Can't really argue that AoC got better this year but I would have liked to see EQ2 on the short list.  Lots of engine improvements, content and general quality of life changes went live this year.

And we don't hear this often if ever but SOE support is just fantastic where Funcom support is punishing to their player base.

Originally posted by skeaser

Originally posted by sadeyx

AoC may have made vast improvments, but its still essentially the same game.  fixing bugs and adding new areas and balancing is all very well, but its still a very linear and boring mmo... its just not 'massive'

 

And DDO is "Massive"? Look, to each their own, but c'mon, DDO is anything but massive.

 

 the debate isnt about actual size.. its about size improvment!..

But then, with AoC I dont really mean size I more mean scope.. as in scope of activities.  Aoc is just killing stuff, there just isnt much else to do as you'd expect in a typical MMO.  DDO's scope is indeed massive in comparison, both in terms of character building and activities.  Even combat in DDO is more than just tank n spank, if you've played it you'd know.

While I dont play much of either game, the extend to which DDO has improved over AoC is indeed epic.

Originally posted by Solude

Can't really argue that AoC got better this year but I would have liked to see EQ2 on the short list.

I agree, MMORPG seem to have a very narrow focus on only games with a certain amount of users.

If they included EQ2 then they should also include Vanguard who's improvments are mind boggling.  let down only by its lack of users and a complete lack of SOE support.

I really like AOC compared to the other MMO's that have released in the past 5 years. I like DDO as well, both games have come along well over the last year. I guess you could say each has become what they had the potential to from the start. Studios really could learn from this, especially those like SOE and NCSOFT. With a little elbow grease any game can become enjoyable. It only takes the ambition to see the changes through.

With 1.6 the next patch in the oven, AOC really is going to be what I like to see in an RPG, there's a lot of depth to this patch in terms of RPG features. The new Arena system they're adding (if used) could be something really fun to be apart of. Keep up the good work FC and Turbine.

Originally posted by sadeyx

Originally posted by Solude

Can't really argue that AoC got better this year but I would have liked to see EQ2 on the short list.

 

I agree, MMORPG seem to have a very narrow focus on only games with a certain amount of users.

If they included EQ2 then they should also include Vanguard who's improvments are mind boggling.  let down only by its lack of users and a complete lack of SOE support.

That's the problem in a nutshell. FC and turbine have ambition and want to see their games succeed. SOE on the other had only does the bare minimum to keep a product afloat. One only has to look into the amount of time they put into advertising to see they really don't have faith they can bring in new customers.

Even their flagship title EQ2 gets very little love from the company, only the skeleton crew they have assigned seems to care at all about what the product is they are offering. With SOE their mind is always on big numbers, it's no where it should be. Especially in regard to their customers they currently have.

Most improved maybe, but is it a good game now?

Somehow I doubt it, because when I played the game the core gameplay was poor as it was overinstanced, small zones and poor balance between melee (assassin not included) and ranged combat and in particular the Necro made quick work of most classes. Melees where particulary in a bad spot since they needed to run around and do comboes at the same time, since PvP is very mobile, and as such sucked against the better ranged characters.

What this award really illustrates the most for me is how greatly Funcom shafted the mmo community in the first place, yes this game at launch was so bad that these changes that actually are quite common in mmo's made it the most improved game of the year.  My biggest problem again now is how slow these changes are to take effect but it's still good to see any mmo moving in a positive direction congrats not to Funcom who shouldn't have dropped the ball in the first place but to the community who stuck with the game and are probably playing a better more polished product because of it.

Originally posted by jaxsundane

What this award really illustrates the most for me is how greatly Funcom shafted the mmo community in the first place, yes this game at launch was so bad that these changes that actually are quite common in mmo's made it the most improved game of the year.  My biggest problem again now is how slow these changes are to take effect but it's still good to see any mmo moving in a positive direction congrats not to Funcom who shouldn't have dropped the ball in the first place but to the community who stuck with the game and are probably playing a better more polished product because of it.

Not saying you're wrong at all. However I feel it illustrates that Godager was a horrible lead to have on the project. To explain this stance I really only have to point out his handling of the community post launch. As well as his disregard to what his PR guy was doing to their public image.

To me it seems he knew he wasn't the right guy for the job, however he wanted his name on (what he saw as) that next big thing. Overconfidence and poor management skills destroyed any possiblity of this game becoming that. CM should have been put in charge of this product from the onset, Godager saw the possiblity of glitz and glamour and decided he should be the number one man, the end result is history as they say.

To me an improved game is a game that once I didnt like to play and now its a game I DO like to play.

