Neverwinter Online

[Lexx]

By now I came to the realization that pretty much every MMO is the same and offers the same lame "don't even read the text" fetch-quests and monster grinding. The last MMO that I've played for around 3 to 4 weeks was Fallen Earth, because I liked the setting (in the first area) and the crafting. Until I once again realized that the whole game is nothing else but senseless grind.

 

Even FOnline: 2238 / Ultima Online was better, imo, simply because it offered a very tensed feeling due to pvp everywhere and full loot.

Edited December 15, 2013 by Lexx

[Keyrock]

By now I came to the realization that pretty much every MMO is the same and offers the same lame "don't even read the text" fetch-quests and monster grinding. 

Correct.  The only MMO on the horizon that looks like it may change the formula even in the slightest bit is Everquest Next, hence why it's the only one I have even the slightest bit of interest in, though I have a sneaking suspicion that it's grand promises of turning the genre upside down will turn out to be just candy coating atop the same old tired MMO formula.

[LadyCrimson]

It's the only MMO that has held my attention any length of time.  I can't explain why.

Pretty much.

I liked (very early) WoW, and I like NWO. Although, "like" NWO is probably the wrong term. It's more like I enjoy its task orientation. In neither game, however, have I liked the so-called "MMO endgame grind." I usually focus on other things than that. I like being able to drop in for 20 minutes and drop out again.

 

I do know, however, that in both games what I liked the most was being able to play solo and ignore the social aspect. eg, kinda like playing Diablo if Diablo had a huge, persistent open world instead of a cramped, 100 monsters per square foot world. I like to wander. (NWO isn't anywhere near as open as WoW tho - but it has more things to collect ).

[LadyCrimson]

Been trying to save up all my diamonds for the Festival period, knowing I'm likely to want to buy multiples of anything that's not BoP from other players (vs. me grinding 8 hrs a day every day for 2 weeks...). So I found myself a bit dismayed when I somehow accidentally upgrade a healing companion on a hardly-played alt, whilst meaning to upgrade a runestone she was wearing. 300k, poof. There was no confirmation message, just suddenly "congrats, you've upgraded your companion!" I was all WHAAAA?? Guess my finger slipped, or I was asleep. Oh well. Not a huge deal for me, but still annoying.

 

I've tried to give the new refining system a chance, but it still feels needlessly complicated, and more importantly, a lot more time consuming per stone unless you spend lots of diamonds to rush it.

[Keyrock]

Wait, how is it that they're having a Winter Festival?  I thought it was Never Winter.

 

 

[LadyCrimson]

^ Hahaha.

 

...after taking a bit to experience the race and the monsters on the ice contests, then doing the stuff to craft a purple fishing pole, I wore out my finger pressing 'F' every 5-10 seconds to get fish to turn in for the Lights. I want that healer Fawn, darnit. More than one. Almost 1000 Lights so far...20 days ... should be no problem. Could use a F key mash macro tho....

 

Epic pole+bait =fastest way to get the Lights. Especially if you win the fishing contests. Which seemed entirely too easy for me to do. I started losing a few just to let others win sometimes.

 

Race got boring before too long. Fighting the monsters on the slippery ice is a pain in the butt (tho funny), especially for melee I hear. But it's hilarious watching your companions slide around or waddle super-fast!

[Keyrock]

The racing is awesome.  It's like power drifting the entire time.  Really great on my pig mount.  Monsters on ice is awesome.  It is indeed more difficult for melee, but I don't care, it's hilarious.

 

The only thing I really want out of this festival is the mimic companion, and I'll get that easily with minimal effort.

Edited December 20, 2013 by Keyrock

[LadyCrimson]

I'm close to 2000 Lights of whatevertheyare.....taken a few breaks here and there. Not sure I'll get to 3200 before I crash. Probably not.

 

Diet Dew and beef jerky pooowwweerrrrrr!

[LadyCrimson]

*blinks bleary eyes and tiredly flexes WASDF (especially that F) hand*

 

TOTALLY WORTH IT

 

[Keyrock]

Lady C, you are a hopeless collect-o-holic.

Edited December 21, 2013 by Keyrock

[LadyCrimson]

Totally!

 

Probably another reason I like the big Festivals. I'm not the only OCD weirdo in town, then. Hehe. At least 5 or 6 of the ppl I'd chat with had one even before I did and oodles of others half way there.

[Keyrock]

I'll get a fawn eventually, I have a long way to go.  The mimic is what I want the most, but that one will take 15 more days.  No way around 1 star per day to the best of my knowledge.

[LadyCrimson]

I'm constantly amazed how many people don't understand the concept of a 24 hour Daily reset timer, even after you tell them about it. "But it said 8 hours when I did it, so you can do it 3 times a day!"

 

Purple fishing rod+blue bait = 150-250 Lights a day. After getting the first fawn, I'm mellow about it. Still going to try for 3 at least tho. They rock as companions. Regen value can be very high. Much better/more useful than the summer's pig pet...especially if you're a non-Cleric class I'd imagine.

 

Oh and Keyrock - your Xmas avatar is the bomb.

[Keyrock]

Oh and Keyrock - your Xmas avatar is the bomb.

Thanks.  I was torn between Santa hat and reindeer antlers, I went with the hat.  I wonder if you could fit a Santa hat on top of the cat on top of the Beefeater? 

 

I just got the Rod of Ultimate Fishing +5 earlier today myself.  I only have just over 500 lights so far.  I'll still easily get the fawn pet before all is said and done, but I don't have the patience to grind out more than one, plus I put in some time each day doing the daily Dread Ring quests.

