How many people are REALLY still playing Maplestory?

Limits allow a slow power creep for gear. Unfortunately $$ allows you to skip this entirely so it makes no difference in the end.

So you're telling me by adding white scrolls, incredible chaos, or anything of that nature in a post 200 PQ that would require at least 12 people, not as a limit but to even f`ucking beat it, WOULDN'T be a huge frekin hit?

So you're telling me by adding white scrolls, incredible chaos, or anything of that nature in a post 200 PQ that would require at least 12 people, not as a limit but to even f`ucking beat it, WOULDN'T be a huge frekin hit?

It would have been pretty nice if they went that route wouldn't it?

because those PQs don't have limits, no one bothers to do any other PQs like they used to! I remember doing all sorts of PQs during the Ascension Update, I leveled a BowMaster to 120 through PQing everyday! It was fun! But now it's just LPQ and R/J...you can never get people to do anything else, and that sucks!

Maybe that's just how I feel though. Maybe everyone else really loves ignoring the PQ prizes and would rather grind in R/J until it no longer gives them good exp.

If people are not playing the content, then the natural conclusion should be that the content is not worth doing.
The reason people do not bother with the PQ prizes is because the PQ prizes are not even valued at the time it would take to get them.

The entry limit would be more reasonable if all PQs were equal, but they clearly are not.
People only participate in the PQs that net them the best XP.
No other reward will ever be added to make them worth the time because such rewards would break the gearing model that is so reliant on p2w.

I actually have not play since the turn of the year precisely because I finally got exhausted with a game that only allowed my full participation if either I shelled out money or devoted my days to grinding a ferris wheel of nearly identical coin-grinding 'events' instead of providing a natural progression through central content (i.e. PQs).

If people are not playing the content, then the natural conclusion should be that the content is not worth doing.
The reason people do not bother with the PQ prizes is because the PQ prizes are not even valued at the time it would take to get them.

The entry limit would be more reasonable if all PQs were equal, but they clearly are not.
People only participate in the PQs that net them the best XP.
No other reward will ever be added to make them worth the time because such rewards would break the gearing model that is so reliant on p2w.

I actually have not play since the turn of the year precisely because I finally got exhausted with a game that only allowed my full participation if either I shelled out money or devoted my days to grinding a ferris wheel of nearly identical coin-grinding 'events' instead of providing a natural progression through central content (i.e. PQs).

if people would actually complete the PQs they'd find that the rewards have a set effect that gives them, in addition to the typical stats, a boost in PQ exp.

if people would actually complete the PQs they'd find that the rewards have a set effect that gives them, in addition to the typical stats, a boost in PQ exp.

No one needs to complete the quests to know that the bonus is pomegranate.
As already established, most people just grind in PQs which is a pretty good indication that the experience awarded for completion is unlikely to be much more attractive even with an 18% bonus.

(Also notice that you still have to pay for the full bonus anyway.)

I actually really like entry limits. It gives people reason to have to come back and do more of that thing, rather then doing something until they're sick of it and never coming back. With entry limits, what could possibly feel like a grind (as you have no reason not to just do it over and over until it's no longer relevant to your character) instead sticks to you as a possible daily activity.
A perfect example is PQs... *note, this is how I see them, I'm sure others aren't bothered by this as much* Ever since they removed their daily limits, I just gave up on ever doing them on my characters. PQs like LPQ and R/J have become extremely boring without a daily limit, and because those PQs don't have limits, no one bothers to do any other PQs like they used to! I remember doing all sorts of PQs during the Ascension Update, I leveled a BowMaster to 120 through PQing everyday! It was fun! But now it's just LPQ and R/J...you can never get people to do anything else, and that sucks!

Maybe that's just how I feel though. Maybe everyone else really loves ignoring the PQ prizes and would rather grind in R/J until it no longer gives them good exp.

