As low of a skill cap game Maplestory is, in any game there is a certain level of mechanics. An interesting example occurred to me when I was given Haste by a Thief after a long period of having grinded solo, and I noticed that I was so clumsy with my enhanced mobility that I could have gone faster Teleporting instead. Theives, however, expertly and nimbly maneuver through all stairs and maps, even ones they’re visiting for the first time. This is an example of acquired mechanical skill that would otherwise go unseen from an outsider’s viewpoint. Maple Thoughts
there's nothing mechanically demanding about this game except jump quests, what u describe is so little might as well b nothing
When I'm hasted I usually cancel it because I always over jump, I do much better with just teleport. Other examples of maple mechanics would be teleport casting, teleport jumping/jumping down, timing I-frames, using skill combos (mostly for Buccs and Shads), and probably much more. But compared to most games, the mechanics are pretty simple.
I find that while the skill cap in this game is low, it's mastery of the simple mechanics of the game that separates good players fro great players. Zakum is my best example of this. I have had Night Lords Flash Jump into the body and die. That's one extreme, but then there are NLs who simple sit in the corner and hold down their TT button, then there are the one who actively avoid stuns when they can to attack as much as they possibly can. Other examples are Bishops understanding when to Holy Shield, and when seals are coming to insta-Dispel. For warriors (and I'm a bit out of practice on this one admittedly) is knowing when to Rush on and off body to save movement time without throwing mobs everywhere. The difference between players who can and can't do these things is the difference between a good Zakum run and one that's truly a pleasure to be a part of.
^ dis There's a lot of subtle "soft" skills I'd say that separates a great player who goes the extra mile, from a decent player who does his job, to a poor player who needs improvement, which is why I disagree with kevren. It's not mechanically demanding perse, but it does make a difference over time. When you see how an experienced player impacts a boss run or activity, you'll understand how they optimize things which adds value to the overall experience.
There are plenty of small things as been discussed to above, even on Maple Island where I reside. You learn to judge how high you jump off a rope or a ladder given your jump statistic, thereby not requiring you to climb all the way up. You start to jump whilst attacking (when appropriate) because it allows you to keep moving despite having swung your weapon. You get a good grasp of precisely how far your weapon's reach is or how far away a monster has to be for Three Snails to hit its mark (which is hugely practical if a monster spawns behind you; that way you provoke the monster to follow you and you no longer have to stop and run after it). You learn to use getting hit to your advantage, provided you don't have too much avoidability; there is no faster way to move backwards in order to pick some item up than to get knocked back. People like myself who enjoy picking everything up get a feeling for the time it takes items to disappear, especially in relation to the speed at which you ordinarily circle a map. That way, if an item falls off a platform, you know whether you'll be able to catch it in time if you just keep going forward or not. Make no mistake, none of the above are hugely meaningful, but they do make for smoother and, in a way, more elegant and enjoyable game play. I find that it adds a new level of satisfaction to the game; it feels very rewarding when, say, you're attentive enough to turn around in the air to kill a monster that just spawned behind after you jumped off a platform.
I just press 1 button and it kills the monster. But in all srs this is a very easy game, it just demands stamina to grind. The most 'skill' I have to put into it is make sure my pet doesn't go suicidal on me and decide not to pot me (it happens), and rebuff my party after a period of time. All the other things (rushing monsters to stack them, letting them hit me to tank body instead of receiving attacks, etc) I wouldn't consider a skill.
Guys.. seriously.. a high skill level in maplestory...??? Please, don't even. The only difference from one player to the next is the knowledge of this game and nothing more.
My friends and I managed top ranks in 3 [GMS] servers using a multitude of skills. We even outleveled the hackers in elnido for quite a while (this was before BT became popular, we gave up after that). It's more strategy than most-time-spent-grinding-wins; knowing how to put parties together and navigate maps efficiently is far more important.
