I've decided to join the ranks of the elite know it all and give you my unbiased, factual opinions, on Age of Conan as I begin my journey.

So far:

Signing up for the game:

I chose to go with the digital download option. The $20 cost is pretty good considering a $15 a month subscription fee; I'm used to EVE Online which has the same pricing scheme so I hopped on board. The registration for a new player is easy, and the process is very clear. The signing up phase gets 8/10 for being good, but the decision to use SMS is weird. Since my phone doesn't support SMS I used a roomates phone. I wish they'd stuck to e-mail registration.

Downloading the game:

How frustrating is acquiring the game all digitally? So far it doesn't seem bad, but that is subject to change. The download manager installed fine and I set it up to download over night. I've got an hour or two left but the entire process has stayed at 300-400kb/s and I'll be able to play starting today barring any difficulties.

The 15gb game is followed by a 2gb patch. The install takes a LONG time (like 2-3 episodes of family guy long) and then you can patch. It'll probably be another 2 hours, and I'm running out of homework to do.

The install and patch went without a hitch and everything appears to work grand.

I've joined Tyranny the PvP server and my goal is level 30 to catch up and join some friends playing from another online community. So far the game is impressing me, here's a quick rundown as of level 5 or 6:

The really really good:

NPCs actually talk to you, with voices, like real people.

The graphics look amazingly nice and run well even on an 8800gt. I was worried if I turned the detail to high it would chug, but everything so far is really fluid.

The good:

Being able to switch from the main quest to doing good deeds (day and night) is kind of cool.

The jumping animation isn't as silly as most games and running is tied to endurance instead of including a permanent run/walk mode.

The strange:

Every female character is unusually well built

The bad:

Not a huge deal until I have experience actually dealing with people (later), but there is a LOT of trash talk in the chat channels. I wouldn't let a younger person play the game simply due to the rampart bad language and insults constantly flying.

Originally posted by PnHobbit

The 15gb game is followed by a 2gb patch. The install takes a LONG time (like 2-3 episodes of family guy long) and then you can patch. It'll probably be another 2 hours, and I'm running out of homework to do.

Just out of curiosity, how current is your computer's hardware?

I only ask because I used run the game on an old clunker, a P4 with 1GB of ram, and it used to take around the same amount of time for an install.

Upon upgrading to my current system (c2d e7200, 4GB, 9800GT), then game now installs in roughly 25-30 minutes, tops.

I really don't want to rain on your parade but the NPC's talking and the night/day stuff goes away after you get off of Tortage.

I have been considering resubbing to check it out again.  Not sure though.

 the one thing that bites us all in the ass with this game is post level 20 only destiny quests talk anymore, all the other npcs just have the old standard text, its not game breaking or anything but after having everyone you click on talk from level 1-20 and going to only every 10 level special quest guy talking (30/40/50 ect) its kind of a big let down, o well its still the best dam combat in any mmo, once you have alot of combo options its not as overly repetative as most other games moves, the combos werent so fun at launch when theyld get you killed becuase of long fatality animations but i hear you dont take dmg during fatality animations anymore

Originally posted by PnHobbit

I've joined Tyranny the PvP server and my goal is level 30 to catch up and join some friends playing from another online community. So far the game is impressing me, here's a quick rundown as of level 5 or 6:

The really really good:

NPCs actually talk to you, with voices, like real people.

The graphics look amazingly nice and run well even on an 8800gt. I was worried if I turned the detail to high it would chug, but everything so far is really fluid.

 

The good:

Being able to switch from the main quest to doing good deeds (day and night) is kind of cool.

The jumping animation isn't as silly as most games and running is tied to endurance instead of including a permanent run/walk mode.

 

The strange:

Every female character is unusually well built

 

The bad:

Not a huge deal until I have experience actually dealing with people (later), but there is a LOT of trash talk in the chat channels. I wouldn't let a younger person play the game simply due to the rampart bad language and insults constantly flying.

Global chat on Tyrrany is notorius. I play there amongst other servers and Tyrrany has by fare the worst community. Tyrrany easily wins "The most violent talk", "Mayhem PvP", and "Cutthroat scene" awards. I would either choose a different PvP server or find yourself a friendly non-murderer guild ASAP.

Originally posted by curiousdaoc

Originally posted by PnHobbit

The 15gb game is followed by a 2gb patch. The install takes a LONG time (like 2-3 episodes of family guy long) and then you can patch. It'll probably be another 2 hours, and I'm running out of homework to do.

 

Just out of curiosity, how current is your computer's hardware?

I only ask because I used run the game on an old clunker, a P4 with 1GB of ram, and it used to take around the same amount of time for an install.

Upon upgrading to my current system (c2d e7200, 4GB, 9800GT), then game now installs in roughly 25-30 minutes, tops.

Download speed has nothing to do with the computer hardware unless your conection speed is faster than what your hard drive can write.

He was referring to install speed.

I'm running

E2200 2.2ghz Core-2 Duo (not overclocked atm)

8800gt 512mb

4gb 800mhz ram

Vista 64 bit

It's interesting to hear that NPC stop talking later on, but that is alright. That's why I'm breaking down what I notice at each grouping of levels. Things are always subject to change and maybe I can give some good insight to people who are looking to (or not) try the game.

I forgot to mention before. My class is an Aquilon Guardian

I'm now level 10

The good:

So far I've had no CTDs, no lag, no dropouts, and load times are quick

You can't walk through NPCs! I like feeling solid.

The combos are pretty cool, and at least to this point the random fatalities are entertaining.

