Alright, I am borderline convinced to come back - but...

WRyan

The truth?  My brother and I waited for this game for what seemed like 3 years.  It had everything we wanted out of a game (or so we thought).  Of course, some things were changed and this and that, but really, when we started to play it, we found that the majority of what we were really looking forward to about the game.... just did not exist.

One of the biggest features we were disappointed with was how our avatars never changed.  We always looked the same.  We got up to about lvl 45 I think, and were completely disappointed that we had basically been wearing and using the same stuff we'd been using for the past 20 levels.  Not to mention, anything "new" looked exactly the same.  Basically, we were sold on the fact that they had some hundreds of different armors and weapons - blah blah blah.  Add to this the fact that the stats on the weapons and armor seemingly didn't mean much, we kind of felt duped on this end.

He seemed to be happy with combat as a Guardian, except for some really obvious design flaws.  Namely issues when fighting against Ranged opponents - I can't recall exactly what his issues were, but it had something to do with their ability to kite and attack opposing his ability to give chase and retort.  I seem to recall him saying that it's much easier for a Ranged class to attack a Melee class.... having something to do with Attack Combos.  I remember this because I remember having similar issues as a Conqueror.  Half of the character attributes didn't work, so it was kind of like we were playing a game that didn't work - ad frustration.

I played a Conqueror and after doing some research, i've come to see that what I disliked about the combat system, was directly related to how the Conqeror's skills worked.  Evidently, the class itself is heavy in the micromanagement field, and requires a LOT of clicking.  I always felt like I was doing a lot more work than I needed to, and I learned that it was the Class itself... not really my inability to function (a releif for me), or a global frustration for all classes.  I just didn't realise Conqueror inherently had more stuff to worry about than the other classes.

That being said, I still felt that the combat needed an overall brushover.

Once we hit level 40... we basically discovered that there was ZERO content for us to do.  Everything was either too high in level, or too low in level.  Personally, I feel this was directly related to the developers misjudging the tenacity of the gamer populace in how fast they can chew through content.  I mean, after two weeks, we already had a lvl 80 on the server.  In other words... things happened a lot faster than was anticipated.

Whatever the case, all we had left to do was grind on mobs that were too easy for us.  As a result, after the Jedi fiasco with SWG (our last major MMO before quitting after the NGE), we had just about as much senseless grinding as we were willing to endure.

These issues were directly responsibile for us leaving the game, not including some stability issues.  The toruble is, I really want to enjoy this game, because I think the potential is there for some quality gaming.  The whole setting of Conan... it's just.... awesome.  Neither of us are big into High Fantasy like EQ2, WoW, or LOTRO... but Conan brought a barbaric undertone (rightfully so) to the whole swords and sorcery affair that really hasn't been explored in an MMO before.

At any rate, what I'm looking for here are some serious, bottom line answers to these questions.

 

1. Have they done anything whatsoever to resolve this issues related to a lack of visual variation in armor and weapons, and if so, has it been great or miniscual?
2. Have they fixed or more clearly defined the stats on said weaponry and gear?
3. Have they fixed or more clearly defined the character skills and attributes (not combat abilities or feats)?
4. If 2 and 3 are yes, have these alterations affected the overall gameplay in and/or out of combat (specifically in-combat), or greatly changed the decisions you make in what gear you choose to equip yourself with?
5. Have they done any major Class retouching for inconsistencies or otherwise poor gameplay?
6. If so, have they done anything specifically for Guardian and/or Conqueroer?
7. Have they changed the overall mechanics of combat in any manner which may suggest that it is now better, more solid, and less frustrating, besides fixing stability issues or latency problems?
8. Have they rounded out the leveling so that there is content for all levels of the game?
9. If yes, I realise there may still be some random grinding needed, but is it at least to a minimum?
10. Have they fixed most if not all stability issues related to memory leaks and/or graphical anomolies?
11. Have they added anything else to the game that was prior promised but not present at release, such as Blood Money, PvP Levels, PvP Gear?
12. If yes, are these additions greatly effecting the overall enjoyment and/or complexity of the game as a whole?
13. Has Crafting been changed, and if so how, and was it beneficial to a healthy economy?

Relentless02

Do they still have multiple town instances? I can look past the whole "day and night" quests thing, but multiple town instances just totally removes the MM part of MMORPG, for me at least.

chryses

 
At any rate, what I'm looking for here are some serious, bottom line answers to these questions.
 

