I remember it, too. I remember how much time I spent in game leveling when I got into CBT3. I was 22-23 before CBT4 hit, lol. Then, everything started to slow down. People stopped caring about the beta because of the wipe, and for the most part, anything past the early 20s that required a group was almost unable to be completed. Not to mention with those last stages came FoD. I remember the game before it was there. Then I saw the drastic effect it had after. I never had to deal with it to any serious extent, of course, but I do remember thinking to myself...
"Okay. So, we have Fatigue to slow our leveling pace. I can understand that. Even see them putting in items that can increase that cap (which hasn't been done to my knowledge). So, what was the exact point in putting in a mechanic that only makes leveling that much more time consuming?"
Still, it was a minor annoyance at best. Then I realized just what the benefits of the removal item actually had. Which were tremendous amounts of HP for spending a little cash. Even then, I was okay with it to an extent because we were told they were easily obtainable. Then.. the CS actually hit and that's when my stomach turned. Before that, I was miffed at CS buffs.. but after.. and the pricing.. I was insulted. Which is when I turned from being patient and looking up.. to being filled with a sense of dread because I saw just what the management wanted.
Since then, it's been a stream of questionable actions and information that I was never too fond of. The patch information. Which we all know is coming in some form. Maybe not to a certain extent.. but Patronage Skills are coded into the game in RU. That coding isn't going to be removed for us. No matter how much the staff at GP says it could be. There's just no feasible reason why AN would rework code for one specific aspect of the game. So, this is where I stand now. Looking at a game that I thought was amazing. To wondering just why things went so wrong. Wondering why on earth a company would feel the need to cannibalize a game to make a quick buck. Then being insulted yet again that they would think we were too dim to realize it.
So, for the moment.. I've moved on. I keep Allods on my PC with some grim hope of better days. Yet, it's not something I hold my breath for. It's just something that will languidly sit in the back of my mind with no real consideration.
That being said. We have a few people here moving to Aika to at least give it a shot. It's not something I'm promoting, but it is an offer to those who wish to stay with the community. We're not expecting anything special. We're not even expecting the game to be the next big thing. We're just looking for another outlet to satiate our gaming wants. So, feel free to check out the thread in the General Gaming forum. You might like it. You may not. It's really naught more than another opportunity to watch the community grow. We'll be looking into guild requirements and the like for the group we have moving over. Once we find those things out I'm sure one of us will put the information on the forums about what needs to be done. Then, whoever wishes, we'll decide from there.
Either way you choose. I do wish those of this community staying with Allods the best. I just couldn't continue to sit by and watch things be taken from us over and over again and think anything good would come from it. So, this is where I stand. In a state of shock, disgust, awe and gratitude. Even with all of the negativity, this community is definitely one I support. There are a slew of great people here on the forums. So, feel free to join us in this step we're taking. We have around 8-10 people so far. Feel free to let us know your thoughts on the situation.
