Nadia:  Sounds good in theory, but like anything, there are problems.

#1:  Free trials will eat up the less remnants of Funcom's box revenue.  They are still trying to support 200+ staff.

#2:  A younger audience?  Younger audiences have less credit.  Younger audiences are more sophisticated in terms of their game choices.  Doesn't sound wise.

#3:  Microtransactions in a game that is supposed to be less item-centric?  That would be suicide for AoC.  Although I never got the impression of any leaning towards microtransactions from the report, unless you are speaking of things like character transfers and server transfers.  It is astonishing that those types or revenue producing moves were not included earlier.

Originally posted by Jackdog

Back to topic it does look like the forums are pretty dead, but then I rarely post on any games official boards unless I am upset about something. One thread over there did catch my eye though

forums.ageofconan.com/showthread.php

dead servers after the big merge are not a good indication

Do you look at post history? OP of that thread has some questionable posts.

Post history speaks volumes! Just like the OP of this thread.

Originally posted by Blackwell99

 

Yeah, you took a poll?---Im not buying it--sorry.

Of course you're not buying it, you have a hate-on for AoC and any posts that are contrary to your own are obviously fallacious as they don't support the way that you are trying to negatively portray the game.

No. closing the servers down isn't an indication the game is belly up.  They close the severs down the game IS belly up.

I have no idea about sub numbers, or server load, but what I do know is that when I've been playing, I see plenty of other players running around the starter area, which is pretty good for a game that's been out for a few months.  Means that not only are people still playing, but the game is either attracting new players, or people like it enough to still be rolling alts.  Maybe both.

I don't know, but it doesn't feel like a deserted dying game to me at all.  Unlike WAR, which felt desolate, but that could be due to the difference in number of servers and the way  WAR spread players out all over the place.  I know things like that can be deceptive - in AoC, everyone starts near Tortage, and there are only a few servers - but in terms of simply enjoying the game, and feeling like I'm not at all alone in that, AoC seems to be doing well.

<Mod edit>

 
DOOOM!!!!
 
OK, i never go to official Threads, save for Pirates of the Burning Sea. and that was before it launched (I built ships for them). if i read all about he game beforehand, whhy play it? I don't need to do my homework to enjoy an mmorpg, i already have a job.
 
DOOM!!!!!
 
Age of conan is going to DIE!!! because i don't like it! so you must not play it!!! DOOM!!!
 
death to all MMORPG's that I don't like!! DOOOM TO ALL!!
 
ok, i think that covers about 90% of the threads on this website these days. Thanks for coming! If we could bottle all the hateraide on this site, we'd make a mint!
 
 
DIE AoC!! DOOOM!! I would go play a game, but I .....must.....stay....here....and.....HATE!!!!
 
/sarcasm off

I believe the 10% rule also.  Only about 10% of players even look at the boards.

My proof?   testlive patch notes.

Have you ever been in a game where an item was getting nerfed really hard.. and you knew it a month in advance because it was all over the forums?  Try to sell that item 2 days before the patch goes live.  Even if you spam the general channels you will get a ton of offers because people are generally clueless about what is being talked about on the forums.

Both these forums and the official forums are dead simply because most negative comments get banned.  Ever notice how the long 'positive' threads contain a bunch of 'mod edit' notes on them.   And how they drop off the first page becaues of " OMG.. AOC is 10/10 perfect game ever!!!"  being bumped by the same person?

The official forums died, and these forums are dying because people get tired of having reasonable posts deleted by fanboy community managers.

Good to see yah back Lit!

---

Originally posted by zymurgeist
You know what a good indication of a MMO being belly up is? They close the servers down. Anything else is just the wishful thinking of a disappointed former fan. Keep trying thouigh even a broken clock is right twice a day.

---

This quote is awsome

"You Know what a good indication of a MMO being belly up is? They close the servers down"

So If a company closes half their servers does it mean they are half way to "belly up"????
Things that make yah go hmmmmmmmmmm!

Originally posted by Fadedbomb

My guild currently has 392 members, about a quarter of those members are actually "active" players, getting on at sometime during the week, and we NEVER use the official forums for anything more than reading up on gripes or nerf-calls.

 

Here's AOC's current situation:

-Balance Issues:

:::TOS:::

-Can Oneshot ANYONE except soldier classes, with the lightning spec. Recast of 3minutes

-Have a PBAE "pulsing" spell line that 2-3shots any non-soldier classes.

