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I remember...
Back when I first landed on Shaiya World (right-click my name, see the date)...
In Beika town, there was a great number of people everywhere!
After figuring out the buttons, the interface, and asking someone what is the purpose, what do we do here, and upon receiving very friendly explanations, I was driven and so motivated I started my endeavor aiming to become the best Priest around!
Killing pets was not really nice, but then I thought "we are setting free the souls of these animals from malicious dark spell". Then it was ok for me!
At that time many of us New Members were finding helpful friends high levels, between lv50 and lv60, providing assistance and showing us the very basics. We did learn it was indispensable to read carefully the labels to all Skills and stuff before doing anything. And how to understand the Stats, how they each work together and things. What was awaiting us in other districts and at higher levels, and so how to make a plan...
At level 10, we started really partying seriously; One strong Defender in front with a Ranger as wingman for weakening them foes, Fighters on each side ready to rip 'em in pieces, Mage and Archer at the rear for bombing. Gosh, all 6 of them resting on my support was a real burden for 1 Priest! I had no time to sit there crying for mom, all I saw was those big orange foes looking very mad rushing toward my crew. I was locked on the Defender who got them agroed on him while the crew was fighting them with all they had. My task was to keep him alive no matter what, but those nasty beasts were casting incapacitating spells on team-mates! Fast dispel and healing and following advancing and watching my sides for standing on safe spots was really a lot to bear, no time for chatting!
Combat was so intense during several hours, we were exhausted and we had to retreat somewhere take a pause.
It was great; we were making lots of gold, experiencing different foes and doing Quests, getting nice outfits and things, selling stuff or exchanging items between us. We were learning Combat together, making up strategies considering each other's specific abilities, drawing up tactics so we don't get overwhelmed. Because while advancing, foes were reappearing on our back, one Fighter had to keep an eye on the rear crew! Mage and Archer have very strong fire-power, but they are inherently weak lacking physical defense strength, and the Caretaker (Priestess/Priest) is not meant for taking shots. We came up with the "Escape Maneuvering", running straight line until the foe had let go, and then joining back safely. So, I could focus and stay locked on the Front-Crew. We had to stand together and watch for each other.
We were a real Team, a Squad, ready for everything!
Then, we entered the Dungeons!
Our experience in Combat together showed its use, even when it was not with the same crew members, we were ready and we knew our job. However, that was something else. Foes in dungeons are extremely tough, very nasty, respawning fast, determined to not let you go where you planned to, and they have little tricks of their own. Also, there are surprises, Big Foes showing up red and even purple. You can't empty the room and fight that one alone. Again, we had to use tactics and team-work. Thanks to "levelling", we were getting stronger outfits and those much needed new Skills! We surely learned how to use them correctly, asking high level guys and doing tests before anything. Rewards from Dungeons were awesome!
Everybody about same level was pretty skilled. It was easy to find team-mates, great party lasting for hours, standard pulling, in which everyone knew what to do. Few were Hm, there was no need to because we knew how to interpret the Stats and to set them correctly. We knew what Skills were required and how to use them.
In general, Nm built was accurate and that was perfect. Um were extremely rare, and to be honest we didn't like partying with them. Simply because they were imposing an additional and unnecessary burden on the rest of the crew (not carrying Ress Runes). And therefore Caretakers with Um Resurrection Skill were rare too, other Skills were much more useful for them and their crew (Party)! Anyway, Hm and Um stuff was a lot more expansive and very difficult to find (drops).
We were getting everything we needed from drops working on those ourselves. Partys were dedicated at getting stuff like that. Everyone could buy anything, either with gold earned along the way or by Farming for that. There was a sense of "personal satisfaction" when working for something we needed. Shaiya in-game economy was proper and balanced, and it was performing perfectly. We had to save some gold, to be careful with our expenses, and that's all. Spending 11 millions gold on the Horse at lv40 was The Grand Achievement! It was the result of planning and thinking ahead. I remember, some people were asking help for Farming to get 1 or 2 millions missing, of course we helped 'em out: at lv40 you had to have your Horse!
After working in Adelia doing Quests and things, in Stigma Cave for outfits and weapons, and reaching lv50 in Elemental Cave (which was teaching a lot about higher foes and the use of magics), we entered Pando. Gosh, that was Boot Camp, the real Academy! We had to know pretty well what we were doing, because there was no second chance at all. You make a mistake and you lay on the ground even before realizing you did something wrong. Like, someone picks up agro disturbing the pull and in 5 seconds everyone is dead. And we did hate dying, it was a bit shameful, we had to save our teamate's life! Everything was done to avoid dying. Only the very best crew members were venturing up there in Pando.
