All Posts by Sovrath

Are there any differences between the servers, such as one being mostly Euro and Others being more U.S, etc?

Originally posted by ronan32

Originally posted by Sovrath

Originally posted by Zoulz

Hi, i'm thinking of trying out L2 again. I played it for a short while maybe 1-2 years ago, but lost interest due to the endless grinding and what felt like lack of content. I didn't get very far though. Can't really recall what level I achieved, but something around 20.

I have been playing wow since then but figure i'd take a break from it. Wow has loads of quests and dungeons that keeps you interested, though it's basicly grinding anyway. It gives you a sense of accomplishment since you recieve new skills every even level and you always have goals to get to.

Has L2 changed anything in the last 1-2 years? Is it more casual friendly and more wow-ish? I've heard about a coming patch that will make leveling easier, is this true and will it make a difference? Any tips for a starting player?

Any advice is appreciated! 

 

No it is now more WoWish. Yes the new update (coming in August) will help leveling, especially lower lvls. However it is the same game, the quests are not better, you still have to learn the economy and the game is about pvp. So if you are not up to playing an open pvp game where the "game" is the relationships between clans and alliances then you will not like it.

edit: oh, and you have to join a clan and you have to put in the time. This is really what is starting to piss me off about new players. You can't come to L2, grind up to lvl x solo and make a judgment on the game.

The game IS about clan or alliance. You must be a part of that or be a rogue pk'er (very hard but can be done).

Otherwise  you aren't really experiencing anything of value.

 

clans are not very welcoming to new players..they kick you out again after a certain level. how is a player supposed to get into the game if the clans only accept high lvl players...how can we experience the game if the vets are not welcoming to new players..i have played lineage 2 on and off since c5 and never once got a clan invite...because my level was too low.

I think I made a mistake and said "now more WoWish" when I should have said "not" more WoWish. Sure it is easier but doens't come close to WoW.

As far as clans not being open to new players that's not exactly true. First off, there is now a clan academy which gives the clans beneiftis when a player reaches lvl 40. Of course, the academy automatically graduates and "drops" the player. This isn't a bad thing because it allows both sides to revisit whether or not they want to continue together.

And though more competitive clans might only want higher lvl players, there are plenty of clans that allow for lower lvl players. You just aren't seeking out the appropriate clans.

And it is not solely up to the clan to seek you out and invite you. Oh sure there are clans that do this but I see no reason why you can't do research and find a group that would fit you.

This is why L2 is different. the player needs to make things happen and by doing this you start finding larger groups that also want to make the same things happen.

In L2, if you just sit around and hope someone will notice you, no one will notice you. Except possibly a few pk'ers.

Originally posted by Wizardry

You answered your own question lol.If you haven't the time to stay in a party,then you should be playing a single player game.I mean think about it.You don't have time to take part in guild events or interact with other players ,why are you in a MMORPG?The fact is that you can get the exact same thing in some single player games,that even allow you to save your game,and you can play whenever you have time.

So what you are saying (like the other gentleman I replied to) is that you can only imagine one way of "being" and if it doesn't fit into your definition then they should do something else?

Well, I"m happy to say that if a person "wants" to solo an online game and doesn't want to speak with anyone and is willing to pay for the experience then not only more power to them, but  they can actually do that to their heart's content.

Quite frankly, all these players who feel that if others don't follow their ideology on group play and should play solo games or "join a group or leave" all border on the modern usage of the word fascist. Whatever happened to the idea that people are different and that we should all be allowed to follow our bliss in a manner that suits us?

It's really scary that something as harmless and innocuous as a video game invites such a restrictive comment and begs the question how far these people are really willing to apply such thought. Are they as strict on religion, race or sexual preference? Things that have more meaning.

Originally posted by metalhead980

my problem is the majority of players that just solo that i have run into are anti-social and selfish.

they turn a zone that could be exciting by running it with a group and turn it into this boring ass single player game.

makes me feel like im questing next to a bunch of bots when people don't communicate and play together.

While the OP may just enjoy soloing he might not be anti-social and is probably a pretty friendly dude and would group if time permits,

See i have no problem with that its the selfish asses that ruin it for me they play 10+ hours a day and never talk to anyone it makes the game world feel unrealistic.

Its not just those players though games that actually hurt you if you group are part of the reason as well.

