hi everybody.i saw yesterday the prices of new jewell event and i was further disapointed of this game.this isnt a game anymore.this is a pay to win game.an average people cant afford to buy anyhting in this event.additional i have 3 lvl3 jewells that i want to sell. i must put them in box in order to do that.for that i need 17 jewel boxes !!!!!!!!!!!!! so i cant even sell a lvl 3 jewell.this must have been for free. people cant even sell them!!!!!!! 16k ncoin for 5slot broonch......omg..... i dont even speak for 6slot broonch. this is game crearly for rich people and i stop paying them anymore the little money i gave them until today.ty ncosft for high event prices...
i wont buy anything with that prices it is true. but to make a lvl 4 jewell you need 223 jewell boxes i think if i rember corect. thats insane.you need 27k ncoin to buy such amount . and all these for 1 lvl 4 jewell..........insane indeed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
not true, you dont need to transfer a lvl 1 to lvl 4... you could make it if you spent even 2 packs. i did. lvl 4 emerald and lvl 4 ruby from 150 boxes. its not that bad. or you can spend adena and try combining urself.. oh and i madea 5 slot brooch for about i dunno maybe 800mil? lol
you were lucky dude.the most of ppl including me dont get a lvl 4 jewell ever........
Well, lv3 jewels are not bad, just use them
With these prices and rates, lv4 is not not for everyone.
These things kill the game, the truth makes you want to stop playing because you can not compete, at least in the servers of korea and Russia the jewels boxes can be made with adena and items that you get with hard work and time. Here is all credit card is lamentable, Mixa are really sick, is called addiction, it is true that nobody is forced neither to play nor to pay, but when those who pay are left alone and are 100 servers die. The 6-slot clasp to kill elpys is good.
Adding all this to the imbalance of the archers in PVP and GM who do not care about the updates of the game is an explosive mixture.:confused:
These things kill the game, the truth makes you want to stop playing because you can not compete, at least in the servers of korea and Russia the jewels boxes can be made with adena and items that you get with hard work and time. Here is all credit card is lamentable, Mixa are really sick, is called addiction, it is true that nobody is forced neither to play nor to pay, but when those who pay are left alone and are 100 servers die. The 6-slot clasp to kill elpys is good.
Adding all this to the imbalance of the archers in PVP and GM who do not care about the updates of the game is an explosive mixture.:confused:
If you search my posts in this forum, you'll find I've said that countless times. Also countless times in hero chatz on Shilen and Freya. It's the players fault what this game had turned to. Now watch your invested money sink fast, if you don't invest another 2-3k usd on the new event.
not true, you dont need to transfer a lvl 1 to lvl 4... you could make it if you spent even 2 packs. i did. lvl 4 emerald and lvl 4 ruby from 150 boxes. its not that bad. or you can spend adena and try combining urself.. oh and i madea 5 slot brooch for about i dunno maybe 800mil? lol
"It is not that bad"...
150 boxes = 18k NCcoins = a little bit over 210 dollars
So you spent 210 dollars on +2 on all stats and 12.5% more damage with soulshots. Now look up what level 6 jewels can do and imagine the elite players running around with 6 of those. What you spent is a fraction of what you have to spend to be considered relevant. You will still be WAY behind if you didn't spent big in the past, or will spend big in the future.
What is happening is a vicious circle. Top players have maxed out everything and are impossible to compete with, they steamroll all the end game content and have monopoly on things like hero, antharas, valakas, lindvior, which basically gets them unlimited cash. This allows them to go big with every single event, allowing them to get lvl 6 brooches, while you have to settle with 2x lvl 4 brooches after spending 210 dollars, widening the gap between them and the regular player even more.
I am most definitely NOT defending the prices of this promotion. However; I want to point out that it has taken me 3 years to complete my lv4 Gem Set.
Currently I have lv4 of the following:
Emerald
Diamond
Pearl
Obsidian
Ruby
Opal
Vitality
Topaz
Amethyst
That is it! Yes, it was expensive to make but like I said, it took me 3 years to finally complete and I am still "missing" a few gems. Each promo I would decide on 2-3 gems that I wanted and I would sell everything else and focus on acquiring 40-50 of those specific types.
Based on my own experience, it takes 10 +/- to make a lv3 Gem and 45 +/- to make a lv4. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't and it takes more.
