Ah, it has been a while since I made a blog post on elsword. When I made blog posts about elsword, it was back then. When I didn’t understand the video game or the community, I was still learning as someone who played Elsword on and off. I thought it was a great game, and there is a great video game* under all the filler or junk.
I want to share my thoughts on this game and the community. And I know I will burn some bridges, but if I do burn any bridges, I know who my friends are. :3 And I saw the elsword community on discord and Twitch tv. And I will get to them later on, much later on.
So, enough stalling. I think I’ll start with this post, no? And to start this review off, I have to add the best question for this post.
What is Elsword?
Elsword is a Korean massively multiplayer online role-playing game (KMMORPG) based on a manga/anime? Given the art style, Elsword is an anime you can play and learn the story from cutscenes and visual novel post main quests. And this is a free to play (F2P or FTP)
The game is in 2.5D. It is a game made in unity, although. It is unclear which version of the Unity engine is applied since each version has fixes for each Unity engine, but that is another story altogether, and speaking of story. It is simple depending on who you play, but it boils down to the world is in danger of demons invading. Go and save the day!
Now that you have a basic understanding of what Elsword is, time to list the problems that elsword has. I am sure some elsword players are rolling their eyes but hear me out, the 1% of elsword players who ain’t elitists.
Elsword problems
1). Beginner’s trap
When you first play elsword, it seems like a good game, and even fun as you can get pretty far in. You will see that you can get an accessory or accessories with set effects to make you prepared for later dungeons. But because you can progress through the game without needing to worry about new dungeon accessories.
From Ruben to Lanox, you can progress well* Story-wise, you will have a bit of trouble, and for a new player, it may not be clear that you need to farm for accessories, and you can again get pretty far with a good party.
When you get to Elysion (End game lite.) Enemies are tanker, they have more health, and they do more damage. And this is where some of your skills pre Elysion start to become less useful, if not worthless.
Elysion is the quitting point for new players, and that sucks because at no point are new players told they need to get these accessories because the game pre-Elysion didn’t need the player to have this, and chances are they figured they would be fine without it.
We can all agree that Elsword is a beginner’s trap for new players. And no. To the elitist players, “pro” players, you don’t count here. We are talking about new players who never played an RPG like elsword.
And if the players don’t quit during Elysion, they will probably leave the game in Elrianode since this is the start of the end game content. And if you have not got any of the accessories that you need to get, then here, this will be your spike wall of difficulty, and this is where players quit the game.
I can’t blame them since the start of the game made things easy, which was a trap, and new players getting to Elrianode is the wall that you have to break down, but if you don’t know where to start, this is where new players quit the game of elsword.
And that brings me to the next problem of elsword.
2). Elsword’s Combat power(Item level)
In elsword, combat power is not a real number of your damage, but more of a key for dungeons, CP(Combat Power) is used to enter a dungeon, but you don’t get a real general idea, and I get that is the point? But I feel it would make a world of change if in a dungeon tab. You can see how much damage you need to clear rather than going off of CP and guessing/assuming if you have enough power.
For new people and players who don’t play elsword often (Not playing for a week doesn’t count), this combat power can be misleading or lying about how much combat power you need vs. How much combat power you should have to clear the dungeons. So until you can have a definite way of knowing how much combat power you need, you will have to have combat power equal to the dungeon’s combat power and some to have a chance.
So, let’s take henir’s time and space for why having a more precise way of gauging the player’s power is needed. This boss rush states that you need 150,000 Combat power to enter the dungeon. But entering the dungeon, you will learn that it is a lie and your combat power needs to be far greater than what is required to clear. And this is the normal mode I am talking about here. Hell mode needs even more.
3.) Getting more powerful gear by enhancing
So like mentioned before, you can get by without doing much of anything until Elrianode or Elysion. There are levels for armor/weapons from +0 to +13. Getting to +8 is troublesome but can be done. But trying to get anything higher than a plus eight is not going to happen since trying to enhance past +8 will break your gear, delevel it, or reset the level to 0.
And sadly, the only way you can have a chance at enhancing without fail* Is to wait for an enhancing event or wait for an event that gives out a free +9 amulet. And having to wait for a chance to get stronger or waiting for an event to become stronger* Something that is out of your control sucks. But there are ways of getting a +9 or higher that requires you to do the following:
3.1) Farm on an alternate character to farm the materials needed for enhancing or enhancing the event.
3.2) Buy a +(insert number amulet here), but they can cost an arm and leg since the good enhancement amulet can go for 4 billion ed/gold (May vary)
3.3) Wait for a free +9 amulet event(Somewhat rarer)
And If you can’t wait for these options, there is always the option to pay to have your own enhancing by spending real cash to buy the materials you would get during an event. But that will go into the area of “Is Elsword pay to win?” But that is for later. But if anything, you will be waiting or farming.
