So cool that you're thinking of returning.  Be sure to contact Virtrium with a support ticket so that they can add some trial time to your account once you get everything downloaded (support.istaria.com).  That's probably the first step toward a good way to get restarted.

My second piece of advice is to not dive right in with your old characters, but to start a new character and play the game at least through until you get to Bristugo and do the quests up to the 30's.  There's been so much that has changed in those levels, and more changes with every patch, that depending on where you left your "old" characters and how long ago you played, you may feel so lost that it's frustrating to just try to return and pick up where you left off.  Loot was even recently revamped so that players get both new types of loot items and can get coin faster when they want to be hunting just to get enough coin to buy what they want (be it a plot or gear).

Remember that Istaria is a very cooperative game, so one of your best bets is to join the chat channels in game and start talking to people there.  You should soon find a group of people that are online and playing at the same time you are and have probably created a guild.  If you do, building in a guild community is the absolute cheapest way to get a plot.  But there are non-guild plots all around the world that vary greatly in price depending on the size of the plot and how far it is from a portal.  

With the recent portal revamp, for example, the island of Genevia may have just the size and price of plot to fit your needs, and is much easier to get to now that Genevia is a "second hub".

The other thing to note is that depending on how long ago you left, many quests have been changed, updated, etc, in the last few years, so if you do decide to play your old characters, start by cancelling any quests you have active because the quest has probably changed since you played last.

And again, the best piece of advice that anyone can give anyone who has recently returned to Istaria after being away for even a few months is to join the player chat channel that has the highest number of people online (this is usually Marketplace and New Player) and start talking to people in game.  Istaria has one of the best (if not the best) communities of any MMO out there and it is the players that have built that reputation. :)

Istaria is "the dragon game" as someone mentioned abovve.  It has also been called "a crafting game" and "a housing game" and "a sandbox game", and a whole host of other descriptions that try to classify it.

Only those who play a game for it's graphics tend t call it "out-dated", as the game does use the same graphics style that it did when it was first released.

To be quite blunt about it, your best off trying the game and seeing for yourself what you think of it.  Because it does have the option for you to play for a long time for free (so long as you create just a human character), you can take as much time as you would like to check out and explore the game.  If you decide you like it, or want to try a dragon character (which plays very differently from a biped character), you can add a subscription for a month and try a dragon too on the same account.

Really playing for yourself is the only way to really know what any game is like and if it fits what you are looking for.

Hi there,

I'd suggest that you post your questions on the Istaria forums, or submit a support ticket wtih them because I'm not aware of any quest with that name.  And it sounds like the backpack question is one that should be explained as part of the regular tutorial.

Another great way of getting questions answered quickly is to join the New Player chat channel in game.  Usually players in game will offer to help with items you need or quests you're trying to do if you ask.

As Dalimond isn't the right content range for a level 20 something character, you won't be offered quests by hanging out there.

However, I'd like to suggest that the best thing to do is join chat channels and talk to the players in game with you at the time they are playing.  This is usually the best way to find out what's going on, or get help when you are stuck.  Istaria is a very social game, so if you don't communicate with others while online, you'll often feel lost and alone out there in a great big world. ;)

No offense intended toward the great people on these forums, but this is the sort of thing that should be handled by contacting Vitrium itself via a support ticket.

You would use the same login that you created to access the game to get to support.  The website is support.istaria.com.

Works with my Vista machine just fine.

 The thing about a model like what Turbine has done is that they base their business model on frequent "must purchase" expansions.  Turbine has a large enough development team that they can be working on large enough expansion packs to put out a couple times a year that players who want the new content must pay to purchase.  What's been interesting to me to follow is how with the most recent such expansion (Mirkwood), the marketing has seemed to be getting a bit more "desperate" than happened with, say, the Moria expansion.  Don't get me wrong, I love their "once and done" subscription offer, and took advantage of it right from day one.  But they've also gotten quite a bit more out of me money wise since then that I'm still not quite sure that I've actually "saved" anything in the time I've been playing.  I'd have to calculate months played times normal subscription fee, and compare that to the initial outlay plus the expansions to know for sure, but at this point I think Turbine and I are pretty even, actually.

Hmm... interesting thought.

There are two options here if you have a character created already.

1) There is a launcher in your install folder that you can use instead of the website.  It should say HorizonsLauncher.exe.

2) You can use IE and try changing various check boxes.  For example, if .NET is checked, uncheck it.  Or vice versa.  Some people find help one way, some another, and I can't seem to remember which is which.

If you have no characters, right now you're stuck with just the internet explorer option, I'm afraid.  That's currently the only way to create a new character.

If none of these things works, submitting a support ticket should get you a response and some help from CS.  I've found them to be pretty prompt in their responses, or you could post on their forums and get help from the player community there.

With all due respect, I have to say that you are sadly mistaken.

The proof, however, is in the patch notes.  There has been more than "just bug fixes" for months now, in all areas.

Ok, I'll bite, Hadesprime...

Who are the "good developers from Tulga"? ;)

Just a thought:

They said in their latest interview that they will be working on a tier 2 revamp after they complete the tier 6 Labyrinth.  So the developers seem to be well aware of the fact that the game needs content and changing post level 20.  While it is great to evaluate it at any level, in fairness to Virtrium when they've said "We are going to revamp this", it is better to look at what they have done and evaluate based on that.  So a much more accurate assessment of Virtrium's work would be to say "How is the game between levels 1 and 20?" and how are the things that they have changed and developed.

Bobfish, are you a member of his staff?  Is that how you know this?  Because thus far what I'm seeing are unsubstantiated claims made by you.  You can't back up what you're saying with a link that shows where he's saying this,  nor do I see any other proof.

