Levels VS Skills (voting)

What if I don't like questing and crafting, though? I like the idea of PvP giving some XP (controlled, granted, to avoid abuse), but with all the banner-waving of how this game won't "hand hold" people, I can't imagine people going through the game will get the bulk of their XP from questing. If it takes too long and you want to do other things in the meantime between busting out your leather-bound diary, piecing together obscure clues to figure out where to go next, then you're back at grinding out elves for XP so you can compete in PVP areas or go hang out with friends.

Also: everything I said previously about how a particularly popular and relevant MMO of the past did it just fine.

 

I agree the game needs to reward every playstyle. But then it needs to reward every playstyle equally. If I just want to craft or just want to focus on quests and exploring I would want to get equally powerful than those who want to gain their EXP by fighting. I hope that SotA will offer this.

 

In will put in my 2 cents. If you dont want to grind,dont. You dont have to do so.

 

That can be said for every game out there. If you play with friends who are in a dungeon for level 80s and you're level 20, let me know how you enjoy that experience.

More importantly, how your friends enjoy babysitting you every time you get insta-gibbed when a pleb patrol mob glances in your direction. Online games, in particular persistent ones like most MMOs, do not allow you to "take your time" and still get the most out of the game.

 

then dont play.

 

That's the problem many of us are trying to fix, because right now, that seems to be the direction things are headed for a lot of backers and potential backers.

 

Thats not really 2 cents, thats not even half a cent, grinding is an inevitable part of MMOs, even those that claim to be counter to it.

 

If we go back to macroing, all is lost.

 

I still think just cutting out all the middle stuff is the way to go. I understand the desire to let people improve how they want and not have to grind the boring stuff and chalk it up to the abstraction of 'training'. But that can be done by having each skills next rank bought directly with experience. Go out, earn what you want, come back and see what you can afford to upgrade. It's the best way to split the difference.

 

Macroing is a natural reaction to repetitive tasks, does SotA have repetitive tasks? the answer is very simple.
Breaking the whole grinding cycle into small parts, forcing players to stop grinding mobs
time to time in order to invest their XP points visiting a skill trainer appropriately placed far away from grinding areas
is just next level of grinding, what would obviously make us witnesses of a new level of macroing.

 

Macroing was a huge problem in Asheron's Call and Everquest. The monotony needs to be broken up into tasks and even larger quests (dungeon delving quests that span multiple locations and possibly even groups). Unfortunately, MMOs or RPGs are about progression--crafting, social, vertical, etc.

 

I prefer using a skill and that making it level. Just like it was in UO.

 

I'm all for the UO style skill gain. You want swordsmanship? Use a bladed item etc.