Purchasing ONE 75 Gem pack should be enough to makes 3-5 lv3 Gems (varies by type of course) provided you are smart and buy/sell appropriately. So, for example, if you are only going to buy 1 pack don't expect to make a lv4 Gem unless it is a "bad" one. Conversely, you should be able to make a nice hybrid PvE/PvP lv3 Gem Set. So you could easily make lv3 Pearl, Diamond, Emerald, Obsidian, and Opal.
Don't expect to make lv4 Topaz, Tanz, Ruby, Amethyst or Red Cats. Those are RARE gems and are valued accordingly. So sell them for a lot and get other gems.
EDIT: I would also like to add that you are fortunate this time around as "garbage" gems still have good value. In previous events some of the really worthless gems were selling for as low as 15-20m. That WILL NOT happen this time around. Even the worst gems should still sell for 80m +/-.
I am most definitely NOT defending the prices of this promotion. However; I want to point out that it has taken me 3 years to complete my lv4 Gem Set.
Currently I have lv4 of the following:
Emerald
Diamond
Pearl
Obsidian
Ruby
Opal
Vitality
Topaz
Amethyst
That is it! Yes, it was expensive to make but like I said, it took me 3 years to finally complete and I am still "missing" a few gems. Each promo I would decide on 2-3 gems that I wanted and I would sell everything else and focus on acquiring 40-50 of those specific types.
Based on my own experience, it takes 10 +/- to make a lv3 Gem and 45 +/- to make a lv4. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't and it takes more.
Purchasing ONE 75 Gem pack should be enough to makes 3-5 lv3 Gems (varies by type of course) provided you are smart and buy/sell appropriately. So, for example, if you are only going to buy 1 pack don't expect to make a lv4 Gem unless it is a "bad" one. Conversely, you should be able to make a nice hybrid PvE/PvP lv3 Gem Set. So you could easily make lv3 Pearl, Diamond, Emerald, Obsidian, and Opal.
Don't expect to make lv4 Topaz, Tanz, Ruby, Amethyst or Red Cats. Those are RARE gems and are valued accordingly. So sell them for a lot and get other gems.
EDIT: I would also like to add that you are fortunate this time around as "garbage" gems still have good value. In previous events some of the really worthless gems were selling for as low as 15-20m. That WILL NOT happen this time around. Even the worst gems should still sell for 80m +/-.
Exactly, took you 3 years to gather those to level 4. Do you ever even consider the possibility to make them into lvl 5, not to even mention lvl 6. The difference between 4 and 5 is huge, not only in cost but also in functionality. However you put it, in order to get even 1 piece of end game gear, you HAVE to spend thousands of dollars, otherwise you will not be relevant in PVP.
Having said that, I do like your tactic. At least you made the best out of a ****** situation
Exactly, took you 3 years to gather those to level 4. Do you ever even consider the possibility to make them into lvl 5, not to even mention lvl 6. The difference between 4 and 5 is huge, not only in cost but also in functionality. However you put it, in order to get even 1 piece of end game gear, you HAVE to spend thousands of dollars, otherwise you will not be relevant in PVP.
Having said that, I do like your tactic. At least you made the best out of a ****** situation
I'll probably never make lv5/6 and that is ok. I also don't think the difference between 4-5-6 is insurmountable.
It varies by class of course and in olympiad it makes a difference but in PvE and open pvp (lol) / sieges it's not a big deal.
Take Obsidian for example; lv4 11%, lv5 15%, lv6 15% and chance to lose target. That's just not that big a deal.
How about crappy, OP Topaz; lv4 10k, lv5 13k, lv6 13k+chance to 1/1. Again, not a huge deal to me. I'm a Tyrr/Tank, 3k more damage is meh. Yeah the 1/1 can be a ***** but daggers used to be able to do that back in the day anyway.
Maybe it's just my opinion but I sincerely believe you can compete in all endgame with a lv4 gem set AND all end game PvE with a lv3 Gem set.
EDIT: I also want to say that the Gem concept could be pretty good if NC would just tweak it a bit. The boost from lv4 - lv5 really isn't that amazing but it is something big spenders will put out for. All they really need to do is lower the Gem price in the store a bit, increase the success rate for compounding from lv1 - lv4 and, decrease the success rate to get to lv5. This would make it easier for "poor" and casual players to get lv3/4 gems while also turning lv5's into a coveted, high value item for the whales.
