"If you find fun in the game, report it as a bug"...

So says Lum apparently. With that in mind I share a few experiences I had in R5.
So I logged on no trouble. Looked in my backpack - no gold, weapon or gathering tools. Hm. Scoured the basements and chests, came up with a jewelled sword. Yay! So I went off to see the world.

I went for a nice walk in the moonlight.


I also found some elves to talk to. They didn't seem very interested in conversation - don't know what I did to upset them - still, they had lots of gold and weapons that I could sell. In about an hour I had over 1000 gold.



I have to say that although I don't know what the combat system will finally be like, I found this iteration really intuitive and easy to use. I spent all of 10 minutes or so selecting skills from the skill trees, and choosing from there the ones I wanted in my "deck". It was actually fun (that bug again - ack!) engaging in combat - Here's a fireball for you - haha, gotcha for 10! How about a lightning bolt to follow! And what about a sword thrust - or two.. Whoops - I'm surrounded - whirling blades will help, it will start cutting down all of them.. Oh, the fireball has recharged - would you like another one? What, no answer - you dead or something??

So after cashing in all the weapons I purchased the gathering tolls from Handac and went on a bit of a gathering spree. Didn't do a lot of crafting - done that in previous builds - but the mining bug still works

Further afield I found some undead wandering around. They seemed happier when I changed their state back to ... dead.

Then I checked out the sewers under Kingsport. Creepy, moody and mysterious. Suitably dark and dank as sewers should be. I do agree with some though, who think the brightness could be dialed up just a smidge. More undead there, who had to be redeaded. Then the master of evil, the lich - he had to be convinced of the error of his ways.

Finally saved the world - now what to do?

Having done all this I found a little home in one of the far-flung villages and setttled down. Finding my home again was a challenge, but I worked out a system - OK, start at the beginning of the zone, down the road, turn right BEFORE the town crier, and it's just up the road on the right.... A bunch of little ankhs and a few pot plants out the front help too, to identify the house..

I did some basic decoration (not entering the competition, as my skills are abysmal), but I have enough tables and chairs to host a large party! Also I found that the "forest" homes have a boundary VERY close to the house - no way a fountain would fit in the front yard. Had to put it somewhere - a fountain on the roof isn't actually usual, but I guess it works

I also revisited the lich dungeon down south, and put many more of the restless undead to rest. Also the lich was dispatched without too much trouble - it will be interesting to see what this is like when the combat system is finally balanced.

So after an eventful few days I retired to my country estate, sat down on my dragonbone throne and gazed out over the parapet to the surrounding forest, listening to the sound of birdsong. Ah, the tranquility!

So I feel obliged to warn the development team that a serious bug is happening in this game - and it is called FUN!! In spite of all the incomplete quests, and combat rebalancing needed, it is becoming more pronounced with each release, and it threatens to take over the whole project. If the team continues in the current direction, it may be the only thing people see when they log on.

(Just so we're clear - please don't squish this particular bug - I rather like it!!)





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