Maybe not a good time to bump this because there's drama. However, I think the direction of content should focus on: Help old and new players interact more. [PQ content with asymmetrical goals as mentioned above is a great example] Promote more socialization type gameplay. Also, I think it's very important for players to have something to look forward to in terms of the direction of the server and new content. It's what helps the game be really fun if there's hope for the future and an opportunity to experience new things for the first time.
Mandatory update. Update #70 adds many good things that will help new players and old players have opportunities to play together similar to what I suggested. LPQ glasses reward buffed OPQ reward buffed Ellin PQ added with amazing rewards Buffed earring str scroll drops from Neo Tokyo and ToT monsters. Buffed drops from Neo Tokyo bosses All of this content should be nice ways to give high level players good reasons to play with low levels if want (except Goddess Wristband from OPQ since afaik its just a 1 att glove with 5 slots which is worthless, e.g. green mitten 6 slot gloves from cwkpq are just discarded)
Speaking of multi clienting, why not just disable multiclienting for bosses and PQs, it has been done for cake boss, and snowman recently. multi client features such as summon farming, leeching, store, merching, buff mules, etc can still be used out of these boss/PQs.
I'm only speaking for myself here. While I don't mind having high levels in my parties at all, I personally find it more enjoyable doing PQ with people around my level. Say if I'm doing Ludi PQ, the PQ taking a little time, allowing me to talk to players etc, is a nice social point. An opportunity to make buddies. If there's a level 100+ or something in the party, that option still remains but we usually breeze through it a lot faster so there is less time for mingling. I don't think revamping party quests will help this issue by a whole lot. Why would it? People will be friendly regardless. I don't always do it myself but I sometimes go to Kerning and do PQ with those in their 20s if they need someone, because I like being social at times. When I joined Royals back in early 2020, there wasn't any incentives as you're asking for and I never found it hard getting people in my parties, or even help me with a quest. I think the biggest turn off for "pro players" is if someone constantly nags them for mesos. But that's commonplace in any and all MMORPG. Royals community is generally a good community. Of course there's an occasional oddball here or a d-ck there. But as a whole, I can't say I've met many difficult people when in need.
Also want to comment about the new buff to quest medal as I thought it was a great addition! I've met lots of players while doing my collector medal and thought it would do the same for the quest medal.
I like this idea as I've personally never minded doing boss runs without holy symbol and other buffs surplus to those actively partaking in the party quest. However, I can see how it could rub people the wrong way as it's something that has been going on for quite some time now. If possible I think a good compromise would be to disable pet pot for people multi-clienting in bosses. I have been playing on this server since the old source and took a fairly long break due to issues surrounding the transition. Upon my return I was pleasantly surprised to find that people no longer rushed LPQ stage 1 to 3 or just stage 1 with a bishop or archmage. However, I was heavily dismayed to discover that no one ran OPQ anymore. No one. Given that there used to be a guild called 'OPQLovers' I think it speaks volumes to the mentality of at least a large portion of the community. CPQ killed OPQ, not at the fault of CPQ, but because of the simplistic mindset of experience going up faster takes precedence over involvement in the community and actually enjoying the game. As pointed out by one of the GM interns though this isn't a fault with the game, but with the players which makes it very hard to work around. I recently took a break from the game as it was starting to have an impact on my performance at work and on my studies. I am currently working full-time as well as undertaking an undergraduate degree and returned temporarily to take part in the Valentine's event. I have been unable to partake in CWKPQ at all in the past two days. I have smega'd multiple times as well as interacted with people, but have always been ignored or rejected on the basis that I don't have any mules to contribute to a 3/4 man run. As someone who has invested a substantial amount of time in this game as well as donating a fair bit I find it extremely aggravating, to say the least, that I can no longer partake in a portion of the game because I don't meet the necessary requirements. Not the game's requirements, but those of the gatekeepers who were lucky enough to be blessed with the free time to build up an arsenal of mules because they clearly don't have to worry about such trivial matters as keeping a roof over their heads and food on the table. When I've finished my degree I am hoping to have more time on my hands, so I might eventually be able to level enough characters that I can appease their standards. But why would I ever want to interact with these people? They've literally denied me the ability to enjoy certain aspects of the game through single-minded, selfish behaviour and a complete disregard of any sense of community other than between their own clients. Community is what has always set Maplestory apart from other MMOs in my opinion. I started playing GMS shortly after it left beta and have since sampled a fair share of other games, but they all lacked the community that has brough me back to Maplestory time and time again. People would take time to help other players or engage with each other while waiting outside various PQ NPCs and there are definitely players that engender this broader sense of community. However, there are definitely those and, seemingly to me, an increasing number of them that have interpreted community as clique and I am extremely dismayed that the moderators don't feel this is an important focal point of discussion given what great work they/you all do from a technical standpoint. This is just one person's opinion though.
