Sorry, but there were enough people that declined because of the old offer.
And even the 14 days trial wasn´t enough for some...
Some are suspicious about CreditCard billing...
Some are notorious whiners...

You get those with EQ2, with WoW, with UO and all else...

Let them whine...

It´s their loss. As you can surely see, there are MORE Newbes around...
So what if a few diehards whine, I say.

Acridiel

[katriell]

More newbies yes, but what kind of newbies? I saw a change immediately following the NPE...

[sesune]

Oh I fully agree. The unlimited play time in RoS is good as players can stay as long as they need until they are confident and start paying only when they are ready. But nevrax really should give the players a seven day trial from the moment the user arrives on the mainlands. I understand the NPE and all its benefits BUT a trial should show what the game really has - that are the mainlands. Be sensible devs, you do want good flow of subscribers or not? Think it over.

In my case I can simply charge it on my CC to test the mainlands out and let my dad take care of it charge. But remember not everyone can throw around money like that - 15$ is not a cheap amount, its afforable but yet not worth it for the live content you provide atm. - maybe 15$ is ok after R2 but for now please don't pressure potential customers *sigh*

We should voice our opinions on this, as a trial should really be a trail of the real areas of the game.

[acridiel]

Ok, I was on the Arispotle NPE too when it came up just to maybe see some of you, and I noticed too that there was a lot of Spamming and L337 speech.
Got my first Duell-proposal right in the first minute of being online...
But, even if these folks do appear...
Let them come.
SoR isn´t for L337ers, it isn´t for MinMaxers, it isn´t realy for PGs...
They´ll notice. And those who have the requiered patience and will and interest will persist. I´m sure. even IF anyone can figure it out.
Those who whined will continue their whining, those who truly understand the Game, will continue playing it.

Acridiel

[lennie12]

Yes so did I. I saw alot more noobs trying to understand on their own. I saw allot more new players forming up teams on their own.. In short newbs that when they leave the island will be allot less time consuming to bring in to a guild, bechause they allready now what you usually have to tell them over their first couple of weeks.

Regarding the limited trial.. That is completley junk tho. As it is now npe and the mainlad is really 2 diffrent games. When a player comes over now he is gona start to imediatley start looking for the quest giver. When he finally finds a mission giver and completes the missions he is gona go wtf where is my xp? and where is the followup quest?
There is a rather big chance that allot of player are gona feel cheated once they have paid for the game only to discover that the mainland is nothing like the starter island.

[acridiel]

Regarding the limited trial.. That is completley junk tho. As it is now npe and the mainlad is really 2 diffrent games. When a player comes over now he is gona start to imediatley start looking for the quest giver. When he finally finds a mission giver and completes the missions he is gona go wtf where is my xp? and where is the followup quest?
There is a rather big chance that allot of player are gona feel cheated once they have paid for the game only to discover that the mainland is nothing like the starter island.

Well, in that regard I have to agree...
With all the unfinished Missions on Mainland, this could relay spell a small desaster... :(
But, we were always proud that our game wasn´t as "quest-driven" as EQ or WoW. So either we keep that, or we´re running the risk of becomming even more of a WoW Clone. Not only in regards to PGs and L337ers. *sigh*
It´s an interesting predictament...

Acridiel

[katriell]

Just looked at the homepage and noticed the button that says "UNLIMITED FREE TRIAL." If I were a potential player who saw that, then read the specifics of the trial, I would feel quite cheated...that's bordering on false advertising...

[cloudy97]

Wow you sound like an elitist, Katriell. The only filter the game needs is "do you like the game or not" and not "how fast do you grasp the gameplay". Personally I quit after my first 14 day trial which I only played 2-3 days of, because of bad timing. If I hadn't found the game box on sale (with 30 day free play), I'd never had started paying. Some of us are just a bit slower ;)

[katriell]

...Um...where did I say that people who grasp the game slower are inferior in some way? That was not my meaning, or my point.

What I'm worried about is the arrival of people who expect everything to be handed to them, who won't appreciate the depth of the game, who will say things like "were r teh lvl20 mobz," "lvl9 mage lfg plzz," etc...people who are, essentially, "noobs" in this sense of the word:
Someone who is not necessarily new, [and may be] somewhat experienced but at the same time stupid/disruptive and/or totally incapable of learning.

And now, things will be handed to them...so they'll stay, and we can say bye-bye to the notion of a mature community.

It's a sad day when "WoW clone" can be said in relation to any part of Ryzom...

[cloudy97]

Sorry, no that wasn't a quote. Just a interpretation what you meant by the learning curve and the community.

I have too many MMO trials (for simpler games with time limited offers) still installed on my computer. The new trial is good for casual players, seven days are good for dedicated players.

Dofus has a similar approach as Ryzom: Ruins of Silan, and they seem to be doing fine. As for EQ2, for me the trial was like chewing a dental hygiene chewing gum, I simply didn't feel the magic.

[katriell]

As for EQ2, for me the trial was like chewing a dental hygiene chewing gum, I simply didn't feel the magic.
Hehe, dental hygiene chewing gum is good. :p Though I suppose it's rather like soymilk...makes you feel like you're doing something healthy.

On topic, to be honest I hate to class any group of people under a catchphrase like "noob." But, by the definition I quoted, it seems appropriate to what I mean. :(

I probably sound like a disgruntled old player who just can't accept new changes...such people have always irritated me. I see the irony and it saddens me further...

Dofus has a similar approach as Ryzom: Ruins of Silan, and they seem to be doing fine.
Problem with that is that what works for one game may not work for another. Example: SWG ('nuff said).

[cloudy97]

On topic, to be honest I hate to class any group of people under a catchphrase like "noob." But, by the definition I quoted, it seems appropriate to what I mean. :(

Well, we don't have noobs here but plenty of refugees. :D

Yes so did I. I saw alot more noobs trying to understand on their own. I saw allot more new players forming up teams on their own.. In short newbs that when they leave the island will be allot less time consuming to bring in to a guild, bechause they allready now what you usually have to tell them over their first couple of weeks.

Maybe even better than that; I think more newbies... errm refugees will start their own guilds as they get to know each other early on in game and can level together. (nothing wrong with joining old guilds, but being same level will make you feel you can contribute more to a guild)

I am probably just irritatingly optimistic :O

[katriell]

I am probably just irritatingly optimistic :O
More like...reassuringly. :)

[acridiel]

I just realised something.
Don´t you think those peeps who "don´t want to pay for going to the Main-Land", didn´t want to pay for a whole game anyway?
Guildwars Syndrome anyone?

As long as there are enough people that DO go to the mainland, and DO realise that SoR is about other things then being L337, there still is hope!!!

But I agree that nevrax now realy has to do something about the unfinished Missions... They put themselves into quite a predictament.

Acridiel

[katriell]

That did occur to me. But these are still very valid points:

a trial should really be a trail of the real areas of the game.

There is a rather big chance that allot of player are gona feel cheated once they have paid for the game only to discover that the mainland is nothing like the starter island.

Just looked at the homepage and noticed the button that says "UNLIMITED FREE TRIAL." If I were a potential player who saw that, then read the specifics of the trial, I would feel quite cheated...that's bordering on false advertising...

