DISCLAIMER: I started writing this post several months ago, so some information might be outdated. I think I’ll do more SSO blogs from now on, to shift my content in a more positive direction as this game does bring me a lot of joy.
Here we are again. In light of the recent kerfuffle with the EU, I feel there’s no better time than the present to write about Star Stable once again.
Since Alicia Online is still down, this game has been filling the void for me. Well, sort of. I'm not ashamed to admit that once AO comes back (if it does), I’ll be glued to that game.
And so, while I wait, SSO will have to do for now.
It’s been close to six months since the last time I wrote about Star Stable. Since my last post I've experienced the Winter Village (Christmas Event) as well as a couple of Trailblazers which have added new life to the game. Oh yeah, and there was a crackdown on hackers and now SSO is in trouble with the EU consumer board.
A lot can happen in six months, it seems.
If I had to sum up the winter village in one word?
Whimsical.
It reminded me of when I was in university, right by the stables. Before my parents picked me up, my friends and I went to the stables to give the school horses treats as a gift.
I know how oddly specific that sounds.
I am a sucker for snowy landscapes, which really kept me glued to the game for some time. Let’s just say that the ice made collecting light for the Motherstone a lot easier.
Speaking of the Motherstone, I managed to complete all 3 paths. Was it worth it? Kind of, if you don’t mind NPCs not saying “awesome” for doing so. It’s a small detail, so I won’t dwell on it too much.
The lore around the Druids, keepers of Aideen and Fripp are weirdly whimsy and I’m all here for it.
First thing’s first, I really don't like Jorvik Shillings capping out at 10,000. Now, this wouldn't be so bad if there weren't pieces of clothing and tack that cost anywhere from 6000 to 9000 a piece. If there was a way to store shillings the same way I can store light, I wouldn't have a tizzy over it.
I also kind of wish that we could buy horses with Jorvik shillings. Maybe the tradeoff can be that horses cost 40,000 shillings and that can become the new cap off. Considering most of the player base consists of minors who don't have access to their own money, I think the developers should put that into consideration.
As I mentioned in a Reddit post, something that bothers me about the story is of how little consequence it is to NPCs all around Jorvik. I have a hard time believing that Thomas and Loretta, two characters who canonically care about Justin, wouldn't chime in with the odd comment here and there about him.
I want to hold out hope that SSO will start honing in on making quality of life changes to the game. So far, I’m cautiously optimistic.
Update: seeing as how I was working on this draft for the past couple of weeks, a major one dropped as I was writing.
This is actual insanity. $123 is eight hours of being at work, a full day in other words.
To end things on a more positive note, I adore the overall atmosphere of Valley of the Hidden Dinosaur. It’s lonely, isolated and mysterious. The giant mosasaur skeleton piques my curiosity about its backstory. The paleontology quests are fun to do.
Perhaps I’ll write more about Dino Valley.
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