Hello fellow Lusternians, long time no see ! *waves*

I need some opinions on this essay, or research, rather on Aetolia's system of advancement, which applies to all other IRE muds. Especially the last paragraph titled Opinion. The author who is anonymous claims IRE games demand much more money than MMOs in comparison.

This article has been the reason my enthusiasm for IRE muds is dampened. I really am not interested in paying over 600 bucks over the years for a mud, as enchanting as Lusternia even.

Do you guys agree or disagree with it?

I have 9 trans skills + 2 myth skills + 3 arti pipes + a rune of absorption on Lusternia and have changed guilds four times (tri-transing each time), and I've spent about $110 on it in total.

I have 6 trans skills on Aetolia and I've spent $40 on it in to total.

Considering the amount of time I've spent on both games, I call it a bargain.

I also think it's funny that someone spent that much time writing an article on a game in which they admit they never got over level 30.

IRE can be cash intensive if you want everything now now now. But since you can attain credits, artifacts and skills via in-game methods, you can theoretically get by spending nothing at all.

He talks about it like it's necessary to buy hundreds of dollars in credits in order to enjoy the game at all, which isn't true. People can enjoy the parts of the game where it isn't necessary to have all the skills to do things, hang out, RP a little and stuff, or if you want to participate in PvP and stuff you can do it with IC gold, or contests easily enough. He doesn't really take into account the amount of gold a level 100 person makes while getting up to that level, either, if you are bashing that much you have more than enough gold to buy however many credits you need for skills, or can make it with some work.

If he worked in how much gold a level 100 person makes to his calculations it wouldn't seem as overwhelming, I'm less than half way to demigod and I've probably made over 5-8 mil total. (though I haven't kept track really) You don't need to buy credits really, but they are an option to boost you quicker. Personally if I went all out and bought everything I wanted with OOC money, aside from that being impossible for me, I'd probably get really really bored really really quickly, but that's just me.

Can't deny that dropping a fat wad of cash in any IRE game nets you advantages though. The things I could do on lands where L3's exist, roofles.

The guy who wrote that needs to quit whining.

We can't all trans our skills, nor would I want to. It's the difference in skills that make the games unique. Sure, I'd love to be an artiwhore, but it's just not going to happen. I do what I can, with what I have. And if I kill or otherwise outperform someone who has more than me, then my work is done. If someone smaller takes me out, I still have work to do. Nuff Said.

Edited for language.

So. Never participated in PvP. Y'know, that thing that all four IRE games are based around.

An interesting essay, but it sure does make things sound more difficult than they are. Although I have spent some money on some other characters in IRE games, I specifically will not spend money on Nyir. I wanted to enjoy the challenge of learning combat (Nyir being my first combat-oriented character) while being challenged to learn skills solely through in-game methods, like earning gold and buying the credits there. I think I am doing well with her thus far: two trans skills, a 50% mythical skill, two virtuoso skills, and several others of varying ranks. That's been over the course of... I'd say it's nearing or at three months of playing, similar to what this person claims to have played I believe.

Whoever wrote that article didn't even experience enough of the games to have a basis to write it from.

The math is spot on, and there's really no arguing with math. You need to have about sixty days of fairly high level bashing time to hit omnitrans in Lusty if you purchase no OOC credits. Now, if you have a tolerance for bashing at about my level, your bashing time averages out to about 45 minutes per day. (In reality, it was 90-120 minutes every 2-3 days.) At that rate, it would take me five years, three months to get that amount of gold. I know I hate bashing more than most, but I think my experience here is closer to "normal" than the experience of, say, Visaeris. You can supplement it with OOC purchases, of course, but the cost of IRE credits compared to the cost of pretty much any top-tier subscription game really illustrates how much cheaper subscriptions are.

The real hole in the logic is that not everyone reaches that level, but most still enjoy themselves. I would contend that they enjoy themselves less than someone who can afford to partake in all of the game's mechanics at a reasonably high level, but they can still enjoy themselves. This is good, because not all omni-trans people can partake in all of the games mechanics at a reasonably high level.

This isn't to say that Lusternia is overpriced or anything of the sort. There aren't many commercial MUDs out there. Simutronics, the other major commercial MUD producer, doesn't pay half as much attention to the playerbase as Estarra and her crew does. You can say what you want about their decisions, but they still try very hard to be good to us. We all know that Lusty is a bit understaffed, and I would be surprised if any of them are making the same amount that they would if they were coding business communication software. MMOs have a much larger playerbase, and developing content for a large playerbase doesn't really cost much more than developing content for a small playerbase. Blizzard can charge less and rake in wtfmillions. IRE charges more and provides a handful of decent services for a group that wants something that the big MMOs just don't provide. If that dampens your enthusiasm for playing, then you very well might be happier on an MMO.

Here are my opinions.

Skills matter mainly in PvP. For PvE, you're perfectly well without buying a single credit OOCly, and only small quanities ICly.
You can't be a good PvPer with credits only. You need a good system, skill (not skills but player skill) and experience.
When two players of roughly equal skill fight, the one who invested more credits has an advantage.
You may or may not like the opinion from the essay, but the author at least didn't use the awful term "bashing". Kudos for that.

Or in other words, I've never bought credits on Silvanus.