Have they done anything whatsoever to resolve this issues related to a lack of visual variation in armor and weapons, and if so, has it been great or miniscual?

Yes...they have introduced several sets of armour that various races wear and you can either find them in drops or recipes drop that players can pick up and make for you.  Crafting has had a lot of work done to it.  In saying that if you stick with the normal missions etc.  Armour wont change dramatically but there are plenty of variations available now.

Have they fixed or more clearly defined the stats on said weaponry and gear?

There has been a lot more explanations listed on all the gear and feats.  I still would like to see more explanations on the feats that say they will do something but you only find out after taking it.

Have they fixed or more clearly defined the character skills and attributes (not combat abilities or feats)?

Not sure what you mean here.  I have seen abilities and feats receive clearer definitions.  If you mean over all what the character does then there is a ton of literature on their forums.

If 2 and 3 are yes, have these alterations affected the overall gameplay in and/or out of combat (specifically in-combat), or greatly changed the decisions you make in what gear you choose to equip yourself with?

What I have seen is that players are really trying hard to find this gear plus the market has improved a lot.  I regularly sell items on the market which never happened before.   Its not like EVE where you would swap gear for certain missions etc.  Overall the combat has been improved with reduction of key pushing and a lot more balancing.

Have they done any major Class retouching for inconsistencies or otherwise poor gameplay?

Almost all classes have been reworked and right now the only one I dont see people playing is Dark Templar.  I play 3 classes because they are all very different and I play depending on my mood.

If so, have they done anything specifically for Guardian and/or Conqueroer?

Cant comment on specifics, never played either class.

Have they changed the overall mechanics of combat in any manner which may suggest that it is now better, more solid, and less frustrating, besides fixing stability issues or latency problems?

Answered this above.  Yes they reduced the number of key strokes during combat, meaning you can pull out a combo in pvp easily.  you can hit, move, hit and its still the same combo.  Personally I am having a lot of fun in PvP right now.  Some classes are great vs other classes but then suffer against others.  All have strengths and weaknesses

Have they rounded out the leveling so that there is content for all levels of the game?

Loads of work done here.  They introduced Ymirs Pass which is 53ish - 63ish.  Its huge and loads to do there.  New level 80 dungeons being introduced in next patch as well.  Put it this way I have found myself missing whole maps because I have leveled pass them and my level 79 character still has 30 missions to complete.  

If yes, I realise there may still be some random grinding needed, but is it at least to a minimum?

Most of the missions require killing and the grinding element comes in 2 forms.  The villas which are redoable and there are 4-5 of them.  And redoable grind missions e.g. kill 15 Vanir.  The main missions tend to have a purpose mostly but they also have 'kill 20 worms' etc.  In saying that I havent felt the grind pain as much as other games.  I like the combat so its not so bad but the majority of missions are to kill boss, take object etc etc.  Plus the single player thread makes the game interesting.

Have they fixed most if not all stability issues related to memory leaks and/or graphical anomolies?

Biggest improvement is here.  I used to drop 1-3 times an hour.  I havent dropped once in the last 3 months.  I regularly get 50-80 FPS when before it was down to 20-35 FPS.  Only time I take shading off is in the mini games to maximise FPS.  I haven't heard a complaint in game about performance.  Its solid.

Have they added anything else to the game that was prior promised but not present at release, such as Blood Money, PvP Levels, PvP Gear?

PvP gear is in.  PvP system is in now so you can become a murderer and people can kill you on site and you have to use outlaw camps. Mini games are in and fun to level up your PvP XP.  Siege warfare is smoother and lots of work done on them.  Big news is the introduction of resources for buildings on specific maps so you need to fight for those resources to fix and build your keep.   PvP gear is uber to. 

If yes, are these additions greatly effecting the overall enjoyment and/or complexity of the game as a whole?

I am biased here.  I started from day one and I almost quit when the population left in the middle and the bugs were still there.  Now its taken over my MMO time 100% because its stable, PvP is healthy and the population has dramatically increased on my server.  (aquilonia RP-PvP) even so they are merging with another soon so the population should be huge.  Biggest difference is the new maps, content, Murder system, PvP XP and gear and stability.  So for me its greatly changed.

Has Crafting been changed, and if so how, and was it beneficial to a healthy economy?