I would venture a guess a good supply of the Lv. 5's came from events, and most people who have Lv. 6 didn't made two Lv. 5's, they bought one or both. I know I sold my Lv. 5 Topaz from the last event, and there was quite a few others on Chronos who got them from the events before and after I got mine.
I'll probably never make lv5/6 and that is ok. I also don't think the difference between 4-5-6 is insurmountable.
It varies by class of course and in olympiad it makes a difference but in PvE and open pvp (lol) / sieges it's not a big deal.
Take Obsidian for example; lv4 11%, lv5 15%, lv6 15% and chance to lose target. That's just not that big a deal.
How about crappy, OP Topaz; lv4 10k, lv5 13k, lv6 13k+chance to 1/1. Again, not a huge deal to me. I'm a Tyrr/Tank, 3k more damage is meh. Yeah the 1/1 can be a ***** but daggers used to be able to do that back in the day anyway.
Maybe it's just my opinion but I sincerely believe you can compete in all endgame with a lv4 gem set AND all end game PvE with a lv3 Gem set.
EDIT: I also want to say that the Gem concept could be pretty good if NC would just tweak it a bit. The boost from lv4 - lv5 really isn't that amazing but it is something big spenders will put out for. All they really need to do is lower the Gem price in the store a bit, increase the success rate for compounding from lv1 - lv4 and, decrease the success rate to get to lv5. This would make it easier for "poor" and casual players to get lv3/4 gems while also turning lv5's into a coveted, high value item for the whales.
Please look at the bigger picture. First of all, lvl 5 on all jewels get an extra effect which totally makes a difference in Olympiad, thus making a difference in open pvp when you are fighting against heroes.
And this is just one example, we can literally see this back in every single event. This time it is jewels, next time it is elemental shirts or talismans. People that have and 6 top jewels when you have 3 mediocre jewels, have a +10 shirt when you have a mediocre shirt and have full top talisman when you just have a few, all of the sudden it makes a difference, not even talking about dark gear which they can get using hero coins.
Maybe it's just my opinion but I sincerely believe you can compete in all endgame with a lv4 gem set AND all end game PvE with a lv3 Gem set.
I stand by this previous statement. Although the assumption is that if you have lv3 Gems you have other comparable L2 Store Items; same for lv4 Gems.
Please look at the bigger picture. First of all, lvl 5 on all jewels get an extra effect which totally makes a difference in Olympiad, thus making a difference in open pvp when you are fighting against heroes.
And this is just one example, we can literally see this back in every single event. This time it is jewels, next time it is elemental shirts or talismans. People that have and 6 top jewels when you have 3 mediocre jewels, have a +10 shirt when you have a mediocre shirt and have full top talisman when you just have a few, all of the sudden it makes a difference, not even talking about dark gear which they can get using hero coins.
This is untrue, only the "newer" 5 Gems (Garnet, Cats Eye, Vit, Tanz, Amethyst) get an additional effect at lv5. Of those, one is strictly PvE and two are situational at best (Garnet/Cats Eye).
I actually agree with your second comment although I think we might disagree on what constitutes "mediocre" gear. Lv3 Gems, +7 Shirt, lv1 Abun, etc. are reasonably good and very serviceable in PvE and some PvP (not oly). The problem is that these items are out of reach for most casual players. Stuff like this should be easier to get.
No point discussing this anymore, the promo is a big success, as it was expected.Go get your brooches and jewelry today.
i guess you are from the rich ppl side mixa or you are from the nc company if someone reads what are you saying.you are the only one that you see big success in this event.you and the other rich friends of you!!!!!!!!!!!!
i want to see what this game will be like if 8/10 people paying small amounts of money on this game(compared to rich people) stop playing and stop paying.then all the hero will be playing each other in oly....... and have fun with empty servers when they wont have anything to kill and demonstrate their power.... cause the gap betwen players always gets biger and no point even for average players than me to play anymore....i ll never reach those who are top with playing better but only if i pay better. so no point in this game...
