AC2! Reborn? Ones man's opinion....

I have been in and out of AC2's Life span three times thus far. And always in returning and reading the boards I find myself "pulling" to the negative. Doubting, challenging, exausting plausible game changes, reading others that do the same. Construced crits, moaning, anger, frustrations, and every once in awhile a breath of fresh air from somebody who has never played the game and is trying it for the first time or a vet who has discovered something they missed and has decided to return.


There have been so many changes to AC2 and its world that I have never really sat myself down and asked exactly what it is that keeps me coming back. I have also seen others that have moved on to other games and worlds, invested a good amount of time in them.. and have come back to AC2 and then left again. But I am almost certain that they will come back again as well. Why is that? Why is it that I personally "miss" AC2? I find that many of the community here and other boards feel the same way that I do. Why?

The frustrations and anger that I read here almost daily I believe is a real problem. Most new players, now days, spend a great deal of time researching about games before they play them because there are so many out there. It almost seems a daunting relationship that people who possibly come here to get information may only see the frustration and not the "motivation" for the fustration. Or rather, read why, vets that post in these forums WANT to see AC2 be the game that they feel was not when it published its ideas so long ago.

I have always felt that sharing frustration is perfectly normal, but sharing frustration then adding ideas to possible fixes or ways to making the posed frustration BETTER than what they are, is more respectable.

The industry of MMO's as a whole is way out of control right now. There are so many moves and changes that finding a suitable rest area is almost impossible. Better still, finding the "reason" why we play in the first place has been become an actual concern. Gamers of MMO's have become hybrids of this industry and for the most part have pushed the attention of producers of these games to new levels and thus newer ideas. But many of these "ideas", AC2 has had since the beginning. And yet even to this day, I am only discovering again what it is that makes AC2 (even though coming on 2 years in age), Just so inpecibly wonderfull.

I would like to share with whomever reads this "book", What I like about AC2 and its world. Some of these likes from the very beginning, while others still suprisingly enough, still being discovered.

World:

I just started again. Every time I start AC2, I create a new character. I find it easier that way for some reason. And every time I start new, I get to see things in the world I never had seen since the last time I started. AC2's world I feel, gets vastly un-recognized. Seems as though people are just too busy to see the little joys that make the world of Dereth just so damn cool. Every time I start new I see buildings that were once rubble. I ask myself, "is that maybe a possible house?" or "when did that get there?" I have since promised myself to find a spot and just sit there and look for about 15 minutes before I log and do this with all the graphics turned completely up. You wouldnt believe how much respect I have for the design of this world I have since doing this. AC2's world is STUNNING. Yes, yes.. its always been pretty, or "eye candy". You know, since I've started practicing my zen before loging out, its even cooler than that. I've watched birds fly random patterns in the sky. Been awe struck by burning skys and solem moon scapes while listening to the hum of the LS. I have sat by a Drudge Cabalist while it sleeps/meditates and listend to it breath. Waterfalls. Lighting in caves and dungeons. Fire effects. Trees and bushes swaying to the wind. Its almost like the world is growing, and changing. Developing on its own course like a river, slowly but surely re-building and re-newing itself. There is NO other game out there that does this and does it in such a subtle way as to actually feel as though its alive. I love this. I miss this when playing other games and have just recently discovered this about AC2.

The other aspect I definately find refreshing is that its fantasy but not traditional, elf, ogre, pixie, dwarf, whatever. This is just played out. Dont get me wrong. I was a D&D nerd from waaaay back, lol. But this has been a unique stamp since AC day one.

Monsters:

LOL.. I love the mobs in this game! Ever watch the mob while its fighting you? It grabs its wounds, yells, asks for healing, grunts, all sorts of really cool actions. Even when your not fighting the mobs, they forage, sit and look around, move to other locations, sleep, meditate, "I smeeeellll sooomethiiing", they stomp their feet, communicate too each other. My god, there are so many actions that these mobs act out that its truely unique to any other game. Recently I was hunting in a remote area of Omishan, when another player (and I dont know how we bumped into each other, because I was trying to be alone) found me. To her surprise that I was there she asked.."what are you doing way out here?" I simply replied, "formulating a species article for a future Nova show".. she laughed. There is just too much to list here about what I like but I do know this. When I actually start "feeling" that drudges are the nuesance and gurogs are a mighty warrior class, and barun have a natural hatred to Tumerocks and are diseasing the land. It puts me in the game. The mobs in AC2 play a role that accentuates the role that I play. Its very dynamic and completely Turbine. Its also very rare to see in other games, IF at all.

Communtiy:

THIS has to be the number ONE reason why I miss AC2 when I am away. I can't express in words how wonderfull AC and AC2's community is compared to other games, and I dont know why this is really. For some reason, and this has never changed since I started playing the AC line of games, have I seen any other community be as helpfull, considerate, loyal, friendly, compasionate and giving. I still read peoples chats that affirm this. New players as well as Vets to the MMO world consistantly chat how amazed they are to the friendlyness of the AC community. Just the other day, as an example, I started Honor Dvn, (my new luggy juggy woo!) and was hunting Vermins to craft some armor/weaps before going into Arwic mines, when another white dot appears on the radar. There is one vermin in both our view. I run to kill the vermin, the white dot does too. I get within melee range of vermin and see this Tummy is in melee range as well now. Vermin starts hitting me, I say, "sorry go head", He replies "no no.. you go", I argue, "its okay I get another", he replies "your gonna die if you dont kill it", I reply "but you got here first", he replies "I think you got here first" (I am at 1/2 life now, level 4) "are you sure?" I ask, he laughs. I laugh too. LOL THIS is CRAZY. People in this game actually care about others. Now this doesnt happen all the time hehe.. but it happen ALOT. In other games? This is something that is just too bad. In fact its so bad that WoW had to put the "tag" system in to eleviate the potential problem. Now the "tag" system is cool, dont get me wrong. But having a considerate community is more important. And this considerate community helps others that are not used to this type of game play, "learn" what it means to play with honor. Simply priceless.