They are working on this a lot.  Now there are rare recipes that drop so players can have a recipe no one else has or seldom have.  Alchemy has been improved so now there are less items to gather and each build gives 10 potions instead of 1.  Other improvements coming like keep resources and battles over that.   They acknowledge that crafting needs more work as well.  The economy has changed a lot.  Before I sold nothing now I check every day and I sell pretty my potions pretty well etc.  Its a viable money generator.  Plus with Snow Mammoths now available you can save up for 100 gold etc.  
For the record:
I started from day one and still playing.  Play PoM, Assassin, Bear Shaman. 
PC is - 4 gig of DDR3 Ram, 9450 quad core intel, maximus asus mobo, 8800GT  Nvidia card 512. 

 

WRyan

Originally posted by chryses

 
At any rate, what I'm looking for here are some serious, bottom line answers to these questions.
 

Have they done anything whatsoever to resolve this issues related to a lack of visual variation in armor and weapons, and if so, has it been great or miniscual?

Yes...they have introduced several sets of armour that various races wear and you can either find them in drops or recipes drop that players can pick up and make for you.  Crafting has had a lot of work done to it.  In saying that if you stick with the normal missions etc.  Armour wont change dramatically but there are plenty of variations available now.

Have they fixed or more clearly defined the stats on said weaponry and gear?

There has been a lot more explanations listed on all the gear and feats.  I still would like to see more explanations on the feats that say they will do something but you only find out after taking it.

Have they fixed or more clearly defined the character skills and attributes (not combat abilities or feats)?

Not sure what you mean here.  I have seen abilities and feats receive clearer definitions.  If you mean over all what the character does then there is a ton of literature on their forums.

If 2 and 3 are yes, have these alterations affected the overall gameplay in and/or out of combat (specifically in-combat), or greatly changed the decisions you make in what gear you choose to equip yourself with?

What I have seen is that players are really trying hard to find this gear plus the market has improved a lot.  I regularly sell items on the market which never happened before.   Its not like EVE where you would swap gear for certain missions etc.  Overall the combat has been improved with reduction of key pushing and a lot more balancing.

Have they done any major Class retouching for inconsistencies or otherwise poor gameplay?

Almost all classes have been reworked and right now the only one I dont see people playing is Dark Templar.  I play 3 classes because they are all very different and I play depending on my mood.

If so, have they done anything specifically for Guardian and/or Conqueroer?

Cant comment on specifics, never played either class.

Have they changed the overall mechanics of combat in any manner which may suggest that it is now better, more solid, and less frustrating, besides fixing stability issues or latency problems?

Answered this above.  Yes they reduced the number of key strokes during combat, meaning you can pull out a combo in pvp easily.  you can hit, move, hit and its still the same combo.  Personally I am having a lot of fun in PvP right now.  Some classes are great vs other classes but then suffer against others.  All have strengths and weaknesses

Have they rounded out the leveling so that there is content for all levels of the game?

Loads of work done here.  They introduced Ymirs Pass which is 53ish - 63ish.  Its huge and loads to do there.  New level 80 dungeons being introduced in next patch as well.  Put it this way I have found myself missing whole maps because I have leveled pass them and my level 79 character still has 30 missions to complete.  

If yes, I realise there may still be some random grinding needed, but is it at least to a minimum?

Most of the missions require killing and the grinding element comes in 2 forms.  The villas which are redoable and there are 4-5 of them.  And redoable grind missions e.g. kill 15 Vanir.  The main missions tend to have a purpose mostly but they also have 'kill 20 worms' etc.  In saying that I havent felt the grind pain as much as other games.  I like the combat so its not so bad but the majority of missions are to kill boss, take object etc etc.  Plus the single player thread makes the game interesting.

Have they fixed most if not all stability issues related to memory leaks and/or graphical anomolies?

Biggest improvement is here.  I used to drop 1-3 times an hour.  I havent dropped once in the last 3 months.  I regularly get 50-80 FPS when before it was down to 20-35 FPS.  Only time I take shading off is in the mini games to maximise FPS.  I haven't heard a complaint in game about performance.  Its solid.

Have they added anything else to the game that was prior promised but not present at release, such as Blood Money, PvP Levels, PvP Gear?

PvP gear is in.  PvP system is in now so you can become a murderer and people can kill you on site and you have to use outlaw camps. Mini games are in and fun to level up your PvP XP.  Siege warfare is smoother and lots of work done on them.  Big news is the introduction of resources for buildings on specific maps so you need to fight for those resources to fix and build your keep.   PvP gear is uber to. 

If yes, are these additions greatly effecting the overall enjoyment and/or complexity of the game as a whole?

