Perhaps coupled with the fact that getting resources to macro with is much easier here than osi and the no rule against macroing, the problem is being magnified.
No one is fighting for resources <-- could be just as big a problem
I used to spend hours in game trying to get the necessary stuff just to be able to macro. Not so anymore.
Second Age: An Entirely Different Game - A Dead Horse Kicked
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Re: Second Age: An Entirely Different Game - A Dead Horse Kicked
<IronfistMax> tell me where you are in game, and ill come thank you personally
Mad_Max: blackfoot you sent everyone to a slaughter
<Derrick> We will not negotiate with terrorists.
UOSA Society of Adventure and History [UoH]
Re: Second Age: An Entirely Different Game - A Dead Horse Kicked
Agreed....and while I do think the game was meant to be played by having all skills and all advancement be worked for, I suppose my main concern with macroing here is as you said, how it has been so magnified.
While I am an idealist and I do think the game should be run exactly how it was during the T2A era, I can understand the arguments of the other side. And while I do think the game would be better, more exciting and in the long run, more successful if it was run in the same way as the era, I can understand why macroing was allowed here in the first place and why so many players want it to stay.
There is some merit behind the arguments of saying this is a ten year old game....no one would play here, etc. While I don't agree with this, it is a more realistic approach. The game in itself can be very difficult and monotonous at times (ever try raising anatomy or hiding w/out macroing? heh) and in a community with competition from other shards, it could be a deterrent to many players.
The problem that I see with macroing isn't people setting a hammer on such monotonous skills as hiding, nor getting a chance to get some skill up while they are afk in order to help them catch up to what is the norm.
The problem with macroing here is that it has entirely replaced active gameplay. There is no need at all to go out into the world and work towards advancement....macroing runs quicker and more consistent than regular gameplay, to where it has become entirely pointless to do anything but click play and wait for gm....that is my problem with macroing here.
If there was some middle ground....a way to continue allowing macroing but to where a player could more steadily gain by playing the game. Some incentive at all for players to play when they were available rather than just letting the macro take them to gm first, I think it would be a much better game.
While I am an idealist and I do think the game should be run exactly how it was during the T2A era, I can understand the arguments of the other side. And while I do think the game would be better, more exciting and in the long run, more successful if it was run in the same way as the era, I can understand why macroing was allowed here in the first place and why so many players want it to stay.
There is some merit behind the arguments of saying this is a ten year old game....no one would play here, etc. While I don't agree with this, it is a more realistic approach. The game in itself can be very difficult and monotonous at times (ever try raising anatomy or hiding w/out macroing? heh) and in a community with competition from other shards, it could be a deterrent to many players.
The problem that I see with macroing isn't people setting a hammer on such monotonous skills as hiding, nor getting a chance to get some skill up while they are afk in order to help them catch up to what is the norm.
The problem with macroing here is that it has entirely replaced active gameplay. There is no need at all to go out into the world and work towards advancement....macroing runs quicker and more consistent than regular gameplay, to where it has become entirely pointless to do anything but click play and wait for gm....that is my problem with macroing here.
If there was some middle ground....a way to continue allowing macroing but to where a player could more steadily gain by playing the game. Some incentive at all for players to play when they were available rather than just letting the macro take them to gm first, I think it would be a much better game.
- Elisud
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nickhimself
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Re: Second Age: An Entirely Different Game - A Dead Horse Kicked
Macroing has some negative impact on gameplay. I agree with you there. It also makes running certain tasks much more efficient and less of a strain for no reason other than because it's how it "was" (i.e. cutting bandages 1 at a time).
The only problem is that you can't limit macroing to a certain portion of the game. It's not possible to allow macroing while bandage cutting but disabling it from casting the same spell over and over again until you're GM magery.
Macroing I feel is acceptable (while my opinion won't matter to nearly all of you, i'm giving it anyway):
Resource gathering
Trade skill crafting
Bandage cutting (this is so ridiculous, era accuracy doesn't have to ruin everyones time for the sake of being accurate)
Macroing I feel hurts the game:
Nearly every skill gain
PvP scripts (cast spell ->last target, chugging potions, auto-healing)
Auto Scavenge that you can effectively set everything in the game to scavenge, if it were restricted to common resources (regs, bandages, arrows, etc) then I'd have no issue with it what so ever.