I typed a response but then I accidentally killed it. I got here late; others have already responded to most of your points, but I felt bad saying nothing since you responded to my post directly. You're entitled to your opinion, but PQ limits are just a way to patch up bad game design, and they're a pretty cheap way to keep players coming back. If the only reason anyone does, say, henesys pq is because they're all out of options, then that doesn't mean henesys pq is worth doing, or is even fun. It just means that the player picked it as a last resort. That everyone does two pqs, and only two pqs, should be noted by developers. Other pqs should have their rewards changed accordingly, so that people will be willing to try them. As it stands, the only PQ I would touch is hob pq, just for the mount. The other rewards are pomegranate. Glasses with stats that were negligible when they were released. Ugly hats with poor stats. Antiquated earrings and other gear that can't even be scrolled conventionally. It's trash.

I came to the realization recently that the only reason I log in is to do my daily boss runs. That's pretty fucked up. There used to be stuff to do in this game. Even at higher levels, back in the day, you could take a team through the mu lung dojo or take some newbie to zakum and make him happy because the drops actually meant something. Now, it's like -- people either afk in town or leech at drill hall, because there's just nothing to do once you've finished your daily stuff. And that stuff is so few and far between that it barely takes me an hour to complete. Everyone I enjoy playing with has quit because there's nothing to do, and I am about to follow suit. Summer was fun for, like, a month, but nexon fucked it up; the game is dead again and it's not even mid August. But I am digressing.

People who talk about power creep in relation to boss limits are fooling themselves for a number of reasons. First off, Nexon doesn't give two shits about power creep. They introduced cubes and potential into the game; how can you say they care about power creep? No, they only care about people getting stronger when they're able to do it without spending NX, and that is exactly what would happen if, say, an average player could solo easy gollux an unlimited number of times per day.

I would say multiple reasons.

1) They actually don't want you to level too fast.
2) "This is why we can't have nice things" (ie., abuse)
3) Keep players engaged
4) Artificially boost numbers; explanation: Part of the reason we (probably) still have Hot Days/Times, 2x EXP/Drop events, and Attendance Events is so Nexon can be like "look how many people are playing". This kind of ties back to #3.

Hey, thanks for taking the time to respond to what I wrote.

I don't understand their logic behind point number one. Like, I could see a nexon rep genuinely saying "we don't want you to level too fast," but why not? In comparison with most MMORPGs, bosses in maplestory give really shitty EXP rewards, and their drops are rarely worth writing home about either, unless you're funded enough to kill the Nightmare Mode of everything. I killed Zakum twice the other day -- just, regular Zakum -- using a rune and HS, and I barely got 9 percent out of both kills combined. On regular exp, I would have gained three percent. Are they seriously worried that someone will Zak 33 times in a row? And if they do, disregarding health issues, is it really so bad? I don't think it's game breaking if instead of sitting at drill hall or mindlessly doing DIPQ over and over again, some 18x player who has -no options- content wise simply utilizes repetitive bossing strategies for his exp instead.

Point three... I've seen the opposite occur. I'm close to quitting the game over this pomegranate, so it's a stretch to say that content limits have kept me engaged. Hell, the game's pretty empty today and it's a Saturday, so I don't think anyone else is very engaged either. People stop actively searching for fun pomegranate to do when there's a barrier to Fun around every corner.

As for point four, yeah, I can see it. I'm willing to bet they do hot time events whenever a high ranking corporate executive comes in, just so they can show him the numbers.

I typed a response but then I accidentally killed it. I got here late; others have already responded to most of your points, but I felt bad saying nothing since you responded to my post directly. You're entitled to your opinion, but PQ limits are just a way to patch up bad game design, and they're a pretty cheap way to keep players coming back. If the only reason anyone does, say, henesys pq is because they're all out of options, then that doesn't mean henesys pq is worth doing, or is even fun. It just means that the player picked it as a last resort. That everyone does two pqs, and only two pqs, should be noted by developers. Other pqs should have their rewards changed accordingly, so that people will be willing to try them. As it stands, the only PQ I would touch is hob pq, just for the mount. The other rewards are pomegranate. Glasses with stats that were negligible when they were released. Ugly hats with poor stats. Antiquated earrings and other gear that can't even be scrolled conventionally. It's trash.

