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Okay. We all know how fun it is to hang out and stomp monster tail with some friends, or some strangers who will later become friends. That is part of the spirit of PSO. That is why games are not locked by default. We're supposed to be a community of players out for a common goal -- advancing ourselves while having a good time.
In the beginning, it's the adrenaline rush of getting into the 'shred zone' -- areas you have no business being in on your own -- Hard Mines when you've just turned level 20, or Very Hard Ruins when you're level 40 are prime examples. Monsters get medieval on your butt faster than you can say "I'm dead!" http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpb...icon_smile.gif But there are always one or more folks in the room with you fighting away; so instead of blipping your corpse back to Pioneer 2, you hang around waiting to get revived. You winced as you watched your partner get cut down trying to get to you, like some high-tech game of freeze tag (Rabarta Tag?); you felt relief when, surrounded by monsters, someone threw that critically needed Resta spell that kept you from being a temporary statistic.
Well, by hook or by crook, you eventually beat the curve, getting high enough to where you don't get insta-shredded by monsters. What to do now? The game is less of a challenge, and the v2 Ultimate level isn't even shipping in the states yet.
The answer: a) either you go rare-diving, which gets old fast; everyone and their cousin has a Varista and DB Saber, but if you can ask the right person nicely enough, they've got a spare Double Saber you can have. Nobody needs cash. or b) you turn around and you help folks who are just coming up into the shred zones. You hand them the weapons that they can't get. You dump extra cash and spells on them without worrying about any return. When asked if you want anything in return, you smile, and say,
"Just do the same for someone else when you get up here."
This is what I do now, with some of my time online. But as the saying goes, 'with great power comes great responsibility.' Yes, your weapons clear a hundred points of damage on a monster. Yes, you can do these levels alone now.
But you aren't alone. There are one to three other people playing with you, who are just seeing these monsters for the first time. Who are very impressed to see their first Angel/Mind or God/Legs. And who the experience from getting it on with monsters tougher than they are nets them a level an hour or so. It's terrifying fun, being back on the edge of danger, tempered by knowing they've got a Big Brother or Big Sister to keep 'em safe.
And that's when the gatecrasher comes in with his or her Heaven Punisher, waltzes in doing 700 points of damage to everything in the room, and proceeds to exit the room without waiting for the rest of the group. Leaving you to catch up in their wake, following the trail of treasure boxes they didn't care to keep for themselves.
It's unnecessary. It is showing off your power, yes, but believe me, you aren't impressing anyone after the first few rooms of this. Yeah, we go, 'Whoa! What the heck is that!?!' but there's something distressing about not getting experience points -- a main objective of the game -- because someone else is playing the game for you.
I would rather sit in the back, and handle Shifta, Deband, Resta (and Reverser, if I'm not doing my job well enough) duties than worry about getting treasure and xp for myself. That is the definition of 'helping.'
Remember, you can always play by yourself. You get to keep all the xp and all the treasure. But playing with other folks requires playing it cool. And above all, being a team player, which means being a contributor, not a conqueror.
Just my long-winded thoughts. Send all RaFoie to Dark Falz.
Sayl'rr, Fonewm.
(this post is dedicated to Big Sister Jeannette, who asked, 'Am I killing monsters too fast for you guys to get xp off of them?' and spent most of an evening standing in the doorway with her fingers on the Resta and Reverser buttons, and who got me my Zonde 12, Rabarta 10, and Gifoie 13...Thank you for all your help.)
"Important safety tip, ladies and gentlemen: do NOT cast Zonde while standing under the dragon."
Sayl'rr, Force of the Oft-Flattened Hat
<font size=1>[ This message was edited by: Saylrr on 2001-03-28 20:21 ]</font>
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<blockquote>
Amen, friend, amen.
Between Arliman, MU v2.1 and LUCI my first few online levels were one *hell* of a ride.. and the horror, the horror of V. Hard. Heh, I'll never quite forget getting schooled by a Rappy on my first dip into the hell that is V. Hard.
These days, even though my character is still just 51, I make a point of helping out weaker folks from time to time. Lord knows there's stuff I don't need anymore that's like a gift frmo God to these lv 5-15 guys just starting out.
It doesn't take godly power to be a helping hand, just a willingness to provide aid.
</blockquote>
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Yeah, i remember when I first reached level 40 and UpperLevel and his friends helped me through Ruins, man it was so much fun.