EDIT: I also want to say that the Gem concept could be pretty good if NC would just tweak it a bit. The boost from lv4 - lv5 really isn't that amazing but it is something big spenders will put out for. All they really need to do is lower the Gem price in the store a bit, increase the success rate for compounding from lv1 - lv4 and, decrease the success rate to get to lv5. This would make it easier for "poor" and casual players to get lv3/4 gems while also turning lv5's into a coveted, high value item for the whales.
i guess you are from the rich ppl side mixa or you are from the nc company if someone reads what are you saying.you are the only one that you see big success in this event.you and the other rich friends of you!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dude, I'm from Bulgaria and according to some ppl I cannot afford to buy anything.So what are you saying ffs?By the way, I've chosen to be Free2Play when GoD came and I've been so ever since.
Dude, I'm from Bulgaria and according to some ppl I cannot afford to buy anything.So what are you saying ffs?By the way, I've chosen to be Free2Play when GoD came and I've been so ever since.
Mate I've seen you in other threads claiming you have a +8 bloody armor..
You want to say that you obtained this by just playing the game??
Mate I've seen you in other threads claiming you have a +8 bloody armor..
You want to say that you obtained this by just playing the game??
I agree with other posts of yours btw...
Yes, by playing the game since Dec 2011 on Shilen. The total amount of ncoin I bought since then is around 4000 and several months of Prestige subscription.
TBH I got much more stuff than some pay2win clowns around here, let alone that I've achieved everything there was to achieve when I was playing actively.AND go figure what happens if I open my wallet, but I never had the need to.I realized that it would be even totally unfair to such low quality players, if I do as they do.
I can say much more about this, but I won't go all-out, since I don't feel bad on my decision to not play on NCwest , but also don't hate NCwest.
Yes, by playing the game since Dec 2011 on Shilen. The total amount of ncoin I bought since then is around 4000 and several months of Prestige subscription.
TBH I got much more stuff than some pay2win clowns around here, let alone that I've achieved everything there was to achieve when I was playing actively.AND go figure what happens if I open my wallet, but I never had the need to.I realized that it would be even totally unfair to such low quality players, if I do as they do.
I can say much more about this, but I won't go all-out, since I don't feel bad on my decision to not play on NCwest , but also don't hate NCwest.
You are far and away the exception. It's great to be an outlier. :)
My clan leader got his level 4 jewels during the first ever jewel event. He stopped there after failing to make a single level 5 after two years of trying and spending "a couple hundred" USD in later events.
Sometimes you have to stop while you're ahead. Not everyone is going to make level 4, 5, 6 jewels and I think it's wrong for players to think that they're automatically entitled to reach that goal. It's a gamble. Accept the risk or not and move on in life. You can still play this game without the brooch and jewels. Maybe not PVP at the highest level, but why sell your soul for that? People have to adapt to the situation, or find something that works better for them. Life is too short, and money doesn't come easily. Spend wisely.
L2 have the perfect pvp sistem, some fix here and there to balance but i like this way.
But a few years that changed from mmo for not "pay2win", but cassino game, where all is based in a bet sistem, u expend a lot of time farming to bet in a enchant, u bet i in a compound, u bet 30 minutes in RB for chance to drop jewel or not. And ppl that play has not vicious in l2 , but in this bets, ppl obsessed for take +12 weapon +15 +20 and still betting, and all know, expend money in bets is lost 5 to grow up 1 in game.
Less cassino mechanic mode and more mmo plz, maybe ppl return to this game and lost a bit of time to have a fun again... :(
I am most definitely NOT defending the prices of this promotion. However; I want to point out that it has taken me 3 years to complete my lv4 Gem Set.
Currently I have lv4 of the following:
Emerald
Diamond
Pearl
Obsidian
Ruby
Opal
Vitality
Topaz
Amethyst
That is it! Yes, it was expensive to make but like I said, it took me 3 years to finally complete and I am still "missing" a few gems. Each promo I would decide on 2-3 gems that I wanted and I would sell everything else and focus on acquiring 40-50 of those specific types.
Based on my own experience, it takes 10 +/- to make a lv3 Gem and 45 +/- to make a lv4. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't and it takes more.
Purchasing ONE 75 Gem pack should be enough to makes 3-5 lv3 Gems (varies by type of course) provided you are smart and buy/sell appropriately. So, for example, if you are only going to buy 1 pack don't expect to make a lv4 Gem unless it is a "bad" one. Conversely, you should be able to make a nice hybrid PvE/PvP lv3 Gem Set. So you could easily make lv3 Pearl, Diamond, Emerald, Obsidian, and Opal.