WoW actually cuts ur XP if ur in a group and that is a killer to some that dont have alot of time to play.

 

 

 

I'm sorry but you've got to be kidding?

How does someone playing in an area the way he/she wants to play any more selfish than you wanting them to group with you because you feel the area should be experienced "your way"?

I'm sorry they don't have to talk with you. Quite frankly, even when I group, I don't talk a lot because I would rather be plaing then "yammering" away.

Amazing. Just amazing.

Originally posted by Shohadaku

Nothing in ANY mmo hasn't been done before, and no WoW did not innovate MMO's.

Actually, that's not true. The problem is that innovation comes in many forms and is not always recognized as such.

WoW's big innovation is that it took a look at mmo's and what was creating issues with players and then simplified, streamlined, these issues.

And quite frankly they did a good job. Easy to use interface, Quests that make some sense and don't require the player to run all over creating several times for lackluster rewards. Quest rewards that are actually usable by different players so that you can do the quest and get "something" usable.

Easy mode of entry for players new to mmo's. Not having to spend your life playing (though it is very clear that there are "gamers" who do this and feel  that WoW forces you to play this way. This is a fallacy as there is not one WoW player I know who approaches WoW in any way other than casual fun. It is possible to enjoy oneself in WoW and not lose your life.)

LOTRO is close to this but still has some ways to go. I can't tell you how many times i've done an LOTRO quest and the quest reward was of no interest to me.

Originally posted by Amon_Amarth

Yeah I was actually wondering the same thing OP. Was thinking about picking up a copy myself, as the game looks pretty fun.

Do all your research first, check out all the sites (and by that I mean using search then asking pointed questions) and then be prepared to actually and genuinely apply yourself to the game.

It really is the only way to do it. Lineage 2 is what you make of it.

Originally posted by Torak

Originally posted by mike470

 

You're 100% correct.

I logged on L2 for the first time yesterday doing minimal research (besides reading what you gave me) and without proper knowledge, L2 really is confusing.

But, you can't really blame the players.  IF you look at most other games, they hold your hands and take you through all the levels.  Plenty of quests, and a simple view of the game.  Players are so used to being hand-held through all the levels that they find L2 a huge challenge (and it is)....The second a player logs on L2 they can tell it is MUCH different than most games on the market.

 

I wouldn't say L2 is a huge challenge up front, its rather easy now. In fact the entire 1-20 experience is pretty easy. Much easier then games like Vanguard. I mean geez, you have these "helper" NPC's that pretty much explain everything to you. It's even voiced over in some parts.

The primary difference is most games are quest based. That works "ok" for some games although you will not find very many successful quest based games. However quest based usually works very poorly in PvP based games...because no one really cares about the quest.

The grind really has nothing to do with L2, its a barrier and mechanical scale of relative strength, thats it. L2 is a highly social game about clan power struggles. If you don't experience that, then simply put, you didn't get to the actual game. You didn't play L2.

People who like the WoW type games will not like L2. If a player needs Mr NPC to pat him on the head and tell him what a good job he is doing killing his 10 rats, he will not find that sort of gratification here.

So what does L2 give you?

Freedom to behave how you want. Freedom to aspire to power in game...or not. Freedom of action and choice. Freedom to be the good guy or bad.

That a LOT of freedom MMO players simply do not appressiate anymore.

I think this is pretty true.

Though I would say that L2, even with the voiceovers and the "newbie helpers" can still be daunting to players used to more modern games because it is a bit of a veneer of "usability".

For example, you get your newbie helper helping you, you think you are going to collect quests and go along like WoW for example.

But you eventually realize that there aren't htat many quests, And many of them are quests that you do over and over.

Now granted, in the next update, the dev's have upped the XP and quest rewards for new player quests by quite a bit.

But there is still quite a lot of running around and even, as I mentioned, quests that you do over and over and over. However, again, the xp has been upped so mucn that you can shoot up in levels very fast in the beginning.

But again, there is the veneer. Quests start becoming fewer and players become confused. "What is there to do?" "Where are the quests".

As far as how to distinguish one's character, there are several ways but again, remember that this is a Korean Grinder game so you aren't going to have the customization of Aion.

You have tattoos to alter certain stats at the expense of others. usually there are the "standard" tats for a class but some classes like Destroyer or Gladiator have sever different configurations you can create.

