Age of Conan

I said to myself I wasn't going to touch AoC until it was out for at least a year. However the reports of the smooth launch couldn't keep me away. That's always a good sign of things I feel. I have already pre-ordered Warhammer Online (the CE version to get a head start and to get into the open beta) and I'm really looking forward to that game. I trust Mythic is doing a great job since I love playing DAoC. However I wanted something to play at least until the beta kicked in and something that was more then the standard high fantasy that you get from most MMORPGs. So AoC fit the bill.

I'm enjoying myself for the most part and enjoying the lore of the game since I never paid attention to the franchise outside of the Conan movies. Still I have on large complaint about the game and I think it's the reason I might not continue after my 30 days are over or once I get into the Warhammer beta (whatever comes first). That is the combat system.

I knew what the combat system was going to be like before I got the game and it looked interesting. It's enjoyable the first several times you do it. However it gets old really quick. Far quicker then I thought it would be. Now I have no problem with hitting keys to string along combos. I like being active like that during combat. However the constant hitting of keys to swing my sword, staff, or whatever over and over again isn't good at all on my hand.

I work with computers and other technology throughout the day either typing or handling hardware so by the end of the day my fingers can be a bit sensitive. Normally this has never been an issue for me until I played this game. I've left games because I've been bored with them, or they felt to much like work, or were simply bugged all to hell. I was seriously considering for the first time subscribing to two mmorpgs at the same time once Warhammer came out (still don't see how I can dislike that game after everything I've read and seen). However I think this is going to be the first time I part from a game due to my concern over my physical wellbeing. Perhaps it's how I'm positioning my hands and fingers but oh well. It's not a major issue now but I could see it becoming one in the future and I don't want to take any additional risk of doing harm.

As a result I've taken to playing the mage classes in the game since combat with those is a lot closer to combat in other mmorpgs. So far playing a Tempest of Set and a Demonologist. However I don't want to limit myself to just those type of classes. So I guess I'll enjoy things while I still have time.

Anyone else finding the combat system to be an issue for you even though you are enjoying much of the game?

Originally posted by Effect

I knew what the combat system was going to be like before I got the game and it looked interesting. It's enjoyable the first several times you do it. However it gets old really quick. Far quicker then I thought it would be. Now I have no problem with hitting keys to string along combos. I like being active like that during combat. However the constant hitting of keys to swing my sword, staff, or whatever over and over again isn't good at all on my hand.

Oh well, I guess this game isn't for you then.  They designed this game to get away from the yawning auto-attack playstyle of every other MMO (save DDO).  Which what made me get bored of the other MMOs.

You might as well do the 30 days and switch to Warhammer.

-M

While I agree with you that the combat system requires a bit of button-mashing to begin with, it gets much less frantic and more controlled once you get into the longer key combos.

I don't honestly see a lot of difference between the later game button-pressing and that found in other MMOs other than that it requires me to think a lot more. My hands are not hurting fortunately... whereas they did a little when I started. At lvl 35, I find myself doing slower but controlled key combos because the timing requires they be synchronized perfectly. Button mashing wouldn't work so well at this stage in the game...

I was wondering if it was better to focus on the combos instead of simple normal attacks. I'll see if that makes any difference. Thanks for bringing that up.

Yes it is definatly better to use combo sall the way. When you land a succesfull fatality for instance you get a heal.

The only time you just simple atack is to get the mob to switch his sheilding away from the combo you are going to pull so you can land a fatality and to do alot more dmg.

Would using the mouse make things easier, at least a little bit, or does that not really help the problem...? Not sure and a serious question, because there's no way in hell I could just say, "Hmmm... well according to the way you described your hand problems you have Bromchitis. Take these pills and don't use the keyboard to play AoC."

I always play with the mouse because I think similarly when I play any game, it's just easier on the hands to use the mouse along with the keyboard to ease hand movement.

The controls were a little hard on my hands at first. I found it easier to use Combat ROSE. You can enable Combat ROSE in the Options menu. Instead of having to press the 1,2,3,q,e keys to trigger attacks/combos , you just press the onscreen directions.

OP, have you tried the G15 keyboard?

the problem is when you have to grind 300 enemies to ding do you really want to press buttons 150,000 times? For a game that requires a shitload of grinding, but demands your full attention for every mob its rather stupid.

Shitload of grinding? I grind more in LOTRO, I grinded a lot more in WoW and it was a grind nightmare in Lineage 2. This game is one of the easiest to level. This post makes little sense.