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Hoping for a better Tera Nov 27 2017
This is my first post in the forum, so please bear with me. I have been in and out of TERA since lvl VM2 lvl 60 cap, 2 weeks ago i decided to once again venture the world of Arborea to see if it would amaze me the way it used to. Somehow it did, but of course there are pros and there are cons. Take note that whoever is reading this may not agree in everything i say, but i feel like posting this anyway for this might possibly help in the growth of TERA.
Leveling Experience
Who doesn't want to hit max level right? Its true we all do, but with the current leveling system, new players are not given a chance to appreciate and be captivated in TERA's lore and its BEAUTIFUL ENVIRONMENT. Before, leveling took you places, towns, cities, campfires, cathedrals, it made you follow roads flooded with monsters - it made you want to SEE MORE. The road to max level used to really open your eyes in understanding many aspects of the game.
I can't imagine how new players are feeling right after they get past character creation. Possibly like they've been tossed in a place where they just have to keep killing and killing, doesn't matter who you're talking to ( whats his story) and just keep going forward. Quests are now optional, you can just farm the avatar weapons and kill BAMS for a few hours and hit 65 in no time. I'm not saying everything about this is wrong, but it just really puts the beautiful environment and the leveling experience away - and this is what is important to get new players hooked.
I'd suggest lowering experience gained to have players do more time learning and exploring the game. At the same time, this gives you a feeling that reaching max level is an achievement. It somehow gives you a title that you've gone through all the content the game has to offer and that you most likely understand the game completely.
As for Instance Match Making, "Blast from the Past" was a good idea.. for me. It just really had some bugs which placed it in a bad spot - I used to roll a zerk and my Overcharged skills were killing me. Give those maxed out players exclusive rewards if they participate in Blast from the Past, a cosmetic item maybe, or a mount, or TITLES that are not available at the cash shop?
I don't have a concrete solution on how they can solve this issue - but i just want to point it out since this is the first thing that new players have to encounter. And we all know new players and an increase in population is good for any game.
Max Level Dungeons / Dungeons in general
Doing dungeons is a must specially when you hit max level. As of now we get gold, Vanguard Credits, and enchanting materials when we complete dungeons. Technically we're just grinding through dungeons to get materials for stronger equipment. This feels like and endless grind which can result in burning out and somehow give the impression that the end game is boring. What if you include exclusive items like mounts/pets/cosmetics that are bound to a specific boss? Id be more interested in doing dungeons because i know that there is this chance that i'd be riding a mount that can only be claimed through completing this and that with the following conditions etc. They can even maybe experiment in introducing dungeons that can only be done once or twice a week and in a group of 10 or 15 or 20 - depends. But at least with this, people will do their best in grouping up, SOCIALIZE WITH OTHER PLAYERS, and talk about how much they want this drop from this boss etc and they hope they will be the one to loot it this time around etc.
Flying Mounts
In my honest opinion, this is a great addition in the game. It does have a big room for improvement tho. Flying in Tera at some places is useless. You have flight restrictions, you have invisible walls, and so you end up just following the road while in the air. I know this cant easily be done and that you'd have to retexture areas that can now be seen from above, but if this can be addressed, this would greatly increase the gaming experience. I would also suggest not limiting flight time.. i mean its just really frustrating - you have the freedom to fly but only for a given time.. I mean come on.
Yet again improving the flight system in Tera will allow players to explore the environment more, get curious about why stuff are placed here, or whats the lore around a given region. Interest, and curiosity will once again fill players and give them something to do if they have free time or they just wanna have casual flights around Arborea.
PVP and Battlegrounds
To be honest i think BGs are dead. Or its just not worth doing anymore. I personally like PVP but in the recent patches, i just keep on getting frustrated. The game focuses too much on PVE now, and you have no edge whatsoever if you know how to PVP or if you want to invest in PVP combat. People just duel at certain areas if they want some action and not get anything as a reward.. Even they have to spend 2g per duel if they do not have a healer on site.
Civil Unrest is okay but its only once a week, so what happens to those casual players wants to PVP during the other 6 days? The que times are hell now and whats worst is that you can only que for 1 type of BG at given time. I think having an option of queing for multiple BGs would be very helpful in que times.
I think they should include enchantment materials that can only be obtained through BGS or PVP activities so that they can keep this aspect of the game alive. Remember Tera has one of the best combat mechanics, and this is that part of the game where it should be clearly seen.
My Point
Tera is a great game, its a very great game with good potential actually. And its frustrating to see the player database declining. If you have read up to this point, you would have noticed how I've been highlighting "Interest", "Exploration", "Lore", "Exclusivity", and "Experience". If we want this game to flourish again, we need new players. If we need new players, we need to keep them interested enough to keep playing the game. Give players something to do rather than forcefully do dungeons to get enough crafting materials and gold.