I was the first to introduce partying 2 Caretakers in Pando. It was strange, awkward to many, no one had seen that before and most people were sceptics, because the 2nd Caretaker takes the place of 1 shooter in the Party. But soon its necessity was proven. When someone picked up agro by mistake (or because of stress), the 2nd Caretaker took over and therefore saved the entire crew. Resurrecting someone was not endangering the whole Squad anymore. Before long, 2 Caretakers in a party became standard, very common.
Laymen need to understand this, at that time everyone in the Party was about same level. We were engaging foes that were yellow, orange, and even sometimes red. Even lv60 were having trouble in Pando. It was requiring precise team-work. No one could do a thing on his/her own, nowhere. There was no such thing as "soloing", besides Farming for gold or while waiting for friends.
And that was great!
That is how Shaiya is made: for teamwork.
There was great satisfaction, a sense of accomplishment working together in Party, defeating very strong foes and getting the item or exp. It had a meaning. We had a purpose. Of course, there were trouble-makers and rascals, kssing (stealing target) and partys fighting for the same area... But we managed. And GS were adult people, so they knew how to deal with kids. Usually, same people were always partying together, we reached same levels, and we helped others by partying them with us.
And then, more people started getting interested in pvp, in Borderlands. Others started new characters. At that time, several Guilds in both sides (Light & Dark) got together (allied) and began messing up everything by a Treaty they came up with. Those Dark and Light Allied-Guilds were denying Borderland access to people who were not member of one of their Guilds. Many people did quit Shaiya. I lost many friends (even though I was never interested in pvp). Soon after that, some people introduced the concept of "Power-Levelling", saying to New Members they "need" to do Nm, then Hm, and then Um, for making lots of gold because they were selling gold outside Shaiya. Getting Gold Bars became the sole objective.
That has triggered the end of the Real Shaiya World.
Nothing much happens now, as per Combat. It's gone, no Combat anymore, people just ask a lv70 to kill everything and that's it: fast and easy exp. You try partying with some and it's chaos. Everyone wearing tons of Liquids, and engaging anything at random, dying as quick as saying "watch out". Even, trying to give a hand is useless, no one cares about Stats or Skills, that's not what people want. Exp is never fast enough for them.
These last days, I went snoopin' around in every District looking to see what is happening, trying to get the picture. There was no one in Eureomana County (map 1), I found 1 little Mage working alone on green foes. There was no one in Willieuseu County (map 2), I only found several power-levelling here and there, mostly in Dungeons. Elemental Cave (in map 2) was empty, not a soul around. We used to reach lv50 there, from lv47. Adelia County (map 3) was dead empty, along with Stigma Cave in which we used to get outfits and weapons.
Pando is a farce, really.
Lately, I did party with a group of people between lv53 and 55 trying to work in Viri (Pando). I had just joined up and had not buff everyone already, and the Mage jumped on foes trying to tank; he died in 3 seconds. The Priest jumped over there trying to resurrect the Mage; he died in 3 seconds. A Fighter jumped in trying to do I don't know what exactly; he died in 3 seconds... After I did resurrect everyone they asked me to leave party, because I was eating up all their EXP. But, we had not even killed a thing yet!
I was confounded.
Right there, I knew everything is really dead.
Shaiya has been deprived of its "spirit".
There is no other place like Shaiya World, its program, its template, sceneries, places and buildings, characters and builts, everything is unique and very well conceived, running smooth, not heavy on the PC.
Nowadays, everyone has billions and billions of gold. But... what for?
Actual price on everything is outrageous, insulting, even gross. Just look at the price on label to items, normal acceptable profit is 12% (real life). Prevent Exp Drop (PeD) used to be sold 3 millions gold each, you got 3 for 5 millions gold. That was corresponding with its real value in real money (Aeria Website). Everyone could get that, farming for gold was normal. Average Wage is about 200 000 gold per 4 hours, one can make close to half a million gold in 4 hours, so you get 1 million per day, average. And you get 10 Blue Icecream Potions for 1 million gold (when the Aeria Vendor is down there, in Karis Castle). Does 1 Party Summon Rune really worth 100 millions gold each? You need 100 days to get that much gold in-game. There is no in-game real economy anymore, these high prices are simply offensive to the sense of right and decency.
Why so much gold anyway?
No one is doing Combat, besides strictly and only for power-levelling (for gold).
Does Power-Levelling really worth 1 OP per hour? (I saw that recently)
That is pure nonesense, taking advantage of people.
Is that the only purpose?
Is Shaiya just a Stocks Exchange Den?
A Stock Market?
If that is the case, remove Auction House from Aeria territories and create its own system with bling-blings, items, and stuff. And set Shaiya free! I prefer the real Stock Exchange Market: it's real money.
Shaiya is my Homeland on the internet.
But it has changed too much, only its skeleton is left.
I feel like the planet where I was born is totally deserted,
A barren and desolate place...
I do miss it... quite a lot...
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http://www.freewebs.com/sid-cham/