Hear me out—we’re all a bit naive when it comes to this.
I started playing Arcadia in October 2023, and I’ve spent thousands on events to reach level 205. Yet now, from what I can see, there are new players who started as recently as this Easter and are already close to level 190. At this rate, it won’t take them long to pass 200+, which took me nearly two years to achieve.
Whilst I appreciate that we all have the choice to play and to purchase GameGold, I do strongly feel that those who have invested considerable time and money into the game deserve to be rewarded—and I don’t mean myself specifically, but the wider group of long-term, committed players.
I haven’t been playing as long as some, but I genuinely feel for the players who have invested years into building their level and gear, only for someone new to come along, play a single event, and end up on par with them. That doesn’t feel right.
I’ve reached the Heroes League three times, only to have it taken away each time. I’ve just managed to reach it again, but honestly, it feels temporary. It raises the question—what are we actually working toward? We’re encouraged to keep playing, keep spending, and yet it often feels like it leads nowhere.
There needs to be a better system in place. Progression and loyalty should mean something. Certain perks should remain tied to long-term achievement, not just short-term gains.
Take Zade, for example—he’s contributed tirelessly to the forums and community and has been playing far longer than I have, yet I’ve already surpassed him. That highlights the issue perfectly.
At the end of the day, it feels like we’re stuck in a loop—constantly chasing progress, only to end up back where we started.
Peace
I agree with this in principle.
I was in the same boat as those people who are coming in late, and also in the same boat as you, I've been on both sides of this at different times. We're on the same trajectory, I'm just a little further along the timeline.
I started playing this in 2018, at the time the level cap was 155. The people at 150-155 had been grinding it out for years, and due to changes in the server, growing caps and adjusted exp rates I was able to catch up in a relatively short time, within a year or so I was fairly competitive, despite not taking things too seriously at that stage. Every 9-12 months or so there was a level cap increase, I was first to hard cap when it was 178, and I stayed #1 on server for quite a long time, I was grinding solid to stay there and did so very successfully until about 2022 when I took my foot off the gas, went to play some other things for a while and touch some grass.
Since returning, I've been a lot more casual. My home and work situations have changed and I've found myself with a lot more money and a lot less time. Just like they did when I was new, the level caps and exp rates are continuously evolving to allow newer players to catch up. I enjoyed being at the top but the means to stay there has changed, and I seriously overpaid to stay ahead for a while. I accepted that, and that made me happy at the time.
But since then, I've taken a step back and reflected on the state of the server, and I've come to the realisation that a lot of people were doing the same, and it felt like success was driven primarily by spending rather than gameplay. With respect to that, I can certainly compete, but for me at least, that just stopped being fun.
The recent changes to the server have been to the benefit of people who have a lot of time. It's moving back to how it used to be, where those who put the effort in and grind are rewarded. That doesn't help me at all, I won't be able to keep up. And I fully accept that. At the end of the day, it's a game, and the people who play it should be the winners.