[kaetemi]

Ok, I was on the Arispotle NPE too when it came up just to maybe see some of you, and I noticed too that there was a lot of Spamming and L337 speech.You mean that discussion on universe about how there is no need to talk with numbers in ryzom? I haven't seen any leetspeak other than that.

Btw, I've been killing people in the arena, that's what it's made for. :D

[acridiel]

We´re discussing this very thing now on Leanon too and someone raised a very valuable point.

Don´t waste your time whining about the new "wrong crowd", help educating them in the "right style of play" ;) :D

CU
Acridiel

[katriell]

We´re discussing this very thing now on Leanon too and someone raised a very valuable point.

Don´t waste your time whining about the new "wrong crowd", help educating them in the "right style of play" ;) :D

CU
Acridiel
And then be accused of being elitist and trampling others' playstyles? XD

[grimjim]

Now I'm not the first for once, I exercise my own 'note of caution'.

I think that Silan presents new players with an unrealistic notion of what the mainland will be like. Silan is very directed and has quests and rewards of a fashion that simply don't exist on the mainland.

The type of person who will like the mainland won't be best served by Silan. The type of person who likes Silan won't be best served by the mainland.

I do share concern somewhat with the people being attracted but this shift in emphasis started with the PvP, seeing it continued is a disappointment - but not a surprise necessarily.

Ring should help swing things back the other way again a bit and should attract the 'right' crowd.

IMO the root cause for all of this is the Patch One debacle. If that hadn't cost Nevrax so much in terms of lost players the path we have travelled and are travelling would likely be very, very different.

[kaetemi]

There will be more people, which results in more people telling their friends about the game, so there are even more people. Then eventually there will be people who start paying and like the mainland anyway. :)

[grimjim]

There will be more people, which results in more people telling their friends about the game, so there are even more people. Then eventually there will be people who start paying and like the mainland anyway. :)

More people doesn't necessarily connote more people that like it. While more people overall may get drawn in, that larger number (possibly) going away will take negative word-of-mouth.

[kaetemi]

Oh well, I'm not going to do a discussion here against the people who like nothing (you).

[katriell]

More people doesn't necessarily connote more people that like it. While more people overall may get drawn in, that larger number (possibly) going away will take negative word-of-mouth.
Ryzom is currently "that game that people who are fed up with everything else go to." I have a feeling that's starting to change somewhat, though...

Enough doomsaying... :p I'm going to sleep. Good night (or whatever your timezone dictates) forumites.

[kaetemi]

start a time limit on the trial after one goes to the mainlandSend in a suggestion ticket.

[lennie12]

In regards to the deception on the starter island I'd sugest get rid of the quest rewards. If you really need to have rewards there well do as it is on mainland and give the refugees some dapper and fame reard. And upon completion of an entire mission chain give them an entry in ther encyclopedia that holds some lore or something.
Giving new players stuff and xp is just plain dumb. And for the love of god do NOT bring that kind of mission rewards to the missions on the mainland!

[deblewis]

Hi All

I just came across Ryzom by chance and am in the process of downloading.. a feat in of itself it seems.. :)

anyway.. please don't count all us newbie folks out...

who knows a couple of us might not be so bad.. :)

[acridiel]

Hey sure. Not all are "bad apples" *hugs* :)

Welcome to Ryzom. :)

But understand our concern, it´s a real "Danger" some are proposing here.
Sad but true.
:(

CU
Acridiel

[kaetemi]

But understand our concern, it´s a real "Danger" some are proposing here.They're the same people who do that about any content that is added. :D

[raven41]

lol.... I think I need to go back to the NPE .... I didn't even check the quest out lol :P I just explored and found two! bosses o.o ... owell I will check it out again sometime soon :p

[Edit]Personaly Id rather hack a crab for 2 hours then do quest for 30 min :p My legs get tired with all thet annoying running :P lol (Tho sometimes quest can be fun ... It just doesn't seem Ryzom is not made for quest :p)

[lennie12]

Hi All

I just came across Ryzom by chance and am in the process of downloading.. a feat in of itself it seems.. :)

anyway.. please don't count all us newbie folks out...

who knows a couple of us might not be so bad.. :)


Well the concern is that the new starter Island might attract the "wrong" crowd.. and alienate the right crowd.. By that I mean that ppl who like the starter island might find the mainland really booring.. and vice versa.

[kaetemi]

mainland really booring.you just might find it boring cause you've seen most stuff already.. new players havent been to all lands and stuff yet ;)

[lennie12]

you just might find it boring cause you've seen most stuff already.. new players havent been to all lands and stuff yet ;)

no no you missunderstood.. I love the mainland :) What I meant is players that are attracted to the stereotypical "hold your hand to max lvl kinda gameplay" with quests all the way to max lvl will most likley find that really good at the starter island. When they then get to the mainland and realizes that there arn't any quests like that at all they might feel cheated and thus have a much harder time starting to enjoy the game.

Personally I don't like quests. I love the freedome that Ryzom gives the player in doing exactley what you like :)

[lennie12]

Double post plz dissregard this....

[boudica]

hi all.. deblewis here.. :)

sorry for the confusion, but I did not realize my account name would be used for the forums when I created it so I started a new account with something a bit more appropriate.. :)

I do understand your concerns.. I've played a good number of MMOs and have seen games I loved ruined because of dev decisions.. but please do keep an open mind when meeting new folks from what I'm reading on the boards lack of population is an issue here so don't go cuttin off yer nose to spite yer face.. :)

I will take into account the trial experience is different than the true game.. though from what you are saying it really isn't putting me off one bit..

I very much am an explorer type and really don't like to do a whole lot of questing.. well unless it's something imaginative and fun.. also crafting has always been a big part of online gaming for me and it sounds like there is a very vibrant crafting system here..

I had all but given up on RP in todays MMO"RPG"s and this as well seems like something that is very much alive here.. going to have to dust off my RPing skills which will be a nice change.. :)

Probably my one concern is population.. I truly hope there are enough folks around for some interaction.. but other than that I'm cautiously optimistic as I try this brave new world..

Now if this download would just get done! :P

[junkyman]

The questing on the starter island are a lot more friendly than, say, WOW's questing.

WOW really put me off questing and grouping for the uber weapons and armor could ONLY be gotten by farming high instances with a very large group of people.

I am really starting to like this game since you don't HAVE to do the missions (quests) to progress in the game.

I'm getting addicted to the prospecting but I wish the descriptions were a little more.. descriptive :p on the spells/abilities you can use.

[tekki]

I'll chime in as another newb on thier free trial. So, no mainland.

Yes, I'd heard the game had a good community and that was a draw. Still, I saw some things on NGE isle that made me stop and think. Like that guy that followed me spamming duel requests ... some comments. A couple of names that I would consider reportable in any game, new fair enough, but ... then some of those names asked questions in the /u chat and went unchallenged on thier choice of name. That was disheartening.

There was some behavior and local chat in the NPE that I thought was a good example of some of the poorer areas in other games. I am assuming this was from other new players. I did see some of the instances of this bad behavior and chat, or even "leet expectations" for the game challanged right when it happened. I am assuming these challenges were from existing players poking about in the NPE. If you want to keep your community the way you like it, more of that would work. Expose players on the NPE to your community and set out your community standards expectations for them there. I know thats probably a pain to make a new character and just hang out there, but some posters seem attached enough to the community to do more of it maybe?