Saylrr, I totally see what your saying. I'm level 55 right now - not much of a help to lower levels - but once i get stronger im definately going to help other players lower than me. Right now im giving most of the items i dont need to level 30ish people who can use them.
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I think you hit the nail right on the head. I remember my first time online, I built my FOnewn to Lvl 11, and I was ready to start playing online. I remember when someone first helped me beat De Rol, that was the happiest I ever was, because they shielded me, and cast Resta and Reverser. I in turn did the same just yesterday for a dude that lost his Lvl 30 character to a faulty memory card. I took him str8 to the Ruins, and he Leveled up 8 times that round. I was really happy to cast Reverser and Resta and paralyze the monsters so he could hit them easier. I think when your first experience on PSO is a good one, like fellow PSO'ers helping you out, you in turn do the same for others, no matter what your lvl. You should always help out the "younger" characters, even if it takes allot of time, it's the right thing to do, because you were once in that position.
Always remember that, because the person you save from a bad experience, may be one less PK'er, or item thief you have to worry about.
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I actually sometimes go unarmed when I play a lower level or use a the starting saber helping out newbies. True I still kill them quicker than them but at least they still get their hits in. Then I escorted them to Dark Falz for the first time where they lost all control of their bodily functions. Which made me laugh. But I made sure everyone is alive and got a hit in before I terminated DF's short life. Everyone got a level up except me of course being lvl 100. All in all I made 3 new friends. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpb...icon_smile.gif
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When I'm going to play online..
I'll kill the monster as the rest of the party does. 'Cause I need the XP's too. But normaly I cast a Razonde and then I watch the backs of my teammates.. Everytime ready to heal or reverse them.
That is just my attitude.. It makes so much fun to me, when I can help the hole party to beat the oponents..
I know, my HUnewearl is at Lv. 82 now and I don't have to wach all the time for XP's. But it's my small gain from the hole thing http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpb...on_biggrin.gif When I'm playing online with others, then I usualy don't take items (except for fluids).
Thats what I think is Teamwork. To wach, that the rest of the party has the same fun as I can have http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpb...icon_smile.gif
cheers
greetings from switzerland
Excalibur
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Preach it !!
thats what this game was oh so long ago..
the first time i beat DF on hard was w/ the help of a lvl 80 J player... ahh .. i remember the days of fearing for my lil force life ... runnin around...
bustin into a room on vhard for the first time... lvl 40 just 2 players.. and figurin out the zap and lead around in a circle approach...
i have taken low lvls for a walk thru the ruins...
being lvl 100.. you dont need the exp.. you r there for suport...jellen and zalure still get you exp w/o casting any damage..
heck my lvl 50 ranger has a spread needle.. and he only sprays and preys when the stuff hits the fan... by the time we hit the next room its back to my master shot... yeah its weak... but the exp is killer
*story time*
the other day i was walkin thru the forest w/ a lvl 4.. castin jellen on the enemys.. shifta and deband on the lvl 4.. and the ocaisonal resta and reverser.. then this lvl 25 comes in to the normal game.. and starts mowin w/ the spread needle... (i was still castin no hit spells poor lil lvl 4 wasnt gettin anythin...(exp wise)
i was all thinkin * oh you wanna play this way... ok.....*
next 4 rooms i bust a razond as soon as i hit the door...
stoopid lvl 25 didnt have a chance... HAHAHHAHA so then i slowed down... went back to shifta and jellen... and wouldnt ya kno.. i didnt have to say anything... he all of a sudden switcheed to a varista... and only shot the boomas that the lvl 4 had hit allready...
im all about fair play... and if somone joins a game where im helpin somone... if they wanna go on the "look how bad i am w/ my spread needle" trip... oh i will whip out mine and show um whos is bigger LOL
HAHAHAHHAHAH hehe
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Interestingly enough, one of the other ways to stop a powergamer is not to play with them; the player I mentioned in my (true) story above quit when he found out I wasn't about to try and chaparone my two Force wards (Lvls 24 and 32) through De Roi Le on Hard with my then-level 44 Force. "Hey, if you wanna go play with the sea slug by yourself, by all means. But we're not crazy enough to try."
Poof, he's gone, with nary more than an 'ok'. *grins* And -that's- when we started talking about him behind his back.
So the next time this happens to you -- everyone telepipe back up to Pioneer 2 and have a meeting with the Principal. (Matter of fact, is it possible that the PK trick doesn't work if you're up on the ship deck, since you can't cast spells on the ship?)
Just adding another Meseta to the cup,
Sayl'rr
