>
>>Being a hidden class won't be a disadvantage in terms of
>>preps, because YOU can still speak to other people and YOU
>can
>>still choose to be visible when somewhere safe. And if you
>>can tank (as assassins can, and rangers can) people will
>WANT
>>to travel with you.
>>
>I agree.
>
>>Also, do you realise that gear and preps are already largely
>>level based? For example:
>>
>>Some preps can't be bought unless you are above a certain
>>level.
>>Wands can't be used unless you are above a certain level (in
>>particular, sleek wands can't be found until certain levels).
>
>>High level weapons do less damage when a low level uses them
>>than when a high level character uses them, etc.
>>
>I know that. What I say is not having the same for armor &
>weapons
>makes the game unbalanced (advantaging melee classes) making
>it more
>difficult for a newbie's first wizard.
>
>>What you seem to want is for gear not to make a difference,
>>and that would kill off the mud for a lot of other people.
>>It's not a "free win". It's also been shown that people
>stop
>>valuing stuff if it is laid on a plate for them.
>>
>I do not want gear to make no differences. I think it would be
>better
>to reduce the advantages of high level weapon and balance the
>game
>between wizards and melee classes. I agree with OldNewb when
>he says:
>
>"Going out and seeing hits, and grazes fighting mobs in gear
>you 'earned'
>and then getting ===OBLITERATED=== in PVP... well, it's
>demoralizing and
>humiliating and neither of those are 'fun.'"
>
>I know high level weapons are supposed to do less damage when
>used by low
>level player, but obviously they're still much more powerfull
>than what you
>can get by yourself.
>
>I don't think people would get away if the game was gear level
>based. Vets
>would still be able to use their gear knowledge for having the
>best set for
>the required level. And I doubt it would make them invincible
>when playing a
>necro (or other wizard). My guess is vets and Imms likes to
>run around and kick
>newbies asses without being really challenged. If this is the
>"feel of the game"
>they enjoy, I'm fine with it for the Imms: again, I'm not the
>one giving freely
>my time to keep CF up. But what is the result on long term?
>Personnaly, most of
>the time, I gave up PvP when I cannot cheap kill and just flee
>when someone comes
>for a fight. I avoid being cabaled (even if it makes me
>underpowered against any
>caballed char) to avoid PvP. I do multi-char hidden classes
> because I enjoy exploring)
>to avoid situations too hot for me and when multi-char is not
>working, I simply go
>play other games. Slowly, my CF playing time is going down and
>I hope that, eventually,
>I'll find a better (more balance) game than CF where I will be
>able to experiment what
>looks like a cool classe.
>
>I'll let you guess how many newbies are doing what I do...
>
>You like running after newbies who simply quaff 99% of the
>times and eventually are
>playing less because they feel they have no chances to win a
>PvP? Well, keep CF as it
>is because it's perfectly design for it (betting on old blood
>rather than newbie's).
>But this doesn't make sense for me: when I read graveyard
>comments, I see that players
>enjoy those who do not flee. And those fearless are, I'm sure
>of it, always char being
>played by vets.
>
>I do not care anymore about what CF becomes because i have the
>feeling it's a game design
>for a little bunch of people. I hope you'll find a way to
>enlarge playerbase (even if I think
>that it won't happen unless CF becomes more newbie friendly)
>because I enjoy my IC interactions
>with some players and my exploration time. When it's not
>enjoyable I simply go away and play
>something else.
>

Once I realise someone is a newbie, I don't kill them again unless they specifically invite me to have another go. And that includes with aps and the like who might stand to gain from the newbie's death. It's the main reason I don't rack up massive pk numbers, even though I can fight against the toughest characters in the mud and do fine.

However, there are stages to learning everything in life. You don't become a formula 1 driver by having your first driving lesson in a formula 1 car. In cf, the early stages then to be learning how to avoid dying, and then once you've got that sorted out, then you start turning the tables. Even as a newbie, if you know an area well, you aren't all that likely to die in it. I basically learnt a few areas well, and then ran to those if I was under attack. Gradually expanded what I knew, and in the process learnt how to pk.

Area knowledge is really valuable in pk. Probably as valuable if not more valuable than gear for about 50% of the classes out there.