I wouldn't mind crafting if I could use /lastsync But honestly it never really was that bad. There is ALWAYS a place you can farm EPs while waiting for another party, which should also be making you gil at the same time. Granted it isn't going to be the 10-15k xp an hour. Most likely 5k an hour but still 4-5k an hour is better than doing nothing. Even WHM can hammer it up on some EPs are kill them quick since monsters on Nasomi stay EP longer than on retail.

That's cool, more power to players like you. I only played retail for a couple years on and off, but my experience was exping in parties. I have never enjoyed playing that way, and would not have played here if I had to do that to make it. Im sure I am not the only one. If the goal is to increase new players while maintaining a quality of play that keeps them playing, then I dont agree with this and just view it as a band-aid.

Last synth is too easily exploited.

This is right. It sucks for the 55+ crowd, like really sucks. But a smaller sync range makes people who'd stay in the "hot spots" spread out due to the inability to party there. But most people quit before they get to 50-55 anyways, so things will only get worse for the later levels.



Maybe, but even more important right now is that more of these new players progress into the 40-65 range. This server has always been extraordinarily bottom heavy and still is. Nas has has been working hard and the early game he's built is working great, but something has been causing most players to quit before or around reaching later levels. BCNMs back in will def help, but the nostalgia wears off and the hard grind kicks in, and perhaps once there are more players in that range, the complaints might reveal the balance issues, lack of camp issues, or bugs that have been keeping people from staying. Demand on many low level items is currently sky rocketing too. Without more established newer players to craft and supply this new influx, the economy is going to discourage new players too.

I need to get back into crafting starter items again, it's been something i've been meaning to do. The nostalgia wearing off and grind kicking in it kind of unavoidable, but for me that pain was eased by my slower pace, as well. But we had to take breaks back then. I remember i had to stop and level LC to make a warrior's belt because the AH was all but empty, there was no LC on the server at all. We'd level a bit, then the zone would crash because dynamis. These guys have it super easy compared to the beginning, they can just level and nothing will get in their way.

Sure, my opinion of the mid game right now is just not great. It's either players like you and Benzula who take it slow, duo, etc that make it through, or a small number of hyper players that power through. The xp to level itself is enough that a very large number of players would be in those ranges if they just kept playing. From 30-60 there are just a very small number of fun camps, and after that finding people to party becomes very hard. There are so many zones in this game no one uses. If the server is going to have 2k-3k people on it someday, Id rather they be in groups all over the world, than duos and trios spreading out just trying to find an ounce of xp somewhere.

Ill agree that we could use an even larger influx of new players just to have the smaller percentage that makes it through in the mid game. The more players in mid game, one of the two will happen. More fun camps will be discovered that yield solid xp that make people want to play the game or the lack of said camps will be even more evident and a change will come in.

For the record, I duo'd or trio'd a sum total of 1-2 times as bst, and hated every second of it. GC is a blast from 32-35, same with CN at 35-48. There's a small dead spot between 48-51 in KRT that i synced down to 40's for to make it to 50, then KRT to 55, then btree to 60. I absolutely hate soloing and duoing, it's just not for me. 6 man party consisting of tank, healer, and a bunch of dps is my ideal party. Sometimes it's tough to find, but I've never had a problem making my own, especially in the past 6 months with the recent population boom.