Server Review from a New Guy Perspective
Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2018 4:13 pm
So, some of you might know that I have been playing for quite awhile now. Now that I've gotten an epic drow and 2 lvl 30s on surface, I thought I should give the server some review. I wrote it in parts by level so it should be easier to read.
Surface Experience:
Lv 1 - 10
I was quite excited jumping in from Nexus to the BG Farmlands. Toured the really well-built BG city and wasted my 1k to some random stuff I thought I needed (Didn't know HP equips were helpful like the bag of hearty and such). I jumped in to the bandits cave with 9 HP then raped those wolves in the entrance (EZ 100 xp). Then I saw a chest and tried to bash it and guess what, trap killed me...met Myrkul and lost that 100xp and thought to myself, "Man I just started and this server is already making my start grind harder". Nevertheless, I grinded some more and got to lvl 3.
At Lv 3, I ran onto a random paladin PC (sorry forgot your name). I asked him where a good place to level and he was nice enough to send me to the graveyard. He even buffed me which was nice. I made my way through the graveyard and entered one of the tombs. And guess what? That zombie inside was WAY out of my league and lost 300xp. At that point, I really did quit the server thinking "Why is this server punishing low-leveled chars?". This is the time when I actually played the other big server with Haven on its name
.
Then after a few months, I tried to give it another shot and made it through lvl 10 after meeting some random veterans pulling my leg in hilltop ruins.
Lv 11-20
Probably my best experience in the server at this level range. After making many friends at hilltop ruins, I was able to explore the places near FAI. Also, many people are in this range level so it was a very nice experience. Also, it was my first time experiencing an epic DM event at cloakwood with the portal so I really liked it. Nothing more to say here other than awesome.
Also, this is the level ranged where I learned about "Campfire RP".
Lv 21-30
I've never thought that leveling in epics were a PUNISHMENT. I was almost crying everyday, with the low...exp (Before the Dynamic CR Scale, thank god for this). I'm sure you've seen me slaughter those stupid trolls in Soubar for DAYS. But it was fun partying with high-leveled people visiting Serpent Hills, Wyrms Forest, and other high-leveled places. Also at this level range, my build was pretty much set so I almost never died on grinding.
Lastly, I have been to many DM events and they were quite fun. Just laggy...
UD Experience:
Lv 1-5
Someone asked me to describe my UD Experience and I told him "Epic". Then I told him that if he gave me another word, he would know the full picture. Anyways, I rolled in my first drow UD Char.
Do mind, I have been to Sshamath and other upperdark areas with my surface toon.
Now that I am more experienced, I thought of not muling items but I've heard horror stories about starting a drow lvl 1 in UD is suicidal unless it's a power build. So, I've muled a couple of high-end gears and rolled him out.
Met Ssinyr (sorry if I mispelled your toon name) and showed me around UD. It was a very nice experience, chasing those t-i-m-e c-o-n-s-u-m-i-n-g quest slaves, getting the basilisk egg, and other places. I got a few levels here and there after running those quests. I got to admit, it was hard to learn those DROW words
jk.
Lv 6-10
I was dora the explorer at this point of stage. Kept asking my MAP where the heck are the transition points, and lo-behold...had to do some research on the forums. To be honest, this is one of the loneliest experience in the server. Most UD chars mid-epic level range, so I was pretty much alone here farming the goblins.
Lv 11-20
After being lonely in the dark for a long time, my drow became suicidal. Luckily, there were a few people running around to grind with (Pyro and DarkElfFan the most dedicated drows along with a few more...Kane and others I cannot remember Keeshe). Also during this level range, there were quite few UD people online to RP and I got to admit, it was by far...
the best RP experience I had since joining the server.
Also, there was no campfire to RP with so there's that.
Lv 20+
I already know UD like my backyard. Didn't expect it to be THAT small compared to the surface. I have met best RPers in the server in here at this level range. Occasionally, I snuck out UD and visit the surface to do some trading and meet other guilds for RP and it was an interesting experience how most people from the surface are very tolerable of drows up to a certain degree.
Also during this level range, I actually met 4 new players from the server who were brave enough to start their first toon in the UD. I helped them out and taught them the quests and basic stuff about the auctioneer and other things. And I can say that only 1 or 2 stuck around with their UD toon. They all said the same thing to me, "Man, UD is not a friendly place for new players".
It's kind of disheartening to see how small UD was compared to the surface (understandable since UD is still new place developed). Leveling places are quite limited, but on the other hand, it's easy to run to other drows.
It's funny how I saw surfacers grind on underdark wilds, when they literally have 10x more places to farm like Uppderdark or...you know Surface places? I guess they just want to meet a drow or something.
Lastly, have yet to see a DM event somewhere in the Underdark (Not Uppderdark).
TLDR:
Overall Surface Experience:
It was fun. I quit early on low levels due to the exp penalty was discouraging me to grind. Very nice server overall as well as fun events.
Overall UD Experience:
More improvements can be made in UD such as putting friendly CR map indicator as well as transition points. Best RP experience is in here. No Campfire RP here (for me, this is considered as RP grinding lmfao, though I have done it). UD is well under-appreciated by people who played surface chars and never started a drow. I think more investments should be made to improve here since the RP quality of players here are just...very good. Have yet to see a DM event in the Underdark.
