Asheron's Call... STILL holding its own on its 8th year....

Zaxx99 · February 2007

Asheron's Call. Released in 1999. Very, very small amount of advertising over the course of its life. Hardly ever seen on store shelves, even the expansion packs like the last "Throne Of Destiny" not seen on store shelves of stores like Best Buy, CompUSA, and Walmart.

In the 8th year now, Asheron's Call still churns along, seeing Turbine continually adding monthly content to its already over-flowing full-of-content game. Despite the aging 3D graphics, the game is still holding its own and making Turbine a decent monthly profit as it has paid for itself many times over now.

Some people, like myself, still view Asherons Call as one of the best ever PvP mmos on the infamous Darktide server. The lore and the quality of quests in AC is STILL unmatched by newer, shinier games. Asherons Call quests always seemed to have a purpose other then the typical kill 10 rats or deliver X to so and so for me style.

While it's graphics may lack what todays mmo's flaunt, almost no other mmorpg can compete with the truly relentless action found in AC. Dungeons where swarms of mobs, sometimes in the hundreds attack a player at once, all trying frantically to get a piece of the player and creating a huge circle of maddening chaotic mobs at once!

The treasure system in Asherons Call in my experience with mmos is also unmatched. The loot of mobs is VERY random. The colors and materials in the armor seems different every time. The armor level is almost always different, the requirements to wear it or use certain abilities of the looted weapon or armor also change from one item to the next. This makes almost every player look truly unique. The crafting system allows one to change a piece of armor or weapons statistics furthermore, but is difficult to pull off unless the loot and skill levels of the player are great.

The number of dungeons is also unmatched. I don't think that any mmo has nearly as many unique dungeons to explore as does Asheron Calls world of Dereth.

The monsters experienced in AC are also very unique on not the typical wolf/troll/dragon variety seen in so many mmos today.

The world and landscape of Dereth in Asherons Call also has the feel of a vast land where every mountain and lake and river were handmade with utter care and careful placement. The world is seamless, and running from one end to the other produces no load times at all. The only load times experienced are when traveling through a portal or into one of the many dungeons.

I wrote down server populations of ACs servers last summer, and today every server I looked at has more players then last summer at the same time and same day of the week. So it's not dwindeling in population. I am not saying that millions of players still play this game, nor am I trying to say that the populations are growing. But what I am saying is that it sure looks like this game is "holding its own".

Over the past 6 years now, ever since the release of Dark Age of Camelot... I have heard constantly that "AC will soon die" and that "AC won't make it another year". And every year, many more people are wrong with their predictions of the death of Asherons Call.

I still hold my prediction I made over a year ago that the lifespan of Asherons Call will atleast double that of World of Warcraft. From beginning to end, from birth to death, these games will help touch the hearts and imaginations of many. World of Warcraft will ofcourse take in a thousand times the profit of Asheron's Call. No doubt there. But Asheron's Call will live a longer, and in my opinion a much grander, richer, and special life.

It is a unique game with a spirit unmatched. And the way that I see it, it is a very special and a needle in a haystack. The needle being a rare mmo gem. The haystack being what seems to be endless production of lack luster mmorpgs that are developed not ready, uninspired, made only for quick cash, and so many simply lack a heart & soul. Asherons Call has what so many mmos today seem to be missing. A true heart and soul.

Asherons Call lives on. Few players today truly know of this little gem. And that's ashamed. It really is.

- Zaxx

Gameloading · February 2007

Pity the game is comming towards its end though..Subscriber base has been declining since 2002.

Lastera · February 2007

Originally posted by Gameloading

Pity the game is comming towards its end though..Subscriber base has been declining since 2002.

I'm glad you lit the first fires. I give this game one more year or two before they close there doors.

2hawks · February 2007

Well AC was fun from what I remember of it... and I did play it a lot at release... I don't even remember why I stopped playing it.

There used to be a dungeon that after spending a really long time getting further and further down in, was a point where you had to jump across a room with either lava or some other such thing in it - and the jump was really hard to time or something so if you died you had to go all the way back down from the top... that was pretty cool... there was a bunch of good stuff like that I think.

I actually had no idea that AC was still up and going. I went and looked at some screens of it and, admittedly, can't get myself to go back to that, I would go back to UO first if anything, but I do have some good memories of AC. I seem to recall a pretty cool little utility for it too - but I don't remember what it was... like dereth explorer or something like that.

Anyhow, I don't know if it will outlast WOW when all is said and done but fine if it does. Now get back to trolling and stop writing normal posts.

Zaxx99 · February 2007

Originally posted by 2hawks
Well AC was fun from what I remember of it... and I did play it a lot at release... I don't even remember why I stopped playing it.
There used to be a dungeon that after spending a really long time getting further and further down in, was a point where you had to jump across a room with either lava or some other such thing in it - and the jump was really hard to time or something so if you died you had to go all the way back down from the top... that was pretty cool... there was a bunch of good stuff like that I think.
I actually had no idea that AC was still up and going. I went and looked at some screens of it and, admittedly, can't get myself to go back to that, I would go back to UO first if anything, but I do have some good memories of AC. I seem to recall a pretty cool little utility for it too - but I don't remember what it was... like dereth explorer or something like that.
Anyhow, I don't know if it will outlast WOW when all is said and done but fine if it does. Now get back to trolling and stop writing normal posts.

