Why I'm Still Playing DSO

Context:
I was stumbling through the forum posts, as I do, and came across the following sentiment.

silverseas' post
Hmm, I thought, that's sort of my situation. Furthermore, most of the posts going on recently have been negative feedback, suggestion posts, and new/returning players getting whiplash and not knowing their right hand from their left. I wanted some good ol' time game community, festivity, humor, and fun posts. This led me to the Ask the Gurus in English thread where I noticed more similar sentiments albeit separated in time.

Baragain's post
"It" here refers to leaving the game, and I have definitely thought about it many times this year. I also have also chosen fight over flight (my first post on the forums).

trakilaki's post I have even tried out other games. I tried the one trakilaki is refering to here but it didn't satisfy me. It just wasn't DSO, and I love DSO.



So, even though some people think playing DSO is like being in an abusive relationship, I disagree.

Shiro's post
ThukMohl's post

I think the relationship between DSO and players is like that of a prince and Rapunzel.

My post

So with all of that swirling in my mind, I decided I wanted to start a thread to talk about Rapunzel, not Gothel. Let me clarify. I want to talk and hear from other players about why we love/are still playing this game.

For me, it's simple. And I mean that literally. The game is simple. It has almost no story, few skills, and a combat system that feels like a soft bed. And I honestly mean all those things as compliments.
1st the story/world. There is almost no lore in this game. The bosses/regions have names, but that is about all there is. Why is this a good thing? It allows me to fill in the lore with my own vague ideas and feelings. There are many different regions in the game that relate to many different realms of human myth and history. Lor'Tac = Fantastic. Dragan's Map is called ravencaw instead of ravenclaw!! Hilarious! There is a weapon named Tiamat. That is so freakin awesome. No explanation. No context. Just name drop. I've read Enûma Eliš, so I know the context and human myth. The games doesn't need to add anything else for me. I am also waiting patiently to finally face the Dragon.
2nd the skills/combat system. I love the combat system in this game. That is the main recipient of the Elvis song I put. The rhythm of the skills, enemies, and loot is something I love to do while I listen to a podcast or something. One part of my mind is casually coasting in the rhythm of rage jump, ground breaker, smashsmashsmashsmash, rage attack rage attack...

The simplicity of the game for me does not mean it doesn't have a lot of features. What I am saying is that it is really easy for me to jump on the game and have a guaranteed good experience with a lot of effort. I do sometimes like attempting harder PW for a challenge now and again, but I do this in spurts, while I can casually play for hours.

Sooo... If you've made it here to the bottom, let me know why you are still playing this game.

 

I never expected a random sentiment of mine to spawn a whole entire essay.

Since I'm apparently the catalyst for this thread, I'll answer. My significant other and I quit this game many years ago. We came back together because both of us had been playing other games in the meantime. I had been playing other RPGs with better graphics, better life skill system, better blah blah blah. I also played MOBAs, survival games, farming games, story games, platform games, etc. However, there was a missing element that was the highly cooperative gameplay that we experienced here in DSO. Sure, MOBAs offered a lot of cooperative gameplay, but PvP day in and day out with crappy teammates isn't my cuppa tea, so I never fully dived in like my SO did.

Since we shared a lot of good memories of playing together and tackling things as weak players, we agreed to come back together. Every time we play together, it's like playing with a person who can read your mind and know your next move so they're prepared to follow-up.

Now that said, we have completely different work and even sleep/wake cycles, so I end up with a lot of time playing solo or with other people. That's fine, I enjoy that too, provided said other teammates aren't total garbage.

Ironically, I enjoy the game less the stronger I get because there is less skill is required. I've been trying to compensate by creating an off-meta SW, but it's a long ways away to finish. So I hope the events get better, before I get too bored and leave again.

 

A shared sentiment, and not so much random as chaotic (mathematically). "The wings of a butterfly..." as the anecdote goes.

 

To be honest, there are three things that keep me playing.

