Loot drop was the golden time - some deny it, but just check numbers then and now (or after making loot nodrop). I would really like to get back here, but just wont. Tradeskill is overcomplicated atm too...
Word.
I stopped playing when loot drop was disabled. I didn't even create a character or post feeback about the change, I just assumed the "test" session (that's what it was supposed to be) would last only a couple weeks and then I'd just come back and pretend it never happened. Instead, we're three years in and there's no end in sight.
I just created a character, my first one in season 3, and played for a little while because I got tired of waiting. And yeah, it's just like I thought: no loot drop means any sort of progression you make feels meaningless. The sense of pride and accomplishment (lol) is just gone. It's no longer Fallout Online, it's actually, unironically, Hello Kitty Online. Running around with all of your bottle caps permanently in your inventory with no fear of losing them feels so wrong I can't even begin to describe it.
It's a great shame because the server's still the unquestioned #1 in every other way. I love all the new stuff. It's just that the single most important core aspect of the game got changed in a way that makes everything else irrelevant. Why not flip the switch and bring the old FOnline Reloaded back? I just don't get it. Where did that idea even come from? It's so absurd.
I'm not saying that having *some* safe spots is bad; I supported the addition of bartering grounds and disabling PvP in the Hub while also having every new character spawn right next to it to make the first few steps easier for new players, but holy shit. Turning the *entire* game (except two locations) into a safe zone is *not* the way to go.
I want to keep playing but I just can't. There's no longer any endgame. Why would I ever want to waste my ammo to kill someone if they don't ever drop anything? To feel the satisfaction of making them wait 60 seconds to respawn while maybe also damaging their armor a little bit? Give me a break, this is stupid. Or is PvE supposed to be the endgame now? Argh.
Three years is enough testing, it's time for the test session to end, just do a wipe already, and if you don't want to wipe, please, just flip the switch and re-enable full loot drop. I get it, people who played without it will be at an advantage. Whatever. I don't care. Two weeks and we're on equal footing, three weeks and I'm wiping the floor with you. Let's go.
Anyway, I may not be playing, but I'll continue checking the announcements section every once in a while as I have for the last three years (time flies), maybe there's still hope!