LOL buddy. You calling me a "troll" would be kinda like you logging back into Asherons Call and calling my level 152 mage a "noob" with your level 1 guy. Hehe. But okay, I'm a troll. That's cool.

Rikimaru_X · February 2007

Anarchy Online is still growing, for such dated graphics yet I'd have to say that Anarchy Online is the real MMORPG sandbox.

Lowdos · February 2007

Originally posted by zaxtor99

Originally posted by 2hawks

Well AC was fun from what I remember of it... and I did play it a lot at release... I don't even remember why I stopped playing it.

There used to be a dungeon that after spending a really long time getting further and further down in, was a point where you had to jump across a room with either lava or some other such thing in it - and the jump was really hard to time or something so if you died you had to go all the way back down from the top... that was pretty cool... there was a bunch of good stuff like that I think.

I actually had no idea that AC was still up and going. I went and looked at some screens of it and, admittedly, can't get myself to go back to that, I would go back to UO first if anything, but I do have some good memories of AC. I seem to recall a pretty cool little utility for it too - but I don't remember what it was... like dereth explorer or something like that.

Anyhow, I don't know if it will outlast WOW when all is said and done but fine if it does. Now get back to trolling and stop writing normal posts.

LOL buddy. You calling me a "troll" would be kinda like you logging back into Asherons Call and calling my level 152 mage a "noob" with your level 1 guy. Hehe. But okay, I'm a troll. That's cool.

Nerd quote of the year..

Torak · February 2007

First, let me say Asheron's call was my first MMO and in its prime, it was the best MMO out there. But right now AC isn't holding its own against squat. You call 10-15k subscribers and shrinking "holding its own"? Yeah I guess its holding its own from cancelation. Which is fine, I'm not criticizing the players, play what you enjoy...but ever wonder why the game went from over 100k to under 15k?

AC was a superior game in its day but Turbine neglected the game and allowed it to die while they chased after AC2, DDO and LotR. (in the process they promptly abandoned AC2 when things went south) Yes, graphics are not everything BUT its what draws the "modern" up to date gamer. The interface blows and the chat system is horrible. I used my free trial last December and guess what? The servers are empty. 10-15k subscribers spread over how many servers? 9 or 10? WTF is that? I'll tell you...ghost town, thats what.(P.S. I advise everyone to never ever return to a game you loved and left, its never gonna be the same, live with it)

They allow macroing or the common term today "botting". Yes the game is infested with bots of all sorts. The few people who are left run trade bots, buff bots and combat bots. Nothing is done about it, nothing was ever done about it. Turbine, many years ago, actually facilitated the use of many of these programs but did allot of posturing about being "anti-combat macroing". Find me an MMO that allows you to set up a "trade bot" or a "buff bot" in the middle of town using third party apps...!!!!! NOT. Turbine depended on third party apps to keep the game current. Just plain stupid. Content? Yeah it was fun and original in its lore and how it played but what was it in reality? The monthly scavenger hunt for the newest uber loot. Each month a few new pieces of equipment were added that out-did and outdated the last months. It was nothing more then an "arms race" every month for the newest loot.

Today the mechanics are clumsy and wonky. How long does it take to buff? What about the run animations? Silly. How about the viability of playing a strictly melee character? Can't do it. (well you could but you are working against the game mechanics) I could go on but you get my point. Its not just the graphics that are outdated but the core mechanics as well. What was the most recent change to "improve" and appease the current players? Raising the level cap from 125 (or whatever) to two hundred and something???? Where were any real improvements??????

AC was Turbines best title. They should have stuck with it. Instead of AC2, they should have upgraded AC to the new graphics engine and updated the mechanics slightly. But what happened instead was a trail of broken, failed games. I guess we wait and see how LotR does.

2hawks · February 2007

Originally posted by Lowdos

Originally posted by zaxtor99

Originally posted by 2hawks

Well AC was fun from what I remember of it... and I did play it a lot at release... I don't even remember why I stopped playing it.

There used to be a dungeon that after spending a really long time getting further and further down in, was a point where you had to jump across a room with either lava or some other such thing in it - and the jump was really hard to time or something so if you died you had to go all the way back down from the top... that was pretty cool... there was a bunch of good stuff like that I think.

I actually had no idea that AC was still up and going. I went and looked at some screens of it and, admittedly, can't get myself to go back to that, I would go back to UO first if anything, but I do have some good memories of AC. I seem to recall a pretty cool little utility for it too - but I don't remember what it was... like dereth explorer or something like that.

Anyhow, I don't know if it will outlast WOW when all is said and done but fine if it does. Now get back to trolling and stop writing normal posts.

LOL buddy. You calling me a "troll" would be kinda like you logging back into Asherons Call and calling my level 152 mage a "noob" with your level 1 guy. Hehe. But okay, I'm a troll. That's cool.

Nerd quote of the year..

