R11 Level Griding

I already resent the level grinding.

I understand that we needed to do it in R11 to test it out. I understand we'll continue to need to test this out. But leveling is probably the worst part of these games for me. I hate it.

So now that I'm level 35, the last thing I want to have to do in TESTING is grind away in R12 or R13...

So what I'd like to see is persistence in R12 and beyond that gives me credit for level 35. If there's a wipe, I still start at level 35. When we launch, sure set me back at zero. But don't make me grind again until launch.

Please. It's the worst.

 

I'm torn on this; I did spend a lot of time in plate running around gaining xp BUT I also learned a lot about how things actually work. I'm assuming changes will be made so re-learning that will most likely be worth it.

The nice thing about R12 on is that we'll have persistence, so I don't mind running around in plate again re-gaining my level just to re-test the various skills (much was learned as I never really played a melee guy before). Would love some kind of recognition (all I got was a lousy level 35 t-shirt) but so long as persistence stays, I'm good with re-doing it. It's NOT something I care to do over and over so please make sure the "always on" switch will be thrown.

 

Well that is pre alpha for you and beyond. It is necessary to wipe when they need with so many changes and additions coming into play as they create this game.
We can do it and then one day we'll say 'whew' I'm glad that is over.

 

I'm with you on the grinding bit, it was quite the chore. But well... the Devs need the data and feedback to make a more awesome game

So I'll bear with it for now, I wish I could build a giant trophy with all those elf ears after release.

 

More like I'll find something better to do. I've never played EQ or WOW in my life. Do you know why? Because level grinding is for chumps.

I don't mind doing it once to test, and once at launch. But I'll just blow it off going forward until launch if I'm forced to do it. I'll just be really bad at everything, that's ok with me, at least I'm not on a treadmill.

 

And I love the level grind. I'm a "journey" type guy. I like getting to the cap. I rarely do much after I do, so I hope this game will have enough to do to keep me going after the cap, but yeah, if they didn't have a level grind in this game, I wouldn't play it. It's needed for testing. If you don't want to go through the grind, then don't do the pre-release stuff. Even though we are paying to get in early, it's still expected that we will help test by grinding through the content over and over until it's live. If they wiped my character(s) after live, THEN I'd have an issue.

 

Well not to be singled out as being a chump lol. Some people like to level and do the typical stuff in most games. They have said that this game won't be like other games, and still people will want to do what they want to do. I advocate for this game to be special and unique in all the ways it possibly can. I am for it to have tons of things to do other than level. Challenges for us to do treasure maps, fish, roleplay, etc.

 

I'm not singling anyone out as a chump.

Perhaps a better way to explain it is like this. I'm an extremely introverted person in real life. I don't really like people, they're annoying and stupid and have all kinds of expectations like "small talk" and other social norms that seem like a tremendous waste of time to me. But I do realize that I'm not considered normal.

But that doesn't mean that if the world tries to make me become more social I won't resent it, or I won't fight against it. I'm just not that person and no amount of extroverted experience is going to make me want to be the center of attention. Extroverted people don't understand this.

And like extroverted people, those players that enjoy level grinding will probably never really understand why I hate it so much. They'll probably never understand the enormous amount of energy it takes for me to "grind" in a game without losing my mind. It's just not who I am as a player.

That's why I'd really enjoy if the devs could find a way for me not to do it again until launch. I've put in my time.

 

I consider it character development. Once there are no more levels to gain...for me...the game is over. I always want something to shoot for. I don't consider it grinding...and I don't consider it a chore. I especially love it in crafting/harvesting where my skills keep improving with skill gain.

I hope this game doesn't give us an end game...I want to have a game that lasts and lasts!

 

@Baron Drocis Fondorlatos. lol well I understand and I do wish for you not to have to level if you don't want to. I was not offended by thinking you were calling me a chump, I am self confident that way
A person who loves to do leveling might think something.

