The graphics have been updated over time, we’re apparently getting character customization too in the future. Everyone has the same graphics, premium does nothing but allow you to raise skill caps over 20 and purchase your first deed (you have to be premium once for this, it can lapse after the first time).

Love me some sandbox!

Either way, all your wurm posts keep reminding me of the lack of a real sandbox in my life. I put down darkfall untill 2.0 is released (still 2 years late from their original quote) and have been sucked back into Lineage 2′s PvP with its recent expansion/transition to f2p. Mortal Online’s new expansion Awakening is really tempting, its adding in a lot more ‘sand to the box’ and other features that weren’t able to be in the game at launch. Plus there’s the upside of being able get your character up to the hard skill cap and fill your role in a matter of weeks… (you need multiple characters/accounts to have different toons for different purpose though). That’s quite tempting compared to the L2 style of “GRIND GRIND GRIND GO GET XP TO GET POWER OVER THE CLANS WERE AT WAR WITH AND KEEP THE BEST XP AREAS TO OURSELVES SO THE OTHER CLANS CANT USE THEM SO WE CAN KEEP THE UPPERHAND AND OUR CASTLE SECURED” which never ends. At this point I’d even love a non-PvP focused sandbox like wurm or xsyon. I love L2′s pvp, its just the game is truly addictive by nature and will suck your soul out if you pvp competitively without using 3rd party software (which is a huge problem in L2′s competitive clan play). And I cant invest myself into a MMO that much again.

Well, I kind of lost my original train of thought there. Heheh. Anyways, L2 is free now so I can pick it up and set it down anytime. I’ll wind up back in a sandbox eventually. I can’t resist it once I gain awareness and realize the lack of sandbox-depth in my gaming life. I am also meaning to visit Telon again for its 5th birthday. You should too, star.

I just got a lot of looks in the bus because I had to laugh so hard at your description. The image of sailing… *wheeee* *phump* into the coast, with your ship sliding far onto land, so you have to drag it back into the water…. Oh, and the anchor… you do know they’re supposed to be chained to the ship, right?