Dang !! pwned by an elite member of mmorpg and a level 152 Asheron's Call mage in one sentence.... giddy'up lil' pwnie!

Paragus1 · February 2007

Flaming Asheron's call or those who support it is extremely counter productive.   While I don't currently play AC1 anymore, I remember my time there as some of the best I've ever had in an MMO.   You can bash the game if you want, but remember this:   All the features in Asheron's Call are the same exact features that have scores of idiots running to vanguard.

In fact, here we are 8 years after AC1's launch, and the genre has been watered down into the lowest common denominator of games that cater to kindergarten graduates. AC1apparently was a decade ahead of its time in character depth, overworld size, quest design, and in-game events.   The death of Ac1 means the death of intelligent game design, and I don't think anyone wants to see this genre deteriorate into WoW clones and asian grinders.

Here we are 8 years later and Vanguard's hype was blown through the roof before its release.   Why? Because of the huge world, seamless world, and challenge.   Its ironic that its taken 8 years for everyone to realize the genre was better off back in the days of AC1, back when a 4 years old mongloid with 1 finger couldn't get to max level in weeks by killing 20 goblins quest.   Darkfall is the only game in the foreseeable future that has a chance to get us back to where we were.   Even if you forget or ignore the fact Darkfall is a PvP game, the design features almost mimic AC1.   Skill based, seamless massive overworld, nobody has been able to do it right in 8 years!   With all the technology and advancements, someone still can't make a good seamless world.    Don't tell me WoW counts either, because it doesn't when every section of the overworld is boxed in mysteriously by unclimbable rock walls and littered with instances.

So take a step back before you bash AC1 or those who play it.   Consider AC1 like the old grandparent of the MMO genre.   Times were better when the genre was in his time, and we could only be so lucky to find ourselves in a time like that again, where Sevs actually innovated and didn't copy or blatently steal code from other games that made more money.

Zaxx99 · February 2007

Originally posted by Torak
First, let me say Asheron's call was my first MMO and in its prime, it was the best MMO out there. But right now AC isn't holding its own against squat. You call 10-15k subscribers and shrinking "holding its own"? Yeah I guess its holding its own from cancelation. Which is fine, I'm not criticizing the players, play what you enjoy...but ever wonder why the game went from over 100k to under 15k?
AC was a superior game in its day but Turbine neglected the game and allowed it to die while they chased after AC2, DDO and LotR. (in the process they promptly abandoned AC2 when things went south) Yes, graphics are not everything BUT its what draws the "modern" up to date gamer. The interface blows and the chat system is horrible. I used my free trial last December and guess what? The servers are empty. 10-15k subscribers spread over how many servers? 9 or 10? WTF is that? I'll tell you...ghost town, thats what.(P.S. I advise everyone to never ever return to a game you loved and left, its never gonna be the same, live with it)
They allow macroing or the common term today "botting". Yes the game is infested with bots of all sorts. The few people who are left run trade bots, buff bots and combat bots. Nothing is done about it, nothing was ever done about it. Turbine, many years ago, actually facilitated the use of many of these programs but did allot of posturing about being "anti-combat macroing". Find me an MMO that allows you to set up a "trade bot" or a "buff bot" in the middle of town using third party apps...!!!!! NOT. Turbine depended on third party apps to keep the game current. Just plain stupid. Content? Yeah it was fun and original in its lore and how it played but what was it in reality? The monthly scavenger hunt for the newest uber loot. Each month a few new pieces of equipment were added that out-did and outdated the last months. It was nothing more then an "arms race" every month for the newest loot.
Today the mechanics are clumsy and wonky. How long does it take to buff? What about the run animations? Silly. How about the viability of playing a strictly melee character? Can't do it. (well you could but you are working against the game mechanics) I could go on but you get my point. Its not just the graphics that are outdated but the core mechanics as well. What was the most recent change to "improve" and appease the current players? Raising the level cap from 125 (or whatever) to two hundred and something???? Where were any real improvements??????
AC was Turbines best title. They should have stuck with it. Instead of AC2, they should have upgraded AC to the new graphics engine and updated the mechanics slightly. But what happened instead was a trail of broken, failed games. I guess we wait and see how LotR does.

Hmmmm. 10k-15k subscribers this far after launch and holding pretty steady now after AC only saw a max subscriber base of like 120k in it's life is actually pretty good, atleast in my opinion.

But you have succeeded at flaming this game and tearing it to bits. Great accomplishment. You can bash on an 8 year game like a spoiled kid bashed his toy trying to get something better or newer. The point of my OP was never to try and express how huge of the game market AC has. I know damn well that AC holds less then even 1% of the market. My point was to express that one of the real mmo masterpieces in my opinion still lives. It is holding itself above water and it hasn't died yet. I also do not see it dying any time soon. Turbine and ACs fans are very, very loyal to the game.

I find it extremely sad how little respect a game like Asherons Call gets. Could you imagine what kinda game we might have today if the same heart, inspiration, imagination, and quality that was put into Asherons Call back in 99 was put into a brand new mmo? If you want to bash and attack the game, that's fine. I think it's kinda like telling your old grandpa how old he is, how old he looks now, stealing his cane and bashing him on the head with it. I think AC deserves a helluva lot more respect then it gets these days.