Don't expect to make lv4 Topaz, Tanz, Ruby, Amethyst or Red Cats. Those are RARE gems and are valued accordingly. So sell them for a lot and get other gems.
EDIT: I would also like to add that you are fortunate this time around as "garbage" gems still have good value. In previous events some of the really worthless gems were selling for as low as 15-20m. That WILL NOT happen this time around. Even the worst gems should still sell for 80m +/-.
You have my admiration, Rodah. You seem to have the fine balance on how much to spend.
betting is always addicting for people.especially man!!!!
so maybe they earn a lot more with these betting type events.
event makes your adrenaline rise and we all enjoy when that happens!!!!
so bet event mode has a logical expaination.
if you want a safe solution to your gear buy items from l2store and sell them to private shops to get adena to buy whatever you want in game.simple.....
Lineage 2 is an old game based on old game engine Unreal Engine 2.
Rich people are playing newer game like Tera Online, Blade and Soul.
Most of current Lineage 2 players are people who dont have high-end computer system to play newer online game.
You should think about this when selling items at high prices in an old game like Lineage 2. Do not kill a Legend which was lasted for more than 10 years...
For one more time. Dont be competitive, just play for fun and dont pay more then 5 euros once in 2 months. The top players dont pay for ncoins anymore. They get everything from the game and with tax free.
NCoins failed when you put real money in a community that don't have taxes.
Top players achieved their positions by buying power off the L2 Store. They no longer need to do this, as much, because this position allows them to monopolize server resources.
Secondly, the only thing fun about this game is the PvP. If you cannot at least live long enough to derive any enjoyment out of it, then it becomes frustrating.
Thirdly, things like Brooch jewels affect PvP as well. There is power built into them, like increased damage on Soul Shots, which affect gameplay beyond "are you enjoying it." Because of this, the game is balanced to expect these things (as L2 Devs tend to ignore anyone that isn't end-game in balance assessments) so a person who cannot afford this is going suffer even if they ignore PvP and play it as a PvE game.
Which brings me to the crux of the matter... If all you want to do is have fun... Why even bother to play this game? At it's core, it isn't a fun game. It's work, and NCSoft's L2Store has destroyed any semblance of harmony between the top and the bottom.
It's no longer about who has worked/played/whatever longer/harder in game, and more about who is willing to invest the most amount of Real Life Dollars. This game has always been biased towards Gear and Levels over Skill (the gameplay doesn't really lean towards Skill being a differentiator), so I don't see a point in playing if you cannot achieve those things on an even footing with other players.
Sometimes, to me, Lineage2 feels like a test of inner happiness and self-discipline. Once upon a time, I was newbie at this game, believing in pure and fair play with hard work, then I moved to the Extreme end of P2W....only to realize true happiness lies within me.
In Lineage2, the distance between 99%&100% is at least 10 times more than 0%&99%. The higher you go, the more exponentially expensive things become. I don't think it really matters how expensive Nstore is. If it's expensive for you then it's expensive for everyone. If it's easy for you then it's easy for everyone else. The truth is... they are not supposed to be achievable by everyone, possible to get but nearly impossible to have everything in reality. For me, now it has become a fight between my soul and inner greed, my ability to resist 'I must have it all, Greed inside me...' Yes, I still do buy exp runes & passes but I am not obsessed anymore. Each day I try to enjoy what I can.
Yes, the game is very hard to get anything pre-LvL99. But I can tell you, as soon as you hit LvL99, things become better. Yes...you are not gonna have Full bloody gear any time soon, but do you have to???
I see some people enjoying LvL85 toons doing multiple zaken runs and Freya raid, having fun; and I see some people making mutiple LvL99s and doing Balok, Istina, Octavis, Tauti and just be happy with LvL 99 contents.
I see some smart people who made lots and lots of Homunculus conversion weapon before the Helios patch, something they made with less than 10m each but now selling for 1B+...(is that you mixa?)
In a nutshell, if I start comparing myself with what other people have, there is no end...I would feel miserable and dissatisfied all the time, so I've stopped doing that... I try to enjoy the game now, not an obsession or a job.
I see some smart people who made lots and lots of Homunculus conversion weapon before the Helios patch, something they made with less than 10m each but now selling for 1B+...(is that you mixa?)