As to the content in the NPE, I have two things to say. One, EVE which also has a fairly steep learning curve has a pretty extensive almost hand-holding tutorial. Then it dumps you in the pool. The learning curve still makes a lot of players quit. So, I'm not sure you'll lose this filter. Players just won't quit as quickly.

The other is the false advertising aspect of the NPE. I haven't seen the mainland, so I'll have to take everyone's word there. But, the isle quests don't feel like "quests" so much as a tutorial. Now, EVE calls thiers a "tutorial" and uses instances in regular areas. But, true, EQ2 calls it a trial and an isle just like Nevrax. So I think the comparison drawn to EQ2 and the complaint of potential negative feelings due to false advertising may be valid. So, my thought is, what if they went ahead and called it a tutorial? You wouldn't expect the whole game to be a tutorial. Then the advertising would be, play the tutorial free for as long as you like.

*edited my NGE's to NPE's thanks cloud, when absentminded dyslexics post before coffee, its bad .. just .. bad*

[acridiel]

So, my thought is, what if they went ahead and called it a tutorial? You wouldn't expect the whole game to be a tutorial. Then the advertising would be, play the tutorial free for as long as you like.

/sign!!

Great idea :D

Yo´Nevrax listen to this man ;)

And welcome to SoR all of you! :)

CU
Acridiel

[cloudy97]

Yes, I'd heard the game had a good community and that was a draw. Still, I saw some things on NGE isle that made me stop and think. Like that guy that followed me spamming duel requests ... some comments. A couple of names that I would consider reportable in any game, new fair enough, but ... then some of those names asked questions in the /u chat and went unchallenged on thier choice of name. That was disheartening.

The duel spammer: it's not uncommon in online games and we have a /ignore list for that. I haven't used my list yet, cause as the game is slow, the duel-spammers will get bored and move on to other games.

The names: In my opinion players shouldn't act police regarding character names. If someone has an inappropriate name tell the GMs and let them deal with it. When I did a /who in the Ruins-area I saw that 90% of the names was good fantasy-style names, I expected half of that. :D So a warm welcome to you all!

And Tekki, it's NPE, not NGE (that would be something completely different) ;)

[fasche]

Another new player here...although I played in beta but it didnt really stick...

So far my experience has been great...I did see some leet speak as well but not to much...a few questionable names as well...

as far as an introduction to the game I agree that the marketing of the NPE should possbily be altered...as a new player I do like that they are getting me up and running...understanding actions/stanzas etc...Im loving the system and it seems to have much more depth than the current crop of MMO's(besides maybe EvE)...

so everything I am reading about the mainland is actually getting me excited...it sounds like the type of universe I want to play in...BUT...I didnt realise the differences until I had some time to go through the fourms and read this thread...so I can definatley see people getting a false first impression of Ryzom.

the NPE did a great job of showing me that this game is richer and deeper in complexity and mechanics...i could see how being just droped into this universe with no direction could have been very frustrating...frustration is not what I would want my first impression, of what seems to be a great game to have been.

Ill be on the mainland soon but im in no rush...Ill post some thoughts when I hit land.

[katriell]

They're the same people who do that about any content that is added. :D
BS. This is the first time I've ever been so negative about a change. I wasn't here for Patch 1, and I never complained about Episode 2 and whatever else others have found disturbing. If I have, I stand corrected and ashamed.

All this talk of duel spamming, leetspeak, etc...it wasn't here before! :( And that's my point...proven.

In my experience, larger population directly equals worse community.

There's the Ignore feature, and you can mute Universe and Region...but I think it's a pretty bad indicator if anyone even feels a need to ignore more than a few players or mute entire channels...

[sx4rlet]

BS. This is the first time I've ever been so negative about a change. I wasn't here for Patch 1, and I never complained about Episode 2 and whatever else others have found disturbing. If I have, I stand corrected and ashamed.

All this talk of duel spamming, leetspeak, etc...it wasn't here before! :( And that's my point...proven.


That is not completely true.
When there was still a 14 days trial we had a huge amoutn of leetspeakers and duel spammers during x-mas holliday season. But it came clear to them that there were just a couple of possibilities. One of them was to leave the game as nobody accepted it, another was to adapt and learn fast, as the community learned them the rules of how to behave in ryzom.
A third was to be pittied and outcast by the comminity...
(not sure if there were more)

In my experience, larger population directly equals worse community.

There's the Ignore feature, and you can mute Universe and Region...but I think it's a pretty bad indicator if anyone even feels a need to ignore more than a few players or mute entire channels...

I agree with you on the large communities. The mass of them don't tend to be very social. But Ryzom isnt a large community yet. Just try to teach the ways to behave to the new players that duel spam, or do leet talk. I think the rest of the community will only help you in that.

[chessack]

Well, I am a new player, and here is my first post. I will put in my 2 cents on this.

I think for most game, a timed trial makes sense. City of Heroes, SWG, etc, all had "X day trials" (14, 7, whatever), and I think for those it generally made sense (by the time SWG did it, they had stripped it down to a shell of its former self). The current version of SWG, and COH for 2 years, are very simple games. A couple of weeks of even very casual play is more than enough to "get it."

Ryzom, however... this is a very complex game -- as much as, and in some cases more so, than SWG was at launch. And in addition to that complexity, the lore of Ryzom is an unknown before you start to play (whereas the lore of SWG was basically 100% known to 100% of the players -- we'd all seen the movies).

If you just want to breeze through, I suppose you can. But for someone who likes to learn the lore, learn the ways of the game, learn the world, etc, it could take well more than a week. I am on my 3rd day and I have only explored one part of the island, and have done a lot of fighting but very little crafting or harvesting yet... I would be surprised if I will be done doing "newbie" stuff by the end of the first week.

By getting rid of the time limit and doing it this way, I think it gives players a chance to ease into the game and learn the intricacies and complexities. There's plenty of chance to level up and "learn the ropes," and, when you are ready, you can pay them and move into the more advanced areas. I'm almost certain I will want to subscribe, already. Still, I like the idea that I'm not being pressured to do this after 7 days or something. This lets me take my time. I am involved in other games, and with the unlimited trial period I can switch between games without feeling like I am "wasting" my trial period.

The trial is just that -- a trial. One should not expect (and I certainly do not) to be able to "do everything" during the trial period. In SWG trial, for example, you could not have more than 50,000 credits in your bank account or in your pocket. It's reasonable to do this -- i's a trial, not the full game. They're letting you get a nice solid preview to decide if you want to pay or not. Makes perfect sense to me.

C

[acridiel]

Thank you :)

Very good statement. /bow

I´ve thought about the topic a whole lot in the last few days and I´ve come to the decision that I will just sit back and see what will happen. In germany we have a saying: "Sich Gedanken über ungelegte Eier machen." / "Worrying over eggs yet unlaid."
Wich basicaly means, we´re ruffing our hair over stuff that hasn´t even happened yet. So laet wait, see IF the dreaded PG-L337cr0wd, WILL even come to the mainland.
And then, as was said earlyer, we can see if they accept our usual grown up style of play.
If not, well thy might call us elitist, but they will see that this is simply not their game.
People who´re looking for the same thing as we are in SoR, WILL stay and will certainly be a mayor voice against maybe unsavory rumors.

