Hi, a few newbie observations

[saleema]

Hi all

Ordinarily I would tend not to bother with giving my opinion of a game, especially because I have played for such a short time, maybe 3 days only.

The reason I an writing this is because I think the developers need more feedback from new players, as opposed to feedback from older players.

I have read (lurked is probably more appropriate ) and read quite a few posts here to get a flavour of what Ryzoms community is like apart from the few people that I have met in game (more on that later).

The main impression I get is, this game is in a spot of bother and hopefully when it goes P2P, it will have its act together. The reason I think newer players should present their views (warts n all), is because the game seems starved of new blood, maybe these views will point the developers in a certain direction and make the game more user friendly. Older players have been presenting their views since the game was released no doubt and either the developers have done what was requested, or not, as the case may be.

In the end, the older players have stayed and the newer players havent. So on with show I guess

Firstly, I did play Ryzom back at release, but I left, I seem to recall a horrendus patch that had me getting my ass kicked by Yubos just outside Pyr, when before the patch, I used to level in Fourways. I'm glad to see that this has been addressed

When I first (3/4? years ago) stepped through the gates of Pyr, I can still remember now, the feeling of awe I had, the guards patrolling around, the flames, even the noise of those flames, were some of the most immersive moments I have ever experienced in a MMO. I still remember that day vividly!

So, here I am again, the proverbial bad penny

I didnt spend long on Silan, I didnt figure I needed to, I still had a fair idea of what I needed to do on the mainland and in the old days, IIRC, there was no "Silan" and no real quests. I left there at about level 16 and walked through those fantastic gates again, to be greeted by....

The game is still as beautiful as I remembered and it is still (IMO) the most beautiful looking MMO I have ever played.

I'm not sure, I think its easier to level now, than it was back then, maybe I am more experienced now, I dont know, but there is no problem with the grinding, I seemed to fly through the levels, but there was a problem, I couldn't get any equipment except NPC equipment. I asked about this in Universe chat (great idea btw!) to be told I would have to ask some one to craft me gear as I required it, If I didnt want to use NPC gear.

I asked was there a trade channel, where I could look for these crafters, to be told no, I would have to use Region or Universe chat.

A player called Shredder, read the chat and PM'd me that he would make my amps... for free no less, so big thanks there!
A player called Chaq pm'd me and offered me a beautiful set of armour, again for free! Also put me on his friends list and kept in touch with advice etc. Thank you Chaq!
A player called Drenera offered me a lot of money, I declined at the time, explaining that I didnt think I would be around long enough to spend it, but I did appreciate their kindness, thanks Drenera.

Still pumping through those levels, I was faced with needing upgraded gear, again a trip to the vendors proved fruitless, so I asked in Universe if someone could make me some armour and Nysha came to my rescue, thank you Nysha! Nysha, seems to live in Universe chat, but was kind enough to take the time advise me on certain aspects of the game, which was very helpful indeed, but it put me in a sad predicament, I wanted to pay her for the armour, but she told me that dappers wern't much use and she was happy enough to just give me the gear for free

But, as I mentioned to Nysha, I felt now, like those begger type characters you see in other MMO's , you know, the "GIVE GOLD PLX IMA N00B" brigade, who are anathema to me. I found this quite disheartning, I tend to like to forge my own way through a game (not a solo junkie, but to have a certain degree of self sufficancy), so here I was 200k in gold and I couldn't buy gear, I had to rely on the kindness of strangers, but while I appreciate their generousity, I also do not want to abuse it either and would feel quite embarrassed to hit on them for subsequent gear

Next came levelling, It's easy enough to solo here, as I have said before, in quite a short time, I got something like Lv 35 in Magic and Melee, but I would like to keep my levels comparatively similar, so for three days, I have been asking in Universe chat and Region chat "Lv 20 Helaer LFT".
I would have thought that a healer would be in great demand, from my experience in other MMO's, but not here at this level anyway.

But of course, you need players to heal in the first place, I dont think I have ever seen more than 3/4 other people outside Pyr levellng at any given time, during my tenure there. I saw in chat that one of those nights there was only 6 people in Dyron, which would be my next port of call.

