The End of EFU:M and the Start of EFU:R Feedback

[Garem]

To touch on some of Scrappayeti's stuff...

I didn't play EfU:M, but that does sound better than the lack of clear villains in EfU:A. Half the time, my characters wouldn't know who H'bala was, or Barakat, or even much about Old Port. The mystery was nice, but it was SO mysterious at times that my characters (and even I as a player) lost sight of what was going on in the world.

One thing that I'm loving so far is that learning about the mysteries around Sanctuary seems to be more open than EFU 1 and 2. You don't need a DM to go check things out, and it's not so incredibly challenging so as to make it impossible to investigate stuff without murdering ten PCs for their potions just to survive the standard spawns from Home Base to Mystery #1.

The game balance outside of quests feels very right.

[Agent Egg]

I've always loved EfU in all it's incarnations, and am amazed that everything feels fresh still today.

I had thought that there was a danger that going back to the Underdark might be a mistake, after all, Old Port and the Rubies and everything surrounding that area might have made for an extremely interesting setting, but the truth is that the Underdark is amazing and better than ever, and somehow every little minor potion now feels like a small victory and treasure to possess, as opposed to one of a hundred more - PvP is now genuinely frightening, and not just the 15 minute supply-burners that some seemed to degenerate into in earlier settings!  Healing being scarce - long may it continue.

Maybe it does lack an antagonist for now, but I am sure that will change in time!

[TheTurboNerd]

I know it's the end of the world and all

and any good story needs drama

still it would be appreciated if everything didn't have to be all grimdark all the time

that's the only trepidation I have about the setting change.

[Ryan]

Suppose it's time for my two cents.

I came to this server towards, I think, the half-way point of EFU:M at the recommendation of my brother, and I nearly left several times. There's a difficulty curve (more like a sharp, jagged incline) to this place that can be immensely alienating at first, from the seemingly impenetrable lore to the unforgiving leveling and combat system. As scrappa eloquently pointed out, the Withering was an elegant means of unifying the focus of the setting, but it also presented a frustrating impediment to exploration and freedom in the setting. I liked what the withering did for the story, but I won't miss it as a mechanic.

But getting back on track, I eventually got over the difficulty hump after a slew of hit-or-miss characters and really started to enjoy myself without reservation towards the end of Mistlocke. It took several months of figuring out how to get noticed, how to involve myself, deal with frustration, learn the proper etiquette here, what's allowed and what isn't, etc. It took  patience that I feel a lot of casual players probably don't have - not a boast (I tend to learn by banging my head against walls, depressingly enough,) but more of an observation.

And, of course, is that necessarily a bad thing? By not dumbing things down or making things easier we have a server filled with great dyed-in-the-wool roleplayers who consistently make this story rewarding and enjoyable.

But let's get to Mistlocke itself as a chapter in EfU's history. As with most players, I think I only got half the story of what really went on here... if that. Maybe a quarter would be more generous. Part of the maddening appeal of this place is the knowledge that you're only ever going to see things from a very specific perspective - this server only rarely becomes all-encompassingly inclusive. How many dozens of stories have I only seen one side of, or missed entirely? How obvious were any one of my character's exploits, for that matter?

What I did see usually impressed the pants off me, of course, particularly towards the end. For a while I felt the story was kind of spinning its wheels as far as dealing with the "main villain" was concerned - of course, this was when the Transcendent Conclave seemed to be "happening" thing at the time, and I very rarely got to see any of that in action, so for a very long time it seemed there was little to do except play politics in Mistlocke and sit around the town square. Which I grew to hate, but more on that later.

Once the Enclave went and exploded, things seemed to pick up a bit more. For me, at least. I'm extremely happy with how the end game of the chapter played out, in no small part due to the high exposure I got to it. I've said this before, but everything from Owain's coronation to the final march against H'bala was pure roleplaying ecstasy.

