Istaria 4 years later

[reanor]

Hello dear Istarians. My wife and I used to play this game about 4.5 years ago and cancelled after LOTRO came out. Now LOTRO is becoming sorta streamlined WoW type MMO and we are thinking back about nostalgic moments that we used to have in Istaria. I don't remember most of the things I've done here. Remember fighting some blight creature with my wife and mining ore in Blight infested lands.

We are returning now for a month for starters, will try to restore our property, get our houses back up etc, thanks to the support staff who got all our characters back. Question that drills my mind - has Istaria been able to avoid becoming a WoW type MMO with grind for uber gears annoyance and raid sickness? Is it still a good old Istaria where you are not forced to grind like obsessed day and night raid for some tokens to get some uber lewtz ..grrrr

I loved plots and house building in Istaria, awesome crafting system and aegis attacks etc.

I can't ask what changed the last 3 years, I'll try to read news archive, but maybe someone can say in a few words, whats changed in crafting and plot system, what new story-lines or story arcs been added etc. I hope that Istaria didn't fall under influence of 'successful MMO template' and converted to a dumb MMO that MMO market is so full of today.

Its good to be back, anyway.

We are bipeds, btw .

[reanor]

Was there also any graphical changes in game. Maybe soem player MODs that improved textures throughout the game etc?

[Jorev1]

Was there also any graphical changes in game. Maybe soem player MODs that improved textures throughout the game etc?

The graphics are as I remembered but better since I can run them on highest settings now with a better computer than was available then.

[Blue Hasia]

I can answer your question about uber gear. It is not needed you can craft for yourself real good equipment on your own. My dragons for the most part wear player made stuff that is great in regular figts and epics. Example for sog i made myself a set of scales just to fight him no need for epic loot. But thier is epic drops in game and they are hard to get but do they give you a huge bonuses over player made stuff, no not realy. I like the epic stuff but i have never gone out of my way to gather them.

[reanor]

Thanks guys, glad to hear that istaria held to it's nature. We are on order from what i remember, which probably has fewer player then on Chaos. Don't remember what was the difference and why we've created bunch of characters on Order. But thats where they all are. We may find a guild later if decide to go for any group content but I bet bunch of our time will take to find plots and get everythign up as we used to have, like work shops and silos...

[Blue Hasia]

Order is the role play server

[C`gan]

Welcome back, Mr. and Mrs. Reanor. I'll be happy to have you around on Order shard.

Though, I would like to mention in correction of Jorev, WorldProjects continue to be added by the devs from time to time. They're not always mentioned in the patch notes. So, from time to time, it's a good idea to go out looking, just in case.

[Jorev1]

Which server are you on? Hopefully Chaos.

I came back recently after being away for six years having played when Horizons was first released. A lot of things have changed but the core structure of the game still remains.

Istaria definitely has not copied WoW and still remains a sandbox semi hardcore MMOG. I wouldn't be here if it had become a lame theme park game like WoW or Rift.

Grind is subjective. You have to spend a lot of time and effort to level your characters in both adventuring and crafting, otherwise you wouldn't have a sense of accomplishment in my opinion. I do not consider it grind, as I enjoy the process. Considering you can switch between adventuring and crafting and amongst the various schools themselves, it is only the player's fault if they allow it to feel like a grind.

Sadly the early days of rebuilding the world and fighting an aggressive Aegis have vanished. There are no world structures to build now and the Aegis seem to be settled into a defensive posture.

I despise raiding. Most items in Istaria are crafted. There is no emphasis on raiding. There are encounters that require groups but not raids.

[Snowflury]

I think most of the people who are regulars in the game now are former players who left and missed or felt a longing to return.

In my opinion if you and your wife liked it before you will like it quite a bit much more now. The game is essentially the same, and it is an acquired taste. It's been long enough you guys will essentially be starting over and therefore may not realize the amount of work that has gone into the game since you left.

It's not perfection, but it offers a very different kind of long term playability than any other MMORPG that I have played or ever even heard of. 99% of the game is soloable and while there is some raid content it is definitely not the focus of the game.

Istaria for me offers long term end game in the form of lairshaping and Nth degree-ing my ancient dragon; eeking every little piece out of the game and while I don't devote the time to Istaria I did to WoW, I have now been here longer than I was there.

Hope that helps,

If you are on Chaos I am Snowfury,
Take care

[Snowflury]

Apparently you get more replies on patch day

[awdz]

*serves reanor and his wife each some delicious klava presented with a towel and a curtsy*
welcome home! :-)

on a side note, in case it makes a difference about coming to order... you do not get klava from me on chaos 'cause i love where i am on order :-) i make it fresh daily to serve in the marketplace.

[Necas]

I am a new player and i like it very much in the Order server. Welcome!!!
By the way.... what is the definition of klava?

[Fyrethorne]

Klava I believe is a hot beverage served in the dragon books written by Anne McCaffrey. eg. Dragonflight.
I have always thought that Awdz was refering to those books, but never asked her......Awdz is that right?

[awdz]

I am a new player and i like it very much in the Order server. Welcome!!!
By the way.... what is the definition of klava?

It's your favorite wake up drink! :-)
http://community.istaria.com/forum/s...t.php?p=250997