-Get around 2-3 CC's, that last ridiculously long amounts of time. AKA: CC'locking

-Can heal themselves from 60% to 100% in under 5 seconds, while being hit

 

:::Assasins:::

-Practically immune to ALL types of CC's

-Move almost as fast as running stealthed

-Have massive crit values when attacking from stealth

-Have roughly 3-4 CC's, each lastly a decent amount of time. AKA: Massive CC'locking

-Do insane melee damage, EVEN to soldier classes (ie: heavy/plate classes)...can also CC'lock solider classes

 

:::Rangers:::

-Broken, unless you're pvp level 3+, or/and exploit your stances....you ain't kill'n SHIT by yourself

 

:::Guardians:::

-Hard as hell to kill when in defensive mode, can instantly switch between dmg/tank stances for situational needs

-Has 2 CC's, only one normally works on everyone as it's a stun and NOT a KD.

-Otherwise worthless for pvp

 

:::Conquerors:::

-Decently hard to kill if played corrently, can be dangerous to non-soldier classes

-Not much to say about them in pvp.....lol

 

:::Necromancers:::

-Decent DPS if nightfall speced for spell dmg.

-If faced against pvp3+ opponents might as well cut your own wrists, as unless you exploit your going to get ganked a LOT, will explain more below about pvp gear/level issues....

-Currently has a bugged spell called "Grip of Death", that is the one of the ONLY Target-AOE-Channeled spells in the game. The bugged aspect is that it has ZERO Line-of-Sight checks on the backend. So if you go into Spellweaving + GOD, even if your target runs to the otherside of the map or behind a rock....they are GOING to die unless you kill/cc the necro and trigger his cooldown on GOD.

-Has "Death God" effect on the immediate casted level of SWing that makes ALL spells casted do full crit dmg. Some consider this a bugged feature of the necro since none others get such a thing on the first tier of SWing. HOWEVER, without the Death God affect, a necro is essentially useless even in 1v1 combat due to pvp gear making large guilds literally immortal (again, more below about pvp gear, and the mess that it is).

 

:::Demonologists:::

-Get Two spells, that when casted together will more than lightly one-shot any non medium armor, and better, users.

-Get numerous CC's that allow them to CC'lock anyone they fight, obviously except assassins. Clothies beware...

-Not to much different than a necromancer without SWing or GOD. (literally, they practically have every defensive spell a necro gets...short of a couple minor differences)

-Not to much to say, than this is where Demo's should actually be (the only non-broken class in the game lulz).

 

:::Priest of Mitra:::

-Deals significant damage with pvp lvl 3+ gear

-One of the hardest classes to kill if they have pvp lvl 3+ gear, since they can heal themselves from 30% hp to 100% in under 4 seconds, while being hit!

-Major group oriented healing class in the game

 

:::Barbarian:::

-Just got twoshot by 4 different barbarians about an hour ago, too pissed off to post anything constructively about them atm lol.

 

:::Herald of Xotli:::

-Arguably the MOST number of times nerfed class in the game

-Generally loses most/all 1v1 encounters

-Great at taking down any medium armor and down classes, except assassins, IF they have a group to back them up. (ie: the counter-caster class for group pvp engagements)

-Otherwise a shadow of it's former self....

 

:::Dark Templar:::

-Arguably considered THE most gimp/underpowered/worthless/useless class in the game. (did I make my point?)

-Surprisingly becomes hard to beat in 1v1's at 80 IF they have pvp level 2+ gear, and has T2 raid gear.

-T2 raid gear for a DT, compared to other classes in T2 raid gear, essentially balance out to a playable pvp toon. However, this is IF you can stomach the something 300+hours of raiding/pvping required to even get to this point. Other classes get to this same "level" of worthfullness MUCH earlier in their career's.

-Getting "some" love in a future patch, or so we're told lol...

 

:::Bear Shamens:::

-The MOST bullshit class in the game to face 1v1 if you're NOT a heavy hitting dps/CC'ing class....

-A BS get's 3 different defensive shields that they can pop for massive benefits...

-Using all 3 shields + pvp level 4 gear + a guild that owns a Tier 3 BK = 89% invulnerability to essentially ALL damage done to them over 30 seconds. Not to mention the base of 43ish% invulns they have at all times when their shields are on cooldown. (Again, pvp gear issues below...)

-Do extremely nice melee dps

-Can heal themselves from 15% to 100% in 3 spells while in melee combat

 

 

 

:::::::::::::::::::The PvP Gear Mess, and You!:::::::::::::::::::::

Ok so, you might have noticed in many of my comments above about the "major points" of classes above about pvp gear being bad......wanna know why? It's pretty simple, when the system was first pushed out (many months post release) you could essentially exploit your way right to pvp leve 5 in the first couple days. Many guilds such as Dawn Razors, Epic Enthusiasts, Addiction, Primal Instict, The Arcanists, Death Legion, etc etc were some of the culprits.

