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Return to L2, or play a free2play instead?
When I first tried Lineage 2 a couple of years ago, I was fairly new to the MMO scene, and I must admit, I did not enjoy it. The community was very clique, and no one would help me (the poor newb), and the server was crammed full of bots. In fact, I began to think that there were no real people online at all!
So after my month free play was up, I dropped the game. However, I did not uninstall it from my pc (something which I rarely do, even if I don't like a game, prob why I've used up nearly 350 gig just on games).
I come from a role-playing background, and as such, I was getting my rp-fix on specific servers on EQ2 and WoW. However, a part of me always likes a challenge. The bigger the better. The idea of putting in an insane amount of hours grinding, had not appealed to me, until I started to seek a demanding game. For awhile I got this from FFXI, but the UI was very unfriendly and awkward (prob because it was console adapted). Then, a small voice started whispering at the back of my mind. It was telling me to try L2 again.
I read an excellent thread on the official site's forum, about a player called Jute, and how she played the game, and then I decided I would give it another go. Afterall, there are few games out there that present such a monstous challenge as L2, and whilst this is a turn-off for many players, I like it.
I was disappointed that the bot problem was as bad as ever, and equally the community was not the friendliest. However, I persevered and eventually met some good friends.
The fact is though, that I am not a hardcore player, no matter how much I wish I was. I have a friend who is yet to play a MMORPG, but I would love to see how he would fare in a game such as this, as he is certainly a hardcore gamer when it comes to single-player games (I've known him to play 48 hours straight without sleep, or leaving the screen for longer than a few minutes). I sometimes wish I had that determination.
As such, I soon got disheartened when I learned that a lot of people were using third-party programs to create bots. What was the point in me doing all this work, if everyone else was cheating?
Shortly after, I moved house, and did not have internet access at my new address until recently.
That was over a year ago.
Now coming back to the scene, I have downloaded quite a few free2play games. They are all very similar to Lineage 2, and it makes me wonder if I am better picking one of those to play, rather than paying good money to pay L2.
Like I said, it has been awhile since I last played L2, and even then I did not get very high level. So what do you think? Start one of those free2plays? There is one in particular called Shiaya (think that is how it is spelt) that looks very similar to L2. I have only just finished downloading it, and have not played yet, other than to see what it looked like, but it seems almost identical.
So, in short, what I am asking is a couple of things. What changes have occurred in the past year or so in L2. Is the game worth the subscription charge, over these free2play games, and if so, why?
Comments
Well first off, there are bots in all the top games. Sorry but that's true. Anyone who says otherwise need just look up the game and the currency that is for sale. If not bots then professional farmers.
Quite frankly I don't think L2 is for you. You might like the challenge but from what I'm seeing from your post you are not interested in Pvp (you never mention it unless I missed it) and you indicate you are not a hardcore player. This is not to say you can't play L2 with your own agenda but it will seem quite hollow as it is about PvP being filled by a grind PvE system and that at higher lvls you need to put in time in order to see any advancement.
Now, if you are asking whether you should play L2 as compared to other free to play asian grinders, then YES L2 is heads and shoulders above them (I've tried a few). They feel junky, a bit more of a hodgepodge and quite frankly they feel like they were just put together quickly so that they can be a vehicle to support a cash shop. L2 seems to have a bit more integrity. I still think the developers are winging it and just adding stuff that they think is cool. My conversation with one of the head gm's seems to support this as he indicated that they had an "artist" attitude and experimented quite a bit.
My advice is seek another game. Unless you are driven, have time, like pvp and are committed.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
no idea if you should go to l2 or free play's i tried a lot off free2play's and always returned to l2 but i can't even remember a day that i played l2 and diden find a bot
No you don't want to be like him. Playing a game for 24 hours straight is not very smart. I can only pity him.
they've been doing alot of mass bannings on bots, i heard a press release stating "over 45,000 bots banned in 2 weeks"
recently they are increasing there community investigation staff and third party investigation staff to ban more bots, also they are looking to implementing a new anti-bot system that seems pretty advanced and will probably do a good job at destroying bots.
45000 ?? last time i checked that's almost half the subscriber's so who's left playing l2 know lol?
http://www.l2guru.com/forum/showthread.php?t=77552
http://www.l2guru.com/forum/showthread.php?t=78845
45000 ?? last time i checked that's almost half the subscriber's so who's left playing l2 know lol?
http://www.l2guru.com/forum/showthread.php?t=77552
http://www.l2guru.com/forum/showthread.php?t=78845
probably mostly on the asian servers...