Unfortunately, unless derrick programmed something himself that let you do certain tasks but didn't give you any freedom outside of those... we won't see any real changes here.
For clarification, I have macroed up every single skill on every single character in some way or another. While I really like being able to take "time" out of the perfect character equation, I understand why anyone would want that kept in.
The only problem is that you can't limit macroing to a certain portion of the game. It's not possible to allow macroing while bandage cutting but disabling it from casting the same spell over and over again until you're GM magery.
Macroing I feel is acceptable (while my opinion won't matter to nearly all of you, i'm giving it anyway):
Resource gathering
Trade skill crafting
Bandage cutting (this is so ridiculous, era accuracy doesn't have to ruin everyones time for the sake of being accurate)
Macroing I feel hurts the game:
Nearly every skill gain
PvP scripts (cast spell ->last target, chugging potions, auto-healing)
Auto Scavenge that you can effectively set everything in the game to scavenge, if it were restricted to common resources (regs, bandages, arrows, etc) then I'd have no issue with it what so ever.
Unfortunately, unless derrick programmed something himself that let you do certain tasks but didn't give you any freedom outside of those... we won't see any real changes here.
For clarification, I have macroed up every single skill on every single character in some way or another. While I really like being able to take "time" out of the perfect character equation, I understand why anyone would want that kept in.
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Duke Jones
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Re: Second Age: An Entirely Different Game - A Dead Horse Kicked
I'm afraid we have to face certain facts.
FACT: Gamers tend to seek out efficiency. Once found, the community will standardize whatever is the most efficient process. If you don't emulate the most efficient process, you will be at a major, if not crippling, disadvantage.
FACT: Macroers will nearly always have more than those who actively sit and play the game. Currently, those who aren't at their computer are more efficient and profitable than those who sit at the computer and directly interact with the game.
FACT: As long as UOSA rewards players for running a macro (unintended or not), and inversely punishes those who don't, this may never change.
FACT: Gamers tend to seek out efficiency. Once found, the community will standardize whatever is the most efficient process. If you don't emulate the most efficient process, you will be at a major, if not crippling, disadvantage.
FACT: Macroers will nearly always have more than those who actively sit and play the game. Currently, those who aren't at their computer are more efficient and profitable than those who sit at the computer and directly interact with the game.
FACT: As long as UOSA rewards players for running a macro (unintended or not), and inversely punishes those who don't, this may never change.
"When you remove human error, accuracy, and speed, you remove the human element."
Re: Second Age: An Entirely Different Game - A Dead Horse Kicked
I watched your commercial then ran all the way there to buy some fish and bandies only to find it is closed?? Madness! (your emporium)Duke Jones wrote:I'm afraid we have to face certain facts.
FACT: Gamers tend to seek out efficiency. Once found, the community will standardize whatever is the most efficient process. If you don't emulate the most efficient process, you will be at a major, if not crippling, disadvantage.
FACT: Macroers will nearly always have more than those who actively sit and play the game. Currently, those who aren't at their computer are more efficient and profitable than those who sit at the computer and directly interact with the game.
FACT: As long as UOSA rewards players for running a macro (unintended or not), and inversely punishes those who don't, this may never change.
Erik [Hu]
Re: Second Age: An Entirely Different Game - A Dead Horse Kicked
We have over the course of the last couple years adjusted skill gain rates. They have never gotten any easier on UOSA. Usually these adjustments are minor and unannounced, but cumulatively, there has been a huge change. Many players coming back after a long absence have commented on the difference.
"The text in this article or section may be incoherent or very hard to understand, and should be reworded if the intended meaning can be determined."
Re: Second Age: An Entirely Different Game - A Dead Horse Kicked
I appreciate the reply Derrick, but I think the point is missed.
