"Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragement, and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak" Thomas Carlyle
This has been my credo throughout all the many changes I have endured, during the course of playing this game since just after launch. The time has come however, to rethink this strategy, as I no longer can tolerate the "Raid" favored direction in which this game is headed.
No, I do not want to hear the solo friendly, small group In ROK argument, nor do I want to hear that raiding is a choice and is my fault if I do not utilize the option, and the game must appeal to all players. I also don't wish to hear the Gurana-drinking, hot pocket-eating, cheese puff-stained, Profit UI using, macro mashers and chat bashers, babble on from their basement command centers about how one can raid daily and still have a life, that tired old argument is a load of crap and we all know it.
Disclaimer: Not all raiders fall into this category, some are considerate and actually human.
The so called "Casual Player" or "Non- Raider" if you will, is the majority. We pay the bills and get half the lore! /moment of silence for the spire building fiasco. I fit in to this category because I do not raid. I have three master crafters, my main is a level 80 Warden/Carpenter/Transmuter/ with his epic weapon, alts are Templar/Woodworker and Mystic/Provisioner. With all 3 toons I have played a total of 178 days, have crafted 118,779 items, have contributed 2,116,120 status points, completed 2348 quests, have 16 server and 7 world discos. Casual player indeed!
I am retired and all my kids are grown, so I have the luxury of playing whenever I choose. Most players have full time jobs, school and or family obligations that prevent a "Hardcore" style, but alas, they are punished for this, by having no end-game. We must console ourselves with repeated dungeon crawls, and consolation loot, passing time until the next expansion. I am not asking for fabled or legendary items I just want the full lore of the game.
Some have said that raiders or raid gear trivializes or interferes with normal group or overland content; of course the reply in typical "Hard-core" diatribe is "No effing way, show me how?" Well kiddies (I can call them that ‘cause I'm 49) try doing a quest in a zone where there dwells the almighty and all powerful /crescendo "Contested Mob!" Twenty four lemmings zone in, kill all aggro within range (including your time sink spawn) you start getting lag when another group zones in --- ‘cause they are far more Uber than group one and just know they will get the first pull--- and you my friend are now dead and discouraged. Or try a zone where two or three guilds are gathering their forces, with their countless summoned pets, gotta love trying to get to the group instance with that cluster eff.
Raids to me are a developer's crutch for real substantive end content, some of the newer zones are excluded from my arguments content wise, but still they remain seen by only the elite few. I assume they must base their criteria on such classic legends as St George, twenty three other guys, and the dragon, Sir Gawain, twenty three other guys, and the Green Knight, Beowulf (Old English version)twenty three other guys and the Grendal, geez, even in LOTR, the fellowship broke up into groups of three, two and two.
My point in all this boils down to the fact that SOE needs to address the situation, the division between "Raiders" and "Non-Raiders" is rapidly growing and becoming bitter. My above comments, harsh as they sound are in no way directed towards the many very decent, polite and dedicated raid guilds that have taken down some very difficult mobs; I admire their tenacity, abilities and accomplishments. It is up to the developers to close this ever-widening rift.
Before I hear the take a break or play another game scenario, I'll answer with: I rarely play in the summer, I have a station pass, Vanguard needs work with hitching and FSAA, SWG is not for someone who grew up reading Heinlein, Asimov, Herbert and Bradbury and the jury is still out concerning Pirates, I still have hopes for EQII . Now flame away!
Nicely said, and to the point.
I'm thinking the exact same thing, and most of my friends are as well. Raiding is the only choice once you have reached as high as you are, and if you "choose" not to do that your forced to keep playing the same content over and over again in hopes of lasting until the next expansion comes out. Having played these games for going on 10 years, they all take the same path which doesn't make sense to me. Why when they can make such amazing raid zones couldn't they also make 4-5 group instances at the same time? Why cater to the 10% of the game that will always push the boundries, and leave the other 90% with nothing to do?
I've been the raider, dedicated at times 20 hours out of 24 to take down guild targets, always to stay at the top, but after a point you don't have that time anymore. Raiding IS a Job, there's no two ways to say it, and when those of us who don't have the time or inclination to raid get bored, that's it. I have alot of respect for those who DO raid, AND carry on a full time job... you have it rough, been there done that, but tossing it in the rest of the players faces that we are nothing if we don't raid? grow up.
What's also amazing to me, is that if they spent time each month to come out with a new instance, they would KEEP the people that dribble off all the time. What's it take to generate a new instance? Why not use content that's already created and spin out instances like candy? Programming 101, use what you have already designed to generate new content, stop inventing the wheel over and over again.
Example = Nek Castle and Nek Castle: The Return... same zone... a few roadblocks forcing a specific route, but NEW Challenges, harder fights, new Loot (bad loot yes... but new loot all the same!)... why can't the same be done for these epic zones? I zoned into Freethinkers Hideout yesterday, new zone for me, and come face to face with 3 72epicX4's... turned around, left, and will probably never go any deeper... content developed for 10% of the players, wasted on 90%.
Some Raider's need to realize a little fact. In general, those items on the Broker that you need to craft, or collect, or use to deck out your twink... those probably came from that casual player who runs instances instead of raiding, or harvests non-stop for money because they want a nice new X item for their main... Softcore's are a VALUABLE part of the community, and without them, and alot of them, the game would be a dark place. How about all those transmuted items? Masters? Tradeskill items?
Give the casual's and group orientated players their credit, they deserve it as much as raiders do.
No flames just the same simple and valid answer everyone with this complaint get.
You can choose to enjoy all content or you can choose to not enjoy all content. That is the great thing about this game, options for all.
The whole no life, kiddies, i am an adult, no time, hard core, education level, parents basement, casual crap is just that...crap.
