From what i have seen/read, although not a sanbox as such, this seems to be a game i would love. Mainly due to i like a living world atmosphere, lots of great scenery, areas to explore and the feeling of not knowing whats around corner.

However, the one thing holding me back is the population. I am done and dusted playing MMOs in solitude and i won't do it even if the game is actually perfect for what i want. I want to play alongside or at least encounter others in an MMO.

Which is a shame and by the looks of it , AoC is being kept alive purely as a guinea pig for The Secret World, which is out April. Although that looks new, different, etc, to me it looks just like a puzzle game, i can see it being lifeless, the videos suggest so.

Originally posted by Vegetto

From what i have seen/read, although not a sanbox as such, this seems to be a game i would love. Mainly due to i like a living world atmosphere, lots of great scenery, areas to explore and the feeling of not knowing whats around corner.

However, the one thing holding me back is the population. I am done and dusted playing MMOs in solitude and i won't do it even if the game is actually perfect for what i want. I want to play alongside or at least encounter others in an MMO.

Which is a shame and by the looks of it , AoC is being kept alive purely as a guinea pig for The Secret World, which is out April. Although that looks new, different, etc, to me it looks just like a puzzle game, i can see it being lifeless, the videos suggest so.

Age of Conan killed itself.

1. progression is a grind that will take someone with a job Months upon Months to even slightly catch up.

2. With the expansion they added a new progression that requires you be max level and each point is time based IE 72 Hours. ect. ect. So thats more time that you're far behind and can't rush.

3. I rejoined for the launch of the hardcore rules server and although I did have some open world PvP fun most people just queue mini games.

4. Cash shop sells power. People spend 100 bucks buying their first tier and weapons of PvP gear so if you try to do it legit you'll be at a great disadvantage.

I can't support a game that sells power so I left after achieving PvP 5 legitly.

only thing that let this game down was that it was released to early..they did a vanguard i think..memory leeks and tortage was the best bit of the game..after that it was just like every other mmo..go kill xxx ,you know wot i mean.but it is great combat and i have been subbed for 3yrs and love it..sub runs out next month..not sure if i'll renew  yet or not..dont play it that much anymore ..i got 6xlvl 80.each to their own i think..not sure how many subs it has but i heard something around 75-100k which is plenty of peeps to game with..if vanguard can do it with 3k subs then conan can with 100k

I have learned to not give 2nd cances when it comes to my money.

When i bought the CE in the 1st day of launch it costed me almost 65 euros if i remember it correctly, and i went from being enloved with the game in the early levels to angry due to the fact the game was rushed to an early early launch, full of bugs, faulty game design implementations and severe lack of content, as eventually all players in AoC would find out.

As far as i can remember the game wasnt even playable untill after 4 months of consecutives patches. Sure you could do some questing and go around in your mammoth looking at the cool graphs, but i remember being stuck at lvl 40/50 something with my conqueror doing some dungeon quests FC had implemented just so we could tag along the game while the game was geting nuked by patches. PvP was broken, crafting was broken, sieges non existent and instancing i could solo all of them because the foes were frozen...i could just get to them, including the boss, hit them untill they die and colect the goods....i mean....

Now, did i got an e-mail from FunCom offering a refund? 120 days game time? Nope!

So, i hope your enjoy it and i dont have any reason to not believe that AoC is now a good game...."now"!

Originally posted by Vegetto

From what i have seen/read, although not a sanbox as such, this seems to be a game i would love. Mainly due to i like a living world atmosphere, lots of great scenery, areas to explore and the feeling of not knowing whats around corner.

However, the one thing holding me back is the population. I am done and dusted playing MMOs in solitude and i won't do it even if the game is actually perfect for what i want. I want to play alongside or at least encounter others in an MMO.

Which is a shame and by the looks of it , AoC is being kept alive purely as a guinea pig for The Secret World, which is out April. Although that looks new, different, etc, to me it looks just like a puzzle game, i can see it being lifeless, the videos suggest so.