Normally, Id agree that slower skillgain would remedy much of the problems I'm addressing here such as difficulty in gameplay, slower character advancement, etc. But when macroing has replaced actual gameplay, slower skillgain doesn't do anything to resolve this. In fact, it helps to further the problem.
Until the shard limits features and policies that are in fact, inaccurate, or the shard makes an attempt to reach a middleground (by still allowing macroing, but making it less beneficial than active gameplay), we'll continue to see a number of imbalances, reduced activity across the shard, and a highend environment that has taken all of the challenge out of the game. I never expected the community to support such changes here as most players will always scream and moan over difficulty being applied, no matter how accurate it is. I just wish the staff here would look at the longterm effects of accommodating players in such a way and really compare this shard here to the actual era.
Normally, Id agree that slower skillgain would remedy much of the problems I'm addressing here such as difficulty in gameplay, slower character advancement, etc. But when macroing has replaced actual gameplay, slower skillgain doesn't do anything to resolve this. In fact, it helps to further the problem.
Until the shard limits features and policies that are in fact, inaccurate, or the shard makes an attempt to reach a middleground (by still allowing macroing, but making it less beneficial than active gameplay), we'll continue to see a number of imbalances, reduced activity across the shard, and a highend environment that has taken all of the challenge out of the game. I never expected the community to support such changes here as most players will always scream and moan over difficulty being applied, no matter how accurate it is. I just wish the staff here would look at the longterm effects of accommodating players in such a way and really compare this shard here to the actual era.
- Elisud
Re: Second Age: An Entirely Different Game - A Dead Horse Kicked
Duke Jones wrote:I'm afraid we have to face certain facts.
FACT: Gamers tend to seek out efficiency. Once found, the community will standardize whatever is the most efficient process. If you don't emulate the most efficient process, you will be at a major, if not crippling, disadvantage.
FACT: Macroers will nearly always have more than those who actively sit and play the game. Currently, those who aren't at their computer are more efficient and profitable than those who sit at the computer and directly interact with the game.
FACT: As long as UOSA rewards players for running a macro (unintended or not), and inversely punishes those who don't, this may never change.
@ these facts. especially #2. c'mon now. wheres the proof that makes these statements fact?
V SISTERS UNITE! SAVING OUR VAJAYJAYS FOR SOMEONE SPECIAL!
Re: Second Age: An Entirely Different Game - A Dead Horse Kicked
They all seem pretty logical... While maybe not true 100% of the time I think they are true for a majority of the time... and probably a large one at that.Tron wrote:
wheres the proof that makes these statements fact?
Re: Second Age: An Entirely Different Game - A Dead Horse Kicked
Sorry, going to need more than "seems logical" for these "facts" to be facts.
V SISTERS UNITE! SAVING OUR VAJAYJAYS FOR SOMEONE SPECIAL!
Re: Second Age: An Entirely Different Game - A Dead Horse Kicked
I don't think anyone cares to prove it to you and it would be a large undertaking to gather this info. I was just saying they are pretty logical. If you just think about it, they make pretty good sense. No one is going to bring you numbers or fact sheets as you or I can't really prove it. The thing about this game is it has been sifted through for years and damn near everything is nailed down to maximum efficiency for most people. Sure there are noobs.. but like I said before it's the older players (the majority) that takes advantage of these things.Tron wrote:Sorry, going to need more than "seems logical" for these "facts" to be facts.
Duke Jones wrote:I'm afraid we have to face certain facts.
FACT: Gamers tend to seek out efficiency. Once found, the community will standardize whatever is the most efficient process. If you don't emulate the most efficient process, you will be at a major, if not crippling, disadvantage.
Why use inefficient means if you know there is something better?
FACT: Macroers will nearly always have more than those who actively sit and play the game. Currently, those who aren't at their computer are more efficient and profitable than those who sit at the computer and directly interact with the game.
Macroers are really just bots that are more precise and efficient than a human sitting at a computer because they never falter (assuming you are connected).
FACT: As long as UOSA rewards players for running a macro (unintended or not), and inversely punishes those who don't, this may never change.
Same as the first fact... Why are people not going to macro when they know that they can and everyone else is doing it too?
