Last night I had issues with trees flickering in the distance... I'm going to try and delete that shader file as well and see if it helps.

I'm with the other beta folks, this game is really hella fun.  I agree that it is mostly a game to play with friends/guildies and I'm happy about that, as most PUG's in games are just an exercise in annoyance.  I like that the instances are dynamically spawned based on the set difficulty and number of people in the group.

Fun game, great graphics, I'm gonna buy it.  Was not planning on getting it till I played beta for a few nights.

Team Fortress 2 is just awesome!

When I clicked the free trial link from this website it allowed to select hi-res or low - res d/l.  Hi res is much better looking if your system can take it.

I highly highly suggest the Old TImer's Guild. 

http://www.oldtimersguild.com/

Ever since joining them I have had just an awesome time in multiple MMO's.  Great bunch of folks who know that life is more than just the game!

THe game you pick is not that important, the people you play with are!

Any enhance you put on summon pet goes to the pet.  So if you put dmg or acc on it that means the pets will have + dmg/acc.  You should not slot up your pet buff ability that doesn't see a big benefit like the pet summon powers do. 

Go ahead and 6 slot all your pet summons.  Mostly for dmg/acc but you can toss some recharge and def in there if you want.

Ok now this statement makes alot more sense than their intial one.  Bravo for them being honest!

Yeah it is nice that they explain why it is pushed back, but come on you don't really buy their explanation do you?  I mean 6 months delay so they can figure out how to make the combat easier to learn? Does it take 6 months to design a 5 minute tutorial with a dummy and an instructor that teaches you to go thru all the swings?

That kind of delay, combined with a derth of information, means they are having issues with physics, rendering large pvp fights, spell weaving, and crafting.  Now I'm glad they want to get the game right but lots of us have been complaining about the lack of info on these aspects of the game and the superfans have been bashing us swearing that funcom was just hiding it's cards.

It sure has made the decision to get TR easy for me, was considering skipping TR due to the close proximity of the release dates but now I need stuff to tide me thru till 3/08 yowsa!

Hrmm so hard to know how much you can say without breaking NDA hrm.

Crafting is still in early implementation, so no solid info will be found unless it is from a dev who knows stuff that is not in current beta.

For those that don't check the AOC specific forum:

Well, sorry to say I saw this coming... still hurts though

http://www.funcom.com/wsp/funcom/frontend.cgi?session=na1e8nb0vuo7d8t5g5dobdw4hlshm3&func=publish.show&func_id=1228&table=CONTENT&item=1004

Funcom and Eidos announce new release date for Age of Conan

Funcom and Eidos announce a new release date for 'Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures'.

Durham, USA – August 10th, 2007 – Funcom and Eidos announce a new release date for 'Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures'. The highly anticipated MMO is now set to release on the 25th of March 2008. By setting a new release date for the game, Funcom can continue the focus on honing, polishing and improving the heralded qualities of the game, ensuring a fantastic MMO experience when it launches next spring.

“We naturally regret that we have to push back ‘Age of Conan’. However, after careful consideration, and analysis of recent Beta feedback, we believe that the new release date is in the best interest of the gamers, our company and our owners,” said Trond Arne Aas, CEO of Funcom. “We are fully committed to delivering games with absolute qualities, and in the current MMO marketplace we know that only the best is good enough to truly succeed. With the new release date we have therefore given ourselves more time to meet and deliver on the massive expectations for the game. We are certain that our choice will ultimately pay off, and that all ‘Age of Conan’ players will get a special online experience."

”We are honored by the immense reception our game is constantly getting, with an astounding amount of positive press coverage, awards and magazine covers, but we still see that we need to polish some aspects of the game even further, especially when it comes to the entry barriers,” said Gaute Godager, founder of Funcom and Producer / Director on ‘Age of Conan’. “With the added development time we can now deliver something even more unique and powerful, something which is worthy of the incredible Conan legacy.”

‘Age of Conan’ is consistently mentioned as one of the most anticipated PC games in development. It has received numerous magazine covers and awards, including 'Best MMO of E3' awards from IGN, GameSpot, GameSpy and Yahoo. ‘Age of Conan’ is a key title in Microsoft's Games for Windows line-up, as well as being a showcase DirectX 10 title for nVidia. The game is currently in general Beta, and applications for testing are available at www.ageofconan.com.