Not to worry right? The GM's caught them doing this and massively punished these players....right?

SURE! They caught them redhanded, but were they all banned? NOPE! They were all reverted back to pvp level 0 and told "Don't do it again" ROFL!!

So you might as yourself, "What's the deal then?". The "deal" as it were, is that MASSIVE amounts of exploits in AOC are never really known about until 3+ months after it's initial "foundage" by exploiters. Then, knowing how shitty the punishment is...or lack there of for exploiters. All the "inner circles" of said major server guilds exploit them to hell and back.

The current situation, is "Fight Clubbing" in AOC. If you don't know what this is it was coined in DAOC when guild-mates on the pvp servers would simply drop guild and allow 1 guildmember to "drove" 30 other guild members for hours on end to get MASSIVE RealmPoints. The same applies in AOC, only with ZERO serious punishment by the GM staff. Hell, half the guilds on the major PVP server now (Tyranny) are fightclubbing. RP Shirestyle(AKA: formally Addiction) have been caught on numerous occasions by new guild members, whom then post SS's on the public forums about it. The downside is no one is ever really punished.

So ok, you might be saying then "Ok ok ok, we get it....theres an exploiting/hacking problems in AOC. How could pvp gear REALLY be that bad?". The deal with pvp gear, is a fullsuit for cloth casters gives you something around the lines of:

+350 pvp-only spell-damage modifiers

+16% pvp-only invulns across the board

+a good chunk of hp/mana/stamina

You then mix the above stats with the massive difficulty it is to actually get to pvp level 5 legitly, along with the Battle-Keep pvp invulns, and THEN individual class benefits...and you get pvp-god's essentially. Tier 3 BK buffs are something along the lines of 10-15% invulns (our guild hasn't had a tier3 BK in awhile, each time we get near one we get sieged and exploited out the ASS by crutch-pvp guilds, that and unless you have groups of pvp level 4+ guildies defending a BK, it's virtually impossible to defend a BK in AOC).

So, recap of AOC issues:

-Almost every class is broken in terms of usefulness or overpoweredness

-Each class has it's own forum, where the "most popular" class goes around and says nerf everyone else because we can't do anything EVEN if they are THE most broken/OP class in the game....*coughToScough*.

-PVE is essentially incomplete. We have 3 Tier 1 bosses, and 9 Tier 2 bosses whom only 2% of the community can even kill 3 of.

-The loot system is such that during 24man raids, you get "Bind on Pickup" raid gear that can't be sold/traded/looted by someone outside your particular raid. Not ONLY that, but the loot system is literally completely broken. In the past 3 weeks we've had over 30 Dark Templar drops, and only 3-4 drops for other classes. To add to an already shanked-dieing horse, you get BOP(Bind of Pickup) drops for classes YOU DON'T HAVE IN YOUR RAID. So a 3-7hour raid day for 24 people is essentially crapshot when 9 BOP items drop for say a HOX, and you have NO HOX's in your raid!!!

-Pvp gear ruins fairness/skill-based fights

-Mini-Games don't do shit for pvp exp. You get MAYBE 30-100 per game, and that's IF your team of pvp0-2's don't get matched with a full-gank team of pvp level 4-5's. To give a realistic comparison for you guys, pvp level 1: 7500 pvp exp, pvp level 2: 28,000 pvp exp, pvp level 3: is 75,000, pvp level 4: is something like 128,000....and pvp level 5 is like 200-250k pvp exp. You can ONLY get a max of 100pvp exp for a solo even-level kill. Compound that pain with the fact it degrades VERY quickly to something like 5-20pvp exp per kill, until it hits 1 pvp exp per kill. This is reset, per unique person you kill, every X many hours.

-Crafting is essentially worthless in AOC for anyone except level 40 or 60 mini-game pvp alts.

 

 

 

Hope this helped you guys with info-update of AOC's current state ^-^

extremely well though out post. touches on all the current issues of this game which will end up burying itself. im playing a guardian,although im got plate, i find myself pretty useless against certain classes when trying to pvp.same with my conq( pretty usless for the most part, requires alot of skill to play past its gimpyness) pretty tragic. the only reason im playing now currently is i had a free account. still alot of the same issues, as you stated above.
 

I don't know. Pretty sad when the AO forums get more activity than the AoC forums.

