Why I don't like Xsyon

[Aethaeryn]

Now, seeing as I'm posting this on a site full of Xsyon fans I know I will get flames, but I hope to see a mature discussion and hopefully the devs can use this to improve their game, which can cause me to start playing again.

The game starts simple: you create a character and login. And now? You got not a clue what to do unless you go look to third party videos which shouldn't be the way to learn a new game. Yes, there's a manual, but that's quite different. You look to some videos, start foraging etcetera. After more than an hour of travel, 2 deaths and more cluelessness about everything I reach a tribe. Now what?

I could go fishing. Grinding.
I could go Scavenging. Grinding. (Walk to some location, stare at a casting bar, walk a bit forward, stare at a casting bar etc).
I could go foraging. Same story.
I could go chopping. Same story.
I could go Terraforming. Not really and perhaps the most fun thing, but it becomes mindnumbing very quickly.
I could go crafting, but for that, you'll have to grind more than any game I've ever seen before.

Now, I know many people won't mind grinding. But the fact that it's simply staring at a casting bar 50% of the time, dropping items to make space 25% of the time and walking forward 25% of time time, just ain't fun. The physics don't look realistic which make it quite annoying as well, as well as the fact you actually have to have your mouse BENEATH the button you want to click for it to turn red and clickable (but I assume this gets fixed).
Now you can start to build walls. So what? It's not like theres a threat of getting raided by animals or so. And if, -if-, somehow there's every a war they will simply come throuh your entrance.. There are no fighting skills (as in, action skills) the fighting isn't really spectacular either.

In short, the game is very confusing at start which will stop many newcomers, and it feels like a major grind without gaining anything for it. Because yes, you build a town, but 99% of the things you build seem to be purely cosmetic and useless. Put this together with a bad-responding UI, movement control and the graphics (square blocks as shadows from leaves??) I really don't like the game.

I always hated when people said "you're playing it wrong" . . I think this might be the closest case. When I started playing Darkfall someone suggested that I not grind but instead just play the game. .. do a bit of everything and if I wanted to focus on a certain skill just use that more. The idea of salvaging isn't to increase your salvaging skill. It is to get items while exploring / hunting etc. If you are here to "level" your character then sure it is a grind.

I remember a friend of mine tried UO well after release. I told him how it was not a grind. He found it that way though he said you just grind skills instead of levels. I had only ever skilled up while "adventuring". Does Xsyon offer the same interesting world to explore as UO? Time will tell once things get settled.

I can see your point. . once you have a home. . etc. etc. what are you suppose to do. By then there will hopefully be some politics going on. This is not a game that you should play like a single player MMO - but that seems to be how you are approaching it. It won't work. I am not sure how long it will hold my attention as I am a bit of a "completionist". There are lots of people who just like to play in a virtual world. Your reasons for disliking it are valid. I would suggest trying some more things out. . get out and talk to people and give the game a good try after release.

[mrcalhou]

It would be nice if some of the more grindy aspects were a bit more interactive.