So I’ve been playing for a couple days and I’d thought I’d give some feedback regarding the game’s current state and where I’d personally like to see it go.
Before I start, let me make a couple things clear.
- Yes I was a great lover of RO, but I will do my best to avoid suggesting that ToS become a RO copycat.
- I am only level 6X (university midterms yay) so my knowledge is in no way comprehensive. I can only give an opinion based on what I know.
So here goes.
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Game progression is too linear as it is. The entire game consists of “Talk to NPCs A, B, C”, “Fight Monsters A, B, C” or “Collect Items A, B, C”, collect rewards, move to new map and then rinse and repeat. Sure you can go back and grind/farm mobs in lower level dungeons, but there isn’t really a major incentive to do so. Getting to cap level should feel like an achievement, but should NOT feel like the focus. What ToS lacks is an alternate source of entertainment. There’s little to no reason for community building (so far) and quite frankly there’s no real way to build bonds with others.
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Individuality. What makes a MMO great for me? When I can look at a player and tell who exactly that is without having to see their name. The MMO that is the worst offender for this (for me) is Dragon’s Nest. Everyone is clamoring to get different cash shop items to make themselves look shiny; not realizing that paying $20’s for a costume simply makes you look like every other player that’s willing to spend money. This, for me, is where RO truly shined. Colour palettes, custom headgears, wings, auras, etc. etc. Things that could be earned in game and took advantage of the plethora of misc. drops from low tier mobs to boss exclusives. ToS (as it stands) has everyone looking like a clone. The headgears from mobs are a step in the right direction, but they just don’t have the same depth as the RO customization system.
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Chat system. This is in need of a overhaul. The system feels clunky and dissuades me from using it. Please allow us to create custom chat tabs and name them.
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Instances and fields. I like the concept of going into an instance with your party members for quests. However, I do not believe that ALL bosses should be instanced. I especially think that ToS should avoid the route of pure instanced dungeons for high level equipment and such. This leads to a lack of competition between players, and to the game becoming a chore. In an instanced dungeon, no other factors can EVER make the fight itself more varied.
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Stat/Skill Relevance. It seems like the stats for the Base Level and the Skills in the Class level have no real relevance. I know I promised I’d avoid making too many RO references, but as it stands the stat/skill combination in RO was much better. So far I’ve reset my Cleric/C2 Priest a couple times to try out different stat/skill combinations, and none of them really seemed to make a noticeable difference. I’m sure they do something to each other, but it doesn’t seem like it really has much impact.
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EXP. I know this one is a contentious topic, but frankly I’m fine with the exp rates as they are at the moment. Please remember that this is the rate for a closed beta with a cap of less than half of the release (with only 1 month playtime). Things will most likely change come release. No, my real concern is with how the system rewards exp. At level 60 or so I can go to Tenet Chapel F2 and kill those level 4X giant machines for about 0.1%. Alternatively I can fight 6X mobs for about 0.3%, but at a much slower rate. And on the opposite end of the spectrum, I went and (easily) killed a level 100+ mob for about 0.2%. This really doesn’t make sense to me since it seems like you’re being rewarded for finding niche “grind” places rather than what you’re “suppose” to do or even trying to challenge your limits. I should also mention that I was partying with a 4X and he was also getting the same % exp as me at tenet chapel F2 (with the settings on equal share). Either I’m really confused, or the system is semi-broken.
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NPC centralization. I’m not really sure why so many non-essential npc’s are clustered around the Goddess statue in town, but the Blacksmith (repairs), item merchant (potions and others), storage (why is there only a storage in town?), and the market are all flung to the far corners of the map.
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/invite for parties. I don’t want to have to walk half way across the world to manually invite a friend back into the party because we kicked them due to the size limit.
There’s a lot more to be said, but I’m not sure you could read anymore lol. I’ll cap it off with a statement.
The greatest strength of the most beloved game for many ToS beta testers (RO) was its community. ToS should focus on building upon this. It’s got all the hallmarks of a great game: a devoted fanbase, a stellar dev team, great BGM, and a model for which the game can draw from. But something in ToS is lacking so far. I don’t feel as connected with the game, and If I’m not out leveling then I’m stuck in a market screen or off the game entirely. RO made it fun to be in town and meet other people. This isn’t RO, but it certainly could learn a thing or two from it.
Thanks and keep up the great work!