Shattered Kingdoms

The main thing isn't really the grinding per se master +. It's boring yes, but I believe that it's alright. It should take a long time after those levels, but as I stated, it's not that bad. For me, it's an issue of willpower of doing it. No motivation and all.

The levelling problems are the beginning levels. The moment you set out of newbie school you can die as soon as apprentice level, and you WILL. You make one fatal mistake of attacking ANYTHING with a weapon and it will tear you to shreds. I learned that the hard way during my first character. The game needs to be a bit easier earlier on and probably harder later on, or atleast less rewarding. If D wants the game to start at a lower level, and not GM, then the rewards for hitting GM should be harder to attain. The earlier levels shouldn't suffer for it though.

lol


There are a few reasons why I support faster, easier leveling: (edit: removed jab, was kidding)

1. Simply compare the numbers during Bonanza and any regular weekend. The numbers speak for themselves. The events have been great fun, but when they were done, lots of players still play. Why is this? Because of that accelerated leveling speed. People who usually don't bother actually bothered.

2. It is true, I keep thinking to myself, "Wow, this leveling grind is really bad, sure SK is fun, but some of us vets have done Round Trip (tm) of cabals already, we have played all the classes and explored SK, is it worthwhile to invest so much time into leveling a new character?"

3. Having a lot (more) of mid-to-high level players is a good thing. There are quite a few dysfunctional factions in SK that need players badly in them to make not only the faction itself, but the game as a whole a better place. Please seriously consider this point.

3b. Last but not least, low levels are sometimes shunned from participation of RP, or the 'fun' part of SK, to be able to actually play the game. I made my character around Twagras, and all I kept getting was, "You are too low level." and yes, they were right. I was. So the solution to that was some mindless grinding until I could participate, and it took an age.


A few suggestions in that regard:

1. Drastically decrease the experience requirements up and until at least Journeyman. Couple this with ample, meaningful and cultural-promoting quests.

2. Bonanza at least once a week, or at maximum, bi-weekly, please. There appears to have plenty of immortals on staff now. Something small, 1 to 2 hours duration of GRP, allow players to input ideas to see what everyone wants to see.


We love this game. When fellow SKers and I see lots of players online, we feel great that we are part of this game. Come on, we are sure at least some of you feel this way too.

Dunno why you decided to jab, Myn. My one and only post in this thread wasn't flaming anyone.

I rarely post anything, and I'm not around consistently anymore so of course I hesitated to respond to this but honestly I feel it's kind of important.

Like someone earlier pointed out, it used to be a common thing to take 200 hours to GM. It wasn't until the introduction of places like the chancel that people started making it to GM in one or two days. That's very important really, I think the basic facts are that it was a mistake on the part of the staff and they wanted to take it back down a notch or two.
And frankly, I for one agree. We don't need more GMs faster. hate seeing that. I hear many of you say that no one wants be low level, it sucks not to be included, etc. Then take a look at what you're suggesting. It only perpetuates this problem. The easier it is to become GM, the more GMs run around, the more GM activities take place and sooner or later you literally will not be able to do anything without becoming grand master first.
Sure it's nice to think that we could just make levelling easier and then everyone and their mother could be a GM and everything is fair and fixed but this is really a temporary solution to a long-term problem.
This is where I'm really trying to adress the heart of the thread, the elephant in the room: D particularly does not want people flying to GM and overpopulating the game with grand masters. That's not a cool environment, I think we could all agree.
However, I'll be the first to say that being low level in SK SUCKS, and that grinding sucks almost equally. But, in my opinion making levels easier and making more GMs is not the answer.
So the obvious solution to me that SHOULD make both parties happy?

Give people more to do at low levels. Make the game more lowbie friendly. I've been saying this for years. When I first arrived I didn't almost quit because I hated levelling, it was because I died all the time and I couldn't understand why I was so weak, or more to the point why everyone else was so much stronger. There were a million ways to die around every corner and in many cases (particularly for my dark aura), not many ways back. Of course the problem of being left behind and looked over because of my level, never being taken seriously, no place in GRPs, and a whole list of other complaints.
So, I say players it's your part to start interacting with each other in, and I stress this, more diverse manners.
And IMMs, it's your part to help them find things to do at and with those low levels. More quests, maybe new skills or just better skills at lower levels, allowing more interaction and maybe even PK at lower levels. Give us something to DO. Bottom line, sweeten the deal of being an average level if you don't want everyone feeling like they HAVE to GM.
If you really are playing for enjoyment of your character concept it seems like that should be sufficient. Yes? No?

Removing level thieves after master would do so much for this cause. Then the game could actually begin around there.

I would rather it began around apprentice.

That would be a huge first step. If you want people to considered themselves accomplished at Master, there is a great list that I pulled from the front-loaded attribute points thread, I hope they don't mind. The first one being this very problem:

1. They can't hold items above their level.

easily fixed by either getting rid of the Thieves or lowering the level of alot of good EQ! Thereby giving Mentors/Masters a chance against their higher level foe.

2. They can't really have any of their equipment enchanted for the above reason.

easily fixed, see above.

3. In the case of scouts, they can't find many herbs that are above master level.

This is give or take, I've never played a scout don't know how important it is but seems just as easily fixed as the rest.

4. Characters can't locate anything higher than their level.

same thing as above.

5. Characters have not received all their attribute points by Master.

just give up more points at creation.

I think these, combined with some other subtle tweeking would be enough to end the grand master grind crisis.

I will say this flat out: I will always grind my characters. I will always get them to around champion-GM, because that's when I decide my character can play the game and not be marginalised by vastly more powerful players. The only thing you can do to get in my way is make leveling more irritating and more boring.

The problem is that that will dissuade me, and players like me (and there are a lot), from playing the game entirely. Irritating areas, more grinding time, and general annoyance will not make me GM slower. I cannot reinforce this enough: you can't make me, or players like me, GM slower because we mud from work, or we have more knowledge, or we stay up later, which means we will spend more time than you online. We will always beat you no matter what changes. That is static.

Slowing us down will slow down everyone, will irritate everyone, and will make everyone leave the game - except Muktar and Kin.

I don't mind grinding. What I hate is areas where you're likely (not just might) going to die while trying to level, or you'll likely get caught and go to jail, or you need to sleep every few ticks because of massive damage output, or you need a group (which can be hard to find if you play during certain times), or at the very least a healer, ect.

If I'm going to grind, at least let me do it in comfort and relative safety.

Shaman,
Champ 1 +3/4
560 hours played.

And levelling is too fast???

Yeah.. right... Sure I suck, because in 8 years of playing, I've never had a char past champ2, and never learned what goes on where after champion.
What I am damned sure we DO need, is an opposite alignment ToM variant, waay out in the back end of the Outer Planes sure, but it should exist.

It's that, or I go open up some l33t cabal spells at trainer NPCs somewhere...