AC is still a gem among all of these shinier, glossier, and much bigger mmos we have today. So flame it all you like. It'll still be there, sitting in the shadows under much bigger and prettier mmo stones.

- Zaxx

Ohaan · February 2007

Zaxx, your arguments are not without merit. I still think of AC1 as a great product but Torak's points cannot be ignored either. The game was great in the beginning but as time went on it became clumsy and awkward: buffing, botting, the perpetual arms race, etc.

Sure I think the game can continue to plod along providing Turbine still provides some life support; I think there are enough players who play for the nostalgia and familiarity. However with the neglect over the years, AC1, won't be much of a threat to anyone, yet alone WoW.

Fond memories but time to move on.

Flem · February 2007

AC was my first mmorpg and i have fond memories of it. The questing was brilliant and is unmatched today. Why i ever left AC for that piece of shit DAoC when it was released ill never know.

Sheista · February 2007

I won't get into why I loved AC, and why I hate Turbine.. but, I can say as long as AC is making them a profit (which it has been doing nothing but making profit for the past several years), it won't be shut down. They are using barely any funds to keep it up and running right now. The maintenance and live team and the few GMs they have are being payed for and then some.. With such a small player base, they are still managing to turn a profit and that's all that counts.

SirBongsAlot · February 2007

Originally posted by zaxtor99

Asheron's Call. Released in 1999. Very, very small amount of advertising over the course of its life. Hardly ever seen on store shelves, even the expansion packs like the last "Throne Of Destiny" not seen on store shelves of stores like Best Buy, CompUSA, and Walmart.
In the 8th year now, Asheron's Call still churns along, seeing Turbine continually adding monthly content to its already over-flowing full-of-content game. Despite the aging 3D graphics, the game is still holding its own and making Turbine a decent monthly profit as it has paid for itself many times over now.
Some people, like myself, still view Asherons Call as one of the best ever PvP mmos on the infamous Darktide server. The lore and the quality of quests in AC is STILL unmatched by newer, shinier games. Asherons Call quests always seemed to have a purpose other then the typical kill 10 rats or deliver X to so and so for me style.
While it's graphics may lack what todays mmo's flaunt, almost no other mmorpg can compete with the truly relentless action found in AC. Dungeons where swarms of mobs, sometimes in the hundreds attack a player at once, all trying frantically to get a piece of the player and creating a huge circle of maddening chaotic mobs at once!
The treasure system in Asherons Call in my experience with mmos is also unmatched. The loot of mobs is VERY random. The colors and materials in the armor seems different every time. The armor level is almost always different, the requirements to wear it or use certain abilities of the looted weapon or armor also change from one item to the next. This makes almost every player look truly unique. The crafting system allows one to change a piece of armor or weapons statistics furthermore, but is difficult to pull off unless the loot and skill levels of the player are great.
The number of dungeons is also unmatched. I don't think that any mmo has nearly as many unique dungeons to explore as does Asheron Calls world of Dereth.
The monsters experienced in AC are also very unique on not the typical wolf/troll/dragon variety seen in so many mmos today.
The world and landscape of Dereth in Asherons Call also has the feel of a vast land where every mountain and lake and river were handmade with utter care and careful placement. The world is seamless, and running from one end to the other produces no load times at all. The only load times experienced are when traveling through a portal or into one of the many dungeons.
I wrote down server populations of ACs servers last summer, and today every server I looked at has more players then last summer at the same time and same day of the week. So it's not dwindeling in population. I am not saying that millions of players still play this game, nor am I trying to say that the populations are growing. But what I am saying is that it sure looks like this game is "holding its own".
Over the past 6 years now, ever since the release of Dark Age of Camelot... I have heard constantly that "AC will soon die" and that "AC won't make it another year". And every year, many more people are wrong with their predictions of the death of Asherons Call.
I still hold my prediction I made over a year ago that the lifespan of Asherons Call will atleast double that of World of Warcraft. From beginning to end, from birth to death, these games will help touch the hearts and imaginations of many. World of Warcraft will ofcourse take in a thousand times the profit of Asheron's Call. No doubt there. But Asheron's Call will live a longer, and in my opinion a much grander, richer, and special life.
It is a unique game with a spirit unmatched. And the way that I see it, it is a very special and a needle in a haystack. The needle being a rare mmo gem. The haystack being what seems to be endless production of lack luster mmorpgs that are developed not ready, uninspired, made only for quick cash, and so many simply lack a heart & soul. Asherons Call has what so many mmos today seem to be missing. A true heart and soul.
Asherons Call lives on. Few players today truly know of this little gem. And that's ashamed. It really is.

- Zaxx

Very well put Zaxx, I played early January 00' til late Oct 06' and I enjoyed playing it and meeting ppl in Dereth , if they had time cards Id still be playing

I was a 187 StaffMaster (Dante Montana) HarvestGain Server

silkakc · February 2007

Asheron's Call stands alone.

The best MMO that has ever been made.

Falconoffury · February 2007

Here I go again.

