I've been meaning to post this for some time, I think imbuing might be the best feature that I have seen added to UO, ever. Here are some reasons why:
- This first reason isn't necessarily great from a player's perspective, but it is fantastic from the developers' perspective. It institutes another arms race, and gives players the feeling that they must buy the SA expansion to keep up with everyone else. But it does this in a way that isn't game breaking, in my opinion. Players that don't have the expansion can still compete, but those that have it, and are advanced enough to take full advantage of the benefits of imbuing, will have an advantage.
Sales are a good thing. Sales keep Ultima Online alive.
- It is the best "clean up Brittannia" event I have ever seen, even better than those officially named "clean up" events. The size of the databases probably didn't shrink all that much after the release of SA, due to the new content, but I am betting that more items have disappeared from the servers as a result imbuing than have disappeared in any of the official "clean up" events. Not only that, but it is ongoing, it doesn't end.
- Imbuing is challenging, without being impossible, for just about any play style. The fact that the high end ingredients are hard to get, but can also be crafted. Simply brilliant.
- It has created a whole new market for high end crafters. There is a reason to be a blacksmith again, or a tailor. Beyond bods.
- And it is fantastic for new players and less advanced players as well. Low end imbued items are perfect for creating that 100%lrc suit for a new player.
- It is the best gold sink I have ever seen added to this game. At least I can't think of a better one. I very much doubt anything, other than those huge bannings that removed billions from the game, have removed more gold from the game than imbuing.
- The items won't wear out quickly, but they will wear out, creating an ongoing demand.
- People like me who hate waste, have to be thrilled with imbuing. Suddenly there is a reason to loot corpses dry. Oh the unadulterated joy!
- And most importantly, it is fun. It's just plain fun. Planning those perfect pieces for your suit, hunting down the ingredients. It's just plain old fun, and adds so much in terms of game play to UO.
I'm sure there were other reasons I had thought of that I have forgotten to mention in this post, but kudos to the developers for this addition to the game. It really is, pure genius.
- This first reason isn't necessarily great from a player's perspective, but it is fantastic from the developers' perspective. It institutes another arms race, and gives players the feeling that they must buy the SA expansion to keep up with everyone else. But it does this in a way that isn't game breaking, in my opinion. Players that don't have the expansion can still compete, but those that have it, and are advanced enough to take full advantage of the benefits of imbuing, will have an advantage.
Sales are a good thing. Sales keep Ultima Online alive.
- It is the best "clean up Brittannia" event I have ever seen, even better than those officially named "clean up" events. The size of the databases probably didn't shrink all that much after the release of SA, due to the new content, but I am betting that more items have disappeared from the servers as a result imbuing than have disappeared in any of the official "clean up" events. Not only that, but it is ongoing, it doesn't end.
- Imbuing is challenging, without being impossible, for just about any play style. The fact that the high end ingredients are hard to get, but can also be crafted. Simply brilliant.
- It has created a whole new market for high end crafters. There is a reason to be a blacksmith again, or a tailor. Beyond bods.
- And it is fantastic for new players and less advanced players as well. Low end imbued items are perfect for creating that 100%lrc suit for a new player.
- It is the best gold sink I have ever seen added to this game. At least I can't think of a better one. I very much doubt anything, other than those huge bannings that removed billions from the game, have removed more gold from the game than imbuing.
- The items won't wear out quickly, but they will wear out, creating an ongoing demand.
- People like me who hate waste, have to be thrilled with imbuing. Suddenly there is a reason to loot corpses dry. Oh the unadulterated joy!
- And most importantly, it is fun. It's just plain fun. Planning those perfect pieces for your suit, hunting down the ingredients. It's just plain old fun, and adds so much in terms of game play to UO.
I'm sure there were other reasons I had thought of that I have forgotten to mention in this post, but kudos to the developers for this addition to the game. It really is, pure genius.
