Ding Dong, NI Is Dead

[BaconPancakes]

I'll try to fit all these replies in a single post which is pretty difficult and looks really ugly on this forum

I do not see any point in this thread as this seems to be more of a complaint/argument when both sides can be argued for without a doubt. This thread should instead be used for developing ideas that the mod can do but complaining how the mod is dead won't make a single difference.

Most of the reason I gave are absolute negatives in the mod, I find it hard to see how someone could see them as intended features rather than something that needs to be fixed. I didn't make this thread to waste my time complaining, I made it to lay out the reasons I believe the mod is failing and whether or not people will want change is up to them.

Most games have a "fun" ramp up of resources required for the top tier - see Champion 160 gear in ESO that is literally 10 times as expensive as the previous tier.  As in it is exactly 10 times the materials to craft.  People that don't feel it is necessary for the +2p or +1% armor simply don't buy it, and there is definitely no shortage of that in ESO.  Don't even get me started on the grind in TERA.

I wasn't trying to say that items are too expensive, a system where the items increase exponentially in price would be fine if gaining wealth in the game didn't simply come down to insanely unlikely chance determined by RNG. In MMOs there's generally a way to steadily gain wealth over time and rare drops were just a bonus, but do not make up all of your profits. You can expect to be able to afford the top tier equipment within a certain amount of time dedicated to the game. NI has it all backwards, the only things on the drop table are super rare items and your gradual increase in wealth is nonexistent. Once you get that lucky spin on the RNG enough times to be able to the afford top tier equipment you want, you're still never going to get it because they're monopolized by people who will only sell if you overpay a large amount. On the off chance you finally get you hands on the item you want, you get a whole +1 damage that will likely not even matter against most nords, hooray!

People will always find the easiest/fastest spot for grinding and create rules that they expect others to follow on how to get resources the fastest.  This isn't to say I agree with it, but I certainly don't think it is something we can blame on NI or even necessarily "fix."  It is just a way some people prefer to play their games, just as you prefer to play your games a different way.  If you want to play a different way, get a group of friends together and play that way.  To clarify my point, I don't disagree with you.  I think you are absolutely right, there is a "no fun allowed" aspect to it and it has been present since my redshirt days, and I have had very close real life friends stop playing because they just couldn't enjoy it.  However, I don't think this is an issue unique to NI or even something that can really be changed about gear/grind based video games.

NI only has one way to play, and that's sitting in cades. Good MMOs have methods of playing that sacrifice efficiency and xp gains in favor of entertainment value along with high efficiency methods that require a high amount of attention. You don't see this in NI, everyone is always sitting in the same cades at the same regular cade spot and gaining the same xp with the same chance at loot. I don't know how this would be fixed unless the game was redesigned from the bottom up, but this is the main factor that contributes to the repetitive nature of NI.

I'm not sure about the super rich really controlling the market.  I haven't seen much direct market manipulation.  However, I don't see how this is much different from any game or even real life.  The only way I can see of preventing this is developer interference, and I'm more of an advocate for free markets.

The people with an insane amount of wealth own all the scarce and most desired items. Your progress in the game is capped at a certain point despite having acquired the wealth to upgrade past that point because you have to rely on whether or not someone will sell to you. There's simply nothing you can do short of begging for them to sell besides waiting for the next drop or having to waste all your money paying a premium price for an item that can only depreciate. You don't see monopolization like this often in other games.

Do any video games really have a purpose other than to be a fun time sink?  If you aren't having fun anymore, then by all means, do something else.  Come back later on if you feel like it, don't come back later on if you don't feel like it.  You are your own man.

I've done that plenty of times...lol. It's just that sometimes I hope to come back to a game that might have changed even slightly after not playing it for several months.

As far as the mod being dead... well... perhaps to you, but there appear to be others that don't think so.  I'm not sure saying the game is dead is the best way to go about voicing your concerns on it.  I guess it goes back to the point of this thread.  Do you want something to change, do you want to express frustration, is this a goodbye letter, or none of the above?  What do you want to happen with this?

I don't care what happens with this thread, take whatever from it you want. I feel the mod has reached the brink to where it can be considered dead. I've stated the shortcomings of the mod which many would agree with. Whether or not the community can reinvigorate it is up to them, but I don't see that happening with the direction it's currently headed.

Edit:  I'll go ahead and mention the part about no new content.  What exactly does qualify as new content?  New maps, bots, items, and classes/skills are about as much as I can see happening, and honestly how is that any less than what other games offer in content expansions?  More storyline, perhaps?  I'm honestly curious, as I also cannot think of any expansion that is not made up of those things in any other game.  Dark Souls expansions are more maps, enemies, and lore (glorious lore), Warframe is generally more of the same with a greater focus on items and story/quests, ESO is more of the same, any paid DLC I can think of is just more of the same, unless we are talking about new mission types in mission based games.  I am unsure of what exactly could qualify as new content under that definition other than a whole new game.

When most other games get major updates, it offers something new and interesting that would make you want to play for more than you would with just the base game. When there is more added to the map, there are places to explore and things to do that you would not experience without the update. When a new item is added, it does something unique that adds to the games entertainment value other than just being something with slightly higher stats that existing items. New enemies are not just copy paste of existing enemies that shoot 5 arrows instead of 1 and offer some new challenge that you would not get with existing enemies. None of the new items or maps added to NI keep me interested in the game, they change nothing and I will likely never even get to use most of the new items, but honestly don't care because they're just slightly better versions of items that were already in the game.

Also, since there are so little active developers (three or four) a lot of requested features will never make it in to the game despite the answer being: "It can be done".

But theres also plenty of useless admins whos help you never can rely on. These admins only applied to get the password to do the cheeky 17/16. Only one or two admins are active on discord etc. and just one to set up events. Big shoutout for Bluzark, most helpful and best admin EU.

Agreed. We could discuss all the great things that could be added to improve the mod and fix its problems, but they will never actually make it into the game.

Yes. This. More story line. Lore of SOME kind. I'd definitely enjoy that, don't know about anyone else though.

Thats about as much of a story as this mod has currently. Quests need work - give us tasks to do actual things such as; Complete runs. Heal teammates. Revive teammates. A salary for healers. Anything other than kill X of enemy Y to get Z amount of gold. Rewards for doing things to help the team, rather than grind out kills.

I agree with this. There are plenty of ways to translate story line into game play. I think better quests are a good idea and is something that would add a bit a variety and objectives to the game other than just killing the boss on wave 20.

This mod is far from dead. Almost every work day there are 2-3 servers FULL of players. There are still new players coming too this mod everyday that means that they will replace the óld' players.

For the 'high'tier end legends: Ofcourse rich people buy them that is how it works. Same in the real world. I suggest start trading and you will get there.

I don't know if I'm playing the same mod as you, but it has certainly declined and I doubt new players are replacing all the people leaving. With legendaries the problem is that you CAN'T trade. How are you supposed to buy an item when you can't compete with people who are able to throw crazy amounts of cash at sellers and then hold onto the item forever, effectively removing that item from the market?