04-13-2021, 06:30 PM
this may be the only time I actually agree with scarecrow over something, but my issue lies with the overall state of the game rather than people being over-rewarded.
putting it bluntly, the "collaborative" element of E3 feels almost dead. rather than work with people to create interesting interpersonal conflict that affects the game world, there's been a shift into a more selfish mindset. maybe it's the way the journal system is currently working that makes people feel like they're entitled to something because they've put work in, forcing people into dangerous, but ultimately meaningless conflict for the sake of "dev".
even death magic, which was seen as the "ultimate" hidden in spires had little in the way of presence when Xian got it because even though they'd achieved something only Tragedy could on Agartha, they still weren't considered "strong" as a pc. they had it, they immediately got capped, and they died.
the game is hyper-focused on PVP and personal achievement to the point that the story has been stuck in an eternal war while each side goes through ups and downs, with little in the way of actually changing development on Esshar. maybe the most impactful event I can think of was the vampires burning down their cafe after killing isana and ariande, since it left a physical imprint on the event by Baleford.
as a side note, this game state has limited what "kinds" of characters can get prominence. when's the last time you've seen a courier, or bounty-hunter kind of character break out into their own during this timeskip?
tl;dr i don't think hiddens feel important because they're the equivalent of getting a dbz powerup. their use always amounts to, "and then I go fight with them." while the narrative stays stagnant. the world should be impacted more by the powerful magi of e3 to show that their feats mean something more.
this is nothing against Xian, who was a wonderful character, or anyone who's recently gotten a hidden.
putting it bluntly, the "collaborative" element of E3 feels almost dead. rather than work with people to create interesting interpersonal conflict that affects the game world, there's been a shift into a more selfish mindset. maybe it's the way the journal system is currently working that makes people feel like they're entitled to something because they've put work in, forcing people into dangerous, but ultimately meaningless conflict for the sake of "dev".
even death magic, which was seen as the "ultimate" hidden in spires had little in the way of presence when Xian got it because even though they'd achieved something only Tragedy could on Agartha, they still weren't considered "strong" as a pc. they had it, they immediately got capped, and they died.
the game is hyper-focused on PVP and personal achievement to the point that the story has been stuck in an eternal war while each side goes through ups and downs, with little in the way of actually changing development on Esshar. maybe the most impactful event I can think of was the vampires burning down their cafe after killing isana and ariande, since it left a physical imprint on the event by Baleford.
as a side note, this game state has limited what "kinds" of characters can get prominence. when's the last time you've seen a courier, or bounty-hunter kind of character break out into their own during this timeskip?
tl;dr i don't think hiddens feel important because they're the equivalent of getting a dbz powerup. their use always amounts to, "and then I go fight with them." while the narrative stays stagnant. the world should be impacted more by the powerful magi of e3 to show that their feats mean something more.
this is nothing against Xian, who was a wonderful character, or anyone who's recently gotten a hidden.