Re: Second Age: An Entirely Different Game - A Dead Horse Kicked
Now I prefer to use the Razor macros and such. I dont feel my experience here is compromised by them, in fact, I feel my experience is GREATLY enhanced by them. Bravo UOSA for your stance on them. But, since someone chose to question the validity of the above statement and Im a long-winded, argumentative, pain in the ass when the mood strikes me.....I'll have to say Duke is closer to bullseye than off-base.Duke Jones wrote:I'm afraid we have to face certain facts.
FACT: Gamers tend to seek out efficiency. Once found, the community will standardize whatever is the most efficient process. If you don't emulate the most efficient process, you will be at a major, if not crippling, disadvantage.
FACT: Macroers will nearly always have more than those who actively sit and play the game. Currently, those who aren't at their computer are more efficient and profitable than those who sit at the computer and directly interact with the game.
FACT: As long as UOSA rewards players for running a macro (unintended or not), and inversely punishes those who don't, this may never change.
1) Gamers DO seek efficiency. In fact, IMHO, gamers are among the most resourceful M'er F'ers on the internet. 3rd party software and interface mods damn near seem to release for a game before the game itself actually releases these days..all kidding aside, this shit takes some talent. 99% of us couldnt sit down and write a UO Assist or a Razor...but someone did. UO puts in the anti-macro code...someone figures it out and writes 8x8 Macroer. All in the name of efficiency. In progression based games, I.E. any MMO, we seek to develop our characters as quickly as possible to maximize our gaming experience. People grind skills in UO to compete. People grind levels in WoW to get to go raiding. If its resources in mind they farm whatever has the highest drop rate, or wherever the best spawn is, or wherever the best nodes are found, etc. Lets all agree, someone looking to farm leather in UO is going to farm bulls for it, not rats, because it gets the job done more efficiently.
Once word travels via forums, it becomes common knowledge of what the best and most efficient means are, the whole community does a collective forehead-smack and and a hearty 'Duh!' and jumps on board the gravy train, thusly standardizing the operating procedure to whatever game mechanic you are trying to master. As UO Players would note...how many serious players DID'NT eventually give in and buy UO Assist? Which nicely addressed both points, a) efficency and b)not wanting to be the, "OMG Like how can you not have UOA!" guy.
Those who dont "standardize" got left behind and couldnt compete, a.k.a. Duke's 'crippling disadvantage'. How many people recall what the script miners did to the legitimate miners trying to make a buck by flooding the markets and driving down prices on the production shards? How about the script gold/artifact farmers/sellers to the economies of the production shards? How many of you PvP'ers were running around out there in the field using the stock UO macro interface getting PWN'ed and dry looted by the guys running scripts and macros because you had some chivalrous objection to 3rd Party Programs? I'd wager, none of you.
2) Having been someone who didnt start using UO Assist/3rd Party until he was in Factions during UO:R and GM'ed fishing, smithing, alchemy, and other strangle-yourself-with-your-mouse-cord skills prior to it and then most other trades afterward using UOA I will say that this point of Duke's is true. A macro can do in a fraction of a second what you do manually in much more. Increased efficiency = increased profit. Macro'ers set the market.
3) I think Duke is a bit harsh here. I see UOSA condoning macroing as being a necessary service to to cater to both the above points that, while purists might contest, the gaming majority desires. I think in many respects, the shard is improved because of it. We all yearn for old UO, those of us that played in recent years especially after the abomination that they made of it in latter expansions, but dont necessarily need ALL of old UO. When we found this place, with its neatly bundled Razor and our years of veteran knowledge and got right into action without the learning curve or hours of repeating some mindless clicking to be able to do something fun and/or profitable and went, "aww crap, I sure do miss all those months of grinding to start having real fun"? I can say that in the 50-some days I have come farther, faster, than the like amount of time back in 1999. I, for one, apreciate the hell out of it.
