Critical Changes/Adjustments Need!!

Arugan

**Background:**
I’ve played since Phase 1 and actively tested every phase. I also follow discussions on the forums, Discord, and within my guild. Based on that, I’d like to share feedback on several systems.

1. **Lawless Rotating POI:**
**Problem:**Great idea, but higher levels dominate, discouraging lower-level players.
**Solution:**Scale players to the zone level when entering POIs, similar to Warhammer Online RvR lakes where stats were normalized. This keeps fights competitive while still rewarding progression.

2. **Progression Balance:**
**Problem:**Character leveling, node leveling, workstations, and professions feel out of sync.
**Solution:**Add progression gates. Example: Valheim locks stronger mobs behind progression milestones. Ashes could:
Restrict higher-level mobs until nodes reach higher stages.
Require better gear tiers to fight stronger mobs, naturally syncing systems.

3. **Gear, Loot, and Crafting Viability:**
**Problem: **By late Phase 2, crafting was irrelevant; loot farming dominated. Costs were too high, making crafted gear unappealing.
**Solution:**
Make most loot common/uncommon, with rares only from bosses/named mobs (like Guild Wars 2).
Reduce crafted gear costs (vendor add-ons, resources).
Goal: crafted common gear should be more accessible than dropped common gear, making crafting core to progression.

4. **Caravan and Crate System:**
**Problem:**Caravans are expensive, high-risk, and not worth it compared to solo crate runs. Players default to mounts + crates, making caravan content rare.
**Solution:**
Reduce caravan creation costs.
Increase caravan profit on success.
Increase crate risk: attackers who kill a crate carrier shouldn’t flag red; mounted crate runs should be much slower. This balances risk/reward and makes caravans a viable, central system.