LEGO UNiverse Levels Up!

[MsRowdyRedhead]

n the next few weeks a major change will be added to LEGO Universe - Minifigure levels! As you complete Missions and Achievements, your minifigure will increase in level – earning new rewards and abilities. This leveling system will provide minifigures with a smoother game play experience and offers even more minifigure customization!



Leveling in LEGO Universe is a breeze! You won't need to spend hours upon hours grinding enemies for experience points. All you need to do is earn U-Score points by completing Missions and Achievements! After the new system goes into place, even Daily Missions will count!

Want some examples? To reach level 2, you must earn 35 U-Score. Level 5, will require 390 U-Score, and so on. These numbers are subject to change based on internal testing. Familiarize yourself with your Passport to quickly find and identify Achievements you can complete to level up!

With leveling also comes leveling rewards! At certain milestone levels (like 5, 10, and 15), your minifigure will earn cool prizes, including up to 40 more backpack slots, a rocking owl companion who is happy to perch on your shoulder, a permanent speed boost to your minifigure, and exciting new equipment!

As part of the new leveling system, another big change is coming. All in-game items will have a level requirement. This means that in order to use or buy this item, you must be the specified level first. For example, the Visored Racing Helmet has a level requirement of 20, the Crux Planet Shield has a level requirement of 25, and the Spike Hammer has a level requirement of 30. As you level up, your minifigure will be able to unlock more items, allowing you customize your minifigure to be exactly how you want it to be!

Concerned about how this change will affect your minifigures? Worry not! All existing minifigures will automatically have their level calculated by their existing U-Score. The U-Scores of existing Achievements and Missions are having their U-Score balanced for this new system – your minifigures will receive credit for every Achievement and Mission they have completed in the past . After the new system goes into place, we will recalculate your existing U-Score and transition you smoothly into the new system.

Any items that have already been linked to your minifigure will not be restricted to the level requirements. This means that if your U-Score places you at level 19, but you already have a linked Spike Hammer from your past level-free life, you can still use your existing linked Spike Hammer with no worries! Remember, you must have the item linked, not just in your backpack or vault – but linked!

Stand by for more breaking news to come! In the meantime, crack open that Passport and start hunting U-Score points like there’s no tomorrow!

Discuss this article on the message boards!

http://universe.lego.com/en-us/community/newsnetwork/story.aspx?id=335277

[Trijhak]

Oh no.

More discrimination in LU is going to come.

[Blade]

Called it.

Now this is what I called; all those years ago.

What I want to know, however; is whether that owl can be renamed 'Kaepora Gaebora'; and whether we can have a minifig that's fully garbed in green, and then this'll be officially awesome. Even if I'd rather have a fairy companion. =P

I must say though, this system sounds very cool. And it also sounds like they thought this through, and will have a very high cap to start... Which is a good thing. I'm gonna likely be annoyed at the fact that I can't link stuff before this takes effect, given I can't play it on this comp(And I'd need the disk and a sub anyway); but if it's based off quests, and not just farming enemies for hours, this should be a fun and unique idea of leveling... one that I believe should be implemented in more games.

[KnownandUnknown]

Oh no.

More discrimination in LU is going to come.

I feel the same, most people won't want to be friends with those of lower level, and most low levels will idolize people of higher level. All skill is thrown out the window and it's just who has the most free time and friends.

[Blade]

Though... technically you could say the same about MLN, DRC, or anything. =P

Besides; this comes from quests... So if you can complete at least one quest a day(And seeing as most seem rather short, that could be multiple in a day); then eventually, if there is a cap, even a slower player will reach the cap.

[Jayko]

I thought LEGO was running this thing . . .

They said in the beginning of the concept that they didn't want to have levels . . . I dunno what just happend there. To quote a song "You saw it coming but it hit you out of nowhere!"

With that being said, I'm not going to rant and rave about it, because I fell that this is an OK thing that happens especially with the awards and such. (now I wish I would be able to get a sub soon, not at the end of August)

[Flipz]

Initial response: "Sithspit!"

Response after thinking about it for a few minutes: "Sithspit!!"

Current response: "SITHSPIT!!!!!!!

Why?!?  Why, LEGO?!?!?  Why must you ENCOURAGE elitism and WOW-headedness?!?!?!  NOW, even IF I ever get the equipment I want, I won't be able to WEAR it, since I don't have time to grind enemies to get the last Achievements, and I stink at racing and Cannon Cove.

FYI, Blade, most of the missions and achievements DO consist of "kill X number of Y creatures".  So it doesn't alleviate the need to farm things constantly, it makes it WORSE!   

P.S. :

SITHSPIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MsRowdyRedhead]

I guess Mak & I will have to log in and link stuff.

How will this impact trading??

[Jayko]

I guess Mak & I will have to log in and link stuff.

How will this impact trading??

Im assuming you could sell higher ranked stuff to people with a lower rank, but they would just be unable to use it.

[Blade]

*Sighs*

Flipz: That doesn't eliminate that some of the missions consist of puzzles and such... Something that some people have been wanting more focus on. And I know there are missions where you have to bring stuff to others... So while there are farming missions, there are also ones that make you think. Though I do admit, there should be more of those.

And given the fact that they're counting all missions that have been completed by the player so far; that should be counting for something, and all the current members who didn't just join should be like Level 10 or higher.

