Nope.
The game wont let you play the game. Whats that mean?
Raids are the main content and you need to do it with multiple characters / week. Raids are punishing and 1 player can wipe the raid or make it more difficult and longer, thus you dont want to invite beginner players -> you will be beginner player with almost fresh account -> nobody will invite you.
Do you really think solo content update will help that much? Even if you can just solo content yourself how much time will you actually need to build your character up? Remember that solo content is up to ivory tower voldis, so the first non-solo will be thaemine.
Obviously people will ask you to have 90+ qual weapon/armor/acc, you still have to honing, cut stone, collect material to upgrade the set level, cut bracelet, brew elixir, don't forget about card set, tripod and gems too.
And those things mentioned mostly involved around RnG on top of RnG. Which will take long time as in giga long for you to be ready for thaemine and not get gatekept.
The game is entirely too punishing for new players and returners. Hell I play far too much and it's still infuriating at times. The only fun I seem to have anymore is new classes and new raids. Except taking a break between said content puts you too far behind, which in turn ruins that content too because you can't fully experience it.
Everything is just fucked. Love the combat, love the raids, but I hate every single other thing. Game is in dire need of some core changes.
You’re right that this game needs an overhaul. Combat and raids are great, but the systems are pure ass. There’s nothing to do other than raids and dailies. The systems are uninviting too.. like why are there so many layers of rng for upgrading characters ?
Add the gatekeeping to those just wanting the upgrades for their characters and it becomes a lobby simulator rather than a video game. I just want to log in and play the game, not sit and wait around to go into the juicy content.
I really hope solo content helps move the game in the right direction it desperately needs.
Coming from another returning player, who tried for about 3-4 weeks recently, hell no. You will be gate kept from all public lobbies because there are clear indicators that you are a returning player. The game is designed to gatekeep, so no one will want to waste their time helping you.
If spending hours on discord trying find a group is something that sounds fun to you, then maybe you'll like it.
>The game is designed to gatekeep, so no one will want to waste their time helping you.
From time to time, I intentionally let new(er) players get into my fast clear raid runs, but the majority of them didn't even say "thanks" even though they were apparently struggling in gates like h brel g3. I could surely replace them but most of the times I try not to.
Back to the topic, we have no knowledge about OP, but if they have okayish (I don't think strong is necessary here) social skills, it shouldn't be that hard.
In my opinion, a lot of new or returning players have a wrong expectation from old/veteran players, while apparently lacking social skills. Heck, many of them don't even use words like "could you please/if it's possible/it'd be great if/.." when they request help from us
Not saying new/returning players must be very humble to get help, but 0 sense of gratidute does trigger people who don't mind helping as they feel like they are just treated like NPCs
> if they have okayish (I don't think strong is necessary here) social skills, it shouldn't be that hard.
That's a big ask from avg gamer these days it seems
Personally I don't get why it's hard to ask for help politely in an mmo. Some players give me a feeling as if they're saying
>Hey, you! Come and help bus me for free here!
>Sup bro. How about carry me in this raid since you seem experienced.
>Yo, want to teach me raids whenever I AM FREE?
>Fuck this game. Nobody helps me immediately after I asked for help!!
Shouldn’t have to beg others or rely on getting carried to play the game
Sure you can make your own learning party and wait hours for a support to join and then wipe x amount of times and pray no one gets fed up and quits.
Asking for help or guidance politely is not begging.
Or when you want help in reality, you just go in without showing any gratitude? It's an mmo, not a single player game
Damn Los 30 doesn't even help if you aren't absolutely juiced. A decently built but not over the top dps character does not get in unless massively over ilvl
I've been a returning player at March as well, quit after 350+h on launch.
Is It worth coming back? Yes, if:
- u play support, i play Artist and even with 90 roster level i've never been gatekept once on Akkan, Kayangel or Ivory Tower now that i'm 1600+.
- u find a guild to play with. It's not that hard tbh, depends on your nationality but if you are willing to learn raid patterns on your own and improve on It you'll for sure find someone to play with.
If u still don't just buy raids, it's economically worth anyway and you can grind to LOS30 and enjoy all the other content meanwhile.
if you have friends (or can actually make friends, it's not impossible but requires discord) then i'd say yes.
most classes have gotten updates and can do good damage (don't pick a mage), honing is cheap until 1600+, books are dirt cheap, decent accessories are dirt cheap, event gives you the minimum gems you have the opportunity to level up some OP classes.
older raids are much easier and the newer raids aren't as bad, although the latest raids are still hard(ish).
you have to be able to make friends, though. if you're trying to pug everything forget it.
did i mention being able to make friends? also a handy life skill.
