Istaria, err Horizons Return

I don't know if a large number of people are aware of the MMO Istaria (Formerly Horizons) and its unusual history.

There are some pretty good threads available that identify all of the trials and tribulations this game has suffered through.

It has survived due to some very talented developers and dedicated players and is really turning into the kind of game it should have been in the beginning. It contains a full lifespan for Dragons with flying. It has many different types of players. It allows you to collect and use resources to craft just about anything including your own plot of ground where you can build structures and storage buildings and silos.

It is also completely free to play with a few restrictions.

I have returned to Istaria several times and have always enjoyed my visits. The player community is very helpful and mature. Every time I return, I find that the experience has improved over time.

I decided that I would enter Istaria as a Mage. Usually, I play a Ranger so this would be a new perspective. I went through the starting area and did most of the quests that were offered. I was not able to complete the last beetle quest as the beetles would not cooperate and appear.

I portaled into New Tristmas and started to talk to the people there. They handed out a bunch of quests and I started to level. It was a little slow going but I managed to get to level 8. I was impressed at the work that had been done to make the quests more organized and straightforward.

I also started to get involved in the crafting. As a mage, I use cloth armor and decided to start out as an Outfitter. One of the nice improvements was that one of the craft quests presented me with a cargo disk for the resources. I was able to acquire more resources in a shorter amount of time.

I am continuing to improve my crafting and Mage talents and will soon have them to level 10. As they improve, I receive more resources with every swing. The first big change will come at level 20.

If you are looking for something a little different, give Istaria a chance. I will be updating the blog with info as I continue to get reacquainted with this solid MMO.