Leveling Experience
Who doesn't want to hit max level right? Its true we all do, but with the current leveling system, new players are not given a chance to appreciate and be captivated in TERA's lore and its BEAUTIFUL ENVIRONMENT. Before, leveling took you places, towns, cities, campfires, cathedrals, it made you follow roads flooded with monsters - it made you want to SEE MORE. The road to max level used to really open your eyes in understanding many aspects of the game.
I can't imagine how new players are feeling right after they get past character creation. Possibly like they've been tossed in a place where they just have to keep killing and killing, doesn't matter who you're talking to ( whats his story) and just keep going forward. Quests are now optional, you can just farm the avatar weapons and kill BAMS for a few hours and hit 65 in no time. I'm not saying everything about this is wrong, but it just really puts the beautiful environment and the leveling experience away - and this is what is important to get new players hooked.
I'd suggest lowering experience gained to have players do more time learning and exploring the game. At the same time, this gives you a feeling that reaching max level is an achievement. It somehow gives you a title that you've gone through all the content the game has to offer and that you most likely understand the game completely.
As for Instance Match Making, "Blast from the Past" was a good idea.. for me. It just really had some bugs which placed it in a bad spot - I used to roll a zerk and my Overcharged skills were killing me. Give those maxed out players exclusive rewards if they participate in Blast from the Past, a cosmetic item maybe, or a mount, or TITLES that are not available at the cash shop?
I don't have a concrete solution on how they can solve this issue - but i just want to point it out since this is the first thing that new players have to encounter. And we all know new players and an increase in population is good for any game.
Max Level Dungeons / Dungeons in general
Doing dungeons is a must specially when you hit max level. As of now we get gold, Vanguard Credits, and enchanting materials when we complete dungeons. Technically we're just grinding through dungeons to get materials for stronger equipment. This feels like and endless grind which can result in burning out and somehow give the impression that the end game is boring. What if you include exclusive items like mounts/pets/cosmetics that are bound to a specific boss? Id be more interested in doing dungeons because i know that there is this chance that i'd be riding a mount that can only be claimed through completing this and that with the following conditions etc. They can even maybe experiment in introducing dungeons that can only be done once or twice a week and in a group of 10 or 15 or 20 - depends. But at least with this, people will do their best in grouping up, SOCIALIZE WITH OTHER PLAYERS, and talk about how much they want this drop from this boss etc and they hope they will be the one to loot it this time around etc.
Flying Mounts
In my honest opinion, this is a great addition in the game. It does have a big room for improvement tho. Flying in Tera at some places is useless. You have flight restrictions, you have invisible walls, and so you end up just following the road while in the air. I know this cant easily be done and that you'd have to retexture areas that can now be seen from above, but if this can be addressed, this would greatly increase the gaming experience. I would also suggest not limiting flight time.. i mean its just really frustrating - you have the freedom to fly but only for a given time.. I mean come on.
Yet again improving the flight system in Tera will allow players to explore the environment more, get curious about why stuff are placed here, or whats the lore around a given region. Interest, and curiosity will once again fill players and give them something to do if they have free time or they just wanna have casual flights around Arborea.
PVP and Battlegrounds
To be honest i think BGs are dead. Or its just not worth doing anymore. I personally like PVP but in the recent patches, i just keep on getting frustrated. The game focuses too much on PVE now, and you have no edge whatsoever if you know how to PVP or if you want to invest in PVP combat. People just duel at certain areas if they want some action and not get anything as a reward.. Even they have to spend 2g per duel if they do not have a healer on site.
Civil Unrest is okay but its only once a week, so what happens to those casual players wants to PVP during the other 6 days? The que times are hell now and whats worst is that you can only que for 1 type of BG at given time. I think having an option of queing for multiple BGs would be very helpful in que times.
I think they should include enchantment materials that can only be obtained through BGS or PVP activities so that they can keep this aspect of the game alive. Remember Tera has one of the best combat mechanics, and this is that part of the game where it should be clearly seen.
My Point
Tera is a great game, its a very great game with good potential actually. And its frustrating to see the player database declining. If you have read up to this point, you would have noticed how I've been highlighting "Interest", "Exploration", "Lore", "Exclusivity", and "Experience". If we want this game to flourish again, we need new players. If we need new players, we need to keep them interested enough to keep playing the game. Give players something to do rather than forcefully do dungeons to get enough crafting materials and gold.
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Comments
Either the title of the PVP is Legends of Arborea then PVE is Defense of Arborea!
uhhhh did u mean.... harrowhold..... cause we got that....
also BGs do pop these days if by BG you mean FWC-- FWC pops A LOT, there's a specific discord that has coordinated times for sync queuing so that there's always a hot spot every day where FWC is popping. and to a lesser degree 3s and CS. aside from the dispute in whether the ilvl for non-eq gear is too high or not BGs are thriving well these days-- well compared to what they used to be at least.
but i do agree with being able to queue for multiple BGs at once and even for the idea of putting something entirely unique as a PVP reward to get everyone incentivized