Wingnut
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Around this time of year, I always get a bit nostalgic about this game. Every year, I log back in to see what they've got threatening Frostval this time. And every year, I decide I'll hunker down and actually farm for those gift boxes. Maybe it'll be worth it, I think. Maybe I'll enjoy it. But I never stick to it. Random encounters have lost their spark. New quests are full of enemies meant for all this new-fangled gear I'd have to do more farming to acquire. A bit of a vicious circle, if you kennit.
After a few battles, I sigh. I return to town with a small pile of gold amassed, and I start to get misty eyed. I remember the good old days. Back when Frostval gifts only cost a few thousand gold for a high level set. Back when war rewards were affordable. Actual prizes after a long fight, rather than items with a price tag so high you actually lose more than what you've earned fighting to reach them. And nothing cost real money. Guardianship, rarely. But never would you need to pay $40+ to actually have your prize. That's a different story, and an issue I'm not going any deeper into.
I've lost more than my fair share of rares over the years, throwing them away to get new, shinier equipment without a care in the world. A while back, things even got more valuable to sell than the price you paid after the war ended, tempting you away from your trophies. I fell into that trap myself a few times. I regret it now. Carnax equipment, old Frostval gifts. Pretty much anything pre-2007 I ever had is gone, victim to power-grabbing. But that's no one's fault but mine.
In fact, I don't blame anyone for the rise in equipment prices. I'm sure the AQ team has their reasons, and I'm sure they're quite good. I'm not going to dispute the path the game has taken. I've accepted that it's just a different path than I took. And that's fine.
But I think what gets me most is the art. I remember when I first became a Guardian. It took two payments, because we tried mail-order the first time and it didn't ever get in. But I wasn't bitter. I was too excited when I could finally log in whenever I wanted. Not have to wake up early in the morning to sign in and save my spot on the servers so I could go adventuring when I got home after school. I remember that grin when I saw my character step out in that shiny new armor. And the bigger grin when I could finally have Valencia forge the Blade of Awe I'd had complete, but useless for a few months. When I first discovered the Nightmare set and marveled over it. The abilities baffled me, the price tag too. But at the time, it was the only equipment available at that power level, and it felt right. But mostly the art. It looked intimidating, felt like something you would wear to cause nightmares. That iconic pose of the accomplished player on the page of those over level 100, at the time
Over the years, art would start to be updated. Now, don't misunderstand me here. I fully understand redoing the art from years ago. Even now, some lower-level monsters that got left out stand out as poorly drawn compared to some of the newer stuff. But some of the changes just didn't sit well. The guardian armor, once sleek and shiny now feels stiff, updated when other variants to allow for the slight appearance of starting classes. Both the old Uber sets, while now shinier, and fitting in with the new items just feel wrong. And I remember a small outrage from a specific user when the Vorpal Blade was vastly altered. Couldn't tell you his name now, but he was around a lot back then. I think for me, the Blade of Awe's change was the worst. Around the time of the base classes appearing, daggers and staves appeared alongside the longsword, along with Guardian equivalents. And they all fit fairly well. But the Blade of Awe was given a set of weapon options as well. This seemed acceptable at first. Why make someone using staves and magic suddenly use a sword. But then I saw it. The sword I'd treasured since discovery was now barely reminiscent of its former self. The shape of the blade was there, the runes. But the handle was an amalgamation of curves, the whole thing seemingly dipped in tan paint.
I think it was then that I knew I was growing away from the game, and the full split came into play. I come back occasionally, but it's never the same. I'm just stuck in the past, it seems. So be it. Despite my whining, I do like the general path the game has taken, Z-tokens aside, and I'm happy it's still up and running. I'm glad the AE team has been able to branch out and make more games, some of which still suit my taste. And I am glad that AQ wasn't abandoned as many of the original team moved on to these games. I'm glad that people can still enjoy it, and I'm glad that it's there for them, even if it's no longer my cup of tea.
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