AoC is far from dead. I stopped playing a few months back due to lack of new content  (just after the game went F2P, although that in itself didnt bother me), but there were plenty of people online and in PvP.

The dungeons and raids are great and require thought, coordination and strategy... but doing them for the 100th time with no new ones just got old.

I would recommend that you give it a try. Maybe take some friends with you to do lower level dungeons (although you can somtimes find some other people leveling up alts to go with you). At the very least it will keep you busy for a few months, especially once you hit the Khitai grind.

Originally posted by Vegetto

From what i have seen/read, although not a sanbox as such, this seems to be a game i would love. Mainly due to i like a living world atmosphere, lots of great scenery, areas to explore and the feeling of not knowing whats around corner.

However, the one thing holding me back is the population. I am done and dusted playing MMOs in solitude and i won't do it even if the game is actually perfect for what i want. I want to play alongside or at least encounter others in an MMO.

Which is a shame and by the looks of it , AoC is being kept alive purely as a guinea pig for The Secret World, which is out April. Although that looks new, different, etc, to me it looks just like a puzzle game, i can see it being lifeless, the videos suggest so.

AoC is more than a guinea pig for Secret World, or a test for the Dreamworld engine. It has a solid, devoted fan base. People who  do like it, like it a lot. It is making Funcom money in the sense that it is profitable to keep the servers on line. I have been playing on and off since Godslayer expansion and have seen a ton of content and improvements to the game. The DX10 graphics have gone through a big overhaul and the game has never looked better. Then FtP hit and that brought in a lot of looky loos. For about 2 months after FtP launched the population on Set boomed. I couldn't believe how many low level players were running around!  The best part about FtP to me was the introduction of the vanity tab that allowed the player to equip their character in the clothing and armor of their choosing. You can have all the stats of full armor but run around in a loincloth and barefoot if you want. That was a huge RP boost to the game, being able to have your character appear as you like. Then the new PVP server launched, but that hasn't kept the PvP crowd happy :(

There has been new content rolled out pretty regular. Solo dungeons that can be done in an hour or two to large playfields like Coast of Turan that will take days to play through. Just recently a new dungeon House of Crom was launched. I haven't seen it but I have read good reports about it on the boards. A complete overhaul, as opposed to a quick fix of the weak stick crafting system is in the works, due out around summertime. All this is a lot of effort to put into a game that isn't healthy or making Funcom money.

Originally posted by LuckyDucky

 Then the new PVP server launched, but that hasn't kept the PvP crowd happy :(

 

im going to go ahead and be the one to say it *flame suit on*: i can't remember a time when they were.

i've been pvp'ng since SWGpreNGE and while most may become misty eyed, i remember quite clearly the fotm builds for pvp, and all the whining and crying that happened over pvp in general in that game. and ever since then i have to say that i haven't heard a majority of the pvp-centric players ~ever~ happy with anything, anyone, or any game. there's always something.

i believe it to be the flaw in most game design. the game usually starts to tank when the devs start screwing with everything under the sun to make the game 'balanced' or to improve overall pvp experience.

Originally posted by Thamoris

Originally posted by Aguitha

OP is probably stil in Tortage.   Tortage is very well done with voice over.  However once you leave that area, all that stop, no more voice over.   At first you might find the combo combat fun, but once you level up and endup having to press 4-5 directional keys to do 1 attack, you'll find that feature becomes more like a huge chore.  

Op is a lv 38 Guardian.

Tortage was actually my least favorite part. I couldn't wait to get out of there.

Yeh I agree, Tortage was the worst part.

The combat was streamlined btw, combos no longer need 4-5 steps, they are all now executed with 1-3 steps.

Downloading it righ tnow I hope it is worth this huge download.