I commend the purists like Duke and others. I really do. However, I figure I already did my share of hard work in this game, a long time ago. I experienced the hours working crafts in my little fieldstone on Dagger Isle, the "Oh..an Ogre Lord..well, the Orc Lord isnt much tougher than a regular orc...", the month of beating on skeletons at Moonglow graveyard and getting crushed by the occasional lich, followed by a prompt dry-looting by whoever happened to see it. I have experienced the true UO in another life...that of the single, carefree, 29-year old. Im older, wiser, and as the saying goes, work smarter not harder.
Dont get me wrong guys, I respect you, but Im not one of you. I want the T2A experience and prefer to skip the time consuming struggling. I feel UOSA more than satisfies my needs. But Im man enough to admit when the other guy has a valid point and not clamp my hands to my ears goin, "la la la Im not listening to you la la la". Sorry Im long winded, Im much worse in person
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Duke Jones
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Re: Second Age: An Entirely Different Game - A Dead Horse Kicked
I appreciate the part of devil's advocate over all this, Gicod.
I guess it ultimately comes down to what the players want and how the players "see the game."
My points are these:
-At what point is there "too much" automation and efficiency? Does a line exist? Where is this line? I've asked this question before. But in a hypothetical situation, if you found a way to be 100% automated and ultimately efficient; so much so that you get an email or txt displaying your in-game net worth and a break-down of everything your character possesses, or did for you via elaborate scripts and macros... Would you do that? Would you still consider this "playing the game?" It's efficient. Your character is doing things. What's the difference?
-Do you feel that players are "entitled" to not grind or build a character one they have already done so once over in the past?
-Do you feel the fact that looping macros were NOT built into the in-game macro system, and that the said macro-system is limited the result of:
A. "They just didnt know how to do that at the time."
-or-
B. "They DON'T want players to have that much automation with looping macros."
I guess it ultimately comes down to what the players want and how the players "see the game."
My points are these:
-At what point is there "too much" automation and efficiency? Does a line exist? Where is this line? I've asked this question before. But in a hypothetical situation, if you found a way to be 100% automated and ultimately efficient; so much so that you get an email or txt displaying your in-game net worth and a break-down of everything your character possesses, or did for you via elaborate scripts and macros... Would you do that? Would you still consider this "playing the game?" It's efficient. Your character is doing things. What's the difference?
-Do you feel that players are "entitled" to not grind or build a character one they have already done so once over in the past?
-Do you feel the fact that looping macros were NOT built into the in-game macro system, and that the said macro-system is limited the result of:
A. "They just didnt know how to do that at the time."
-or-
B. "They DON'T want players to have that much automation with looping macros."
"When you remove human error, accuracy, and speed, you remove the human element."
Re: Second Age: An Entirely Different Game - A Dead Horse Kicked
Anytime Duke. I have seen your commercial too and admire your idealism. Im a fan of the workin' man. For a good sized chunk of my UO career I played the game exactly the same way....
Then...
My friends all got UO Assist. I didnt want to spend the money on it. It was a transition I resisted for a long time as many of those UOA functions I had already replicated to my satisfaction via the stock interface and some jam-a-key-down-with-a-penny (gamer ingenuity I doubt OSI expected). But alas, Jam-a-Penny was the gateway. The sweet seduction of the macro darkside crept into my soul. I bought UOA for one account. Oh, how I loved it. Bandage Self, Chug Pots, and what it did for crafting! I needed more! I needed to loop this shit, hello UOA Forever! Whats that you say? 8x8 Macroer? Automation? Oh my god, using 8x8 Macroer and UOA I could crank out trash 5x pvp toons or farming alts in days! I need UO Assist on my second account too!
This was a dark and compulsive time of my UO career. With pockets fat full of loot from the massive IDOC fiesta around the time of UO:R's launch (which I never macroed BTW, remind me to tell ya the story of the IDOC tower I camped once for 19 straight hours, last target clicking the house deed and mouse-clicking damn near the whole time), the world was mine. I macroed the mundane on one account while making money or having fun on the other. I had it all, a castle, rares, 2 towers (because at this point I needed a third account because housing greed got me). I gave away small houses and boatloads of goodies to newbies. I had some status in the community. When it came to placing against me on an IDOC I had notoriety. When the talk turned to best looking homes on the shard my name was always in the running.
