[VG] Producer's Letter

[The Edge]

In what ways were the rules different at release?

[Locithon]

Originally Posted by The Edge

In what ways were the rules different at release?

-xp was slower, especially for crafting and diplo
-had Equipment Expertise system instead of hard level caps on items
-no bop or boe, almost every item was tradable..even quest rewards
-no riftways (teleporting)

That's all I can remember off the top of my head.

[Jabberwhacky]

Slowing Xp and travel is stupid, the changes they made were good. However, the EExpertise and lack of BOP bullshit was very good, those should be reverted. Do that and spice up the loot so 3/4 isn't complete junk (regular AH stuff and also loot out of dungeons) for all levels and you might keep people like me interested enough to play beyond the week-free "Return to Vanguard!!" trial.

Also, keep Randolph or some other flying variant in game. Made it 100x more entertaining, both because you could bypass some content and because you moved very fast.

[Ninajrr]

This would definitely be a pro in my book. I really liked the slow, huge aspects of the first rendition of the game, but the most important factor was the BOE/BOP items. I hate BOE/BOP, it is terrible, it destroys games, fuck that shit. Consider me interested.

[Draegan]

I'm a fan of BOE/BOP, and I think it helps the game overall. The only bad thing about it is that you can't twink your alts. BooHoo.

VG is to big for a small population, it'll never work.

[Gordish]

Originally Posted by Draegan

VG is to big for a small population, it'll never work.

I used to think that as well, but honestly as long as you level in the main dungeon/quest lines you always see people and have groups so it's not bad. If you explore the entire world thinking you will see others then yeah you will be disappointed.

On the positive side, if they actually had some dev support they could start filling in the rest of the world with some worthwhile content.

I also agree that they should have left the free flying mount in. It made travel seem normal compared to other mmos. When I take a griffon ride right now, it takes me 10 minutes in flight to even reach the dungeons I'm playing at between levels 30-40. It's not like flying mounts are turning it into instant travel.

[Draegan]

A game should feel populated, not empty. The game space is just too large. Thestra should be the whole game. Get rid of the other two continents.

[gurgi]

Originally Posted by Draegan

I'm a fan of BOE/BOP, and I think it helps the game overall. The only bad thing about it is that you can't twink your alts. BooHoo.

Some of us don't play with ourselves. Guildmates, friends, siblings, it's nice to hand them a slot they need to upgrade. If you're playing together when you get a drop, they earned the trickle-down anyway.

Binding has always been a shortsighted mechanic, and it's one of the EZfix design choices that helps make games b.o.r.i.n.g and formulaic.

[Twobit Whore]

Actually binding is a longterm mechanic. Not binding is what is shortsighted. You see it, you want to do what you want with it right now. That's shortsighted. Fighting mudflation that can eventually cripple the economy... that's a longterm strategy.

[gurgi]

Originally Posted by Twobit Whore

Actually binding is a longterm mechanic. Not binding is what is shortsighted. You see it, you want to do what you want with it right now. That's shortsighted. Fighting mudflation that can eventually cripple the economy... that's a longterm strategy.

There's nothing longterm about a bound item, that's the point. Instead of giving a shit, it doesn't matter because the item is bound and will go away. My wording was probably poor because it does solve a longterm problem...at the expense at a few more.

Virtual stuff is much more interesting if you can (doesn't mean you will) give it to somebody else. Realism (I know, we're not supposed to care about this in an RPG, only bare naked mechanics) is important to some of us. Binding also encourages spending less effort on items in general, like itemizing your game with ugly item types and computer generated stats.

I dunno about you, but it's difficult to take pride in my Morning Modeled Axe of the Stamina...especially since I didn't make any effort to find and farm it...I used this wonderfully saved economy (lol who cares) to spend gold on it at an AH. Fun. Somebody call Sid Meier.

[Draegan]

Think of how inflated the economy would be if everything ever dropped could be posted for sale? What binding does is make people actually do content with each character.

[Hatorade]

Originally Posted by Draegan

Think of how inflated the economy would be if everything ever dropped could be posted for sale? What binding does is make people actually do content with each character.

Yeah hell the second week the Market was saturated with EVERYTHING that drops while crafting stuff was expensive.....exactly the way it should be. It was annoying sifting through endless pages of stuff but you could narrow the search enough to be useful.

[Twobit Whore]

I played EQ last year briefly on an old server and for 5 plat I could buy a recommended 65 or something weapon that at low levels was far far better than anything I could get on my own. Not only that but the weapon grew with me, making it consistently better than anything I could reasonably obtain without insane effort for many levels. Frankly I like looking forward to upgrades and having to do content (as long as its fun) to get said items. Had I stuck with it I could have gone from level 1 to cap and never had to worry about looking for a new weapon. That's much more broken than BOE imo.

[Malakie Torsade]

Originally Posted by Twobit Whore

Frankly I like looking forward to upgrades and having to do content (as long as its fun) to get said items. Had I stuck with it I could have gone from level 1 to cap and never had to worry about looking for a new weapon. That's much more broken than BOE imo.

This. I enjoy going to dungeons and getting upgrades. Despite what many will tell you, it's still very possible to get groups for lower level dungeons. Being able to just drop the best gear on alts would put a big hurt on that. This isn't even to mention how it hurts the economy.

Besides... you want to advocate no BoP in a non-instanced game? Have fun fighting for camp spots for the best items with farmers... assuming there is enough population, that is.

[Ninajrr]

I've always found that binding items significantly ruins an MMOs community.