I came to the realization recently that the only reason I log in is to do my daily boss runs. That's pretty fucked up. There used to be stuff to do in this game. Even at higher levels, back in the day, you could take a team through the mu lung dojo or take some newbie to zakum and make him happy because the drops actually meant something. Now, it's like -- people either afk in town or leech at drill hall, because there's just nothing to do once you've finished your daily stuff. And that stuff is so few and far between that it barely takes me an hour to complete. Everyone I enjoy playing with has quit because there's nothing to do, and I am about to follow suit. Summer was fun for, like, a month, but nexon fucked it up; the game is dead again and it's not even mid August. But I am digressing.

People who talk about power creep in relation to boss limits are fooling themselves for a number of reasons. First off, Nexon doesn't give two shits about power creep. They introduced cubes and potential into the game; how can you say they care about power creep? No, they only care about people getting stronger when they're able to do it without spending NX, and that is exactly what would happen if, say, an average player could solo easy gollux an unlimited number of times per day.



Hey, thanks for taking the time to respond to what I wrote.

I don't understand their logic behind point number one. Like, I could see a nexon rep genuinely saying "we don't want you to level too fast," but why not? In comparison with most MMORPGs, bosses in maplestory give really shitty EXP rewards, and their drops are rarely worth writing home about either, unless you're funded enough to kill the Nightmare Mode of everything. I killed Zakum twice the other day -- just, regular Zakum -- using a rune and HS, and I barely got 9 percent out of both kills combined. On regular exp, I would have gained three percent. Are they seriously worried that someone will Zak 33 times in a row? And if they do, disregarding health issues, is it really so bad? I don't think it's game breaking if instead of sitting at drill hall or mindlessly doing DIPQ over and over again, some 18x player who has -no options- content wise simply utilizes repetitive bossing strategies for his exp instead.

Point three... I've seen the opposite occur. I'm close to quitting the game over this pomegranate, so it's a stretch to say that content limits have kept me engaged. Hell, the game's pretty empty today and it's a Saturday, so I don't think anyone else is very engaged either. People stop actively searching for fun pomegranate to do when there's a barrier to Fun around every corner.

As for point four, yeah, I can see it. I'm willing to bet they do hot time events whenever a high ranking corporate executive comes in, just so they can show him the numbers.

No, I'm fairly certain limited entries intended purpose is to keep you from being instantly strong in a very short period of time.

Now... that is the intention. Looking at other games that have limited entries it works fairly well. HOWEVER, the intention goes out the window because you can literally pay money for everything you can possibly get instead of dealing with the daily entries. That and the actual requirements to successfully clear a boss are rather absurd and pretty much impossible to get without first paying kind of defeats the purpose doesn't it.

And then there's me, actually enjoying content/quests/storylines instead of "hurr durr wat gibs best exp and loot" and "must solo errythang".

They do seem to have made good progress over time though. Last year there wasn't even any progression type systems in place really apart from helisium dailies. Now I'm seeing gollux and commerci as useful ways to get some gear with minimal funding (you don't need to be funded to collect the eye/face accessory in commerci for eg). The limits do get annoying and bosses do have a ridiculously high entry requirement but I'm glad there is at least something being done to try and help players gear up.

I do see a huge lack of things for higher levels to do though. Up until around 180 there are various PQs, quest lines and several different training spots. Past that it turns into a few single maps and whatever bosses you can actually kill.

The only thing that could drag me back is a spectacular, revolutionary 5th job update as well as a total revamp (read removal) of the potential system and all its ilk.

I am sure I aint alone in this, and I am equally sure a lot of people love the current heights of the power creep and pay2win.

And maybe a more interesting skill system than "pay mesos to unlock skills".

It wouldn't be so bad if people would stop thinking "Oh, it doesn't give me 10% a minute or 2 billion mesos a run and I can't solo/steamroll it? Crap content."

Also, I think they should remove the exp for all mob kills in PQs and greatly increase the completion EXP in its place. Hate having to bring friends/mules to R&J when my fiancee and I want to get Marbles for Yulete's quest, because everyone just wants to stop and grind, never actually completing the PQ.