Opqlovers guild is still around, I met someone there while I waited for opq. 5 hours there and dont have enough to form a party. Because cwk is always run with mules and such, people like us (without mules) wouldnt know how to run, so even if I see your smega, I might not wanna join because I dont know how to play the pq, and probably many others dont know too.
That's a good point actually. I only did CWKPQ when I told someone I was grinding with that I hadn't done it yet and they offered to show me how. They unfortunately don't play anymore as they're exactly the type of person that helps break down barriers to entry for newer players. Part of it could be not having the prequests done. I've still not got round to doing the Horntail prequests yet so I don't bother replying to recruitment requests because it would be a pointless waste of everyone's time. I usually try to remember to read a guide and watch a video before, but it's easy to forget bits the first few times.
Honestly I think you should blame the design of the PQ, not the people for requiring you to have mules. If cwkpq just took 1 person of each class to start, there wouldn't be any problem with you joining without mules provided you are sufficiently strong enough to kill the bosses.
These days if veteran players want to play with newer players you have CWKPQ (however, trio/quad with strong characters is preferred) Ellin Forest PQ (any level/gear is mostly fine) Dojo (any level/gear is mostly fine) APQ This doesn't seem too bad. To be fair, I may be self interested a bit in even making this post because I have all the characters/mules I want already so I'm not interested in EXP bosses and I only want to socialize and make gear/mesos progress.
I'm sorry, but I disagree wholeheartedly. Just as I don't blame alcohol or cars for drink driving. Besides if you lowered the number of people required to get in you'd just end up with people solo/duo/trioing it. Currently if the PQ were completed as intended then 5 members get to take MON and 5 get to take BON. So given that the most common setup appears to be a 4 man with mules they're reducing the amount of people for BON by 1, but at the same time getting 25m for selling VIP MON. A lot of these people probably wouldn't need to buy VIP MON if they could just run the PQ in the first place. Their greed is stopping people from being able to take part in the PQ and at the same time forcing the creation or expanison of the market of VIP MON so they can profit it off it further. But sure if you want the PQs at fault, not the people. Let's not take responsibility for our own actions ever, what a fantastic world that would be. APQ and Dojo I agree with and I've not had a chance to do Ellin Forest prequests yet so I can't comment on that, but the only reason I agree with CWKPQ is because you specifically worded it "if veteran players want to". The problem is they don't. They're min/max WAAC players and couldn't get less about the state of the community as long as they have more mesos and slightly better gear. I don't even dislike or disagree with their playstyle or preference in and of itself. It's only because it is now negatively impacting on how other people are able to interact with the game. Edit: Oh I forgot to mention. I frequently run (or did back when I was playing all the time) Zak and Shao with a level 200 and they attend just for the NX so there are definitely other instances where EXP bosses can be run with lower level people for mutual benefit.
So i made a very similar post to yours and didn't even notice it, but I have the same ideas you do. I want to bump this for more discussion and since I got a post from GM on my thread about them looking for more discussion and that it's like, in the works. But yea, totally agree with @FireHeart I'ma link mine too just in case. Not to steal from this post but just add to it instead of say everything I want again. https://royals.ms/forum/threads/levels-1-120-balance.182083/
