Clarysta of Bree-land

I like Bree. All the kinnies and other friends tend to hang out in Mirkwood, but I’m in Bree. I like being close to the Auction Hall, I like the sunshine, and I like to see the lowbies running around with their funny kin names.

Seeing new kins form almost every day is a reminder that the game has not gone stagnant. All those lowbies that we saw after Moria released? Seems like they were all existing players trying the new classes. But a year later, those have moved on and I really believe most of these are new players.

You can tell by the questions - Why are people running around with banners? That was a question I saw in /advice last night. How do you buy a horse? How do I craft xyz? How do I get to Rivendale? (my fave)

Very common questions, and I remember having the same questions at that level. I was enthralled by the thought of having a dude running around after me all the time - when can I get one of those? So I hang out in Bree, and I answer questions and I laugh at kin names.

Think about it: I’m level 65, am I likely to go to Bree, roll a new toon and start my own kin? The people that start these kins and try to recruit in the OOC are typically just starting out in the game. Maybe they’ve come from other MMOs and already know the power of a static group of players. Maybe they’re new to online gaming (like I was) and are just realizing that grouping makes the game funner and faster. Just a note from my observations: the Bree kins rarely last - kins formed around level 35 in Esteldin seem to have more staying power.

The Spring Festival has brought a new type of funning to Bree - the first day when we were the only ones that had D.R.A.G.O.N, ran to Combe to poof lowbies into dragons. Of course, it turned out the little burg was actually someone we knew, running on a new toon, but still we all had a good laugh. A 20-something elf hunter was stealthing around yesterday, trying to D.R.A.G.O.N me.  Get ‘em with the Doom-Shrooms just to be silly. Lots of fun.

And I don’t know about anyone else, but I always feel like I have to be IN a skirmish camp when I skirm. Yeah, I know, but it just makes sense to come back to camp, have access to the barterers and vendors. (When did skirm become a verb? or even a word for that matter?)

Which is where Bree fails a little. Needs a forge master and relic master at the skirmish camp. Luckily it’s just swift travel up to Riven DALE.

./rp on