Enhancing is the most significant part of this game. With an all +8, you can get by fine in Elrianode. Varnimyr, you will need +9, but you can still somewhat get by with a +8, but it will be a bit harder, however. Rigomor, you need a +10 to make things easy on yourself, but a +9 can get things done, but at a slower pace. Pruinaum, an area I don’t touch as I am far from ready. You need some high-end gear here. No, if’s, and’s or but’s. You need to own some tough equipment for this area and accessories.
That’s why enhancing is necessary here unless you got friends to help you. You are most likely flying solo with gear that is under-leveled.
4.) Elsword Pc optimization
When you play elsword, the game runs pretty well, but that depends on your computer or laptop since the game demands much more GPU and CPU in later dungeons. And if you are lacking, elsword could start to show stutter and lag, which will affect how well elsword will run for you. Shaive said his pc cost $10K to build. And it can run elsword flawless. And I have a $2K laptop, and I can run elsword well* but later dungeons, elsword lags since well the specs needed are higher, but it seems they updated elsword specs.
But the game needs optimization, which it won’t get, so to get around that, you need to spend money to get a better computer / Laptop, which is silly. I would say stay away from the steam version of elsword. You are better off with the standalone version.
Since most elsword players have a good pc or are willing to get a good one, they see this as “complaining.”
5.) Joining elsword raids
Hey, if you somehow powered through the grind of elsword and became raid-ready. Congratulations, you can “do” end game raids, but you would probably get banned if what Shaive told me is correct and not a lie. You can get banned by joining random players for elsword raids since some hackers create or host raid parties, and if you are in the said party, you will get banned. You may wonder, “How do I join raid then?” You have to join the raid by a friend or join the elsword raid server: Operation Aurora (Raid Discord). And speaking of that server and community, let’s talk about it.
5.1)The Elsword community and Operation Aurora (Raid Discord)
Why am I bringing up the elsword community? They are part of the game and are needed to do raid since if you want to do end game raids, you have to be on the server or ask a friend, but there is a catch. You have to get taken first, but that is easy said than done since you have to wait on hand and foot for someone to take you into raid if you can’t heal, debuff, buff, or not one of the most wanted classes in the elsword raid, not a DPS or don’t have a friend.
You will be waiting a long while, as trying to get into a party as a character who can’t buff/debuff can be an adventure. And the people that host or create these parties. They are commonly elitists or “pro” players that will take other elitists or buffers/debuffers/healers/DPS.
For someone who plays as Ain (Richter), I have to wait, and when I get picked, I get asked the charming question: “Can you chain freeze?” For someone who doesn’t know the in’s and out’s of the game. I do not understand how to chain freeze. So, no. I don’t, and I get skipped.
5.2) elitists players
While every game has these players, those who got too good at a video game, They feel helping others is a waste of their time unless they get something from helping. And Operation Aurora discord server has a large share of elitists that make parties and expect you know how to play elsword.
I think the worse things about elitists are the following:
1.) They assume everyone who plays elsword knows the in’s and out’s of elsword
2.) They are assholes usually in late-game content as they may or may not gatekeep you out of game content.
Let me say this, not everyone on the server is assholes. There are a few players who are good at the game. But they are good at the game where they won’t let their skill go to their head.
And for the admins. Shrug.
5.3) The spooky blacklist
So, let’s say you get into a raid party for elsword. Well, now you are in a party of elitists players, and your job is they do your best to please these players. If you at any point mess up too badly or waste their time during a raid. You can get blacklisted.
Being blacklisted in a raid by an elitist is poor here because it means that you will not get taken in an elsword raid party by that person, and it is silly that you can get blacklisted in a video game. And while I have not seen anyone blacklisted as of late. But I know it happens since a friend got blacklisted by someone.
Let’s get off track for a bit and talk about things and hot topics without bias and things that bug me about the elsword community.
6) Elitists telling others to quit elsword.
I have seen this copy-paste answer within the elsword player base from twitch to discord. Pretty much they tell people who whine about the game being difficult that they repeat or remix the same answer from other elitists:
6.1) “if you’re complaining about the endgame, just quit tbh.”
It seems like if you complain to an elitist or complain about the elsword end game, they will tell you to quit rather than trying to help point you on the right path. Elsword community, am I right?
Here is the thing, alright. People are allowed to complain about a game. No matter if it is invalid or not, they have that right. If your first response is “You should quit Elsword” or “if you’re complaining about the endgame, just quit tbh.” or “Elsword is not for you.”
I mean, not to throw shade, but it is the same reason I don’t play with some of my elitist’s friends on elsword. But I am not about that toxic mindset.
I think that it is not anyone else’s right to tell one if they should play or shouldn’t play a game. That should be up to the player and not some random elitist on a video game. I have a friend in a discord server, and I thank him not because he is an elitist, sadly. But the response to people complaining is anything but useful.
