2013-04-10, 05:48 AM
As much as I still enjoy Maple in the state it's in now. There is one thing I do miss in how the game was designed.
Originally when you played your character was...basically yourself. Just some lone adventurer with no past leaving their home to travel and explore an unknown world. You struggled with the most basic of enemies, even something as weak as a mushroom with a green top, and you needed others with you to take out bigger threats; even if they were just a bigger slime. This was partially because you were a new player, sure, but the world itself was designed to be explored. As you grew as a character, you grew as a player, you made friends. You learnt about all the hidden areas. You got better gear and learnt how to upgrade it with scrolls. You gained more money, which gave you the means to explore when you wanted or to simply use taxis to get around. You became somewhat of a hero, as shown by how the quests build up from...running an errand to preventing a floating island from crashing to the ground and potentially ruining countless lives. You fought more challenging foes and strange creatures, but now you were more prepared. Your skills were stronger, you were able to afford better potions, you had friends you could rely on, you had better gear to deal with them. And that was something I always loved.
Now...everyone starts as a hero. Or a character with their own story to tell. And you, as someone who has already played for a long time, have the mindset of a hero too. Phantom alludes to this often in his quest dialog. Such as how he is surprised there has been no one who explored and found his stash. About how much quicker leveling up is. About how much more forgiving the world is. You're already powerful. You're already able to get good gear and money. You have no need to explore, as there's not much left to see. Enemies provide far less challenge than they once did.
No longer is strength and heroism earned, but it is given. It is expected. And that is where the game has fallen short for me.
Originally when you played your character was...basically yourself. Just some lone adventurer with no past leaving their home to travel and explore an unknown world. You struggled with the most basic of enemies, even something as weak as a mushroom with a green top, and you needed others with you to take out bigger threats; even if they were just a bigger slime. This was partially because you were a new player, sure, but the world itself was designed to be explored. As you grew as a character, you grew as a player, you made friends. You learnt about all the hidden areas. You got better gear and learnt how to upgrade it with scrolls. You gained more money, which gave you the means to explore when you wanted or to simply use taxis to get around. You became somewhat of a hero, as shown by how the quests build up from...running an errand to preventing a floating island from crashing to the ground and potentially ruining countless lives. You fought more challenging foes and strange creatures, but now you were more prepared. Your skills were stronger, you were able to afford better potions, you had friends you could rely on, you had better gear to deal with them. And that was something I always loved.
Now...everyone starts as a hero. Or a character with their own story to tell. And you, as someone who has already played for a long time, have the mindset of a hero too. Phantom alludes to this often in his quest dialog. Such as how he is surprised there has been no one who explored and found his stash. About how much quicker leveling up is. About how much more forgiving the world is. You're already powerful. You're already able to get good gear and money. You have no need to explore, as there's not much left to see. Enemies provide far less challenge than they once did.
No longer is strength and heroism earned, but it is given. It is expected. And that is where the game has fallen short for me.