ScytheRO Review (11/11/08)

[FTC1and2]

SERVER INFO:
(Super High Rate) 20000x/20000x/500x
WoE: Tuesdays/Thursdays/Saturdays
Max Level: 999/150
Max Stats: 1000each
Max aspd: 194
Instant Cast: dex 150
Card Drop: 5%
Too many customs to name: (items/maps/quests?)
Lots of @commands: (...)

GM TEAM

GMs: Admin(Zairik) is rarely active both on forums and in-game [active behind the scenes (scripting)]
        Host(Scryed) rarely active on forums and never in-game
Staff:(Formerly ScytheRO players raised to Staff)(Minimal GM powers)
       NissinRamenGirl is the most active one of the RO staff she sits in the main town to answer questions about the game.
       Euphemia is moderate-rarely active in game and does not really interact with players.
       Seduction is rarely active in game when she is on she does answer players questions.

COMMUNITY

Population: 100-140 people on each day (-20 for those autotrading/afk)
The community is above average on the friendliness scale.
Not much chatter in the public chat box, people are earily quiet or in private conversations.
For a PVP server not many people do pvp, the max ive seen is 9 in one of the many rooms.

GAME PLAY
Leveling is very easy 1-999 in about an hour and is less for a non-trans class.
Reseting 3 times in order to get max stats would take less than 4 hours.
Zeny is easy to accumilate people with max aspd can get gold bars in the treasure room very easily. Soul linkers can get treasure chests in the treasure room which is faster.
Regular leveling gear is easy to get (blackmarket/mall) npcs sell them.
PvP/WoE gear is somewhat harder, as the MvP/MiniBosses that dropo them have regular spawn times from 30min-8hours.
Items that would unbalance the server (god/customs/some items from the new update/ygg berries seeds/cards) are removed or nerfed.
The customs are either easy for someone to get or very hard. The customs are balanced they just add +20 def and and extra headgear slot
Donations are for customs: Its expensive for me.
MvP cards are very easy to get only thing stopping you is competition.
Events are automated and sometimes no one does them.

SERVER MAINTANENCE
Many updates need to be done to the server: the most important of them are fixing the server time and balancing skills for a high rate server.
There was a time when the server was down and GMs did not communicate with the players, everyone was in the dark about what was going on.

MY CRITICISMS:
I played Scythe since January until the wipe, I did not play during beta. I've been playing since it officially started again around October 28/29th.
There is BARELY any communication between GM team and Players which really upsets me. Their defense is they are busy with their own lives, too busy to deal with server issues. It feels as if Zairik no longer cares for this server. If a player brings up an issue with the server (like updates or bugs that need to be fixed asap) the issue is usually ignored. I dont understand why he would be ignoring a server that was just made, I think it is important to focus more on the server at the early stages. So it seems that the server is not being maintained as well as it used too, causing it to stagnate and players to leave, which is too early for it to be happening.

Please feel free to comment and dialogue...

[asdfqwerty123]

First, thank you for taking the time to write a detailed review.

As far as the forums, threads on our forums get several pages long, I try to read them when I have time, but I don't always reply.  Typically they're talking about suggestions I already plan to do or decided not to do and they didn't agree with it, either related to skills or the value of items or server rules.  I tend not to reply unless I see a place where I need to give specific clarification.

I never really have gotten too involved in-game, as always I'm busy scripting if I'm online so nothing really new about that, it has pretty much been that way since the server started (Feb. 22, 2007).  Some might see that as a good or bad thing, really just a matter of opinion I guess.  But certainly I put too much work into this server for two years for someone to think I don't care about our/my server, I do care.  You weren't here for beta so you missed all the constant major updates from about mid August until late October, plenty of 5-6 hour sleep nights for weeks on top of real-life and my job.  Trust me, I've done a lot that shows I care about the server.

As far as what happened on that specific day where the server went down, I didn't immediately know it was down but I made a thread when I realized it was down, but got it fixed right after that so it didn't really help.  Our server reboots automatically if it goes down, but apparently the whole server machine itself went down.  Overall just an odd problem to even happen.

