I played Ryzom years ago and had fun but I was trying to solo which was very difficult. 

Lately I have been playing mmorpgs with a group of real-life friends and we are looking for a new game.  Maybe it's time to return to Atys.  I have some questions, though.

1)  How many players can be in a team?

2)  How active is the fight over outposts?  Do they change hands often?  What type of force is needed to take one?  Is this just an activity for the large guilds with maxed-out characters or could a guild of 6 or 8 casual players hope to grab their own piece of real estate (until someone takes it back)?

3)  When I last played the encyclopedia quests were just in the process of being added.  They were incomplete and buggy but still the most interesting thing I did.  Has any further progress been made on this system?

Thanks, Homins!

I just started the 21-day Trial and so far I'm liking it. I can't answer your questions about outposts, but I can say that the quests were easy, informative and fun. I felt like some voice overs would be great.

Pros:

• Gotta love the monster AI.  Monsters will show curiosity to your character, act in playful manners, or hunt other monsters.
  
• Chatting is simple and there are many helpful people to chat with.
  
• A built in MP3 player which is really awesome, but just covers up for a con I'll mention later.
  
• It's easy to get up and running in little or no time. Unlike Darkfall, you are given a sense of purpose right from the start, and then you can decide from yourself what you want to do.
  
• Gathering is fun and addictive.
  
• Combat is interesting
  
• Making your own spells is cool
  
• Controls are more familiar to players coming from other MMORPGs. There are no real steep learning curves here. Unlike Darkfall or Mortal Online, you don't have to spend more time learning how to play the game than you do actually playing the game.
  

Cons:

• Virtually no music. There's plenty of ambiance, but some music would be nice.
  
• Character customization is pretty bad. Each character has one face which can be customized to a degree, but you can't edit anything such as skin color, makeup, etc. You're restricted to tattoos. All the characters look angry for some reason. This might be limited to the trial players. I'm not sure.
  
• You can't map keys to the mouse which I found annoying as I'm used to putting auto-run on my Mouse button #4.
  
• Chat customization is limited. There doesn't seem to be a way to resize text which makes higher resolutions kind of a nightmare.
  

I never got around to grouping, but I imagine it is possible. I didn't get to play as long as I'd like to, but thankfully I have almost a full month to play so I can take my time! So far? I give the game a 6/10. And I do so because I'm a stickler for character customization.

~Miles "Tails" Prower out! Catch me if you can!

Miles your pros and cons are so lopsided toward Pros I find it laughable that you give Ryzom a 6/10.

While I play Ryzom and wouldn't give it more than a 7-7.5 you obviously like the game and your cons proves it.

Almost an insult to give the game a six after that list of pros and cons.

You basically like Everything about ryzom except a few key binding/UI settings and character creation and it gets a 6? heh

Originally posted by Rockgod99

 

Miles your pros and cons are so lopsided toward Pros I find it laughable that you give Ryzom a 6/10.

While I play Ryzom and wouldn't give it more than a 7-7.5 you obviously like the game and your cons proves it.

Almost an insult to give the game a six after that list of pros and cons.

You basically like Everything about ryzom except a few key binding/UI settings and character creation and it gets a 6? heh

 

I quote myself "That's only because I'm a stickler for character customization". To me; character customization makes or breaks a game. If I can't make an attractive character, I'm not a happy fox! Please don't take it as an insult. I think you are takingi the rating too personally.

~Miles "Tails" Prower out! Catch me if you can!

Originally posted by Miles-Prower

Originally posted by Rockgod99

 

Miles your pros and cons are so lopsided toward Pros I find it laughable that you give Ryzom a 6/10.

While I play Ryzom and wouldn't give it more than a 7-7.5 you obviously like the game and your cons proves it.

Almost an insult to give the game a six after that list of pros and cons.

You basically like Everything about ryzom except a few key binding/UI settings and character creation and it gets a 6? heh

 

I quote myself "That's only because I'm a stickler for character customization". To me; character customization makes or breaks a game. If I can't make an attractive character, I'm not a happy fox! Please don't take it as an insult. I think you are takingi the rating too personally.