Whatever, AoC is still not a game I like to play,  it may have 'improved' but not to the extent that its now a decent MMO.

Both LOTRO and DDO are games I hated, and now I love... I still Hate AoC, even if MMORPG.com claims its the most improved.

Originally posted by Zlayer77

here migh be to few of you around now to understand what he is talking about shadewalker. Every zone in Aoc is an instance. If to many people enter it at once multipel version will spawn. So you could have 29-50 versions of tortage for example with about 20-49 players in each or less. This was a mayor issue when there where many people playing Aoc, in pvp people just escaped to another instance...
I was a beta tester for 6 months before release, I pointed out all the flaws to Failcom, they dident listen and now their game is dying. If you go to the offical forums there isent mush love for the game... people are still complaining, and quiting. The servers are ghost town. Lets hope the secreat world goes down fast so Failcom can file for bankruptcy. I have no love for people who wont listen and are stuck up and think they are all that.

And to Failcom spyes who lurk on these forums ask your dam devs why they dident listen to their Beta testers... We basicly told them about everything that was wrong with the game pre launch and They still launched it...

hope nobody buys into this crap, Age of conan could have been the next gen game but a fataly flawed engine and bad designer decisions helped to make it go down like a paper in the toilet. Flushed away with all the other crap games of 2008, like WAR for example.

Ps: I dont need to give Failcome anymore money to know that zones are still instanced, pvp is still unblanced, casters are way overpowerd, some even call the game the age of casters. Speed tree look like crap. Zones are small and caustrphobic. Overall Age of conan is a small, heavy instanced and bugy experince and no this hasent changed in 2009 just go read their forums...

Err some of the same things you gripe about aoc you praise in champions forums as not a big deal.Zone population before a spawn an such.Realy an you call any one who defends the game from acid troll marketers as funcom spies?You complain of bugs in aoc an play champions?Super jump can still kill you?Aoc isnt bug free by far but um are you sure you dont have your games mixed up their?

Trolls get perdictable realy yall wait if thiers a postive thread an till the page count grows then hammer in their at the last few pages .As most people would read but the 1st few pages an last .Still not seen some of the famous mmorpg aoc forum trolls .Could be the award counters the bile they have been spweing?

I agree with those that ddo doenst belong on this list.buying +4 long swords in a item shop isnt improvment its a change of payment model.It went free to play.An id dare say wow may not either. A expansion an takeing warhammers ideas i guess could be improvment./shrug people forget wow had a ruff launch to an came back an kept growing.Tho some funny numbers helped them along for a bit.

Dont forget to they failed to get 1.06 out on time 

Im sorry but this award just makes no sense to me. I Was in beta and played since release. After 80 i quit and resubed at least 4 times to see is it any better and its still empty heavy instanced MMO not worth playing. Game was failure from day 1,
Failcom betrayed the trust of their faithful playerbase and sold half aszed product without any remorse. It still is half aszed game and i just dont understand what do all this people talk about on this website (i'm just not sure do we play same game)...

Originally posted by sadeyx

To me an improved game is a game that once I didnt like to play and now its a game I DO like to play.

 

Whatever, AoC is still not a game I like to play,  it may have 'improved' but not to the extent that its now a decent MMO.

 

Both LOTRO and DDO are games I hated, and now I love... I still Hate AoC, even if MMORPG.com claims its the most improved.

This has nothing to do with whether you like the game or not.  It's supposed to be an unbiased view of the most improved MMO's, not whether or not Sadeyx likes the game.

First,  DDO is not really a MMO.  Same would be said about Guild Wars.  Same game, different skin.  AoC pushed the boundaries due to instanced zones which I don't believe needs to be instanced.  But it is what it is.  I actually do agree with the winner.  Second, I don't think LotR had much to improve on.  It was one of the best launches in MMO history.  All they did was fill in the content that wasn't there at launch(end game).

Last.  This brings us to WoW.  Now, it's easy for someone to give them a high rating.  After all, they are pretty much the pioneers of the industry as we see it today.  However.  Does anyone really agree that WoW has added anything worth mentioning in the past year.?  They've added more addons that were created by players already or were in already in other games *cough warhammer*.  They've added new dungeons.. oh wow.  New monsters and bosses.. wow..  and better gear.  OMG phat lootz!  Does that really mean it's improved?  No.  Hell no.  It means they just regurgitated the same boring crap and put wrapping paper on it.  It's kind of like re-gifting. 

I'll admit this, they know what they are doing when it comes to making money.  But, to say they've been improving the game is about as bias as you can get.  It's like a DF fanboi that's telling you their game is polished.  We'd all laugh hysterically.  And you know it.

