Daily grind

Not so much a 'OMG Lyghtning just did this' post right now. Mostly because I'm not at my computer and i don't have the screenshots i took yesterday. No, this is a post about things i just read on the forums.

I've been hanging out at the Wildstar forums since download, mostly lurking and replying to the odd thread here and there. However the amount of people making posts saying they don't like the grind is totally baffling me. These are people who want to hit the level 50 cap, but don't want to work to get there? How does that even work? That is just such a wrong attitude for a game like this.

As I've mentioned, I have never played an MMORPG before, hence this blog, but I LOVE the RPG genre. I've played loads of RPG console games and for me, the grind to the top is natural progression through the game. You never start a game like that with the best kit, you work for it, you battle bad guys, you run errands for the NPC's, you take part in the story and eventually you get to the top of the game. But the mentality on the forums seems to be that some players want to go into the game and have it all handed to them. Why? Why even bother playing games if that is what you want? Life isn't that easy so why should a game? Doing it that way just saps all the fun from it.

I guess one of the reasons this baffles me is that, coming into this from more console based games, i expected to grind, in fact i enjoy it. Back when I started playing RPG's circa 2003, there would always be that boss or area that I just wasn't levelled enough to handle. So off I'd go, grind for a few hours and then return. I expected quests and I expected to be asked to kill X amount of badguys in an area and I enjoy doing that. Now I realise that not everyone will like what I like, but if your argument is that you don't like a core RPG aspect to the game, then maybe this isn't your type of game? Maybe you'd be better suited with games that only require your attention for an hour or so, if that. Maybe if you aren't prepared to put time into a game to get the rewards from it, then maybe you shouldn't even be playing games. Expecting to be rewarded for nothing more than buying the game and installing it is just crazy.

The simple fact is that, no, you shouldn't be max level, infinite gold and all the best items right off the bat, otherwise what the heck is the point in even playing it? As in life the more time you put into the game the more rewards you'll get from it. To see someone moan because they have to focus while playing Wildstar and can't also watch TV is crazy. You're playing a game or watching TV. Be an adult and pick one!

I like that Wildstar is difficult because it means I focus on it more. I enjoy having to run the length and breadth of Nexus because it means I get to see what the developers have made. I enjoy the quests I have to do as they give me an idea of how this world and it's inhabitants work. I do not expect to get things handed to me on a silver plate. The fact that i had saved up enough gold when I bought my mount was an achievement as was being able to dye my costume the colours I wanted. These were not things i expected to get for free, these were not things that detracted from being able to play the game. These were things I wanted, so i worked for them.

Seriously, if you have to moan and gripe about something as fundamental as the basic gameplay, then it isn't Wildstar that needs to change, it's you that needs to find another game more suited to your play style.

So, rant over, my next post will be something to do with Lyghtning :) Totally didn't get to post yesterday due to being late from work and wanting to hit level 30 :) Tonight's posts will depend on what my mood is following the England vs Uruguay match later. Dear god I hope England can win lol XD