What Tera taught me about the quest plans for ARR.

[Andrien]

I have been playing Tera for the past 3 days...I'm to level 26, and so far it makes me realize that non-stop quest grinding has a way of feeling just as lifeless as regular grinding... There's no occasion to kill mobs never listed on a quest, there's no occasion to stop and look around, no reason to ever return to an old zone, there's nothing but being shuffled from one place to the next like cattle with all your leveling practically being done for you, in a never ending stream that begins to feel mind-numbingly linear. Last time I turned Tera off it was as I sat back and asked myself what the hell I was doing, and wondering was I really enjoying this, or was I just stuck in the loop? Then I had to turn it off when I realized it was just a loop and there was nothing really enjoyable about ANY of it.

I guess this could be dealt with in ARR with epic storylines, plot twists, and humorous or touching sidequests. Some truly innovative quests. Or even the occasional break in which regular grinding must be done for even just 2-3 levels before the quest loop begins again. I want to feel like I'm involved in the game's world and lore, where my level is raised by showing courage and skill...not feel like I'm rolling down an assembly line.

The one thing Tera DID seem to have going for it was small details like the stuff you would occasionally see floating by (seeds, or petals, or leaves), the fact that when you follow a river, it actually GOES somewhere that isn't an invisible wall. The bustling sound of voices and pets in the centers of towns, the epic splashes and sprays of blood as you slice into a mob, the little woodland creatures walking around just for show (some which you could kill for no real reason).

That said, Tera completely misses almost all the broadstrokes. Sure the combat system is kinda cool (though purely-action combat would never really work in ARR), but other than that, the story goes too long without giving you any INTERESTING details, every sidequest plot in each area is identical (kill X amount of mob to thin the herd, kill such and such mob to get 'special item, repeat).

Originally I had gone into the 'quest grind' topic uneducated. I liked quests, more quests sounded like more fun. But now I know that there needs to be moderation, or too much of a good thing becomes an incessant flood of whiny NPCs whose issues I quickly cease to care about.


TL;DR: SE really should be very careful about how they approach this whole 'you'll be able to quest-grind all your classes to 50' thing.

I actually thought for a second that you meant to post this in tera forums, but by accident did it here instead.

I like to have the choice on how to spend time leveling. As long as that is in place everything is cool with me, and I tend to favor questing.

[Reika]

We can have quest grind or we can have monster grind. Both are poisonous and boring. However I perfer quests over monsters because quests give info about the area your in and give other reasons besides EXP, and also server to guide you across the world.

Of course, they could always include the same 1.0 monster grind formula's into it for those that want that method.

And yes, TERA sux, but not because of quest based leveling.

[Enma]

I started playing TERA too, and I feel exactly like the OP. The satisfaction for Level UP has been lost in all MMOs, and I'm not sure it's a good thing. The only way to build up your characters and enjoyining it is to have as many possibilities as possible, and I feel ARR will give them us.

- Quests
- Grind
- Dungeons
- NMs
- Leves

All these four "systems" should be good way for exping, and there should not be a best one, but grant each one quite the same amount of EXP.

[HiirNoivl]

As long as they give us the choice on how we want to spend our time leveling

Exactly. Too much of anything is a bad thing. The more choice the better.

[Lirion]

I want to be able to level my character in many different ways. If I have an hour to play I don't want to spend it forming a party and then go out and grind mobs for 20 min before I have to leave. But if I have a couple of hours to spend then I rather not just spam quests. So like others have said, give us more ways than one.

[Reika]

I want to be able to level my character in many different ways. If I have an hour to play I don't want to spend it forming a party and then go out and grind mobs for 20 min before I have to leave. But if I have a couple of hours to spend then I rather not just spam quests. So like others have said, give us more ways than one.

We will also still have guildleves in ARR. And there is also crafting and gathering

[-S-a-g-e]

For what it's worth, I won't mind questing being faster if it's restricted to unrepeatable quests so that you can only get one class to L50 using such quest experience. I'd be happy with a quick road to L50 on one class and then a slower (but still reasonable) road to L50 on the rest of the classes. Basically, I hope levequests aren't faster than grinding when you're in a large party. Questing - and levequesting - should definitely be faster when you're going solo, no matter what, though!

I think quests will get multiple classes to 50 or maybe at least to 30-40 range because of the 3 large cities and areas that connect to them will have all their own quests etc. Between that you will have leves and the FATE system and other content this time around that will give you plenty of things to do.

[Lirion]

We will also still have guildleves in ARR. And there is also crafting and gathering

Indeed, and I hope they add more to that as well.

[Babydoll]

I agree with OP, SE needs to be careful not to make quest grinding wash rinse repeat etc. I love socializing in MMO and if that is gone from it I might as well just play a single player game or go play monster hunter by myself.

[Warlock]

I agree with OP, SE needs to be careful not to make quest grinding wash rinse repeat etc. I love socializing in MMO and if that is gone from it I might as well just play a single player game or go play monster hunter by myself.

This statement is as real as the dooms day predictions if 1.0 launch didn't make you do that no matter what ARR does wont either...no matter what it is they can only improve they can't go any lower thus anyone able to post in this forum stating this is false and threat-less