Grand Fantasia has taken over. And makes Wizzy look like a sad knockoff. So I (sort of) regret to inform all y'all that I'm breaking from Wizzy until the next world/major update is integrated into the Live Realm. However, I'll still be updating this blog with Wizzy stuff and the like, and (because I'm a greedy person) I'll maintain my routine to obtaining all Bundles. I tried for all Pack Mounts, but no one wants to help me with the Blood Raven >_> Seriously, I have a Bone Dragon (4 sets of Dragon Wings), 2 Wyverns (uncountable Fairy Wings), The Nightmare (3 brooms), and a Kirin. Completely Raven-less. What the fug? Regardless, I'm breaking and nothing you can do or say (assuming any of you are actually CONCERNED with this, in which case by all means, try) will bring me back soon (unless someone can do something about that Blood Raven...).
Now dont go hatin' on Grand Fantasia (if anything, embrace it). This is also due to some real life stuff. All Honors classes and after school Jazz Band* keeps you busy...
BUT this is the last week before Spring Break :D At which point my overly-energetic father will drag me semi-unwillingly to California at which point he will force me to socialize and mingle with relatives and cousins I havent seen in several years, if ever.
But I'll still have Wifi :D Long story short, my iPhone is now a Mobile Hotspot. My laptop approves.
Back to the school thing, who else is out at the moment? If I had it my way, this is how the rest of my week will look:
- I exceeded the standards of the Fitness Exams once. I dont need to do it again. (Fitness Eliminated)
- We're done Reverse Engineering. Lemme play my computer games. (Engineering Eliminated)
- My Biology teacher is a raging fug-face. Lemme poke your assortment of organs in a jar, and gimme an A. (Biology Eliminated)
- My LA teacher wears converse with dress clothes. Oedipus is overbearingly ignorant. 'Nuff said. (LA Eliminated)
- Lunch.
- Band. I like band. Kick the dumb-fugs out and we're good. (Band Saved)
- I wont use any of this Geometry stuff ever. In my life. So given this information, dont put me in a class with 9+ of my friends and not expect me to socialize while you 'teach' (Geometry Eliminated)
Only if I had it my way.
Now let me rant about why I'm fed up with Wizard101 at the moment, and what KI can do to improve/fix these issues. If only KI would read and take the things listed into consideration.
First of all, I dont feel it's right to have LEVEL 20 WIZARDS running around with Critical. Now dont get me wrong, I love Critical and any chance to help newer players improve is well appreciated by them; but as many of you Veterans will recall, when Critical and Block were released, they were reserved exclusively for Grandmaster and higher Wizards; you know, the people who WORKED FOR IT (oddly this aspect isnt where my anger lies). What irritates me is not only are they just spending 399 Crowns for stats people worked for months to achieve, but that the lower-leveled people with said stats are blissfully ignorant of how terrible and worthless those states are. Critical Rating is just that. A Rating; not a percentage (24 Critical from some assortment of Crown gear does not earn 21% chance of landing a Critical; no. It gives 4%.) And needless to say, lower-leveled Wizards dont require stats like this. You're perfectly fine finding a FRIEND to help you kill Meowiarty.
In addition to this, the rate that KI has been producing Packs is insane, to say the least**. The problem (up until recently) wasnt the packs themselves, but more the pace at which they were being produced. Spread the releases out. Seriously. But regarding the most recent packs, it feels KI is getting lazy with pack-production. Aside from the chance of obtaining a spell (which is just wrong), what is one item you can identify that looks like none other, structurally (what I mean by this is that while the Bone Dragon and Wyvern LOOK aesthetically different, it's obvious they originated from the same digital design)? The pet is oh-so obviously a mini wingless Wyvern, the weapons look painfully similar to the Naginata(?) Spear used as a Wall Hanging, and the gear once again brings us back to the issue of low-leveled Critical. And learning new spell by purchasing them with Crowns. What. The. Fug.