Also, when you get your subclass and then level that subclass to lvl 65, you can then apply special abilities to your main class depending on what that subclass is.

In addtion you can enchant certain skills (with a small chance at failure) to use less mana or execute more quickly. You can even enchant some skills with elemental attributes though I know nothing of this as of yet.

If you get your subclass to lvl 75 you can become a noble and there are some neat buffs and perks for this.

As far as "looks" there are a small numbrer of faces, hair, etc. Then you usually have the most used sets of armor or robes. Some classes, depending on the tats and what you are going for, can look different from another player of the same class (like tallum armor to majestic to Nightmare). But again the differences are something like having a destroyer that does more damage or a destroyer that does less damage but is a wall of hit points.

There are many hats, some masks, some hair items or circlets that also help distinguish characters.

As far as pk'ers being friendly to player, uh, no. However there are less pk'ers now then when the game first started. But as has been mentioned, this game is about what you do, freedom to be what you want or try for it at least.

And sure, one can try to become the scammer/pk'er of the server but if you make many enemies you will be constantly hunted.

As far as roleplaying, there are some but this  game doesn't really draw that crowd. In addtion, if you get noticed by a more belicose clan/alliance you might be hunted just "because" you role play.

Originally posted by Zoulz

I really have nothing against group play or guilds. I enjoy playing with others, at least if they are sensible people (wow attracts a lot of "eggheads"). It's just pvp I don't find very interesting. Wow is perhaps not the best game to experience pvp in either though.

Full scale pvp battles in the open sounds quite exciting though, to be honest. It's something I love to try out. But with so many players in the same area, doesn't it get laggy (latency-wise, I mean)?

As ephimero says, it depends on your computer. The characters don't really have a lot of polygons and most of the detail seems "painted on".

Still you can set your setting to low and should be fine.

Originally posted by Fariic

What Sovrath said.

It's a social game.

There are actually a lot of things to do in the game. 
Raid bosses.
Dungeons. 
There's the whole Dusk and Dawn thingy, with the dungeons you do to collect things to give to someone that has an effect on people.  I've tried reading the in game thing a number of times, I still don't fully understand it.  I'm not that social in game.
Fishing.  Much better then WoW fishing.
You could raise a pet.  Most expensive in game pets I've ever had.  Also some of the coolest.  Wolf, dragon, baby ones that heal you. 
Bet at the raise track.
Fight in the arena. 
Harvest.
Seige enemy clan castles.
Kill farmers and bots.

L2 has more content  then it gets credit for.  You just have to want it enough to earn it 
Between 2 accounts I've only managed a mid 40's BD, and a bunch of mid 30's.  It's funny when people complain about leveling today.  L2 increasing leveling, CoX with thier bonus weekends, WoW increasing leveling, you'd think no one wanted to level anymore.  I know I don't.   

 

Exactly!

And people want to experience content? Here's content...

We were at war with one of the more powerful alliances. Our alliance (one I was in a long time ago) was also considered one of the top contenders for power on the server. We had some people killed so we gathered a large force and went hunting for them in the cemetary. Then we heard that a few of them were in the Forsaken Plains area, possibly trying to take a raid boss.

We headed over there, confident we would take them out.

When we headed over the small hills we found a huge force laid before us. The entire screen was covered with the enemy. It was too late as they saw us. We could have run but we headed straight for them. Maybe not enough saw us and we could surprise them.

However, they concentrated their attacks and our force started dropping. Suddenly the mass rez hit us and we tried to regroup but we were too scattered. All of our force was decimated with only a small portion of the enemy affected.

Our mistake, our loss and we retreated to fight another day.

Not one of the "success" fights but that is L2. You don't always win. I coudl tell of the great TOI (Tower of Isolence" incident but that was a success and best told another day.

Originally posted by Deathstrike2

Originally posted by Sovrath

edit: oh, and you have to join a clan and you have to put in the time. This is really what is starting to piss me off about new players. You can't come to L2, grind up to lvl x solo and make a judgment on the game.

 

Chill out a little.  People come and go in MMOs.  If it's "pissing" you off, you're taking a game way too seriously.

I'm usually a chill person but I've been noticing a plethora of players who come to L2 expecting WoW (which I think is a perfectly fine game) they don't do research, they grind trying to approach the game like a more casual game, never join a clan or alliance or actually take part in what the game is about and then they drop because the game "has no content".