And part of why I loved it was the utter sense of apocalyptic finality. The sense of approaching a finish line - for I was sick of Mistlocke, both as a setting and as a place, and was eager to see it go. The Agony destroying everything in sight was a moment of great catharsis for me.

I felt trapped by that little town, with its crumbling handful of buildings, to linger in its square and trade snide remarks with passersby. This gets back to my complaints against the withering - with everywhere else dangerous to travel, Mistlocke always felt very much like a cage to me. Though I had fun with them towards the end, the clans always felt a bit one-note and because of its tiny size the hamlet never felt like it had much to offer except for politics, a slew of incompetent mayors, and clan back-biting. It all comes down to personal preference, of course, but I much prefer the vast cosmopolitan quality of Sanctuary - a preference I was hoping to see validated by the move to Old Port, initially.

But Sanctuary has proven to be so much more than Old Port could have been. Maybe it helps that I was never here for the first chapter of EFU, but everything feels so fresh and new that I feel a tad overwhelmed by it all. So much so that I can't really provide reliable feedback on EFU:R until I've had a few months to truly get a feel for it. There's not much I'd recommend changing at this point.

Anyway, yeah, my nebulous thoughts and critique on Mistlocke. Bravo, guys.

[efuincarnate]

I am biased.  I started in the Underdark, what seems so long ago. Walking around, seeing nods to past things I was part of, still in game, a scrawling here, a ruin there, is simply gratifying.  The blending of old and new feels seamless, as a setting.  A brand new place to explore, but with hints of familiarity that make it somehow..feel like returning home.

As a player,  I found it an unforgiving server chapter, harsh and nearly self defeating.          That is as it should be.               Not until I found a concept I was willing to put in the time, and yes, unfortunately it takes time to learn an entirely new setting and learn how to survive in it.  This is a harsh reality alot of us with work, families, school, et all have to accept, and swallow. I think perhaps those of us who had learned the ins and outs of efu:M and could go from creation to level 6 in a day or two, simply had culture shock in the new setting.  It was no different at the beginning of any of the chapters.   Advancement will come, but it may feel glacial.  In another month, I expect the server to be a strong 6-8 level base, as we all learn where quests are, and so forth. Alot of the player base already has.  I am strictly speaking from my vantage point.  I have only just begun to range beyond the shield of Sanctuary, then usually with a group or guide. What I am finding there, or I should say, feeling there, is that on edge adrenaline of not knowing what is around the bend!  And the new climbing aspect of the setting makes every map a chess game, and worthy of exploration.  

I waited some time before I posted, as I wanted to get a much better feel for it all. The balance issues seem to be getting sorted.  I do hope it never becomes as easy to accrue potions, and levels as EFUM got at the end, the survival feel now seems far more invigorating  then it was, the last days of EfuM not withstanding. Those were epic! Trying to simply walk to Thomas's shop and back, with minimal supplies, makes it a great adventure. Nothing seems like work, or a grind.  Every action,  holds the lure of something unexpected occurring, which is why we keep coming back.  Random Spawns, random exploration areas, hidden areas..digging, climbing, fishing even!  Never a dull day, unless you want one.

As to the learning curve, this game has been out 10 years? Maybe longer?  I do not think there are any new players coming in, in great numbers.  It seems like even the new faces to the server are old vets of the game and of rp.  The learning curve, perhaps is a great way to weed out the few who are looking for WoW.  I have seen it many times in DM posts.  This place is not for everyone. But for those who stick around to figure it out, it is a great home.  I think I have seen maybe 10 percent? Probably less of the server.  But so far, it is quickly becoming my favorite chapter. But like I said..I am biased.  UD is home for me, my birthplace in true CRPG and EFU. , as it were. Nothing but PNP before that.  So, keep it up! Hopefully my real world obligations allow me to roam the dark tunnels enough to stay current.  I know there is sooo much more to see. The very few balance issues seem fixed.  A simple thank you, is the best critique I can offer overall.  So..Thanks!