Then my path went darker...I began to kill people. The ease of creating throw away characters via the macros or 7x'ing PvP toons got me into PvP. Alright, I died a whole lot more than I ever killed, but what did I care, I was rich, I could buy more. Factions gear? No problem, farm demons for silver with my tamer/bard (oddly one of my unmacroed characters) and buy all I need for me and my whole guild. By now, my real estate whoring and compulsion for placing and selling properties had me up to 5 accounts (took over 2 from a guildmate who quit) all with UO Assist.
Now I had 2 personas, in Trammel I was the wealthy landowner, real estate broker, magnanimous benefactor, pillar of the community. I Fel I was the upstanding member of the True Brits, GM of the largest factions guild on the shard (we sucked but we were dedicated and brought alot of bodies to the party, but we really did suck, my guild motto on our website was We OOooOO So You Dont Have To and all of our screenshots and icons were us in our deathrobes). As being a UO player I didnt have much left to accomplish. I had my characters where I wanted them thanks to easily macroing the skills. I had so much gold I bought my resources so no more gathering. Macroed up all the trades I wanted to have to GM.
Alexander wept when there were no more worlds to conquer. I quit. Needed more stimulation. Played DAoC, Planetside, WWIIO, various return trips to UO or varying eras, in which I largely managed to replace much of my holdings quickly, including another castle, then WoW with its mindless flash and no bang and continual dumbing down to the point that if you have an IQ and physical coordination to type in your password you can easily level most classes to 80 and run a sucessful raid guild. Then I burned out.
I missed SOME of that struggle. Missed the old UO, but not the mess EA made of it, hence Im not on Sonoma with my 2 remaining accounts of stacked characters, but here, starting over. Missed the complexity of the experience. The whole sheep-wool-cloth-bandage thing. A complexity and familiarity and community that only UO can deliver, T2A being its Golden Age. I need some struggle, but having been down the boredom road before, I balance my macroing as a convenience item now as opposed to a crutch.
I will mine ore normal (as I find mining to be a very relaxing activity, macro thru the smithing process and its endless clicking). Lean back in the chair and watch myself fish via macro while I sail thru those long runs between SOS locations, fighting along the way, and manually fishing the chest. Working magery, hell, why waste regs macroing at the bank when lightning kills orcs dead (I did macro eval beforehand so my spells actually did decent damage) and its more fun and profitable. I get the enjoyment of the experience without the clicking or in case of magery, the low end spell damage of low eval. And to be perfectly honest I aint 29 anymore, Im 40 with a job, wife, home to maintain and kids 11 and 4, I dont have the time to devote to UO like I did before.
But I remember what having it too easy did to my enjoyment level too so thats a road I wont travel anymore. I dont feel that I am entitled not to grind. I feel that during the REAL newbie days of the past the grind was important for the experience of the game, the discovery and adventure, and becoming adept at playing the game. It is also necessary to prevent the game from becoming too easy. I already did the grind once, I feel that I earned my newbie stripes. Thats where the player knowledge base comes into play. I know how to play, I know whats fun, whats not so much, so I macro through the totally tiresome parts of doing what I enjoy doing overall. I feel a balance is maintained.
Sorry again for the long ass post.
Then...
My friends all got UO Assist. I didnt want to spend the money on it. It was a transition I resisted for a long time as many of those UOA functions I had already replicated to my satisfaction via the stock interface and some jam-a-key-down-with-a-penny (gamer ingenuity I doubt OSI expected). But alas, Jam-a-Penny was the gateway. The sweet seduction of the macro darkside crept into my soul. I bought UOA for one account. Oh, how I loved it. Bandage Self, Chug Pots, and what it did for crafting! I needed more! I needed to loop this shit, hello UOA Forever! Whats that you say? 8x8 Macroer? Automation? Oh my god, using 8x8 Macroer and UOA I could crank out trash 5x pvp toons or farming alts in days! I need UO Assist on my second account too!