So just wait and see.

Acridiel

[odyvek]

I agree with you Acridiel, also im a new player. I think all changes bring turmoil be it in mmos or in real life. Mmo example you have right here and in real life look at any revolution in history, or just take a look at the dissipation of USSR. Anyways i think that waiting for a while is a very good idea.
But i also want to drop my 2 cents and make a suggestion.
I joined only last week 2 days before the patch :) and i managed to squeeze some time from the old fyros started island. And guess what, i loved it, (apart from being rediculously underpopulated of course :) ) Now i'm playing in RoS with my new Character. Havent seen any l337 speak yet, and only seen one guy asking to suck some thing or other on the universe chnl. and he was promtely bombarded with warnings from veterans, which i thought was great.
Anyways onto my idea. Since i have a little bit of a uniqe perspective having experienced both starter lands within very short time... Why dont they keep the old newb islands and allow access to them for vets from the mainland and newbs from RoS but not for the trial account onto the mainland (without paying) then, people would be able to see how the game really is (quests etc, + have some vets pop in from time to time, just to merge the 2 comunities which would seem to be emerging).

Just my 2 cents as i said. And sorry for the long post

[rushin]

the other is the false advertising aspect of the NPE. I haven't seen the mainland, so I'll have to take everyone's word there. But, the isle quests don't feel like "quests" so much as a tutorial.

that's how i see it. If you read the texts in the NPE quests you realise what they do is introduce you to atys, there is a massive chunk of lore given out, along with good instruction on how to fight, cast, dig etc. and when you have done the easy one's you get introduced to the factions. So it's a nice tutorial at the end of the day.

anyone expecting the mainland to quest based will be disappointed, anyone who did the quests on the island and learnt something about their race, the factions, the kitin.. will likely fit right in, find/start a nice guild and have lots of fun :)

[umoto]

Hello. I am a new player, and haven't played yet as the patch is still downloading. After reading what everyone on this thread is saying about the mainland, then all i have to say is FINALLY! I'm getting sick of fast paced levelling, and by time I get a half decent grip on the gameplay, I'm at max level with all the best gear! or worse, you spend a month and a half crafting, to find out your trade is a moot point in the high end, only used to "twink out" your "alts". I am a refugee of WoW, as i went to WoW as a refugee from EQ2, and i ran, screaming like a banshee from SWG, after i quit DAoC, after i quit EQ. i also toyed with city of villains and guild wars (ugh). I've been searching for a game with a good community. but I have one question, outside of the tutorial island thing, I won't be hearing a bunch of, err, ugh, "chuck norris" references will I? I feel dirty just saying that name...

Anyway, I'm excited to learn about this game! It sounds like old style SWG with some good Lore behind it. Sounds fun. I remember hanging out in the cantina hearing the band play while talking to guildies, when we got tired of talking we went outside and killed some stormtroopers for fun. Nothing was more entertaining than launching a massive sniper rifle assault on stormtroopers.

anyway, I need to decide on a name. does Umoto or Bonbalan sound better? or are both terrible rp names?

[katriell]

but I have one question, outside of the tutorial island thing, I won't be hearing a bunch of, err, ugh, "chuck norris" references will I? I feel dirty just saying that name...
Who is this Chuck Norris person? I've never heard that name uttered in Ryzom.

anyway, I need to decide on a name. does Umoto or Bonbalan sound better? or are both terrible rp names?
They sound fine. :)

[chessack]

anyone expecting the mainland to quest based will be disappointed

I suppose the relevant question here is -- Why wouldn't someone expect the mainland to be quest-based like the NPE island?

Now, to be fair I didn't, because I read up on Ryzom before joining the game (I discovered it during the 4-day hiatus for the big patch) and so I know what is coming. But for someone who didn't do all that research (and let's face it, most people don't), I can't see how you would expect them to just assume, without any good reason for it, that the basic nature of gameplay in the trial is fundamentally different from the basic nature of gameplay in the main world.

Why would you expect a newbie to, having encountered story-based quests (tutorial in nature or not) in the trial, to think there would NOT be the same type of quests in the main game? Do you think people just naturally expect the trial of the game, to be fundamentally different from the main game? Usually "trial" implies you are getting a feel for the full version.

Now, that said I do understand, really I do, that this is a tutorial and the quests are designed to teach you how to play. But I also can see how a lot of people could be misled... especially given that they don't find out the truth, so to speak, until AFTER they pay money. This could be viewed by an entirely reasonable person as "false advertising." Again I am not saying I view it this way, as the fact that the main game is not quest-driven is pretty easy to find... but I could totally see someone who got most of his info from basically in-game play, feeling "taken."

C

[aspic00]

Speaking as someone who tried the old trial, I personally found it engaged my interest (as an ex SWG player who prefers the skill based rather than lvl based play) but I did not just have the time in 7 days to do it justice. Trying the new trial I am much more inclined to subscribe than I was with the old (which I guess it the point).

In reference to the OP, I find it slightly suprising that you were shocked when you rang the bell in EQ2 demo and was told to pay for the real thing. The EQ2 demo makes it abundantly clear (as does this one) what the scope of the trial is. I hardly think you can blame the developers for your own oversight.

[kemmer]

I love the unlimited Trial they have! The fact that they're allowing unlimited access to try out new things in the newbie area is pretty awesome, and I appreciate it.

[katriell]

I'm glad I seem to've been proven wrong about this. :)

[pugmak]

I've only recently come back to Ryzom from my latest "greener grass" wanderings. I only had one character I cared to keep on mainland at time of RoS launch and I am rather addicted to having lots of characters to choose from, mood depending so I've spent most of my time since that launch on the NPE.

Here's my take so far and this supersedes anything I've said previously on the subject... in case I said something different earlier.

I like it. I've run through all the missions with 2 different characters and have 2 more "in the pipe" running the missions.
I enjoy still find them enjoyable (except for that dang harvest mission with the 50m search thing. That bites nasty dirties)

I like that none of the missions mandate being teamed up. Sometimes finding a team is just inconvenient. Sometimes I just don't want to bother with other people.
As this NPE matures, the population will ebb and flow and sometimes finding teams will be next to impossible.

Some of the missions are a bit heavy on the run back and forth but... quests tend to be that way so it wasn't that big a surprise when it happened here.

The reward items. I like them. They do give some sense of what might be available later in the game and they do serve to fill the hole in an area populated exclusively by characters that have yet to develop deep crafting output capability.
One of the harder issues of the old newbielandias was the denuded npc vendors. There were few players and fewer crafters so next to no items of any worth available. Besides, my pretty little Decia really looks good in that ranger armor outfit :)

I like that the area in NPE is large and invites exploring. I like that the kipee jungle is something you have to find by exploring.

In most cases, I've liked the new players I've run into. I've found them enthusiastic, inquisitive, curious, and surprisingly respectful. Some have been your standard issue jerkoffs but those have actually been surprisingly few and far between for me, so far.

Decisions I disagree with:

The lack of a variety of material grades, ie. fine and choice is a mistake, I believe.
This may tend to negatively impact the expectations of both new player crafters and new player diggers.

