. I like WoW, but AoC isn't designed to be WoW. It's branching into new territory
Now, before I say another word...let me say that, Dekken, I actually do not mean to target you in any way by using your post as a quote. I just found that THIS sentiment followed well with what I am about to say. With that in mind, I'm gonna mosey right along.
I have seen most of these threads here...and throughout ALL of this "bash/love" madness I have yet to see you people actually address the game from a design point. When I say "you people" I mean the haters. I am actually getting irritated at the hate being focused on stupid minor choices regarding graphics and loading. Even if you really hate loading, its not the most important part of a game. Its just a means to an end. The real meat of the matter is inside design path, and the dev team has made some design choices I feel are way more important here than their decision to make the game pretty (though, I rather wish they had spent more time on actual content than pretty...bar fights would have been cool).
AoC IS designed to be WoW. Its designed to be EXACTLY WoW with some better visuals and a few nifty combat tricks. They have stated directly that raiding and raid gear are gonna be the "be all and all" for the games gear progression. I don't care if we all love that stuff (I don't), but I really hate it when we speak about Conan as though it were actually DOING something new. Its not, in any way, shape or form, doing one single thing different as far as actual gameplay design goes. Its following the Blizzard theory of continuation by running us through the stupid raiding treadmill again.
I hate them for that...because I was really loving the ideal of a blood soaked world behind the Conan IP several years ago. The only way to really get that NOW is to join a FFA PvP server...AND then get your face stomped in at equal level to some guy who has more time than you for raiding. I thought we all decided that raiding to PvP was stupid when we had to do it in WoW...but I suppose you all forgot all about that when you received those neato combat ticks and pretty trees.
Even through that though, I don't mind that some of ya like it. I also don't think its going to FAIL based on my particular side against it. I'm very glad it has the response it does...I suppose...and even more glad the the PvP servers are getting slammed. Maybe they will take the BLOODY HINT and rethink this whole "Gosh, raiding in MMO's is the BESTEST EVA" bullcrap we've been force fed for a decade now.
This is valid criticism, but I'm not at all sure it will play out this way. Granted, FC wants to siphon as many players away from WoW as it can, and there are bound to be certain similarities between the two. After all, WoW established something of an archetype as far as PvP/PvE hybrid gameplay goes.
Whether AoC becomes what you fear it is, or something really new depends on what happens in the next year. I don't think that it will become a "raid to PvP" scenario, and I'll be disappointed if it does. However, it won't change the fact that AoC's combat mechanics are far, far more player-dependent than those in WoW. Over on the WoW forums, the "class balance" bawling that has been going on since 2004 can never go away, because WoW PvP is essentially a glorified dice game. In AoC, your personal skill comes much more into play.
As someone who did a ton of arena I can tell you in order especially in small 2v2 and 3v3 fights who won was based in order upon gear, class comps, skill. There were certain fights that we had no chance to win because of the class/gear matchup unless the guy on the other side was drooling onto his keyboard.
The guys playing in the world tourney for WoW have more skill than most and because all of their gear is equal it comes down to comps and then skill. Skill still ranks behind comp even at that level of play.
Someone mentioned daily quests as some kind of "good" thing entered into WoW...seriously? Who the hell wants to do the same quest every day? Talk about losing immersion "So let's see this same jack ass got captured again by the Skettis?" Woot for repetition.
I want world PVP ....I couldnt name one guy on a RP-PVP server from the Alliance that I fought...why? No need the BGs took all the PVP there and that was boring as hell most of the time. AV was an honor grind race to the other side that didnt feel epic or pvp'ish. You hacked down mobs and it was worth more honor than the long drawn out Eye of the Storm fights that went for an hour or more.
You guys can keep WoW, I just got finished telling my buddies taht after the first two days of playing Age of Conan I realized that games are meant to be "fun". WoW missed the boat on that. They have poorly disguised time sinks for end-game that are borderline criminal. If I wanted to do that much repetition I'd work on an assembly line in some factory. No thanks I'll take Age of Conan and its zones.
