I'n all the years of playing this game, many changes has been made, turning it from the once simple card based game to a strategic crafting training gardening and much more complicated game to this day. I won't be talking much or arguing in this post, i only have one simple question for all of you to answer based on your own opinions. has this game that we all know and love better now or worse after all the changes made? It's simple really, state your side, better or worse, explain why clearly and then see what others have to say. Have fun with this post and please don't start a war where, bye now. :)
I'n all the years of playing this game, many changes has been made, turning it from the once simple card based game to a strategic crafting training gardening and much more complicated game to this day. I won't be talking much or arguing in this post, i only have one simple question for all of you to answer based on your own opinions. has this game that we all know and love better now or worse after all the changes made? It's simple really, state your side, better or worse, explain why clearly and then see what others have to say. Have fun with this post and please don't start a war where, bye now. :)
I would say that once cl came out some schools got nerfed in some way and only some schools could be warlord easily, but at the moment I would say it is balanced and any school can become warlord with a little effort.
It depends on what you're asking. "Are the updates bad and was the old game better?", "Is this game too complicated now?"
Well the answer to both of these decides on your opinion really. I don't craft much because I stink at finding all the reagents and taking the time to do it. Pet training is O.K. but it can be slow. It's not complicated, just expensive and slow. This game is still a card based game, but you have to expect that it will advance to more strategical experiences as you progress. Nothing gets easier and easier on a game like Wizard101. You must test your abilities to strategy, fighting, and so forth. Housing is a great update, not too complicated either. Gardening with it, eh to me it's also one of those, "O.K."'s because i'm not too into gardening in real life either.
All in all, yes, this game has had some O.K. updates in the past, some bad ones, and some really good ones. The bad ones soon enough are made better by player suggestions, and all goes well. Yes, it gets more complex and takes more smarts, but aren't you slowy training to get up to these hard points? I think it is indeed better now.
Actually I find the game has gotten worse and more geared towards gamers with the second 1/2 of the game. I started when Celestia was in the works. I preferred the simple stress free game play, Dragon Sprye was more then most my friends could handle so I ended up solo. Now with all the options available gear wise and spells it makes it harder to pick ones that enhance your wizard so they can make it past mid Mooshu. In the end I now play less, have started other wizards only to delete them and start over again so I can play the family friendly part of the game again. With the game becoming more popular the innocence it had is gone also, I find it very hard to find wizards that are friendly now.
Since you said ALL years, I'll tell you a summary of how fun wizard101 was.
2008- Each school was balanced, and no spell was overpowered. They didn't have pvp at the time and the level cap was 40, so gear wasn't really that good and spells were a little weak for their health.
2009- PvP was new, but also Dragonsypre and the new level cap that reached level 50. When pvp was made, players were too defensive, so kingsisle changed pvp up a bit and raised up how much damage the wizards take. This way, wizards would be getting destroyed easily. Also, there were many problems such as chain stunning, the old Wild Bolt and Storm's accuracy, and also after the pvp change, the level 48 AoE spells were too powerful when 1 team attacked at the same time, so commander gear was made to even it all out. PvP started getting fun again after that change, and then every single school was well balanced and unique.
2010- This is where wizards believe that the "drift" started. I started this account at 2010, and I received 101 crowns for the Storm Beetle pet. I didn't see Zeke at Olde Town at first, until I bought a pack of treasure cards (Which were new I'm pretty sure), and then a couple days/weeks later, Zeke moved to the Commons leaving A Zeke moved sign. Later on, the pet pavilion was created. Then, Crab Alley and Selena Gomez game. Crab Alley was a free area and I was happy to see it, because, well, I was stuck fighting Nightshade. The new world called Celestia was made a couple months after, and this was an idea of a wizard that said that wizard101 should have an Atlantis themed world with coral and fish. Crab Alley left, but people like me marked the area, so we still farmed there. Also, the day Crab Alley was created, the gold selling prices rose. Later on, near the end of 2010, Wintertusk was made as well as the Waterworks. Also, many wizards lost their gear in an update, so they received 1500 crowns in return, as well as a Firebat pet.
2011- Wysteria was then created, as our rival school. Also, near the end of 2011, Zafaria was finally created, and then new overpowered spells and gear came out. This changed pvp, and probably will for a while.
While we're still in 2012, I can't really say the "history" of it in wizard101, because we're still experiencing it. But what I found out was that at 2010, wizard101 was really fun before the Wintertusk update. Until then, I was beating Grandmasters and Legendaries at Magus. So, I leveled up, and I noticed that wizard101 isn't as fun as it was at the lower levels. So, it really depends when you left Master.
In my honest opinion, the game is now worse than it was back in 2008.
Pet training is totally dependent on luck. This makes it a waste of energy, time, and just a lot of frustration. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't mind when things are based on luck. But I do mind when things are based on luck when you are limited to how much a day you can actually do it. Such as training. And I don't necessarily like the day long wait for hatching either....
I would have liked it if pet training could be done as long as you had the determination to do so, without energy limitations. Sure, you can buy energy... but why BUY your way through the game, or any part of it, when you are already subscribing to it, or buying areas for it? I had always thought that was rediculous.
I honestly liked it more when pets were simple decorations for your wizard. BECAUSE: Especially since pets now get some really stupid talents like, Astute, Effervescent, Stout, Steadfast, etc etc. Because some of the coolest pets out there don't give you anything useful at all. You'd have to spend WEEKS hatching and training your favorite low-pedigree pet to where it becomes a real winner to have in battles (spritely, defense, offense, etc). And please, lets not have people chime in with 6 transcended wizards going "oh it is easy, just run mirror lake, or do this or do that."
