Is it worth the time?

Kanyl

Yeah, I know, very common and stupid title of a thread.....

 

I am currently playing Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, which is a great game! I have played almost every mmorpg on the gamelist here on the site, which also includes Age of Conan. So, why do I ask? That's because I have only played some hours the past 2 years. I need to know how the game REALLY is, from someone more experienced than me!

 

So is it worth the time? 

 

1. How is the EU community?

2. How is the leveling (heard that it becomes grindy at higher levels)?

3. How is the "end-game"?

4. Something more?

 

I know many like this game and some others don't. I want a honest answear, if not several. I know that you should try a game and play it by yourself to get the answear, but I have done that. I like the game, but I am too scared to invest a lot of time in it. So, what do you say?

 

Thanks in advance and have a nice day!

Po_gg

1. On Crom the population is good (especially with the last week's influx). The community is friendly imo.

As I heard Fury got some player influx as well. (for the b&g server and Mitra I know nothing)

 

2. You probably need to run some villa/slaughterhouse, there are not enough quests in the upper level range for a strictly questing-based leveling. If you don't mind spending some coins, Turan helps a bit on that. Just as the dungeons. After the f2p revamp you can play dungeons as f2p too.

Even with the above, leveling is not much of a grind if you have a group and play dungeons during the way. For a full solo play... yep, then it's a bit grindy.

 

3. It's the plain old regular endgame grind, dungeons, raids, on different tiers. Or if you buy the Godslayer expansion, you can grind the factions too (I'm still regretting that, spending money to unlock more grind... stupid me)

Additionally, if that's your cup of tea, there's pvp as well.

FromHell

Originally posted by Kanyl

Yeah, I know, very common and stupid title of a thread.....

 

I am currently playing Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, which is a great game! I have played almost every mmorpg on the gamelist here on the site, which also includes Age of Conan. So, why do I ask? That's because I have only played some hours the past 2 years. I need to know how the game REALLY is, from someone more experienced than me!

 

So is it worth the time? 

 yep, very solid and feature rich title with great lore and great quests

1. How is the EU community?

depends on your guild, avoid general chat because lots of different languaes. Join a nice guild and turn off general chat

2. How is the leveling (heard that it becomes grindy at higher levels)?

this is an absolute BS rumor. Becuase of rumors, I thought it´s grindy when I started half a year ago, boy I was wrong. You literally fly to 80, four big countries where you can level. So much to explore and see, you will be surprised how quickly you gain levels. Even more so if you decide for a XP boost or offline leveling as a subscriber, but avoid offline levels at all cost with your first char or you will miss out a lot

3. How is the "end-game"?

plenty of content, but it makes sense to get a sub at this point for Alternate Advancement after 80 and unlock all of the sub-only endgame content.

4. Something more?

 give it a try, there is no entry cost. Go to Crom (PvE) or Fury (PvP).

Rage server (Hardcore Blood and Glory PvP server with corpse loot/no guards) has less population and it´s only interesting if you like that style of PvP everywhere (after Tortage)

I know many like this game and some others don't. I want a honest answear, if not several. I know that you should try a game and play it by yourself to get the answear, but I have done that. I like the game, but I am too scared to invest a lot of time in it. So, what do you say?

get at least to lvl 30 and decide then, be sure to travel around all countries after Tortage. I like the low levels in Cimmeria, others prefer Kithai or Stygia

Thanks in advance and have a nice day!

 

sevitoth

I just started playing AoC again last week after like a 3 year break and am having a great time again. I will probably purchase a sub to the game just to support it. If only the game was this good at release....

I can't speak for the EU side, but the NA side's playerbase is very friendly and helpful. At least on the PVE server.

Leveling is decently fast and I'm pretty sure Funcom filled in the quest gaps that used to force you to run villas repeatedly.

Don't know about end game. My highest toon is only 60.

 

 

WalterWhite

AoC has to be one of the faster levelling MMO's I have played and Crom (EU PvE) is a great server full of life. If you really want to level to endgame real fast, you can buy the Tortage Survival Pack which gives each character 10 x 100% XP potions. Each potion lasts 12 hours so you won't even use all 10.

Po_gg

Just for clearing thing, I never said anything about leveling pace, and the question was also the grind-factor, not the speed. During the way to 80 you need to boost your progress either with extra dungeon runs or a few villas (or if you solo, lots of villas ) So I think my previous line is correct. Not much of a grind, but some could find it grindy.

Originally posted by Po_gg
Even with the above, leveling is not much of a grind if you have a group and play dungeons during the way. For a full solo play... yep, then it's a bit grindy.

 

True, my last 1-80 was almost a year ago, but as far as I know there wasn't any change in the leveling progress. When I reach the Mountains / Thunder River with my new DT I could provide a more precise answer

 

Edit: almost forgot, yep, as FromHell wrote you can kickstart your progress with offline levels as well. I never used them. (just my whim but I consider it cheating ). For 1 month subscription you get 7 offline levels if I remember correctly. Using it between 65-75 could significantly lessen the grind (and boosting the leveling speed of course).

Theocritus

I'm sure I am in the minority but I jsut didnt find thsi game to be much fun....Most of the writeups I read said Tortage was great and that it went downhill from there, but I didn't even find Tortage to be all that enjoyable.....When I tired it there were only a few classes open for free players and now I think we can play all, so that could be a nice help but i'm still pretty undecided.