I still play Asheron's Call to this day, and I don't see anyone else saying that. I had great memories, and I am still making great memories to this day. Combat bots get banned sooner or later as the admins find them. Other bots provide a useful service that doesn't really make anything unfair. Just saying that all bots = bad is a close minded viewpoint and a blanket statement.

I feel the pops of my server have gone up since the free trial came out. I log into the game almost every day, and I have been watching the pops. They are far from their lowest. This game isn't just going down. It's holding together. So, everyone throwing pop numbers around should realize that they have no proof and stop spreading lies. The only proof anyone can have is the number of players logged in, and you have to be a subscriber to see that. If you go to a different message board on a different website, you see a totally different attitude about this game.

I have been playing free trials and betas like crazy, but I don't see any reason to leave AC right now. Yeah, a lot of games have much better graphics to say the least, but I don't care about graphics. If I want graphics I'll watch a Pixar movie or something. I'm a gamer. I want brain candy, not eye candy.

Sturmrabe · February 2007

its too bad that all the good of AC has never translated into anything that Turdbind has ever done since...

Unknown · February 2007

Originally posted by zaxtor99

Asheron's Call. Released in 1999. Very, very small amount of advertising over the course of its life. Hardly ever seen on store shelves, even the expansion packs like the last "Throne Of Destiny" not seen on store shelves of stores like Best Buy, CompUSA, and Walmart.

   And that is the key reason why AC allowed EQ to own. Also the key reason why AC has never grown, even while it and EQ were the only two major mmorpgs for years and years. (Leading up to the release of DAoC). Horrible advertising, and almost no free trials. EQ has had how manh free trials?
In the 8th year now, Asheron's Call still churns along, seeing Turbine continually adding monthly content to its already over-flowing full-of-content game. Despite the aging 3D graphics, the game is still holding its own and making Turbine a decent monthly profit as it has paid for itself many times over now.
Don't be soo smug. Have you graduated college yet? Taken any buisness courses yet? MMORPGs are a buisness first. You have nooo idea how close AC is to instantly being shut down. You need to do more homework, starting with reading one of the most incredible articles written on mmorpgs ever. "The Sorcerer of Sony" in Buisness 2.0 Magazine. It profiles the costs of major mmorpgs. Google its title and maybe you can find it online.

Turdbine aka Turbine has grossly relied on the profits of AC to keep AC2 afloat. AC has looong ago recouped its roughly 5 million investment money. AC2 never recouped its roughly 20 million investment money. When or if LotRO and the rest of Turbine's next projects fail, they will take an even larger toll on the profits of AC1. LotRO will simply take even longer on lifesupport than AC2.

Some people, like myself, still view Asherons Call as one of the best ever PvP mmos on the infamous Darktide server. The lore and the quality of quests in AC is STILL unmatched by newer, shinier games. Asherons Call quests always seemed to have a purpose other then the typical kill 10 rats or deliver X to so and so for me style.
I am an AC fan. It has/had the best ever, closest knit player community that I have ever experienced in a mmorpg. But your experiences, my experiences, anyone else's experiences, no matter how good, mean nothing if AC1 can't hold up making a profit, for itself, and keeping the rest of Turbine's projects on life support.

While it's graphics may lack what todays mmo's flaunt, almost no other mmorpg can compete with the truly relentless action found in AC. Dungeons where swarms of mobs, sometimes in the hundreds attack a player at once, all trying frantically to get a piece of the player and creating a huge circle of maddening chaotic mobs at once!
Umm... many mmorpgs have this, and better. Journey to any major dungeon in WoW that is level 35+ (like the insanely brutal Gnomergen.) Or the bada--ed Scarlet Monastary. Gnomergen is perhaps one of the most brutal dungeons ever created in a mmorpg. And it blows away any dungeon in AC1. Mobs will litterally scream and shout for help "Alert! Alert!". Moments later, swarms will arrive. Random spawns, mobs that heal each other, mobs that throw dynamite, and far more brutalities. Gnomergen is sooo huge, it is too easy to get lost. It is litterally an underground city.

I haven't even gotten to the dungeons in AO, or other mmorpgs yet.

The treasure system in Asherons Call in my experience with mmos is also unmatched. The loot of mobs is VERY random. The colors and materials in the armor seems different every time. The armor level is almost always different, the requirements to wear it or use certain abilities of the looted weapon or armor also change from one item to the next. This makes almost every player look truly unique. The crafting system allows one to change a piece of armor or weapons statistics furthermore, but is difficult to pull off unless the loot and skill levels of the player are great.
   Sooo... what IS "your experience"? How many mmorpgs have you played? What levels have you reached? How long did you play? WoW currently rules all mmorpgs with random treasure. The game world is litterally covered with treasure chests every where. Only gamers who have played Diablo 2 understand how incredible the treasure chest feature is. BTW, the Diablo series has been online years longer than AC1 has been around.

The number of dungeons is also unmatched. I don't think that any mmo has nearly as many unique dungeons to explore as does Asheron Calls world of Dereth.
   Incorrect. Again, what is your experience? This shows you have very little experience playing mmorpgs. The revolutionary AO was the first mmorpg to do something about having increased numbers of random dungeons. Heck, even the minor mmorpg Astonia 3 has more reandom dongeons than AC1.

