Participating in the Nexon PEAK Post Challenge

There are all kinds of reasons people stop playing a game.
Sometimes it’s because the game just isn’t fun anymore, sometimes life gets too busy,
and sometimes, like it was for me, you simply drift away from the people you used to play with.

I left Mabinogi around 2016.
It was a game I used to log into to spend time with friends,
but as the people I played with started leaving one by one, I naturally lost interest too.
After that, Mabinogi stayed with me as a game of memories.

🎤 The 14-Hour User Meeting That Made Me Look Again

Then, in 2022, Mabinogi became a huge topic of conversation because of a 14-hour user meeting.
I had already quit by then, but with so many people talking about it, I ended up looking into it too.
What impressed me most, though, wasn’t the meeting itself, but the player representatives who were there.

Watching people who had loved the game for such a long time
sincerely talk about wanting it to grow in a better direction really stayed with me.
It was a game I had already lost interest in and walked away from, so it surprised me to see that someone could still care for it that deeply.

Seeing that made me wonder if I should log in again for the first time in a while,
and in the end, I reinstalled Mabinogi.

🌱 Starting Over with a New Character

After coming back, I didn’t continue with the character I used to play.

The game’s systems had changed a lot after years of updates,
and my old character was no longer in a position to receive growth support.
More than anything, I could barely remember how far that character had progressed.

So I made a new Giant character, one I’d wanted to try for a long time.

Looking back, I’m really glad I made that choice.
By following Blaanid’s growth support system, I was able to pick up the game’s changed systems naturally,
and I could build up my gear and cumulative level without feeling too burdened.
In the past, there were times when skill training was easier only if you stayed at a certain level and adjusted your cumulative level around it,
and that sense of pressure felt much lighter than before.

⚔ The Growth Process Feels Much Easier Now

One of the things that surprised me most after returning was skill training.
I remember how, in the past, even a slight boost to training speed felt like a huge help,
but by the time I came back, training value increase potions, talent bonuses, and events could all stack together,
so raising skills was much faster than it used to be.

I also liked that the community had well-organized guides on training efficiently with limited resources
and on getting the best possible results,
so unlike before, I didn’t have to stumble through trial and error on my own.

Coming back after so long, it didn’t feel like the game had become harder.
More than that, it felt easier to learn again.

🎁 Why I’d Still Recommend Coming Back

Since then, there have been many more updates, so I’m sure plenty has changed again from when I returned.

Even so, one thing I’ve felt while consistently following Fantasy Party
is that Mabinogi keeps strengthening its support for new and returning players.
From the various growth events held every pre-season to combo card support,
and even gear support, which used to feel like a major burden in the past, it all feels much more active than before.

To be honest, I still remember how much time and resources I spent in the past
preparing Perseus weapons and Erg.
That’s why it felt even more striking to me that now, just by consistently taking part in events,
players can receive support for gear at a certain level.
I could really feel the steady effort to improve the game
so that returning players and first-time players can narrow the gap with existing players.

🍀 I Didn’t Come Back on Memories Alone

At first, I logged back in because of nostalgia.

But what kept me playing was the Mabinogi that had changed.

The old feeling was still there, but the systems had been steadily improved so returning players could settle back in more easily.
Because of that, instead of feeling overwhelmed and wondering what I was even supposed to do after logging in again, I more often found myself thinking, this is easier to get used to than I expected.

So if someone who used to play Mabinogi asks whether it’s okay to start again now,
I’d want to tell them to give it a try at least once, without too much pressure.
That’s how I started again too, and I was able to continue my time in Erinn far more happily than I expected.