I am biased here.  I started from day one and I almost quit when the population left in the middle and the bugs were still there.  Now its taken over my MMO time 100% because its stable, PvP is healthy and the population has dramatically increased on my server.  (aquilonia RP-PvP) even so they are merging with another soon so the population should be huge.  Biggest difference is the new maps, content, Murder system, PvP XP and gear and stability.  So for me its greatly changed.

Has Crafting been changed, and if so how, and was it beneficial to a healthy economy?

They are working on this a lot.  Now there are rare recipes that drop so players can have a recipe no one else has or seldom have.  Alchemy has been improved so now there are less items to gather and each build gives 10 potions instead of 1.  Other improvements coming like keep resources and battles over that.   They acknowledge that crafting needs more work as well.  The economy has changed a lot.  Before I sold nothing now I check every day and I sell pretty my potions pretty well etc.  Its a viable money generator.  Plus with Snow Mammoths now available you can save up for 100 gold etc.  
For the record:
I started from day one and still playing.  Play PoM, Assassin, Bear Shaman. 
PC is - 4 gig of DDR3 Ram, 9450 quad core intel, maximus asus mobo, 8800GT  Nvidia card 512. 

 

 

Awesome!

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions.  With the exception of the Conqueror/Guardian specific question, you told me everything I need to know.

I may be coming back to this game after all.

Transporter

 

OP, if I take on my most pessimistic glasses on, I can make the following list of changes that you will notice imediately logging on to AoC:

1. Performance. You can run high settings on totally uncool hardware with FPS in 25-35 range in graphically demanding regions like the Villas. I have a test PC that are set up with AMD Athlon 2.4 Ghz, 3 GB RAM and 8600GT, and I run AOC on high with FPS in the 30s in the Villas.

2. Stability. There are way less graphical glitches in general, every movement is smooth and none of these lag spikes will bother you any more.

3. Combat have had a lot of very good changes. The most important changes being that combo executiontime has been reduced so that use of them in PvP makes much more sense.

4. PvP balance. Rock, Scissor, Stone... Makes more sense now. 1v1 combat might be as long as minutes now.

5.Content has been beefed up (as in Quests, new area, dungeon). This is work I just hope FC keep working on. Becuase the more content there is, obviously it's just getting better.

6.Massive PvP is now very stable and bugfree.

7.The PvP consequence system is in and adds a whole new layer of PvP dynamics to the game (this is something I like in particular)

8. Itemization is way way better than before, I do however hope FC just keep cranking out more equipment to make the variety greater by the day. But it is already very good (make sure you run some epic zones to get the most funky equipment).

9. General bugcount is very much down.

10. Crafting better, but I think AoC need to make bigger changes here.

When all this have been said, make sure that you are not logging on again terribly hyped. AoC does still not cure cancer, but AoC is definitely getting there and more importantly we all know the core of the game is in place in form of a fantastic legend, atmosphere, graphics, animations and music. Thats why I am rather optrimistic on this game, the game will just keep getting so much better on every patch with more content added. But stay skeptical, hyped aticiupations kill most games.

chryses

I will say what is bothering me right now though:

Crafting, not so much the way you do it but the stats on player made items.  e.g.

My BS can make all weapons up to level 75.  A base weapon has 1 gem slot and a uber weapon has 3 gem slots. 

Scenario:

My level 50 Assassin needs a new weapon.  I pick up some green ones and collect a few from average missions, nothing special. The base on that weapon is from memory 70-90ish.  Plus has +8 damage so really 78-98.  around that anyway.

The best dagger you can make as a player has a base damage of 57-75 or around that.  So even with 3 gem slots if I manage to beef it right up I may marginally have a better item...maybe. 

I personally prefer a ranking of:

1st: Rares - as in the purple drops which I have got one in 6 months

2nd Epic quest - so group quest or a massive chain

3rd 3 gem slot weapon - player made

4th quest weapon - normal quest item

5th 1 gem slot - player made

6th random drops

If they followed the above ranking system then player made weapons would be right up there.  As it stands making a 3 gem slot weapon is probably the same as a normal mission drop so the demand isnt really there.   They could fix this in a heartbeat if they increased the stats on the gems.  A lot of gems just dont give the added punch the weapon needs.

Please note that the rare recipes are supposed to be pretty fking great.  I really liked the crafting in Vanguard and one thing I really liked is that even at low levels you can make something players need. e.g. arrows.  Not a fan of repair but if they introduced wear and tear that needed repairing by a crafter at a certain level and maybe had other items like arrows, darts etc.  Then player market would be even more buoyant. 