The monsters experienced in AC are also very unique on not the typical wolf/troll/dragon variety seen in so many mmos today.
Asherons Call lives on. Few players today truly know of this little gem. And that's ashamed. It really is.

- Zaxx

As for the rest of your post, please stop trying to compare AC1 to all other mmorpgs, current and past. Because AC1 does not match them at all. Talk about AC1 on its own merits alone. AC1, taken on its OWN merits, is indeed a good game. it has many features that were revolutionary during its first 1-4 years of existance. But at current time, it is unofficially a dead game. Only the most die hard fans still play. Why is AC1 still around? Again, do your homework, starting with reading that article from Buisness 2.0 Magazine. After a mmorpg recoups its investment money, it is one of the few buisnesses in which there is extreemly little overhead. The game litterally runs itself. AC1 cost roughly 5 million to make. It recouped that roughly by its 2nd year of release. Since then, all its profit has been almost free money. Alas, most of that money has been grossly misspent keeping AC2's lifesupport going.

Last, since mmorpgs are a buisness first, length of time of release does not necessarily equal how successful a mmorpg is. For example, WoW during its 1st year has easily made MORE money than AC1 during all 8 years of release. WoW for the buisness win here. Take any three years of EQ1, and they will equal or be MORE profitable than all 8 years of AC1 in profits. EQ1 for the buisness win here. Heck, every single other mmorpg for the buisness win here. Including minor mmorpgs like Runescape, Astonia 3, El Karidian.... even though AC1 has been out far longer. The ancient UO has insane more subcribers than the far more modern AC1. Bottom line, pick a mmorpg you enjoy, and have fun! And next time you wish to bring attention to a mmorpg, let it stand on its own merits.

Please stop the comparisons. Stop the "..... will outlast WoW" etc.. etc... Have Fun! We are all gamers here!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Very last item, you are no longer living in reality when you belive that a mmorpg with less than 50k players will outlive a mmorpg with more than 8 million players.

Ligner · February 2007

Originally posted by zaxtor99

Asheron's Call. Released in 1999. Very, very small amount of advertising over the course of its life. Hardly ever seen on store shelves, even the expansion packs like the last "Throne Of Destiny" not seen on store shelves of stores like Best Buy, CompUSA, and Walmart.
In the 8th year now, Asheron's Call still churns along, seeing Turbine continually adding monthly content to its already over-flowing full-of-content game. Despite the aging 3D graphics, the game is still holding its own and making Turbine a decent monthly profit as it has paid for itself many times over now.
Some people, like myself, still view Asherons Call as one of the best ever PvP mmos on the infamous Darktide server. The lore and the quality of quests in AC is STILL unmatched by newer, shinier games. Asherons Call quests always seemed to have a purpose other then the typical kill 10 rats or deliver X to so and so for me style.
While it's graphics may lack what todays mmo's flaunt, almost no other mmorpg can compete with the truly relentless action found in AC. Dungeons where swarms of mobs, sometimes in the hundreds attack a player at once, all trying frantically to get a piece of the player and creating a huge circle of maddening chaotic mobs at once!
The treasure system in Asherons Call in my experience with mmos is also unmatched. The loot of mobs is VERY random. The colors and materials in the armor seems different every time. The armor level is almost always different, the requirements to wear it or use certain abilities of the looted weapon or armor also change from one item to the next. This makes almost every player look truly unique. The crafting system allows one to change a piece of armor or weapons statistics furthermore, but is difficult to pull off unless the loot and skill levels of the player are great.
The number of dungeons is also unmatched. I don't think that any mmo has nearly as many unique dungeons to explore as does Asheron Calls world of Dereth.
The monsters experienced in AC are also very unique on not the typical wolf/troll/dragon variety seen in so many mmos today.
The world and landscape of Dereth in Asherons Call also has the feel of a vast land where every mountain and lake and river were handmade with utter care and careful placement. The world is seamless, and running from one end to the other produces no load times at all. The only load times experienced are when traveling through a portal or into one of the many dungeons.
I wrote down server populations of ACs servers last summer, and today every server I looked at has more players then last summer at the same time and same day of the week. So it's not dwindeling in population. I am not saying that millions of players still play this game, nor am I trying to say that the populations are growing. But what I am saying is that it sure looks like this game is "holding its own".
Over the past 6 years now, ever since the release of Dark Age of Camelot... I have heard constantly that "AC will soon die" and that "AC won't make it another year". And every year, many more people are wrong with their predictions of the death of Asherons Call.
I still hold my prediction I made over a year ago that the lifespan of Asherons Call will atleast double that of World of Warcraft. From beginning to end, from birth to death, these games will help touch the hearts and imaginations of many. World of Warcraft will ofcourse take in a thousand times the profit of Asheron's Call. No doubt there. But Asheron's Call will live a longer, and in my opinion a much grander, richer, and special life.
It is a unique game with a spirit unmatched. And the way that I see it, it is a very special and a needle in a haystack. The needle being a rare mmo gem. The haystack being what seems to be endless production of lack luster mmorpgs that are developed not ready, uninspired, made only for quick cash, and so many simply lack a heart & soul. Asherons Call has what so many mmos today seem to be missing. A true heart and soul.
Asherons Call lives on. Few players today truly know of this little gem. And that's ashamed. It really is.

