Thinking about playing again, have questions

[Glowyrm]

1) How large is the player base now, and are there enough active players to make for a strong player economy for gathered and crafted goods?

2) Has anything been done to reduce the amount of skill grind once you get a bit higher in level? I found the grind staggering the last time I played.

3) Have any changes been made to make it less of a pain to play in animal form?

Thanks for any info!

[Mikhaila]

Player base is pretty constant, with people playing all hours of the day. Events, new areas, or new skills bring in more people, then it wanes a bit. The economy seems pretty strong with high demand for many things, especially raw materials.

Without knowing just when you last played, it's hard to compare. I took a break and came back and noticed some changes. Shamanic was much easier for instance. But I think over all the skill grind is about the same for the last couple of years.

I play as an animal full time and have no problems. The advantages easily outweigh the problems. I've done Spirit Fox with Unarmed and now Warden and working priest and necro to pair with fox, and will try unarmed and warden together. Ice Magic and Rabbit got some attention and are being tested, Cow is a major tank class, Bat is very strong, and Deer got upgrades this week. Npc's in Casino and Fae Realm all talk to animals

[ShieldBreaker]

On question 2, the Crafting Caravan event really makes leveling your crafting skills much easier.

[Mikhaila]

On question 2, the Crafting Caravan event really makes leveling your crafting skills much easier.

That's very true. I also liked the Civic Duty event for raising that skill.