Damn I hate being right.  Sorry fanboys but all of us concerned about the total lack of spell weaving, PVP, crafting etc etc are right.  They just tacked on nearly half a year to the development cycle.  It makes me sad as this was my #1 most anticipated game but at least I'm having fun with buddies in COH for now!

I have to pat myself on the back here.  I was into Quake back in the late 1990's when quakeworld and gamespy were first being developed.  I tossed gamespy $15 for a lifetime membership way back then, never thinking how big they would become.  So now I still have full member access to all gamespy/fileplanet stuff for that one time charge 8)

TOtally off topic so sorry OP, but you egged it on!  Plus being a kid doc it's a pet peeve of course.

Just because "everyone does it" does not make bottle propping acceptable.  There are many hazards and health risks associated with bottle propping and I promise you no child health expert reccommends it.  I found lots of ok websites detailing the dangers but this one was the most concise.

This is not a personal attack on you by any means, just have to stop the misinformation that just because alot of people do it, that means it must be ok.

From the following website:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/126247/the_dangers_of_bottlepropping.html

There are small openings in the back of our throats that lead to our ears, and though those of babies are shorter, wider, and more flat. When a baby is fed by a propped bottle the liquid pools in the back of her mouth, and the bacteria can then enter her ear and cause an infection. This can lead to hearing loss which will result in difficulty learning to speak and learn. Add this to the increased likelihood that goes along with feeding your baby formula instead of breastmilk, and you're taking a serious risk.

Choking is another very real possibility. Parents usually do not provide the same amount of supervision when a bottle is propped than they do when they are holding the baby and the bottle. Liquid can keep flowing from the nipple, even if she is not sucking. Even a sleeping babe can accidently breathe in the liquid instead of swallowing. Lying down makes it even more likely that the liquid will go down the trachea instead of the esophagus.

This practice also can also lead to tooth decay, as liquid gathers in a baby's mouth when the bottle is propped. Baby teeth are important because they guide the permanent teeth. Bottle propping can lead to a child needing serious and expensive dental work by the time he or she is weaned.

The tab targetting and hot button mashing system has been the same since 1999 with EQ1.  All the games are basically the same with different dressings.  For some reason I find COH alot of fun, mostly due to the great people I play with but the really awesome physics help too I think.  DDO is the only one different and the combat is pretty fun just not the best game in other ways.

This is the reason why me and so many others are anxiously awaiting the promised innovation in TR and AOC.

Yeah the first MMO you play will always have a special memory for you, best advice is to try and not compare all games to that memory.

I suggest trying out DDO & COH.  Both are fast paced and very very group friendly games.  Not too serious and not good if you are looking for something to play 12 hours a day.

Decent little preview.  No mention of classes or class trees but I'm guessing that is still NDA.

I'm a full time doctor with 2 kids, 13 and 8 years old, and I'm a gamer.

I typically play with my kids after dinner depending on chores and such, then when they go to bed I hang out with my wife, then when she goes to bed I can log in a few hours of more serious play time.  I have played everything from 1999 and beyond and what I have found is that the end game of most MMO's just doesn't work with my lifestyle.  I also live out in the country and have a horse and do alot of outdoor activities so that keeps me in a reasonable amount of shape as well.

Just like the original poster, I find that the computer mostly cuts into the time most people watch the awful TV shows that are out now.  Also it definatly cuts into my sleep a bit but I make sure to keep tabs on that so I don't get too sleep deprived.

I'm currently playing DDO & COH.. mostly COH because I have a great group there thru the Old Timers Guild.  This guild has definatly made gaming TONS more fun as it is mostly filled with like minded gamers who have the whole real life thing to deal with as well.  Also, my 8 year old can play COH reasonably well with me 8)

I have been married 14 years and have been MMO gaming for nearly 9 of f those so it can work, just need balance like with all things.

I hope TR isn't going to be released that soon...

AOC has great ideas but there has been no real public information about some key features in many many months now, I think it is going to have an ugly release.

Hellgate definatly looks interesting and it may well become the sleeper hit.

Arrg spill the beans Mr Blood it's killing me!

What's up with the bubbles in that video, it some new underwater bases or something?

Reminds me of the Skald from DAOC a bit, this fits my playstyle really well also.