And we have another hot topic as this one is full of bias from the elsword elitists.
7) Is Elsword pay to win?
Now, off the bat, the elitists will tell you that Elsword is “NOT” pay to win. And I’m here to say they are half right. It is not a pay to win.* But it is in the end game. Because I will list the following:
7.1) enhancing materials (Cash items)
So, as you already know. You need materials from an enhancing event, but if you can’t wait for the said event. Then you can buy them with real cash. There is no promise that it may enhance after getting the materials. And if you want to be free to play, without spending real money. You can buy them with ingame gold.
7.2) enhancing materials (gold / ED items)
If you wish to save cash, you can buy from other players who will sell materials, but unless you have or know a reliable way of farming gold/ed. Other players will sell these materials for enhancing or other goods at a high price. And during the event, the price will double in price. You can be free to play without spending cash, but other players will make sure to rob you of gold.
There is another problem, but it ties into “is elsword pay to win?”
8) Elsword RNG.
Right from the get-go, you will learn that items are random. The drop chance, the effects, the enhancing chance of failure, the enhancing chance of success. Elsword is a gacha lite game if you are free to play. In late game/end game, rng is the central theme for elsword, but it is how money can get made here, video ads on youtube, and rng. If you can’t get what you need, you can buy something in the cash shop to sell to make back the gold or materials you lost to rng.
Gacha, the gameplay is seen in mobile games, fate go, fire emblem heroes? Or other means of gacha being card packs, loot boxes. It is something that won’t go away, but it is an issue for some players.
Since I am down this rabbit hole, another issue.
9) Elsword Friends
Making friends in elsword is nice, but there are three kinds of friends in this game we call elsword that you need to be wary of here. This way, you can avoid the wrong people n this game.
9.1) Friends
You will find friends and players in elsword that are looking for friends, plain and simple. There are no hidden reasons behind them wanting to be friends. They want to be friends, that’s all. The best kind of players.
9.2) need help “friends.”
These people add you as a friend, just because they can come and ask for your time to help them out. Friendship is an afterthought here. You are more of a tool than a friend to them. You can be of use to them, and not everyone is like this but be wary.
9.3) Elitists friends
I can speak from experience since I do have a friend like this. Some elsword players will be your “friend” As long as you can stay tough in elsword. Your friendship depends on how long you can keep getting strong. The moment you stop giving up on getting stronger, they are going to unfriend you probably.
And probably my last two issues with elsword. And it is some big ones, if not the most important ones.
10) Elsword doesn’t explain features well
As we all know, when making a game, you need to explain the feature or mechanics in great detail. And some of these mechanics have short detail guide. If you have to go to another site to figure out what you need, you need to improve on that, but it won’t happen. And many elsword elitists will argue that it doesn’t need any more improvement, or you need to figure out things through trial and error. And I feel like that shouldn’t be the case here. That’s poor game design
11) Getting stronger
So, getting stronger is great. It means that doing later dungeons become less of a task, but having to rely on an event to get stronger is dumb, since, if your luck is anything but good, you blew your only chance (which, by the way, is out of your hands) to get stronger. And now. You must either wait for who knows how long or “try” to buy an amulet with the level you were aiming to get during the event.
Much like RNG, this too is a core mechanic they will never change because players can spend cash if they are tired of waiting or have a friend fund them. But it is all up to luck if you get the enhancement to go through for you. You could spend gold and cash and still not get what you want unless you buy the amulet.
Time to wrap this up. Elsword has many problems from the game itself to the elsword community being toxic and full of elitists to many hot topics like “is elsword pay to win?”
I will do a quick recap of my thoughts since this started as a “review” at first, but it is more like talking about my experience and sharing my thoughts about elsword and the community.
Is elsword pay to win?
Yes and no. You can spend cash to speed up farming, buy packs of materials for enhancing, or things to look cool. You can purchase limited-time items in the shop to sell on the board to make fast gold.
Buy cash item > sell on to board > make a lot of gold in a short amount of time > Buy what you want, and speedup the farming. And assuming someone wants to buy it. You may not make anything.
Is the Elsword ingame community welcoming?
For the most part, no? The elitist’s players are more in line with the toxic sonic fans or league of legends players. They are unfriendly, hostile, and rude assholes. Not everyone in the elsword community is this way, but the elitists drown out the genuine players. I can see why I heard the community had a bad rep. And I remember hearing that elsword NA had a poor community there. I met some good players, but I met far more worst players.
Is Elsword worth playing in 2021?
With the problems, I have mentioned. I can only say give elsword a fair go if you are super curious. But I don’t think elsword is worth your time. Community ingame is shit. Most of the players are elitist trash that will tell you to quit if you whine. The only real reason I play elsword is to help other players, unlike the elitists in elsword.
I like elsword but not the community of elitists that have grown around it. That’s all I want to say on this topic. I have said what I wanted to say.
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