This is something we were talking about in the discussion channel, so I figured I’d put it here too.
Right now, Rex and Trike feel so, so, so much bigger than everything else on the roster. I know that in the future this will probably even out with the addition of high mid-tiers like Acro, Allo, and others — but with the introduction of elders (Rex, Allo, etc.), there’s already a noticeable power creep.
That’s really my only issue with elders: they spread the stat distribution so far apart that fights start to feel less like skill-based encounters and more like “whoever’s bigger/faster wins.” If every extreme was brought down just a bit, it would make things a lot more fun for everyone. Players would be less likely to rage-quit after losing countless hours to a big dino to a mixpack, and smaller ones would be happier to engage instead of avoiding fights.
I love the survival aspect — but with such a small player cap, you need to make sure players can actually interact. Otherwise, people just get bored, or worse, frustrated after a 5-hour trike grow session ends in a 10-second stomp by a Rex.
If I were a new player, trying the bigger, “safer” dinos first while I learn the ropes (as most do), I’d probably quit right there and then. I definitely wouldn’t be recommending the game to anyone — and I’m sure I’m not the only one who’d feel that way.
If damage output from the apexes was toned down slightly — for example, Stego attacks using less stamina but dealing less damage, Trike’s thrash being a bit less devastating, or Rex’s crush being less overwhelming — I think it would make fights more fun, skill-based, and forgiving for both sides. It wouldn’t remove the danger at all; a Trike still couldn’t outrun a Rex up close. But after 10 hours of growth, it’s rough to get killed in under 30 seconds, whichever side you’re on.
This would also let mid-tiers feel like proper mid-tiers again. At the heart of it, most player interactions (at least on HT) end up one-sided — and one player’s definitely not having fun.
I see the point brought up a lot — that some apexes should be unfair or extremely powerful after 10 hours of growth. And honestly, I get that. They should be able to one-shot a lot of things; that’s part of what makes them apexes.
But the question is — how does that actually feel for players? People spend hours of their free time growing, just trying to enjoy themselves, unwind after work, or escape for a bit. A game shouldn’t make you feel miserable for doing that.
Sure, sometimes it’s fine — you get ambushed, they played it well, GG! That’s part of the fun. But when it becomes a constant problem, or when you’ve got a young Rex at 800 kg running 55 km/h and easily demolishing a 700 kg Cera doing 36 km/h… or a very low dmg maia doing 27, that’s when it starts to break the experience. Over time, players just start to leave. It sucks — plain and simple.
But also like... The Isle isn’t a game I come home to relax on; it’s a game I play when I want a challenge. This isn’t to say both playstyles can’t exist or that both aren’t valid approaches — but that’s how I approach it.