Thirty years of gaming experience...not sure if I should be proud of that www.mmoexaminer.blogspot.com
I'll shoot the next idiot that calls WOW seamless. I do game dev work. It's not seamless. It's a classic design trick called tunnel zoneing. You actually zone to the next area half way before hitting the zone wall. It downloads slightly in the background to prepare the files. This is why dated machines will take performance hits while getting near zone lines. You couple the games tunnel zoneing with low requirements and small file sizes.. then you now have trick zoneing. It's easy as hell to do. I've done it in a few test games I made. It's NOT seamless. So stop calling it seamless. You're just being fooled. I also fail to see how one can even remotely consider it open world as it is not. Each zone is not physically connected to one another. You're being warped to a different cluster on the same server going though generic static portals located a long zone lines. It's dated technology that should be thrown in the garbage by now. It forces you to degrade visual and physical innovation for a poorly designed zone system. If AoC zone style isn't for you. Then pack your bags and get the hell out. I rather take 10 seconds to zone then stare at pile of crap cartoon artwork for my game time.
Actually WoW is seamless, you do not need to go through a certain exit. Through most zones you can jump over a mountain, open boarders, swim across, falldown waterfall and etc.. to get to. So actually it would be stupid not to call it seamless.
I don't think that it will become a "raid to PvP" scenario, and I'll be disappointed if it does.
I am going to promise you that it has no direction to go BUT that one. They may do a lot better in the execution OF that ideal...but in the end, given their open and direct statements regarding the matter, it WILL be this way. Basic mathematics and the structure behind gear progression systems demands it. It doesn't even matter if they begin with but a small gap between the gear. Remember, WoW raid gear had but a small gap as well when it was only MC people were running. Ahhh...but that's the trap, you see. Content in gear progression systems is limited to ONLY content which provides more gear.
Thus, any new content which is added MUST provide a remote upgrade to the gear obtained in previous content to be viable. Since the game is going to have a raiding focus at all..that means they WILL be making new raids...which means the new raid gear will be even BETTER than the gear from a previous raid, which we have already agreed upon as being a noticeable advantage in combat. The gap can only widen as they move forward...it can never shrink. WoW could only overcome this circular trap by introducing arena gear, and offering players (ALL players) a way to shorten the gap by doing something else.
So, here we are, come round full circle to playing the SAME game we just left. Because they are using a raid-gear progression...they have only one place to end up. They must add new gear, it must be better, we must do something to earn it. They aren't going to make crafting a salvation from this, I will bet hard money on it. If crafting CAN make items as good as raid gear...then it will require items obtained from the raid dungeon to make it. If it makes PvP gear as good as what you could get from PvP...it will require PvP to obtain the mats. They aren't going to make some easy way out...because THAT would devalue the efforts used to progress elsewhere. No one would dare raid if crafting could make items just as good, after all.
Conan had the opportunity to really reach forward, to really divide themselves from these archaic systems that plague the genre. They had the perfect IP to move away from gear based progression, to leave behind the raiding systems of old. They chose not to, opting instead to run the same beaten path again expecting it to forever win them players. I think its going to backfire...I think the masses hungry for something NOT WoW will rebel against these types of game designs now. Especially when the very IP they are crafted from has no NEED for it. Jesus, I don't recall Conan wielding a +5 awesome broadsword of pwn...nor do I recall him ever losing a fight because his +5 weapon wasn't good enough to get the upper hand against someone with a +10. Its pathetic in my eyes.
WOW is a cartoon, while AOC is a 10 oscar awarded movie. Well .. sort of
The WOW devs made a great job making that game feel seamless. But the "no-zoning" an illusion. Ever wonder why there are no mobs between the intersection of the "zones" ?
If people think illusions of seamless zoning is so important then fine, stay with WoW.
WOW is a cartoon, while AOC is a 10 oscar awarded movie. Well .. sort of
The WOW devs made a great job making that game feel seemless. Zoning is transparent. That's why there are no mobs between the intersections of the zones.