They also adjusted rare item drops from mining etc.  I agreed with this but for me it may have been slightly too much as I seem to come across them semi frequently. 

Long post but wanted to explain which part of crafting I really didnt like.  

I am heading back in to AoC now. ..

 

ruslans

Most of your questions are already nicely covered by chryses, so I'd like to comment only on the Conqueror/Guardian questions, as I've played both.

Now, I am not a hardcore player, and I am not very good at PvP either, but I've been quite happy with my Conqueror.

It was somewhat frustrating to me at first as well, especially up until level 40-50, but then I've started to notice that I can stand for myself in PvP encounters more and more often.

I've experimented with a different feat builds, read what people tell about the class on forums, learned how to use the "stance dance" tactics, when you switch between frenzy/defensive/no stance at different moments during the combat to gain the maximum effect of the opportunities.

Also, I've learned what effect different feats/skills/combos have. Fore example, conqueror has things like Cunning Deflection (deflects % of the damage), Blessed Conquest (god mode for 6 seconds), Annihilate (improves the crit chance on the next combo) etc. Also, it has 3 CCs (not counting Slam), which should also used to your advantage. Also DOT ("damage over time") combos, like bleeding, charge ability, auras, etc.

Going even deeper, you can even try to balance dual-wielding/two-handed tactics, switching between them during the combat, trying to get the most out of both of them.

Together with being able to predict tactics of other classes (like, ranger is most probably going to set a trap before attacking you from the distance, so be aware when charging... but once you're close and cc'ed him, he's most probably dead, even if you're 10 level lower), it makes the class quite survivable and fun to play in one-on-one PvP encounters.

Now, about PvE - conqueror can not tank, it can do as an off-tank probably, because of being able to absorb quite a bit of damage in defensive stance. So, there is no well defined role for him in the group. From another hand, he has quite valuable abilities to restore group's mana/stamina, as well as battle ressurection ability.

And melee DPS can be very good as well.

I can not say it's perfectly balanced, of course. It can be quite frustrating to play against other classes/mobs at times.

But at the same time it can be quite rewarding... and besides, being able to dual-wield or swing a huge 2h weapon on desire is cool

UpskirtPower

i read a tiny bit. when you said character look the same, do you mean it's like lord of the rings? although we can change face ect.. but still look same. the apearence customization is there but theres little to notice the changes? like slide the chin size all the way up and all the way down but still not much difference?

Wizardry

I have been playing for about 4 days now i guess maybe 5 or 6 i lose track,but i can already answer a lot of what you need to know.

I hear the content is there for the whole game.

I have a sort of tank my self so i can tell you at a fairly low level i have a mechanic than can overtake any ranger...it is called CHARGE,now there does have to be a direct path,that is the one drawback and i am not sure if i get more attacks like this.CHARGE allows me from a distance[not sure total distance]to charge at a VERY fast speed almost like superman speed lol,directly in the face of a foe.To be honest i cannot remember if it was PVE only i dont care for PVP so,i never had to look.

As far as gear goes,i have killed some bosses and the drops really are poor.Now i imagine i am on noobie island so,it might get better IDK.All the gear does look the same so far and the stats are like .03  .05 lmao.ONLY the boss drops or quest rewards seem to hit the positive numbers like +9 def.I am already level 19 or so and i think most my gear is the same as level 10/12 stuff,the stats dont do anything to make me feel different.

As far as graphical and anomalies,this has nothing to do with the game as i witnessed the same cursing in Vanguard and there was nothing wrong for me.The problem is players not understanding limits of their machines.AOC uses shader 2.0 and was suppose to be updating to shader 3 i believe DX9c,i highly doubt they can incorporate DX10 on a DX9 setup,all others say it is not possible,it has to be totally re written a DX9 seperate from a DX10 game.Anyhow if your GPU cannot handle shaders properly or you don't have the system power,because most games do not utilize the GPU properly,most work is still done using system resources,your game will struggle.

There is other anomolies that will happen,strictly because the game is trying to incorporate two different command/functions at nearly the exact same time.Such example is when you get attacked,then quickly hit the CLIMB,you go into climb mode ,witch is suppose to take you away from the combat mode,but it does not always do so,depending you lag a touch gpu or net or you clicked the climb same time you got attacked.Most games do not have this close sequencing of commands,if they do then it probably does not take you out of combat they way climbing does.What i mean by that is that the game still DOES allow you to get attacked while climbing.The game uses the Ue3? i believe or it sure seems like the unreal engine,i can tel lyou that the smallest mapping flaw,will cause the odd glitch here and there.