And true, if you are a real wizard101 pet fan, you won't care what talents your favorite pets have. Ever. You will love your pet for what it is. But in the back of anyone's head, it will be dead obvious that it won't have spritely. Or unicorn, or this or that.
"Stress free" casual difficulty. Wizard City was such an enjoyable breeze. We well in love with this game because of Wizard City. Krokotopia is enjoyable. Marleybone is a taste to be acquired, but still casual and somewhat challenging. Mooshu is colorful, enjoyable, is perhaps just as challenging. Dragonspyre was a bit more difficult. But it was bearable, and in my opinion, still fine.
Celestia and Wintertusk turned the game into a nightmare. Yes yes, transcended wizards in their waterworks equipment and Sidhe staves will go "oh it was too easy, pff, you don't know what the heck you are talking about" but my point is, Celestia and Waterworks were a nightmare. Maybe beautiful to look at, but not fun to play. Aggravating.
And I will say this again, none of you hardcore wizards better start saying "Oh, this was too easy, we don't want a smurf game." I am speaking for the majority of us players that like casual, normal gameplay, which Wizard101 was obviously meant to be. All you hardcore players go and play something like nightmare difficulty mmo's where you lose exp when you die, die when walking around without invisible or sneak, or permanently lose equipment when it is stolen by other players, etc etc etc.
Zafaria. If Celestia and Wintertusk has turned the casual gameplay into a nightmare, then Zafaria has turned the gameplay into H-E-double hockey sticks mode. Monsters start with a MINIMUM of 3 power pips. Bosses start with a minimum of 4 power pips, and most just take it a step further and start with 5 power pips. Acceptable for dungeons perhaps, but normal gameplay? Really? Same goes for the above. Zafaria has it's fun moments, and it perhaps beautiful to look at. But gameplay is just as much of a chore as it is Celestia and Wintertusk. Aggravating. Not necessarily fun.
Ok, lets discuss gameplay itself. This kind of ties in with the above. Questing. After Mooshu, which was original our ending world, just more quests. Quests quests quests quests. By now it has gotten to be a CHORE. Just not fun at all. I realize some people prefer questing over anything else. But people like me don't. I prefer grinding. That way, I control how I get exp, drops, and how many mobs I fight, not what is dictated by some random quest, and still retain the ability to level up and progress further.
I actually just yesterday thought of this. I believe KI does not change this mechanic because they are afraid if people are allowed to level grind on monsters alone, players would not buy areas like Krokotopia, Marleybone, etc. And lord forbid KI loses a potential crown sale. Oh heavens no. Even if it means they will lose potential game rating.
After the initial few worlds, gameplay is simply a CHORE. And for people that play multiple wizards, it has become even more so. I am again, talking for people like me, not the people that love questing and then turn around and complain about them.
Now, some of the bells and whistles are good. I love the fact you can own and decorate your own castle/house. I do like gardening. I love how you can buy those little mini-games as furniture 'arcades.' Although, I hate how it is cash only. And for that reason, I never bought any of those. I love how KI added the stitching option. Although I do not love how they limited it to cash only.
I LOVE how KI added the music player. That was absolutely brilliant. I wish KI would take that concept and apply it to the duel ring idea that me, and actually some others, had. (Search 'duel ring' posts, and I am sure you find some of them.)
What keeps me playing is the fact that once you battle your way through the game, hard times or easy, aggravating or enjoyable, you have a wizard you can be proud of. Feel like you have accomplished something. That you can show off to everyone and have fun playing with. The game, despite the fact that leveling through it is a chore to me, is in the end still such a nice casual game to me, with such a colorful and unique playstyle, that I simply love it.
Think about it - When the game first started we didn't have mounts, astral magic, crowns, houses, pets, dragonspyre, celestia, wysteria, zafaria, wintertusk, grizzleheim, no level 48, 58, 68 spells, and tons more. There may have been some bad updates in the past, but some good ones came too! Imagine what the future will bring;
Level 80? 90? 100? New worlds? New spells? New ways to battle?!
I'm going to give my answer from a pvp perspective first. I Think kingsisle is doing a great job in listening to the community and dealing with problems as they arise. I've been deep into pvp for about three years and understand that it isn't the main game but sometimes feel as though additions like the critical system and armor pierce is injecting too much luck into an aspect of the game (pvp) that used to be about skill... Slowly I feel as if what I liked about player vs player is slipping away. I have retreated to low lvl pvp to escape the critical system but vengeance TC's and now hoard pack gear with low level hints of critical has reminded me how much I don't like the critical system in pvp. Now we have mid levels without critical block fighting lvl 70's with crit and it seems very unfair, really there should be critical block on arena gear by now. This game will always be apart of my life but I liked the dynamics allot more back in dragonspyre days. I'm sure KI has thought it out though and has their reasons for changes in the game. I also understand it must be tough to balance the main story and pvp. There are a few things I think need some attention but that's another thread.
From a PVE perspective I think the content is amazing, I actually like the critical system in the main story development. I think the levels are great (loved winter tusk) . Finally after two years of straight pvp I have took my lvl 60 warlord to lvl 63 and having fun doing it.
Thank you all for answering. In my opinion i think there has been good things and some not so good things ,we'll call them, in the past. Even with that i still think the game was way better back then. If they could they should make another Wizard101 game to go along with it that was the original game. That would be a blast, playing tha old game with the new and updated game.
2008 was the best time period. Everyone was nice everything was calm. The pvp system was just a circle that people joined. I think I am mixing in a little 2009, but you get the idea. I miss those days
Now everything is all about nerfing, complaining, ugh. I miss the old days