Edited December 22, 2013 by Keyrock

[LadyCrimson]

I wonder if you could fit a Santa hat on top of the cat on top of the Beefeater? 

I had contemplated attempting just that some days ago. But ... I is lazy.

 

If they double the Light rewards like they did with the petals in summer, getting one fawn should be no problem for most players. I'm sorta counting on that to let me get multiple fawns without spending more than 2-3 hrs a day or so. Calender says rewards increase, but not sure if actually doubled. Most likely tho.

[LadyCrimson]

Btw, Keyrock - I'm going to end up with something like 10 Mimics so if you wanted a 2nd one (and the mid-Festival doesn't let you get more than one, in some fashion) for an alt let me know.

 

Fishing for a 2nd fawn is going pretty slow. I spend more time jumping off the sled-ramp over the lake than fishing, lately.

[LadyCrimson]

Why are people selling the Greater Stone of Healing for 70k ad when exchange rate wise they're worth more like 580k+ AD? Are they free somehow, now? Not that I'm complaining. *snaps them up*

 

Might get to try an Epic dungeon with a fellow who claims to know how to solo the end boss (glitches him I suppose). Guess he wants a cleric along. Told him I couldn't promise I wouldn't just die a lot but whatever. I'm game, if only to see it a bit.

[Keyrock]

I jumped all the way across the lake 

 

 

Edited December 27, 2013 by Keyrock

[LadyCrimson]

Darnit, that's a huge companion sale. There aren't too many companions I'd actually want from the Zen store, but there's a few. Have my 2nd fawn, halfway to a 3rd but totally lost motivation to fish now. Saving my fish, maybe double rewards will get me there.

 

Have you gotten to the top of the tall rock formation, Keyrock? If you land there there are two torches that light up. I hit the right spot only once so far with my DC, but mislanded the angle and ended up on the ledge just below it (the 1 in the pic) instead of where the torches are (2). I haven't been able to replicate it since and land there. Driving me crazy, heh.

 

[Keyrock]

I'll try to see if I can get to that ledge.  This is exciting.  Trying to reach places that are seemingly unreachable is one of my all time favorite video game activities. 

[LadyCrimson]

I think GWF have it a bit easier because of their major run speed boost. I might try it with mine.

[LadyCrimson]

Dangit, it *is* much easier with the GWF. That is totally not fair. But I know other classes can get up there, I've seen it. So I'll keep trying with my DC. Maybe one of her skills would be helpful...

 

 

[Keyrock]

Yeah, it's a piece of cake getting up there with a GWF

 

 

In fact, were it not for an invisible wall, I'd jump over that rock outcropping entirely 

 

Edited December 27, 2013 by Keyrock

[Luridis]

Never even considered it this... P2W is out for me.

 

http://youtu.be/u1eCG8JeXEw

[Keyrock]

Never even considered it this... P2W is out for me.

 

http://youtu.be/u1eCG8JeXEw

This guy has very little idea of what he's talking about.   

 

These things you can get by paying money to get lockboxes or buy items outright:

 

Mounts: Provide basically zero advantage to you in the game.  They let you travel a bit faster, that's it.  Considering each area isn't particularly huge this is something that gives you a little bit of convenience but does absolutely nothing for you combat wise.

 

Companions:  They help, a little bit.  They don't make a huge difference.  You'll most likely be dismissing them for Epic Dungeon boss fights anyway since more characters means more adds.  Companions are mostly useful in solo play, but solo play is a piece of cake anyway.

 

Weapons and armor:  Whatever weapons and armor you can buy through the Zen store or get from lockboxes are garbage.  All the best weapons are gotten from Epic Dungeons.  Now you can buy Zen and convert the Zen to Astral Diamonds to buy the weapons and armor that way, but frankly it won't take that long to get them yourself or earn the astral diamonds from questing and profession tasks.  It will take you a bit longer to get this gear, but not THAT long.

 

Experience boost items:  Worthless.  You level so fast in this game that it's laughable that anyone would really need experience boosts.

 

"You'll never be able to catch up to the people that consistently spend money":  While that may "technically" be most likely true, in practice you can get so ridiculously close that the difference is negligible.  The reason being that as you raise stats really high you get diminishing returns.  Once you pump your stats up to a certain level, increasing them at that point makes a minuscule difference.  Case in point, I have all at least Rank 7 enchantments in my gear.  It took me a while to get those, but not ridiculously so.  Someone who dished out a bunch of money might have all rank 8s or rank 9s but the difference to the character would not be that significant.

 

Real life experience:  I have a level 60 (max) Great Weapon Fighter.  I have spent $25 on this game, and that was to buy a mount (which I don't even use any more because the pig I got for free is cooler) and some fashion stuff.  None of that aided me in becoming more powerful in any way shape or form, I bought it because I felt I should pay something to the developer publisher considering all the hours of playing time I had gotten out of the game.  Had I not spent a single dime, my character would be every bit as powerful right now.  I have all the top level gear for my character and a full set (actually 2 full sets) with max bonuses, and a bunch of powerful enchantments in my gear.  I can run any Epic Dungeon with a decent group and easily hold up my end of the bargain (I'm consistently best or second best in DPS).  Had I spent $200 dedicated solely to making my character more powerful, my character would be marginally more powerful right now, as in I might have a 39% critical chance instead of 36% critical chance and 13.5% life steal instead of 12% life steal.  Whoop-de-doo.

 

Bottom line:  You can absolutely progress to maximum level get top level gear and have a completely viable, powerful end game character without ever spending a single penny, and it won't take you forever.

Edited December 28, 2013 by Keyrock