Thats not true, between border of elwyn forest and duskwood there is murlocs, wolves, bandits etc..and like I said before the exit/entrance isn't in one spot, you can enter by jumping off mountain, waterfalls, open border, swimming across and intersections. Also in burning crusade you can use flying mounts to fly pretty much over anything in outlands. You have obviously never played WoW or atleast past free trial. I don't even like WoW but I hate it when people make ignorant comments about another game.
I don't think that it will become a "raid to PvP" scenario, and I'll be disappointed if it does.
I am going to promise you that it has no direction to go BUT that one. They may do a lot better in the execution OF that ideal...but in the end, given their open and direct statements regarding the matter, it WILL be this way. Basic mathematics and the structure behind gear progression systems demands it. It doesn't even matter if they begin with but a small gap between the gear. Remember, WoW raid gear had but a small gap as well when it was only MC people were running. Ahhh...but that's the trap, you see. Content in gear progression systems is limited to ONLY content which provides more gear.
Thus, any new content which is added MUST provide a remote upgrade to the gear obtained in previous content to be viable. Since the game is going to have a raiding focus at all..that means they WILL be making new raids...which means the new raid gear will be even BETTER than the gear from a previous raid, which we have already agreed upon as being a noticeable advantage in combat. The gap can only widen as they move forward...it can never shrink. WoW could only overcome this circular trap by introducing arena gear, and offering players (ALL players) a way to shorten the gap by doing something else.
So, here we are, come round full circle to playing the SAME game we just left. Because they are using a raid-gear progression...they have only one place to end up. They must add new gear, it must be better, we must do something to earn it. They aren't going to make crafting a salvation from this, I will bet hard money on it. If crafting CAN make items as good as raid gear...then it will require items obtained from the raid dungeon to make it. If it makes PvP gear as good as what you could get from PvP...it will require PvP to obtain the mats. They aren't going to make some easy way out...because THAT would devalue the efforts used to progress elsewhere. No one would dare raid if crafting could make items just as good, after all.
Conan had the opportunity to really reach forward, to really divide themselves from these archaic systems that plague the genre. They had the perfect IP to move away from gear based progression, to leave behind the raiding systems of old. They chose not to, opting instead to run the same beaten path again expecting it to forever win them players. I think its going to backfire...I think the masses hungry for something NOT WoW will rebel against these types of game designs now. Especially when the very IP they are crafted from has no NEED for it. Jesus, I don't recall Conan wielding a +5 awesome broadsword of pwn...nor do I recall him ever losing a fight because his +5 weapon wasn't good enough to get the upper hand against someone with a +10. Its pathetic in my eyes.
Watch out, you are nearing a torching from the rabid fanbois, with this type of talk. Personally i couldn't agree more. AOC doesn't offer anything new in terms of indepth gameplay. Same old tired system that has plaqued mmo's for much to long.
WOW is a cartoon, while AOC is a 10 oscar awarded movie. Well .. sort of
The WOW devs made a great job making that game feel seamless. But the "no-zoning" an illusion. Ever wonder why there are no mobs between the intersection of the "zones" ?
If people think illusions of seamless zoning is so important then fine, stay with WoW.
Dude, you need to chill. All it seems you like about AOC is it's graphics. There's more to a mmo than stunning visuals, and AOC lacks alot.
I don't think that it will become a "raid to PvP" scenario, and I'll be disappointed if it does.
I am going to promise you that it has no direction to go BUT that one. They may do a lot better in the execution OF that ideal...but in the end, given their open and direct statements regarding the matter, it WILL be this way. Basic mathematics and the structure behind gear progression systems demands it. It doesn't even matter if they begin with but a small gap between the gear. Remember, WoW raid gear had but a small gap as well when it was only MC people were running. Ahhh...but that's the trap, you see. Content in gear progression systems is limited to ONLY content which provides more gear.