Also; just because something has levels; doesn't mean that everyone will gravitate toward the types of people you're talking about. Sure; there will be the rotten ones of the bunch; but doesn't every type of game have that?(Heck, technically LU had them all along, with the Coins...)

[MsRowdyRedhead]

I have to agree with Flipz about much of this.
I'm starting to see another problem - the patch hasn't even happened yet, and already on other forums I'm seeing people competing over what score they can get. Things can already get heated in arguments over what rank of faction gear a person is wearing, and now they're adding another thing to spark competition .

Further the original concept was for a LEGO Bases MMOG  with a  bright and happy style, and focus on building and creativity.. We were told there would be no levels, so all players would be equal, and to allow for more character customization.

I wonder these days if the devs that work on the worlds ever played with LEGO.. 
At least the property building devs seem to have, and also seem to be genuinely trying to listen and do what they can.

[Blade]

The problem with the bright and happy style thing, is one that I brought up way back in the concept stages of LU.

If everything's happy go lucky, and there's no fighting at all, not even a stomp on enemies' heads to get rid of them fighting system; then it's just real life with building and going around exploring a LEGO based world while collecting some stuff. And for everything except for the latter, we've got that already.

Plus; we knew almost from the start that a combat system would be in effect; from the Darkling trailer. They just... Took it a little too far in terms of darkness. =P

The other thing is; are these forums that you're talking about the same ones that have the casual, friendly type of players that we have; or the ones who are naturally competitive?

[The Truth]

I like the idea of levels. No more newbies with Crux Weapons, and higher speed!

[MsRowdyRedhead]

The problem with the bright and happy style thing, is one that I brought up way back in the concept stages of LU.

If everything's happy go lucky, and there's no fighting at all, not even a stomp on enemies' heads to get rid of them fighting system; then it's just real life with building and going around exploring a LEGO based world while collecting some stuff. And for everything except for the latter, we've got that already.

Plus; we knew almost from the start that a combat system would be in effect; from the Darkling trailer. They just... Took it a little too far in terms of darkness. =P

The other thing is; are these forums that you're talking about the same ones that have the casual, friendly type of players that we have; or the ones who are naturally competitive?

I don't mind some fighting, but lately it feels like we are the invaders smashing everything in sight, rather than being invaded by Maelstrom.

Yes they are, typical LEGO sites.

[Blade]

1. Again, they took it a little too far in terms of darkness, which includes fighting.

The best idea; is if they did something like Zelda... Half Combat, Half Puzzles... if even that.

2. Next question; are they typical LEGO users, or people who were intrigued by LEGO Universe? =P

[Crushinator]

Now that you guys have had a chance to try the leveling system, I'm curious if you like it, hate it, or really don't care? I've heard a lot of negativity about it before it was released, not just on this forum, so I'm wondering if you still feel negatively about it?

[MsRowdyRedhead]

Personally I have seen good and bad things. For me, if I see a player with a very low number, I see someone I might want to help out and team with.. especially if they are getting mauled by the maelstrom.
I have seen others snub them, or worse, try to take advantage of them. Last night, in response to an idea about battle strategy, I saw one player say to the other "what do you know, you are only a tent.. (ten)  I could imaging the crushed face behind the fig, and I wished for the first time we could smash a player.

For my personal play, it makes no difference to me.. I am in no rush to accumulate more points, I just do what I feel like doing each time I play. 2Mak07 gets excited every time he gets another point though, so that is WAY kewl.

I do wish we could see FTP players property tho.

[Crushinator]

Personally I have seen good and bad things. For me, if I see a player with a very low number, I see someone I might want to help out and team with.. especially if they are getting mauled by the maelstrom.
I have seen others snub them, or worse, try to take advantage of them. Last night, in response to an idea about battle strategy, I saw one player say to the other "what do you know, you are only a tent.. (ten)  I could imaging the crushed face behind the fig, and I wished for the first time we could smash a player.

For my personal play, it makes no difference to me.. I am in no rush to accumulate more points, I just do what I feel like doing each time I play. 2Mak07 gets excited every time he gets another point though, so that is WAY kewl.

I do wish we could see FTP players property tho.

Yes it's unfortunate that almost any stat brings out the competitive nature in players, which can sometimes be ugly. But I agree with 2Mak07, it's very motivating as well, I'm not motivated to do all kinds of missions and achievements that I wouldn't have care about before.

[Flipz]

Personally, I kind of like the new leveling system.  A few of the missions still could use a re-balancing of the U-score, but I'm sure that will come with time.  My main concern was that casual players like me would be forever stuck at low levels, and only the people who have time to play for days on end without stopping would be able to use cool stuff like the Bat Lord gear and other rare items.  (Personally, I was picturing my main 'fig at about level 10 or so, and having 30 more levels to go.)  Mostly, I was worried that the same "elite" players would end up with even more power.  Once I actually saw how the system was implementd, though, I was very relieved.

BTW...bravo on the new AG daily missions!  These are the kind of missions I'd prefer to see throughout LU; things involving "find this and use this cool ability on it" are much more fun for me than "go smash X number of Y enemy/smashable", or, worse yet, "win a race at X racetrack".  (Racing missions remain the most frustrating part of the game for me, mostly due to performance issues and issues with being able to FIND players [let alone win] at the GF race track.)