Really it is no big deal,i can spot just about any mistake in all games,but i don't let it bother me,because realistically mapping mistakes HAVE to happen,nobody is perfect.I just watched that WOW video [wow craft or whatever it was called.Took me no longer than 20 seconds to spot the horrible texture used on the side of the stair case lol,it looked way off,the maker did not use any re sizing or alignment at all,was like he totally forgot to fix it up.

Crafting i have not even seen it but i assume i dont until i get off of tortage.I am a big fan of crafting.

Other promises?I assume here yo uare talking 100% about PVP stuff?i don't follow the PVP scene at all and i am on a PVE server,so any of that would not affect me .

Scaredgirl

 

I'll give you a couple of quick answers.

 

1. Have they done anything whatsoever to resolve this issues related to a lack of visual variation in armor and weapons, and if so, has it been great or miniscual?

Yes, there's more variation.

2. Have they fixed or more clearly defined the stats on said weaponry and gear?

No.

3. Have they fixed or more clearly defined the character skills and attributes (not combat abilities or feats)?

No.

4. If 2 and 3 are yes, have these alterations affected the overall gameplay in and/or out of combat (specifically in-combat), or greatly changed the decisions you make in what gear you choose to equip yourself with?

-

5. Have they done any major Class retouching for inconsistencies or otherwise poor gameplay?

No.

6. If so, have they done anything specifically for Guardian and/or Conqueroer?

-

7. Have they changed the overall mechanics of combat in any manner which may suggest that it is now better, more solid, and less frustrating, besides fixing stability issues or latency problems?

Shorter combos, less complicated, still boring.

8. Have they rounded out the leveling so that there is content for all levels of the game?

70+ lacks content and there is almost no endgame content.

9. If yes, I realise there may still be some random grinding needed, but is it at least to a minimum?

Not that much. Mostly lvl 75+.

10. Have they fixed most if not all stability issues related to memory leaks and/or graphical anomolies?

Yes.

11. Have they added anything else to the game that was prior promised but not present at release, such as Blood Money, PvP Levels, PvP Gear?

PvP system is in. However it's not that great imo.

12. If yes, are these additions greatly effecting the overall enjoyment and/or complexity of the game as a whole?

No. It's a more stable game then at launch but it's still the same boring Age of Conan. It's ok if you like single player pve but if you like endgame or pvp then I suggest you try something else.

13. Has Crafting been changed, and if so how, and was it beneficial to a healthy economy?

There has been changes but it's still basically useless.

 

Hope this helps. Have a good one.

 

 

Loke666

Originally posted by WRyan




Have they done anything whatsoever to resolve this issues related to a lack of visual variation in armor and weapons, and if so, has it been great or miniscual?
Have they fixed or more clearly defined the stats on said weaponry and gear?
Have they fixed or more clearly defined the character skills and attributes (not combat abilities or feats)?
If 2 and 3 are yes, have these alterations affected the overall gameplay in and/or out of combat (specifically in-combat), or greatly changed the decisions you make in what gear you choose to equip yourself with?
Have they done any major Class retouching for inconsistencies or otherwise poor gameplay?
If so, have they done anything specifically for Guardian and/or Conqueroer?
Have they changed the overall mechanics of combat in any manner which may suggest that it is now better, more solid, and less frustrating, besides fixing stability issues or latency problems?
Have they rounded out the leveling so that there is content for all levels of the game?
If yes, I realise there may still be some random grinding needed, but is it at least to a minimum?
Have they fixed most if not all stability issues related to memory leaks and/or graphical anomolies?
Have they added anything else to the game that was prior promised but not present at release, such as Blood Money, PvP Levels, PvP Gear?
If yes, are these additions greatly effecting the overall enjoyment and/or complexity of the game as a whole?
Has Crafting been changed, and if so how, and was it beneficial to a healthy economy?

 

1. The dungeon gear differs a lot from the solo gear. All players playing group instances have cool looking gear, the soloplayers still look boring. This gear is BOP however so you actually have to make dungeon runs. The skins of the gear for dungeon, PvP and RAID gear have been updated. The raiding and crafting gear have not. Here is a few dungeon tops from a guild project to put out the dungeon gear, they are just a few of the female ones, the rest of them and all the male ones have we not fixed yet...

