Possibly returning

[GSIV Rogue]

I'll repeat my old rhetoric:

As long as you acknowledge the state of the game, you're fine to return and play without being mucho frustration.

And that implies

1) P2W is highly encouraged. You don't need it to "win" at gemstone, but this game is not about skill, it's about mechanics, formulas. So the more you enhance your stats or skills, the more you're "stronger". And to achieve such strength in gemstone is tied with p2w UNLESS you're a veteran that can minmax everything (i.e. take a cheap perfect weapon and build it with silvers to become 7x t5 and add weight after and so on).

2) You got a paradoxe with RP and p2w: The purists crap on scripts that are killing the RP while simu is allowing EVERYTHING to be taken from simustore. Why seek a cleric when you die when you can rub it for 1$. Why seek spells when there's spell up pills. Et cetera.

3) Veterans Multi-accounts. Why? Self reliance. Why is it important? Cause in the end, you save time and time is money.

4) 2019 in gaming industry is about time. Time time time. We all know business models are aimed to install rigid wall in gaming and shine that little bypass for a low cost. Gemstone is perfectly aligned with that philosophy being a VERY grinding game.

5) Point 3 and 4 are perfectly in opposite and are, in my opinion, the reaction of players to Simu'S p2w from a lot of veterans: You want to milk us? Fine, try while I play by my "rules" ---> People sells assets for money, silvers and so on, buy stuff, profit, invest, increase their cash and so on.

6) As long as players care and do point 5, game is alive. When those key players will stop, the game is DEAD (dead like dragonrealms, just an empty shell).

Very good post!

[Vishnell]

1) P2W is highly encouraged. You don't need it to "win" at gemstone, but this game is not about skill, it's about mechanics, formulas. So the more you enhance your stats or skills, the more you're "stronger". And to achieve such strength in gemstone is tied with p2w UNLESS you're a veteran that can minmax everything (i.e. take a cheap perfect weapon and build it with silvers to become 7x t5 and add weight after and so on).

I don't think you need to be a veteran to get decent gear. When i came back in 2017, i was level 50 with a 4x staff and 4x armor, and maybe 2 mil silvers. Vanilla and basic. By the time i capped 21 months later, i was able to get that same 4x armor up to 7x/T5 and added 160 services of crit padding (got 20 services most periods except maybe 2). I was able to upgrade to a 6x/6x nervestaff added T1 through T5 and have enough BS to get another acuity cert on it next DR. I've never bought silvers for $, I've been able to afford this all through silver i get directly from the game. It's not hard to get decent gear for a poor player. It's not uber 10x armor of a demon god, but it's great for me.


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[GSIV Rogue]

I don't think you need to be a veteran to get decent gear. When i came back in 2017, i was level 50 with a 4x staff and 4x armor, and maybe 2 mil silvers. Vanilla and basic. By the time i capped 21 months later, i was able to get that same 4x armor up to 7x/T5 and added 160 services of crit padding (got 20 services most periods except maybe 2). I was able to upgrade to a 6x/6x nervestaff added T1 through T5 and have enough BS to get another acuity cert on it next DR. I've never bought silvers for $, I've been able to afford this all through silver i get directly from the game. It's not hard to get decent gear for a poor player. It's not uber 10x armor of a demon god, but it's great for me.


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I believe when he says veteran he is just referring to a player who has been in the lands a long time and is able to figure out ways to utilize mechanics more easily.

[Methais]

I agree with almost 100% of this post. The main thing I disagree with is that I believe Gemstone is on its death bed. It doesn't make me happy to say so (I actually hope I'm wrong!), but I have to look at the facts. It's not a question of morality (although they are *extremely* immoral) - it's just bad business for years that will eventually do them in.

I have 1 really good friend here who I enjoy communicating with (most others have left or rarely play), without that - and just the sheer challenge of going from 0-100 with crappy gear and no outside spells - I'd probably quit.

The main thing I feel makes GSIV more challenging than GSIII is that, because of how self-sufficient almost everyone has become with their own private army of alts, super gear, paying persons charging cash and in game silver for spell-ups, etc. - there's a lot less need to interact - so although there are a myriad of new in game systems, huge advantages to absorbing experience, and many more viable training paths - it's a lot tougher to develop those friendships and hunting partnerships with people for those who are just trying to play the game with 1 character. As you said before - the per capita player base of GSIV is almost exclusively made up of people who are premium / spend a lot of $$$ - so they just don't need the help. As a F2P person, or basic subscriber with 1 character - there is a huge feeling of just being completely left out in the cold. As I stated before, had I been a new player in 2019, I'd have quit after my first impression of the game after 1-2 months. I emphatically believe that Simutronics / Stillfront Group is doing absolutely nothing to attract new customers to GSIV - which is a tremendous problem for the game. I also don't think that they care, since it appears that their attention is diverted elsewhere in terms of their overall business development strategy. A wise businessman once told me many years ago - "You're either growing, or you're dying - it's impossible to remain the same (referring to business). I've found this time and again to be true.

