So I'm looking for a game to play and I haven't tried AoC so I have a few questions for you guys.

1. Is it a quest hub type of game for leveling?

2. Their website says you can unlock rewards through pvp .. does this mean you can purchase gear with a pvp type of currency?

3. If I join a pve server, will there be pvp specific zones?

4. I see that you can play for free. Is it a cash shop driven game? If so, is it possible to obtain the same items through pvp and/or pve in a reasonable amount of time?

Originally posted by phoebes

So I'm looking for a game to play and I haven't tried AoC so I have a few questions for you guys.

1. Is it a quest hub type of game for leveling?

Yes.

2. Their website says you can unlock rewards through pvp .. does this mean you can purchase gear with a pvp type of currency?

Yes. There is a ranking system, and a currency. 

3. If I join a pve server, will there be pvp specific zones?

Kind of, but it's not like WoW where you're autoflagged. In AoC, on PvE servers you can only duel people in an area called Borderlands. The other PvP on the servers is the guild city seiges but I don't think those happen anymore. 

4. I see that you can play for free. Is it a cash shop driven game? If so, is it possible to obtain the same items through pvp and/or pve in a reasonable amount of time?

 The game's advertisements are misleading. The game is more of an unlimited trial than a F2P title. As a F2P player you can:

+level to 80

+log in

+only have a max of 2 gold (to give you a perspective on how much that is - its a fair amount for a newbie)

You cannot:

+Earn Alternate Advancement Points

+access any of the PvE dungeons and raids (except 1 or 2)

+your inventory and bank are severely limited

+send tells to players

+have more than 2 character slots

Basically, the cash shop sells things like character slots, dungeon passes,  along with mounts, PvE and PvP gear, etc. But to play at 80, you need to sub. The cash shop won't do.  

Also, it's fairly tough for a new player to get into the PvP content. On a PvE server, it's impossible to find many minigames (instanced PvP). On the PvP servers, most of the players are established so you will need to buy a rank of PvP gear from the cash shop to be viable to compete IMO.

LOL I forgot about Bori -_-

1. yes

2.yes but you can also buy it from the cash shop, as tot he limits of the tier of gear you can buy i dont know,if there even is 1,last time i subd before they went F2P farming currency involved gathering resources in bori....thats on a pvp server,if your gonna play join a PvE server, better pop and youll get into pvp ques alot more frequently.

3.just Bori,which again requires you to farm resources for pvp currency lol.

4.i think you can get better gear ingame, im pretty sure you can actually, dunno about the timeframe it would take ya though,but dont be fooled by the F2P...you need your AA's if you plan on competing PvP wise and there only available to paying subs so even if you accumulated all the gear possible outta F2P your still cannon fodder for subs.

Thanks for the response guys.

I don't mind paying a sub if I end up liking the game. I just don't want to get into a game where I have to keep buying items/upgrades from a cash shop in order to compete.

You don't need to buy items, but it can help your progression. After awhile the shop items aren't the "best."

Although you can buy some purples in CS, they can be replaced with ingame gear but you will have a rough start in PvP when the majority of players either have ranked twinks in the lower mini brackets or ranked mains geared up in PvP gear and AA's. Even when you reach 80, you'll find out how frustrating minis can be and... bori.

I advise you to visit AoC forums and read up to give you a better view of the game's current state.

http://forums.ageofconan.com/

Personally, i think the game is broken beyond repair judging by Funcom actions throughout the years...

But, probably some people will enjoy it in it's current state.