2. Yes, at least partly but they will revamp the system in january.

3. Well, they are working now but they havn't changed them so much.

4. Partly. The gem revamp have made that purple stuff are better now, and so is certain boost of skills but with the upcoming revamp, who knows what will happen?

5. They have fixed all feats and buffed/nerfed the classes that needed it. The balancing is still not perfect but neither is it in any other game.

6. The conq is buffed a bit but still need more, actually the only class in my opinion. The guardian is still about the same, one of the better classes already and main tank in most groups.

7. Yes. They have shorten the combos so PvP floats a lot better.

8. They are working on it. It is done up to  lvl 70 right now, are 2 80 dungeons on the test server and there will be another big zone added 75+ soon, Tarantia common district. 5-60 is most buffed with additional quests and Ymirs pass (big 55+ zone).

9. Grinding is way down until lvl 70 right now.

10. Yes. Also the lagg issue, runs smoth now with higher FPS.

11. PvP levels and gear is added.

12. They have put in droppable rec. and they have nerfed the gems. The economy is a bit different now but it still needs a lot of more work on the crafting.

Anyways the game have changed a lot but we still desperatly need Tarantia common ASAP. Hopefully it will go live late jan or early feb. The 80 dungeons have been on the test server for a few weeks (3 I think?) and should go live after the holidays, Things usually stay 4-6 weeks there now so the patches have stopped messing up the game when they releases. If you already have 2 80s you should probably wait another month in my opinion since that is the last content they are patching in.

 

Douhk

Originally posted by WRyan 

Have they done anything whatsoever to resolve this issues related to a lack of visual variation in armor and weapons, and if so, has it been great or miniscual?
Have they fixed or more clearly defined the stats on said weaponry and gear?
Have they fixed or more clearly defined the character skills and attributes (not combat abilities or feats)?
If 2 and 3 are yes, have these alterations affected the overall gameplay in and/or out of combat (specifically in-combat), or greatly changed the decisions you make in what gear you choose to equip yourself with?
Have they done any major Class retouching for inconsistencies or otherwise poor gameplay?
If so, have they done anything specifically for Guardian and/or Conqueroer?
Have they changed the overall mechanics of combat in any manner which may suggest that it is now better, more solid, and less frustrating, besides fixing stability issues or latency problems?
Have they rounded out the leveling so that there is content for all levels of the game?
If yes, I realise there may still be some random grinding needed, but is it at least to a minimum?
Have they fixed most if not all stability issues related to memory leaks and/or graphical anomolies?
Have they added anything else to the game that was prior promised but not present at release, such as Blood Money, PvP Levels, PvP Gear?
If yes, are these additions greatly effecting the overall enjoyment and/or complexity of the game as a whole?
Has Crafting been changed, and if so how, and was it beneficial to a healthy economy?

 

1. No, not really. They have made some pretty good armor sets for end-game, but for me on a personal level, it still isn't really enough. They certainly didn't deliver on this number.

2. Yes, gear has been improved. It has meaning and they are working on this. While armor is still relatively the same skin (at least at early - mid levels still) they are making it actually worthwhile to wear it.

3. Yes, they have done good in this section.

4. Yes, I believe they have, if you are asking this on a personal level. My HoX, which practically died left and right by the time I quit playing, now has some relative worth in play now that I've returned. Classes have been changing constantly with balance, and, as I said in #2, gear actually matters now. There is a difference in PvP and PvE gear.

5. Same as 4.

6. For the conqueror yes, for the guardian I am unsure of as I do not play one. I know the game still has classes that are not functioning properly (Dark Templar isn't even worth playing still while the Assassin, while working and playable, has some broken feats still) so it is unclear for the Guardian, at least for all that I know.

7. They have changed the combo system and, yes, made it less frustrating. They have shortened combos and have stopped ways for players to take advantage to an extent.

8. For the most part, but end-game is still lacking. They seem to be patching this up with great haste, though, and things are getting added constantly. They plan on adding alot more end-game content with their next major patch (sometime in January I think?) and will probably be adding more and more end-game content as the game progresses.

9. I'd say it's at a minimum.

10. Yes, not much more to say on this subject. Technically, the game has improved drastically for me.

11. They have, but not everything, and some things probably never will be added that were originally promised. That's just the way FC conducts business; get a bunch of box sales and hope within a couple of months everyone forgets the crap they spewed.

