Runes of Magic US / AU

I'm ok with the main quest line requiring you to run an instance IF it is the END of the questline. It makes sense that you'd have to fight to "big boss" that has been hinted in the questline for a long time, but just end the quest chain there.

People who don't finish that quest still gets to go to the new zone and pick up the new questline. People who do the quest gets to see how this bad-guy-chain lore ends.

Quoted from "ruisen2000"

I'm ok with the main quest line requiring you to run an instance IF it is the END of the questline. It makes sense that you'd have to fight to "big boss" that has been hinted in the questline for a long time, but just end the quest chain there.

Questline doesn't end, though. It continues and the setup for the new continent comes from something that happens in Maderoth fight. Which is how it should be, IMO.

DK, I will give the alt point. It would be hard to get your alts through. They did fix the hard mode adds however, maybe not in the same fix you posted but they are definitely fixed. I beat Bethalis easy several times before and after all the fixes and those fire adds do not slaughter you now. Before the fix we would have a healer sacrifice his life and pull all the adds so we could dps the boss down.

On a side note: A easy solution without changing the difficult, would be to add another item that will complete the boss quest. Similar to the sword and box next to throne that are already in place. This would allow your alts to come in and click the quests complete after the instance is completed. This would be a fair compromise because it requires the instance to be completed as is but allows the alts or the poorly geared players to continue the quest-line.

Quoted from "Dkjester"

I really do try to think about this game from eyes of the people that I talk to, and help out. They aren't the best geared, or the best players. A lot of times mem farming ill fill the party up, or if running Beth easy, take people for gear.. not the best gear, but hey gear. Cause I want newer players to stay. that is where I get all of the arguments I make for newer players, cause a lot of these casual/newer players don't even come to the forums.

same dk, i talk to alot of people, and i have about the same experience you have with them(albeit, even lower stuff).

The midgame has been one of the main problems in ROM for a very long time. It's also the reason why something like advertisements isn't really going to bring the player base back up to its early levels. I don't think that changes to easy mode would fix things all that much either, but the main issue is that the midgame has been almost completely ignored since probably the 55 cap.

A few random issues that I'll mention:

1. If you were to spend $50 tweaking your quest gear, would that gear actually be worth $50 dollars at the end? Probably not. It would probably be worth quite a bit less than that. In that case, it makes more sense to directly trade your diamonds for gold or gear. However, that feels a lot more like a direct buy in to the game rather than paying for an enhanced experience. Furthermore, the buy in is probably quite a bit more than $50 for most class combos. Essentially, you're expecting someone to play the early game (solo questing) for a bunch of time and then suddenly they're going to have to plop down a rather large sum of money to directly buy the items that they need (rather than enhancing some gear that they have earned through game play) to play an almost completely different game (end game raiding) without knowing whether they are going to enjoy it.

2. The economics of midgame and endgame instances are very different. You don't necessarily NEED to get the exact item in an endgame instance as long as you get a good item or stat. You can then sell or trade the item/stat for the exact item that you were going for. Fairly quickly, a midgame item/stat becomes worth less than the cost of the CS item that it takes to trade the item. Therefore, it requires running the instance many, many more times than would be required originally. Also, as has been mentioned, there really aren't many parties for midgame instances.

3. Does anyone really expect players to stick around if all they really have access to that will actually improve their character is repeating minigames on a bunch of alts?

4. The midgame is going to continue to get longer. In the 60s caps, many people made the point that the midgame wasn't that big of a deal because even though everyone agrees it sucks, it was over relatively quickly. Obviously, every time there is a new cap and set of instances, the midgame just keeps getting longer and less fun.

5. They've been sprinkling in quests here and there that almost require a carry for a new player. So now even the early game is pretty much... play for an hour... wait for an hour until you can convince someone to carry you through some major quest... play some more. It just can't be all that much fun.

suggestions to help new players:

statting for non-weapon gear:
Use the blue quest gear/gear bags. They will come with two stats, and be 110 durablity, aka OD, for the 20% boost. Start with the 60 bag set and then skip the next set and do the following set. and repeat.

Buy the plussing jewels from the vendors in varanas lower west or obsidian stronghold glory square for gold and get those to +1 or +2. You should always have any gear you will use for 3 or more levels plussed 1. My success rate is about 1 out of 10, but that is still cheaper than dias/rubies/phirus tokens. And since they cost gold, I can use the dias/rubies/tokens for more beneficent purposes.

Do one or two minis for shells, to buy the shell gear for stats. Trade or use those. Goblin mines and Course of Terror are pretty good due to giving more arcane transmuter charges as rewards for completing them, compared to ATH and malatinas dungeon.

Do the dalanis events for 2(or single) stat fusion stones. Also the blood bath valley in av, broken bridge in savage lands, or naga event in weeping coast. Dalanis robber carts are safest, but dalanis is crashiest. Your level difference should help keep you alive enough to collect some rewards, without "winning" the event. This will let you transfer 2 other stats to the quest gear, preferably yellow.

This should end up with gear that is naturally OD, +1 for the extra hidden ghost stat, and 2 decent green stats it comes with, 2 yellow stats from either shell gear or bag drop accessories, and two worthless stats. This should help with normal questing. Any elites or mobbed quest will probably require assistance though.

Stating for weapons:
Use the blue wepons. Start at the level 60, and again skip one, improve one, repeat.

Buy the random fusion stone from spirit mages(one is in varanas lower west next to the plussing jewel merchant). It cost about 2k each.

Use the low priced quest rewards or mob drops gear(usually shoulders, boots, and helms) and the random stones to build three tier 6 stones. Use this to tier your weapon.

THEN, +1 or +2.

This is really the cost effective considering how you should be progressing. I know that higher geared players will say, "we can just farm instance so and so for the gear". Politely decline. You will usually die, alot. You will not usually get the entire set of gear, if any, you need. It is boring, but way more cost effective to level up, then work on gearing up compared to gearing up, then leveling up.

Of course, take any hand-me-downs

Finally, wings:
Try and get the best 6 yellow stats you can and put them on your wings, as you will keep these the longest.