~Miles "Tails" Prower out! Catch me if you can!

I don't think more options would have helped. the french cartoon type style Ryzom uses basically makes sure you have a retarded looking character.

I'm not taking it too seriously I just think its bloody hilarious how lopsided your pros and cons are. Hell if you didn't give a score people would basically think you gave the game a 8 or 9.

It's like gametrailers giving a game straight 9s and 10s and totaling the score as a 5. You basically laugh, scratch your head and block the reviewer.

Wait...wait. So what your saying is if the game had Aion type character creation and dog shit gameplay/options it would get a good/perfect score?

Because that's what you did basically but reversed.

You gave a game that's damn near perfect a "Stay the fuck away" score due to character creation.

I just think it's hilarious. Not trying to give you a hard time honestly. Your post made me laugh.

Originally posted by Rockgod99

Wait...wait. So what your saying is if the game had Aion type character creation and dog shit gameplay/options it would get a good/perfect score?

Because that's what you did basically but reversed.

You gave a game that's damn near perfect a "Stay the fuck away" score due to character creation.

 

I just think it's hilarious. Not trying to give you a hard time honestly. Your post made me laugh.

No, I'm not saying that at all. I've played Aion and it had amazing character customization, but I still hated the game. You are now resulting to insulting me, and I really think you need to stop and go back to topic here. I'd really appreciate that, thanks.

~Miles "Tails" Prower out! Catch me if you can!

Ryzom's characters dont have make-up. They live in a sort of primitive state in Atys. You can change the shape of the face, tatoos and hair style / colour. You can change their body and height. It offers plenty in terms of individuality imo.

Originally posted by Toquio3

Ryzom's characters dont have make-up. They live in a sort of primitive state in Atys. You can change the shape of the face, tatoos and hair style / colour. You can change their body and height. It offers plenty in terms of individuality imo.

I was under the impression that Ryzom was a futuristic game?

"Ryzom, one of the best ROLE PLAYING Massively Multiplayer Online Game of the moment (MMORPG), is set more than 2000 years in the future, on a living, evolving world: beautiful Atys!"

I could be wrong. I'm a fox, not a fortuneteller!

~Miles "Tails" Prower out! Catch me if you can!

Originally posted by Miles-Prower

Originally posted by Toquio3

Ryzom's characters dont have make-up. They live in a sort of primitive state in Atys. You can change the shape of the face, tatoos and hair style / colour. You can change their body and height. It offers plenty in terms of individuality imo.

I was under the impression that Ryzom was a futuristic game?

"Ryzom, one of the best ROLE PLAYING Massively Multiplayer Online Game of the moment (MMORPG), is set more than 2000 years in the future, on a living, evolving world: beautiful Atys!"

I could be wrong. I'm a fox, not a fortuneteller!

~Miles "Tails" Prower out! Catch me if you can!

Yeah, the Karavan are futuristic, they are from outer space. But as far as homins and the Kami go, they are living in trees and huts in the jungle and desert.

The game has science fiction elements, but every day life on Atys is still dependable on the strength of your arms and the sharpness of your blade.

Originally posted by Toquio3

Originally posted by Miles-Prower

Originally posted by Toquio3

Ryzom's characters dont have make-up. They live in a sort of primitive state in Atys. You can change the shape of the face, tatoos and hair style / colour. You can change their body and height. It offers plenty in terms of individuality imo.

I was under the impression that Ryzom was a futuristic game?

"Ryzom, one of the best ROLE PLAYING Massively Multiplayer Online Game of the moment (MMORPG), is set more than 2000 years in the future, on a living, evolving world: beautiful Atys!"

I could be wrong. I'm a fox, not a fortuneteller!

~Miles "Tails" Prower out! Catch me if you can!

 

Yeah, the Karavan are futuristic, they are from outer space. But as far as homins and the Kami go, they are living in trees and huts in the jungle and desert.

