Eden Group Project - tl;dr ahead

[Gankz]

The Eden Group (Paradise group on kRO) is a group introduced in Renewal that makes the game far easier to get into than it is right now. From level 11 or 12 til 85 it provides you with item gathering, kill count, and traveling quests you can do for experience to help you out. Along with that there are 3 main quests that can be completed as you get stronger (I think the first is at 15, second is around 30, and last is around 40 or so) and they provide you with gears suited for the class you're making that really help you out. They're character bound. It also provides a hat that can be enchanted with +2 of any stat you choose. Here's a screenshot of my Thief and Acolyte on cRO Renewal:

(Click to view)
Now, you're probably assuming at first glance that the equipment I'm wearing is stuff I've hunted on a high level character and I'm just using them on my low level character? Wrong.

The armor:
MaxHP + 100, MaxSP + 10.
Impossible to refine
When you do the second quest around level 30 the Eden group will give you a slightly better armor (Gives more hp and sp, just slightly) and again when you do the third quest. This goes for the boots as well, the garment gets no upgrades.

The Boots:
Recovery HP + 10%. Recovery SP + 2%.
Impossible to refine this item.

The Garment
Increase resistance to Neutral Property attacks by 10%.
Impossible to refine this item.

The hat:
Just a simple and stylish hat, though once you complete all 3 stages of the equipment quests, you are allowed to add a +2 of any stat to it free of charge.

A weapon:
At the second quest around level 30, when you complete it you will get the choice of a weapon related to your class. It's generally a weapon with a fairly high attack that will give a benefit to your leveling ability. This weapon can level up as well and you gain an even stronger weapon when you complete the third quest.


Now, the suggestion:
I suggest that we have a system such as this set up. I know it won't be easy, and it takes a fair amount of scripting, but will benefit the server in the end. The only "Renewal" part of the Eden group would possibly be the defense of the armors (They have quite a bit of defense for current settings) but of course they can be tweaked to fit normal RO. They don't involve third classes, or anything else...it's just a spot where new players can actually get a foothold on leveling and setting up their characters. None of the equips are slotted, nor are they refinable, along with being character bound.

The point of all this is to make it easier for new players to start on the server and level at a decent pace, while giving them acceptable equipment to actually perform well without having to ask others for help. This can benefit the server in giving players the opportunity to get into the server easier without having to spend a while grinding up just to get passed first class.

Now, I know, this sounds like a whole bunch. I know how servers work and I'd be stupid to think this would even have a possibility of being done if I just dropped it on the GMs and said "MAEK WURK PLZ". I ran my own server once (badly) and I run my own test server for people on my LAN. I'd be more than willing to script quests and put together items for the purpose of this being put onto the server. I'm extremely proficient when it comes to client side related things as well. I also have a paid account on the iRO test server for renewal so I can get text content as well and official data from using it.

So firstly I ask you, the community, what you think of this? Like it? Hate it? I'd like some feedback.

[Ngjoko]

I dunno, the server already provided lots of handicap for new comers already, the buddy beanie is one of them. Also, we don't really need exp quest since the rates are high enough and people will abuse it. If any one wish to learn how to play, the training ground already explained the basic mechanics and will provide some good help after the training. After job change, they can direct themselves to their respective job trainer for some mechanics of the job they'd chosen. As they'll also provide gears in and after the training. This is an MMO, we should explore and not completely hand fed. HeRO's handicap is already good enough imo, so i'd say no to that.

[Split Ends]

vets here started even without any custom help i think (idk i only started this may) and look at what they are now. goes to show that people dont need those gears. being strong is one thing, being strong QUICKLY is another thing

[Ngjoko]

Right. Even if you're well geared and high level with excellent build, you'd still die a lot if you don't know your mechanics well. So we should point out the trainers to new comers than feed them with stuff that might kill their fun.

[Gankz]

The point of it is that it isn't as annoying to get past that 85 mark with this. It would allow you to gain exp at a comfortable level, instead of taking forever.

The buddy beanie is not "a lot" of handicaps. Sure, a couple hundred extra hp, awesome...but you're still screwed for leveling spots due to the fact that there is no way to make zeny as a new player so you're stuck with the lowest tier equipment.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by someone "abusing" this for exp. We can't even gain more than one level at a time on this server, and it's not like they can even use this after they hit 86.

I know you see it as "not that difficult" to level up and get geared and get to where they are. I've made trans characters on lower rates than this and I even have a 97 wizard on iRO. That's not really the point. The point is to allow new people to the server get a good head start and start off easier. Very few low rates are around anymore because of the mindset you seem to be displaying.

[Ngjoko]

It's more than just a couple hundred of HP, it's a pupa(700 HP) and a willow(80 SP) card on an upper head gear with high defence value and additional 3% exp from mobs until level 70 is already a very huge handicap and it's not hard to do and very rewarding.

Ok, for abuse, let's say you're making a thief and an acolyte. Acolyte is a pain to level, thief is easy. Thief do item gathering quests first, you remember the stuff to gather, put in storage, transfer to acolyte, instant exp until level 85, provided you can get all the amount of stuff necessary. Sure they can't use it at 86, but it still an instant level shot from low to 85 if you know how to get it right.

I've been here for 7 months already without any trans and or good gears and as you can see my level is crap. Still i'm not feeling bad or difficult that i can't grind as fast as split ends or anyone else. You might say i have a really slow pace, but that's just me. I still think that all this will ease the game for sure, but since it's so easy people will leave after they're done with the leveling which had been made easy and boring and life after 99 is nothing since they aren't attached to the community.

[Gankz]

It's not 100% item gathering quests, it's also kill count quests (you can't cheat this.) and run around and talk to people quests. Most quests have a cooldown so you can't even repeat them too often.

Something like this wouldn't rocket you to 86, it'd assist in leveling and take you out of the same old metalings/geos/wolves/toy factory/etc. It'd give low level players some actual content, because at the moment all you can do is the run around quests for the newbie hat. I don't know about you but after grinding characters up to job 50 a whole lot of times it feels really boring and it just feels like you're just restarting on the same server every time.

[Snowhawk]

I kinda like the idea mainly because it'll help me finally get to level my Merchants and my Acolyte.

Have had the Merch and Aco longer than my Sin and my Aco just made level 50. I try to split my training time on all my characters down the middle but some are just hard to train without parties, something I never get to do until recently.

[Jens]

Way to make people even more spoiled.

[ShadowValentine]

What's the Buddy Beanie?