Compare that to the current owner of the company very clearly posting on the Horizons forums that this is not the case.  Compare this to interviews done with the current owner on this site, and others, stating not only who he is in connection to the game, but why and how he invested in it.

Until I see some real proof, my feeling is "nothing to see here".

Realizing that curiousity killed the cat, and my little Saris hide is probably in danger for just asking this....

Where did you see him say that?  How recently?

The current Community Manager posted a response from the owner himself on the Istaria forums.

community.istaria.com/forum/showpost.php

Quote for those who do not want to follow the link:

I just called Rick and here's what he had to say:

"Ridiculous - that doesn't make any sense. Even if I was not the new owner, and I really am the owner, it doesn't jive with what happened over the year. Some of the highlights of EI's stewardship of Horizons: bridges burned with the previous development staff, one year of minimal game development, significant billing problems, legal issues with vendors, and I've even heard of state legal issues. And what happened? A very troubled player base and a game in jeopardy of collapsing. The only way for Horizons to recover was for me to step in and fix the billing system, re-build a development team, start releasing updates, re-establish an honest and sincere relationship with players and move forward separate from EI. We got the ball rolling on all these things in a 6 week period - I barely even remember doing it because it was so intense - 14 hours a day, 7 days a week. If EI was capable of doing these things, they would have done them at some point during their tenure - but they didn't. The players and the business suffered for it.

Fact is, the people involved with Horizons - the people developing the game, the people working on the technology, the people handling business, the people taking care of marketing, the people doing legal and accounting - all these people, every one of them, care about the game and its players. Some are previous Horizons developers, some are new - but nobody from EI, New Game World, Pixel Magic, or any of those other companies is involved in any way, shape or form."

Well - there you have it. And let me just say that as I was madly typing his response, there was more than a little inflection in his voice.

___________

So there's your answer for any who wondered.

This comes from a discussion I had with a friend of mine over the weekend.  Got me to really thinking...

Why do people play MMO's?  (As opposed to a roleplaying or simulation game?)

For me, it's the socialization and the ability to bring change to the game world.  I enjoy a game best when I'm an active part of the community, especially if that includes being able to communicate with the developers to effect change in the game.  No, I don't want them to always make a game "my way".  That's not what I'm saying.  What I mean is that I like to know that in some way I've left my footprint on the games I've played.  Some of the games I've liked best are those where I can build a part of the game world, where I can set up a shop and be a trader.  The next biggest priority for me would be the storyline.  To have a game where I can experience a story written by someone else and use that experience to create a story for my own character.

So, I'm curious.  Why do you play an MMO?

Hands down the answer is Horizons.

While I know some who read this will strongly disagree with me, the game has had a VERY rocky history since release, but things are looking up for it.  It is also considered to be the best crafting game by any who have tried it even if they feel everything else about the game is sub-standard.  (Look for the interview with Rick Simmons, the new owner, on here to see what the game's future holds.)

So why is Horizons the best? 

First, you can level as many different crafts as you want on the same character.  Many of these classes are linked so that when you raise one, raising the others becomes easier.

Second, you can own your own plot of land, design the layout of it and build on it yourself.  You really are a part of the game world and leave a lasting mark.

Third, many of the past events in the game, and much of the game world itself, required crafters.  No other game that I know of (and I've played a lot) lets you build world structures such as bridges.

Fourth, the UI for crafting is one of the most imitated in the industry, and as they say, imitation is the best sign of flattery.

Fifth, because of the system of formulas and techniques, even the most inexperienced crafter can be different from the crafter leveling up next to them.  You may be able to make armor that adds to strength because you have that technique, but the person next to you has dexterity because they have that technique.  Also, you gain items needed for crafting while adventuring and killing mobs (that's where technique components come from).  The adventuring supports the crafting, something that is again often imitated in other games now.

Last, you won't find a more helpful player community than is in Horizons.  You'll find parts of the community in other games which are as helpful and willing to get you started, but as a whole, Horizons has one of the best communities I've ever experienced in any MMO.  When you do join the game, introduce yourself on the forums (http://community.istaria.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=74), ask any questions you may have already, and you'll be answered within a very short period of time by multiple people. ;)

I could go on and on, but from a purely "make change to the world" standpoint, Horizons beats all others hands down.  And lest someone think I'm viewing the world with rose colored glasses, I will admit that right now the player based economy is struggling.  Keep in mind that the game has been live for many years now, so the majority of players are high level.  This means they don't require armor, weapons or other gear because they either already have it, or know someone who can make what they need (or often can make it themselves.)  Making money crafting and selling to other players is difficult if you want to make gear.  On the other hand, if your goal is to build structures and help others develop their plots, you'll be able to make coin hand over fist right from day one.

I've experienced crafting in Eve and found it way too difficult to learn and become a part of the society, it is too established of a game and there's no "niche" for new players.

I played AO for a long time, and did crafting there as well, but it's so complex it made my head hurt.  And there wasn't any way to leave my mark on the world, crafting was all gear centered.

WoW, EQ and EQ2 weren't hard systems to learn, but again, crafting was centered all around items and gear (at least when I last played).  Ryzom was just an odd game all around as far as I'm concerned.  I tried crafting there, but there didn't seem to be any logic to where to find the resources I needed, and it was just frustrating.

Vanguard I played at release and it seemed ridiculous to me that you spend hours and hours and hours grinding on items that no one can use in order to level and be just another (insert crafting class) in the crowd.  There was nothing unique or special about what I can do.

I know I've rambled on for a long time now.  I hope you've stuck with me.  When you do decide to join Horizons and give it a try, come to either server (Chaos or Order) and join the Marketplace chat channel.  It's a great place to get to know your fellow crafters and see what's happening in the crafting world.