Also, I think they should remove the exp for all mob kills in PQs and greatly increase the completion EXP in its place. Hate having to bring friends/mules to R&J when my fiancee and I want to get Marbles for Yulete's quest, because everyone just wants to stop and grind, never actually completing the PQ.

agreed, the situation with RJ quest thing is quite sad. noone ever completes it anymore

I feel like the RnJ situation would be less of a problem if there was a training spot that rivalled it in experience and mob density. I found it weird after visiting the game that people are grinding inside a PQ instead of somewhere else. It made sense after learning that most of NLC was nerfed though.

And then there's me, actually enjoying content/quests/storylines instead of "hurr durr wat gibs best exp and loot" and "must solo errythang".

As if the maplestory lore has been consistent since like, I don't know, the frekin NLC revamp? I mean unless you're into bad stories like frekin sword art online or naruto.

As if the maplestory lore has been consistent since like, I don't know, the frekin NLC revamp? I mean unless you're into bad stories like frekin sword art online or naruto.

Wooaaaahh now, Imma have to ask you to back up for a moment.

Maplestory's storyline isn't consistent, but that doesn't mean it can't be interesting. That doesn't make it "bad" either. (Mainly that's a personal taste and an entirely different discussion.)

The heroes, the resistance, the villains, and every important character has a grounding story that ties into a bigger picture. Can the story be changed? Absolutely. But as the KoC revamp showed with the Library, just because events are taken out from one place doesn't mean they can't be reimplemented.

It's like a living puzzle, with a cast full of interesting characters. You've got some great set up for an amazing story, that's developed far cry from what Maplestory was originally intended. You may not need to like it yourself, however, I can appreciate characters like Luminous and the White Mage. I can get emotional about Eun Wol/Shade's storyline. I can have a blast on my adventurers but still get really upset when Maple Island is attacked.

Because that's why I am here. The story. the characters. It may change, but to me, it's just something new for me to experience. That's all that matters to me in this game...

Wooaaaahh now, Imma have to ask you to back up for a moment.

Maplestory's storyline isn't consistent, but that doesn't mean it can't be interesting. That doesn't make it "bad" either. (Mainly that's a personal taste and an entirely different discussion.)

The heroes, the resistance, the villains, and every important character has a grounding story that ties into a bigger picture. Can the story be changed? Absolutely. But as the KoC revamp showed with the Library, just because events are taken out from one place doesn't mean they can't be reimplemented.

It's like a living puzzle, with a cast full of interesting characters. You've got some great set up for an amazing story, that's developed far cry from what Maplestory was originally intended. You may not need to like it yourself, however, I can appreciate characters like Luminous and the White Mage. I can get emotional about Eun Wol/Shade's storyline. I can have a blast on my adventurers but still get really upset when Maple Island is attacked.

Because that's why I am here. The story. the characters. It may change, but to me, it's just something new for me to experience. That's all that matters to me in this game...

A car accident is also interesting when you look at how the events unfolded during said collision, that doesn't mean jack sh`it. You're saying chaos is art, the problem with your very "justification" is what ruined maplestory to begin with.

Maplestory started out as you the player exploring, hence "explorers", or back in the day just frekin characters. You did quests to learn about the world, living out myths, challenging them, even creating them. Your tasks gave you depth of the actual word you played in.

What do we have now? A half ass story that was canned since Nexon Joe or whatever his name left. You installed these stupid heroes that spell out "M.A.P.L.E" or whatever, who "defeated the dark mage", and then you learn the history of a villain you are destined to fight back against. Now even the explorere has some half-assed involvement that has been changed what, 3 times now? To force you to have a goal, to a purpose, how is it your story when you are forcefed a story, to prove some kind of significance to yourself?

"Pieces to a Puzzle", more like adlibs of you making more characters even more ridiculous than the last to repeat the same god awful content. Seriously, how can you not see they make up these pieces everytime they make a new class, when before it was actually planned the f`uck out, and you can see the difference. I hate it when players cling onto that whole "I ENJOY THE GAME FOR THESE SHALLOW, WEAK POINTS BECAUSE I"M NOT A MAINSTREAM PLAYER.

