The Free2Play MMORPG Neverwinter has received a new update. This makes the entire game significantly harder. Now players are arguing whether this is good or bad – and are looking for alternatives.
What is this update about? On January 21, 2021, the developers of Neverwinter launched a new update that fundamentally changed the combat system and scaling.
The core of the change is a revision of the equipment and scaling, both of the player’s stats and the enemies. Everything should become clearer, and players should no longer have to constantly adjust their equipment when switching to a different area.
The update is one of the 5 major changes that Neverwinter aims to implement in 2021 to attract new players.
What has changed because of this? With the revisions, the enemies and battles have become significantly harder. Players can no longer just smash through the content or be carried through by a high-level player.
Instead, they are now reliant on paying attention and even working in groups. This is particularly noticeable in dungeons. The community now has mixed opinions and much discussion about this.
From “unplayable” to “finally enjoying dungeons”
This is why players are annoyed: In the subreddit for Neverwinter, there have been hardly any other topics for several days than the revision of the combat system. Many players are upset that they can no longer do even simple tasks alone:
“A simple daily and I die to trash mobs. […] I have been playing since 2016, solo and with my own guild, in which I am the only member. I have played alone and had a lot of fun until now. Not anymore. Cryptic doesn’t want players like me, so be it. […] I’ll come back in a few months. In the meantime, I’m going back to WoW.”
Marsman61 on reddit
The threads are receiving support from some players. Apparently, they enjoyed feeling really strong in the endgame of Neverwinter – which has now been taken away from them. However, there are also other users who welcome the new situation.
What is good about it? The reddit user MotleyKhon writes in his post that he really enjoys the changes. It is great to finally be able to do a dungeon as a group: “Fight together or die alone.”
Previously, a strong player could allegedly run the dungeon solo and carry the group through. This is no longer possible. Dungeons are now reportedly the content as known from other MMORPGs like World of Warcraft.
Apparently, this is a problem that goes beyond the update. Some users point out that it simply doesn’t feel good when something is taken away from you. And that is exactly what has happened in Neverwinter.
On the other hand, the old system probably wouldn’t have worked in the long run, and it’s better to change it now before it’s too late. However, the whole discussion has raised the question of whether players themselves are the problem of MMORPGs.
