I think players seek three core values in EverQuest:
(1) Character strength (assessment of accomplishments, gear scores, class ranking) attained through (3) which is determined by a metric of time investment.
(2) Reduced time investment through increasing (1) and (3) with the desired end-result of greater yielded rewards.
(3) Player's ability to kill monsters.
Here's what reduces this, making Shards of Dalaya much, much slower paced than other much more successful games:
I) Buffs
Any and all. Nearly all modern MMOs now have what Zaela mentioned - Auras.
II) Travel Time
Class dependency for non-raiding and raiding zone travel, the risky Mansion of Portals.
III) Class/Level/Area constraints
Levels 1-20 have a much, much larger learning curve compared to all other MMOs. Players inability to group with friends or other characters outside of their experience range inhibits broader cooperative play - this is most-likely a client issue with mentoring unavailable at the moment. Level 65 zones which cater to characters with more time invested creates a rift between the newer players and those whom have played longer.
IV) Alternate Advancement, Tomes
Player strength greatly increases with accomplishment of Alternate Advancement levels, Codeces of Power net a 20% increased yield to player strength with a very large time-investment.
V) Health and Mana Regeneration
Meditating for mana for extended periods, having a small natural health regeneration. It drastically slows the pace of the game.
I'm sure there are a great deal more which slow the pace of play, which do not currently come to mind.
My suggestions?
Remove the antiquated system, (V), Health and Mana Regeneration.
Many things could change for the better. Levels 1-20 won't be as daunting any longer due to reduced downtime. Experience per time yields will increase across the board as grouping will be encouraged to promote nonstop killing. Regeneration items at the 65th level have practically no benefit, and I have always thought Flowing Thought is a ludicrous implementation for the benefit of being out of combat. A game shouldn't reward you with the ability to have a lower downtime the longer you have played the game.
Make buffs auras.
What Zaela has mentioned on this perfectly sums up why this should be implemented. Lore-wise, since SoD is heavily lore-based, I think that it makes no sense that a character can be pillaging through a landscape with the blessings of six different character-classes whom may or may not even be present at the time. Practically, it is just poor game design to promote buff-bots and increased time spent in raid recovery. Those vocalizing, 'using the buffs available from the classes in the group' should, by that logic, be in advocacy for auras I would think.
Tomes and AAs are a mixed bag of tricks and treats.
On the one hand, AAs and tomes require such a huge time investment and yield such great improvements it is somewhat to be seen as 'unfair' to the new crowd that they must also put in the time investment to achieve the same level of standard that now exists. On the other hand, perhaps with the aforementioned changes I have proposed, perhaps attaining them might be less insufferable and instead seen as a more positively viewed metric of character improvement.
