I find myself waiting for this game to crystallize, to experience a sudden "aha" moment, whereupon all the ridiculous things it asks me to do will suddenly become meaningful and significant. I think the problem may be that the physical layout of the quest givers. You can tell where they are by yellow chalice icons on the minimap, but until you talk to them, you don't know whether they are important story quests, what level they are, or where you might need to go to finish them. You also don't know what sort of reward the quest gives until after you beat it. All in all, it's a pretty pointless system that results in me spending a significant portion of my time wandering around randomly.
I suspect that another major issue I'm having is that I'm just not playing the game "correctly." I should probably be pounding the virtual pavement, grouping up with other players, talking over voice-chat to coordinate strategy, and just generally treating this as a social experience and a chance to make new friends. It seems obvious that a good social experience can elevate even a mediocre game/
So, why don't I do that? I feel like that question treads on some sticky emotional territory. I'm going to say that it's due to a combination of my awkward schedule and natural comfort with solitude, and not any kind of crippling social anxiety.
With eight hours left to go, I think it would be easiest to just tough it out. I have a feeling that the "main story" was not meant to be particularly compelling in and of itself, and that the sidequests are mostly just an excuse to wander around and bash monsters. That's something I'm comfortable with, if not exactly thrilled by (astonishingly, Dungeons and Dragons Online is a game that makes me nostalgic for Kingdoms of Amular).
It may not be the best way to experience the game, but at least I won't embarrass myself by being a liability to a group.
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