General thoughts on chapter 3..

[RogerFnRabbit]

I am inclined to agree with Black Tophat. The Dream sequence was legen-wait for it, hope you're not lactose intolerant-dary!

[chezcaliente]

When I walked in there, there were like 5 bodies piled on top of each other. I'm guessing the Mist transitions will be badass after they are fixed. I still felt pretty on edge walking through though.

Yep... I loved the voices coming from the mist... wonderfully eerie for a newly awakened Sleeper already in a state of confusion.

[TheImpossibleDream]

I don't know what Chapter 1 to Chapter 2 was like, but some players were on for way too many hours, during the final days without the shield.  Some of those fights were utterly brutal.

For the old timers who were on a lot, how did that stack up to The Way?

50 people attempted to get to the surface and about 8 managed to make it. The transition to chapter 3 is no comparison, its like comparing the fat rat quest to Coral Cove, or orcs 2 if all the berzerkers were replaced with chosen of gathmar.

[Spiffy Has]

So, harder, right Naga?

[Wafflecone]

Personally I felt like the final events of 2 were our bataan deathmarch, and I remind you that harder doesn't equal better.

[VanillaPudding]

I think I would have preferred a vault wipe, or at least something more difficult than a script taking 80% of potions and most of your gold. I see a lot of the old PCs being rather inactive while the new ones are off exploring, questing, and building relationships with other characters. Whether that's from the script crippling them, the lack of knowledge on where to go, or whatever else I don't know.

One of the greatest things I've noticed is the new starting method. I like that you can purchase more to begin the game and aren't forced to run in circles around the city delivering shit to accomplish the same thing. I think the intro provides a great bit of lore and history right at the start yet keeps it basic enough for even new players to hop right in.

Overall I think it's a fantastic change. The few things I would suggest are -

http://www.escapefromundeath.com/forums/showthread.php?p=244216#post244216

[Wrexsoul]

I think I would have preferred a vault wipe, or at least something more difficult than a script taking 80% of potions and most of your gold. I see a lot of the old PCs being rather inactive while the new ones are off exploring, questing, and building relationships with other characters. Whether that's from the script crippling them, the lack of knowledge on where to go, or whatever else I don't know.

On the contrary, I am having more fun than in a long, long while with an old character in the new setting. If you continue with a PC, it's because you genuinely feel you have something cool to achieve with them; Otherwise, this is the perfect opportunity to try something new, after all. I'm glad there wasn't a wipe.

What's so neat about continuing with an old PC is that you are in the unique position of possessing old knowledge that makes the new knowledge you can seek all the more interesting. You have first-hand experienced things that even now continue to evolve; You know about the legends and history of the isle and can apply this knowledge to continuously further their progress. You don't have to start off new and clueless about the lots of very awesome knowledge assembled during the last chapter, which ties in with everything going on at the moment; especially not with some of the more lore-savvy fellows around to keep the history alive. A lot of new blood is great, but having some old profiles around still is very neat, in my opinion.

As for general stuff, it's awesome! It really feels like the server has a new spark of energy; I wasn't around for the transition between EfU and EfU:A, so what it reminds me of is mostly back when the server started. So much new stuff to dig into! I know for sure I am revitalized, at least.

[Egon the Monkey]

Yeah, I'm glad that old PCs weren't totally screwed, but instead there were a lot of opportunities for permadeath if you made the wrong IC decisions. Your character could make their own choice on how to respond to the Apocalypse. They could be a hero, run for the hills, hide in the temple etc. In comparison, the Way was a single do or die, mechanically challenging gauntlet run needing no small amount of luck. After Alvin died during High Noon on the Enclave, I was worried that no way would my new PC be able to amass the levels and supplies for a meatgrinder like the Way. Instead, it was RP decisions, not mechanics that let Aorli live. The fact that a mix of character levels and ages actually survived rather than just a few veteran/powergamer PCs makes a nice mix of old and new in the new setting.

Being able to respawn on old PCs means there's going to me more of a staggered transition from Chapter 2 to 3, with old PCs being willing to take risks to continue their story. I'd disagree with VP. There's plenty of Chapter 2 PCs taking the intiative, in fact a good half of the chars organising stuff on the forums are from Chapter 2 I think.

[The Old Hack]

I personally thought it was a fantastic ending and that it is a fascinating new beginning. I am thankful for the opportunity to achieve some final closure with Camille; this way, she may either find new purpose and life or simply 'fade away' if she doesn't find one. (Or burn out, hopefully. It's better to burn out than to fade away.)

I had rather expected Camille to die during the end of chapter two -- it was not only brutal and wearying fights with little in the way of resupply, it was also personally demoralising (ICly, that is!) Keeping up her spirits and showing a brave face to people around her to keep their spirits up as well was a major effort. I agree with Waffle that the last days were in a sense our death march; so many people died permanently and it was brutal on the survivors.

Looking forward to more in chapter 3!

[Craig210]

I loved the ending, it was unexpected and certainly entertaining. The last week was a struggle, surviving on the bare minimal resources just hoping to make it through from fight to fight.

The tension and fear could be felt in the temple when the final event was coming. When howland announced chapter 3, the shock was plain for everyone to see.

As for the new chapter, well its amazing.

The fact that everyone is now so close together, and not separated by huge factions and settlements is only a good thing in my eyes. It means more day to day interactions, more conflict.

The two trading houses, being supported by dm's. But recruitment handled by pc's is an amazing addition. It gives the vibe of Montague and Capulet houses in Romeo and Juliet.

The server is jam packed with new mysteries, and the player count these days shows just how much people are loving it.

Rock on efu, i cant wait to see whats in store for us.

[PlayaCharacter]

I've been keeping my mouth shut about this for a long time, so I just wanted to say that I'm really glad EfU:A is finally over. I never really felt like it measured up to the mystery and dramatic tension of the Underdark. It just seemed incomplete somehow.

Mistlocke, on the other hand, fills that void completely. It feels like this is how the server was meant to be in the first place. I love it.

[Darkness2]

Vault wipe should have happened, as all it is is the old characters hanging around eachother. Mighta been cool if maybe 2 or 3 old characters returned, but not basically the whole playerbase.

Edit:
Oh and I also think the town needs to be bigger, and have a somewhat "Dodgey" area like v1 and 2 had. IE: Lower and Docks

[Howlando]

The issue of returning PCs is surely always a controversial one, and one in which people will never agree upon. The truth is that in a month it will hardly matter, but last time we had mass death and enforced retirement a lot of perfectly good players (often more casual players) really had a rough time with and some left to never return.

I am personally pretty happy with the Dimensions of Mistlocke, and the Old Stones as a somewhat dodgier place. I personally have no interest in trying to blindly copy and imitate "Lower" again and again. We all liked it in Sanctuary, but our towns should feel different and be different.

[The Beggar]

It's fine. Just play.

[Drakill Tannan]

If you wanted a wipe, you had ample oportunities to retire your PCs. There was the diluvian thing, Capitan Roose or wahtever fleeing-fleet. A whole lot of PCs died to the risers in the last weekend. I too would have liked a large perma-death event at the end that forcefully several of the PCs at the temple. And to be honest to a degree i reject not having made a new character... but my whole objective was to get my main PC to live, so...