Crafting:

This is going with the new 2.0 craft update ideas. Since I havnt played it and neither has most of us. I will go by what I have played in other games. To me the number one issue with crafting is economy and downtime. This new idea that will be implemented Wed. serves to be a possible a solution to both. I was there for the SWG fallout during beta. Was there for the Horizons hoopla during beta and NDA prevents me from goin further.. . But I will suggest this. Every game thus far has had some good ideas but none have actually hit the nail on the head. Turbine may have had a blessing in desguise here with everyone elses developement and being able to see, read and hear what it is that makes a great crafting system. I like the idea of teleporting to the resource area, the idea of "finding" the resource deposit, maps, tools, and the ability to become proficient in some medium of crafting without sacrificing class skills. There is NO limitation to how far you can go with it. And its super unique in that the combination of effects and graphting can be endless as well as flexible if/when balance changes occur. Its diverse, its socketable, its worth doing and looks fun and its new. Now a player can actually RP a certain class by complementing that class with imbued items or effects that best "fit" the players playstyle or look. Robes for instance are considered flexible and have vigor enhancing properties. How appropriate for the mage idea. . I can't wait to see where this goes but crafting 2.0 hits on a few "key" aspects that many games crafting exercises dont.

1. Discovery
2. Less downtime
3. Moderate costs
4. Everyone can do
5. No limit to possible changes and levels.
6. Diversity
7. No fighting over traits and harvesting.

Level Caps, Skills, Abilities:

I hate easily attainable level caps. Not that I will get there before you. But just the idea that an end is easily in sight leaves me limp. In DAoC for instance, I knew exactly what kind of character I was going to be at 50 and even knew exactly what I was going to be up to RR10. Bah!. Games like AO I liked alot simply becuase of the high level caps. (200 I believe) and AC with 126 (back in the day). I don't ever want to feel as though I will "max". And when I do "max" it feels special! When I achieved my first lev 126 in AC I was absolutely thrilled! When I reached 50 in DAoC, I was no where near as thrilled as in AC. (but happy none the less). But not Thrilled! AC2 gives hope for a future while playing the game. It has been said by many that even Turbine itself doesnt have any idea where its going. That is awsome! I am happy they dont, IF they dont, but I bet anything they do. The idea of being able to grow within certain peramiters I think is important. Games that offer no levels or ways to gauge your progression simply do not interest me. When I look at the skill tab ingame and scroll up to the "hero" skills, I notice that scrolling could very easily keep going up. UP. This makes me very happy. And importantly does not give the ever increasing "analyze the hell outta whats the best class" player an easy motive. There simply is no way to tell but there is a whole bunch of ways to speculate. LOL.. go head speculate.

I used to think that AC2's skill system was kinda blah. But recently I have discovered that even though its vastly simple. It can become very complex. The idea of being able to change my template or my RP styles without too much time sacrifice makes it even better. The game evolves so does the players option to evolve thier skills to fit thier needs. This is dynamic, in many games its just called.. re-roll. Bottom line for me is that I am tired in pigeon holeing myself into a certain class only to find that I change my interests and feel stuck. I dont feel that at all while playing AC2. In fact, I dont think about this at all unless I am playing a different game than AC2. The Juggy I just made is the first I have ever played, (ive played all the rest exept hive keeper), and I am having a blast! Is it the best class? Who the hell cares. LOL...hahahhaa. It is super cool though..

In Closing:

As I have posted before here. There are a thousand and one ways to simply "down side" a game. Even the best game. And for me personally, I have yet to see another game, even come close to the fun and community and world that I "expect" to be better than it is. AC2 has so many gifts that I have re-discovered that I am finding myself feeling the same way I did when I beta'd AC1 so long ago having never played a MMO. I only have to slow down and look at it. Everyone is different. But I myself have come to realize personally that I have been so consumed with picking at every detail with this game and other "new" games, that I have lost sight of the big picture and why I play this type of game in the first place. No other game really compares to the level of detail that I find in AC2. And though WoW and EQ2 are coming out and I will no doubt try them, I still cant bring myself to pass away the fact that AC2 was doing this stuff from its beginning. In other words, for me, while new games can use other games "short comings" to become better, AC2 already was "better", but somehow I lost sight of it. Turbines commitment to AC and its future games has always been about passion. You can see it in its foundations and you can see it in thier non-stop concern for trying to make AC better than it is. Some of us (including myself at times) may have givin up hope, or lost sight of the vision, but Turbine never has. They bought AC for the players, they continue to build AC (through all the challenges) for its players, and they work very hard with a very tight budget (my guess), BECAUSE of its players.

This is what I pay 12.95 a month for. And that seems a small price to pay for that kind of commitment.

If you like what you see you can try out AC2 for 15 days free of charge with no Credit card info needed by clicking here:

http://www.gamedaily.com/pc/title/downloads/?id=3358&source=00001

Ty Turbine and ty AC.

Doven