Secondly, this topic has been revisited by countless people; Combat. Given some other Fantasy-based MMORPG's out there, Wizard101's combat scenes are lacking to say the least. Granted, I am well aware of the fact that KI cannot and will not fix this issue, as it requires more time and money than it's worth, and the more 'Epic' battle instances are mostly requested by adolescent Wizards who are slightly more bloodthirsty for violence, whereas this game is intended for a younger audience, mainly those being 8-12. But what I'm saying is that when people get hit with a Meteor, eaten by a Shark, or any other convoluted way of being wounded, one does not simply shake their head and recover (character-wise, not health-wise), ready to launch their next spell. I wont even go into the problem with realism and swords, as there are plenty of other people complaining about the same thing just about everywhere you find Wizard101 discussion threads.
Another issue I feel must be addressed is the extra-activities within the game. Sure, between Crafting, Housing, Pet Training, Questing, PvP-ing, Gardening, Farming, and whatever other -ing activity KI currently has to offer, it seems like there's a lot to keep you busy. If only. Before I even hit level 70 I was a Grandmaster Gardener with an Epic Pet while maintaining adequate PvP stats with amazing houses while also donning the entire Hangman's Set. All that was left was one Crafting Quest and the actual questing. Even with the imminent introduction of the Tag Game to the Live Realm, I hardly think that will be sufficient enough to keep players occupied. And I'll be the first to say it; I'm a teenager with a short attention span who also happens to have ADHD. Keep me busy, or I'll find someone else who will (like I did).
One more topic commonly discussed and debated is that of the physical avatars themselves***. In regards of male Sprites, it feels as if, hair wise, there's only one or two reasonable and realistic choices. Regarding the rest of the body, however, I feel KI was actually moderately realistic. But then there's the females. I've had plenty of my female friends complain about how their faces look too 'cartoony'. One certain person explained that her face strongly resembled a bubble. Which in actuality, they completely do. Not to mention that fact that the facial expressions given resemble that of a drunken or would-be seductive fish. Yes, a fish. Someone please help these poor people.
*Skips complain about chat filters*
The Commons. Not the geographical location, the social aspect. Lets make a list of all the things that make me hate that place.
- Beggars.
- The phrase, "I need a girl/boy."
- Rude, cocky, abusive players who feel the need to bully and insult EVERY SINGLE PLAYER in sight.
- People asking for Veterans to 'Power-Level' them.
- "Who wants free (Crowns/Mounts/Gold/Accounts/Codes)?"
- "Can I have free (Crowns/Mounts/Gold/Accounts/Codes)?"
- The immature players who feel the need to vocalize a specific curse word and include said word at the beginning and end of every sentence and every time they address a player as if they were an oblivious and obnoxious child who just learned a new word.
- "My (Dad/Mom/Uncle/Aunt/Brother/Sister/Friend/I) work(s) at KingIsle!"
- "I moved to Hollywood in one day by getting on my private jet and shipping all my things there magically, and I'm currently in my boyfriends car playing this game on my iPad."
- "----------- Leveled up to Level --!"
- The fact KI feels the need to drag our attention to some lowly Novice who just conjured up the Judgement in the pond or the Seraph on the bridge or the Snake in from of the Library.
- That guy who tries to talk to you while you're spinning because you're AFK, and he reports you for not answering him.
Twelve reasons I hate the Commons. A solution to 9 of these issues is a private Realm for upper-level players. But I highly doubt KI will enable that.
And then I come to the issue of Housing. Yes, I'm a Housing addict. I love it with a passion, however, some potential changes could improve the system immensely. First off, I dislike the limit placed on how many items can be placed on the interior or exterior of any house. 250 items in and out was fine for a while...then we got the Mega Bundle. At which point it became impossible to satisfy that gaping empty space occupying several rooms while also maintaining an adequate theme with overall good decor. To make matters worse, we added the Super Bundle which of course included an even LARGER house. Need I go on? A possible fix to this is Housing Item Boost potions, purchasable in the Crowns Shop. Then I have the placement issue. Why cant I place a gate on these doorways? Maybe I dont WANT people going in there. And then there's the variety of housing items. I feel that the items we're currently given are strictly Wizard101-World-Theme restricted. (Watches readers laugh and give me the 'NO! REALLY?' face). What I mean is that what if we want a modern house in the sense that you could walk into the home of an upper middle class family in Oklahoma (random state) and find similar items. Is that so much to ask? But then there's my biggest issue. Extreme lack of interaction with housing items. Up until semi-recently, items have been strictly for show. Meaning they sit there. Your character's legs are tired from running from one end of the Spiral to the other and there's a plush recliner over there? Too bad. You can stare at it. Up until the release of items such as the Milk And Cookies, Violin And Stand, and any others I'm forgetting, we were completely restricted on our interaction with housing items. No sleeping in beds, no sitting in chairs, no eating the food, and no climbing that misleading ladder. Our houses have always been this way. The items sitting there, and us positioning ourselves near it in a half-derped attempt to imitate actually using the item for its intended purpose. WE WANT INTERACTION! Also, more spaces for pets and mounts within our castles would be greatly appreciated as well.