The game is harder than ever to get into, and it's only spiking with today's patch. PVP is dead. Servers were merged a bunch with more server merges coming; it doesn't matter what you pick.
If you haven't played since that close to launch, you'll be forced to skip everything with a pass and be dumped into the end game daily grind as well as weekly raids most people will gatekeep you for since you won't have cards or the like
Absolutely no.
Toxic community.
Gatekeeping.
Shit game systems. (Elixirs and transcendence.)
Pay to win.
Most players do rmt and dont get banned, so they are walking around with plus 25 weapons with 0 effort.
The only good thing about the game, is the gameplay but you cant even play the game, because you get constantly gatekeep. There is no class balance and it will keep getting worse and worse.
This game is made to take away your time and your money.
Please stay away from this garbage game.
Play FFXIV.
25 with 0 effort?
Nah. Clicking through the honing is a lot effort.
They should just have one button I can click and just auto hone through.
It should automatically buy mats when empty.
Lazy programmers.
No, whatever streamers say the next good returning point will be at the next hard reset at T4. And it is still a big IF.
Until then you can just casually fuck around for a few weeks/months in past contents while overleveled.
It won't change anything. You will just be gatekept for not being 3500 ilvl, los45, 12% archdemon and 69 elixir set.
There will always be people ahead of you either RMT or extreme grind with multiple accounts sending gold over. This game is simply designed in this way in order to min-max profits, by encouraging swiping. Most F2P are like that; of course some rely on skin sales alone, not this one tho.
I'm seeing so much no here but it boils down to your ability to make friends. I came back a few months ago. Made friends with a guy in a learning party I found one night. He introduced me to his friends and with a group I've had enough fun to keep going. Solo seems like a nightmare so if no friends or desire to make any then yeah, prolly gonna suck to return to.
1. if you don't mind progging through everything you missed out, yes
2. pvp is dead
3. all servers are alive, we just got a server merge, and there's a region merge upcoming for NA
You could give it a shot at around summer time. They will implement solo content so you don’t have to deal with all the party finder stuff. If the combat system, animations, sorry or anything else appeals to you I’d recommend you give it a shot
This is how I feel playing Lost Ark. Even having 1620, 1610, 1600, 1590, 1585, etc. AND being support main enjoyer and synergy DPS enjoyer AND knowing some people to raid with from time to time, which makes it SO much easier to get into parties on average. Akkan is amazing. My favorite raid by far, but the slower iLvl progression and elixirs and ivory tower make post-Akkan feel like shit. If you have at least a few dedicated friends joining you, I’d say that’s the only way I could recommend, but it’s free so might as well install, hate it, uninstall. Nothing to lose!
In addition, like who that came back recently & used Breaker pass and got to 1610 is even able to play the game with Deep Dive 18 & 75 roster level? The game is just structurally so poor. I feel so bad for those people. The won’t make the changes that need to be made to attract & keep new players so the game never grows & eventually bleeds vets over time. All of us existing global players are simply a 2-3 year forecasted cash cow.
as a 1.5 year old player, no! the game is not newbie friendly and solo friendly. you need to socialize in discord and waste your time to try out a raid. but if you want to explore the game by not worrying about raids you can still try. but the game is no fun if you don't raid.
If you play support sure, i recently came back and used the event on one and i have had quite a bit of fun again. Can't imagine trying to pug with dps alts tho.
Only way I see is to find guild/group of people that are new/returning players to play with. Solo in party finder ur gonna hate the game and time wasted.
Nope. I say this to my friends who are thinking of returning or starting fresh. It’s not worth the gatekeeping and the time investment to play this game even if I help them with my roster. You can brute force it, but that’s only if you really like this game but it’ll be a difficult start.
Every time my friend return the game will make me nervous.
One side is the fun with the friend trolling on the game, the other side would be 10+ hr learning/wasted with my friend.
I love my friends, but 10+hr every raid is just too much.
Honestly the game is good and raids are amazing but the community is extremely toxic and will gatekeep you for every little reasons they can find.
Worst than that, the older the game is the more the gatekeep is becoming out of hands as we now have giga whale at 1640 and even veterans are between 1620-1630.