The not so good:

People twice your level will grief you repeatedly outside the spawn with no hesitation. I expected this when joining, but I'm on this server to join up with friends at level 30. I've joined a guild already to level with in the meantime and the people are very nice even though I don't know them yet. One has already invited to join me and help me level up (he's around level 25 I think).

Originally posted by PnHobbit

He was referring to install speed.

I'm running

E2200 2.2ghz Core-2 Duo (not overclocked atm)

8800gt 512mb

4gb 800mhz ram

Vista 64 bit

 

It's interesting to hear that NPC stop talking later on, but that is alright. That's why I'm breaking down what I notice at each grouping of levels. Things are always subject to change and maybe I can give some good insight to people who are looking to (or not) try the game.

I forgot to mention before. My class is an Aquilon Guardian

I'm now level 10

The good:

So far I've had no CTDs, no lag, no dropouts, and load times are quick

You can't walk through NPCs! I like feeling solid.

The combos are pretty cool, and at least to this point the random fatalities are entertaining.

 

The not so good:

People twice your level will grief you repeatedly outside the spawn with no hesitation. I expected this when joining, but I'm on this server to join up with friends at level 30. I've joined a guild already to level with in the meantime and the people are very nice even though I don't know them yet. One has already invited to join me and help me level up (he's around level 25 I think).

More voiceovers were added after level 20. I kind of liked voice overs so I hope they keep plugging more voice overs into the game.

I'm up to level 17

The good:

Random people seem receptive to joining your group for some PvP or questing. Last night I got a group of 5 together for some group PvP. Today I found a player to go around questing with and we'd take out unsuspecting people along the way.

Character feats seem like a cool concept.

The strange:

Characters with really really white shiny teeth

The people I speak to are often bathed in a heavenly white light

everybody loves the game while people still talk to you. You really need to get past that point before writing anything really.

Of note, I have a level 56, who still gets voiceovers. Most of the voiceovers are for multi lined story based quests.

If it is a "kill 10 x" type quest, then no voice...and you can basically Hit 1 to go through the text, and head out (even though thanks to some great writing, even the kill foozles quests have reasoning and great little bits of story and humor in them, maybe read a few...reading never hurts anyone)

As to main story system, if the quest requires entry to a major dungeon or is to do a multi part quest, then voices exist.

I rather enjoy it.

The last epic questline has voiceovers, k?

Originally posted by Carl132p

everybody loves the game while people still talk to you. You really need to get past that point before writing anything really.

My thread is called all important, all knowing, irrefutably perfect guide for a reason. I can start writing whenever the hell I want to.

The good:

Climbing stuff is a neat touch that makes me feel like a real person in-game.

The bad:

I die a lot, and I probably need to reorganize the tool bar by what all the stuff does.

On that note. I'm finally out of Tortage, but it's time to study so opinions of the outside world will have to wait.

Originally posted by PnHobbit

My thread is called all important, all knowing, irrefutably perfect guide for a reason. I can start writing whenever the hell I want to.

The good:

Climbing stuff is a neat touch that makes me feel like a real person in-game.

The bad:

I die a lot, and I probably need to reorganize the tool bar by what all the stuff does.

On that note. I'm finally out of Tortage, but it's time to study so opinions of the outside world will have to wait.

No don't go study. I want to read more of your guide whether you start to love it or whether you start to hate it.

Originally posted by Carl132p

everybody loves the game while people still talk to you. You really need to get past that point before writing anything really.

I dont understand. It seems you are implying that people like the game because of the voice overs, and that once the voice overs stop that people do not like the game so much any more or it is a totally different experience without the voice.

All other MMOs, that i have played do not have any voice at all, so it follows from the above that these other MMOs are below par?

On another note, the game does take a long time to install, i believe this is due to the unpacking of all the voice and textures. Which is also the reason why the game is so big.

The main negative things about AoC are the instancing, which a lot of people dont like. I personally dont really mind it. And i believe it was a design decision. Could you imagine how congested Tortage would be if there was no instancing? 

This would be made worse by the collision detection between players, no one would be able to move. They could have made Tortage much bigger but than that would detract from the way they want Tortage to look.

The negative thing i have found is the ability to move around freely without bumping into things all the time, this is mearly an annoyance and not a game breaker.

AoC has obivious issues with bugs, balance and content. But these plague all MMOs.

So i say give credit where credit is due. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with AoC, and in fact there are lots of nice and cool aspects of the game:

1. Fantastic grahpics & animation

2. A different combat style, it is not to everyones liking, but if you do like it then it is great as every encounter with every trash mob is a slightly different experience.

I cant comment on the seige warfare or Raids as i have not paticipated in any yet.

Originally posted by Slaynn

I really don't want to rain on your parade but the NPC's talking and the night/day stuff goes away after you get off of Tortage.

 

I have been considering resubbing to check it out again.  Not sure though.

Not true (at least not anymore), there are quite a few voice overs after Tortage, far from all but at least some.

But who cares? Most MMOs don't have them at all, or just let them say a few words when you click the npc but nothing of the story.

AoCs bad thing is that it needs a lot more content, not more voice overs.

Originally posted by Loke666

Originally posted by Slaynn

I really don't want to rain on your parade but the NPC's talking and the night/day stuff goes away after you get off of Tortage.

 

I have been considering resubbing to check it out again.  Not sure though.

 

Not true (at least not anymore), there are quite a few voice overs after Tortage, far from all but at least some.

But who cares? Most MMOs don't have them at all, or just let them say a few words when you click the npc but nothing of the story.

AoCs bad thing is that it needs a lot more content, not more voice overs.

If you whant more content you should check the new patch, 2 new lvl 80 dungeons, 1 lvl 46 dungeon, Wing 3, PvP-resources and alot more.

More content <---- on the way.