Players that do team up when a mission calls for it should share kill credits. A team should not have to kill x number of mobs times number in team. With this as it is, what possible value is there in teaming for missions that suggest forming a team? Some bosses require a team of course but even those might be solo'd if the player is patient and builds him/herself up enough first.

Javlings. If those are going to be the critter of need for so many missions, increase the spawns or spawn rates. If the worry is that when in low player population times the javs will overrun the zone, then put them on a timer that disappears them if they exist past x amount of time.

Yelks. come on! drop the dang mushroom already! sheesh.


One decision that I really do appreciate is:

Having the avatars of the GM(s) present, in game, at all most all times, visible and interacting is a big plus.

It reminds the new players that are in the "tard" personality bracket that they are being watched and should probably find somewhere else, as in another game, to mess with other players and cause problems.
And, it lets the decent folk feel like they're being looked after.

An idea that I think is more prone to cause problems that provide help:

Players taking it upon themselves to call other players out on their name choices. There is a policy, there are folk (GMs) who's job it is to take care of such issues and these folk have received guidance on that issue. Having players take it upon themselves will potentially create a lot of hard feelings, disruption, zone wide or even universal wide arguments etc. If a player sees a name that they feel inappropriate then send in a ticket. That's my suggestion.

Anyhoo, that's where my head's at on the NPE thing atm.

All in all, I get the feeling that therell be some good new blood added to the game from this current crop of newbies.

And last, but not least, when it comes to new blood, lets not forget that this is a commercial project and if it doesn't make the cash it needs to stay solvent, then it all goes away...all of it. New blood is a good thing. So lets work a bit on some of the more narrow and dogmatic definitions of what is a good player and what is not. That's also a suggestion.

[mikadou]

Players that do team up when a mission calls for it should share kill credits. A team should not have to kill x number of mobs times number in team. With this as it is, what possible value is there in teaming for missions that suggest forming a team? Some bosses require a team of course but even those might be solo'd if the player is patient and builds him/herself up enough first.

Javlings. If those are going to be the critter of need for so many missions, increase the spawns or spawn rates. If the worry is that when in low player population times the javs will overrun the zone, then put them on a timer that disappears them if they exist past x amount of time.

Yelks. come on! drop the dang mushroom already! sheesh.

I agree heartily with those above points. ;)


I also played in the open beta, and have recently come back to see how things have developed. I've found majority of everyone I've met to be very kind and helpful. I'm used to WoW's community, so I guess ANY other is an upgrade, but I -do- think that the bad apples will either stay on the Isle forever because its free, or else leave. There are many other games, like Guild Wars or WoW, that such people will have more fun in.

I agree with what several people have said: Veterans should participate in Universe or make alts in the RoS to guide and help newcomers. With good examples and encouragement, many people will become productive citizens of Atys. The atmosphere of the game community is upheld by the majority, and is fueled by their involvement. The community will not be degraded unless the people who care most about it give up.

[acridiel]

I agree heartily with those above points. ;)


I also played in the open beta, and have recently come back to see how things have developed. I've found majority of everyone I've met to be very kind and helpful. I'm used to WoW's community, so I guess ANY other is an upgrade, but I -do- think that the bad apples will either stay on the Isle forever because its free, or else leave. There are many other games, like Guild Wars or WoW, that such people will have more fun in.

I agree with what several people have said: Veterans should participate in Universe or make alts in the RoS to guide and help newcomers. With good examples and encouragement, many people will become productive citizens of Atys. The atmosphere of the game community is upheld by the majority, and is fueled by their involvement. The community will not be degraded unless the people who care most about it give up.


Then let´s just hope that the Ruins of Silan don´t become a kind of Purgatory, that Newcommers have to pass through before entering the Haven of the Main-Lands ;) Beleaquerd by the evil L337 Demons and the gruesome Duell-Spammers.

:D All Ye´ Who Enter Here, Abandon All Hope!! :D

*eG*

[woqqqqa]

Well as a new player who's been running around Silan on several different characters this past week, let me put in my 2 cents...I don't know where you've gotten this leetspeak invasion idea, but I've seen maybe 2 instances so far, and those players spoke normally when asked to do so. I've seen no duel spamming...just the occasional "anyone want to have a free-for-all in the arena?". For the most part, players seem pretty self-reliant, with most of the questions having to do with basic game mechanics or where to find materials to harvest (apparently the prospecting tracking system is a bit hard to figure out at first). For the most part, it seems that your fears of a dumbing down with an influx of new players are unfounded, from what I've seen.

As for the idea that the island is a misrepresentation of what comes later on, you may have a point there. Having read quite a bit about this game, I know what I'm getting into, as quite a few players seem to...but perhaps a bit more information on the latter part of the game might help those just trying it out casually, without having read much about it in advance.

[icyrisi]

The biggest problem between the NPE and mainland is that quests on mainland are essentially uncomplete and broken.

On the NPE it's nice, you get a quest, you can look the waypoint up on the map and go do it. On mainland, if you don't have a notebook or a photographic memory you're screwed. Quest text is given once, not saved anyplace, and no details put in your journal. All you get to go on if you didn't write down the NPC speach is "find person X" - if you're lucky you may get a general area... This means that new players will play the NPE, get the idea that hey, this games nice and polished and complete, then pay the 15 bucks and go to mainland only to get frustrated when they spend hour upon hour searching for the target of a mission. The only hope of salvation for a persons santity when it comes to missions is hoping that someones on who's already done it and knows where the NPCs or mobs are... God forbid they ever put in new missions...

Some might say that its good and it forces you to explore, but not everyone wants to spend hours upon hours searching for mission goals.

It seems to me that everytime someone suggests something that exists in newer games, someone immediantly starts shouting, "No! This game will become WoW!" Well I have news for you, WoW is probably the best MMO on the market. The problem is that the community sucks, and that isn't a result of the games features, its a result of it being done by blizzard. Making Ryzom easier to play and friendlier to new players will NOT turn it into 'another WoW clone'

[grimjim]

It seems to me that everytime someone suggests something that exists in newer games, someone immediantly starts shouting, "No! This game will become WoW!" Well I have news for you, WoW is probably the best MMO on the market. The problem is that the community sucks, and that isn't a result of the games features, its a result of it being done by blizzard. Making Ryzom easier to play and friendlier to new players will NOT turn it into 'another WoW clone'

No. WoW is the most popular game on the market. Not the best. There's a difference. "100,000 Lemmings can't be wrong." ?

Copying the big guy isn't always the best way to go about things, after all, people who like that will play the big guy's game. Sometimes it's better to find a decent niche.

[katriell]

The biggest problem between the NPE and mainland is that quests on mainland are essentially uncomplete and broken.
Don't call them quests, and they're fine. Because they aren't fancy epic quests - they're simple tasks. As it should be.

When I played WoW, I quickly became bored of the quests, and the game in general. There was no challenge - you were told exactly where to go and what to do. Worse, the quests pretended to be the sort of adventures that'd only happen once ever. Yet they were infinitely repeated. At least Ryzom's missions don't pretend to be something they're not. They're just little jobs that would logically need to be done many times.

"Six million lemmings can't be wrong!" I'm so glad I have a deficiency of the brain-thingies that allow one to copy the behaviour of others...

