To sum it all up into one word: Frustrating.
It's so frustrating it's not fun to play. And I'm speaking from a paying customer point of view.
I'm a noob to Ryzom - not someone who's been playing it for 3+ years as many of the people I have met here online. I play WoW and SWTOR regularly (and I subscribe to both too). And it's clear to me how WoW and SWTOR have learned what makes a game fun. As an outsider looking in, Ryzom is down right frustrating. It's not fun to just sit down and play for an hour or so.
Actually, I was really getting into the game. The starter area for my character was fun! Sure I died a couple of times or so a day but I do in WoW/SWTOR too. Also, getting people to group up wasn't hard in the starter area. So, I crack on and complete ALL the missions, get my character up to lvl35 (as a guide I was using suggested) and boldly head out to Fyro (Pyr).
That's when the game started getting very frustrating. I wasn't dying just a few times but a whole lot! This morning I woke up early (because of the time change) and played for three hours. I died 15+ times. Several times people just walked up to my corpse, looked at it, I ask for a rez, and they run off. Not friendly at all. I spent most of my three hours of "fun time" working off death penalty points and not advancing my character. Why would I pay for this?
So, from a noob point of view, here is what I find utterly frustrating about Ryzom to the point that I don't want to really play it any more much less ever pay for it:
1) Roads are not "somewhat" safe.
I don't expect the roads to be perfectly safe areas, but in this game they are very dangerous. Getting around just the outskirts of Pyr is very dangerous.
2) MOBs pursue for untold crazy distances.
If I stumble into a bad area and I get agro, I can't escape them on foot because they pursue me half way across the map. They just wear me down until I'm dead. So, you can't really explorer and feel/figure out the areas of danger without dying for that knowledge. That's not very fun at all.
3) MOBs cross level zones
I'm working an area that I guess to be a level 20'ish zone and what happens? A couple of level 45 Gingo makes quick work of me. WTF? So I study the Gingo's for a bit. They are everywhere, work in packs, and they roam large distances even into lower level areas. Where is the fun in that?
4) Mount
So I buy a mount for the extra inventory space and to get around quicker. Well, I find out the hard way that the mount is your worst asset.
A) I unintentionally ride into a hostile area and before I can dismount and fight - I'm dead.
B) The mount stays where I died - in the middle of a pack of Gingo's and I can't get the mount back. Thankfully, someone had pity on me and wiped out the pack to let me get my mount back. Of coarse, that took an hour or so of begging/spamming the Region channel. But, to be fair, no one from my guild was logged on at this time. However, I think that if I die and I re-spawn by Kami, the mount should be sent back to the stable to be picked up. Having to run out (and I died several times just trying to get to the area my mount was in) and then rescue the mount was utterly frustrating. Again, where is the fun in this?
5) Missions
Mission are not always clear and you can't replay (re-read) the mission story line or objective. If you missed a key point in the narrative then it's lost. You have to abandon and start all over.
6) Can't buy back from Vendors
Not being able to buy back from vendors is really bad. As a noob to the game, and not knowing any better, I sold pieces of armour and weapons I had received. I couldn't get them back. This game has no forgiveness system at all.
7) Mob designations
It's hard to figure out which mobs attack on sight and which do not - that is, without learning the hard way.
8) Death Penalty
Is probably the worst of all. I actually like the concept at the beginning however, at my current death rate, I'm always working it off and not advancing my character. If I can't advance my character then the game isn't "fun".
9) The whole weapons, armour, and crafting is too complicated
I realize Ryzom is probably a crafter's dream to have such detail control but for me it's way to deep. I don't have the time or inclination to get that detailed.
There is probably a whole lot more items that you vets could provide. This list is just from a noobs point of view who, quite sadly, is probably not going to play and progress much further in Ryzom. :(
If the game isn't made to be fun then you are eliminating a huge customer base. You won't get any new blood into the game. Which, btw, is clearly obvious. Most of the people I met were on their fourth and fifth alts. I think I only met two people who were like me - totally new to the game. That just doesn't really work at all. It's not fun for the vets to have to constantly help the noobs. The noobs can't find other noobs to team up with on the same missions.
Like I said, WoW/SWTOR have figured it out far better. I can spend a few hours with my characters and have fun, advance the character, find groups, do missions, etc. So, guess where my patronage and money is going?
