I thought it was a fair writeup for someone that is new to this game.  I agree there is a level of hardcore that comes with this game and for me that is what I liked about it.

I do not currently play EQ2 but I still consider it to be one of the best on the market.

I just wish the graphics didnt look so clayish...:)  For some reason graphics play a big part in games for me and for me there were times I would say to myself....damn these graphics look great in this game and other times I was like....WTF..my guy looks like a clay model and my armor looks cheesy :)

Overall good 1-20 writeup.

Originally posted by witchboy

And has anyone else run across this?

 

http://exturbinite.livejournal.com/

 

I found it interesting.

 

Yes very interesting read and it explains a lot.  It just goes to show you there is always more going on behind the closed doors then us players know....

LOL yes Greyloop from Darktide.  Devious methods is my good buddy I work with and he Created the guy Devious methods.

Originally posted by Teala

Originally posted by Greyloop

Originally posted by Teala

Bring back a true AC sequel and I would play it and pay to play it.   AC2 was a not what we were promised.   AC though...now that was an awesome game in its day and Turbine could make a ton of money if they made a true sequel to AC.   AC was skill  based and we had total freedom on how we created our characters and it was semi-twitch.   You could dodge arrows and war spells!  Game just rocked!

So do you think they actually made AC2 to appeal to all their AC1 players?  Why would you do that?

First you do not want to go and make a game that is going to appeal to players that are allready playing and paying to play your origional game.  Whats the point in that?  Player A that is allready paying for AC1 will now just swith to AC2 if it was just a clone of AC1 with better graphics and featuers.  What then have they accomplished?

No I belive AC2 did the right thing in trying to make it the same yet very different.  Obviously it faled for some other reason but I would completley disagree wiht you if you are saying they should have just made a AC1 but better.

 

Well clearly your line of thinking is the wrong choice - because as I recall AC2 failed most meserably due to the fact that it was not a true sequel.  Nevermind the broken chat, the broken classes, the broken skill trees, the flawed PvP system and lack there of, and Turbines failure to stop exploiting early on in the game, and the lack of guild related tools, the empty - souless cities and game world...need I go on..because I can.  I was a pioneer(inside joke if you played the game) I was in the game for beta nd for its release.   We were promised great things by Turbine and they delivered none of it.   So AC2 died...and good riddence to bad garbage.

First of all the game failed because of some of the things you listed above but not because it wasn't a True sequel (I would love to see where you have facts to show this game failed because it wasn't a sequel).  I played the game from start to finish until the game shut down.  I played on Darktide and had some of my best memories in that game.

How many players does AC1 even have?  How many did they even have in their prime time?  So the question is if you are a company looking to create the next best MMO do you try and just copy your own game but make it better or do you try and create a game that will hopefully be the next best thing?  Why would you just want to pull your subscribers from your own game to the next game? What then did you achive?

MMO's are like books.  Is there the BEST book?  Do you think everyone wants just ONE ultimate BOOK?  Hell no.  There are hundreds of MMO's and that is what is great!  It gives us flavor...It gives us choices.  AC2 was one of these Flavors that for some of us was Fantastic.  Does that mean it sucked?  Hell no it doesnt.  Maybe to you it sucked but that does not mean it wasnt a great game.

Does a book suck just because people dont know about it?  Does a book suck because I dont like it but you do?

I completley understand what you are saying when it comes to AC2's failures but to just simply come out and say the game was a piece of crap..it sucked...it should have been a copy/sequal to AC1 and then it would have been great just doesnt make sense to me.

Originally posted by Teala

Bring back a true AC sequel and I would play it and pay to play it.   AC2 was a not what we were promised.   AC though...now that was an awesome game in its day and Turbine could make a ton of money if they made a true sequel to AC.   AC was skill  based and we had total freedom on how we created our characters and it was semi-twitch.   You could dodge arrows and war spells!  Game just rocked!

So do you think they actually made AC2 to appeal to all their AC1 players?  Why would they you do that?

First you do not want to go and make a game that is going to appeal to players that are already playing and paying to play your original game.  Whats the point in that?  Player A that is already paying for AC1 will now just switch to AC2 if it was just a clone of AC1 with better graphics and features.  What then have they accomplished?

No I believe AC2 did the right thing in trying to make it the same yet very different.  Obviously it failed for some other reason but I would disagree with you if you are saying they should have just made a AC1 but better.

Originally posted by SirBongsAlot

I hope it never comes back AC 2 was an embarrestment(sp) to the Asheron's Call name, thats what happens when Devs say they will listen to their players and then turn it all upside down and fucked up!!!!!!!!!  Now if they made Asheron's Call 3: Asheron's Rebirth then I'd be all over that....I do believe that MS was outa the picture 1-2yrs before the shit pile that was Asheron's Call 2....I played Asheron's Call from Dec'99(Shadow Wars)-June'05

Its hard to take a guy serious when his name is "SirBongsAlot" :)

Maybe when you tried out the game you were to stoned to enjoy it :)  There were many things that added up to the downfall to AC2 but that doesnt mean it was a bad game.  By the time they had fixed the issues people wouldnt give it a chance.

