Shattered Kingdoms

Well, I played this mud a year ago (approximately). I returned today actually to try again. I have been reading the forums even though I havent played. I must admit I was shocked by how the mud has been according to leveling....

Well, first of all the familiarity system is leading the mud in the very wrong direction.
For instance, I wanted to level a grey aura sprite rogue today and I must admit it was virtually impossible unless I wanted to spend XXX hours grinding NPCs. First I get punished by my gray aura and then I get punished by the familiarity system.
I cannot see how the familiarity system in any way encourage RP which is one of the declared goals of this mud. Another thing I have against it is that a character just isn't funny to play before you reach Veteran, so why should you be forced to spend all your time grinding NPCs? All the other players are far away "discovering" new areas and using all THEIR time grinding NPCs too.

The familiarity system ONLY gives the veteran players an advantage since they know all the good places to level. And yes they have spent time finding them but that isn't an argument as to why it should be hard for new players to level.

I totaly agree, how are people supposed to find a place to level up when they have never played this game? They would get lost unless someone who knows where places to train are helps them. That is suppose is helping rp by making people have to interact with eachother..

New players can RP with other players in the game and learn what they need to know always. If they RP once and go to the chancel for example and stay there for 20 levels grinding, there is not much RP going on. If they are forced to leave the chancel after 5-6 levels, they'll be forced to RP again and learn another area to level.

And fyi, using basic areas that are near starting cities(so most players know them and it's easy to get an answer if you ask them) you can hit veteran level within a few hours.

How many hours, I have never gotten to Veteran before 50 hours.. if that is a few to you, you must have a lot of time to spend on this game.

The mentor system was made not just to teach skills but to show characters around but I agree new players should be helped a little. My suggestion would be a sort of help guild before they enter the portals.

Like a really short version of the help files that describe how to talk, what kingdom is what and some hints to what starting city you should start in. A short description on class and race and their level of difficulty would be good to.

Roleplaying sure hasn't helped me find new areas to level. I STILL don't know anywhere to go after Journeyman.

Have you asked blatantly "Where should a journeyman of my trade practice his talents?".

I have asked that, and other similar questions, and get little by way or response. Also, it doesn't help when leveling areas are patrolled with people set to kill. I get the RP of patrolling leveling areas (did it myself as a trib member), but in my opinion that's one of the main reasons a stun mode exists. For example, I never patrolled a leveling area on kill mode, and always RPed before attacking which usually made the attack unnessecary, and if I *did* have to fight someone there, RPed after the attack and usually pointed the person to an "unclaimed" area to train in.

A few times, actually. The answer is usually "I don't know."

Lame.

I used to take people leveling just so I'd get the mentoring from them when they were ready to level and such. It got me mentor points month after month until I went inactive. It's a shame veteran people don't see the benefit of taking the same actions, and instead blow off lowbies like that.

Someone should start a mentoring campaign and put up posters in every corner of Pyrathia: "Save a n00b, mentor one today!"