Massively.com looks back at Issue 20, talks with Matt Miller and Nate Birkholz about what's ahead

It didn't have the Devs profusely apologising for neglecting (feature I really like), saying that (feature I don't like) was a giant mistake and promising to fix (bug that really annoys me) yesterday. That makes it a self-congratulatory PR-speak puff-piece.

Since always. While it might not seem particularly slow to you, I'm sure you'll readily admit that it takes longer to get from 30 to 40 than from 20 to 30 (and even that is vastly slower than 1 to 10). It does slow down at 30, because the increase in rewards does not keep pace with the increase in experience needed. It is especially noticeable while soloing, and I think that many players, and the developers as well, have greatly undervalued soloing of late.

Yeah, I must admit it's been a while since i soloed exclusively at that level.

I've got a number of lower level characters that i'm slowly bringing along, but for the last year i've mostly been playing 3 characters plus reacquainting myself with my first character. The two of the three plus my first were already 50 when i19 came out.

The third of the newer ones is freshly 50 and now furthest along the incarnate path as i've been playing him about 90% of the time i'm on. Who am I kidding, 95%. He's just about tier 4rd out now and since no new slots are coming for a while i'm hoping to work on a new character, maybe steampunk themed, as their is anAT or two that i've been itching to try.

I think it also makes a difference that i'm no longer scrambling for funds, as I often was early on, and have a ready supply of regular IOs plus set IOs built up and stored in my two solo SGs.

Some ATs feel like they level faster as well. Whether they do or whether that's merely subjective I wouldn't want to hazard a guess right now. I know that the Blaster archer/mm felt like it rocketed up and that one I did solo a lot.

<shrug> I do look forward to the next one I play that I intend to bring up to 50 at least. Hmm, maybe i'll make a project of not teaming except to do one of any TF that comes along...at least until 50 anyway. If I feel like teaming i've got plenty of characters up and down the levels to go on. Yup, that sounds like a plan, thanks for making me stop and think for moment!