45000 ?? last time i checked that's almost half the subscriber's so who's left playing l2 know lol?
http://www.l2guru.com/forum/showthread.php?t=77552
http://www.l2guru.com/forum/showthread.php?t=78845
probably mostly on the asian servers...
yere i pretty much figured that out but it's dosent really have any revelance to us, since they care about the cheater's in asia dosen't mean they do in the NA Europe server's
ok its not really 45k but there still doing mass bannings probably 45k bots banned in 2-4 months.
btw mostly all the bot bans have been done in america.
Uh.
In my whole playing Vanguard since release, for more than a year now, I noticed a bot exactly ONCE in all the time.
So "all MMOs are filled with bots" isnt exactly true.
I just did a search for the purchase of Vanguard currency and "yes", there are several sites that offer it. One site even stated that farming for it was difficult but that they were professional and not only supply it but also supply other services.
So someeone is farming it. If it's not a bot then so be it but you are then left with live farmers. So the same issues with characters not there because of the actual gameplay apply. In some ways they can cause more problems. L2, in its early years didn't have bots but had live farmers. I personally prefer the bots.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
I just did a search for the purchase of Vanguard currency and "yes", there are several sites that offer it. One site even stated that farming for it was difficult but that they were professional and not only supply it but also supply other services.
So someeone is farming it. If it's not a bot then so be it but you are then left with live farmers. So the same issues with characters not there because of the actual gameplay apply. In some ways they can cause more problems. L2, in its early years didn't have bots but had live farmers. I personally prefer the bots.
and also vanguard hasn't been out for two years....so you really should get your facts right...and yes every mmo does have bots...your probably not very good at noticing them...
Ok, but if you are going to make a declaration like that, before you do it you have to take "the next step".
I just did a search for the purchase of Vanguard currency and "yes", there are several sites that offer it. One site even stated that farming for it was difficult but that they were professional and not only supply it but also supply other services.
So someeone is farming it. If it's not a bot then so be it but you are then left with live farmers. So the same issues with characters not there because of the actual gameplay apply. In some ways they can cause more problems. L2, in its early years didn't have bots but had live farmers. I personally prefer the bots.
and also vanguard hasn't been out for two years....so you really should get your facts right...and yes every mmo does have bots...your probably not very good at noticing them...
yere all mmo game's have bot's since they's gold selling for any game, but over 3 year's i played wow i only bumped into 1 player who botted, and in l2 i can't even remember the last time i logged in to not encounter bot's.
beside's farmer's aren't the worst in l2 it's the constant botting off other player's and all the cheating around pvp
By the way folks, since I first posted here, I have tried a game called Shaiya, and I really think that if you are a L2 player then you should give it a go. The graphics and play style are almost identical. It is free to play, but better than most of those games, as it actually has excellent production values.
There does not appear to be many bots. The community is quite friendly (a lot more so than I experienced in L2).
The aspect which appeals to me the most (being someone who enjoys to dabble in the hardcore game scene), is the fact that a new player can chose between easy and normal play. Easy means that you level twice as fast and max level is 30 (also some skills are locked to you). Normal play is just that. If you have played easy, you have to make a new toon to play normal. Then once you get your character to level 50, you unlock Hard. Again, you must make a new character. On hard level max level is something like 80, and this unlocks Ultima mode. Again, I think you have to make a new toon. Now, this is the part that some will hate, and others like. On Ultima mode, if your character dies, you have 3 minutes to get rez'ed. or you die! Permadeath!
Purely for the hardcore, just like in Diablo2.
Anyway, it is worth a try if you like L2.
Which was my point.
What exactly bothers you about bots, having them, knowing they are there or knowing they are making money out of something you aren't getting profit for?
As long as they don't interfere with your gameplay, bots in L2 are as bad as in any other game, even if those games "hide" them in instances.
They really annoying in l2 at least on the croweded server's they pretty much control all the low lvl catacomb's or necropolishes so you might get pked or trained bye botter's, not to mention some hunting spot's are filled with em so you can barly kill any monster's.
And no you can't defend yourself aginst the farmer's unleass your 7x + or can get help.
Not to mention the farmer's often go to the good hunting spot's and going anywhere else will be alot more timeconsuming or less profit hunting.]
It's not only farmer's that's trouble but people botting up high lvl character's to pvp since this is a very lvl and gear depantet game they get a big advangedte over legal player's, not to mention people botting up nobless for extra point's to get hero's.