Asheron's Call is one of the grand old games in the MMO genre. In a new interview about the milestone twelfth year of Asheron's Call, we sit down with Producer Robert “Severlin” Ciccolini. See what he's got to say about Asheron's Call today and what the future may hold. Let us know what you think in the comments.

Asheron’s Call has just passed the 12 year mark, Congrats! Can you talk about the game’s longevity?

Asheron’s Call has many features that make it stand out from other traditional MMOs. The game play has action based elements and real time dodging that reward player skill. The world does not rely on typical fantasy elements and has a rich treasure system that rewards both group play and solo play. These unique game elements have attracted a passionate player base over the past 12 years. Many players continue to play Asheron’s Call because they cannot find these designs and features in other MMO.

Read more of Garrett Fuller's Asheron's Call: Why It Still Calls.

of all the mmo's that would be good for a reboot, this for me would be the one to reboot for 2012.

a new graphics engine would do wonders for this game.

If they did a complete reboot, kept the spec system, the exp dump system... I would be all over this. I have played since 2001, I always re-sub once a year to see whats new.

It would be really nice if Turbine realised that the reason AC1 still lives is people are looking for a game like that - which isn't the same daft class-limited 'trinity' system which everybody else is scrabbling to copy, and that with some development and actual marketing this time, a true sequel to AC could be huge (and not the abortive EQ-clone attempt they made with AC2 where they ditched everything mechanically and lore-wise about AC)

Played the game for many years back in the day but I think it started going down hill soon after pyreals became weightless.  They starting changing too many core concepts like that which changed the game too much for me.

all this game need is to be remade using cry engine or unreal and we would have the best rpg to date i just can't play it anymore cause the graphics are just so bad compared to everything else.

What wrecked this game was the rampant cheating and the pathetic response from Turbine to stop it.

Update the game and the graphics, and put in strict anti-cheating - the game would take off. People are sick and tired of themepark MMOs, give them a good solid sandbox game like AC, and they would flock to it.

I use to come back to it a lot, because the whole system is so good imo.  Loot, exploring and so on.

Problem I've had when going back is not graphics related really, but rather UI and controls.  There have been many advances in newer games since AC and I really feel the age when playing and trying to manage inventory and the like.

I picture an updated AC to feel like Two Worlds II or Skryim to a degree, combat wise.  Two Worlds inventory system was horrid so I wouldn't want that.  I do however like the Skyrim UI being so minimal while playing.

A new AC would have to feel more like those games combat wise.  Trying to go the AC2/WoW route is just not AC.  I am not putting WoW combat down, I played for six years, but it is not AC combat.  They should have totally different feel.

Oh AC how I miss thee.......

I came back to AC in February after quitting WoW for good.  I played AC from beta till 2002 when DAoC released then I went back to AC after a year in DAoC until WoW's release which I played for 6 solid years.

To make a long story short I quit AC again in September due to such low population and the server economy was stagnant, trading loot and buying loot from trade bots was half the fun for me in the game and when that dried up and the inability to consistanly find groups willing to do the hard quests I decided to call it quits for good.

AC would make an amzing AAA MMO if Turbine would be willing to invest some $$$ into remaking an AC3 with good graphics and the same style of Skill based Experience system, guild system,  Loot, Open Ended gameplay, adventurer based exploration and epic/heroic feeling in taking on huge groups of mobs solo coupled with a revamp in graphics, and more production quality with a revamped combat system that doesnt favor casters (basically a hotbar based combat system with skills for all 3 classes)

I thought it was silly you'd be hunting in the middle of nowhere and you'd run into somebody's house.  Housing should be kept to cities and towns, with a revamped game this would be possible.  

Originally posted by Angitherias

I thought it was silly you'd be hunting in the middle of nowhere and you'd run into somebody's house.  Housing should be kept to cities and towns, with a revamped game this would be possible.  

I completeIy disagree Instanced or grouped housing is immerive breaking and it isnt in the spirit of a sandbox game.  Besides AC didnt let you build anywhere, what they did was have sporadic sites through out the map where housing was pre placed.

Originally posted by Zylaxx

Originally posted by Angitherias

I thought it was silly you'd be hunting in the middle of nowhere and you'd run into somebody's house.  Housing should be kept to cities and towns, with a revamped game this would be possible.  

