The Passion of Hz

[Kwinn]

I've been playing, alpha and beta testing, writing unit text and stategy guides and doing scenario design for computer games since way back in the C-64 days. In that time I have seen hundreds of games come and go. Indeed, I have a walk-in closet that is litterally full of old games that I don't play anymore.

In those years, about 30 of em, I have seen a variety of reactions to games. But never have I seen the passion for a game I see for this game. I really think it's unique in that respect. The passion for Hz runs the gamut from all for it to totally against it. And I can't for the life of me figure out why. That's kind of funny in a way too, I have my share of passion for the game yet I don't know why. And I never had such a feeling for any other game. I played em, I beat em, I got another, and another, and another... Not so with Hz.

I'd sure love to see an explanation for the passion for Hz.

[CallakDW]

I don't know for sure but I think mabe for me it's a combination of the uniqueness of the races that the game sports and the fact that you can build your own communities. Yes, other games have some of the same qualities, but not to the extent HZ does.

[MadDwarf]

I don't know for sure but I think mabe for me it's a combination of the uniqueness of the races that the game sports and the fact that you can build your own communities. Yes, other games have some of the same qualities, but not to the extent HZ does.

exactly

the passion comes from the fact that this implementation of those unique properites I'm sorry sucks nails. It sucks you in with its uniqueness, it gives you something to own a plot etc but its just a grind like any other game. The horizons grind is perhaps THE worst in the mmo industry. But yet people are reluctant to walk away from their plot which in most cases required HUNDREDS upon hundreds of hours of work.

So much better could be done with the core of the game and with some fine tweaking you could have a gem of a game. But this never seemed to fit in with Tulga's vision and instead you got changes that took away from the game's uniqueness and added worse yet to the grind.

Maybe EII will get it right cause in the end the passion for Horizons means bo diddly if at the end of the fiscal year the game is taking a loss on the balance sheet.

[Chioxin]

I sure hope so! I just recently became overly tired with my lair =(

Ah and I agree, to the passion bit. Granted I left for a while but ... you have NO IDEA how hard that was. I couldn't stop thinking about it for two months... Further more, I won't even go into detail what the first week or two was like.

[snickel]

The passion should be a combination of the features of the game and the unique sort of players attracted to it.

The crafter-housebuilder aspect and the fact that there is no pvp draws a special crowd -- more mature than other communities maybe, and more interested in creating something within this game than simply gain levels fast and beat others over the head...

[Justa Mirage]

No real penalty for dying (in other MMORPGs you actually could LOSE things of value to you including weapons and armor, or experience, and it was a chore to go "retrieve your corpse" to recover that which you lost)

Community building projects: What a way to get the game players together to meet one another to help build bridges to a better community (or tunnels, or freeing races, etc) People cooperating with other players to make sure the machines built in a community weren't redundant and actually served well for the surrounding resources. Crafters helping others build their plots for the mutual benefits of the machine they will be able to use. (Yes Aamer and Hratli I am talking about you in general)

No PVP! (Always hated it, tried it a few times but got tired of the trash talk when they know they are better than you and still have to rub it in your face that U SUKC. Not my cup of tea to prove I can defeat my fellow players.)

Friends I have made in game have been unique and enriching in either education, helpful chats to solve gaming issues, or learning how to speak a different language. During those long grinding crafting gatherfests, it's nice to be able to find out about other player's cultures, languages, or just life experiences in general.

The other players. You are not just 1 of 6 million trying to cram on a server, compete with thousands of others on the same server trying to all do the same thing, finding your own corner of the world to go hunt in because the game is overloaded. This game is like Cheers... where everyone knows your name. Each day is never boring... even though I have helped and done it several times, doing the ROP with groups one day, helping someone with their lair the next day, fighting Reklar, Daknor, or Fafnir are always fun and full of deathpoints. But there are those that need dependable players that are fun to play with and always greet you with a smile, instead of a STFU and go away attitude.

Somehow... those things are more appealing to me than logging into my other MMORPGs I subscribe to, to find out there is no one in the "supergroup / Monarchy / Guild" that are on, and the only one that is on... is busy at the moment and has no time for you. I come to Horizons, where the whole player base feels like one big giant guild where everyone hunts with everyone else.

That is what makes it for me.

[MadDwarf]

Justa I liked your post.

But you do realize that Horizons is like this only because its small right ? That if the game hadn't had the troubles it had and was as it was supposed to be at release that it wouldn't be this small cozy place you describe ? It would have 200K plus playing it and be like every other MMO.

So seeing how people describe Horizons as their passion maybe they might want to re evaluate what they want for the game ? I do not believe it will ever capture a large playerbase like it could have. But if EII plays their cards right it could have 4 to 5 times the playerbase it does now. Would that change the game any ?

What you describe is typical and spot on for any small game with a loyal following.