I just do not see it.  The amount of fail in this game is still staggering.   Sieges still do not work as intended.   Some of the changes like the PK penalty system are being reworked and a lot of the additions where buggy as hell and needed to be reworked - OMG how many times do they need to rewrite how class mechanics?    I am sorry, I just think AoC is not deserving of this award.    I would rather it had gone to DDO or World of Warcraft.     WoW had way more additons and more things added that worked right from the day they were added and needed no rework.   Look at all the changes WoW went through this last year.   We had new raids added.   Lots of new quest.   The tournament stuff.  All kinds of new mounts and achievements and questing helper and weapons and armor and OMG the list is huge and we're talking almost 5 gig of new stuff added to WoW this past year.  That makes anything they did in AoC look like childs play.   DDO did some big things as well and by them going free to play it actually boosted it and gave people a chance to get in there and experience that game like never before.   

DDO and WoW were way more deserving than AoC - sorry.

Originally posted by DAS1337

Originally posted by sadeyx

To me an improved game is a game that once I didnt like to play and now its a game I DO like to play.

 

Whatever, AoC is still not a game I like to play,  it may have 'improved' but not to the extent that its now a decent MMO.

 

Both LOTRO and DDO are games I hated, and now I love... I still Hate AoC, even if MMORPG.com claims its the most improved.

 

This has nothing to do with whether you like the game or not.  It's supposed to be an unbiased view of the most improved MMO's, not whether or not Sadeyx likes the game.

First,  DDO is not really a MMO.  Same would be said about Guild Wars.  Same game, different skin.  AoC pushed the boundaries due to instanced zones which I don't believe needs to be instanced.  But it is what it is.  I actually do agree with the winner.  Second, I don't think LotR had much to improve on.  It was one of the best launches in MMO history.  All they did was fill in the content that wasn't there at launch(end game).

 

Last.  This brings us to WoW.  Now, it's easy for someone to give them a high rating.  After all, they are pretty much the pioneers of the industry as we see it today.  However.  Does anyone really agree that WoW has added anything worth mentioning in the past year.?  They've added more addons that were created by players already or were in already in other games *cough warhammer*.  They've added new dungeons.. oh wow.  New monsters and bosses.. wow..  and better gear.  OMG phat lootz!  Does that really mean it's improved?  No.  Hell no.  It means they just regurgitated the same boring crap and put wrapping paper on it.  It's kind of like re-gifting. 

 

I'll admit this, they know what they are doing when it comes to making money.  But, to say they've been improving the game is about as bias as you can get.  It's like a DF fanboi that's telling you their game is polished.  We'd all laugh hysterically.  And you know it.

 

 

I'm not really sure that wow added very much in 2009, but in the last 12 months it has added a lot.  Phasing technology, cross server dungeons, dual talent system, mounted jousting, vehicle combat, destructable walls, 10/25 raid zones, new graphic shaders, massive changes to class/raid/group mechanics, etc.  All very impressive features for a game to add, but that was mostly done in 2008.  2009 has been more traditional updates.

DDO at least made changes that were big enough that it caused enough people to take another look at the game and grow the paying player base a decent size.  That makes it a clear winner to me.

I am very skeptical of an award for a company to patches up a very broken game and doesn't achieve results with it. 

Is MMORPG.COM gonna be pointing out that about 1 million ppl were cheated out of a real game - Just so that they can call it "most improved" almost two years later ? 

AA said it... AOC is not the same game... That actually means that the company that released it used money of ppl that were CHEATED to FIX a broken game.

AOC is still a horendous reminder of how not to do things.  And its disturbing that a gaming site like MMORPG.COM is giving out rewards to a company that cheated 1 MILLION ppl out of a real game when it was released.  

Shame on you MMORPG.COM.  Have you calculated how much money those 1 million ppl payed Funcom ?    Compare that to what Runes of Magic did with their game this year and see how stupid you look as a site for true GAMERS... 

So... HOW much advertising money did MMORPG.COM get for this?  Is that money also part of the millions that Funcom cheated out of their custimors in the first months ?   

Ironically the top 3 most improved games of 2009 are the 3 games I see advertising on this site the most.

Advertisement FTW lol

I have played AoC yet - but I still think AO is easily of the best MMOs I've ever played and it also had a poor launch.

It seems Funcom really know how to fix a game and make it shine, but why aren't they dealing with these problems in beta?

 Fair decision both on AoC and DDO runnerup

Shouldnt this be award for  somthing like  best game out of beta after being relseased?