Things I think a player needs to get the most out of this MMO

1. A pretty good gaming computer.... Windows 7 or Vista, Quad core CPU, DX10 1GB vid card, quality wide screen monitor, good quality headset or speakers. You may get by with less, but I dunno about maxing the game out in a high resolution at decent frame rates.

2. It really adds to the game's enjoyment to have some knowledge of  the Conan IP. By reading the original Howard stories or being exposed to some of the great art that Conan has inspired. Frank Frazetta, probably the finest fantasy artist of all time, did some of his best work painting Conan scenes. The game is chock full of references to Howard's Conan stories and much of the story content will go right over your head if you have no knowledge of the Conan IP.

Originally posted by Thillian

You named it, AoC is still an industry leader in graphics, animations and combat. 

Don't be pessimistic about the end-game, actually it's quite fun. Khitai questing is fabulous (at least for the first run for each faction -- there's 12 factions all together), dungeons are hard and varied, and there's the AA system. PvP on the other hand, is probably something to avoid.

Absolutely agree.

Originally posted by Thamoris

Having bored of the carrot chasing end game of Rift and not having fun on myt alts, I decided to give AoC a try. To my surprise...I'm having a really good experience.

The graphics are great. Their is blood, gore, tits and ass....it's edgy like Conan should be. Combat feels  fun and the animations are smooth. The quests are pretty typical, but occasionaly they do something new. The world is big, with lots to explore. I'm sure the end game will be meh....as all end game's are, hence the name " end game"...but their seems to be plenty of opportunity for some fun Alt action.

The free to play offers ALOT, but I subed up anyways....mostly for the expanded inventory space. I expect to be playing AoC until Rift comes out with some radically new content ( ie...housing, new zones and/or raised level cap) or GW2 comes out.

Call me.....

Pleasantly surprised !

Yeah it was an awesome game! i enjoyed it when i played, left it for a time and came back when it went F2P to see my old stomping grounds. Very well done imo i loved the combat they were innovative at the time when they did it. No GCD no Autoattack was nice. I believe when they released the game that no one else had splash screen effects like for blood or water when you jumped in to swim.  The reason I'm not playing now? Learning curve, some classes require i relearn everything all over again. Just don't feel like it, and I'm not complaining about it just something i don't want to do right now is all.

Somewhere in the uperr 30's or early 40's I jsut stopped wanting to level my character.  I personally am not much of a fan of the combat system.

I think I may have been more interested to reach the end level if they modified the payment system.  From what I remember, you couldn't permanently unlock content you wanted with a single purchase.  You were forced to subscribe to access it.

Originally posted by FrodoFragins

Somewhere in the uperr 30's or early 40's I jsut stopped wanting to level my character.  I personally am not much of a fan of the combat system.

 

I think I may have been more interested to reach the end level if they modified the payment system.  From what I remember, you couldn't permanently unlock content you wanted with a single purchase.  You were forced to subscribe to access it.

If you are more of a traditional MMO control fan you should try Priest of Mitra, Demonologist, Necromancer or Tempest of Set. The casters in Conan are pretty much like any other game (with the addition of spellweaving which is fairly interesting).

I found Assassin and Ranger combos were a lot more forgiving than the other combo classes too.

Originally posted by Thamoris

Originally posted by Aguitha

OP is probably stil in Tortage.   Tortage is very well done with voice over.  However once you leave that area, all that stop, no more voice over.   At first you might find the combo combat fun, but once you level up and endup having to press 4-5 directional keys to do 1 attack, you'll find that feature becomes more like a huge chore.  

Op is a lv 38 Guardian.

Tortage was actually my least favorite part. I couldn't wait to get out of there.

I have to agree, I didn't like Tortage and the thought of having to do it more than the 2 times I did kept me from rerolling a 3rd alt back when I played. (wonder if you can skip it now?)

Which is one reason why I've owned a copy of SWTOR since Christmas but haven't opened it yet, not sure I'm all that interested in voice over quest content.