My guilds average is about 30+, we have a 50ish lawyer, a college professor also in his 50's, many married couples with children, other adults, and some college aged members who raid.
We raid maybe 12 hours per week...probably less than the average time most spend in game.
So again..no flames, just choose the way you want to play and enjoy the game, and stop worrying about everyone else.
Sounds like the rift that always seems to exist between the rich and the poor. It's there, it always has been, it's growing, and will always be there. There are the haves and the have nots.
I am a PMP certified, fulltime professional as the Director of an IT PMO. I have two children, a nice house, two cars and I have MORE time to play games now than when I was a kid and could play them HARDCORE. However, I have prioritized my MMO hobby and I go at it just like most things I do in my life...I am passionate, dedicated, and accomplishment-oriented. When I want whimsical fun, I play with the kids or jump in the pool.
My guess is that you would call my playstyle hardcore. But then again, you might be more accurate to state that I am hardcore about everything I do. I know what I want in life and I accomplish it. If I fail, I try again until I succeed. I don't check my personality at the door when I play MMOs. Whatever goal I wish to accomplish in this game, I either have or will.
If there is something you want and cannot attain it, either change your methods or set your goals to be more realistic given the level of commitment you are willing to make.
It's just that easy.
Your right in a way, excuses are just excuses, but what it comes down to is this, this game is losing people, there's No other way to say it, and you know it's true. I Enjoy this game, and I'd like to continue to do so, but when my friends hit 80, and we never see them on because there's nothing for them to do because they Don't have the (insert reason that they can't be on for hours to raid when I'm on), then what?
There's no reason that if they can develop raid content, that at the same time they can't also reuse older content, and repopulate it at a fraction of the time.
Your right in a way, excuses are just excuses, but what it comes down to is this, this game is losing people, there's No other way to say it, and you know it's true. I Enjoy this game, and I'd like to continue to do so, but when my friends hit 80, and we never see them on because there's nothing for them to do because they Don't have the (insert reason that they can't be on for hours to raid when I'm on), then what? There's no reason that if they can develop raid content, that at the same time they can't also reuse older content, and repopulate it at a fraction of the time.
That may be true but is it simply a cause of the age of the game, people getting bored, or many reasons.
If the OP simply wants more content to enjoy that is not raid based...why insult people who do raid?
I never understand these posts....raiders are not standing in front of zones stopping people entering...they are not standing in front of devs stopping them from making group content.
IF the real cash cow as many like the OP try to say....then dont you think SOE would recognize that fact and cater to that crowd?
In many opinions, they did just that with ROK and EOF and KOS. Solo, group, and raid content added, along with even add ons for crafters...new classes, new recipes, and new epic quests.
I think some people just won't be happy until raiding is actually removed from the game regardless of what is available to them that fits their own playstyle.
It's about this time every year after an expansion that post like this come up. People leave because they have finished the new content. Some will be back after the new expansion some will not. It's the cycle not the doom of the game.
Hopefully, future games will delivery content as more of a series of live events every month.
And to this poster, raiders say the same thing. They raid the same zones just like the groupers have to run the same zones. The same boredom sets in with everyone.
Back to my original post, grass is just greener on the other side.
I respectfully disagree with your opinion.
Not because I don't think it's valid. I do. However raiders feel the same way. For them the game is overly geared towards solo and casual players.
It's a matter of perspective.
SOE has to try and accomodate all play styles as well as they can. They aren't perfect and there's no way to make everyone happy, unfortunately.
I'm sorry that you're feeling discontented with the way things are right now. But as Stella said... I find that these things tend to be cyclical. It's the nature of MMO's. At least... for now.
I respectfully also disagree with the bulk of your post.
I strongly disagree with your exceptional error : "Casual Player" = "Non-Raider." That is completely unfounded. There are some "Hard-core" players who never raid.
I believe the foundation of your so-called "rift" is the narrow-minded stereotyping exemplified by your assumption.
Who the "majority" is and whether there can even be such a classification is debateable. This is your perspective, but there are thousands of postings in hundreds of threads on this exact same subject that argue both sides.
Hopefully you feel better at least getting this off your chest.
Whether you stay or go: Good Travels.
SC
Given they have an impossible task of keeping a wide variety of gaming styles and skills happy...I think SOE has done a pretty good job of balancing content.
I don't know the best way to describe myself other than to say I am a non-raider. (Only been on 2-3 since I started playing at launch.)
However, whenever these kinds of topics come up I become confused.
What exactly is the difference between endlessly grinding "raid" content vs grinding single group instances?
It seems about the same to me. Therefore, "end-game" content for raiders and nonraiders is about the same. (Except for the fact raiders can do both if they wish.)
Granted, "end-game" content for soloers is pretty limited. Not much to work on once you are out of quests and level capped. But given the amount of solo content in RoK I don't think soloers have much to complain about.
It terms of available and equitable distribution of content I only have two complaints/wishes.
1.Some classes can solo heroic dungeons (green) and others can't. This adds a whole different element of game play and options. If this was available to either one of my toons the available content and quests would almost double. Of course, class balance is the Holy Grail of game design and basically impossible.
2.Heroic weapons are a sore point with me. This is the kind of thing that really appeals to me. However, I will probably not even start the quest lines because i realize I will never have the game time or group/raid options to complete it before the next expansion comes out and NOBODY will be running those instances. (Try finishing Soul Fire now that RoK is out.)It would be great for SOE to create an alternative way to complete such quests. Make it insanely hard..but doable solo. Something between solo and heroic.In a way this relates to issue #1. If I could solo heroics I could finish Soul Fire (i think).Again, never gonna happen so i just try and stay happy with what i got.
Cheers
