General Discussion

I just want to ask other RPGers out there which is a good pick?  I played EQ from when it started til about 2004-2005 and really haven't played a MMORPG since then.  I did try WoW for a couple of months but never really got into it.

I just want to know if AoC was good or should I give WoW a second try  Also, I have been thinking of building a better gaming rig and would like to know what would be the cheapest parts I can buy that would make AoC run pretty smoothly if I pick up AoC.

If you once tried WOW and didn't like it, then chances are you won't like it now either. Nothing has changed apart from the end game.

If you have a good enough rig I would go with AOC if not go with WOW.

WoW has lost all of their low-mid level grouping, you'll rarely ever see a group in the mid-levels now, and when you do it's like the standard rules went out the window, these people greed blue BoP's lol. The game is focusing so hard on endgame that everything level 1-60 is completely useless as the majority of the players are all in outlands. But the upside is WoW has lots of people, the odd thing is tho that lately theres a small amount of people level 1-60 playing...

AoC still has a lot of time to be given a legitimate review of any kind, but as of now I can say that AoC has a LOT of people but the populations seem to be about the same as wow, maybe it's cause less servers. Also AoC has a more of a closed-off feel to it, and the use of instance and normal/epic options do give for an odd kind of multiplayer and singleplayer, all in all I'd say the game is fairly solid and runs atleast decent on the average computer. Also the game is fun, new, and explorable. The odds of someone calling you a noob and laughing at how you didn't know something, are slim to none this early in the release.

Even though I personally prefer WoW by a long margain,  I have no problem recommending AoC to a newcomer because :

1) It's new.  Brand new.  A new MMORPG has a certain energy you just can't find in older games.  A true fresh start.

2) The combat is actually better than WoW.  Not to say that WoW's combat is as bad as people on these forums claim it is, both games have excellent combat systems, but AoC manages to combine satisfying and interesting combat that while not particularly ground-breaking, is just right.

But only if you have a decent rig, anything less than a 7800GT and you're in for some pain imo.  You'll get far better mileage out of WoW with a mid-range system, and obviously, it's popular for a few reasons so you can't go wrong.

LotRO or AoC will make a good choice, or even EQ2.

WoW is an all-around good choice...but as has been mentioned, if you didn't like it before nothing has changed.

If i were you and you were desprate to play a MMO then pick LotrO or even Wow - I swear dont waist you time with AoC, i've spent about 7 hours patching, downloading, re installing, making accounts etc etc etc, Ive just decided to delete it because it still doesnt work. And my specs are more than what you need.

I was hoping to play Aoc that had a fresh, new look on MMOs but its nothing more than a high spec guild wars - even though i'd still happily play guildwars.

I dont get why people talk about AoC so much.

Seriously, how can a player of EQ, who didnt liked WoW much, seriously consider to play AoC and expect to enjoy it ???

Have you ever informed yourself about this game at all ?!?

If you would want a linear, fantasy-themed MMO with best graphics and heavy PvP, ok, AoC is a game for you.

But if you want challenge, complex and rich gameplay, huge gameworlds, high quality group play and crafting, why do you even bother with AoC at all ? Thats not what the game is made for.

I would suggest trying the original EQ, the updated EQ2, or the experimental Vanguard instead.

I've played WoW pretty far all the way to Black Temple, it's a great game. However if you are starting now, i would not recommend WoW.  Everything is so distorted towards the high end , it's almost impossible to get into it as a newbie. It's almost at that point  where you will get that distinct feeling a 10 million people has walked this path before you and you're very very far behind and you will never catch up....lvl 1-60 is a desert only filled with twinks and people power leveling their 10th alt with very little patience for noobs...

Based on that, i recommend AoC . It's new, it's got what WoW have [so far anyway, only at lvl 20] . It's a level playing field, everyone is as noob as you.

If you really want to play WoW and get a level playing field, wait for Wrath of the Lich King [lvl 71 and those T5/T6 epics means squat] . In the meantime, considering WoTlk might not even hit before Xmas, i'd go for AoC.

I guess the problems I had with WoW was the the graphics seemed a little cartoony, it seemed like every character I ran into during the game was being played by young kids, and the playstyle seems too dumb downed.  I was just hoping for a MMO that was good, a bit of a challenge, and reminded me of the old fantasy books I have read in the past like Dragonlance.