No,
I'm selling SoES with BTB and Mace of the Underground Conversion >>
I see some smart people who made lots and lots of Homunculus conversion weapon before the Helios patch, something they made with less than 10m each but now selling for 1B+...(is that you mixa?)
like 1b is alot of adena.
anyway, hi :cool:
For those of you who forgot how to have fun in Lineage2, watch this little silly dorfie! I just wanna say to her, "WADDA YA DOING!??"
and poke her in the belly! She is only LvL 85~but it looks like she is having a blast! LOL
Sometimes, to me, Lineage2 feels like a test of inner happiness and self-discipline. Once upon a time, I was newbie at this game, believing in pure and fair play with hard work, then I moved to the Extreme end of P2W....only to realize true happiness lies within me.
In Lineage2, the distance between 99%&100% is at least 10 times more than 0%&99%. The higher you go, the more exponentially expensive things become. I don't think it really matters how expensive Nstore is. If it's expensive for you then it's expensive for everyone. If it's easy for you then it's easy for everyone else. The truth is... they are not supposed to be achievable by everyone, possible to get but nearly impossible to have everything in reality. For me, now it has become a fight between my soul and inner greed, my ability to resist 'I must have it all, Greed inside me...' Yes, I still do buy exp runes & passes but I am not obsessed anymore. Each day I try to enjoy what I can.
Yes, the game is very hard to get anything pre-LvL99. But I can tell you, as soon as you hit LvL99, things become better. Yes...you are not gonna have Full bloody gear any time soon, but do you have to???
I see some people enjoying LvL85 toons doing multiple zaken runs and Freya raid, having fun; and I see some people making mutiple LvL99s and doing Balok, Istina, Octavis, Tauti and just be happy with LvL 99 contents.
I see some smart people who made lots and lots of Homunculus conversion weapon before the Helios patch, something they made with less than 10m each but now selling for 1B+...(is that you mixa?)
In a nutshell, if I start comparing myself with what other people have, there is no end...I would feel miserable and dissatisfied all the time, so I've stopped doing that... I try to enjoy the game now, not an obsession or a job.
You're trying to sweep sweeping imbalances under the rug by patronizing people while preaching to them the true meaning of happiness?
Perhaps the issue is, you figured out it isn't all that fun, and simply have developed your own coping mechanism which allows you to keep playing so that you can avoid feeling the burn of realizing the hundreds of dollars you burned on pixels was all for naught?
You aren't addressing the issue you the OP brought up, and 1B Adena is not a lot of Adena, at all. You need 3.5-4B just to buy some level 3 Jewels, which are virtually impossible to get via in-game means other than buying them off of other players who bought them from the L2 Store (which is rather invalid, IMO). 1B Adena was a lot... in the Gracia Update. It will get you a clean R99 weapon, but you may not even have enough to put the SA on, nevermind get it to 300A, unless you have a ton of crystals stockpiled... It certainly won't OE it (no one short on Adena will risk blowing up something that expensive, relative to their wealth), and it certainly won't make it dark or bloody... And PvP/PvE at those levels is practically balanced around these things - the same way Gracia XP zones were balanced around 150 Attribute Weapons and Attributed S/S80 gear when they were released (I'm ruling out ++++++ lower grade weapons, because those people aren't worrying about "making a billion"). Basically, the gear is required, or you're wasting a ton of time.
This isn't just about "new players" and "fresh 85s." It goes well beyond that. If you read the forums, polls, and opinions of other players, you'll see that the playerbase - in general - has an idea of what "average gear" is, which has been madly inflated due to P2W L2Store introductions (e.g. high probability enchants that can be bought for money). This did not happen until the L2Store was introduced into the game. The reason why you farmed the L2Store was because YOU knew this, and you felt it in game. So, the sudden change of heart is more likely due to your urge to defend something, or play devil's advocate, than any sound logical grounding...
The game is, on average, significantly more expensive than it was when it has a subscription, if you want to progress in any way similar to how you could Pre-F2P and Pre-L2Store.
The F2P is only there to tie players down with time investment. A brilliant tactic in a grindy game, but a very transparent one.
If you aren't farming the L2Store, you will be non-factor in this game. It's that simple (unless you benefitted from lax policies on cheating in the past, or think sitting in town with a private store 80% of the time is entertainment).