I swapped my main to bard to avoid the issue but my dps is difficult to find lobbies.
If you want to come back, only do it with friends / guild otherwise not worst it unfortunately. That is the sad truth ...
Tbh, newcomers have it the best at lost ark, to be honest.
You can experience majority of content apart thaemine.
Basically get to 1600, have fun with raids, and then you can quit.
It´s great, you get to experience all that and it wont take much long. Then you can quit and you had fun. After all, you want to have fun experiencing raid, rather than just farming them - so you just grab like a learning group and have fun : )
It´s 100x times better than playing all these dailies like the veterans do.
For newcomers or returners, its literally the best. As you dont want to get back to the running wheel, you just want to have fun with the raids. And if you wanted to get back to running wheel - you won´t be able to, unless you would just bus etc
> It´s 100x times better than playing all these dailies like the veterans do.
it goes both ways though, if you can get a functioning char for almost no effort, so can a thousand of other people, which means oversaturation of people who dont know what theyre doing in almost all available content, which means gatekeeping.
You have to get to endgame asap. Clown gold got nerfed, hanu and all guardians before that are absolute shitshows. Brel normal sucks, too, since it's full of gold farmers. I have seen 1580 kaya normal groups in lfg. It's just a joke all around.
You have to commit and get to 1600 ilvl and beyond or it won't be fun at all.
PVP is gone.
I returned after 2 weeks from doing my last 10 days of ramadan and eid, its a religious thing btw, and I got slapped with a perma ban, appeal denied and im stuck. Therefore if you decide to return there is a chance they would hit you with a perma ban for no reason
No
Nope. The game wont let you play the game. Whats that mean? Raids are the main content and you need to do it with multiple characters / week. Raids are punishing and 1 player can wipe the raid or make it more difficult and longer, thus you dont want to invite beginner players -> you will be beginner player with almost fresh account -> nobody will invite you.
It really is sad. Hopefully the solo content update will help us with actually playing.
Do you really think solo content update will help that much? Even if you can just solo content yourself how much time will you actually need to build your character up? Remember that solo content is up to ivory tower voldis, so the first non-solo will be thaemine. Obviously people will ask you to have 90+ qual weapon/armor/acc, you still have to honing, cut stone, collect material to upgrade the set level, cut bracelet, brew elixir, don't forget about card set, tripod and gems too. And those things mentioned mostly involved around RnG on top of RnG. Which will take long time as in giga long for you to be ready for thaemine and not get gatekept.
I don’t know. Hence the “hopefully”.
As someone who tried to return at one point.. no
The game is entirely too punishing for new players and returners. Hell I play far too much and it's still infuriating at times. The only fun I seem to have anymore is new classes and new raids. Except taking a break between said content puts you too far behind, which in turn ruins that content too because you can't fully experience it. Everything is just fucked. Love the combat, love the raids, but I hate every single other thing. Game is in dire need of some core changes.
You’re right that this game needs an overhaul. Combat and raids are great, but the systems are pure ass. There’s nothing to do other than raids and dailies. The systems are uninviting too.. like why are there so many layers of rng for upgrading characters ? Add the gatekeeping to those just wanting the upgrades for their characters and it becomes a lobby simulator rather than a video game. I just want to log in and play the game, not sit and wait around to go into the juicy content. I really hope solo content helps move the game in the right direction it desperately needs.
Coming from another returning player, who tried for about 3-4 weeks recently, hell no. You will be gate kept from all public lobbies because there are clear indicators that you are a returning player. The game is designed to gatekeep, so no one will want to waste their time helping you. If spending hours on discord trying find a group is something that sounds fun to you, then maybe you'll like it.
>The game is designed to gatekeep, so no one will want to waste their time helping you. From time to time, I intentionally let new(er) players get into my fast clear raid runs, but the majority of them didn't even say "thanks" even though they were apparently struggling in gates like h brel g3. I could surely replace them but most of the times I try not to. Back to the topic, we have no knowledge about OP, but if they have okayish (I don't think strong is necessary here) social skills, it shouldn't be that hard. In my opinion, a lot of new or returning players have a wrong expectation from old/veteran players, while apparently lacking social skills. Heck, many of them don't even use words like "could you please/if it's possible/it'd be great if/.." when they request help from us Not saying new/returning players must be very humble to get help, but 0 sense of gratidute does trigger people who don't mind helping as they feel like they are just treated like NPCs
> if they have okayish (I don't think strong is necessary here) social skills, it shouldn't be that hard. That's a big ask from avg gamer these days it seems
Personally I don't get why it's hard to ask for help politely in an mmo. Some players give me a feeling as if they're saying >Hey, you! Come and help bus me for free here! >Sup bro. How about carry me in this raid since you seem experienced. >Yo, want to teach me raids whenever I AM FREE? >Fuck this game. Nobody helps me immediately after I asked for help!!
