ProApse

A common theme heard throughout (both) Nightmist realms is "I am bored". Being older, I notice the generation of immediacy saying this often. Today was a good day on multi, requiring thinking, challenges, laughter, and plenty of game pleasure. This is due to Lokey's new area, a tribute to Cyric and the really awesome Scarlet Daggers Thieves' Guild. I've heard Lokey speak about his desire to do an area like this before, but I want to give this review as a sense of grattitude to Lokey, Trevayne, Elf, and any of the others that may have had a hand in providing a truly enjoyable area with puzzles to solve.

It's an area I consider elegant: it is challenging, uses game strategies and story line well, stretches the regular players while providing a really nice place for new players to train. Why did I begin this post the way I did? Bear with me, I'll get to it.

The announcement was made, and the search was on. I don't know about you, but I felt that Scarlet Daggers Thieves' Guild extensions would most naturally start in that guild itself. Now mind you, Scarlet Daggers is a classic work. I for one love that area. It is well-developed, great story line, uses amazing elements of the game that have set standards for other areas. I searched the entire place, everything that I could think of, trying to think like Cyric, Lokey, and Trevayne, clearly some of the best contributors in the game. I needed more coffee: this was going to be a real challenge.

I gave up on it being there, instead looking to what the message actually said. It was simple, somehow cryptic, and with enough information that I immediately began to over-think it all. I searched and searched, and began to find things that I hadn't seen before. Piquing my interest, I figured out I should try the usual items. I heard from other players that this thinking struck a common chord in their search as well. I won't tell you what I used, because I don't want to ruin the puzzle for you. I looked for items in shops all over the place, roaming as far only as Arilin and Blackthorn. Rereading the message and hearing from players, it became clear that the area would be accessible to new players; therefore, they could reach it easily. Some items was required; what would it be? I searched in the meadow, thought of going to the Desecrated Chapel, but nothing really made sense.

I found some information, and the searh was on; a struggle in fact. What was this! It was daunting, expecially because I searched everything I could think of. I found things in Nightmist I hadn't seen before; found remnants in areas where squares have been changed without removing the code, so they work in funky, odd ways now. I thought that was pretty interesting, but still, no clue what to do.

For me, the challenge was rich. I found one thing at a time, and the puzzle just got deeper and deeper. I tend to try everything I can think of before going back to pick up other trails, and this area seemed to use that strategy against me. I think some people might just fall into success with this area simply by accident....oh how different their game will be from mine!

I came in loaded, expecting traps and challenges very much like one would find in SDG itself. I discovered that my expectations were not really going to work, because this area does broaden the game, and the same look and feel of SDG just wouldn't be appropriate in this new area. I am thrilled with the work that has been done, and even more interested to see what the future holds for the area.

Now a word about boredom. How is it that players who are so easily bored, ask for the puzzle to be solved FOR them,, instead of enjoying the challenge themselves? Some told me it makes them feel stupid. Well guess what! We're all stupid. We overlook things that are right before our eyes. Situations that occur in other parts of the game elude us in a new area, because we don't know what to expect? Good grief, a challenge like this is just the thing to chase your boredom away! I hope you'll explore it and enjoy it, and then allow others to do the same rather than spoiling the joy for them. For those that really crave clues, these are the only clues I am willing to give:

~ To solve this area, you have to think like Cyric, Trevayne, and Lokey. That means there is a definite advantage for sick twisted freaks. Figure out what they would do. Then, run over those ideas with a truck. Now you're getting close to the answer.

~ Remembrer that the area is designed for beginners, so if it seems overly simplistic to you, congratulations you aren't a noob anymore! Now you can go explore some harder challenges.

~ Since it is designed for beginners, the puzzles are easy enough to solve. Confused right now? Good. After you solve them, though, you'll agree: the clues were fair, the puzzle was not overly difficult, and the area is well-constructed for beginners. I warn you though? It is a wonderful introduction for beginners to the sadistic misery that awaits them if they continue to explore!

~I prepared a party that was unnecessarily strong. Not knowing what to expect, I went with overkill. It's really not neccessary. Before the drops began to be hit regularly, I tried stepping down the power to see how little I could use and still reap a victory: A cleric level 18 kept 3 thieves alive. 2 were level 19, one was level 7, using the lowest stuff I had. I forced them to fight using torches only, and still they managed to clear the whole area.

I would give this area Four Scarlet Daggers out of Four. It meets its objectives very nicely.

A hearty round of applause to staff for providing this area. Thanks for all you do.

Want to trade your gold on the Multi server for gold on 1A? Let me know how much you want. Page Sandfisher or alts on 1A, Crusher or alts on multi

There's been lots of crying about what is happening to Nightmist Multi...even (horror upon horror) a player declaring that Nightmist multi is cancer and the future is in 1-alt. So today I rolled a character in 1-alt to see what was so great about it. I am not trying to be nasty about this, but here are some issues that I see and I fear need to be considered. If I'm wrong? Great. But please consider these as issues established players will probably never feel.

Clan Emphasis of 1-Alt. This sounds like a very good plan, improving the social interaction of the game, encouraging cooperation, and all of that. Sounds great. But what about new players? New players are greeted with "Go away. Come back when you have something to offer. Go level up and talk to us when you are level 25." Yeah right. So will new players find a home in a clan? How would a new player know which clan to join? Would it matter? Think about it: would you know which clan to join if you were new? Wouldn't you want more information?

Leveling in other Towns. This has always been a part of Nightmist, at least since I started playing about six years ago. Okay, cool, the guilds have been rearranged to provide a new sense of adventure and discovery (wow as frequently as these things move and all the crying about how much work it is to make changes---who in the world thought this was a good idea?) Then, to get into a town, you have to be able to kill a monster which is a no-pass guardian? Okay fun. This is great to give people the chance to pk. Wonderful. That means that low-level crits are going to find it next to impossible to get anywhere. For crying out loud, I rolled a merely average cleric, got him to level 15, and tried to go to Arilin, got pked 3 times, and the one time I didn't get pked? I had to use an entire supply of mana (nothing in inventory due to the risk of being killed)....and I still couldn't kill the bear and enter the town. Then of course I got picked off.

I'm a reasonable player. I don't mind being pked...heck. I'm trying out a game that is based on pking. But when you start crying about why the game isn't attracting new players, please don't forget these considerations.

Just my opinion. And I'm sure I'll be flamed like crazy, but who cares?