The game as more content than most games. It's all player driven.

Though perhaps "pissed off" is a bit strong. Here... "It is a concern of mine that most players join L2 without having done their research and try to apply a gamestyle that would be better applied to casual quest based games. Because of this they get frustrated because they are not enjoying the game in a way they thought they might. They end up dropping and complaining that the game has nothing to offer yet they never participated in the main thing the game does offer."

That might be less intense

Originally posted by Vendayn

It seems pretty common around here...a bunch of people wanting others to play the way they want to play.

First, I do group, and in fact I like to group...problem? I log out every 15-30 min to take a break. I also don't have a lot of time to group because I do other stuff besides sit on my chair 24/7 doing nothing but playing. I can sometimes plan to stay on longer if I decide to group for something, but usually I can't do that.  I usually just stick to PvP at endgame since I can solo in PvP and if I want to group, I can do that to.

 

Okay, so why do I need to play a single player RPG if I solo a lot in a MMO? I've played RPGs from morrowind, to oblivion to countless others...they last 2-3 days and then I am utterly bored of them. No economy, no chatting with people and it gets really boring. I even tried a few final fantasy games and they only last 1-2 days usually. I find single player RPGs very boring compared to MMOs. Just because I solo doesn't mean I should not play a MMO just because you think grouping is how it should be. My first MMO was Asheron's Call, wasn't forced to group once...BUT I grouped plenty of times, I loved having that choice to either solo or group...and I could even get awesome items solo too if I wanted to, I wasn't forced to group to get the "Uber tiems".

 

And the multiplayer part of the "MMORPG" doesn't mean I need to group with others, I've played plenty multiplayer games (for example battlefield 2 and battlefield 2142) and I played a sniper and never "grouped" with anyone, I was on my own a lot of the time.

So why should I go play a single player RPG (which I find they are boring) just because I solo a lot in a MMORPG? And its not just RPGs, I've played FPS/RTS/Strategy games as well, and MMOs last A LOT longer for me than games in other genres.
 

First of all, why do you care what others who have no idea as to how you experiencing things are telling you to do.

Secondly, they don't understand that there are different people in the world and that those different people experience social situations in a "different' way.

Thirdly, there are always going to be people who want to tell you what to do and how to do it. Part of this is because they can't understand any other way, it validates them to have others doing what they are doing, and in some cases might be threatened if they see others doing things differently.

Pay no mind to what others say if it doesn't resonate with what you feel or believe.

If you want to pay 15 dollars a month to log in a character and have it run around in circles or to just view different vistas on your computer then it is your money and more power to you.

Originally posted by Zoulz

Hi, i'm thinking of trying out L2 again. I played it for a short while maybe 1-2 years ago, but lost interest due to the endless grinding and what felt like lack of content. I didn't get very far though. Can't really recall what level I achieved, but something around 20.

I have been playing wow since then but figure i'd take a break from it. Wow has loads of quests and dungeons that keeps you interested, though it's basicly grinding anyway. It gives you a sense of accomplishment since you recieve new skills every even level and you always have goals to get to.

Has L2 changed anything in the last 1-2 years? Is it more casual friendly and more wow-ish? I've heard about a coming patch that will make leveling easier, is this true and will it make a difference? Any tips for a starting player?

Any advice is appreciated! 

No it is now more WoWish. Yes the new update (coming in August) will help leveling, especially lower lvls. However it is the same game, the quests are not better, you still have to learn the economy and the game is about pvp. So if you are not up to playing an open pvp game where the "game" is the relationships between clans and alliances then you will not like it.

edit: oh, and you have to join a clan and you have to put in the time. This is really what is starting to piss me off about new players. You can't come to L2, grind up to lvl x solo and make a judgment on the game.

The game IS about clan or alliance. You must be a part of that or be a rogue pk'er (very hard but can be done).

Otherwise  you aren't really experiencing anything of value.

Originally posted by Thradar

I can promise you I won't touch this game with a 100' pole if it is F2P, has micropayments to unlock features, or has any payment system other than a monthly P2P structure.

Thanks.

I believe it will be monthly payments. However I would not be surprised if there was some sort of method to pay for additonal items. I don't think it will be like paying for weapons or money but somethign that gives cosmetic benefits.

But we will wait and see.

