This was just posted tonight over at the Istaria forums -- the first look at the T2 (level 21-40) revamp that will be a part of the Winter 2009 Content Release for Istaria. To see the Developer's Preview, visit here! 

Sounds like a lot of great new content is coming our way!

Based on the past few days of playing Istaria and reading forums, I agree that the upcoming expansion/patch looks great.
I recommend for all to check the dev's preview

Will there be any development to make combat oriented players more interested? My hub and his friends liked the multiclassing of adventure schools very much, but not the leveling process because the loot from kills are not good for that kind of players, and the total dependency on craft quit their game.  My girlfriends and I  too since I like to play with my hub.  I'm more a crafter but I can see his point.  We have been playing for 3 months but now I can see the guys are really unhappy.

Originally posted by Firende

Will there be any development to make combat oriented players more interested? My hub and his friends liked the multiclassing of adventure schools very much, but not the leveling process because the loot from kills are not good for that kind of players, and the total dependency on craft quit their game.  My girlfriends and I  too since I like to play with my hub.  I'm more a crafter but I can see his point.  We have been playing for 3 months but now I can see the guys are really unhappy.

It seems to me that most of these updates are aimed towards the combat/adventurer. Taken from their announcement:

Second, quests. This update contains more quests than the Dralnok's Doom Update (almost 200 in all!) including five distinct storylines (each with five or more quests) that introduce new enemies to the Peninsula, as well as bringing back old ones and tying them together into storylines that we hope you will enjoy.

In addition to the core storylines for the peninsula, there are also four school/race specific storylines - one for Healing schools, for Mage schools, for Warrior schools, and one for Dragons. These storylines are meant to replace the old quests that were given out by trainers every 10 levels and give an expanding story that ties directly into the world and complements the core storylines for the Update.

Finally, mini dungeons. With this Content Update there will be two mini-dungeons as we are calling them. These are small (compared to Dralnok's Doom) but we hope will still provide a fun experience for players. Both dungeons will contain sights never-before-seen in Istaria including an entirely new monster race that we previewed for you briefly back in July.

ok i'm firen's husband so i post with her account i don't have one here lol

ok please excuse my english not my first language.

ok i play here with guildteam of eq more than 400 in 2004...  my guildteam leave because war fighters side here no good.  too much craft...  everything craft ok i like making plot and craft is ok but no good to play war fighter...  there is no war ok?  if i kill enemies they drop craft loot.  maybe enemies craft too lol.  ok new dungeon not bad but loot the same.  crystals the same and more craft loot...quest the same with same items...there is no fun in making chance in loot.  chance make loot fun i know craft people want their money but why not give chance to make loot fun for war fighers?  all everything the same.  the blighted green loot items why not make numbers transfer to craft items to make better?  that is chance and make war fighter fun to play, ok?  the socialist craft things not fun.  i have 3x100 and craft people don't answer tells they always making plot.  no nothing to buy at shoppe.  you bring more quest and enemies but what about chance to war fighters?  i think people who make this game don't like war fighters.

ok new changes quest coming ok...changes made before i'm not saying this the same but what if same no change for war fighters in chance?  ...we don't want more quest we want loot chance = fun.  not the same everything ok?  we get xp nerf and nerf other thing and always nerf war fighter why?  you make change no good war fighters leave and their craft friends leave too and now you have craft people only making plot 24/7 and not many are playing.  if you make things good only for them this game is no good.

make game good for war fighters ok?

Originally posted by Firende

ok i'm firen's husband so i post with her account i don't have one here lol

ok please excuse my english not my first language.

 

ok i play here with guildteam of eq more than 400 in 2004...  my guildteam leave because war fighters side here no good.  too much craft...  everything craft ok i like making plot and craft is ok but no good to play war fighter...  there is no war ok?  if i kill enemies they drop craft loot.  maybe enemies craft too lol.  ok new dungeon not bad but loot the same.  crystals the same and more craft loot...quest the same with same items...there is no fun in making chance in loot.  chance make loot fun i know craft people want their money but why not give chance to make loot fun for war fighers?  all everything the same.  the blighted green loot items why not make numbers transfer to craft items to make better?  that is chance and make war fighter fun to play, ok?  the socialist craft things not fun.  i have 3x100 and craft people don't answer tells they always making plot.  no nothing to buy at shoppe.  you bring more quest and enemies but what about chance to war fighters?  i think people who make this game don't like war fighters.

ok new changes quest coming ok...changes made before i'm not saying this the same but what if same no change for war fighters in chance?  ...we don't want more quest we want loot chance = fun.  not the same everything ok?  we get xp nerf and nerf other thing and always nerf war fighter why?  you make change no good war fighters leave and their craft friends leave too and now you have craft people only making plot 24/7 and not many are playing.  if you make things good only for them this game is no good.

 

make game good for war fighters ok?

I don't play Istaria, only played for a little while, but I personally like the IDEA of a crafting-centric game. Combat-centric MMOs are everywhere and their communities are not the kind I like being a part of.

It just stinks that I can't appreciate Istaria. It's the only game that I like, in theory, but the execution of the idea was just too clumsy for me.

So if making it more combat-focused saves the game, I'm all for it. I'm just going to wait until a game LIKE Istaria comes out, but with a 2009-2010 level of polish.