- Zaxx

AC was best what I have played for past 10 years and I played a lot since MUDs. There is simply no other game which makes you feel being "SOMEONE SOMEWHERE" rather then just playing the game and thats where real role-playing starts.

Turbine made its vital mistake by creating AC2 completely different and keep on doing the same thing with their recent products. While in development of AC2 player base of AC1 was anticipated the upcomming product fairly believe that it will be old AC1 with updated graphic and added to existing content new features. AC2 made players closing their accounts on 2nd month and pulling back old accounts of AC1.

Surely people would learn on their mistakes and its just left me wonder WHY Turbine has not?

If they would just update graphics of old AC without changing the gameplay and even adding new features they would pull off customer base way bigger than in LOTRO or DDO instantly.

Lastera · February 2007

Originally posted by xplororor

Originally posted by zaxtor99

Asheron's Call. Released in 1999. Very, very small amount of advertising over the course of its life. Hardly ever seen on store shelves, even the expansion packs like the last "Throne Of Destiny" not seen on store shelves of stores like Best Buy, CompUSA, and Walmart.

   And that is the key reason why AC allowed EQ to own. Also the key reason why AC has never grown, even while it and EQ were the only two major mmorpgs for years and years. (Leading up to the release of DAoC). Horrible advertising, and almost no free trials. EQ has had how manh free trials?
In the 8th year now, Asheron's Call still churns along, seeing Turbine continually adding monthly content to its already over-flowing full-of-content game. Despite the aging 3D graphics, the game is still holding its own and making Turbine a decent monthly profit as it has paid for itself many times over now.
Don't be soo smug. Have you graduated college yet? Taken any buisness courses yet? MMORPGs are a buisness first. You have nooo idea how close AC is to instantly being shut down. You need to do more homework, starting with reading one of the most incredible articles written on mmorpgs ever. "The Sorcerer of Sony" in Buisness 2.0 Magazine. It profiles the costs of major mmorpgs. Google its title and maybe you can find it online.

Turdbine aka Turbine has grossly relied on the profits of AC to keep AC2 afloat. AC has looong ago recouped its roughly 5 million investment money. AC2 never recouped its roughly 20 million investment money. When or if LotRO and the rest of Turbine's next projects fail, they will take an even larger toll on the profits of AC1. LotRO will simply take even longer on lifesupport than AC2.

Some people, like myself, still view Asherons Call as one of the best ever PvP mmos on the infamous Darktide server. The lore and the quality of quests in AC is STILL unmatched by newer, shinier games. Asherons Call quests always seemed to have a purpose other then the typical kill 10 rats or deliver X to so and so for me style.
I am an AC fan. It has/had the best ever, closest knit player community that I have ever experienced in a mmorpg. But your experiences, my experiences, anyone else's experiences, no matter how good, mean nothing if AC1 can't hold up making a profit, for itself, and keeping the rest of Turbine's projects on life support.

While it's graphics may lack what todays mmo's flaunt, almost no other mmorpg can compete with the truly relentless action found in AC. Dungeons where swarms of mobs, sometimes in the hundreds attack a player at once, all trying frantically to get a piece of the player and creating a huge circle of maddening chaotic mobs at once!
Umm... many mmorpgs have this, and better. Journey to any major dungeon in WoW that is level 35+ (like the insanely brutal Gnomergen.) Or the bada--ed Scarlet Monastary. Gnomergen is perhaps one of the most brutal dungeons ever created in a mmorpg. And it blows away any dungeon in AC1. Mobs will litterally scream and shout for help "Alert! Alert!". Moments later, swarms will arrive. Random spawns, mobs that heal each other, mobs that throw dynamite, and far more brutalities. Gnomergen is sooo huge, it is too easy to get lost. It is litterally an underground city.

I haven't even gotten to the dungeons in AO, or other mmorpgs yet.

The treasure system in Asherons Call in my experience with mmos is also unmatched. The loot of mobs is VERY random. The colors and materials in the armor seems different every time. The armor level is almost always different, the requirements to wear it or use certain abilities of the looted weapon or armor also change from one item to the next. This makes almost every player look truly unique. The crafting system allows one to change a piece of armor or weapons statistics furthermore, but is difficult to pull off unless the loot and skill levels of the player are great.
   Sooo... what IS "your experience"? How many mmorpgs have you played? What levels have you reached? How long did you play? WoW currently rules all mmorpgs with random treasure. The game world is litterally covered with treasure chests every where. Only gamers who have played Diablo 2 understand how incredible the treasure chest feature is. BTW, the Diablo series has been online years longer than AC1 has been around.

The number of dungeons is also unmatched. I don't think that any mmo has nearly as many unique dungeons to explore as does Asheron Calls world of Dereth.
   Incorrect. Again, what is your experience? This shows you have very little experience playing mmorpgs. The revolutionary AO was the first mmorpg to do something about having increased numbers of random dungeons. Heck, even the minor mmorpg Astonia 3 has more reandom dongeons than AC1.

