Will try the server again at a later time.

[UilliamNebel]

Just suddenly went from very fun, and engaging to, well, not.

Wasn't able to progress any longer. Wasn't able to really do much of anything.

Server has an inertia right now, that I do not think the design of the crafting system, gear dependency, and some other factors, makes it not as approachable as veteran players seem to believe it is (DCs on a lot of crafted items, cross dependency of trades, but inability to diversify in a trade with the DCs being what they were, some materials painfully made much too scarce, etc). Also the wiki is drastically under utilized. And too much 'find it in game' mentality, to the point of just having had experiences of asking IC and gotten such a reply.

Will try again later on, but post tenth level, it just collapsed for me as a play experience on a lot of levels.

[Disciprine Come From Within]

That's actually some pretty good feedback.

Strange question if you're willing to answer it. What class are you playing? Sometimes there are a few underground tricks to get around gear dependency. Though, if you are of the more classical "mundane" persuasion, it does make things more difficult.

I agree that the crafting system isn't very noob friendly. The system blatantly encourages higher levels to gear lower levels with their points. You can gear yourself with your crafting eventually, but that takes around level 15 before you're high enough in a craft to use it for making equipment. It's a little sooner for alchemy and herbalism.

Sometimes the answer is expected to ask around. Socialization is often the fix for issues involving things like gear issues. While you may not have the materials or the ability to make it, asking around can rectify that situation easily and the server likes to have systems in place that encourage socialization.

[CosmicOrderV]

I've invited people to this game, pretty much telling them nothing about mechanics aside from 3.5 rules, setting expectations, and to look at the wiki for arelith specific stuff. These noobs have gone lvl 16+. Sure they're not the most geared, but they definitely seemed to have figured things out. Crafting system could use tweaking maybe, but its not the crux of the game.

[Iceborn]

We try to keep the wiki as flexible and with the most ease-of-access that we can, given the sheer amount of mechanics that we have to constantly reference and cross-link so that new players know that they are a thing - but if we do fail short, that's what the wiki correction thread is for.

As for the crafting, yes - it may seem unapproachable, and the item scarcity and dependency makes it challenging for less resourceful characters to get the way about, but that's precisely why I recommend everybody to be willing to get involved in faction RP - knowing that there are other people adding to several chests makes the crafting experience a very much smoother thing.

[Ebonstar]

Just suddenly went from very fun, and engaging to, well, not.

Wasn't able to progress any longer. Wasn't able to really do much of anything.

Server has an inertia right now, that I do not think the design of the crafting system, gear dependency, and some other factors, makes it not as approachable as veteran players seem to believe it is (DCs on a lot of crafted items, cross dependency of trades, but inability to diversify in a trade with the DCs being what they were, some materials painfully made much too scarce, etc). Also the wiki is drastically under utilized. And too much 'find it in game' mentality, to the point of just having had experiences of asking IC and gotten such a reply.

Will try again later on, but post tenth level, it just collapsed for me as a play experience on a lot of levels.

this isnt your first post about nearly the same things. I have tried to help you with my char offering to waive upfront costs and other ways to help you out and you chose not to accept that aid.

those upper DC items are out of your range for a reason, your only preteens, and those items if you didnt have a tradebook wouldnt even be on your radar to give you frustration.

crafting is meant to be codependent. no one char can do it all.

As for asking IC, it would be breaking char to give you a direct answer, which is why we tried to explain your options staying IC

The most we can do is offer to help you, if you still choose not to accept its out of our hands

[solo]

My advice is to try a different character in a different starting location before throwing the towel.

If I understood correctly, the Underdark has a place literally called "The Hub" where, as the name would indicate, everything is centralized. Skal is also centered around the village of Skaljard. I have no idea about Sencliff or Brog.

I can't speak for the UD, but in Skal, you'll find a fair amount of traffic in those areas, including crafting oriented character who are actually posting notices offering their services on a regular basis, not to mention a wide range of players who are frequently looking for a party to go on writs, and I've been made to understand that Skal is actually pretty rich in resources, which makes crafting easier.

If your build is so dependent on gear, then perhaps you might consider an easier character? At least to start with. The Builds and Mechanics section of the boards is filled with great builds, and everytime I've asked a question regarding mechanics, it was always promptly answered by people on here.

Edit: For what it's worth, you're far from being alone in your frustrations. There seems to be a bit of a denial thing going on amongst some, but most new players that I've spoken with have echoed my sentiment that there is a barrier to entry in Arelith. Again, the best advice I can offer is that you start a new toon in a new location and see how it goes.

[Revelations]

Tip of the day, you can get by entirely without crafting.

I know because I've never used the crafting system (except for the odd fixture) and don't feel like I miss out on anything.

Of course there are cliques and people that don't care, but essentially...
All you need is a brain and willingness to reach out to people in game repeatedly, accepting that you may take a few attempts to build connections. If your character has friends, everything else will just come to you.

There's a lot of "optional" stuff going on, on Arelith, but in the end all you need to be involved is readiness to get in touch with other characters. And write. That's all the entry barrier there is.*


*except for basic knowledge of the NWN client, basic understanding of D&D rules and setting, etc.

[CptJonas]

We try to keep the wiki as flexible and with the most ease-of-access that we can, given the sheer amount of mechanics that we have to constantly reference and cross-link so that new players know that they are a thing - but if we do fail short, that's what the wiki correction thread is for.

