well there have been several patches in ryzom, most mere small changes but some are welcome, 

The X-mas holidays are starting out quite well for Ryzomers. It seems that the billing system is taking longer than expected and the FREE period has been extended until the end of the year.

According to Yumeroh, Ryzom's Community Liaison, the Ryzom team planned to give Ryzomers an extended free period as a thank you gift for sticking by them during trouble times. A generous gift I would say considering the situation. However, the spirit of giving does not stop there. They are also going to start hosting events, which according to them have been planned for the near future. I'm sure you agree with me when I say bring'em and bring'em quick.

It is no surprise that Ryzom is in desperate need of content. Many Ryzomers have been begging for content for a while now, and many good suggestions and points in its regard and future of the game were brought up on the Ryzom forums.

Not long ago some questioned the last announcement when news of the billing system was the only official news. Many were upset, no, not because the billing was returning - it is a known fact that a good bunch of Ryzomers are ready to pay for the game - but because there was no word on anything else being included. Many want to pay, but want to pay for more than what is currently in game, at the very least bug fixes and live events should be included with the return of billing.

It seems Yumeroh and the rest of the Ryzom team is willing to provide Ryzomers with what they want, however slow and forthcoming, they are listening. The question is will it be enough to keep Ryzomers interested and committed when billing finally does come? It is still uncertain what the future of Ryzom is, but for the moment, let us find some comfort in knowing that the New Year will be a definitive end to where it is today.  

The latest news by the Ryzom Dev. Team has many of us excited about the upcoming billing system and patch. Never have I seen eager gamers "happy" to pay for an MMO. You would think we be furious and stomping our feet against the return of billing. But we are excited that Ryzom will once again be P2P. I think our excitement is from our love of this game. In the years that I've been playing MMO's I've not found a game like Ryzom. Many, many, many good qualities make this game exciting and fun to play.

Granted some of us have been here a few years, others since beta, and some are new but we all agree that Ryzom has a unique attraction in it's game designed that we enjoy even if it sometimes feels like an endless grind. Cleary Ryzom isn't just for any gamer, not all will understand it, enjoy the sandbox world and hybrid characters, and that is their lost IMHO. I guess those that leave can say the same about us and their "favorite" game.

Though, I was concerned because there was no word about what we should expect with the return of the billing system, like patches, bug fixes, and long term plan. Some Ryzomer (me included), voiced concerns about the lack of detailed communication by the Ryzom Team. But the Ryzom Dev. Team surprised many of us when they answered back. I for one I'm very pleased with the news that some irritating bugs will be fixed and that we have a Live Events Team. This means that soon, perhaps in another two months, we'll see live events and some bugs gone. It is comforting to see that they read the forums and are listening to us.

This is why I say we should keep voicing our opinion and concerns about Ryzom. Reading the forum and being active contributes to the game. I'm sure you too have questions you would like answered. You may even have opinions to improve the game. They are all welcome, and we want to hear them. I certainly do. So, even if you are an old veteran, a new player, our opinion matters to SW. It is more than I can say about GF.

I'm giving Ryzom one year. In this new year (2009), I expect Ryzom to have included a complete encyclopedia, a progressing storyline, live content that will affect the game and the players, and hopefully some new expansions created by the NeL Team(s). My hopes are as high as my expectations and for the moment I want to enjoy it.