You've only been here since 2015. Some of us have been on these Official Servers since 2004-2006. You have no realistic basis of comparison from which to derive any decent hypothesis on the matter, because it's always been this way for you. Ask the thousands of players who left if saving that $15/mo. was worth it.
How can anyone play this game and make such an idiotic statement?
1. 5+ levels lower than your friend, and you get crap for XP with them (if any at all).
2. ^- Severely limits where you can go.
3. "Make more friends doesn't work well, when other players farm the L2Store and level at 3x your rate."
4. Level directly affects what you can equip (too low? No PvE/PvP Bonus)
5. It directly affects the damage you do in PvP (i.e. Seiges)
6. It affects what skills your character has.
Level is everything in this game. Level often trumps skill. Everything is balanced around levels.
So yes, they are everything. That's why they make the levels long as hell, and make a killing off of Runes and XP Potions. They know this. 98.6% of the player base knows this. You can enjoy lying to yourself.
As for as "dorfie" goes, tell her to go PvE or PvP and then ask how much of a blast it is. Sitting in town Enchanting things is not the same as killing challenging MOBs or trying to take a castle or even a defended fortress. That video is ignorable. I sometimes have fun chatting with people in game, but that has literally nothing to do with the game. I could have the same fun on Discord.
back then, i purchased rare moirai gaiters for 300m, that was almost top item (making +6 cost another 200-300m if lucky). for baium ring i farmed few weeks and purchased it for 770m. all possible to farm via game. no brooch, no "u cant make +10 armor without stones from store", etc.
You're trying to sweep sweeping imbalances under the rug by patronizing people while preaching to them the true meaning of happiness?
Perhaps the issue is, you figured out it isn't all that fun, and simply have developed your own coping mechanism which allows you to keep playing so that you can avoid feeling the burn of realizing the hundreds of dollars you burned on pixels was all for naught?
You aren't addressing the issue you the OP brought up, and 1B Adena is not a lot of Adena, at all. You need 3.5-4B just to buy some level 3 Jewels, which are virtually impossible to get via in-game means other than buying them off of other players who bought them from the L2 Store (which is rather invalid, IMO). 1B Adena was a lot... in the Gracia Update. It will get you a clean R99 weapon, but you may not even have enough to put the SA on, nevermind get it to 300A, unless you have a ton of crystals stockpiled... It certainly won't OE it (no one short on Adena will risk blowing up something that expensive, relative to their wealth), and it certainly won't make it dark or bloody... And PvP/PvE at those levels is practically balanced around these things - the same way Gracia XP zones were balanced around 150 Attribute Weapons and Attributed S/S80 gear when they were released (I'm ruling out ++++++ lower grade weapons, because those people aren't worrying about "making a billion"). Basically, the gear is required, or you're wasting a ton of time.
This isn't just about "new players" and "fresh 85s." It goes well beyond that. If you read the forums, polls, and opinions of other players, you'll see that the playerbase - in general - has an idea of what "average gear" is, which has been madly inflated due to P2W L2Store introductions (e.g. high probability enchants that can be bought for money). This did not happen until the L2Store was introduced into the game. The reason why you farmed the L2Store was because YOU knew this, and you felt it in game. So, the sudden change of heart is more likely due to your urge to defend something, or play devil's advocate, than any sound logical grounding...
The game is, on average, significantly more expensive than it was when it has a subscription, if you want to progress in any way similar to how you could Pre-F2P and Pre-L2Store.
The F2P is only there to tie players down with time investment. A brilliant tactic in a grindy game, but a very transparent one.
If you aren't farming the L2Store, you will be non-factor in this game. It's that simple (unless you benefitted from lax policies on cheating in the past, or think sitting in town with a private store 80% of the time is entertainment).
You've only been here since 2015. Some of us have been on these Official Servers since 2004-2006. You have no realistic basis of comparison from which to derive any decent hypothesis on the matter, because it's always been this way for you. Ask the thousands of players who left if saving that $15/mo. was worth it.
Oh...my...my...I just gotta say...
Everything in life depends on the perspective; and although your perspective of the game is different from mine, I appreciate your insights displayed here. Following your train of thinking, I think you are probably right in all these to a certain extent, although they are quite radical.
However, my original post above was intended mostly for my fellow Ncoiners. Perhaps I should've mentioned...
I don't appreciate the making fun of my dorfie friend though...I mean HOW COULD YOU??? Don't you think she is adorable???