The following is my opinion and is formed under the perspective of a new-ish player.
SoD is stagnating in an unhealthy condition that will lead to continued population declines from now until anything foreseeable into the future. It is not because of the low-rez graphics or lack of enjoyment that SoD could provide. It's simply a matter of the age of the world and lack of adjustments that have kept pace to keep an aging world active and healthy.
In particular SoD does not currently have any active support for anyone who is trying to progress as a new player who is just reaching level 65. It is impossible for example to form a group of all level fresh level 65s and there just are not that many online. In short progressing from a fresh level 65 currently on SoD to a tier6 geared toon absolutely requires being *carried* there by older players, and that is stupid.
Fresh level 65s are either forced to solo (ie not get any decent XP or loot) or try to join groups with people who may have as many as 500-1000 AA. This automatically means that many classes looked down on as inferior especially anyone wishing to play a tanking class.
Nearly all SoD groups are reliant on relic style buffs from bots. A fresh buffing class is not often desired when most people can get advanced soul bound extremely long duration buffs from bots and than enter an area with 4 straight dps. (A possible solution is to make shorter duration spells slightly more powerful than relics, thereby making something like a shaman in a group actually always desirable)
This is really just the beginning. As there are no existing low tier guilds that are actually raiding and recruiting a new players only hope of progress at level 65 is playing a class that some guild desperately needs. Really by what method than some sort of newbie welfare does a fresh level 65 player go from store bought armor to t6 armor making her or him a respectable addition to those guilds that are currently active instead of some sort of beggar being carried by his betters?
I will offer first some beliefs. It will probably be laughed at but I'm hoping some admin might just see the truth of these words.
When the top level of your game is players in T12 gear with 500 AA and 50 tomes a new player should be able to get close to that condition within less than 1 year of dedicated play. They should not have to play for six years just to catch up to the average player who has been playing six years. That is not how successful multi-player rpgs work, if SoD was WoW, most of your players would still be in Outlands and never have enjoyed the later content at all before quiting.
New players should be able to offer something to lower guilds that would make most players a helpful addition to those lower tier guilds within a short time of being level 65.
Considering SoD has atleast 12 teirs of gear, it should not be that hard for a newer player to get into about tier6 gear, especially considering that is where all the guilds are on the bottom level and trying to recruit new players into.
A starting solution is not that difficult.
Make every piece of gear from Tmaps upto VD tradeable, low plat value (to encourage selling to players instead of to vendors). Make several zones that have T1-T2-T3 trad able gear AND cut the XP/difficulty level of zones like CMAL down so that it's not just a magnet for over geared 65s who are going to rot every piece of loot and just there for XP. Finally make CMAL simply reset every couple hours so that it can be cleared and farmed by lower level groups of 65s and big groups of 65s who to the benefit of everyone might just flood the market with low tier gear, which is exactly what SoD is in desperate need of.
The result is what? New level 65s will find it much easier to get into gear upto t3. This will make them able to do things like group and earn AA at a better pace. They will more quickly develop into characters tier6 and such guilds will want to recruit and let them take a real role in XP groups.
Seriously, let all new level 65s get into tier3 or higher gear if they actively play within a month of dinging 65.
The other option is laugh at my post and do nothing and watch new players walk away one by one.
SoD is stagnating in an unhealthy condition that will lead to continued population declines from now until anything foreseeable into the future. It is not because of the low-rez graphics or lack of enjoyment that SoD could provide. It's simply a matter of the age of the world and lack of adjustments that have kept pace to keep an aging world active and healthy.
In particular SoD does not currently have any active support for anyone who is trying to progress as a new player who is just reaching level 65. It is impossible for example to form a group of all level fresh level 65s and there just are not that many online. In short progressing from a fresh level 65 currently on SoD to a tier6 geared toon absolutely requires being *carried* there by older players, and that is stupid.
Fresh level 65s are either forced to solo (ie not get any decent XP or loot) or try to join groups with people who may have as many as 500-1000 AA. This automatically means that many classes looked down on as inferior especially anyone wishing to play a tanking class.
Nearly all SoD groups are reliant on relic style buffs from bots. A fresh buffing class is not often desired when most people can get advanced soul bound extremely long duration buffs from bots and than enter an area with 4 straight dps. (A possible solution is to make shorter duration spells slightly more powerful than relics, thereby making something like a shaman in a group actually always desirable)
This is really just the beginning. As there are no existing low tier guilds that are actually raiding and recruiting a new players only hope of progress at level 65 is playing a class that some guild desperately needs. Really by what method than some sort of newbie welfare does a fresh level 65 player go from store bought armor to t6 armor making her or him a respectable addition to those guilds that are currently active instead of some sort of beggar being carried by his betters?
I will offer first some beliefs. It will probably be laughed at but I'm hoping some admin might just see the truth of these words.
When the top level of your game is players in T12 gear with 500 AA and 50 tomes a new player should be able to get close to that condition within less than 1 year of dedicated play. They should not have to play for six years just to catch up to the average player who has been playing six years. That is not how successful multi-player rpgs work, if SoD was WoW, most of your players would still be in Outlands and never have enjoyed the later content at all before quiting.
New players should be able to offer something to lower guilds that would make most players a helpful addition to those lower tier guilds within a short time of being level 65.
Considering SoD has atleast 12 teirs of gear, it should not be that hard for a newer player to get into about tier6 gear, especially considering that is where all the guilds are on the bottom level and trying to recruit new players into.
A starting solution is not that difficult.
Make every piece of gear from Tmaps upto VD tradeable, low plat value (to encourage selling to players instead of to vendors). Make several zones that have T1-T2-T3 trad able gear AND cut the XP/difficulty level of zones like CMAL down so that it's not just a magnet for over geared 65s who are going to rot every piece of loot and just there for XP. Finally make CMAL simply reset every couple hours so that it can be cleared and farmed by lower level groups of 65s and big groups of 65s who to the benefit of everyone might just flood the market with low tier gear, which is exactly what SoD is in desperate need of.
The result is what? New level 65s will find it much easier to get into gear upto t3. This will make them able to do things like group and earn AA at a better pace. They will more quickly develop into characters tier6 and such guilds will want to recruit and let them take a real role in XP groups.
Seriously, let all new level 65s get into tier3 or higher gear if they actively play within a month of dinging 65.
The other option is laugh at my post and do nothing and watch new players walk away one by one.
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