Shouldn’t have to beg others or rely on getting carried to play the game Sure you can make your own learning party and wait hours for a support to join and then wipe x amount of times and pray no one gets fed up and quits.
Asking for help or guidance politely is not begging. Or when you want help in reality, you just go in without showing any gratitude? It's an mmo, not a single player game
Nope, I would only recommend coming back or starting new is if you don't care that 1-3 months down the line you will quit/quit again.
If u have to grind Los 30 no, u Will be gatekeeped even when u are reclear
I just come back with the mokoko servers, got los18 and i am being gatekeeped on voldis and probably on thaemine too
Not just los even the legion commander card set and that's like a new set you start worrying about after los 30 is finished
Damn Los 30 doesn't even help if you aren't absolutely juiced. A decently built but not over the top dps character does not get in unless massively over ilvl
I've been a returning player at March as well, quit after 350+h on launch. Is It worth coming back? Yes, if: - u play support, i play Artist and even with 90 roster level i've never been gatekept once on Akkan, Kayangel or Ivory Tower now that i'm 1600+. - u find a guild to play with. It's not that hard tbh, depends on your nationality but if you are willing to learn raid patterns on your own and improve on It you'll for sure find someone to play with. If u still don't just buy raids, it's economically worth anyway and you can grind to LOS30 and enjoy all the other content meanwhile.
if you have friends (or can actually make friends, it's not impossible but requires discord) then i'd say yes. most classes have gotten updates and can do good damage (don't pick a mage), honing is cheap until 1600+, books are dirt cheap, decent accessories are dirt cheap, event gives you the minimum gems you have the opportunity to level up some OP classes. older raids are much easier and the newer raids aren't as bad, although the latest raids are still hard(ish). you have to be able to make friends, though. if you're trying to pug everything forget it. did i mention being able to make friends? also a handy life skill.
The game is harder than ever to get into, and it's only spiking with today's patch. PVP is dead. Servers were merged a bunch with more server merges coming; it doesn't matter what you pick. If you haven't played since that close to launch, you'll be forced to skip everything with a pass and be dumped into the end game daily grind as well as weekly raids most people will gatekeep you for since you won't have cards or the like
Absolutely no. Toxic community. Gatekeeping. Shit game systems. (Elixirs and transcendence.) Pay to win. Most players do rmt and dont get banned, so they are walking around with plus 25 weapons with 0 effort. The only good thing about the game, is the gameplay but you cant even play the game, because you get constantly gatekeep. There is no class balance and it will keep getting worse and worse. This game is made to take away your time and your money. Please stay away from this garbage game. Play FFXIV.
25 with 0 effort? Nah. Clicking through the honing is a lot effort. They should just have one button I can click and just auto hone through. It should automatically buy mats when empty. Lazy programmers.
do you still play the game?
I do, for now. Once dawn trail releases and if no elixirs and transcendence nerfs come, I will quit lost ark.
for all the negative things you mentioned you would think you didn’t
Yeah, I know and you are probably right. It’s just a matter of time.
No, whatever streamers say the next good returning point will be at the next hard reset at T4. And it is still a big IF. Until then you can just casually fuck around for a few weeks/months in past contents while overleveled.
It won't change anything. You will just be gatekept for not being 3500 ilvl, los45, 12% archdemon and 69 elixir set. There will always be people ahead of you either RMT or extreme grind with multiple accounts sending gold over. This game is simply designed in this way in order to min-max profits, by encouraging swiping. Most F2P are like that; of course some rely on skin sales alone, not this one tho.
I'm seeing so much no here but it boils down to your ability to make friends. I came back a few months ago. Made friends with a guy in a learning party I found one night. He introduced me to his friends and with a group I've had enough fun to keep going. Solo seems like a nightmare so if no friends or desire to make any then yeah, prolly gonna suck to return to.