1. I like the people I play with and the community in general (even if some players on the forums try my patience daily)/
2. I like the math. I am one of the most knowledgable individuals when it comes to understanding the math and mechanics of the game and that is because I like the challenge and puzzle.
3. I've been playing so long that I don't want to lose all that progress.

That isn't to say that BP hasn't had some monumental screw ups that have pushed me to the edge, but I can only say that the game has had a generally positive trend over the six and a half years that I've been playing. It reminds me of the stock market... It has it's ups and downs, but over the long run, the numbers go up. That gives me hope that, even when the DSO team makes boneheaded choices, they will ultimately improve the game more than they screw it up.

 

Why?
Just to see how low they can go ... I am waiting to see if they are going to hit the lowest bottom of all bottoms.

What is so fantastic in Lor'Tac?
Is it the boring low quality music that makes you kill yourself while playing?
Is it the the monster's low quality artwork?
Is it the item's crappy looking?

Now ... i can write an essay on why i have started and continued playing the game ... but i have no time (in fact I might have time ... but i have decided not to spend much time on this game anymore).
This game can be divided into 2 games ... Old and New game.
The old game is everything beautiful that attracted the players in the game.
The game's coolness
Very good music (you can still hear it in the old maps)
Extraordinary looking items (no good item artwork has been made in game ever since ... just look at those Lor'Tac and Qaeda items and the immense amount of ugliness)
The old game is bright and vivid and brings pleasant feelings to any player especially the new players. Unlike the game now which is gloomy and boring ... it not just rejects and discourages new players to continue playing but also says "scram away" to already existing players.
They brought "Hero's Light" feature and made the game dark and gloomy. Just like the Hoaxbows, this feature doesn't belong in this game. That feature is for another kind of games not this one.

etc ... etc ... etc
In order to come to endgame content, a new player has to go through all of this ... many of them don't even past level 40 before quit.
In other words ... you are trying to get to their exhibition but they have placed it on the top floor while removing all stairs and elevators and leaving only a rope. Only those strong and skilled rope climbers would attend the exhibition.

The King was a poser and charlatan.

Is it still in game? Dammit someone should tell the devs they missed some old items when cleaning the game of everything good from the old days. Any other weapon than Q7 (which is also an old game artwork) in the game is just a blasphemy.
Tiamat ... and other items like : Starlight, Enigma (the original name not some crap name "riddle") ... etc, they all have a meaning.
There are some characters and NPCs too ... in example Clara Lectura ... or the quest "The Chosen One".

It is not a myth. It is more like suppressed history of the humanity.
Tiamat, Babylon and "those who came to Earth from heaven".

 

I call BS on both traki, and Baragain. I happen to know personally the two of you stick around for one reason and one reason only; Creatress tears. Traki himself just all but implied they are better than the entire Lortac expansion.

In all seriousness though, I play because it is, at times fun. Above I saw the Rapunzel analogy, as well as the abusive relationship one and I don't quite agree. I think, definitively, it is more like, when a beautiful college aged girl is kidnapped by a pimp or organized crime cartel, and then forcibly addicted to heroin, then told in order to avoid feeling sick, she must prostitute herself in order to receive her fix. She is condemned to a lifetime of prostitution by those who violated her sense of free will. Just my two coppers.

Oh and Enuma Elish is an awesome read. A small degree of critical thinking lends strong belief to it being the seed from which all creation myths of the major world religions has sprung. Really fascinating stuff.

 

Trakilaki: Objection!

The judge: Objection Sustained! In fact Mr. Trakilaki said:

 

I was talking about the setting. I really enjoy mesoamerican art/setting. Few games have this style. The quality of the implementation might not be high, but I still really like it. The Balor set is my favorite garbage set that I wish was buffed. I do agree that the maps are too dark and should be set in daytime with lots of light.

Nice way to refer to him. The words of the song were the point, not anything about Elvis.

Being a myth doesn't mean it is false.