Originally posted by Blackwell99

 

If you ask your average AoC fan, they will tell you that this isn't true and that most players don't goto the forums. But anybody who plays MMORPG's knows that this statement is false within this game genre. MMORPGs are information based games, and virtually every body will use it for a source of information, whether it be about the class, or a newcomers forum, crafting...etc it seems that most people (even, or perhaps especially if it's that player's first MMORPG). will look to the forums for information.

 

If you believe that this is even slightly true then AoC is dead in the water. I saw a post that was on there for more than a week...it only had 125 VIEWS. That was the highest "viewed" thread in the PVP forums on the US side. (PvP is the most populated segment of the game). So when people tell you about how many new players are joining, and what a lively place AoC is--Keep that in mind, coupled with the fact that FC WILL NOT disclosed their population (which is completely unfair to new subscribers)

 

Makes you wonder. But im not making this up-check for yourself on their home page.

 

If you keep saying this kind of stuff long enough you might start to believe it.  I wish every time someone posted a thread it would automatically and 100% accurately show your age and you computer specs.  Everyone would then know what kind of mentality you were dealing with and if it  was worth your time. 

I will kill this theory very quickly.  In the AOC forums here on mmorpg I believe there are less than 200,000 threads in the main discussion area for AOC.  That is a count from the time the game was announced until the time I am typing this response.  Yet the game has sold over 1 million copies.

So, up until the game released, based on the OP's stupid theory there should have been several 100,000 posted threads on mmorpg forums even before release and even more after release since each person would post more than one thread probably.

Here is a fact for you, most people do not post on the forums in any game.  Most people do not even know what mmorpg.com is or even go to a games main site, they are casual gamers.  Its common sense, boxes sold compared to the amount of post, for ANY game, just not AOC.

Here's more proof, I have been a member of mmorpg since 2005 and read the site EVERYDAY yet I have under 40 post.  I have been subscribed to AOC since day one, rarely play it, read the forums everyday and have under 10 post.

If the OP theory is correct then every mmo to date is dead in the water, even WOW, based on box sales compared to threads in the forum.

Get over yourselves, if you like a game play it, if you do not like it don't and stop posting these childish threads.

 

 

 

Originally posted by Hamrtime2

This quote is awsome

"You Know what a good indication of a MMO being belly up is? They close the servers down"

So If a company closes half their servers does it mean they are half way to "belly up"????
Things that make yah go hmmmmmmmmmm!

 

Yeah and EQ/EQ2 and DDO all did server merges and are still around and strong...

Hmmmmmmmm!

Post history for the win here....

Originally posted by Blackwell99

Originally posted by Inzra

It could also indicate there are more mature AoCplayers left that doesn't feel like ranting on forums all day long...

The server I play on isn't packed but it has enough people, so I wouldn't worry for newbies...

 

 

Yes people rant on forums, but alot more people go to view information.  I guarantee everyone who rolled a DT for example, eventually went to the forums to see what was up with their class. (..after saying to themselves...wtf????)

I have been playing MMO's for 10 years, and I totally disagree with you. Id say a good 80% of the playerbase has no fing idea whats going on, on the forums.

How do I know this? Patch day you get 500 people in general asking WTF was added? Why was there downtime? etc. Add on to this that folks dont know good specs, many dont know what vent is etc....

Fact of the matter is that a good portion of people who play these games are casuals. They come home from work, they feed the kids, they put em to bed, and then spend about an hour playing their toon. AFter that, they log off go to bed, go to work, rinse and repeat.

There are a ton of us folks who do read the forums, but we are a fraction of the real player base.

Originally posted by Blackwell99

It's known??? How is it known that 10% only look at the forums. FC has never talked about its subscription base, how in the world was it measured who looks at the forums?

Heck it's probably even worse than that because there are lots of people who don't subscribe who DO view the forums.

What you are saying is known, is actually not known.

Is it?

And your claim, "virtually every body will use it for a source of information", is known how? Not to mention your basis for saying you "guarantee everyone who rolled a DT for example, eventually went to the forums to see what was up with their class."

Pot, meet kettle. ;-)

 There was a thread in the AoC Forums showing that as of November posting had dried up 94% since June.

No doubt it is even worse now.

Originally posted by Pyrostasis

I have been playing MMO's for 10 years, and I totally disagree with you. Id say a good 80% of the playerbase has no fing idea whats going on, on the forums.

How do I know this? Patch day you get 500 people in general asking WTF was added? Why was there downtime? etc. Add on to this that folks dont know good specs, many dont know what vent is etc....

Fact of the matter is that a good portion of people who play these games are casuals. They come home from work, they feed the kids, they put em to bed, and then spend about an hour playing their toon. AFter that, they log off go to bed, go to work, rinse and repeat.