Originally posted by Kyleran

Originally posted by Thamoris

Originally posted by Aguitha

OP is probably stil in Tortage.   Tortage is very well done with voice over.  However once you leave that area, all that stop, no more voice over.   At first you might find the combo combat fun, but once you level up and endup having to press 4-5 directional keys to do 1 attack, you'll find that feature becomes more like a huge chore.  

Op is a lv 38 Guardian.

Tortage was actually my least favorite part. I couldn't wait to get out of there.

I have to agree, I didn't like Tortage and the thought of having to do it more than the 2 times I did kept me from rerolling a 3rd alt back when I played. (wonder if you can skip it now?)

Which is one reason why I've owned a copy of SWTOR since Christmas but haven't opened it yet, not sure I'm all that interested in voice over quest content.

Can't offer any suggestions on Star Wars having never played the game, but yea you still have to alt through Tortage. Haven't heard any word on a new starter area in the works either, or a means to skip it altogether. They outta either make another starter area or provide a way to pass over Tortage for those who have played through it several times.

Originally posted by LuckyDucky

Originally posted by Vegetto

From what i have seen/read, although not a sanbox as such, this seems to be a game i would love. Mainly due to i like a living world atmosphere, lots of great scenery, areas to explore and the feeling of not knowing whats around corner.

However, the one thing holding me back is the population. I am done and dusted playing MMOs in solitude and i won't do it even if the game is actually perfect for what i want. I want to play alongside or at least encounter others in an MMO.

Which is a shame and by the looks of it , AoC is being kept alive purely as a guinea pig for The Secret World, which is out April. Although that looks new, different, etc, to me it looks just like a puzzle game, i can see it being lifeless, the videos suggest so.

. Then the new PVP server launched, but that hasn't kept the PvP crowd happy :(

 

 

PVP'ers are never happy. In all of the games I've played, and god knows how many I've played, I've never seen a game with a happy pvp player base.

PS: I'm talking about mmos here, not specific pvp games like MOBAs.

Edit: And about Tortage, it is also my least favorite are of the game. Fun the first time you go through, not so fun the consequent times you go through.

In fairness to Tortage, I don't think it is possible to see it all and do every quest in one playthrough. You have Tortage proper and all those quests, then the Underhalls, the ruins, White Sands, the volcano, the cave at the end of the harbor, and a bunch of smaller instances like Stroms hideout, temple of the Black Ones, etc. On top of all that there are the Destiny quests. Lots of content for one pass!

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Originally posted by LuckyDucky
In fairness to Tortage, I don't think it is possible to see it all and do every quest in one playthrough. You have Tortage proper and all those quests, then the Underhalls, the ruins, White Sands, the volcano, the cave at the end of the harbor, and a bunch of smaller instances like Stroms hideout, temple of the Black Ones, etc. On top of all that there are the Destiny quests. Lots of content for one pass!

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I somehow managed to go through Tortage twice without doing any of the later quests such as killing the bat demon, and the one where you have to destroy that amulet or whatever that thing was. I believe the problem was, that by the time I hit 20 I was already bored and just wanted out of there.

There really is a huge amount of content, enough to get you over level 22 at least. Unfortunately, it does get old after only a few times through.

Originally posted by Thillian

You named it, AoC is still an industry leader in graphics, animations and combat. 

Don't be pessimistic about the end-game, actually it's quite fun. Khitai questing is fabulous (at least for the first run for each faction -- there's 12 factions all together), dungeons are hard and varied, and there's the AA system. PvP on the other hand, is probably something to avoid.

My face turnt on so sad, when i read this, being myself a #1 pvp necromancer during its PvP gold age, i just get deep sad when i read something like this, this game was 80% PvP and 20% PvE when i started playing it, everything seemed so fresh after quitting WoW and so outstanding in open world fights...

Right now is unplayable due to Farm2Win mode, PvP has no sense now, even tho PvE is really good, really good.