12. The things they have added that were originally meant to be in at launch have greatly helped I'd say. It's sort of an "if only" situation... oh, if only AoC was at the point it was originally promised by launch.

13. Crafting is still almost completely useless if you ask me. Not a good MMO if you want crafting, at all.

WRyan

Thanks a lot for the replies everyone, and I appreciate the effort of keeping your answers unbiased.  That, in a nutshell is what I was hoping to get - straight answers and not opinions.... the opinions still matter though.

I resubbed last night, and although I've come to learn that the server I once played on is now one of the lowest populated servers (Bane), I understand that there will be a merger with some other servers come January.  This can only be a good thing.  However, I probably should try and gain some levels and PvP levels while the activity is light.  Once the surge of new players comes in with the merger.... I have a feeling things are going to get crazy - fast.

The biggest thing for me so far is that I am actually playing the game with little to no hinderances.  What I mean is, that I'm on max settings, and this thing is running like a breeze, pretty much everywhere I go.  This was in no way possible when I first started, and no amount of setting adjustments seemed to make a difference, either good or bad.  This was the key evidence in leading me to beleive that it was the game, and not my hardware.  Turns out I was correct, at least to some degree (I have upgraded my GFX Card since then - 4850 ATI.)  That being said, just the fact that the game runs smoothly and consistently, already makes the game worth playing.

In case I didn't mention it before - I never hated the game... I just could not force myself to hassle over the bad performance, and then deal with a whole bunch of game mechanics not performing the way they needed to.  It truely was a frustrating experience, one I'm sure most everyone can relate to.  We've all been there on at least one game... I just have zero patience for it anymore.

Once again, thank you for your feedback on this.  I am Valthier, a Lvl 43 Aquilonian Conqueror on Bane - if anyone plays on that server... look me up!

Beanpuie

This is perhaps late but ill add in something related to  the conq Class

playing this game from launch, the conq classes has been one of  the most difficult classes to maintained, and most fustrating to handle ( aside from Dark Templar).

the interesting and shameful thing though is the Conquerors shine the brightest when they reach the higher levels of 60 and 80 range

However the one interesting thing about the Conq class is despite the fustrating notion of working much harder than anyone else to meet their goals.  they are definitely flexible at what they can do.

For instance, through out the whole 7 months playing this game i will tell you first hand that there are quite a few different conqs styles than just  carnage and brute.

but ill break it down for you real quick just to get to the point:

you have your dps conqs= carnage

and your Crowd control conqs= Brute

 

now from there, depending on your play style, who your favored class to hunt the most, and tactics to use, you can even make particular rolls and hybrid class feats, such as:

blood letting Conqs =   their offensive being lacerate, deep wounds, w/ rending strike gems or weapon, with a defense sheild of retribution, anticipation and counter defense points for def. stance.

something of this partial layout annoys guardians, and esspecially barbarians.

Battle Rez Conqs= For something for PVE, conqs prize posession would be their  battle rez, in that case if you wish to give the best effectivness of rezzing your comrades up. remember these three things:

1. Battle Rez Conqs should have no hate points what so ever, if they are not going to be main tanks to begin with, but dps, or off tank throwers, having low hate points so monster don't aggro to you to break your Furious Inspiration procs (your friends need to be hit 10 times for the proc to be effective). nothing worse than a raid boss to turn his attention on a conq just to 1 hit kill him, thus losing any chance of rezzing your friends in middle of combat.

2. Angel of Fury= to this day, angel of fury still sucks, period.. but still proc it any way for these two reasons:

a. due to combat changes,  combos are faster to execute thus giving more chances to proc ( every  hit, you have 10 seconds to get another proc, other wise FI will reset and your battle rez will not work) so if you are able to do at least 6  combos under 10 seconds , and one of them happens to proc, then consider yourself and your friends super lucky

b. if all your friends die and you FI is only up to 9, think of angel of fury being a inconsiderate cold B*****, she works when she wants to, but IF and WHEN you do get that last proc, it is so much sweeter to see all your friends rise from the ground to fight again, makes some healers envy you.

3. Get Improved FI,  when FI procs  improved FI makes health regeneration faster for you and your friends, max it out, and see your friends fight alittle bit longer, or regen their health abit faster when they get battle rezzed.

 

when you get back into the game, explore the skill tree feats on your own, and ultimately find a play style that suits you to help ease the micromanage woes.

 

and one other important type to further ease the micro manage woes:

have your keys on your keyboard symbolize the combat rose if you can.