Looking back....and the road goes ever on and on

History, reflections and what does the the future hold?

Once upon a time we were hunting for drops. Many were the parties that went to Dartmoor and Llyn Barfog to find those nice nifty accessories. The epic armour was something we longed for. Crafted stuff were good but we didnt have any bonuses on them...so crafters didnt have that good of a time.

Then spellcrafting arrived and made drop hunting obsolete, for those who had the money of course. Crafters got heaps of orders since everyone wanted nice crafted, spellcrafted and alchemized armour. Crafters were in heaven and people continued to hunt/quest for accessories.

We discovered new lands, some misty islands infested with drakorians. The evil foes of this lands carried loot of value. Once again we found ourselves hunting for drops but in new lands. Dartmoor got even more out of date (thou Golestandt is still interesting due to the amount of so called respec stones. Which gives you the oppertunity of trying all possible combinations of training without suffering for it). But there in the ocean outside Caldey a cliff protrude, legendary Caer Sidi. The loot from there got a huge "hype" and masses went storming in there with greed. After looking upon them they are not that great. Still crafted/spellcrafted/alchemized armours are better. Sure there are a few bonuses in the end but you need a full suit and also get Apocalypse on his knees and after that actually win the item (making the odds quite harsh). Due to this Sidi items sell at ridiculary high prices, most aint worth half. Crafters still wanted at this stage

Player villages were implemented and so were consignment merchants. A great relief for all traders. No hassle, put gear on merchant and wait for the buyer (still people expect you to come and deliver!). But many people of today expect the crafter to do master pieces for almost nothing. Also single account holders got alot out of the housing since trading among characters run smoothly now.

The future holds more, what will happen we don't really know. But things that come to mind is the arrival of Atlantis which will bring even higher loot, something called artifacts and master levels. Maybe will these things outmaneuver the crafted gear. Also its been rumoured about a market search function among the consignment merchants and this will really ruin the crafting situation, especially for those further into the villages who probably need to drop their prices alot to attract customers. Maybe crafting will slowly die...and drop hunting will be the way once again. History repeats itself....

What will happen next? If i look into my crystal ball maybe I'll see a new trade of making accessories. You can be a Jeweller making necklaces, bracers, rings, jewels and tailors get to sew regular cloaks and belts. This might give a boost to crafting but then make hunting for accessories obsolete. People often whine about balance but then we are talking about realm vs realm, classes and skills. A word often used is the uttermost hated nerf (imo). But where is the balance between drops and crafted items I ask myself.

This is not a whining post (thou its a long post). It's merely reflections of almost two years experience in Albion. Of course a game like this must evolve to attract the oldtimers (incl me) but some balance must be maintained. Albion mainland is our homeland and we should never lose our interest for it.

Thank you for reading this and comments are appreciated but try and keep it in a sensible manner. No real reason to flame or whine here.

PS I am myself a crafter but also a fan of drop hunting DS