Not sure I understand your analogy. Is the woman DSO, the pimp the devs, and the players the john? This seems like my analogy. Woman=rapunzel, pimp = dame gothel, john = prince. However, in my analogy, the prince loves rapunzel, but in your analogy, the john doesn't care about her.

 

BP is the pimp and I am the woman. The devs are the John.

Oh and the King may have been a poser and a charlatan; I don't particularly care for his music but DAMN, I wish I was more like him.


--- MERGED ---

Over ruled! The prosecution now calls its first and final witness....The Art Department.

 

perhaps you're a masochist

 

I cant find any evidence of masochism in any of the posts above. What are you referring to?

 

Because if you play this game you are inflicting yourself pain
And only a masochist can have be fine with inflicting himself pain

 

I know the definition of masochist, but nothing written above concerns any self inflicted harm. I enjoy playing the game. Did you read my post? I put on a podcast, get comfortable, whack some enemies with q7 set, and enjoy my life. What about the game inflicts pain?

I will admit that expecting the devs to do something good is masochism, and I am guilty of this. I really want there to be a fun event. I would be ok with Infested sewers or Dwarf Heist, but the events for September have been posted and all we get are the moon events and pw events (not real events).

 

Expecting something good from the devs is not masochism, it's not a kink, it's insanity

 

What do you expect from DSO?
Just look at the contents and you can tell the devs are into BDSM

 

I pointed out Sharr Kharab's jewelry to a buddy yesterday and now he can't un-see it. How he missed it to begin with is whole other question.

 

This is why you dont play with q7 on mage ( assuming you are if not then ignore the other part of the post)

Q7 makes the game bland just walk activate q7 spam that 1 button and whats that you ask? ill tell you : an "interactive and fun " gameplay for the devs. If you use some other set combo you will feel like its lv 45 or 50 and when you play in group it will be actually fun

Tried many different sets and build but q7 is just what i can call creative block or just as i also like to say " just give me the salary look what i implemented into the game"

I dont like rangers with q7 spammers nor tanks . Mages with q7 i just insta leave the group. All i see its them using meteor to activate the set adn still spamming ice sphere even though we are on grimmag who is a fire boss............ now tell me why would i like to play with so many dumb ppl who refuse to play with their mind rather than with their skills and deduction...... this is the main reason why the game gets boring for older ppl like me. Newer players just know one thing ... spam the q7 to death man just abuse it as much as you like even if you dont deal dmg the boss show the team that you are spamming that set as hard as you can.

These are my 2cents about the game now and why it gets boring.
And the fact that the future sets are balanced around their possibility to combo with q7 is just retarded on a whole new lv

 

Sharr Kharab seems more like a discount rapper than a character from 50 shades of gray

They probably saw a video of snoop dog and failed to implement it in the game

 

-scratches head- Your post makes as much sense to me as if I claimed that I've played with a few players who wear the Headless Knight costume and played like garbage, therefore all players who wear the Headless Knight are automatically garbage, because a character missing a head in-game somehow affects their skill level.

Newsflash for you: There's unskilled mages using Q7, Q4, Dragan, Bloodrune, and no set whatsoever too. Somehow, the skill level of a player doesn't have to be tied to which set they're using, but maybe it's related to... their skill level?! There's spammers who spam Magic Missile, Ice Missile, Frozen Sphere, Lightning Strike, Fireballs... oh, did I basically name all the SW skills? Honestly, I could do the same thing with all the other classes too lol.

The game is what you decide to make of it. I use a full variety of skills depending on the situation... and yes, I'm a Q7 set user. I don't just use 2 skills. What I'm pointing out at the end of my original post is that as player stats scale up, there is less and less need for support (eg. stunning, armor breaking, slowing) and less mechanical talent (eg. kiting, dodging skill shots). That has nothing to do with what set players are using.

 

Not true. Q7 in particular is a spam set. Even in inf 3 with good stats your main goal is to spam the set. Idk since you are constantly using it you wont understand what i mean sadly