And I've forgotten my guild skills at least twice. So it is highly possible to advance without buying credits.

Editted to add: The person who wrote this essay choose the worst of the IRE muds too. Plus, this quote 'I managed about half that rate, but I can't claim that I really knew how to make money in-game. So, I tried to be generous, but I have no idea if I was generous enough.' I am pretty IRE knowledgeable and familiar with IRE so I've never had a problem with making gold or credits. Aetolia though, was the hardest of all IRE games to make gold/money (that is, for any Aetolian player, after Djeir fix).

Common Skills Rank Pool
------------- ------------ ------------
Combat Expert Melee
Resilience Expert Fitness
Discernment Master Intellect
Magic Apprentice Arcana
Planar Expert Mysticism
Discipline Expert Willpower
Environment Apprentice Communion
Influence Capable Magnetism
Riding Novice Magnetism
Dramatics Capable Performance
Arts Novice Finearts
Aethercraft Apprentice Mysticism
Lowmagic Adept Arcana

Trade Skills Rank Pool
------------- ------------ ------------
Herbs Virtuoso Communion

Guild Skills Rank Pool
------------- ------------ ------------
Kata Transcendent Melee
Shofangi
Harmony Expert Communion
Psionics Mythical Intellect
Psychometabolism


I never bought credits, and I've switched guilds six times. And I have my gloves of harvesting.

Latl is practically a Pacifist.

The only time I ever used credits was to buy a Flowerpot.

It was in July though, so bonuses followed and I still got lessons.

Im just here for the atmosphere and the fact its the one place ive actually found decent (somewhat) roleplaying on the internet.

I spec in roleplaying, a real life pure influencer

You don't have to spend a dime to make an awesome character with in-game credits. There the millions of contests, volunteer positions, and easy ways to earn gold to buy credits in game, anyone with a guild leader or city leader position is in easy grasp of credits as well. I spent maybe 40 bucks on Olivet in Imperian and transed all the skills, had a few artifacts and I had just as much fun in Imperian as say someone like Harker who spent thousands of dollars on credits. I am sure I don't even have to mention all the free credits they've been doling out over the past few years, such as the IRE anniversary credits. I've only spent about 40 bucks on Bhiele, same for Etain and Aym and it was more than enough to satisfy my credit craving. I've seen countless people trade their RL skills for credits too, in the way of character portraits, systems, and descriptive help.

Obviously IRE is a business that wants to make money. They have to pay the producers and the paid coders, and they have the overhead of the servers and yadda yadda yadda. However we are lucky enough that they have set up mechanics where you don't actually have to spend anything to enjoy your character.

(why do I feel like I've posted this same thing a hundred times? )

I've forgotten 9 transcendant skills thanks to the fiend known as guildhopping.

What a waste.

While you don't have to spend money on IRE, I have. In both Achaea and Lusternia I have pretty much omnitransed, tried new guilds, transing the guild skills each time, bought, traded in, and bought artifacts once more... all told I figure in 8 years I have spent... way more than I probably should have on a game, but I look at it as - people who are heavily into other recreational activities spend easily $50.00 or more each month. This is my recreational activity.

!

Wait, you were Etain!? I thought you looked similar!

I was 1 major skill (was mythical), and 3 minor skills short of omni-transing a character on Achaea. I had 3 artie pipes, an artie pack, and a shield of absorption that was customised, plus a tailoring license. I got all of those in-game and I even changed class from monk to priest (which was about 300 credits). I'm pretty sure I spoiled myself with lots of gifts and food. I didn't spend a dime on that character.

Aison is another story. I played my Achaean char for a few solid years before coming to Lusternia and I had gotten used to so many skills I just wasn't up for earning it all back IG. So I gave in and have purchased a crapload of credits on Aison. Enough to get her a private cartel, quite a few artifacts, some dingbats for special artifacts, as well as a change in guilds from celestines to cantors to celestines (tri-trans'd each time). I've also gotten enough credits to get Talkan 1 or 2 artifact pipes, some expansion runes, an artie vial, plus a really big manse, each room equipped with a stasis gem, and 1 wp gem.

So, buying credits is an option. It is way easier than bashing for it all, but still doable if you are intent of never spending a penny. Take it from the people who have played longer than a couple of hours.

Common Skills Rank Pool
------------- ------------ ------------
Combat Gifted Melee
Resilience Apprentice Fitness
Discernment Expert Intellect
Magic Inept Arcana
Planar Expert Mysticism
Discipline Expert Willpower
Environment Capable Communion
Influence Capable Magnetism
Riding Capable Magnetism
Dramatics Inept Performance
Arts Capable Finearts
Aethercraft Master Mysticism
Commander
Lowmagic Capable Arcana

Trade Skills Rank Pool
------------- ------------ ------------
Artisan Fabled Finearts

Guild Skills Rank Pool
------------- ------------ ------------
Kata Mythical Melee
Ninjakari
Stealth Virtuoso Communion
Psionics Virtuoso Intellect
Psychometabolism
*********************************************

This is Shaddus' skills. I have never, in the history of my IRE characters, had a trans skill, though I've bought some credits for Shaddus. Most of them went to spare cash, or in my manse.

Oh, and Shikha gave me some credits once, for discipline, woot! She's frigging awesomeness in a bottle!