The pet system. Mainly, the pet TRAINING system. Spend hundreds of thousands of gold to get this really rare pet with a high pedigree, and at Ancient it has Proof, Defy, Sprite, and Pain is in it's talent pool? Well guess what. Odds are, given how much of a giant troll this game is, half the time it'll get a selfish (given all the other series of unfortunate and unlucky events that have happened to every player at least once during their playthrough of the game). I think asking for an item to redo our last training session is reasonable. Of course there would be restrictions. For example, one use per pet, extra experienced to reach the next level are required, snacks give less XP, you name it. KI could integrate this and players would love it.
Okay NOW I'm complaining about the hatching system. Mainly, the PRICES. Seriously? a 10% reduction wouldnt kill you, KI.
Repetitive questline. Go kill this. Now go collect this. Now go kill AND collect this. Now go to here. Now go kill this boss. Forever, and ever, and ever.
Regarding my Pack complaint up top, it occured to me as I was typing this that KI is recently more concerned with their finances and grabbing the attention of newcomers that giving attention to Veteran members. Do you see a new world being discussed or a Transcended Dungeon up for testing? No? Neither do I. In my opinion, KingIsle needs to stop attempting to snag up all the wayward gamers out there and focus on the ones who have been loyal for a long time. If they dont, those members will leave, and they'll take their money and opinion with them. What I mean by this is...well, lets take another glance at the Ninja Lore pack. Ever since the release of the Wyvern's Hoard, the gear in those packs have been progressively getting better stats for lower levels, when compared to those of normal items of that level. I believe it was the Wyvern's hoard that first introduce Critical and Block to those below level 50. Now it's to those in their 20's. KingIsle is increasingly giving small advantages like these to lower-leveled players. While it may attract new players or hold onto those mid-leveled players, it's the Veteran members who have been with Wizard101 for years who are left out of the benefits. And am I the only one who notices a stunning lack of long-term benefits? Yes, on Thanksgiving, long-time players were given a Boar Knight, which at that point had been retired. But I'm talking financial benefits. Do we see discounts for memberships or Crowns? Exclusive areas or items? Anything? No? Me neither.
Okay, now what have I not complained about? I know I'm missing something...
OH YEAH! No Auction Items. Now some I can understand, Waterworks Gear being an excellent example. It take a really long time to obtain this gear, and if one were to just auction it off for all of the community to purchase, not only would that ruin the rarity, it'd also do some other thing I cant think of right now that'd make players upset. However, when you're given the instance of lets say, every other piece of Dragonspyrian gear there is, one cant help but wonder what makes this gear so special as to force the player who was unfortunate enough to obtain it to carry it around forever (unless you feed it to your pet, as you should).
*Takes huge sigh* Rant over. There are probably at least 10 more things I could have gone on about, but that's for my next post ;) I should make this a book.
*OUR BAND GOT AN EXCELLENT! And given one group got 38/100, that's pretty good.
**I understand that KI is producing these packs at such a swift rate in an attempt to make the required money needed for them to release the game in China (an article can be found
HERE), but seriously, the least they could do is be ORIGINAL with their fundraising. The first time a pack was released, everyone was in awe; everyone wanted it. And the more packs released, the more this attention-grabbing strategy diminished in effectiveness.
***How old are the characters supposed to be, anyway?
Now if you're still reading at this point, you deserve a prize.
Something is Swell
~Wolf Deathbringer