Now of course, an argument can be made, the game is X years old, so the starter areas are deserted, but I am just presenting what a new player see's on arrival in Ryzom and what they have to deal with.

Most MMO's you can be quite self sufficant, you get armour drops, or recpie drops that you can sell in a AH, to buy gear, rinse and repeat, you can augment that income with a trade like mining etc. So you will at least never be naked and most often, have pretty good gear, which leads me to my next point.

I have read here, people giving the idea, you can be whatever you want to be here, you can be a mage, a melee, a healer etc. Technically this is quite true, personally I think one avatar, being able to do all these things, especially with melee complimenting mage skills so well, is great! BUT, you can not do any of these things unless you also dig and craft, so if you want to be a mage, you have to be a mage that digs and crafts, same for a melee or healer etc.

This game revolves around digging and crafting, not the fact you can be what you want to be, now that would be fine, BUT these skills have the same level cap as normal skills, so to be able to craft level 250 equipment, you need to have level 250 dig skills AND level 250 in each equipment piece.

So a Lv 250 mage needs to master at least one digging skill to 250 plus 5x Level 250 armour pieces, Level 250 in amp craft, then jewellery. Faced with that mountain of mastery can be quite a daunting prospect (no pun etc )
Want to be a mage and melee, double your fun and add helmets, yummy!

This I would imagine is the deal breaker for alot of the new players that come here.

The most beautiful gameworld, populated by (IMO) the most beautiful people, everyone helps you, total strangers ALWAYS say hello or emote some sort of greeting, or throw you a heal as they pass by, but its tarnished by the shadow of that hill that looms large in the distance.

This is just feedback, I'm not bitchinh or whining, just presenting what new players percieve when they login to Ryzom

If you have read this far, you need to get our more, but thanks for your patience

The above views may or may not represent the views of Seleema or any persons living, dead, drunk or otherwise incapacitated, no purchase required, terms and conditions apply and are conditional on terms and conditions that may be written or not, elsewhere or somwhere, or somewhere in between, no yubos were hurt in this presentation, but an Izam, mistaken for a turkey did get plucked in error and is currently recieving heat treatment for the injury.

[iceaxe68]

Great feedback! thanks!

I do agree that something is amiss with the inability to purchase gear if you so desire. I'm not sure how to fix it, other than for crafters to put some emphasis on vendoring a range of gear at different levels. They have no incentive to do so, because they are swimming in dappers and crafting a few sets of whatever at a level lower than their max gains them little or no XP.

Maybe we should start a campaign to stock the vendors instead of giving gear away.

It's also true that the starting areas have been pretty empty since the "ZOMG it's F2P" crowd took a hike. Nonetheless, almost any hunting team can use another healer, especially one who poses no threat of nerfing XP.

The problem is that not so many people watch Uni, and few to none are hunting in low level regions. So getting to a higher region and asking in region chat is your best bet. Hopefully this will improve dramatically when SW starts marketing and charging. In the meantime, joining a good guild will help.

Maybe we should start a campaign to get teams to check capital cities for new people before starting hunts.



OK, so two action items for oldies:

1. Put some good gear on the vendors, at a range of quality levels.
2. Find newbies to add to your hunt team.

I'll do it. How about the rest of ya?




OK, now about the requirement to dig and craft...

I didn't really start digging and crafting until my hunting skills were far, far up there. I didn't get rich as soon as crafters, but I didn't suffer either.

I know other people, some with multiple combat masters, who don't dig or craft at all except just as an occasional change of pace.

I also know people who only dig and craft, and hunt only as healers, and that only rarely.

Can you explain more why you feel digging and crafting are required?

[meryan]

Originally Posted by iceaxe68

Can you explain more why you feel digging and crafting are required?

Probably so they feel more self sufficient. Not everyone likes feeling like a charity.

That being said, I will start putting more stuff on the local merchant. Can't make a lot of stuff and definitely nothing up to Q250 but some lower stuff always seemed to sell fast.