No you're a masochist just like any other player, you just want to find an excuse because you don't spend thousands of dollars to get decent at bossing, you enjoy challenges and want to find value outside of something so "common" in todays metagame. You're just as bad as the rest of them simply because you play even though nexon can ban your character for you taking a piss, make your class completely unplayable one patch, or piss off the wrong person and you suddenly are denied access to the game. It doesn't matter what content you like in the game, or what the hell you appreciate, you're punished from just being apart of the system, don't kid yourselves.

A car accident is also interesting when you look at how the events unfolded during said collision, that doesn't mean jack sh`it. You're saying chaos is art, the problem with your very "justification" is what ruined maplestory to begin with.

Maplestory started out as you the player exploring, hence "explorers", or back in the day just frekin characters. You did quests to learn about the world, living out myths, challenging them, even creating them. Your tasks gave you depth of the actual word you played in.

What do we have now? A half ass story that was canned since Nexon Joe or whatever his name left. You installed these stupid heroes that spell out "M.A.P.L.E" or whatever, who "defeated the dark mage", and then you learn the history of a villain you are destined to fight back against. Now even the explorere has some half-assed involvement that has been changed what, 3 times now? To force you to have a goal, to a purpose, how is it your story when you are forcefed a story, to prove some kind of significance to yourself?

"Pieces to a Puzzle", more like adlibs of you making more characters even more ridiculous than the last to repeat the same god awful content. Seriously, how can you not see they make up these pieces everytime they make a new class, when before it was actually planned the f`uck out, and you can see the difference. I hate it when players cling onto that whole "I ENJOY THE GAME FOR THESE SHALLOW, WEAK POINTS BECAUSE I"M NOT A MAINSTREAM PLAYER.

No you're a masochist just like any other player

I quit reading here.
now, it's very true that they are halfassed and inconsistent.
Remember Kyrin's father Testonen? He faced the Black Mage?

like Gollux -- jesus christ, over seven hours of fetchquests and uninspired kill quests

That's quite the exaggeration. It took me two hours max. While I do agree the quests are a pain, I feel that there are a few reasons as to why they're in place. A small population of maple actually likes the quests/dialogues/storylines. Also, it's one more deterrent for hackers (dunno how much it actually helps, but yeah).

I thought Kao was funny.

Hadriel

What do we have now? A half ass story that was canned since Nexon Joe or whatever his name left.

The work NXJoe did and what's going on today aren't even related, nor was NXJoe's plotline for NLC even canonically important to my knowledge. Yeah, the way things were going were great, but pomegranate happens, get over it. Enough with the rose tinted glasses.

No you're a masochist just like any other player,

You over use this line so often it's getting bland and honestly stupid. You act like any single person that plays this game and doesn't ever encounter Nexon's erroneous ways is someone who enjoys pain or being treated like they're worthless. Read: Most people that play this game never end up dealing with pay2win, or false bans, or any of that other sort of bullpomegranate that you constantly refer to as some sort of masochistic tendency. Knock it off.

you just want to find an excuse because you don't spend thousands of dollars to get decent at bossing, you enjoy challenges and want to find value outside of something so "common" in todays metagame.

I'm sorry, this just made me burst out laughing. As if Maplestory ever had any semblence of "meta game" or balance for that matter.

You're just as bad as the rest of them simply because you play even though nexon can ban your character for you taking a piss, make your class completely unplayable one patch, or piss off the wrong person and you suddenly are denied access to the game.

Again, most players don't even remotely deal with the first and 3rd points you make there. The second point is something that literally every MMO out there does to an extent. Have you ever played other MMOs Dustin?

It doesn't matter what content you like in the game, or what the hell you appreciate, you're punished from just being apart of the system, don't kid yourselves.

Please, elaborate because I fail to see how this is even partially true. Maplestory is a much different game than it used to be, but it isn't nearly this cesspool of garbage your clearly bitter self is so jaded over.

Maplestory has its problems for sure, but it's still a hell of a lot better than most other alternatives out there.