Oh and by the way, easier game = wider appeal = larger population = worse community. That remains true.

The best thing to do about "find person X" missions is to take a day to explore a region and landmark the locations of all NPCs on your map. It's not as hard as it sounds - the only NPCs who can be involved in missions are wanderers like Hawkers, Prospectors, Hunters, etc., and stationary mission-giving NPCs in towns, such as Welcomers, Corporals, Messengers, etc. Once you have them on your map, missions are easy - you'll have all the "waypoints."

[beowulf1]

As for the NPE, I'm trying to figure out of it's a good thing or a bad thing. On the one hand, it makes it a lot easier to get started understanding the game. On the other hand, now anyone can figure it out. The old learning curve acted as a sort of filtration system - only those with the will and interest to stick with it would stay. Hence, in part, the great community.


I love Ryzom, and I sincerely apologise for making such a negative post. But I'm feeling depressed right now because I hear this suspicious hammering sound...


If I may, being fresh from noob Island and after playing games with horrible communities, Like SWG & CoH. I have to disagree with this post and the sentiments to the Nth degree.

Noob Island and the trial is what made me pay for the game and fall in complete awe with Atys and Ryzom. It let me explore not only some of the seasons and topography of Atys, but also explore each and every race and some of their beliefs and structure. It also taught me how to play the darn game. Despite what some of the older vets are saying here, Ryzom still has a steep learning curve compared to WoW,CoH,SWG.
I will admit that there have been several 1337 people log onto noob island and just leave after an hour because they can't handle having to use their brain and fend for themselves. Yes, like another vet stated above, I have been challenged to PvP by noobs for no reason what-so-ever. I just ignore it and move about my business. I have also witnessed a couple of Noobs log on and start bashing the game and saying things like " oh this is ghey" "you can't jump in this game ? how #$&^*$&$# lame!" Only for the community to invite them to leave. I for one spotted a noob log in with the name "f@%ot". I did a petition immediately and within 5 minutes had a tell from a GM thanking me for the quick eye and for doing the right thing.

To me as a new player and customer, I understand your concerns. I understand your apprehensions about the new drive for a larger player base. However, I honestly feel that if you as the veterans of SoR, continue to behave and treat us noobs with the respect, dignity and the sincerity that you show us everyday the factors that you fear will not only be culled but the community greatness will spread.

[huntn]

I did not read through all of the replies. But as a SOR newbie, who does not currently have a lot of free time, I very much like the unlimited play time in the trial. To address some of the concerns, I think it would be wise as part of the trial to make it so that after you move to the mainland, the clock starts clicking and you have 14 calendar days of game play not to exceed 12 hours of actual play time. For myself 12 hours of play time would equate to 3 nights, more than enough to know if this is the MMO for me.

[pugmak]

If I may, being fresh from noob Island and after playing games with horrible communities, Like SWG & CoH. I have to disagree with this post and the sentiments to the Nth degree.

Noob Island and the trial is what made me pay for the game and fall in complete awe with Atys and Ryzom. It let me explore not only some of the seasons and topography of Atys, but also explore each and every race and some of their beliefs and structure. It also taught me how to play the darn game. Despite what some of the older vets are saying here, Ryzom still has a steep learning curve compared to WoW,CoH,SWG.
I will admit that there have been several 1337 people log onto noob island and just leave after an hour because they can't handle having to use their brain and fend for themselves. Yes, like another vet stated above, I have been challenged to PvP by noobs for no reason what-so-ever. I just ignore it and move about my business. I have also witnessed a couple of Noobs log on and start bashing the game and saying things like " oh this is ghey" "you can't jump in this game ? how #$&^*$&$# lame!" Only for the community to invite them to leave. I for one spotted a noob log in with the name "f@%ot". I did a petition immediately and within 5 minutes had a tell from a GM thanking me for the quick eye and for doing the right thing.

To me as a new player and customer, I understand your concerns. I understand your apprehensions about the new drive for a larger player base. However, I honestly feel that if you as the veterans of SoR, continue to behave and treat us noobs with the respect, dignity and the sincerity that you show us everyday the factors that you fear will not only be culled but the community greatness will spread.


I think the above post about nails my opinion of NPE on the head. The good will come through to the mainland and the bad will be culled...as long as we continue to pay attention to and lend support for our new blood.

Let us also not forget that this is a commercial venture and if those whom own this get to the point of it no longer being worth the "effort vs income" then it all goes away.

Expanding the player base is a manditory part of survival. As long as the main body of players pay attention to the new blood comming up the ranks then all will be well.

We should also remember that the line seperating "purist" from authoritarian is nearly non-existant and watch ourselves against demanding too strict a compliance to personal views on the who, when, how and why of things in game.

Except region spammers of course. We can all rant against them. I mean, region spammers are da eeveel!!

[huldu101]

I just downloaded the trial and after reading about this game, my first thought was EQ2.

Now half a year ago i played EQ2 on the trial island and it was quite an amazing experiance i haveto admit. The game just seemed really good and i heard so much good stuff about it. After playing for a few weeks on the trial island i went and bought the game. When i got off the island i saw the "real" world and it was such a big dissapointment, it was nothing like the trial island. It was boring, the quests were boring and there was no feeling in the world at all, it was like being locked up in a jar. I never played EQ2 more than a month and the game was not for me obviously. The grouping was very boring and bad. But enough of EQ2!

Ive played WoW for almost a year, leveled countless of chars to 60 and i like to PvP. The reason ive left WoW now and then over the year is because everytime i PvP in the battlegrounds i end up fighting fully decked epic wearing people. Myself im barely wearing a set of blue armor along with some PvP armor. For those who havent played WoW, the gear pretty much makes the player. My rogue in my current gear wont survive the cheapshot+kidneyshot sequence (basicly around 4-7 seconds of being stunned) vs a tier 2 rogue. But enough of my WoW whine lol! back to Ryzom.

How "different" is the world of ryzom outside the trial island?. How much do we see of ryzom while being on the trial island?. Like in EQ2 you only saw the best of everything on the trial island, the quests were great, everything was just great (to hook people up, and it worked). So of course im very sceptical towards ryzom for doing the exact same thing.

I might add before i played WoW and EQ2 i played DAoC (dark age of camelot) for 5 years. Ive been in AC2 (a month), SWG (a month), Planetside (3 months). Games ive bought and played over the years. Id probably still be in planetside if it werent for my computer, planetside is a fast pace action fps that gives my computer a good beating with the "you dont have an uber computer"-stick.

[acridiel]

Uhm, to answer that, you´ll better go back a page or two and read a few of the posts here ;)
We´d only end up repeating ourselves again and again if we were to answer each similar post like yours. :D
And that would be pretty boring, don´t ya think ;)
And I won´t quote or copy paste a post here, just go and have a look :)

Acridiel

[chud1]

I just downloaded the trial and after reading about this game, my first thought was EQ2.

Now half a year ago i played EQ2 on the trial island and it was quite an amazing experiance i haveto admit. The game just seemed really good and i heard so much good stuff about it. After playing for a few weeks on the trial island i went and bought the game. When i got off the island i saw the "real" world and it was such a big dissapointment,...........