There are a ton of us folks who do read the forums, but we are a fraction of the real player base.

Agreed,

Ingame it tells an entirely different tale anyways. I just resubbed two accounts, transfered my characters to Set, and there is far from anything even resembling a lack of people playing.

I started a brand new guild with a friend, and within an hour we had enough members for our city (without spamming channels for members). That speaks volumes. Most of them are really solid members too.

Areas rich with crafting nodes are packed with people trying to get shots at the nodes.

Epic Kesh has multiple instances available now, at nearly all times.

OT is bustling and lively with all sorts of players, new and old.

I'm sorry, but all signs ingame point to the direct opposite of what one could consider to be a decline of playerbase, the game is stronger than ever. If you actually played, you might know this, as it stands you are just another uninformed miscreant who bashes the game without any substantial information to back up his ridiculous claims.

Those of us actively playing, know otherwise, and have no problem calling you (the OP) on it. Watching you stumble around like a sheep looking for his flock is amusing. Illusions of grandeur often provide legitimate enterainment, amazing how that works, isn't it?

LMAO: it seems Turkies come in all shapes and sizes these days.... belly up LMAO take a look inside your wallet then Dream of what AoC has. While we set here and Chuck nonsense about those boys are having a 50$ lunch and driving a Viper, lmao you and i .........................................Cents in the head are not in the bank.

                           DREAMERS

Originally posted by Litigator_AB

 There was a thread in the AoC Forums showing that as of November posting had dried up 94% since June.

No doubt it is even worse now.

I love people like this.  This is were businesses make a huge killing selling product to consumers.  94% off , 94% people love this product, 94% consider us #1, 94% people use us exclusively, etc. etc etc, you get the point.  Most consumers or people fall for this type of sh*t constantly and that my friend is what drives profits and businesses know it.   There are more dumb people than smart or educated people, sad but true and its getting worse.

You ever wonder why those stupid telemarketers keep calling you, BECAUSE IT WORKS, there is enough dumbasses out there falling for it for them to continue to do it. 

This is no doubt pulled from this posters A**.  94% of what, 10 post, 100 post, 1000 post, WHAT EXACTLY.  94% of which class thread?  94% of which server thread?  94% of discussion thread?  94% of, well you get the point.

People like this should require a license before posting.

Originally posted by Blackwell99

 

If you ask your average AoC fan, they will tell you that this isn't true and that most players don't goto the forums. But anybody who plays MMORPG's knows that this statement is false within this game genre. MMORPGs are information based games, and virtually every body will use it for a source of information, whether it be about the class, or a newcomers forum, crafting...etc it seems that most people (even, or perhaps especially if it's that player's first MMORPG). will look to the forums for information.

 

If you believe that this is even slightly true then AoC is dead in the water. I saw a post that was on there for more than a week...it only had 125 VIEWS. That was the highest "viewed" thread in the PVP forums on the US side. (PvP is the most populated segment of the game). So when people tell you about how many new players are joining, and what a lively place AoC is--Keep that in mind, coupled with the fact that FC WILL NOT disclosed their population (which is completely unfair to new subscribers)

 

Makes you wonder. But im not making this up-check for yourself on their home page.

Well I do agree AoC dosnt have much of a playerbase compared to some other MMO's out there, but don't you think your statement is kind of ignorant? You checked there forums and saw there wasn't very many threads or visitors... and so the game is dead? thats the stupidist thing I've ever heard

Originally posted by Pyrostasis

Originally posted by Blackwell99

Originally posted by Inzra

It could also indicate there are more mature AoCplayers left that doesn't feel like ranting on forums all day long...

The server I play on isn't packed but it has enough people, so I wouldn't worry for newbies...

 

 

Yes people rant on forums, but alot more people go to view information.  I guarantee everyone who rolled a DT for example, eventually went to the forums to see what was up with their class. (..after saying to themselves...wtf????)

 

I have been playing MMO's for 10 years, and I totally disagree with you. Id say a good 80% of the playerbase has no fing idea whats going on, on the forums.

How do I know this? Patch day you get 500 people in general asking WTF was added? Why was there downtime? etc. Add on to this that folks dont know good specs, many dont know what vent is etc....

Fact of the matter is that a good portion of people who play these games are casuals. They come home from work, they feed the kids, they put em to bed, and then spend about an hour playing their toon. AFter that, they log off go to bed, go to work, rinse and repeat.

There are a ton of us folks who do read the forums, but we are a fraction of the real player base.

Pyrostasis I couldnt have put it better myself.