Why do I play less and less

@Flapdrol
Thanks for suggestion.
The truth is I don't play in parties much except for a little party of 2-3 people I know. In big parties I feel useless as melee. Before I get to the monsters they are being evaporated. Also all the effects make my pc breathe heavily. And last thing is the M2M system. While it's kinda fair it also means I won't get any map from public group which I could use later with my friends. But yeah, at least one can taste higher level maps, even if it's not so much fun in such groups.

@Inexium
Heh, thanks but I don't need anything, really. I just want the game to present challenges that are fun to work on.

What I mean is that even hard tasks can be done so they are fun to be worked on, but RNG/wealth based 'challenges', where map progression, gear obtaining and crafting belong are completed by things that are not so fun (for me anyway). 'Not fun' doesn't necessarily mean 'hard'. Some fanboys confuse those terms.

i agree with you on most points.
one exeption is the one where you say the slow progress in higher levels is driving people into rmt sites. i doubt that because then it would apply to nearly every ingame challenge. people are just cheat or they don't, dependent on their attitude (and the risk to get caught). and the game needs to be challenging.

the other is that you don't find gear upgrades through drops. i must admit it's harder to find or craft the good stuff yourself than by trading but it's again your choice. i would rather play another 100 hours to get the gear i want than rip off some newbies by trading.

looking back i must say i found the best gear while being in parties, preferably big ones. but since there are mostly instanced loot parties now it's really not much exitement when public partying.

"

wiggin wrote:

... Make a dedicated MF character.
Yes, I can make a dedicated MF sorc and grind to death until I generate enough wealth to break through the "map wall". But then I should also take this character to those maps unless I want to get kicked back to the square 1. And these MF chars only work with the extremely effective and safe builds like dual spork which bore me. I like to hack and slash, I don't like playing chess (in a video game anyway). Maybe if MF didn't exist the drops wouldn't be so bad for "normal" builds... So if I want to have more fun in higher maps I have to be bored with MF sorc first? No thanks.

There is a pretty good trick to avoid being bored as a dedicated MF-er ( considering you already have 1 MF-er geared but you rarely play it anymore ) , just join a group that is doing high level maps as every single group needs a dedicated MR-er ( or at least the best groups do ). This way everyone profits at the same time , you just don't get the benefit to pick the map drops yourself but if you stick to a certain map group you'll find later on that you don't really need the maps anyways .

Give it a try might just fit your boredom , I mean socilizing with people more in game etc .

@geradon

Edit - I have just realized I misunderstood what you were saying. Yeah, maybe it was exaggeration with the real money option, but it was something I thought I would consider if I really wanted to go on. Anyway the paragraph above can be safely ignored, dammit. Spoilerized.

@skaterboy
Thanks for suggestion. I know how these MF-ers work and I find that whole concept not only very boring but also fitting more a random Korean MMO than true ARPG to be honest. I want to slay my enemies and kill things with style, not make an ineffective culling-IR-IQ-finishing move and play this loot generating botch role in a PUG... for what? Loot? I don't mind loot but I want to have fun obtaining it.

Anyway that's the problem that the groups need a MF-er. Because drops without MF are terrible. MF became mandatory. But there is already another thread with a lot of explanations about why this mechanic is flawed so I stop right here :)

I honestly don't know why they don't just adopt the system they have in TL2. I know it's really a SP game, but the map system works. You have your choice of mods and all for more difficult content (better items).

All they have to do is make the maps cost a fixed amount of currency based on the mods that are on it.

And, plain maps cost is very reasonable, like 6 TP scrolls or something.

Given how a gear upgrade has to have number of sockets, mods, fusings and finally color...there is plenty to sink our currency into without having to waste it on the map system.