I have my moments to want to be by myself which is more than it used to be, I have moments of social butterfly, and once I'm in a social setting I am in the moment in it. Hopefully our game will have elements in place to allow the freedom to be a loner if you want or to group if you want, but not be forced to group, like Final Fantasy XXIV which forced you to group up for certain class advancements to happen.

 

Yeah, a lot of people think like that.

I'd be fine not having experience points or levels at all. I have the most fun when I'm running around getting into trouble, adventuring, interacting with other people in the game in meaningful ways. The stats, the levels, those accomplishments, they really don't mean much to me other than I don't have to worry about getting to that point ever again.

 

Well I enjoy exploration, crafting, shopping, and making my character into a master at those things

I do not enjoy the grind of combat myself, but I do it because it's a necessary part of exploring. Gotta have some power to those spells or I can't explore and find wood for that new furniture I'm trying to craft.

Tis true everyone has their own way of playing. I don't think of improving my character as a grind. I think of it as fun.

 

No one is forcing you to test nor to do combat.

 

Good point. Doesn't help my situation any though.

I'm just providing feedback. The grind isn't going to be fun for me in any part of this game, not during testing, not leveling, not when they put a special grind expansion together 5 years from now.

Ya know what else no one is forcing me to do, pledge. No one is forcing me to "have fun" either.

I could just "take a break" and not test. That's a great way to get the most value out of your testers, whenever they dislike something you just tell them that no one is forcing you to do it so what's your problem?

Like if we wanted to test pvp by forcing everyone that tested to engage in full loot open pvp everywhere. I'm sure that would be appreciated. And hey, for anyone that said they didn't like it, we could just say "no one's forcing you to test". Problem solved.

 

Not only the grinding but the fields of wandering wolves, skeletons, elves... Bit weird.

 

The best way you can use your level 35 is test it out, I'm only level 12 so I can't test out all the skill trees, but you can test them better than me, with that knowledge you can keep, so the knowledge of the skill tress is yours, if you see bugs don't forget to report them, wiping will always happen from release to release unless they specify otherwise.

 

Yeah, I get that. I'm not asking them not to wipe. I'm saying why not wipe the servers and then give me back 35 levels.

I'll sill test and report bugs if they don't do that. But what's the harm in doing that? To me, I don't gain anything or offer anything in leveling over again. The best way to test is to gain new knowledge and skills and apply them to different and fresh ways of playing the game. I can't really do that if I'm spending all my time re doing everything I've already done.

Again, this is just feedback so the devs have an opportunity to consider the points I'm making and perhaps adjust their plans accordingly.

 

Well in UO, I GM'd many times over and over and over, the funnest was Provocation, was one of the first players to figure out you can have the guards kill eachother and was one of the first players to wear a Order Shield, players asked me how I got it, and I told them I was friends with LB heheh, they bought it, it was funny. But I had to re-grind every time, and I've experienced the same with every beta I've played except those betas that don't wipe until release, maybe a particular release will last a long time, but I'm used to the wiping.

 

Yea I'm hoping that's just for testing purposes.

The thing is one of the biggest things that make MMOs grindy is that they do that intentionally : put fields of wandering mobs just waiting for you to defeat. The first step in making a MMO non-grindy, imo, is to make enemies less available... make monster encounters less like whack-a-mole.

That makes it more difficult for you to get filthy rich from killing monsters, yea, but it also makes the game better IMO.

Also I'm hoping that the different wolves and bears that have different labels attached to them ie "large timber wolf" vs "grey wolf" vs "elder wolf" vs "obsidian wolf" actually have a different appearance, even if its only size (blown up or reduced model size) and texture color (lighter, darker, different color fur). A lot of MMOs differentiate mobs into many varieties just by the label alone and I find it kind if annoying. How do you know its an elder wolf, or a timber wolf vs a grey wolf? What's an obsidian wolf?

 

Leveling by itself is good and necessary for a rpg, but doing the same things over and over again is boring and bad. I also dislike that combat is the only way to gain experience points and I hope this will change with the next release.