Just my two cents about the server. If you read this essay, I hope you had no better things to do.
Surface Experience:
Lv 1 - 10
I was quite excited jumping in from Nexus to the BG Farmlands. Toured the really well-built BG city and wasted my 1k to some random stuff I thought I needed (Didn't know HP equips were helpful like the bag of hearty and such). I jumped in to the bandits cave with 9 HP then raped those wolves in the entrance (EZ 100 xp). Then I saw a chest and tried to bash it and guess what, trap killed me...met Myrkul and lost that 100xp and thought to myself, "Man I just started and this server is already making my start grind harder". Nevertheless, I grinded some more and got to lvl 3.
At Lv 3, I ran onto a random paladin PC (sorry forgot your name). I asked him where a good place to level and he was nice enough to send me to the graveyard. He even buffed me which was nice. I made my way through the graveyard and entered one of the tombs. And guess what? That zombie inside was WAY out of my league and lost 300xp. At that point, I really did quit the server thinking "Why is this server punishing low-leveled chars?". This is the time when I actually played the other big server with Haven on its name
.Then after a few months, I tried to give it another shot and made it through lvl 10 after meeting some random veterans pulling my leg in hilltop ruins.
Lv 11-20
Probably my best experience in the server at this level range. After making many friends at hilltop ruins, I was able to explore the places near FAI. Also, many people are in this range level so it was a very nice experience. Also, it was my first time experiencing an epic DM event at cloakwood with the portal so I really liked it. Nothing more to say here other than awesome.
Also, this is the level ranged where I learned about "Campfire RP".
Lv 21-30
I've never thought that leveling in epics were a PUNISHMENT. I was almost crying everyday, with the low...exp (Before the Dynamic CR Scale, thank god for this). I'm sure you've seen me slaughter those stupid trolls in Soubar for DAYS. But it was fun partying with high-leveled people visiting Serpent Hills, Wyrms Forest, and other high-leveled places. Also at this level range, my build was pretty much set so I almost never died on grinding.
Lastly, I have been to many DM events and they were quite fun. Just laggy...
UD Experience:
Lv 1-5
Someone asked me to describe my UD Experience and I told him "Epic". Then I told him that if he gave me another word, he would know the full picture. Anyways, I rolled in my first drow UD Char.
Do mind, I have been to Sshamath and other upperdark areas with my surface toon.
Now that I am more experienced, I thought of not muling items but I've heard horror stories about starting a drow lvl 1 in UD is suicidal unless it's a power build. So, I've muled a couple of high-end gears and rolled him out.
Met Ssinyr (sorry if I mispelled your toon name) and showed me around UD. It was a very nice experience, chasing those t-i-m-e c-o-n-s-u-m-i-n-g quest slaves, getting the basilisk egg, and other places. I got a few levels here and there after running those quests. I got to admit, it was hard to learn those DROW words
jk.Lv 6-10
I was dora the explorer at this point of stage. Kept asking my MAP where the heck are the transition points, and lo-behold...had to do some research on the forums. To be honest, this is one of the loneliest experience in the server. Most UD chars mid-epic level range, so I was pretty much alone here farming the goblins.
Lv 11-20
After being lonely in the dark for a long time, my drow became suicidal. Luckily, there were a few people running around to grind with (Pyro and DarkElfFan the most dedicated drows along with a few more...Kane and others I cannot remember
Keeshe). Also during this level range, there were quite few UD people online to RP and I got to admit, it was by far...the best RP experience I had since joining the server.
Also, there was no campfire to RP with so there's that.
Lv 20+
I already know UD like my backyard. Didn't expect it to be THAT small compared to the surface. I have met best RPers in the server in here at this level range. Occasionally, I snuck out UD and visit the surface to do some trading and meet other guilds for RP and it was an interesting experience how most people from the surface are very tolerable of drows up to a certain degree.
Also during this level range, I actually met 4 new players from the server who were brave enough to start their first toon in the UD. I helped them out and taught them the quests and basic stuff about the auctioneer and other things. And I can say that only 1 or 2 stuck around with their UD toon. They all said the same thing to me, "Man, UD is not a friendly place for new players".
It's kind of disheartening to see how small UD was compared to the surface (understandable since UD is still new place developed). Leveling places are quite limited, but on the other hand, it's easy to run to other drows.
It's funny how I saw surfacers grind on underdark wilds, when they literally have 10x more places to farm like Uppderdark or...you know Surface places? I guess they just want to meet a drow or something.
Lastly, have yet to see a DM event somewhere in the Underdark (Not Uppderdark).
TLDR:
Overall Surface Experience:
It was fun. I quit early on low levels due to the exp penalty was discouraging me to grind. Very nice server overall as well as fun events.
Overall UD Experience:
More improvements can be made in UD such as putting friendly CR map indicator as well as transition points. Best RP experience is in here. No Campfire RP here (for me, this is considered as RP grinding lmfao, though I have done it). UD is well under-appreciated by people who played surface chars and never started a drow. I think more investments should be made to improve here since the RP quality of players here are just...very good. Have yet to see a DM event in the Underdark.
Just my two cents about the server. If you read this essay, I hope you had no better things to do
.