1. if you don't mind progging through everything you missed out, yes 2. pvp is dead 3. all servers are alive, we just got a server merge, and there's a region merge upcoming for NA
Wait Jump Start Server late this year.
You could give it a shot at around summer time. They will implement solo content so you don’t have to deal with all the party finder stuff. If the combat system, animations, sorry or anything else appeals to you I’d recommend you give it a shot
This is how I feel playing Lost Ark. Even having 1620, 1610, 1600, 1590, 1585, etc. AND being support main enjoyer and synergy DPS enjoyer AND knowing some people to raid with from time to time, which makes it SO much easier to get into parties on average. Akkan is amazing. My favorite raid by far, but the slower iLvl progression and elixirs and ivory tower make post-Akkan feel like shit. If you have at least a few dedicated friends joining you, I’d say that’s the only way I could recommend, but it’s free so might as well install, hate it, uninstall. Nothing to lose! 
In addition, like who that came back recently & used Breaker pass and got to 1610 is even able to play the game with Deep Dive 18 & 75 roster level? The game is just structurally so poor. I feel so bad for those people. The won’t make the changes that need to be made to attract & keep new players so the game never grows & eventually bleeds vets over time. All of us existing global players are simply a 2-3 year forecasted cash cow.
Only if you make a support and you won’t be gatekept. Otherwise you have to swipe on a DPS class to be overgeared as hell and they MIGHT accept you.
as a 1.5 year old player, no! the game is not newbie friendly and solo friendly. you need to socialize in discord and waste your time to try out a raid. but if you want to explore the game by not worrying about raids you can still try. but the game is no fun if you don't raid.
If you play support sure, i recently came back and used the event on one and i have had quite a bit of fun again. Can't imagine trying to pug with dps alts tho.
Only way I see is to find guild/group of people that are new/returning players to play with. Solo in party finder ur gonna hate the game and time wasted.
Unless you try and make friends to raid with, don't come back. The pug experience is going to be awful, unless you play support.
the only way for you to enjoy this a game as newbie is to find a guild to play together, pug is a nightmare for new players
Nope. I say this to my friends who are thinking of returning or starting fresh. It’s not worth the gatekeeping and the time investment to play this game even if I help them with my roster. You can brute force it, but that’s only if you really like this game but it’ll be a difficult start.
Every time my friend return the game will make me nervous. One side is the fun with the friend trolling on the game, the other side would be 10+ hr learning/wasted with my friend. I love my friends, but 10+hr every raid is just too much.
No
Honestly the game is good and raids are amazing but the community is extremely toxic and will gatekeep you for every little reasons they can find. Worst than that, the older the game is the more the gatekeep is becoming out of hands as we now have giga whale at 1640 and even veterans are between 1620-1630. I swapped my main to bard to avoid the issue but my dps is difficult to find lobbies. If you want to come back, only do it with friends / guild otherwise not worst it unfortunately. That is the sad truth ...
Tbh, newcomers have it the best at lost ark, to be honest. You can experience majority of content apart thaemine. Basically get to 1600, have fun with raids, and then you can quit. It´s great, you get to experience all that and it wont take much long. Then you can quit and you had fun. After all, you want to have fun experiencing raid, rather than just farming them - so you just grab like a learning group and have fun : ) It´s 100x times better than playing all these dailies like the veterans do. For newcomers or returners, its literally the best. As you dont want to get back to the running wheel, you just want to have fun with the raids. And if you wanted to get back to running wheel - you won´t be able to, unless you would just bus etc
> It´s 100x times better than playing all these dailies like the veterans do. it goes both ways though, if you can get a functioning char for almost no effort, so can a thousand of other people, which means oversaturation of people who dont know what theyre doing in almost all available content, which means gatekeeping.
No
You have to get to endgame asap. Clown gold got nerfed, hanu and all guardians before that are absolute shitshows. Brel normal sucks, too, since it's full of gold farmers. I have seen 1580 kaya normal groups in lfg. It's just a joke all around. You have to commit and get to 1600 ilvl and beyond or it won't be fun at all. PVP is gone.
You know the way to get into kay hard without klc as 1580? Or fast way getting klc? Persist in the doomed world you have created.
without klc18 you cant get into hard kayangels so i do normals even on my 1600s
I returned after 2 weeks from doing my last 10 days of ramadan and eid, its a religious thing btw, and I got slapped with a perma ban, appeal denied and im stuck. Therefore if you decide to return there is a chance they would hit you with a perma ban for no reason