Just wanted to point out - If you played from January to August, and since beta started, you're coming up on playing almost a year.  That's a pretty long time for any server, much less a Super High Rate which most people assume would bore people in a day or two.  I don't know about you, but when I use to play MMORPG's (in general, much less a specific private server) as a regular player, at most I would play about 6 months (or less) maximum regardless of what MMORPG it was.  That's quite a long time.

I'd like to hear more, I like reading these kind of well written reviews.

[FTC1and2]

Thank you for the quick response.

I still continue to play Scythe, my reason for staying so long is not because I have friends on the server that I feel obligated to stay for, I like the server style itself, it is beacause I really hate starting fresh on another server. I do think Scythe can be a top server again with work and time. Yes, I do beleive you put a lot of effort in the server, but to the majority of the players (who never go on forums) you may come across as aloof. My main concern is the server time being incorrect as that changes the WoE times. In RO playing in general the game is continuous without a set goal. For me my goal was to get 3 WoE characters with above average gear and participate in WoE. I have already done that. My life circumstances allows me a lot of free time and my access to the outside is limited to a computer and a window.
But my hate to start over in another server prevents me from leaving, so I will apply for intern position to help the server more. And seeing the need for more active Staff since nissin will be leaving, and that I am on my computer virtually all the time, I would be a good candidate.

[Jin-Rho]

At first i have to say taht Zai made the work as good as possible.

In most points i would quote the post of "FTC1and2".
Sad,that he hadnt realy dealed with the negative parts of Server, and there alot.

BUT the most indefensible delinquencies is a unbelivable, nearly never-ending "nerfed/erase-List."
With few exceptions all new stuff got erased. Dont know,if he try to make a server more "Noob-compatible".
They said its done 4 balance.

References to do so without erase

Second problem i spotted is the wish to make EACH class beatable by EACH CLASS.
A REAL brake of balance,nice for fans of few classes but never thought that way on Gravity.
|__>This is my personal apsekt on balance.If u like it,u will have alot of fun.

Im just a lil bit sad of endless looking for an REAL balanced SHR-server with friendly comunity.
If server has the first, the second part is missing or by other way.

Hoped, staff would use beta-phase a touch better.....

Geez,
Jin

[animianacs]

Its not everyday you could see a SHR server comes back up after a wipe,

and zai have made an effort doing that
if ur going to say that its a "noob-compatible" server, so be it
however, it is a way to get someone to play classes they never had imagine
indeed the server has not fully recovered back to its old state, but zai did prompt up a thread of his mind for the future of scythe

in anyways, it was a smart choice to come up with beta's
it's like killing 2 bird with 1 stone XD
players can get used to the new enviroment and with them complaining bout bugs and error, makes it easier for an admin to discover it 1 at a time ^_^

[Dissident]

I've been thinking about this for a while now, and I'm not sure if this is the right place to post it but since its about Scythero,

Quest¡on/suggestion: Since scythero had a wipe, and started anew ( Everything changed ), shouldn't the reviews on RMS ( The ones before the wipe ) be deleted or something, cause clearly those reviews and all that were based on how the old scythe was, and not how it is now, those reviews could-be/are misleading.

[mickiedeez]

I've been thinking about this for a while now, and I'm not sure if this is the right place to post it but since its about Scythero,

Quest¡on/suggestion: Since scythero had a wipe, and started anew ( Everything changed ), shouldn't the reviews on RMS ( The ones before the wipe ) be deleted or something, cause clearly those reviews and all that were based on how the old scythe was, and not how it is now, those reviews could-be/are misleading.

I'd post in server report.  yC didn't do anything last time I suggested it.  Maybe she missed it though.

[Dissident]

I've been thinking about this for a while now, and I'm not sure if this is the right place to post it but since its about Scythero,

Quest¡on/suggestion: Since scythero had a wipe, and started anew ( Everything changed ), shouldn't the reviews on RMS ( The ones before the wipe ) be deleted or something, cause clearly those reviews and all that were based on how the old scythe was, and not how it is now, those reviews could-be/are misleading.

I'd post in server report.  yC didn't do anything last time I suggested it.  Maybe she missed it though.

