Babyorphan/Decurio wrote:
anonymous
October 28 2009, 04:57:12 UTC
Got to agree that it does become a rathr big grind, but then again, my previously favorite MMO (until Aion now) was FFXI. I mean, there's enough grinding to make you mental in FFXI. And it doesn't stop what so ever at Lv.75, then we need to grind even more in our merit parties. And if we die, we lose XP, we can't get back, so we grind to keep a XP buffer to have some security of not deleveling to 74 and not being able to equip 80-100% of our gear until we re-level, hehe.
There's still something about FFXI that has always kept it in my heart as the best MMO I've played since 2003 though. I think a big part of it is that things are not handed to me on a silver platter. You could kill Fafnir/Niddy without seeing Abjurs and Ridills. It made it more of a 'status'-symbol to have the stuff you had as well. Relic weapons (at first, got more 'common' over the years) were big status symbols and hard to get due to the time needed. Having Dynamis Lord items were also somewhat rewarding (and I guess it might still be, but more people got used to killing that). Kraken Club was a sought-after (toy) item (and probably still are). There's just something that felt rewarding logging back into FFXI in 2009, having full Armada, Guttler, Ridill (yes lolBST) and such, and still having some of the best stuff I could get. In WoW, although my DK has good gear from Ulduar (when I quit after we cleared it on Hard-mode after a week.. where's the challenge?!) - gear is obsolete (possibly now if there's a new instance since Ulduar and will definately be) in the next expansion.
It's not that I want to be a complete loot whore, but I want it to feel rewarding to have some items too. Not seeing everyone and their grandmothers with the reaction time of a turtle on their back, having all the good stuff as well. At least there can be a certain degree of respect for someone to get to Lv.75 in FFXI also, and the same goes for Aion (for now).
According to NCsoft West (and Asian dept.) Aion will be getting XP increases (some quests giving 3 times the current XP rewarded) - and the reason for this is the complaints that it is a long grind (from Koreans as well). They say they realise it's not so fun to grind for ages and that is why they will increase the XP given on quests. So in the future, if the XP is the main beef you got with Aion, it should be easier. I don't really mind the grinding, I play as a tank and I get to do alot of things at the same time, pull, tank multiple mobs, mark and DPS, and probably some more things. I can keep myself occupied. I grind mostly in MM and LC, and between that, I tend to have a few quests here and there I can finish up (although I have tons of Spy quests I need to do (wich are a little annoying) and mostly group quests).
I don't feel the 40m XP I need to get another level is a huge deal though, there's repeatables from closer to 40 that you can do for both Silver coins and Masks that you hand in for Oaths (to get Blue rewards from another few quest) - and although I need 60 masks, that also does mean I will get 60x20,000 XP wich again means 1,200,000 XP (there'll be more since for one, he masks don't always drop, although mostly and you get probably a little over 20k per kill usually and even more if you have rested and/or use a XP+20% bonus item) then you can add 100k for each quest and get 10 oaths and a silver coin for the effort. Eventually you can turn those silver coins into a blue item if you are lucky, that you can wear or sell for alright kinah. What I mean, is that I feel it's rewarding in it's own to grind. And I find Aion overally entertaining enough to do it every day. It helps that I mostly grind with my friends though, and we joke and play around on TS while we're at it.
Babyorphan/Decurio wrote:
anonymous
October 28 2009, 05:00:00 UTC
Also as zandrialol says, I have too spent alot of time improving my crafts, having Armorsmith 417, 299 Cooking, Alchemy, Aether (flight and ground-based) and 150 all other crafts.
There's still something about FFXI that has always kept it in my heart as the best MMO I've played since 2003 though. I think a big part of it is that things are not handed to me on a silver platter. You could kill Fafnir/Niddy without seeing Abjurs and Ridills. It made it more of a 'status'-symbol to have the stuff you had as well. Relic weapons (at first, got more 'common' over the years) were big status symbols and hard to get due to the time needed. Having Dynamis Lord items were also somewhat rewarding (and I guess it might still be, but more people got used to killing that). Kraken Club was a sought-after (toy) item (and probably still are). There's just something that felt rewarding logging back into FFXI in 2009, having full Armada, Guttler, Ridill (yes lolBST) and such, and still having some of the best stuff I could get. In WoW, although my DK has good gear from Ulduar (when I quit after we cleared it on Hard-mode after a week.. where's the challenge?!) - gear is obsolete (possibly now if there's a new instance since Ulduar and will definately be) in the next expansion.
It's not that I want to be a complete loot whore, but I want it to feel rewarding to have some items too. Not seeing everyone and their grandmothers with the reaction time of a turtle on their back, having all the good stuff as well. At least there can be a certain degree of respect for someone to get to Lv.75 in FFXI also, and the same goes for Aion (for now).
According to NCsoft West (and Asian dept.) Aion will be getting XP increases (some quests giving 3 times the current XP rewarded) - and the reason for this is the complaints that it is a long grind (from Koreans as well). They say they realise it's not so fun to grind for ages and that is why they will increase the XP given on quests. So in the future, if the XP is the main beef you got with Aion, it should be easier. I don't really mind the grinding, I play as a tank and I get to do alot of things at the same time, pull, tank multiple mobs, mark and DPS, and probably some more things. I can keep myself occupied. I grind mostly in MM and LC, and between that, I tend to have a few quests here and there I can finish up (although I have tons of Spy quests I need to do (wich are a little annoying) and mostly group quests).
I don't feel the 40m XP I need to get another level is a huge deal though, there's repeatables from closer to 40 that you can do for both Silver coins and Masks that you hand in for Oaths (to get Blue rewards from another few quest) - and although I need 60 masks, that also does mean I will get 60x20,000 XP wich again means 1,200,000 XP (there'll be more since for one, he masks don't always drop, although mostly and you get probably a little over 20k per kill usually and even more if you have rested and/or use a XP+20% bonus item) then you can add 100k for each quest and get 10 oaths and a silver coin for the effort. Eventually you can turn those silver coins into a blue item if you are lucky, that you can wear or sell for alright kinah. What I mean, is that I feel it's rewarding in it's own to grind. And I find Aion overally entertaining enough to do it every day. It helps that I mostly grind with my friends though, and we joke and play around on TS while we're at it.
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