MapleRoyals has been the closest old GMS experience I got from a server. Because of this, I care about optimizing my characters as much as I can. However, completing the zjq is something I only did once in GMS and that was already after they ruined my favorite class, too. I would never do it again unless it was a server trying to recreate the genesis of what MS was in the beginning. I think MapleRoyals is founded on a good version of MS and it's doing well on what it set out to do but I personally don't feel 100% as invested as I was with MS originally when there are different rates to 1x. So what's my point? There are 2. My first point is that I think that in a Action RPG which is what MS is(with MMO in mind), it doesn't make sense to have a Prince of Persia style puzzle as a requirement to fight against a boss. The boss should be the gate keeper to the reward, not the jump quest. The trial should be something else, and if the admins were interested, I wouldn't mind writing a quest line that could be chosen instead of the jump quest. I don't believe the level of this jump quest is in line with what kind of game MS is. My second point is that MapleRoyals is based on taking a old version of MS and adding some quality of life changes to it. Even though it's 4x, that still doesn't kill the satisfaction of achieving milestones and it's still fun to progress. I think making an alternative is in line with the design philosophy behind behind MapleRoyals. What I suggest: having an alternative that makes sense. I think the most appropriate way to go about it is a level and gear check. Monsters that hit pretty hard and that you can't really hit without being a certain level and being powerful enough(and maybe collect X amount of a Etc. drop from them?). This of course has to be instanced so that you can't just have someone else do it for you. I think this is more reasonable of a way to get a zakum helmet and to even qualify for fighting zakum compared to just how good you are at 2 jump quest levels. Whether you want to fight the boss or just buy the helmet, the gate to the content/item should be how good your character currently is and what progress you've made in improving your character instead of how good you are at a jumping platformer which is not what MS is.
I would argue that the jump quest is, in part, essential to classical Maplestory as we know it. Sure, we could add alternatives and a quest line as you describe, but then it would be something else; not the Maple we know and remember it. GMS implemented all kinds of changes to make the game more accessible, easier, and "sensible" (i.e. changing around and removing maps, drastically shortening the time it takes to get from point A to point B)--and you know what? It just wasn't the same. It was a game that dressed like Maple, sounded like Maple--but it didn't feel like Maple, in the end. Maple is many things: it is a RPG, but it's also a platformer. It's a small-scale economic model, and it's an adventure. It's a social gathering of sorts, and it's a dungeon-crawler in a way. I understand that removing or adding alternatives to the ZJQ might make things more accessible, but in doing so you'd effectively remove/alter the original content too much, which is most certainly not in line with the philosophy behind Mapleroyals.
This has been suggested many times in the past. Afaik it has been rejected every single time. The zakum jump quest is very nostalgic to many of the players on this server. More importantly, it is very nostalgic to the owners of the server. I would argue that this isn't the case at all
I think that making every level 25% easier than original maple to pass and changing the questions and answers to holy rock of third job is making the game more accessible. I would not mind doing something "harder" than the jump quest, like if those monsters in the alternative would be stuff id have to be a level 150 with good gear to pass and if it was designed to take 2 hours or something, that way it's not easier per se. I think the very nature of that part of the game is an issue to a lot of people and it could be more favorable to do soemthing that would even take longer of a time instead of go through That. If this server was 1x and everything was exactly like it was in old maple, I'd not mind but seeing as MapleRoyals leveling is only a quarter as long as original maple, I don't think making the requirement for zak be harder but in a different name would make it more accessible. Sure anyone can spend up to 4 hours to do it... I just rather spend that time (or even longer) doing some challenging that isn't a secret Mario stage. Isn't that fair to have the alternative harder but just not based on the same idea?
The zjq is meant to frustrate and piss you off, the fact that you're feeling that way means it's doing its job and still has a place in the game. The same way you need to get through maple island to get to vic island, collect 30 marbles for 2nd job, you need to complete the zjq to get a zhelm. Sure to most people it might just be another small obstacle but it's there nonetheless and has always been and I'd hate to see that tradition die out.
if you really can't do it you can always just watch a video and copy it. The zakum jq is one of the easier jq's in the game too imo. If you want a challenge try the ones in sleepy wood
I don't like doing that JQ either but I'm against the idea of having an alternative way to access Zakum. If it's pissing you off, it means it is doing its job, as someone stated.
some/many people choose the nostalgic server is because this kind of content(zak jq, ht pq, 4th job skill quest) HAS to be done in order to progress, i hate the zakum jq, i really hate it, i get frustrated, but after completing it, i feel so happy/relieved, i feel like that is one of the best sensations of playing a mmorpg maplestory is already too "easy" to skip the "challenging content". I dont feel necessary an alternative for it tbh
Maybe if you actually attempted it again, you would probably realize that "Oh, this is so much easier than it was 10 plus years ago!". Just keep trying it, one day you'll nail it every time.
I had the same thought as others before ever beating it. Once i had completed the jq more than once, i had no problems with the jq anymore. It should stay.
It's not really hard at the first time it took me a long time but when I tried some days ago took me like 20-30 min or so
My first time doing that jq took 3 hours for the first stage and 2 for the second. A week later I gave it a go again and one try was all it took to complete both stages. Not that hard once you get the timing down.
