first impressions of Arelith.

[Achsah]

Hi Arelith. i will try and be brief about what I think of the server as a whole. arelith is massive as you all know. It has a ton of features compared to what I used to play in 2003-2009. I used to play on rp server that had very strict rules for random pvp encounters. this place also caterd to the pvp type crowd by arranging factions with bases that could be invaded and destroyed..gates npcs killed etc and these battle could be spontaneous or planned out ooc. what made all this possible and fun was the proximity of everyone's faction being farely close by or reachable by portal. if one wanted to walk it it was not uncommon to be in a pitched pvp battle within minutes. same thing with pve. if one wanted a given area to train in a short walk or portal trip did the trick. Arelith is a whole different concept. it seems to me that the game is designed to tax players heavily. taxing in all areas of operations. i am 59 years old and have no patience for super long trips to caverns or writ areas getting lost along the way then ambushed at transitions all while trying to find where the dungeon entrance is. then once there I find my self in a massive complex maze being led by someone that barely knows the material himself and we spend time and energy going in circles etc. its not that the world is not well built ..its incredible really the quality of places I have seen. but its all too big for this player. i find the playerbase as a whole one of the best I have encountered. i rp taking the fight to the enemy and destroying their base or taking prisoners etc but now realise that such things are probably undoable at arelith because its so taxing just get there..where ever that is lol. so my rp is foolish to other pcs or outright impractable. Arelith taxes players and from my reading the wiki and forums this is by design. i envy the many many good players there that seem to do fine in spite of its difficulties. if only there was a small strict rp server with a large playerbase like I had in the old days. that's my two cents knowing there is very little that can be done about my issues. if there were some way to make the world less taxing on the memory, the world would be far more playable and maybe portals to just about every important place requiring a long and perhaps realistic but tiring trip just to get to a quest. oh and the lanceboard is a fine addition and distraction thanks.

[Shadowy Reality]

I would say discovering your way around Arelith is a good thing. Many of us have been playing around here for so long we know where to find everything, every area like the back of our hands.

I think many of us would like to go back to when Arelith was more mysterious, a true adventure into the unknown. We still get that with new areas and dungeons but that is not super frequently.

I would say, enjoy the journey. Enjoy being lost. You will still level relatively fast.

[Achsah]

i love being a newb! i like mystery and adventure in a new place too. i just don't want to spend two hours getting somewhere to spend another two hours lost and running around in a dangerous maze. if we are walking its a 4 hour trip reading the map is hard as the curser is so small I lose time just finding myself on a map when trying to keep up with with my team and navigate all the resistances on the actual map created by the game engine. pathing etc..so my toon is reluctant to commit to something that will tire me out before my constantly exhausted girl. thank mystra for the lenses...worth every copper. Good show to the players that do fine in the world environment. i have seen many many do so.

[AstralUniverse]

This is good feedback.

I agree that while Arelith is stunningly beautiful and realistic, it is also becoming impractical to perform complex RPs in more than one location in a none-static fashion because getting from A to B just takes too long for a casual gaming session for many players. Good and deep RPs do happen, but they happen in meeting halls and around portals. It is what it is.

[Naiinara]

Not every dungeon is four hours. Some are sure. I avoid those. That's why I rarely go to Kohlingen.

Of course finding your way through things for the first time could add some time, but having a character join a faction could help. Above all though I just carry a portal lens. If you're not through the dungeon and you're tired or you got something else to do, well you can just lens out to safety and log.

Also, I think in the underdark things are a little closer together so you don't have to spend thirty minutes just walking to the dungeon. Completely different setting of course; paranoia and evil abound. And it might be a little more dangerous pve, depending on ones skill level.

[Cthuletta]

I can see where you're coming from, when it comes to the size of the server, and you have a valid point.
Not all dungeons are massive, I personally avoid the ones that are since PvE isn't my favourite thing in NWN in general. But I DO enjoy the size of the server and how many places there are to explore, on top of secret little nooks and crannies that I'm STILL finding even two and a half years after joining Arelith.

Someone mentioned the Underdark, and yeah, the UD is a lot smaller in comparison to the surface, and in a lot of ways it seems like a whole different server in my opinion since the culture is so different. That might be something you enjoy, even if everyone down there is 'evil', the players have always been really kind and helpful folks.
Alternatively, if wandering to find places or doing quests isn't your preferred, there's also the 'Commoner' class that can't fight at all. It'll keep your world smaller, and everyone loves having a Commoner around because of the amazing things they can make quickly. It spurs on RP, as well, since you need help gathering materials and that's usually places adventurers have to go.
Might help you more with what you prefer and how you prefer to play! One of the beautiful things about Arelith is the sheer amount of options to find a playstyle that you like, and you can explore those options to your heart's content.

[riffraff]

Welcome to Arelith!

...if there were some way to make the world less taxing on the memory, the world would be far more playable and maybe portals to just about every important place requiring a long and perhaps realistic but tiring trip just to get to a quest...

The best advice I can give is to take some time just exploring and not doing writs so you can learn the layouts of areas. Taking notes and screenshots of the maps you find more confusing - or spend less time in - is also super helpful. If you just bounce from writ to writ I imagine it's very, very hard to get a sense of where things are unless the writs are in similar areas.

There are probably more portals than you think. Some of them are tucked away in weird places (a fair few of the settlement ones aren't actually inside the settlements, for example). If you don't want to go hunting them down yourself, it's worth asking people IC in nearby settlements or people you group with for writs if they know of any in the area.

I've been here for a little over a year. My experience at the start was mostly just exploring because that's something I really enjoy and, playing a ranger, it was a very IC thing to do for my character. But it did greatly help me learn where things are and to find portals to attune to. If it's something you're in to, I highly recommend setting yourself challenges to find places on foot and not rely on ships and caravans. Walking from Cordor to Guldorand, for example, which is how I got there the first time, just following the signs (and not to say that wasn't confusing - back then the sign outside Westcliff still identified it as Guldorand!) Also if it's viable for your character, you could consider taking some points in riding and getting a horse to help you get around faster.

If there are writ directions that are particularly confusing or outdated, you can report them in this thread. Some of them can be a bit obtuse for sure.