I'm currently downloading the free trial thing. If I like it and consider buying the game, I was wondering what the Shadowlands are like. I remember reading reviews for it way back in the day, implying that it was a total change in the way the game is played. Do you need to be a particular level to start doing stuff in the Shadowlands?

On RK you could go anywhere at any level (excluding lvl locked dungeons), it was just a matter of going there. With SL there are multiple new large regions but you progress through them based on your level or if you can do the required task for each ring (acts as a pass and buffs some stuff) to move to the next region. Although once you have keys to side gardens/sanctuaries (kinda like towns) for a region you can hop from one to the other but if you got SL after playing a char to 200 and wanted to go to the sixth region you would have to get yourself through the five before it first (could skip the first actually with a Jobe portal). Rather than the grid or whom-pahs there are many statues through each region that you can access from the gardens/sanctuaries of that region and keys can get you from one gardens/sanctuaries to another.

There are no real lvl locks for anything in SL short of some quests and the starter area (can go back in till lvl 50 I think). You could play from lvl 1-220 in SL and never go to RK once if you wanted. SL is mainly for the much better XP and the only place to get SK (Shadow Knowledge, XP to gain lvls past lvl 200) plus of course SL only items. With SL RK would be for getting various items of interest from the different dungeons and quests, tokens plus anything relating to the AI and LE expansions.

The perks, new items, new nanos, new areas and such from each expansion didn't really change how you play, just added more to play with and more options. SL was the first expansion and the biggest by far in regards to game area and only one to add new profs of the three. Closest thing to totally changing the way you play the game would be how a lot of people used the generated missions to level but with SL you will get most of your XP at lvls 1-200 from various mobs outside or in the various static SL dungeons.

Originally posted by Sawtooth

I'm currently downloading the free trial thing. If I like it and consider buying the game, I was wondering what the Shadowlands are like. I remember reading reviews for it way back in the day, implying that it was a total change in the way the game is played. Do you need to be a particular level to start doing stuff in the Shadowlands?

I do not see a total change. you'll need different heals thingys, they are called stims in RK and coils in SL.

no whomphas, but statues, and a couple portals. Those are really the only difference. That does not mean there are not more difference, that just means they are SL exclusive. There are other items that can only be found in SL. Some items (well most) have a level requirement to be used that are from SL, like Symbiant's instead of Implants. There are some nano programs and armor and weapons were your required to have SL or can only be found in SL. But the same can be said of AI, and LE

Some or a lot of people can not handle change, may explain why there was a lot saying there was something like a total change how played, it plays the same. Shadow lands is part of the Storyline, those that did not like are most likely not RP'ers (playing to story line) , [I'm just guessing about that]

as already mentioned, SL has better XP. You can start as a level one, or wait till later.
as the part that was mentioned getting the rings to access next level Zones, after a certain level, you do not need to do the ergo quest, but just talk to Ergo.

basically there really is not much change, just now your going to see where some of the mobs in RK came from (that fell off the Brink into RK), and and where some of Omni Teks Tech came from, oh and  a land that looks differently

To give a more concise answer if anyone else is wondering the same, Shadowlands is essentially an entirely new game that runs parallel with the original Rubi-Ka game.  You can go from level 1 to 200 exclusively on the original Rubi-Ka, you can go from 1 to 200 exclusively in the Shadowlands, or you can do what most people do and hop back and forth between the two "games"

This was one of the reasons for the backlash after Shadowland's release.  Instead of extending the original game, they essentially ignored it and opted to start over and create this new Fantasy world that they tacked on to their Sci-Fi world.  Only in the past year have they returned to the original game, adding new content in the form of the Dust Brigade quests.

(Also of note is Shadowlands adds 20 levels, allowing you to level 220.  You can only go from 200-220 playing in the Shadowlands)

Actually, Shadowlands is  part of the original storyline. 

only problem now is, I can not find my reference to show you that it is  and was always part of Anarchy. I have not read or kept up on the storyline in years, now I just play

The only thing that was questionable, was where did the Erminites originate from. But  any who . . many of the mobs that dropped from the brink before shadowlands  was launched. It was from Shadowlands where Omni-Tek  got it's science from

Originally posted by piith

Actually, Shadowlands is  part of the original storyline. 

only problem now is, I can not find my reference to show you that it is  and was always part of Anarchy. I have not read or kept up on the storyline in years, now I just play

 

The only thing that was questionable, was where did the Erminites originate from. But  any who . . many of the mobs that dropped from the brink before shadowlands  was launched. It was from Shadowlands where Omni-Tek  got it's science from

Yea there are alot of links, The Beast inside Temple of Home, Aztur coming from SL into Temple of Three Winds, but story links doesn't change the fact that SL took a 180 into a fantasy setting, and there are enough fantasy MMOs in the world without turning one of the only Sci-Fi MMOs into one.  

I guess the lack of cities, the emptiness, Ergo's spiel about being the Hero of the Shadowlands (something like that) like you were the only one in the world all just seems kinda out of place in the game.

Why couldn't the alternate dimension been a futuristic wasteland, even more advanced than the cities on Rubi-Ka, with sparse scattered settlements of survivors, instead of looking like thousands of year old primitive temples.  Looks like the Xan skipped concrete and steel, went straight to Nanotechnology then killed each other off, heh.

Ah well, /rant :)

That all said, I still love the game, I just wish they'd taken it a different direction.

Yeah I see what your saying . .

but I guess one could say the same thing  about RK/SL. . why  are there still Sword wielding  classes.

I know when I came back to playing after a (almost) 4 year absents, I thought I would have seen  some of the other spots (maps) in RK opened up. But  they are still the same after 7 years.

I always kinda thought  the main reason  most do not like SL was, it is a PvM map . . any time there are PvP'ers . .  they have a  large disliking  to any thing that takes players away from PvP

If it was 3-4 years ago . . I could probably give you a better answer, I was more into storylines and lore back in those days . . now any more I just game because I am addicted to Online gaming, no rhyme or reason, nor sides or beliefs , as  long as I enjoy what I am doing

Originally posted by piith

I always kinda thought  the main reason  most do not like SL was, it is a PvM map . . any time there are PvP'ers . .  they have a  large disliking  to any thing that takes players away from PvP

SL was supposed to have Notum Wars towers, but they could never get lag issues worked out.  They actually left all the NW stuff in place though, you'll occasionally walk into control areas and in gardens there's a control tower warp pad.

Originally posted by Satertek 

(Also of note is Shadowlands adds 20 levels, allowing you to level 220.  You can only go from 200-220 playing in the Shadowlands)

not entirely true. You can earn SK (shadow knowledge) from killing aliens in either the APFs, city raids or in LE missions. Granted, its a small amount, but it could be potentially possible to get 20 SK levels without going to the Shadowlands....

You'd have to be totally insane to do that tho ;)