UWO School and the Sadness of Sagres

sweetbabyray · February 2019

Hi All and Papaya,

Returning player here. I played back in 2010-2012(ish). Upon returning this past month, the Sagres school has been terrible. Luckily I remember what I'm doing. There are multiple posts about the failure that is the Sagres school. I just want to say it again as a returning player from nearly 7 years ago. Luckily I put in some good time and remember what I'm doing. However, the Sagres school is still a struggle and has no cohesion, rhyme, or reason. It is a hot, hot mess.

In some small hope that it can be properly fixed. Although judging by the age of the posts relating to Sagres, it seems the current devs/publisher don't care. This is unfortunate.

I just want to share my experience with the school as a returning player.

I started with my last country, Portugal, as a military learner. I made it through the first mission and excited to begin my journey I headed over to the school to properly begin my journey. Alas, as you know, classes were closed to new students. After talking with everyone in the school I was told there is a school in a "certain city". Wat? Thanks for the advice school... So I decide to ask the world or least people in Lisbon where this school was. Ah, I can't talk to anyone. Welp, lets go get some XP from the guild. Oh I guess there's another quest for running around town. Cool some easy XP. Talk with everyone, no one makes any real sense or belabors the point. Minimal XP and some 5,000 ducats. Cool. Hey, there's a "certain city" with a school. WTF? Does this city have a name? It's probably in Seville. I'll head there.

I hit the seas with some cargo to sell there. It won't be a lot of money, but it'll give me some low-level XP. As I hit the seas I see 2 towns. One is Sagres and the other is Faro, an important city from my last time around. I decide I'll hit them up on my way back, gotta get to Seville to sell my goods and register for school. Slowly but surely I make my way there watching beautiful ships easily sail by me. I'll get there one day... I reach Seville, hit up the Market for some XP. It's not much fame or XP, but it's honest work. I head to school. No classes? Where's this "certain city"? wtf... I bet you it's in Cueta...

I set sail to Cueta. Nothing again. I'll just ask in the chat. Oh yes still doesn't work, I'm not level 5. Cool. We'll head back to Lisbon and hit up those 2 cities. Hit the seas for another long journey chugging along in the trusty barca. Faro! Yes, let's stop there. Ah, just as I remember... Lets keep moving it's already been more than 2 hrs at this point.

The next city is Sagres. I don't remember this city... I check the UWO wiki. Nothing about it... talk to everyone, get to the instructors. Ah I guess this is the "certain city". I should've known it was a new city that doesn't exist on any maps. I'm so lucky I picked Portugal. I couldn't imagine starting anywhere else to get there. Well, let's take some classes. then I find out they aren't classes as they are just beginner jobs. I guess it's an honest living. Pass the beginner Maritime examine. Sweet. I'm level 5. Only took 3 hours...

I try the trading class next. Oh, just pick some stuff up and bring it back. Cool. First job is to bring some stuff back. Easy. I do it and the teacher is like, sucker I didn't care what you brought back. You just wasted 10% of your starting budget. Cool. Oh the next one is the beginner exam. I have to cook an egg? I remember this. How do I get cooking though? I hit the wiki again. I gotta travel where to get it? I hit the seas. I get cooking. How do I make hard-boiled eggs? Where do I get eggs? Time to hit the wiki again. I need a book. I should've remembered that. I get the book. Use the wiki to find eggs, after my 3rd city. Cool. Cook eggs. Finish mission. Teach: "Oh great I didn't care how you got them and here's 5,000 ducats for your efforts and this piece of paper for a job." Thanks for being so helpful... Never told me I needed cooking, where to get cooking, that I needed a book to cook eggs or where to get eggs... Why is this guy an "Instructor"...?

At this point I'm getting turned around. Do I stick around with this school that seems to randomly give me jobs I can't do, like travelling to the baltic sea or so simple and time consuming, like training off the coast of North Africa in my barca. I guess... but doesn't seem useful. Le sigh... well the old school was long too... I take some jobs and level up slowly but surely getting some better ships and chests. I'm kind of surprised how fast I'm leveling and getting port permits. I've now put about 5-7 hours in prancing around, but still not advancing in school like I expected. I'm not even sure if I'm doing everything in the right order.

After spending some good time reading around the wiki I realize I need to change jobs to get certain skills. No one at the school explained how to get the skills I needed to pass the school. Luckily I'm putting in the effort and figure out how to get the skills I want and level them up on my own sailing to Oslo and Bergen to get wood, luckily I've upgraded to a Graduation Sloop.

Now after several nights of playing on my own accord and leveling myself and studying the wiki, I'm losing hope as I'm stuck in-between Beginner and Intermediate Exams in Adventure. I think I finished Intermediate Exam in Trading, and I think I'm close to finishing Maritime Advanced classes? I have no idea, the instructors are clueless and I have no idea how I'm progressing. I just want to take some decent classes and level up quickly. Graduate an Advanced course and get a better boat. Cause 1) I don't have the levels to get a simple Carrack 2) nor the money to buy a ship.

This school seems rather useless. I feel I'd be better grinding with the guild then taking random classes with these so-called "Instructors". I don't even remember what companies do or Investing or anything that isn't a job or listed on the Wiki. It all feels like a lost cause...

I dragged on in this post. But I had to. The school in the "certain city" has not been helpful. Luckily there is the trusty UWO wiki on fandom. Although, that now seems outdated.

PLEASE. PLEASE. PLEASE. Fix the schools. I don't think anyone who would be brand new to the game would learn anything. If I didn't know what I was doing I would've definitely bounced. Hell, I feel like bouncing now. Why would I support a publisher that clearly doesn't care about the game?

If Papaya cared at all about this they'd fix the schools. Otherwise UWO might have a long slow death. And if Papaya doesn't want to fix it, sell the game off. Hell, just let Steam take it over. Give it to someone with a budget that cares. This game has so much potential and is one of the greatest MMORPGs to date. Such a shame.

Thanks for reading.

-A frustrated returning newb