EXACTLY! eq2 was a massive dissapointment i to was sucked in by the trial

i think they have got the free trial spot on in SoR, theres no time limit i can poodle around an island and get my skills to a reasonable level (eq2 was low level) and really get into the game before venturing out the whole system is brilliant every char is an island not pigeon holed into a category

personally i think this game needs more publicity! i have played nearly all of the recent mmorpgs and had never heard of it! found it by chance reading a review

whopping download nearly put a few people off but i talked em round and they really like it to.

[timzilla]

I'm a trial member, and I think the unlimited offer is pretty nifty. I don't believe we are mislead in any way. As someone interested in taking SOR to trial, I'm responsible for inquiring about the pay version and understanding the differences. It's not that difficult. Pop on the boards here and the real game is there for the reading. I'm someone who enjoys purpose based (ie: missions/w rewards and mob dropped loot) game play, so I'm very unlikely to be paying to play. Between the trial and these boards I think I'm able to make an informed decision.

[jamela]

(Nudge: Paying doesn't force you to go to the mainland, you can pay to play and still play on Ruins of Silan :D )

[kpow71]

I am also new to this game, I am loving the trial period on the Islands. I will say though that I find all the talk on these boards of the right people disheartening to say the least. I am a person who god forbid likes as someone chose to call it "a little hand holding". which I choose to call direction and focus. Now does this make me the wrong type of player for this game, I think not but that is my opinion only.
The community is great and the atmosphere of the game itself is quiet beautifull. I don't consider myself stupid by any means but I am having a hard time grasping certain parts of the game such as the stanzas and how to manipulate them to make better spells and skills, does this mean I am to inferior to play the game, I hope not. I will catch on just not as fast as some my old brain is a liitle low on ram and the hard drive is pretty full so bear with me as I learn the mechanics of the game.
Finally on a personnal note I play WoW regularly also, while I will say there is a large majority of bad apples in the community I can also say I have made some really good friends, and as for the game itself it may be a little more spoonfed to the player than others but it's a good game so don't bash it, eaither you like it or you don't.
Its like this, If I want some fast action and instant gratification I play WoW, If I want a deeper more complex experience I play Ryzom.
Night all hope to see you all ingame! :) In Game Name : Foraza

[cloudy97]

You're right Foraza. WoW is very intuitive for a new player which is a good thing (and I had a great guild there, so bad apples didn't bother me too much). I think many vets forget how confusing it can be to edit your first stanza, or track/prospect/extract the first time. You should know how many silly errors I made in the game. Luckily I liked the game and Ryzom is very forgiving for trial-and-error playing as you can't destroy your character build - and people really enjoy answering questions here.

[puppiesk]

Having played SOR now for two months, on the old starter island then NPE and now the mainland i can honestly say the lack of mission/quests in the mainland has not been a problem. The game has so much depth that i'm thinking about the next craft item or were shall i explore next and not how much XP would i get from mission XYZ.

Neverax do need to increase sales to fund ongoing dev/R2 etc and an unlimited trial is a good thing.

I dont think the long term players have to worry that the community will be ruined, the depth of the game play will put off the "bad apple" types.

The NPE experience is very good at teaching the basics for life on the mainland, maybe Neverax just need to word the final teleport to mainland txt with clearer statements, like life will be hard young homin, are you sure you wish to leave the relative safety of the NPE island.

[myseren]

*grabbing the excuse to post something positive with both hands*

Just wanted to say well done to Nevrax on the NPE they have listened to the players and made changes that were suggested, they have brough great new ppl to the game *hugs Pix and Lix*
But best of all, the free trial has ensured that never again should there be that dead feeling of logging to noobie land, there should always be ppl on to give more of an alive feel to the game.
Same with universe, great idea to help noobies settle in, i just agree with other posters that now we need an OOC universe for pointless conversations that are oh so fun :) (anyone guess im 80% socialiser lol?)

[rushin]

Same with universe, great idea to help noobies settle in, i just agree with other posters that now we need an OOC universe for pointless conversations that are oh so fun :) (anyone guess im 80% socialiser lol?)
indeed, and would be great to see a chat channel. I've been called a 'forum nazi' and a few other choice things on a several occasions for asking people to stop incessent chatter about other games/football/etc on universe.

thats fine, i rarely read it now. sure it doesnt matter too much you pissed off one older player that actually quite enjoys helping out newer ones, but when you piss off everyone by being so rude then there will be little point to the channel.

and 'you' not being directed at anyone in particular, hope that was obvious but hard to tell sometimes ;)

[runai515]

A lot of people are reminded of EQ2 or WoW; however I'm reminded more of Anarchy Online. As it's the game I think I'm beginning to transition from. The learning curves in both of these games are very similar--both are steep and the "newbie isle" or "free account" are nothing like the paid versions. At any rate, there are always n00bs and morons at low levels and high levels just as there are always CEOs who really have no idea what they're doing. It is simply unavoidable. But one thing is for sure, the n00bs are usually weeded out by the community as they prove themselves difficult to play with, or in some cases they grow up and learn to behave themselves.

At any rate, I like this unlimited trial. It gives me time to get used to the game controls and game environment. I don't ever expect there to be as many quests in the main game as in newbieland, since most of these quests are designed as tutorials to get you used to how quests are done and what types you'll encounter. And if you notice, most games are like this. My only hope out there that has a potential for disappointment is this: Will the mainland be as laid back as the newb isle is? Anarchy Online is a great game, but I think I'm starting to get so tired of all the pressure to level and raid since those two aspects are required for you to become "ungimped." I hope that SoR is relaxed, that being a little gimpy doesn't really matter...that the word gimpy can't really apply due to the intense level of uniqueness with each character.

[rothimar]

Personally, the unlimited trial is what attracted me to the game, a chance to get a really good feel for the interface, combat, magic, crafting, harvesting, teaming, the missions interface, and see how my graphics card would handle the game without having to pay a dime.

As soon as I realized that Ryzom is the game I have been looking for, I subscribed without hesitation. I played DAoC, ran a guild there for about 1.5 years. I played WoW beta, I played EQ2 from launch until early Feb. of this year, ran a guild there as well. I have tried other games as well, but wouldn't say I actually "played" them.

I have yet to find a game that has a better community than Ryzom, or that can match the level of graphical intensity AND be playable with almost full "high quality" graphics and no lag with the system I have.

The trial island for Ryzom is about 5 times bigger than that in EQ2, much more interesting, and a heck of a lot more fun. I am sure there ARE people who simply stay on the island, but those people group with people like me who go on to subscribe, and offer quality of play to the trial.

EQ2 was released way too early (I would say late alpha, early beta quality) due to the release of WoW, and is full of bugs, over-adjusted statistics, and after 2 years of operation, the still haven't got the thing stable enough or balanced anywhere close to enough. The game doesn't live up to the advertising pre-launch. Heck, it doesn't even match the lore from the first EQ very well. It's a grind game.

Ryzom is extremely well done, in my humble opinion, and the lore is actually interesting. Free or paid account? Who cares... the game is as much fun (in different ways) on the trial island as it is on mainland.

No game is perfect for everyone, and everyone has an idea that they would like to see added to their choice game. It's all about finding what's right for you.

Ryzom is right for me.

[iphdrunk]

Nice post :) although...