Thus, any new content which is added MUST provide a remote upgrade to the gear obtained in previous content to be viable. Since the game is going to have a raiding focus at all..that means they WILL be making new raids...which means the new raid gear will be even BETTER than the gear from a previous raid, which we have already agreed upon as being a noticeable advantage in combat. The gap can only widen as they move forward...it can never shrink. WoW could only overcome this circular trap by introducing arena gear, and offering players (ALL players) a way to shorten the gap by doing something else.
So, here we are, come round full circle to playing the SAME game we just left. Because they are using a raid-gear progression...they have only one place to end up. They must add new gear, it must be better, we must do something to earn it. They aren't going to make crafting a salvation from this, I will bet hard money on it. If crafting CAN make items as good as raid gear...then it will require items obtained from the raid dungeon to make it. If it makes PvP gear as good as what you could get from PvP...it will require PvP to obtain the mats. They aren't going to make some easy way out...because THAT would devalue the efforts used to progress elsewhere. No one would dare raid if crafting could make items just as good, after all.
Conan had the opportunity to really reach forward, to really divide themselves from these archaic systems that plague the genre. They had the perfect IP to move away from gear based progression, to leave behind the raiding systems of old. They chose not to, opting instead to run the same beaten path again expecting it to forever win them players. I think its going to backfire...I think the masses hungry for something NOT WoW will rebel against these types of game designs now. Especially when the very IP they are crafted from has no NEED for it. Jesus, I don't recall Conan wielding a +5 awesome broadsword of pwn...nor do I recall him ever losing a fight because his +5 weapon wasn't good enough to get the upper hand against someone with a +10. Its pathetic in my eyes.
Watch out, you are nearing a torching from the rabid fanbois, with this type of talk. Personally i couldn't agree more. AOC doesn't offer anything new in terms of indepth gameplay. Same old tired system that has plaqued mmo's for much to long.
Bah, why would I be worried over some zealous fan? Besides...I doubt any of them actually have something in mind to fire back with, they've been too busy dealing with all of these brain dead haters here that only seem to care about zoning. If anything, I expect most of them to agree with my sentiments. They just happen to be giving Funcom the benefit of the doubt about it. I suppose I could have been like that, once. But, I've already expended such benefits on another game...and discovered that basic math makes such hope kinda dumb. You can't fight the numbers, after all.
Heh, my first ever MMO was FFXI. So it absolutely stuns me to see people upset about zoning. Zoning was a battle strategy for my breed! RUN FOR THE ZONE! GOBLIN INCOMING! Guess I was just raised different
I agree with you, as I play CoX still. Zoning doesn't bother me (though I prefer seamless) and I can ignore it just fine if the GAME is fun. Hating this game for its zoning is likely the dumbest reason I can fathom for NOT playing something. I mean, out of ALL the things you could hate on (I've even given examples above!) you chose THIS??
The fans should actually be REJOICING over this. If this is all the haters have to feed on...the game is doing FINE. I'm the only hater I know of actually slamming design features around here. Its such a cold and lonely corner.
They have poorly disguised time sinks for end-game that are borderline criminal. If I wanted to do that much repetition I'd work on an assembly line in some factory. No thanks I'll take Age of Conan and its zones.
You are in for one hell of a surprise, friend. A great surprise indeed....
If its disguised time-sinks you hate, expect AoC to be the same treadmill WoW was at endgame. They've already declared it so.
Didn't WoW solved the issue between PvE raid and PvP arena gear progression some 6 months ago? When I left the game back then, raid gear were useless for anything but entry level arena competition. PvP gear (besides weapons) weren't hot at all as far as raiding was concerned.
So WoW seemed to have solved the issue you're worried about some months ago. If nothing else they proved that they can create a different itemisation path for these two activities.
If one developer can do it and in the process show that it can be done, I don't see why another can't succeed as well. Remains to be seen of course, but I'm hopeful that the developers of the new MMOs are at least taking notice of the successes and failures of their predecessors.
The only thing that bothers me with this game are the zoning after playing WoWs huge seemless world itll feel like im going backwards.
