level-grinding
Latest
Wings Over Atreia: Conquering the level grind
So what's a girl like you doing in a grind like this? I can't tell you how many times a variation of this line has been lobbed my way regarding Aion. Hi everyone! I'm MJ and I have taken the Aion torch from Jef as he has moved over to cover EQII. I am looking forward to soaring through the Aionosphere with you. If you haven't heard about the loudest gripe ringing out over Atreia, please let me know what rock you've been hiding under lately so I can join you; even people who can't distinguish Aion from linguine seem to have this answer down pat! OK, all together now -- THE GRIND. We all know it, we all live it, and some have lost their remaining scraps of sanity due to it. Those who made it to level 35 still have the brick prints on their foreheads from slamming into that wall. Those who braved to 40+? Well, their foreheads are a bit squishy from repeated slamming. But no more! I am here to tell you that Aion has effectively taken a stick of dynamite to that wall by implementing the new repeatable quests. In fact, this noted anti-grinder was eagerly diving into them, in a dizzying comma of "just a few more." Earlier, we told you about a guide available for the "who" and the "where," but I am going to share the "why" and the "how," with tips to best maximize these juicy treasures of experience-hoarding goodness. Revel again in the feeling of progress! Don't believe me? Glide past the cut to see how you, too, can thumb your nose at the charred remains of the leveling brick wall.
The Daily Grind: Leveling, the playing field
They might be called security levels, they might be split between ranks and levels, they might disguise themslves as skill grinds. But in pretty much any MMO you care to name, there will be levels of some kind. (The only exception that springs to mind is Second Life, and even that can be argued.) Generally, it's accepted that the most meat to the game will come after you've made it to the apex of the leveling curve, whether it's a low cap or a high one. But that's not when you started liking the game -- no, even though most players see it as an impediment to getting to the good part, the leveling game is what first hooks you on the game as a whole. So today, we ask a simple question -- what game have you played where you most enjoyed the leveling process? Forget all of the endgame nonsense, whether you had a broad endgame or a fairly narrow one. When did you just enjoy the path toward the endgame, perhaps even enough to be a bit saddened when it was over? Or have you always wanted to just get to the end without bothering with the whole "journey" element?
The Daily Grind: What's your best speed record?
At the core of most MMOs is the unspoken assumption that most things in the game can be completed by anyone, given enough time. But we gamers really don't work that way. With a higher level comes a sense that you're advancing into higher tiers than your fellow players, and the process is undeniably addictive. Star Trek Online has just released, and it's a safe bet that you're working to get your ship and crew built up as fast as possible, which might raise the question for some of why it took Picard seven years before he picked up a new ship. Even if you don't try to race for the ceiling every time the game raises the cap or goes live, there are doubtlessly tasks you've worked down to a science, quests or grinds that you blew through faster than you thought possible. Today we ask you what you consider your personal speed record. Was it leveling, crafting, working through a band of content or storyline, or even just a really quick jaunt through dangerous territory? Could you do it again if you wanted to? Was it something you were trying to do, or just a lucky collection of circumstances?
To level no more forever
There's one constant in nearly every new MMO we play, and for many of us the games we play offline -- gaining levels. And Don't Fear The Mutant recently has set forth a sentiment that we're sure many players have shared -- the absolute, intolerable dread of having to level up again. Of having to go from Level 1 to Level Whatever, quickly at first and then ever so slowly as we creep toward the finish line, a finish that doesn't so much tell us what to do as gives us the option to do what we wanted to in the first place. Sometimes it's a slog, sometimes it's easy, but all of us have felt the pain before of the fact that the barrier to entry gets higher and higher over time. After all, to pick a random example, the community of City of Heroes is full of characters at Level 50. The majority of the game is played out there. It's difficult to suggest a solution that doesn't require partitioning off the world or vastly shortening the level grind a la Guild Wars, but if you've ever found yourself staring at that bar and dreading even stepping out of town to fill it a bit -- and you certainly have -- you may wish to take a look at the full entry.
