New writ "system"

[Aren]

This update has made circle grinding superfluous. This is a good thing.

I wouldn't say that's the case.

Hyper fast leveling results in a paradigm shift towards the Fixed Level concept.
For those who don't know - before EE there used to be a server called Arelith Fixed Level. The setting was Arelith set in distant past and it had both a lvl cap of 10 and a mandatory PvP MoD. New characters got bumped to max lvl upon creation so there was this illusion of equality among characters, BUT this was fairly deceptive as it was possible to buy epic feats and hilariously powerful equipment with coin. This meant that the server essentially supplanted XP with GP - and if the player attention for this concept teaches us anything, it's that it didn't work as the server used to be empty most of the time.

Reaching lvl 30 is hardly the final destination for most characters - optimal builds still require optimized gear. That often requires expensive top tier crafting components like runic materials, adamantine, mithril dust, rare gems and stuff like that. Even enchanting items in the basin requires a lot of coin, so bumping characters to max lvl swiftly does supplant XP with GP here as well.

Fast leveling does not make circle grinding go away. Players do still circle grind - not for XP but for GP and crafting materials.
What might seem like the end of circle grinding at first glance is a mere relocation of the most notorious circle grinding venues from areas that offer easy XP to places with easily reachable top tier crafting resources.

Players did this anyway - even before the update. Endgame resource grind has always been a thing.

[-XXX-]

Players did this anyway - even before the update. Endgame resource grind has always been a thing.

That's true and I wasn't disputing that. What I was saying is that when leveling was slower, the player base was more evenly distributed between those who would circle grind lower lvl PvE content for XP and those who were circle grinding endgame content for GP.
ATM everyone seems to be immediately prompted into doing the latter.

Furthermore, some of the dungeons with runic chests are incomparably easier (and shorter) than the rest. As a result everyone seems to be converging into them - there are times when you might find more people running around Avernus or Aurilites than you'll find in Cordor (funny, but not good IMO).
To make things even worse, the difficulty of the PvE content and the way chest looting works gives more incentives to regard other characters as competition rather than potential allies.

[Watchful Glare]

I have yet to run into anyone circle grinding, for whatever the reasons, unlike before the changes when it was the norm and groups of people would take turns.

[Good Character]

I have yet to run into anyone circle grinding, for whatever the reasons, unlike before the changes when it was the norm and groups of people would take turns.

While it might be conformation bias, also not experiencing circle grinding. Like any at all. What I have been experiencing is that everyone wants to walk through dungeons instead of run through them.

Also, the change to permit players of any level to help with writs has opened so much more roleplay (for me personally). I feel that's where some of that "clique" mentality was encouraged before; higher leveled players were unable to find a reason to put a foot in the door with lower leveled players.

[Eyeliner]

The answer to this, if it's a problem, may be to bump up the difficulty on existing little-used mid level dungeons to make them epic and create more runic material spawn points instead of slowing down leveling again.

[-XXX-]

The answer to this, if it's a problem, may be to bump up the difficulty on existing little-used mid level dungeons to make them epic and create more runic material spawn points instead of slowing down leveling again.

The issue with putting runic chests into easier dungeons is that it doesn't really incentivize parties.
All it does is lure epics to solo steamroll over PvE content that clearly wasn't designed for them just to get some easy loot.


But I've digressed here - these are merely some of the implications of faster leveling that do not necessarily require to be addressed by tweaks to the general character progression pace.

[Eyeliner]

I don't think anything is ever going to incentivize parties when soloing is possible unless you put in heavy mechanical restrictions to artificially prevent it or the DMs enforce a mandatory culture change. Neither of which I hope would ever happen because playing solo isn't inherently a bad thing.

Parties still happen plenty often anyway just because we're social creatures who actually like to RP and there's safety in numbers for PVP sake.

Mostly I just don't want to see leveling slowed down so I'm reacting to the implication more level 30s around is a problem. None of us are getting any younger and this is an ancient server and game. Slow leveling doesn't work any more.

[ElvenEdibles]

I've yet to run into anyone in a dungeon since the update

[Void]

I wanted to say that I love the writ changes, although originally thought I would hate them.

Basically, writs no longer feel like a pointless hamster wheel, and instead look like a challenge/milestone you have to conquer just once. This provides progression close to that of a single player game and is ideal with limited play time. So you can log on for a few hours, finish a dungeon (or a few) and log off with a feeling that you're getting somewhere.

[Griefmaker]

I wanted to say that I love the writ changes, although originally thought I would hate them.

Basically, writs no longer feel like a pointless hamster wheel, and instead look like a challenge/milestone you have to conquer just once. This provides progression close to that of a single player game and is ideal with limited play time. So you can log on for a few hours, finish a dungeon (or a few) and log off with a feeling that you're getting somewhere.

I just wanted to echo this, since I cannot remember if I have mentioned it or not.

Initially, I was very "meh" about the changes and actually thought it was a bad thing. I was completely and utterly wrong.

The changes have seen me do writs I never did before and see places I usually might not. I have rarely found my characters re-entering dungeons (exceptions would be the bloodmoon lair for access to that library or other places for resources) and so not having to go through the whole "oh yeah, we destroyed that lich...18 times. Let's do it for #19!"

Even the faster pace of leveling, which I initially poo-pooed, I have been enjoying more since I am far, far more casual of a player now.

Overall, I think this and especially the change to adventure xp and how more of that is used per tick (which is amazing and makes it feel like you are not being punished mechanically for doing what this server is about: RPing) has been a good one.

Note, I am looking through the lens of a casual player. I cannot say how things are for those who can dedicate a LOT of time to it.