Ac2 definatly suffered from what other new games on the market today have suffered (Vanguard, AoC, etc) where they released to early and end up paying for it in the long run.  But that doesnt mean any of those games are not fun in there own way.

To each their own right ?

Originally posted by qombi

Originally posted by Greyloop

Originally posted by Tivian

I am affraid that the AC franchise is a dead issue since the debaucle of AC 2. You can't blame Turbine though, it was Microsofts fault for pushing AC 2 out the door before they were ready.

We are stuck with the old AC forever! 

 

Yes you are correct in that there are many things that were out of Turbines control but now that turbine has broken away from microsoft the control is in there hands.

I do not understand why a company would spend YEARS developing a product and then shelve it.  That sure is a ton of work just sitting there on a shelf.

Do you guys think that it really costs that much to keep 2 servers going on a game, maybe a website, some forums, etc?

Maybe I just dont get it but it sure seems they could actually start making a profit if they did a F2P option.

 

I am curious if Asheron's Call 2 might be tied up because of who owns the rights. Does Microsoft own the rights or does Turbine?

I believe Turbine bought all the rights to the game when they stepped out into their own company.  However in looking on the internet it looks like "Sony online Entertainment" helped turbine market and launch the "Legions" Expansion. So I am not sure if sony somehow has any ties to it.

Here is the post from Wikipedia:

"Both games were developed by Turbine Entertainment Software and originally published by Microsoft, until Turbine purchased the Asheron's Call franchise in December 2003. The Microsoft to Turbine transition was completed in spring 2005. In 2004 and 2005, Turbine entered business arrangements with Jolt Online Gaming to operate AC2 in Europe and with Sony Online Entertainment to distribute the game's first expansion, Asheron's Call 2: Legions, under the Station Publishing label.

Originally posted by Tivian

I am affraid that the AC franchise is a dead issue since the debaucle of AC 2. You can't blame Turbine though, it was Microsofts fault for pushing AC 2 out the door before they were ready.

We are stuck with the old AC forever! 

Yes you are correct in that there are many things that were out of Turbines control but now that turbine has broken away from microsoft the control is in there hands.

I do not understand why a company would spend YEARS developing a product and then shelve it.  That sure is a ton of work just sitting there on a shelf.

Do you guys think that it really costs that much to keep 2 servers going on a game, maybe a website, some forums, etc?

Maybe I just dont get it but it sure seems they could actually start making a profit if they did a F2P option.

Originally posted by Brianadams73

Yea AC 2 pwns i dont see why that cant just do what they did with DDO 

Hey here's a thought...

Maybe MMORPG.com reopened these AC2 forums because they are gearing up for this to actually happen....LOL I know I know its a dream but one can always wish right.

Seriously though.....other then some money that would maybe have to be put out in marketing the idea sounds sound to me to.

Originally posted by Hammertime1

Not in a million years.

Courious to see what your thoughts are on why they wouldnt want to do this.
 

What would be the downsided to setting something up like this in your opinion?

Originally posted by Yaboze

There is no reason why Turbine can't do what they did for DDO for AC2.

DDO was obviously losing players and had low subs.

Relaunch AC2 as a Free to Play game, update the engine, which is an earlier version of the Lotro/DDO engine and put it out there as a digital download. Include the expansion as well. Start it clean.

TBH, I would pay to play AC2 again, but regardless, I would definitely play a F2P AC2. DDO is now going F2P and I didn't even bother because it doesn't interest me.

The game was pretty polished and had all class and crafting revamps already. It was a "working" MMO that just had a low player base and an engine that was probably too ahead of it's time for 2002.

There is a fanbase that exists, there are other message boards with activity and people wanting this game revived. It may not be millions but I would say if they opened 2 servers, PvE and a PvP, they would be filled.

There are lots of F2P games and even SOE has one, Free Realms. AC2 blows that game away.

COME ON TURBINE!

 

You hit the nail right on the Head!  This is exactally what I would do.  One PvE and one PVP server and F2P.

COME ON TURBINE!!

Originally posted by skeaser

I hate you...

The thread title made me think it was happening, not another "what if" post.

I know I am sorry..... I would just LOVE it if this game would at least come back as a F2P option.....

It will most likley never happen though :(

Would you pick up this game again if they did a relaunch with their expansion "Legions", made some system improvments to bring it up to par with the LOTRO engine, but made it a Free 2 Play MMO?