Nebraska Dave News and Reviews

Quick Preface: I am by no means an expert Neverwinter player at all, I started maybe about 2 months ago. I have two level 70 characters and have played enough that I can at least provide some basic encouragement to new players grappling the start of end game content. Note these are not tips to help you gain an advantage. The points I make are very basic and more of a philosophy that I personally follow to get enjoyment out of this game.

I am absolutely loving Neverwinter, I have played a ton of mmorpgs even as far back as Everquest and I already know Neverwinter is starting to become one of my favorites thus far. Lets be honest though… Neverwinter is pretty much the "fast food restaurant" equivalent of mmorpgs, its delicious but at the same time terrible for you. Only difference is you won't be getting your "food" fast in this game. The endgame grind is daunting and perhaps even insanity inducing so here are a few simple ways I approach this game to keep it from being less annoying than it needs to be.

1. Have patience: This game is much more about the journey and reward of having an optimally built character not about what there is to do once you get there. The developers do a pretty good job at making it appear that there is some kind of urgency towards getting everything fast but its completely unnecessary. By the time your decked out and have the highest possible Item level, your character is none other than a glorified trophy. My advice: invest in your character as much as possible from a roleplaying perspective, you don't have to be some kind of "Teleports right behind you with katana drawn" type of roleplayer but creating and secretly following what I call a "Head Lore" can be a lot of fun. Who are you and what do you want to be? How do you want other players to perceive you?
2. The Rule of COOL: Grinding to get all your gear, companions, mounts, and enchantments is a lot of work but its all pointless if your not having fun. I follow "the rule of cool" Treat yourself sometimes, if you see a mount or fashion piece that you think looks cool for your character dont be afraid to get it. I just payed 50k for a fashion piece last night, was it a waste of diamonds? possibly, but I love every bit of how it has changed my character.
3. Don't spend Zen on traps: There are a lot of trap items on the zen market, they are high cost and provide little benefit. I can't list them all but one example that may be tempting is xp boosters. The one that gets you to 60 twice as fast is 900 zen, not too shabby perse but the one that gets you to 70 twice as fast is unbelievably bonkers at 5000 zen when getting from 60-70 takes a couple days at most. Your number one focus is VIP the rewards speak for themselves. If you must spend zen on other things spend it on services you need like bank slots, character slots, active companions etc…
4. 500K Diamonds: This is a somewhat strict personal rule I follow that may seem weird to some. I always keep a supply of 500,000 diamonds on me at all times and I try not to dip below this point too much. At minimum i will try to always have 100k if i must. Why? Its psychological. I find that I tend to make less financial mistakes when I have a set amount I am not allowed to exceed. That, and it feels good to have that money there for some reason. Try it out, it works for me, it may work for you.
5. Be good to people: There are enough toxic people in this game, we don't need anymore. If your pug healer can't keep your team up dont rant or curse to everyone because it makes you angry. What difference does it make really? Maybe its just me, but I enjoy making the game fun for other people by being kind, thoughtful, and likeable. If your an adult playing this game, just remember there are likely a lot of kids who play far younger than you and this could quite possibly be the first mmorpg they have ever touched, be cool to the little runts you were their age at one time too.

Edit: Wow, Reddit gold, I am quite flattered and honored you think so highly of my post, thank you very much and thank you for other positive responses from the people subscribed to this subreddit.