DaSpack

Originally posted by Theocritus
I'm sure I am in the minority but I jsut didnt find thsi game to be much fun....Most of the writeups I read said Tortage was great and that it went downhill from there, but I didn't even find Tortage to be all that enjoyable.....When I tired it there were only a few classes open for free players and now I think we can play all, so that could be a nice help but i'm still pretty undecided.

Then you probably are more like me. I thought Tortage was slowpaced, too much broken up in different playfields and just too much blahh blahh blahh from NPCs. The game after Tortage I loved though. I remember the first village I came to was a bit confusing but when I entered the Cimmerian Valley and started questing down that Valey I was sold. Been in the game for 4 years now. Just try going to cimmeria and level up to lvl 28 to 30ish.. If the game is not fun by then... then I guess you will not like it. But if you are like me you will absolutely get hooked at this point.

FromHell

Originally posted by DaSpack

Originally posted by Theocritus
I'm sure I am in the minority but I jsut didnt find thsi game to be much fun....Most of the writeups I read said Tortage was great and that it went downhill from there, but I didn't even find Tortage to be all that enjoyable.....When I tired it there were only a few classes open for free players and now I think we can play all, so that could be a nice help but i'm still pretty undecided.

Then you probably are more like me. I thought Tortage was slowpaced, too much broken up in different playfields and just too much blahh blahh blahh from NPCs. The game after Tortage I loved though. I remember the first village I came to was a bit confusing but when I entered the Cimmerian Valley and started questing down that Valey I was sold. Been in the game for 4 years now. Just try going to cimmeria and level up to lvl 28 to 30ish.. If the game is not fun by then... then I guess you will not like it. But if you are like me you will absolutely get hooked at this point.

THAT is so much true. I liked the game during Tortage, but after arriving in my hubcity Conarch .. it was just WHOA.The regions are huge, just went exploring first like a headless chicken, travelled to the other countries to look around, ran into some higher level regions, picked up quests here and there, really fun, always felt non linear and dived into the stories. It is completely impossible to do all quests in all countries without an alt, you will outlevel them otherwise and they´ll turn grey. So, this is very alt friendly because your next char can do all the different quest.

My second character will be a Stygian, haven´t done more than 2-3 quests there on my first character and only a handful of quests in Kithai. Since my main character is Cimmerian, I did most of the quests there.

I only used two of my 100% XP boosts, I did not spend my offline level, keeping them for an alt.

I do have the Rise of the Godslayer expansion and the Savage Coast of Turan DLC

MrSchnuffi

Originally posted by FromHell
...

My second character will be a Stygian, haven´t done more than 2-3 quests there on my first character and only a handful of quests in Kithai. Since my main character is Cimmerian, I did most of the quests there.

I only used two of my 100% XP boosts, I did not spend my offline level, keeping them for an alt.

I do have the Rise of the Godslayer expansion and the Savage Coast of Turan DLC

With your Stygian char you should visit the pyramides of the ancient (solo dungeon but you can go there with a group too), don't remember the name of the playfield but it is the first after Tortage.  That was the place where I really felt in love with AoC.

 

@topic

And on the Khitai-grind. I would say it is a matter of taste. Compare it to all the daily quests in other MMOs with the difference that is a lot more challenging (depents on your class), tells a good story and looks awesome. And progress in Khitai is nowadays much faster but you still have to sink a lot of time when you want all the best gear from the factions. It is something you can do when you don't want to do dungeons or raids.

There are also some level scaling solo dungeons (Gateway to Khitai and Turan), which are more fun the villas, you can do to make the last few levels before 80. I can't really say if there are enough quest or not since I always leveled my alts up to 70 and use then 8 off-line levels because I don'like Keshatta.

Po_gg

Pyramid is a cool dungeon, the end boss with his stages is a nice challenge. I like the Treasury as well, especially since Penny soloed it on TBBT (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXeo65Ogi70) Both are in Khopshef, the stygian beginner area.

FromHell

Originally posted by Po_gg
Pyramid is a cool dungeon, the end boss with his stages is a nice challenge. I like the Treasury as well, especially since Penny soloed it on TBBT (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXeo65Ogi70) Both are in Khopshef, the stygian beginner area.

No way! Age of Conan on Big Bang Theory??

Ha, should have watched that show every now and then.

Po_gg

Originally posted by FromHell

Originally posted by Po_gg
Pyramid is a cool dungeon, the end boss with his stages is a nice challenge. I like the Treasury as well, especially since Penny soloed it on TBBT (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXeo65Ogi70) Both are in Khopshef, the stygian beginner area.

No way! Age of Conan on Big Bang Theory??

Ha, should have watched that show every now and then.

More precisely the whole episode was around AoC and game addiction since Penny got totally hooked on it. And Sheldon had a conq named Sheldor the Conqueror

FromHell

Originally posted by Po_gg

Originally posted by FromHell

Originally posted by Po_gg
Pyramid is a cool dungeon, the end boss with his stages is a nice challenge. I like the Treasury as well, especially since Penny soloed it on TBBT (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXeo65Ogi70) Both are in Khopshef, the stygian beginner area.

No way! Age of Conan on Big Bang Theory??

Ha, should have watched that show every now and then.

More precisely the whole episode was around AoC and game addiction since Penny got totally hooked on it. And Sheldon had a conq named Sheldor the Conqueror

yep.. watched it online yesterday.. pretty fun episode