Good news from Beta 6 patch notes that will improve the overall ease of use and gaming experience. Plus lots of other great game tweaks and new content mechanics. But I'm all about the fluff and user experience now since I already know the content is fun and have faith that anything broken will be fixed in short order.
If you can afford it, you can ride it!
Woot! They’ve removed level restrictions for the 60% speed increase mount. This was originally slated as your first mount and couldn’t be attained until level 20. The rule no longer applies and as soon as you have the 2-something plat to buy it, you can ride it.
It’s not clear to me if this means purchasers of the CE version of the game, who are being given the special Turtle mount, will be able to ride that from level 1 or if it’s not unlocked until you purchase your first mount. If the latter is the case then the purchase is more like a riding skill than buying a mount. Any CE players playing the beta this weekend please chime in and let us know.
If you were rewarded it, you can wear it!
It’s really annoying to have been the appropriate level to receive a quest and complete it, only to find that the item awarded has a level restriction preventing you from using it. Voila – that’s gone. I’m accustomed to attempting to do quests that are flagged as red when I get them because I enjoy the challenge of completing content that I shouldn’t be able to yet. Now I can continue that behavior AND be allowed to wear my ill-gotten gains.
One more please, reduce number of exterior-only buildings
I like the way the Trion team is continuing to fine tune the gaming experience. It’s not just about the number of quests, mobs, levels, dungeons, etc. There are hundreds of non-combat and non-content elements that combine to make or break the fun-factor. I feel more confident with each patch that even things they may not get right the first time will be corrected in time so here’s one more thing I’d love to see. In the future, reduce the number exterior-only buildings.
I’ve really enjoyed running around the defiant zones. I giggle with glee when I happen upon small enclaves of civilian NPCs going about their daily lives. Rift invasions make the game feel more alive than many I’ve played and the world has been dressed very well. However, I’m disappointed when I come across a dwelling with interesting activity taking place outside but I can’t go in the houses.
Seeing the interior of buildings helps tell the story of how people live in your world. It’s not all about the external conflict. It’s a virtual world where supposedly, these citizens have lives, property and values worth preserving – hence why we fight. I want to be able to see the subtleties your lore doesn’t and can’t provide, which is the living of everyday lives. You know - this society we’re racing around like mad to protect.
There’s a quest-giver at a farm somewhere in Freemarch that will have you harvest some vegetables for him. It’s repeatable if memory serves me. I laughed so hard when I ran across his little farm. It was The Sims Seasons expansion which added gardening abilities meets the conflict and adventure of MMOs. I don’t think we need ask anymore who would farm in a game since Farmville.
Those of us who LOVED Harvest Moon have been vindicated and then some! But I wanted just a little more from that farm. I wanted to see inside his house. For the same reasons archeologist’s study ancient dwellings and artifacts, it would reveal much about that society, so please, in the future include more building interiors.
I can confirm CE pre-orders can get their mounts ASAP. Made a level 1 toon on Belmont where TOG is playing Defiant side. As soon as I was able to get to a mailbox, I was riding my turtle.
Posted by: Winged Nazgul | February 05, 2011 at 03:06 PM
Whoa that's a biggie! Hmm, I wonder if non CE players will complain? That goes down in my book as the biggest CE perk I've gotten. Wooooooooooooooooooot!
Thanks for reporting back!! I hope you're enjoying your weekend of play.
Posted by: Alysianah aka Saylah | February 05, 2011 at 05:33 PM
Nothing was funnier for me then the quests just a few hundred paces from the farm towards the coast. It was like a test of your hero skills, that included a cheese eating contest and a foot race against the knights squire, with the most hilarious ending ever.
But yeah as to more open houses absolutely. But I don't imagine this game will really reach its potential until a year after launch, where things like that could be addressed.
Posted by: coppertopper | February 05, 2011 at 08:59 PM
I like the humor in manynif the quests. Yeah, I know they have bigger fish to fry than building interiors but one can hope. I think I've been inside a vast majority of the open buildings in WOW. I love that sort of stuff.
Posted by: Alysianah aka Saylah | February 05, 2011 at 11:52 PM