I barely got above peasant before the upkeep patch but it was fun, more so than now
I realised that there were tin cans, much higher level than me. I didn't moan. I got a winged mace and did some damage! I only had one character, after the patch I got up to seven, because the one character that I had leveled so quickly and obtained all the equipment I wanted.
People can't play the builds they want all the time now. That surely removes a large part of the RPG from cRPG
If you saw a guy on a horse on your team, you knew he had clocked a lot of hours and would probaly help you win. Same if you saw a guy with a longbow etc
Of course tis is pointless because of all the players who want things now, now, now, now and don't want to invest time in their character
For me, this has taken a turn towards CoD. Not because of the ranged but because of the way you level, "prestife", level, "prestige". Why not go the whole hog and put different weapons at different level unlocks?
This is partly why I don't play anymore. Also because of, IMO, better MP mods such as Invasion and the new F&S coming out. But if this mod were good and I developed some sort of bond with my character who I had to play for hours to level or buy the padded jacket then maybe I'd stay.
On that note, about 60% of my characters time was spent in that padded jacket. Yes it only gave me 25 body armour but it was the first armour I purchased to make me not look like I peasant. I felt joyous the first time I put it on. Now it's my low-tier armour for when I'm low on gold
cRPG has lost the substance it had, lost the idea that you're playing YOU
It's just a bit arcadey
P.S. Abondon it and make one for F&S, with the original leveling and gold system