I hope they do something about it.

and this is exactly why,

My review on RMS
"Horrible PvP, with no balance at all,awful holy light spam rate and dmg,check on Scythe's forums for the unheard PvP complains,where Zairik(ScytheRO Administrator/Owner/Manager/Scripter)don't even listen/care bout any suggestion players make(Dictator).It used to be the best SHRS(before the wipe), but now, its just another server"

Zairik's answer.( Owner )
"Skills are balanced and have their own advantages and disadvantages, each has a counter strategy. I do reply and care, but I don't give in to every suggestion. That's one reason why we're still the best Super High Rate server."

See, now, I'm not attacking the server or anything like that. all I want is for Zairik to realize his server is not the best super high rates, it used to be but not anymore, but because of the old reviews, he thinks the server is doing well, so he does nothing bout it.So please look into this matter, all I want is improvement for scythero.

Thanks.

PS
Can't talk directly to him, he never listens.

[AnonymousZidane]

Playing the original ScytheRO was fun for me. After the wipe everything just went downhill, the Admin hardly interacts with players, If he does (Once a month average) someone usually gets banned. The new event NPC's are innovative but causes two things: 1 Server economy is a joke, 2 Admin's way of saying he doesn't care about the server. Zairik if you're reading this you need to pick it up man. Back then this server had a 400 player average and now it's at 150. This server CANNOT live up to it's slogan "Best super high rate server", In fact, I'll call it mediocre and pathetic for a server.

GM Interaction 2/10

GM's are hardly ever on, but every day 1 gm is logged in but never consistant. 1 GM is totally overbearing and doesn't give a damn about players 1 GM is on maternity leave and 1 GM is busy with things, and logs in occasionally. Oh and did I mention the intern? (What intern you ask?) the one that never logs on that's who! Only GM that does the work is a complete overbearing careless person who (as i see it) wants GM powers and bans and mutes players for little things and the admin is never on. GM Interactions with the server is pathetic.

Current GM's

NissinRamenGirl 9/10 - Nice person, deals with problems with no hitch, always does her job never overbearing. Recently gave birth to a child and is on maternity leave. This person is ideal for GM work. Personally, she's the best of the other 2

Michie 7.5/10 - A rather new GM, came back from the hospital, good with problem dealing but one hitch is he is always busy so he cannot tend to the server on certain days. Idea GM if he isn't so busy at times.

Euphiemia 2/10 - Sad excuse for a GM, he's the only reason why my rating is so low for GM's. He usually on but never there, abuses his power like a goldigger going through Tom Cruise's wallet. Bans anybody for slight things like posting in the wrong threads. Loses his temper in a blink, doesn't give a rat's-donkey about assisting other people. Only time when I usually see him on is when he bans somebody and that's that.

Custom Items 8.5/10

Custom items are good. Donation refunds are still on hold (After 5 or so months after the wipe and they still haven't organized themselves to get their refunds handled) Leveling NPC's are a joke, the whole recommended leveling system doesn't really work. Players could just storm a map spamming ygg berries and get 999 in a day. This server went from a thriving excellent server into a slum. The new map is too crowded. Leveling is mediocre, Character balancing is yet to be done, GM's need to be hired. More patches and updates MUST be done. 

Admin 1/10

Never on (only logs in once a month average) Doesn't give a damn about his server. Doesn't take advice, Claims himself as Perfect. Doesn't give a rat's-donkey about helping players with their money issues and just pushes these problems to his friend who does them (Did I mention he never does his job either?) Nobody wants to see their money go to waste and yet their money still hasn't bee refunded. This guy is a joke, why is he even an admin? No interaction with players and server. If admin was a job, this guy should be fired.Oh! Did I mention he started a new thing for dungeons and dragons?. And all these freaking excuses. Just admit it Zairik you made this server suck.

Server 8/10

Always online, just has a hint of lag to movements.

Economy 1/10

Event NPC's ruined the server's economy, (It was bad enough in the first ScytheRO) But seriously, this is PATHETIC. Players scam like hell, People OVERPRICE not to mention the lack of involvement from the GM's to intervene. Zairik said it himself "GM's are not involved with the server economy." All i got to say is: that is the most lamest excuse ever.

Rules 10/10

I give this my best rating because the GM's are doing a great job BANNING people. Nothing more Nothing Less.