I will also agree that making it very far with Voln Fu in GSIII is/was very impressive.

GS won't die until the handful of whales that throw all their money at them die irl.

[Vishnell]

I agree with that. I was able to utilize PC to find customers for pricing/selling loot and my ensorcelling services. Also familiar enough with mechanics to max my skills/stats for optimal ensorcelling and juice accumulation for my play time (almost full necro cause i only have so many hours to play each week). Newer players may not be willing/able to use PC or decipher the wiki.

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[Fierna]

Some people place a higher value on their time than others. Incidentally, I've been planning my retirement since I was a teenager - I'll be doing that likely sometime next year at the age of 37. When I budget, I try to do so down to the penny if at all possible. I also don't pay for Hulu or Netflix - opting instead to watch streaming movies for free online if I'm so inclined. Every little bit helps.

This is more of an aside and doesn’t really pertain to the main conversation. But I actually know people like you and as a mellenial what you’re doing is probably the correct thing to do. Boomers don’t have a clue how unimaginably rocky the road is now and going forward and thus 15 or 40 bucks a month is trivial to them but for us it’s not so much. And a lot us are absolutely blind to this fact. What with a roaring economy and our paper mill degrees a good chunk of us have this invincibility mentality and waste money with little thought.

But for us saving every penny is crucial, even 15 bucks a month is another 180 dollars a year that could be used to generate passive income, it sounds miserly even banal but it does WORK! I’ve two good friends who’ve both retired on passive income by 40. One is starting her dream career as a writer and another is traveling through Asia making websites, traveling, and learning how to cook cultural dishes. I couldn’t do what they did.

*Also, you have to realize there are a lot of people here that don’t spend a single cent for their premium or basic accounts. They may even make a profit off the game after the costs for an account(s). They mostly sell silvers for RL money.

[Methais]

Thanks for the advice, I appreciate your time - though I suppose "better" is subjective in this case.

GS was better before you got Haste and wasp nests nerfed by having Darckwizard following you around Teras 24/7 keeping you permahasted back when you could have 0 RT while you bragged about how much fame you were getting like it was some skill based accomplishment.

[Neveragain]

another is traveling through Asia making websites, traveling, and learning how to cook cultural dishes.

I didn't realize that there were any deeply hidden secrets to cooking dog.

[Methais]

So we have cheap and stupid, you'd rather spend your time working slower and harder on f2p but obviously have the time to spend doing it..(and value your time just as much) odd. Yet you have enough time to have the finances of Simu/Stillfront ready and waiting. We've made many a thread about cutting the cord.. but to say that you aren't going to invest 15.-- because your time is valuable.. I'll straight up call you a joke.

Pardon me folks, but you seem to have me at a disadvantage. You know who I am - but I've never heard of any of you.

Sure you have.

I believe when he says veteran he is just referring to a player who has been in the lands a long time and is able to figure out ways to utilize mechanics more easily. I agree that you can grind silvers out of the game and upgrade your gear over time. It's one reason why this time around I chose to play a pure ranger - killing very quickly at higher levels leads to massive silver generation (I prefer to just sell silver for $$$ vs. upgrading gear, though). However, I'm just not sure that a brand new player would have the fortitude to do the same with a basic account - the sheer amount of information and misinformation out there is overwhelming, and I believe the gaming environment / PC boards can feel quite hostile and isolated at times for someone just starting out.

Good luck doing that with a F2P account and its nerfed treasure and cancerous exp rate. The time saved, especially if your plan is to sell silvers, is worth a lot more than that $15 a month you're unwilling to spend. Basic math will back this up because again...

However, I'm just not sure that a brand new player would have the fortitude to do the same with a basic account

Since you still seem to think that Basic vs. Premium makes a difference with leveling up or treasure generation, please list the specific advantages you get with a Premium account over a Basic account in this regard.

[malmuddy]

I can confirm the increased treasure generation on a premium account. I just did a kobold hunt on my basic account and pulled in 800 silvers in coins and gems. I then did a similar kobold hunt on my premium account, and pulled a 10x T5 sigil staff with rotflares, 9x ECP T4 Voln full leathers, and about 2.4M in silver and gems (I lost count after selling my thirtieth uncut diamond). Totally worth that extra $25 a month.