This was a dark and compulsive time of my UO career. With pockets fat full of loot from the massive IDOC fiesta around the time of UO:R's launch (which I never macroed BTW, remind me to tell ya the story of the IDOC tower I camped once for 19 straight hours, last target clicking the house deed and mouse-clicking damn near the whole time), the world was mine. I macroed the mundane on one account while making money or having fun on the other. I had it all, a castle, rares, 2 towers (because at this point I needed a third account because housing greed got me). I gave away small houses and boatloads of goodies to newbies. I had some status in the community. When it came to placing against me on an IDOC I had notoriety. When the talk turned to best looking homes on the shard my name was always in the running.
Then my path went darker...I began to kill people. The ease of creating throw away characters via the macros or 7x'ing PvP toons got me into PvP. Alright, I died a whole lot more than I ever killed, but what did I care, I was rich, I could buy more. Factions gear? No problem, farm demons for silver with my tamer/bard (oddly one of my unmacroed characters) and buy all I need for me and my whole guild. By now, my real estate whoring and compulsion for placing and selling properties had me up to 5 accounts (took over 2 from a guildmate who quit) all with UO Assist.
Now I had 2 personas, in Trammel I was the wealthy landowner, real estate broker, magnanimous benefactor, pillar of the community. I Fel I was the upstanding member of the True Brits, GM of the largest factions guild on the shard (we sucked but we were dedicated and brought alot of bodies to the party, but we really did suck, my guild motto on our website was We OOooOO So You Dont Have To and all of our screenshots and icons were us in our deathrobes). As being a UO player I didnt have much left to accomplish. I had my characters where I wanted them thanks to easily macroing the skills. I had so much gold I bought my resources so no more gathering. Macroed up all the trades I wanted to have to GM.
Alexander wept when there were no more worlds to conquer. I quit. Needed more stimulation. Played DAoC, Planetside, WWIIO, various return trips to UO or varying eras, in which I largely managed to replace much of my holdings quickly, including another castle, then WoW with its mindless flash and no bang and continual dumbing down to the point that if you have an IQ and physical coordination to type in your password you can easily level most classes to 80 and run a sucessful raid guild. Then I burned out.
I missed SOME of that struggle. Missed the old UO, but not the mess EA made of it, hence Im not on Sonoma with my 2 remaining accounts of stacked characters, but here, starting over. Missed the complexity of the experience. The whole sheep-wool-cloth-bandage thing. A complexity and familiarity and community that only UO can deliver, T2A being its Golden Age. I need some struggle, but having been down the boredom road before, I balance my macroing as a convenience item now as opposed to a crutch.
I will mine ore normal (as I find mining to be a very relaxing activity, macro thru the smithing process and its endless clicking). Lean back in the chair and watch myself fish via macro while I sail thru those long runs between SOS locations, fighting along the way, and manually fishing the chest. Working magery, hell, why waste regs macroing at the bank when lightning kills orcs dead (I did macro eval beforehand so my spells actually did decent damage) and its more fun and profitable. I get the enjoyment of the experience without the clicking or in case of magery, the low end spell damage of low eval. And to be perfectly honest I aint 29 anymore, Im 40 with a job, wife, home to maintain and kids 11 and 4, I dont have the time to devote to UO like I did before.
But I remember what having it too easy did to my enjoyment level too so thats a road I wont travel anymore. I dont feel that I am entitled not to grind. I feel that during the REAL newbie days of the past the grind was important for the experience of the game, the discovery and adventure, and becoming adept at playing the game. It is also necessary to prevent the game from becoming too easy. I already did the grind once, I feel that I earned my newbie stripes. Thats where the player knowledge base comes into play. I know how to play, I know whats fun, whats not so much, so I macro through the totally tiresome parts of doing what I enjoy doing overall. I feel a balance is maintained.
Sorry again for the long ass post.
Re: Second Age: An Entirely Different Game - A Dead Horse Kicked
Those who labor away understand that it isn't the end goal that provides them with fun, but the act of attaining it with everyone. Unfortunately, everyone macros till' they have everything but nothing to do, and the rest have nothing but no one to do anything with...