EQ2 was released way too early (I would say late alpha, early beta quality) due to the release of WoW, and is full of bugs, over-adjusted statistics, and after 2 years of operation, the still haven't got the thing stable enough or balanced anywhere close to enough

To be honest, this point is more a similarity than a difference, having been around for a while :o To some extent, RoS is like a "second" more polished Ryzom launch, but Ryzom was also launched 2 years ago, it was a rushed release, features were disabled and half implemented, patches changed gameplay elements radically, we endured a "spring clean", outposts were released after a year and no where as much feature complete as hinted. Invasions were put on hold. The rite system was spagetthi code, unmanageable and put on hold until a better system was put in place.

Don't get me worng, things have improved a lot, a Ryzom today is robust and has a lot of features (bugs remain, but more as minor annoyances) but the grass is not greener, and Ryzom launch was not a flawless, perfect one...

Otoh, sorry for raining a bit on your parade.

[cloudy97]

My only hope out there that has a potential for disappointment is this: Will the mainland be as laid back as the newb isle is? Anarchy Online is a great game, but I think I'm starting to get so tired of all the pressure to level and raid since those two aspects are required for you to become "ungimped." I hope that SoR is relaxed, that being a little gimpy doesn't really matter...that the word gimpy can't really apply due to the intense level of uniqueness with each character.

Well, as you can't gimp your character in Ryzom you don't have to worry about that. Getting the "wrong" stanza at levelup is just a matter of getting the right one next time you ding. Building your character has less to do with buying skills at the trainer than combining them into actions (someone said it reminds of outfitting ships in EVE).

Besides, you'll find plenty of folks around that choose to play a bit gimped: they melee in LA pants, cast spells in MA, etc.

[blckbird]

I think it was me who equated stanzes to ship fitting. :)

As a new player I have to say that I really enjoyed playing the RoS as it introduced me to the mechanics of the game in a fun, step-by-step way. It meant that when I did travel to the mainland and join the Dragonblades I was able to play along with their activities instead of hounding them with questions. I still have questions but I like to think they're on the finer points of the game than real basics.

Having said that, I DID do research on the game, mainly reading these forums. I always try to read up on what the players think of the game to give me a better idea of whether I'll enjoy the game or not than the marketing hype. When I read about the lack of quest structure on the mainland I knew that it would probably suit me as I've been looking for something more player-content based like the tabletop RPGs I used to play.

I guess it all depends if a newcomer just plays the trial and relies on that to provide a full idea of the game or whether they delve deeper to get a true outlook on the game. To be honest, I've never played an MMORPG where the newbie areas are anything like the full on game once you get going so I'd say reading forums is pretty essential to judging if a game is going to be right or not. (I got totally stung by Guild Wars by not doing that)

[mugendo]

The NPE introduces the player to the Ryzom experience of the stanza system, the community, the 'living' world, an introduction and understanding of the skill system, an uderstanding that teamwork is promoted, FULL SUPPORT SYSTEM OF GM/GUIDES to assist and answer questions.
When I signed the contract to come to the mainland I knew I was entering a world of diversity, a place of friends where I can participate in intelligent discussion, learn the habitats of the creatures, explore the lands, Quite simply develop my character in any way I choose.
I regard the NPE as a filter to protect ME (the paying customer) from the LEETERZ and GODZ of online gaming.
The players who will enjoy the main will arrive when they are ready, I managed the transition based on the LIMITED trial we had, heck ..I even went back to the NPE as a paying customer...(can I have a rebate for that ?) ;)
And if the trial players REALLY REALLY MUST PLAY THE MAIN....they can try paying ONE month and if it is not for them...what harm is done ?

[mugendo]

anyway, I need to decide on a name. does Umoto or Bonbalan sound better? or are both terrible rp names?

Well Bonbalan has more beat to it ......*jumps onto Drums* :D

Bop bam a lu lop a wam bam boo
Tutti frutti unruly
Tutti frutti unruly
Tutti frutti unruly
Tutti frutti unruly
Tutti frutti unruly
Wop bam a lu lam a wam bam boo

I got a girl named Sue
She knows just what to do
Got a girl named Sue
She knows just what to do
She rocks to the east
She rocks to the west
She's the girl that I know best

Tutti frutti unruly
Tutti frutti unruly
Tutti frutti unruly
Wop bam a lu lam a wam bam boo

I got a girl named Daisy
She almost drives me crazy
Got a girl named Daisy
She almost drives me crazy
She knows how to love me, yes indeed
Boy I don't know what you do to me

Tutti frutti unruly
Tutti frutti unruly
Tutti frutti unruly
Wop bam a lu lam a wam bam boo
Wop bam a lu lam a wam bam boo
Wop bam a lu lam a wam bam boo
Yeah
Unruly
Tutti frutti unruly
Tutti frutti unruly
Tutti frutti unruly
Tutti frutti unruly
Wop bam a lu lam a wam bam boo

I got a girl named Daisy
She almost drives me crazy
Got a girl named Daisy
She almost drives me crazy
She knows how to love me, yes indeed
Boy I don't know what you do to me
Tutti frutti unruly
Tutti frutti unruly
Tutti frutti unruly
Wop bam a lu lam a wam bam boo


I just found my new diety. ;)

[toblakai]

Well, concerning RoS, I am a good example that it was a great move from Nervax side. I did try the SoR trial something like a year ago, and It took me about 3 hours to consider this game a waste of time (well, everyone makes mistakes ^_^ ). When I heard about a free trial, with unlimited game time, I though that I might give the game another try, and this time I was very impressed, have been playing the game ever since. For me if a trial makes you want to try the game, it’s a good one. And considering that Ryzom does not have any activation fee, only subscription one, if someone really doesn’t like the mainland so much, he can quit without wasting any significant money. In my opinion RoS more “typical” quest based gameplay is more appealing to most players (especially those who played games like WoW or EQ before), but also catches some interest by showing you some cool game mechanics. Giving your usual open ended SoR content to a totally “green” player is more likely to scare him off than anything else (being a good example myself ;P ). There are some quests in RoS that we could do without though (your generic “kill bandit leader” being one of them) but overall, RoS is a good trial as it is.

[olepi]

I played the game some about a year ago, and every now and then would log in to look at all the pretty graphics :) I kept paying month after month because I wanted to support Nevrax, but didn't really "play", was not in a guild, etc.

When RoS came out, I decided to try it again, and I didn't like the island. I didn't like the quests, and the directed feel of it. I've played lots of MMORPG's, and don't like the "go to X, get Y, bring it back" type of play. Fortunately, I knew the mainland was not like that.

So I jumped to the mainland in the first hour or two, and just asked if any mature guilds were recruiting. OoTN picked me up in minutes, and I have been extremely happy since :)

Just call RoS a tutorial zone, and it is perfect.

Blackavar

[targosz]

OoTN picked me up in minutes, and I have been extremely happy since :)

*blushes*
And now back on topic- from a perspective of oldtimer RoS are rly great startup to game and I wish something like this used to be long time ago. I tried RoS myself and tho it's very simple for old players, for newbies it's perfect and the most important- i's kind of preselection for members of community- only the ppl "hooked" to game move to mainland and this helps running guilds a bit too (not sooo many dead souls at list hihi) :D