The new content has launched quicker than I expected, so I am dealing with frustrating patching errors that are keeping me from accessing the game. I am excited to explore again, and have been sorely missing having an MMO time sink, but I am sad that I was not able to polish off any of my goals before the new content released. They’ll have to take the backseat while I level up and explore the new areas and lore!The new character selection screen looks awesome, but the art has always been the greatest feature of the game so I am hardly surprised. I’m really looking forward to digging into the new Asmodian zone, since I was only able to play as Elyos at PAX. After many attempts, I've finally managed to finish patching and I am ready to explore. The new Asmodian zone looks like the Elyos zone - since they are both part of the same area, Balaurea, there is no longer a large disparity in the vitality and beauty of the terrain. The new zone is really nice looking, and so are the NPCs - the old models look a lot more defined, and the new models are nice. Lots of different types of critters, and even some decaying statues that remind me of the Weeping Angles from Doctor Who.
My first reactions are positive. There are lots of quests to be had, even a good selection of repeatable quests with a low threshold - only 10 or 20 repetitions for an extra reward. The experience offered for the quests is good, and the money is excellent for many of them. The new coin quest is quick and convenient to repeat and offers affordable armor options. I'm looking forward to exploring the new zone in greater depth in the coming weeks. I also bought a vanity pet because the "white dag" looks just like my own puppy, Oliver. Now I have a cute little digital pup to accompany me on my trip through Balaurea.
A lot has changed since I quit but the general game mechanics are the same so I haven't had any problems playing my own character. In the months my account was inactive, the dozen or so servers were condensed and Azphel became a part of the combined Zikel. This is unfortunate as the combined servers all had active, high powered Elyos guilds who dominate the PvP on the new combined server. The Asmodians are outgeared, outnumbered, and severely disorganized. It's a completely uneven political situation that makes the game much less fun to play. The Asmodian players I've met thus far are poor players, too lazy to do any of the fights properly even though they are relatively simple. I expected mostly serious players to be left at this point, but it's still a lot of unskilled people. This is especially painful for me, since support classes are largely at the mercy of their group's capabilities. I definitely miss my friends, and our smooth groups. I joined a legion of Azphel players and had high hopes that they might be skilled enough to run painless dungeons and small scale PvP encounters, but my experiences thus far do not leave me with much hope. I'm enjoying the solo play, though, so I will be able to get my Chanter to 55 without much effort. I'm looking forward to finishing up the expansion lore and then calling it quits in a more conclusive manner.
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