Ever noticed how WoW pulls off the seemless world? The game is comprised of chunks and uses a simple and clean graphics. You can't travel between zones from just anywhere, you can only do it from specific entrance and exit points. It's seemless to a degree, but not completely. Impassable walls around every zone does not a seemless world make.
FINALLY someone gets it right...Thank you for truth
What difference does it make if it gives the feeling of an open world? I like what I see from AoC so far but WoW does things much better. The endless loading zones is just killing me in AoC.
Uh, it takes me roughly 7 seconds to load each zone. If that's a problem for you, then feel free to cancel your subscription.
Comments
Now, before I say another word...let me say that, Dekken, I actually do not mean to target you in any way by using your post as a quote. I just found that THIS sentiment followed well with what I am about to say. With that in mind, I'm gonna mosey right along.
I have seen most of these threads here...and throughout ALL of this "bash/love" madness I have yet to see you people actually address the game from a design point. When I say "you people" I mean the haters. I am actually getting irritated at the hate being focused on stupid minor choices regarding graphics and loading. Even if you really hate loading, its not the most important part of a game. Its just a means to an end. The real meat of the matter is inside design path, and the dev team has made some design choices I feel are way more important here than their decision to make the game pretty (though, I rather wish they had spent more time on actual content than pretty...bar fights would have been cool).
AoC IS designed to be WoW. Its designed to be EXACTLY WoW with some better visuals and a few nifty combat tricks. They have stated directly that raiding and raid gear are gonna be the "be all and all" for the games gear progression. I don't care if we all love that stuff (I don't), but I really hate it when we speak about Conan as though it were actually DOING something new. Its not, in any way, shape or form, doing one single thing different as far as actual gameplay design goes. Its following the Blizzard theory of continuation by running us through the stupid raiding treadmill again.
I hate them for that...because I was really loving the ideal of a blood soaked world behind the Conan IP several years ago. The only way to really get that NOW is to join a FFA PvP server...AND then get your face stomped in at equal level to some guy who has more time than you for raiding. I thought we all decided that raiding to PvP was stupid when we had to do it in WoW...but I suppose you all forgot all about that when you received those neato combat ticks and pretty trees.
Even through that though, I don't mind that some of ya like it. I also don't think its going to FAIL based on my particular side against it. I'm very glad it has the response it does...I suppose...and even more glad the the PvP servers are getting slammed. Maybe they will take the BLOODY HINT and rethink this whole "Gosh, raiding in MMO's is the BESTEST EVA" bullcrap we've been force fed for a decade now.
This is valid criticism, but I'm not at all sure it will play out this way. Granted, FC wants to siphon as many players away from WoW as it can, and there are bound to be certain similarities between the two. After all, WoW established something of an archetype as far as PvP/PvE hybrid gameplay goes.
Whether AoC becomes what you fear it is, or something really new depends on what happens in the next year. I don't think that it will become a "raid to PvP" scenario, and I'll be disappointed if it does. However, it won't change the fact that AoC's combat mechanics are far, far more player-dependent than those in WoW. Over on the WoW forums, the "class balance" bawling that has been going on since 2004 can never go away, because WoW PvP is essentially a glorified dice game. In AoC, your personal skill comes much more into play.
As someone who did a ton of arena I can tell you in order especially in small 2v2 and 3v3 fights who won was based in order upon gear, class comps, skill. There were certain fights that we had no chance to win because of the class/gear matchup unless the guy on the other side was drooling onto his keyboard.
The guys playing in the world tourney for WoW have more skill than most and because all of their gear is equal it comes down to comps and then skill. Skill still ranks behind comp even at that level of play.
Someone mentioned daily quests as some kind of "good" thing entered into WoW...seriously? Who the hell wants to do the same quest every day? Talk about losing immersion "So let's see this same jack ass got captured again by the Skettis?" Woot for repetition.
I want world PVP ....I couldnt name one guy on a RP-PVP server from the Alliance that I fought...why? No need the BGs took all the PVP there and that was boring as hell most of the time. AV was an honor grind race to the other side that didnt feel epic or pvp'ish. You hacked down mobs and it was worth more honor than the long drawn out Eye of the Storm fights that went for an hour or more.