I completeIy disagree Instanced or grouped housing is immerive breaking and it isnt in the spirit of a sandbox game.  Besides AC didnt let you build anywhere, what they did was have sporadic sites through out the map where housing was pre placed.

 

That was part of the fun when housing was released. I made an epic long run to the upper left of the map to get a house (which then I could recall to anytime) and that was an adventure in itself.

An newly updated AC retaining it's core systems with updated combat and graphics would be MOST welcome. Still the best fantasy MMO ever made (see my sig!)

I honestly don't think they will make a new AC.  For year I have been hoping for a reimagined Asheron's Call and Planetside.  1 out of 2 ain't bad.

Originally posted by blbeta

I honestly don't think they will make a new AC.  For year I have been hoping for a reimagined Asheron's Call and Planetside.  1 out of 2 ain't bad.

The odds are worse. Planetside 2 is an $OE endeavor, which increases the failure odds exponentially.

Originally posted by Kazara

Originally posted by blbeta

I honestly don't think they will make a new AC.  For year I have been hoping for a reimagined Asheron's Call and Planetside.  1 out of 2 ain't bad.

The odds are worse. Planetside 2 is an $OE endeavor, which increases the failure odds exponentially.

 

Ouch... true enough.  I guess Turbine also tried once and fail horribly to make a true AC successor.  I guess I am just hoping PS2 isn't horribly jacked compared to PS1.

Turbine should take another stab at Asheron's Call with all their DDO/LOTRO money.

Originally posted by blbeta

Originally posted by Kazara

Originally posted by blbeta

I honestly don't think they will make a new AC.  For year I have been hoping for a reimagined Asheron's Call and Planetside.  1 out of 2 ain't bad.

The odds are worse. Planetside 2 is an $OE endeavor, which increases the failure odds exponentially.

 

Ouch... true enough.  I guess Turbine also tried once and fail horribly to make a true AC successor.  I guess I am just hoping PS2 isn't horribly jacked compared to PS1.

Turbine should take another stab at Asheron's Call with all their DDO/LOTRO money.

 Turbine did fail, but that game should have been called anything other then AC2! It was so seperated from the original it's not even fair labeling it with an AC moniker! When it finally closed shop, it was a pretty decent game. It was Turbine's fault for steam rolling this out the door so broken, that by the time it was fixed you could hear the sound of the hammers beating the nails into the coffin!

 What could be done is ever so increasingly looking like it will never be done. And that is to revamp (as in make new) a great, great older game! I have no idea of figures, or how many people are currently subbed to this game. But, to be in it's 13th year, still have a sub based model, completely outdated graphics and it's still kicking. Right there says atleast something for the game!

 Why oh why right? A question we (AC lovers) will ask time and time again! They have 12 solid years of lore tied to this game. There is obviously a devouted fan base still playing! And like me, many others that ask that same question of how I started this paragraph off with. Why can't Turbine (or anyone for all I care) remake this game? And remake it right?

 This game has many a great features. But, to me the core to this game (imo) is easily the distribution of your allocated xp into the skills that you want to put it into! Want to increase your melee defense? Put your xp in it! Want to increase your war magic and run speed? Put your xp into both of them! No game, no game! To date has given me the fun and excitement as this great game did! Freedom, exploring, loot, gameplay, open world I mean there are so many good qualities to this game, that it is sadly just passed on by the starting character creation which is honestly quite horrid!

 End of story, you have a great core to build on! Build around it and bring this game back. Make it, test it, ship it in working order and for those of you that have never tried it because you looked at screen shots, mark my words! You would have one bad ass game to play!

One thing AC did was not comply with the "balance" idea. Instead they embraced the FOTM class making the game different from month to month. One month dagger may be great, the next month UA, etc.  Whether they were actually trying to do this isn't important. Today MMO's are so wrapped up in trying to balance each and every class/spec that they take entirely too much time away from other aspects.

I also have to say that archery in AC was still the most fun experience I have had as a bow class in any MMO.

AC took my mmo virginity.

She aged pretty well, and I definitely think about her from time to time - even use her as my go-to comparison.  I might try to get back with her if she updated her dated style and relocated out of that low population area.