Istaria

Arebuxum

I found a game about 2 weeks ago called Istaria.  I love the game in terms of how it plays it includes many elements that I look for in a game such as: 1) high level of influence that crafting has on the overall game, 2) you are able to access all game content and aren't restrained by classes or "zones", and 3) the vastness of the world.  

But those are just my opinions.  If you play the game or have played the game before, I'd be interested about what you think about it so please comment.  Thanks!

Palebane

I think the original concept was way better than what was released.

Lithuanian

Original concept (drawings in Warcraft style though) was very good. I just don't know what budget would it require to implement it all: vast areas, tens of crafting schools, thousands of technologies and vast numbers of enemies as well as vast areas to explore, nice areas to see, NPCs etc. Would be something like SWTOR+WOW budgets together...

The OP is right about Istaria - it has superb crafting, vast areas and each school, be it craft or combat, influences another.

I play Istaria almost for 1 year. In short - I like Istaria very much. It has very friendly community - whatever you need, from lvl.5 trophy to killing that ugly lvl.160 monster - you would get help. In most cases you won't need in-game currency at all. Players would builkd structures on their plots allowing everyone to use them thus helping greatly.

There are many quests from endless listening to land legends (no rewards though) to speciality quests. There are entire quests lines and sometimes very lucrative rewards. There is multiclassing: choose any from 14 combat schools, finish it to top level 100, then pick another school...and do so untill there are no more schools left. But wait a moment - there are crafting schools that have their own quests too. It is possible to finish entire school with quests and some minor non-quest killing.

And even if you are heavioly multiclassed - there are still areas full of challenge. Bloodskulk camp in Spiritous swamp, or some lvl.160 Mercenary. Maybe even Dralnok's Doom - high level characters will find their challenge here.

So far I am enjoying Istaria, my new friends there and responsible, adult community.

[if advertising is allowe - more impressions on my own blog there, on mmorpg.com]