As for the crafting, yes - it may seem unapproachable, and the item scarcity and dependency makes it challenging for less resourceful characters to get the way about, but that's precisely why I recommend everybody to be willing to get involved in faction RP - knowing that there are other people adding to several chests makes the crafting experience a very much smoother thing.

I must agree with moust of what you said here...
Just one think what literaly trigered me...is.."I recommend everybody to be willing to get involved in faction RP"...
Bcs if anything I hate on Arelith...that is how much you are forced into factions...
Its like noobody realise fact that not every player wants to be in faction, and many character concepts dont fit any faction RP

[solo]

I feel I’ve been a little too critical as of late, so let me temper what I’ve said with what I assumed was a given, but should probably be said nonetheless.

This server is amazing. The amount of work and dedication that was seemingly poured into it, is simply stunning. The fact it was done for free, only makes it that much more inspiring. The staff is great, friendly, and professional to the point of being intimidating. The community is helpful, and judging by much of the posts I’ve read on the forums, seems to be made of highly intelligent, cultured, and thoughtful people.

Personally, I haven’t had trouble getting past the (perhaps non-existent) barrier to entry. Although considering how much I’ve been running my mouth lately, perhaps that’s going to change in the future.

But I’ve seen too many people starting out in Skal, leaving to Arelith, only to abandon their character after a week and play a new toon in Skal because they were unprepared for the wider server, to pretend there isn’t a problem somewhere. I’ve gotten too many tells from people asking me, of all people, for advice on mechanics and answers on the server because no one would give them a straight answer, even though I must have been playing for a grand total of two days more than they have.

Every time a new character returns from Arelith and I ask them what it was like, IC or OOC, because I’m genuinely curious, the answer I get is along the lines of “Well… it’s got lots of potential but… it’s hard to figure out and I’ll stick to Skal for now.”

Again, I can’t stress enough how much I enjoy the server, and how good the player base is, which is precisely why I've been a tad vocal about certain issues since if I like something, I tend to get involved. But there’s a difference between reality, and perception. The reality of the server is that it’s simply brilliant. The perception is that there seems to be some kind of invisible set of rules and guidelines which new players are not given.

I'm not attacking the server. I'm pointing out what appears to me, to be a flaw. A tiny, flawed drop, in an ocean of fun and wonders. Would you like me to do a review of all the good things I've experienced playing on here? I warn you now, the thing will be longer than the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

But maybe I’m just wrong about it all, and I need to get myself a brain and learn how to write properly. That's certainly a possibility. Regardless, I'll keep my mouth shut from now on. After all, these other new players don't need me speaking on their behalf. Last thing I want to do is cause trouble, and if you guys have been around for 15 years, then clearly you're doing something right. Don't change anything.

[Revelations]

But maybe I’m just wrong about it all, and I need to get myself a brain and learn how to write properly.

I should have realised that someone would be offended by that. Please accept my apologies!

All I am implying is that everyone has and knows all that is needed. All you need to get involved is to come here and write.

What I didn't mean to say is omg ur stupid cuz u dont understand arlith, write better

It was my intention to raise the point that neither the crafting system, nor the housing system, nor factions system, not settlement system, nor deity system, nor [...] is NEEDED to have fun here, or to be involved.

It's just you, and writing.

Everything else can be learned on the way if you're interested. I know I'm not, and I ignore many mechanics of the server.

I only wish that new players would understand that they don't have to get into all the system available. The core part of the server is collective storytelling. The rest is just "tools" you can use.

[solo]

I actually wasn't offended myself, but it does take a certain degree of brainlessness to get offended on behalf of other people, so who knows? Maybe you're onto something.

So yeah, we're good.

And believe it or not, I'm actually inclined to agree with you regarding this particular topic. Hence why my proposal to the OP was to just start again in a new location with a new build.

My concern is a broader one. I've seen lots of new players bringing up the same issues repeatedly, only to be told that their concern is invalid because of X, Y, or Z. But I'll leave the more experienced users to sort this stuff out. Not my place.

[Ebonstar]

I think I might take my toon to skal for a while as he had fun gathering stuff there when he went months ago and maybe be a hin beacon of information for people for a time.

Trust me I am far from all knowing, but I can convey the gist of pretty much the basics that may break this barrier, that we as long term players just dont see.

and the thing about not having to craft or such is completely true. Be a monster slayer and buy what you need when you need it

[MissEvelyn]

Tip of the day, you can get by entirely without crafting.

I've been on Arelith since '06 and I can absolutely confirm this. For the most of my playtime, I was a newbie. Not just in regards to crafting, but to building as well. It's only recently since I've made use of crafting and making semi-optimal builds, and that's only due to some helpful people.

The Wiki has helped a lot as well, I cannot stress this enough.

But, in contrast to all that, I wasn't miserable at all. I was still having a blast here. Clearly the crafting system didn't fail me, because I wasn't relying on it at all.

One small note to make: In the past, you'd get crafting points per day equal to your crafting skill points. This meant that at level 5, you'd only have 10 crafting points to spend per 24 in-game hours.
If anything, I'd say crafting is more easier than ever today.

[Terenfel]

Tip of the day, you can get by entirely without crafting.

One small note to make: In the past, you'd get crafting points per day equal to your crafting skill points. This meant that at level 5, you'd only have 10 crafting points to spend per 24 in-game hours.
If anything, I'd say crafting is more easier than ever today.

damn.. you not used the crafting system for ages xD think that limitation when away 5 years ago? you get 50 crafting points pr 24 ingame hours. its not tied to crafting points anymore, only way to get more then those 50 is to spend skill points or feats on the craft armor and weapon skills.