The game has science fiction elements, but every day life on Atys is still dependable on the strength of your arms and the sharpness of your blade.

Fair enough. Thanks for that tid-bit of knowledge. I still think it needs better customization =P

~Miles "Tails" Prower out! Catch me if you can!

Originally posted by Miles-Prower

Fair enough. Thanks for that tid-bit of knowledge. I still think it needs better customization =P

~Miles "Tails" Prower out! Catch me if you can!

Well, maybe add a slider for completely different faces. I'll agree on that. Although, the Zoraï will yell discrimination. =P

Hell I'm with miles, I will not even play a game if i cannot make my character look atleast decent. Lack of customization would make my scoring shoot way down as well.

Originally posted by Toquio3

Originally posted by Miles-Prower

Fair enough. Thanks for that tid-bit of knowledge. I still think it needs better customization =P

~Miles "Tails" Prower out! Catch me if you can!

 

Well, maybe add a slider for completely different faces. I'll agree on that. Although, the Zoraï will yell discrimination. =P

I would be happy with just that. If the characters didn't look like they were super angry or "straining" all the time I wouldn't worry so much..

~Miles "Tails" Prower out! Catch me if you can!

Originally posted by Miles-Prower

I would be happy with just that. If the characters didn't look like they were super angry or "straining" all the time I wouldn't worry so much..

~Miles "Tails" Prower out! Catch me if you can!

Roll a Zoraï, and you'll never have to worry about facial expressions =P

Hell I've quit dozens of games before i even played because the character customization sucked :P

Originally posted by xephonics

Hell I've quit dozens of games before i even played because the character customization sucked :P

I dont think its a problem with insuficient customization. I think its a matter of taste. Yes you cant change the character's face, but you can change its shape and position and size of eyes, nose, etc.

I really like the current faces and miles doesnt. Just taste.

Originally posted by xephonics

Hell I've quit dozens of games before i even played because the character customization sucked :P

Same here, lol. I only continued Ryzom because I managed to make a half-way decent character. I still plan to re-evaluate my score of Ryzom the more I play it. As I said, I have a full 21-days to enjoy it. There's lots to do, and 21-days is probably not even enough to see it all!

~Miles "Tails" Prower out! Catch me if you can!

@Miles

I have no issue with your review.  Why? Because you have made it perfectly clear that character customization is REALLY important to you, and that Ryzom's in only so-so.

Now, I'm also glad that you pointed out many of the great things that I've experinced in the game so far.  I also agree that  you're rating of the game is no big deal, and shouldn't be taken so serious.

For me, I completed my trial a week ago,and put my money where my mouth has been over the past month...I subscribed for 3-months (only about $10/mnth).  Why?  Because I'm finding so many things that Ryzom has done that I've never seen in other MMO's (many that you've already mentioned).  Certainly the game is far from perfect, but the "sandbox" nature of it is such a surprising change for me that I've dropped my two other linear MMO subs.

My favorite feature of Ryzom?

You get to develop your own abilities?  You heard me right...a taskbar full of my own custom skills.  Game over.

Originally posted by angus858

I played Ryzom years ago and had fun but I was trying to solo which was very difficult. 

Lately I have been playing mmorpgs with a group of real-life friends and we are looking for a new game.  Maybe it's time to return to Atys.  I have some questions, though.

1)  How many players can be in a team?

2)  How active is the fight over outposts?  Do they change hands often?  What type of force is needed to take one?  Is this just an activity for the large guilds with maxed-out characters or could a guild of 6 or 8 casual players hope to grab their own piece of real estate (until someone takes it back)?

3)  When I last played the encyclopedia quests were just in the process of being added.  They were incomplete and buggy but still the most interesting thing I did.  Has any further progress been made on this system?

 

Thanks, Homins!

I give you all a 6/10 for thread hijacking :) 

Can anyone who's played the game for a while address questions 2 and 3 ?

Thanks!