[saleema]

Well firstly thanks for not telling me to sod off, if I didn't like the game, it's F2P!!!

I mean, to maintain a degree of self sufficancy, you need to be able to dig materials to craft equipment, if you dont want to have to beg complete strangers for equipment, which in other games is more redily accessible to players

Beg is a very subjective term I know, I just feel like if I dont pay for something, I am not getting it legitimately, or if you will, scrounging it off other peoples labour

[fiach]

Hi Saleema, great post, easy to read and well presented

I absolutely agree with your points, but alot of people do want the current loot > craft component > equipment mechanic to stay as it is, they actually revel in its complexity.

On saying that, what you have written, mirrors alot of what our newer members have been saying.

Most guilds will give random equipment to new players if requested, but I can see how the reticence to ask, can come into play as well.

Hopefully you will stay on, seems like you have a great attitude (not bitching, just feedback ).

Hope to see you in game

[h0lycha0]

Welcome Saleema

I understand how you feel and I would like to see more for sale also as I'm not really a crafter. But in the mean time you might try offering services (such as a care planning) in lieu of dappers to homins that are willing to make you stuff. There is a list of crafters here. (might need a wee bit of updating *pokes homins*) You can also put in orders to people like Jayce.

[acridiel]

Hi there

As a viable solution to the problem of not being able to buy stuff at the vendors:

On Leanon we´ve got a player (players from various guilds, and both factions) driven "guild" of Merchants, that holds a market day each Tuesday. Where older players may sell their crafted items, up to a certain level (100 I think it was), to them and will receive Catalyzers or gear or OP-Mats of various quantities and qualities, which were in turn traded for other gear from those who own a fitting OP.
For more Info on the correct workings of this mini-economy ask "dentom" or "racoonb", it´s their brainchild.

The Merchants will now subsequently sell the traded gear and weapons to NPCs in various locations all over Atys for reasonable prices and voilà Newcomers are able to buy gear at the vendors. And of course they can buy from the Merchants directly too.
(of course, some @§%&+*' buggers aren´t above purchasing their own sells back and re-selling them on the next occasion, but well... *sigh*)

Maybe you could set up something similar?

CU
Acridiel

[iceaxe68]

Originally Posted by saleema

Well firstly thanks for not telling me to sod off, if I didn't like the game, it's F2P!!!

I mean, to maintain a degree of self sufficancy, you need to be able to dig materials to craft equipment, if you dont want to have to beg complete strangers for equipment, which in other games is more redily accessible to players

Beg is a very subjective term I know, I just feel like if I dont pay for something, I am not getting it legitimately, or if you will, scrounging it off other peoples labour

OK, I see. So if you could purchase equipment instead of having it donated, you wouldn't feel like you were required to beg.

Makes sense.

My experience was a little different, in that I quickly joined a guild, and used gear belonging to the guild. It came from the guild hall, and went back when I outgrew it. Then someone else used it. It was never "mine".

Now that I use higher level gear, I acquire my own gear in trade or by purchase arrangement with a crafter or so forth. It is "mine" and I keep it, though I am generous with things I no longer need, and generally put them in the guild hall for others to use.

If I was trying to play solo, it would be rather different.

I'm starting to think that maybe the NPC vendors should pay far, far less for crafted items, at least at higher levels.

[sehracii]

This is exactly why I like to charge for crafts.

Giving equipment away tarnishes the experience for new players, despite the best of intentions.


Stocking the market well is extremely difficult though... there's a million combinations of styles, colors, Qs, boosts, etc for gear.

But, Saleema, if you or any other new player is looking for equipment, go ahead and find me, Sehraci, in tell or in-game mail to place an order!

Feel free to visit my boutique as well!

[petersk]

Great post Saleema. Welcome to Ryzom. I will make a point to put some low to medium quality items on sale in the jungle area for people to buy, or if you cannot get to the jungle yet, send me a tell. I don't need dapper, but would be happy to have someone care plan for me and work off the "debt" that way.. Bartering has always worked well for me..

See you in game!