Originally posted by Nadia

Originally posted by Sovrath

Everquest II   launched one month before WOW -- counts towards EQ list
Pirates of the Burning Sea
Vanguard
City of Heroes/Villains (which launched after WoW)  --same game,  an expansion standalone
Ryl (ugh)    - not sure what this is. was this free to play?
Archlord
Sword of the New World  - no Free to play  please-- commercial
The Matrix  
Guild Wars
Tabula Rasa
RF Online
Dark and Light
D&D
Lord of the Rings
Age of Conan

more than I expected

Yeah, EQ2 was essentially the competition to WoW and launced pretty close.

Sword of the New World was initially a commerical Release here (though there was a same product called Grando Espada or some such) and was sold in stores and there initially was a subscription.

Ryl... lol ugh. It was sold in stores, was touted to be a pvp game and offered 1 million dollars for the winer of a pvp tournement. However, it was discovered that there were hacks or cheats and they had to postpone the tournement until they got it fixed.

Yadda, Yadda, Yadda, eventually the game sort of dissapeared.

Originally posted by Nadia

Originally posted by bverji

Originally posted by Nadia

in comparison,

WOW has not faced many new mmo since it launched in 2004

 

What? seriously that's crazy. There have been many...a lot of them very anticipated. They just ended up not being very good games.

I listed 11 mmos that launched *after*  Everquest,  I'll subtract one because Lineage already existed

 

can you list 10 commercial mmos that launched post-WOW?  and if so, what are they ?

(Everquest II) Actually this launched early November and WoW launched late November 2004 so they are essentially a simultaneous realease)
Pirates of the Burning Sea
Vanguard
(City of Heroes - nope launched April before WoW so removed) /Villains (which launched after WoW)
Ryl (ugh)
Archlord
Sword of the New World
The Matrix
Guild Wars
Tabula Rasa
RF Online
Dark and Light
D&D
Lord of the Rings
Age of Conan
Auto Assault

Originally posted by blackhand231

Originally posted by Sovrath

I prefer the new Raven Wings.

The Bat wings were a huge dissapointment to me and I'm glad they changed them.

I'm now hoping that we can change those horrible feet.

 

whats the matter with their feet? lol i think they fit the race really well

Well first of all, they really fit more with the bat wings as that whole package seemed based off of a gargoyle type creature. The Raven Wings are far better and with that change it seems that the 3 toed (and awkward looking) gargoyle feet just don't fit.

In any case, to my aesthetics they look at best silly.

Originally posted by neonwire

The story the game tells is ok but I certainly wouldnt say it is brilliant by any means. The game just feels so restrictive. You simply follow a linear path that is laid out in front of you and you seem to have very little choice over how you play the game. It felt like a very simplified single player game to me.

I sort of wish people wouldn't say this as it is not quite true.

you don't have to do the epic story quests. Now "yes" there are quests and it is the best way to level, but I've maxed my character to 50 and have barely don't any of the book quests. So if one wanted they could just grind or roleplay all they wanted without ever touching the book quests.

I woud say that some areas are restricted if you do't have the quests. This I don't like and I wish they would change it.

Originally posted by Tuck2000

Originally posted by Sovrath

 

Have you played Lineage 2?

It works there. In one guise or another. Granted there are clans that are a bit more democratic but in the end the clan leader is law and has all the power of the clan. not only that, there are clan quests that require the clan leader to do "one thing" and the clan members to do other things. It's all about cooperation. And though I'm not trying to be judgmental, I think that today's games (wow, eq2, LOTRO, etc) have created guilds which really are more like glorified chat channels and less about an actual working organization.

To that point, I once helped out my guild in The Lord of the Rings. It was a quest that was much lower than my character. Afterwards they thanked me and I said "that's what guild members are here for". They laughed and said something like "well, not really". I was floored. An l2 clan would never even hestiate to help it's members. A good one at any rate. or at least one that was ambitious.

Anyone who has done an L2 castle siege, the clan leveling quests, Baium for subclass, etc will know what I am talking about.

It can work and does.

 

I appreciate your belief in what L2 has to offer and in an ideal world it could work for this IP, but they are going to build this for the largest possible player base and I just don't think the clan system would be the most marketable,especially since it is also going to be a console game.  I guess time will tell as they release more info.

That is true. Perhaps it takes a different type of player to fit himself/herself into such a structure.