Ideas to help new players settle on BG

[aaron22]

Grinding to 30 has never been the point in this PW and that's why it's discouraged, seeing what x and y PRCs are all about can be done in JEGS module if you want. Going through the leveling process to know that is called masochism.

It's about RP and seeing random joe going from hunting rats to killing dragons in a very short amount of time is not believable, the progression is already very fast from that point of view. Also if the leveling process is quickened that's more areas not being used much which would be a shame. Fast leveling favors short lived PCs and limits stories, the fact that the server has a healthy population is proof that things are not bad, or perhaps even ... good, unbelievably so !

yes that

[Kiran]

The server is what a person makes of it.

If someone wants to grind to 30, it can be done easily within 2 weeks if you got the time for it.

If you don't want to go hunting at all and level up solely through rp, that is cool too.

You only do DM events and get xp from that? Cool!

The server caters to those who can play 1-2 hours per week and people who play for 10 hours per day or more, no matter what preference you have.

But then again why are we talking about this to help settle people into BG?

[Vermilion]

In my limited experience (about a week and a half!) my most enduring memory is of grouping up with some really helpful people, especially a gnome/halfling bard whose man I sadly forgot

The player base definitely is the biggest thing the server has in its favour - the gloriously realised world would be nothing if you're just flatly ignored. But this feels like one of the most pleasant video game community I've come across. (I know it's pretty rare to find one that's even tolerable, but so far I've found this one to way surpass my expectations)

I'm not too invested on being the most powerful player on the server, so racing to lvl30 isn't too much of a priority for me but I'm not a big fan of endless grinds - I just don't have the playtime. However, I'm very aware that I don't want to come across like I'm "entitled" to being a high level! Being a high level is a privilege granted by putting the work into your character, whereas I'm happy to take a more scenic route even if that means I'm not curb stomping dragons after two weeks.

[chad878262]

I'm not curb stomping dragons

I have a new mission in life...

Welcome to the server!

[Rask]

The smart people are the ones that instantly stop playing when the game stops being fun.

Truth, but in games such as this and particularly in MMOs, those folks are few and far between. I've gotten much better at this over the years and now do count myself as one who can simply "walk away" from it even with significant time/effort investment. But that is no easy task for sure.

Overall, I do agree with most of what you wrote on the thread and others with your same mindset.

For me, here is the ultimate "rub" of the situation if you will. First off, we are playing a game that is 10 years old, let's look at that right off the bat. This isn't the latest and greatest MMO with whatever fancy new things are out. So the community should be the ultimate arbiter of what works or doesn't work. The reason for that is very simple, no community, no game. You only have to look as far as the NWScry website to see the utter -graveyard- of dead and buried PW servers.

They are there still sitting with the world existing and maybe half a dozen people playing on servers that use to support 90+ people. This is the fate of any game world that is obtuse to its player base. BG could be that place just as easily as any of them are currently. Who knows what landed them in the dead zone?

Secondly, on a server with what? 20+ prestige classes grinding to 30 taking so long is utterly non-sense. Artificially retarding the level curve benefits who? Cui bono? Certainly not the player. I would -really- like to be able to play through some other PRCs but there is no way in hell I'm going to go grind Xvarts, or trolls, or whatever ad infinitum so I can see what its like in the other classes. This to me, does a disservice to the players. I'm sure they'd like to see what those classes are all about but who is going to grind out 30 levels on a ten year old game 2, 3 or more times to see what the PRC is like? Not I, and I'm guessing not the vast majority.

Just my .02 on this topic and I hope it is taken in the spirit it is offered which is constructive feedback.

THIS SOOOO MUCH!!!

Leveling is painful on this server these days. And as much as people like to say otherwise, all the RP and DM events happen after level 20.

Those of us with a lot of stuff to do in life outside the game have a really hard time doing the leveling. It's just sooooooooo slow, and it's not fun at all. I can see people walking away from the server for this alone.

[Steve]

... all the RP and DM events happen after level 20.

Though a completely untrue statement, what DOES concern me is that any one of this Community thinks this way.

Because:

1) Each individual is responsible to "bring it" when playing on BGTSCC. If you think that there is no RP until X level, then for you, that is how it will appear. But if you change your viewpoint, and actually back it up with effort, then, trust me, it will change.

2) If you want something different, ask for it. Want to have some RP and some DM Events for your lowbie toon, then ask for it. If you have done both, documented, and then you receive nothing, THEN you really have something to complain about.

New players should be encouraged to enjoy the leveling process, and take their time to get to know the Server. The Areas made for Levels 1–10 really are the most fantastic that are on the Server, and if you blast through them because of some self-created idea that something better exists in the Paragon and Epic Character levels, I hate to write it, but you're not only fooling yourself, but setting yourself up for EPIC FAILURE!

[Rask]

Why is 30 wanted so much more than level 15? Why do you want the increase? What does that accomplish? Is there no challenge at 15? Is there nobody to play with? This desire for level 30 seems like the need you reach a finish line. This desire is understandable but misguided. The long journey is what makes this server great. It is long enough to make you appreciate the journey but not so long that nobody can or will do it. Stop sprinting toward the finish line and enjoy the stroll. Embrace it for what it is. And beware for what you wish for.