The monsters experienced in AC are also very unique on not the typical wolf/troll/dragon variety seen in so many mmos today.
Asherons Call lives on. Few players today truly know of this little gem. And that's ashamed. It really is.

- Zaxx

As for the rest of your post, please stop trying to compare AC1 to all other mmorpgs, current and past. Because AC1 does not match them at all. Talk about AC1 on its own merits alone. AC1, taken on its OWN merits, is indeed a good game. it has many features that were revolutionary during its first 1-4 years of existance. But at current time, it is unofficially a dead game. Only the most die hard fans still play. Why is AC1 still around? Again, do your homework, starting with reading that article from Buisness 2.0 Magazine. After a mmorpg recoups its investment money, it is one of the few buisnesses in which there is extreemly little overhead. The game litterally runs itself. AC1 cost roughly 5 million to make. It recouped that roughly by its 2nd year of release. Since then, all its profit has been almost free money. Alas, most of that money has been grossly misspent keeping AC2's lifesupport going.

Last, since mmorpgs are a buisness first, length of time of release does not necessarily equal how successful a mmorpg is. For example, WoW during its 1st year has easily made MORE money than AC1 during all 8 years of release. WoW for the buisness win here. Take any three years of EQ1, and they will equal or be MORE profitable than all 8 years of AC1 in profits. EQ1 for the buisness win here. Heck, every single other mmorpg for the buisness win here. Including minor mmorpgs like Runescape, Astonia 3, El Karidian.... even though AC1 has been out far longer. The ancient UO has insane more subcribers than the far more modern AC1. Bottom line, pick a mmorpg you enjoy, and have fun! And next time you wish to bring attention to a mmorpg, let it stand on its own merits.

Please stop the comparisons. Stop the "..... will outlast WoW" etc.. etc... Have Fun! We are all gamers here!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Very last item, you are no longer living in reality when you belive that a mmorpg with less than 50k players will outlive a mmorpg with more than 8 million players.

Um...have you ever heard of a "reach around."

lobes · February 2007

I played AC from 2000 to 2003, it was my first MMORPG and I loved it.

I thought about using the free trial to try and get back into it, even with the outdated graphics, I was willing to give it another go. Plus, my PC is on the older side, and can't play the newest games out. It runs Guild Wars and WoW pretty well, but it is nowhere near powerful enough for Vanguard or the other games slated for release this year.

However, I simply cannot justify paying $12.95 a month for a game of this age. If the monthly fee were say $5.95/month, then perhaps.

Brenics · February 2007

AC is still a pretty darn good game. But you guys better get use to the idea if LOTRO does hit it big the game will be gone. Turbine is not going to let another game handle the cost of running another like AC did for AC2. They learned from the past and you can count on AC not to be long for this world.

Ligner · February 2007

Originally posted by Brenics

AC is still a pretty darn good game. But you guys better get use to the idea if LOTRO does hit it big the game will be gone. Turbine is not going to let another game handle the cost of running another like AC did for AC2. They learned from the past and you can count on AC not to be long for this world.

Phew!

I’m relieved now as LOTRO isn’t going to last longer than a few months. Obviously it will appeal to some number of players but majority of players are already fed up with clones of WoW. Seriously, if you spent 2 years developing your characters in WoW what’s the point of quitting it and starts playing from scratch the clone of it? You might as well just stay in WoW. As it has been proved before players can cope with outdated graphics for long time as long as they enjoying the gameplay.

Is combat better in LOTRO? Nah! It’s all the same with just different names of the skills… boring.

Crafting? Please… gathering resources for 2 hours just to spend 10 minutes on actual crafting is supposed to be fun?........... LOL

PvP? No opposite race – no PvP status in the game. Sorry but you have to forget about that!

Player driven economy? No such thing. Even their early creation AC had better economy system lol. It’s all the same “sell rubbish to NPC Vendors and trade epics with players”.

Turbine learned on their mistakes? Oh, common! AC2, DDO, LOTRO are all the same non-innovative, boring, cookie-cutters.

They will close AC? Nah man… soon that will be the only game they will be getting at least SOME income from as AC2 has been long time gone, DDO isn’t gonna last by the look of it (I got bored with it almost instantly), LOTRO wasn’t an inspiration at all when I was playing beta…

Don’t know man… I just lost all the respect to Turbine.

Gunlex00 · February 2007

I also played AC for a good 2-3 years, (2000-2003ish) and in the time i played it is still one of the best mmo's i've ever played.

As of recent they definately messed it up tho, the level cap at 126 was more than high enough, and the game had lots of content. They just kept adding newer and better items, which made doing so many quests a waste of time because the items weren't worth it. It all started to go bad when they introduced salvage =/

The begining was the best for sure

Joshua69 · February 2007

i trink its main down hill move was the release of that last expansion, i cant event hink of the name of it lol. new race and other variace things, i was like...wtf is that!? but i havent played AC in forever so....i think its time, like, seriously, they just end it lol....

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