It's so frustrating it's not fun to play. And I'm speaking from a paying customer point of view.
I'm a noob to Ryzom - not someone who's been playing it for 3+ years as many of the people I have met here online. I play WoW and SWTOR regularly (and I subscribe to both too). And it's clear to me how WoW and SWTOR have learned what makes a game fun. As an outsider looking in, Ryzom is down right frustrating. It's not fun to just sit down and play for an hour or so.
Actually, I was really getting into the game. The starter area for my character was fun! Sure I died a couple of times or so a day but I do in WoW/SWTOR too. Also, getting people to group up wasn't hard in the starter area. So, I crack on and complete ALL the missions, get my character up to lvl35 (as a guide I was using suggested) and boldly head out to Fyro (Pyr).
That's when the game started getting very frustrating. I wasn't dying just a few times but a whole lot! This morning I woke up early (because of the time change) and played for three hours. I died 15+ times. Several times people just walked up to my corpse, looked at it, I ask for a rez, and they run off. Not friendly at all. I spent most of my three hours of "fun time" working off death penalty points and not advancing my character. Why would I pay for this?
So, from a noob point of view, here is what I find utterly frustrating about Ryzom to the point that I don't want to really play it any more much less ever pay for it:
1) Roads are not "somewhat" safe.
I don't expect the roads to be perfectly safe areas, but in this game they are very dangerous. Getting around just the outskirts of Pyr is very dangerous.
2) MOBs pursue for untold crazy distances.
If I stumble into a bad area and I get agro, I can't escape them on foot because they pursue me half way across the map. They just wear me down until I'm dead. So, you can't really explorer and feel/figure out the areas of danger without dying for that knowledge. That's not very fun at all.
3) MOBs cross level zones
I'm working an area that I guess to be a level 20'ish zone and what happens? A couple of level 45 Gingo makes quick work of me. WTF? So I study the Gingo's for a bit. They are everywhere, work in packs, and they roam large distances even into lower level areas. Where is the fun in that?
4) Mount
So I buy a mount for the extra inventory space and to get around quicker. Well, I find out the hard way that the mount is your worst asset.
A) I unintentionally ride into a hostile area and before I can dismount and fight - I'm dead.
B) The mount stays where I died - in the middle of a pack of Gingo's and I can't get the mount back. Thankfully, someone had pity on me and wiped out the pack to let me get my mount back. Of coarse, that took an hour or so of begging/spamming the Region channel. But, to be fair, no one from my guild was logged on at this time. However, I think that if I die and I re-spawn by Kami, the mount should be sent back to the stable to be picked up. Having to run out (and I died several times just trying to get to the area my mount was in) and then rescue the mount was utterly frustrating. Again, where is the fun in this?
5) Missions
Mission are not always clear and you can't replay (re-read) the mission story line or objective. If you missed a key point in the narrative then it's lost. You have to abandon and start all over.
6) Can't buy back from Vendors
Not being able to buy back from vendors is really bad. As a noob to the game, and not knowing any better, I sold pieces of armour and weapons I had received. I couldn't get them back. This game has no forgiveness system at all.
7) Mob designations
It's hard to figure out which mobs attack on sight and which do not - that is, without learning the hard way.
8) Death Penalty
Is probably the worst of all. I actually like the concept at the beginning however, at my current death rate, I'm always working it off and not advancing my character. If I can't advance my character then the game isn't "fun".
9) The whole weapons, armour, and crafting is too complicated
I realize Ryzom is probably a crafter's dream to have such detail control but for me it's way to deep. I don't have the time or inclination to get that detailed.
There is probably a whole lot more items that you vets could provide. This list is just from a noobs point of view who, quite sadly, is probably not going to play and progress much further in Ryzom. :(
If the game isn't made to be fun then you are eliminating a huge customer base. You won't get any new blood into the game. Which, btw, is clearly obvious. Most of the people I met were on their fourth and fifth alts. I think I only met two people who were like me - totally new to the game. That just doesn't really work at all. It's not fun for the vets to have to constantly help the noobs. The noobs can't find other noobs to team up with on the same missions.
Like I said, WoW/SWTOR have figured it out far better. I can spend a few hours with my characters and have fun, advance the character, find groups, do missions, etc. So, guess where my patronage and money is going?