The problem isn't that leveling is a "challenge". It's that it's a dull, boring slog of endless hours spent in a tiny handful of areas until your brain melts out your ears.

If you only have a few hours a week you can dedicate to playing on the server as well, you cannot make any meaningful level progress in that time. The server simply doesn't allow it. I have been on this server since the very beginning, and years ago I was fine with the progression, but now that I have more life stuff to do, this boring slog is hard to justify.

I love RPing, but to RP you also need to progress in levels at a reasonable pace. That is currently not possible for a lot of the older in age players around here who have career jobs and spouse's or children. When I grind, I watch TV and barely even pay attention to the game. It's not challenging, it's super boring and really, really slow. At the end of it all, it just isn't fun.

I have tried and failed to get several real life friends to play on this server over the years. Each and every one of them quit within their first 3 months. Each one of them it was because of the grind to progress. They all loved the RP, but hated how slow progressing in level was for them, and they all felt that if they did not progress at a certain pace, they could not keep up in RP, and this has been true for YEARS. I have been around since before my sign-in on the forum of 2009, back when there was a swamp behind a rock near the FAI filled with bugs, and the server ended two transitions toward Beregost in a weird hill.

Though, that being said, in the very early years of the server, it was much easier to level up than it is now. The grinding has become more and more of a chore as time has gone on, and unfortunately my free time, and I am sure many others, has gotten lower and lower.

[Rask]

... all the RP and DM events happen after level 20.

Though a completely untrue statement, what DOES concern me is that any one of this Community thinks this way.

Because:

1) Each individual is responsible to "bring it" when playing on BGTSCC. If you think that there is no RP until X level, then for you, that is how it will appear. But if you change your viewpoint, and actually back it up with effort, then, trust me, it will change.

2) If you want something different, ask for it. Want to have some RP and some DM Events for your lowbie toon, then ask for it. If you have done both, documented, and then you receive nothing, THEN you really have something to complain about.

New players should be encouraged to enjoy the leveling process, and take their time to get to know the Server. The Areas made for Levels 1–10 really are the most fantastic that are on the Server, and if you blast through them because of some self-created idea that something better exists in the Paragon and Epic Character levels, I hate to write it, but you're not only fooling yourself, but setting yourself up for EPIC FAILURE!

I actually was one of the most prolific role-players on the server, for multiple years, across multiple epic characters. When I had more free time, it worked fine. But it's just not happening anymore. That being said, even back when I did have all the free time, events still focused mainly on higher level characters, not to mention that you could explore much more of the world when you got to a certain level. Having most of the world open up to you facilitates more RP even without DM intervention.

This isn't really a complaint, so much as an observation from nearly a decade of experience on this server.


Also on another note, someone on a previous page mentioned having "mundane" classes that facilitated players essentially playing NPC roles. This server actually had stuff kind of like this years ago, but it was removed. I only know half of the reasons why, but back when we had player guards in cities and such, was some of the most fun I ever had on this server. I loved having the guards actually react to the things you did, not because a DM was there, but because it was an actual player in that city guard uniform.

[chad878262]

My favorite areas are actually the low-to-mid range ones from about ~7 - 15 so I agree with Steve. While it's fun to have an epic character I think it is equally (if not more) fun to just enjoy the journey as you level. I didn't really realize this until I stopped doing quests for a long time and started exploring new areas and realized just how many their are for the various level ranges. In the end power is all relative so the only difference between slaying a Gauth at level 7 vs. a Balor at level 30 is in the eye of the beholder (#seewhatididthere) Both battles are most likely of equal difficulty, so the only difference is the players perception of the battle.

[Rask]

I think really, it's worth just putting up a poll for a month and letting people vote. Stick it to the top, see if peopel want mobs to leave more XP or not.

[chad878262]

I think really, it's worth just putting up a poll for a month and letting people vote. Stick it to the top, see if peopel want mobs to leave more XP or not.

Probably deserves it's own topic, go ahead and start one to see what the results are... Can't hurt!

I imagine most people want more XP, but there I think the implementation of such a change is more complex than simply doubling all spawn XP or whatever.

[Hawke]

There is a forum dedicated to XP discussion.

[trogers2]

Leveling has never been fun, but I do not think an exp boost will fix anything. I was all for a free RCR every year to reboot old toons, but the argument here is having level 30 toons appear seemingly out of nowhere is unrealistic-- though this happens anyway with people who grind non stop; thus one free RCR every year wouldn't do much damage giving players a chance to create a fresh toon.

Remember though that this thread was started to put down ideas to help out new players. Although leveling is a part of this process. i would like to see more ways to get exp in game that is more RP friendly, tasks or events.

for example
- Farming exp (like fishing)
- Cooking exp
- exp bonus for avoiding combat (1,2,3h etc...)
- Sleeping exp / rest RP / inside Inn
- For drinking (capped, and only given inside Inns)
- 150 exp for every hour out of combat
- Gym (weight lifting, test dummies etc.. exp)

Although this is all open to abuse, but with caps and limits it could make leveling a much more enjoyable experience, allowing non grinders to get a better chance at getting exp.

[Glowfire]

We already have fishing.

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[Rask]

There is a forum dedicated to XP discussion.

You're right ! I did a little searching.

I'll link the poll here for those interested: viewtopic.php?f=443&t=57704