[CallakDW]

I sure hope so! I just recently became overly tired with my lair =(

Ah and I agree, to the passion bit. Granted I left for a while but ... you have NO IDEA how hard that was. I couldn't stop thinking about it for two months... Further more, I won't even go into detail what the first week or two was like.

I did the same for a time. The thing that did me in was mostly the spawn on proximity changes that were made, along with friends leaving the game. For me PVE engagement started to be no fun because you could never strategically plan any attack. If you tried, somthing would allways appear in the worst location possible while you were fighting somthing else.
The crafting held me for a while, but crafting has to be mixed a bit with some action on occasion and in my opionion the action was broken.
I went away for a bit, and came back because I heard reports that ancients and lairs were finally implemented.
Now my opinion that the game is Ok, and I may be around for a while, but it can be so much better if they can 1) find a way to reimplement world wide spawning. 2) improove the frame rates 3) fix some of the more sloppily assembled quests like AROP.

[Jodokai]

I don't see any more passion here than in any other MMO I've played, and there is far less here than in some (like the Original EQ). I think the reason you're seeing so much here, is you spend so much time here.

[Phillip]

The love for HZ is based on potential. You got crafting, adventuring, dragons, war, buildable plots, etc. All packed into one. It's a dream MMO. The hope that it still can be, is that something you feel.

[CallakDW]

Dream, yes, but the realization of that dream has yet to come. It's what keeps me coming back, but it's also what keeps me frusterated.

[airianna]

it's the people. ive never made friends in any other game like the ones i've made in istaria.

[Sonea]

The people.. love most of 'em and love to grouch about others.
The never-ending list of 'stuff I have yet to do': finish my Forest Guard plot, redesign my Summit plot, help various friends build their pots/lairs, visit places I have not yet been, conquer my fear of the Blighted lands and Satyr Isles, solo every named mob, *takes a breath* I could go on and on
The crafting and construction: Although I have heard rumor of better crafting engines, I have yet to find a game that has one.
The number of craft and adventure schools: I swear I will someday conquer them all.. Gods willing and the creek don't rise.
Dragons: What other game has dragons like Horizons.... well, that don't try to have you for an afternoon snack?

[Kulamata]

All the above, and some other things, some small, some large that are unique;

• The music; dragon music,powerful and majestic, and the haunting sadness of the music on the new arrivals' islands, reflecting the events that led to the gifted, and the sacrifice that stopped the Blight.
• The sense of wonder; evoked by many things, like the rainbow bridge, the spiral tower, the ROP, flying dragons, Mylocs, the Avatar of Pain, Vexors, Feladan, and...
• an intuitive interface; you wear the game.
• The excellent racial types.

And all that I've forgotten right now.

[LOVWYRM]

I agree to everything that`s already said.

And- it must be magic^^:

We ARE Istaria

[Dracana]

For me it's the fact that it has things that I have never seen in any other game and likely won't see anywhere else. The unique races of the game such as satyrs, dryads and of course dragons are the first things that come to mind.

It also has the best and least annoying crafting system that I personally have seen in an MMORPG which includes the method in which they execute player housing. Plot and lair building is enough to keep one busy for months all by itself knowing from personal experience. I know I am never short on anything to do in that category.

There is also a lot of potential contained within the lore of the world. Lore that would create some pretty awesome quests, events and drive the war that is supposed to be going on.

The lack of PVP is also a draw. In other games the one major thing that always ruined my fun were griefers. I don't know what it is about open PVP but it always seems to attract a crowd of the most immature people possible who feel the need that it's cool and makes them appear strong to prey on players 50 levels lower than them, crafters and afk players. All the while they cannot seem to string together a single error-free, coherent sentence if their life depended on it

But most of all (and this is gonna sound sappy) it's the community and the friends I have made here that keeps me in game. From the beginning of the game I noticed how different the community was because players would actually help other players without expecting payment. The only thing that most people I know expect from other players who they help is that they later on turn around and give the same kind of help to the next generation, which many do. When I first joined it was very refreshing instead of the "STFU NOOB LOLOLOL!!!!!!111!!!!" which I have seen in other games. This includes the people in my guild who are absolutely awesome. I wouldn't even think of leaving unless I absolutely had to.

So there you have it. Thats everything that keeps me in horizons.

[BKBanzai]

Definitely the ability to multiclass. I know to some this is a drawback, but I like the way certain abilities are masterable, some aren't, some spells are castable across classes, others aren't, only certain classes will max certain stats, and it's broken up by craft/adventure. I think that was a very innovative idea and the only game that's designed in quite this way.

People have pooh poohed (no offense winnie) multiclassing, however there are other games that are single class only, play those if you want to be a single classed player. Besides which, the game does not FORCE anyone to multiclass unless it's what they want to do.