You guys can keep WoW, I just got finished telling my buddies taht after the first two days of playing Age of Conan I realized that games are meant to be "fun". WoW missed the boat on that. They have poorly disguised time sinks for end-game that are borderline criminal. If I wanted to do that much repetition I'd work on an assembly line in some factory. No thanks I'll take Age of Conan and its zones.
Thirty years of gaming experience...not sure if I should be proud of that
www.mmoexaminer.blogspot.com
Actually WoW is seamless, you do not need to go through a certain exit. Through most zones you can jump over a mountain, open boarders, swim across, falldown waterfall and etc.. to get to. So actually it would be stupid not to call it seamless.
I am going to promise you that it has no direction to go BUT that one. They may do a lot better in the execution OF that ideal...but in the end, given their open and direct statements regarding the matter, it WILL be this way. Basic mathematics and the structure behind gear progression systems demands it. It doesn't even matter if they begin with but a small gap between the gear. Remember, WoW raid gear had but a small gap as well when it was only MC people were running. Ahhh...but that's the trap, you see. Content in gear progression systems is limited to ONLY content which provides more gear.
Thus, any new content which is added MUST provide a remote upgrade to the gear obtained in previous content to be viable. Since the game is going to have a raiding focus at all..that means they WILL be making new raids...which means the new raid gear will be even BETTER than the gear from a previous raid, which we have already agreed upon as being a noticeable advantage in combat. The gap can only widen as they move forward...it can never shrink. WoW could only overcome this circular trap by introducing arena gear, and offering players (ALL players) a way to shorten the gap by doing something else.
So, here we are, come round full circle to playing the SAME game we just left. Because they are using a raid-gear progression...they have only one place to end up. They must add new gear, it must be better, we must do something to earn it. They aren't going to make crafting a salvation from this, I will bet hard money on it. If crafting CAN make items as good as raid gear...then it will require items obtained from the raid dungeon to make it. If it makes PvP gear as good as what you could get from PvP...it will require PvP to obtain the mats. They aren't going to make some easy way out...because THAT would devalue the efforts used to progress elsewhere. No one would dare raid if crafting could make items just as good, after all.
Conan had the opportunity to really reach forward, to really divide themselves from these archaic systems that plague the genre. They had the perfect IP to move away from gear based progression, to leave behind the raiding systems of old. They chose not to, opting instead to run the same beaten path again expecting it to forever win them players. I think its going to backfire...I think the masses hungry for something NOT WoW will rebel against these types of game designs now. Especially when the very IP they are crafted from has no NEED for it. Jesus, I don't recall Conan wielding a +5 awesome broadsword of pwn...nor do I recall him ever losing a fight because his +5 weapon wasn't good enough to get the upper hand against someone with a +10. Its pathetic in my eyes.
PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE stop comparing WOW with AOC.
WOW is a cartoon, while AOC is a 10 oscar awarded movie. Well .. sort of
The WOW devs made a great job making that game feel seamless. But the "no-zoning" an illusion. Ever wonder why there are no mobs between the intersection of the "zones" ?
If people think illusions of seamless zoning is so important then fine, stay with WoW.
Thats not true, between border of elwyn forest and duskwood there is murlocs, wolves, bandits etc..and like I said before the exit/entrance isn't in one spot, you can enter by jumping off mountain, waterfalls, open border, swimming across and intersections. Also in burning crusade you can use flying mounts to fly pretty much over anything in outlands. You have obviously never played WoW or atleast past free trial. I don't even like WoW but I hate it when people make ignorant comments about another game.
I am going to promise you that it has no direction to go BUT that one. They may do a lot better in the execution OF that ideal...but in the end, given their open and direct statements regarding the matter, it WILL be this way. Basic mathematics and the structure behind gear progression systems demands it. It doesn't even matter if they begin with but a small gap between the gear. Remember, WoW raid gear had but a small gap as well when it was only MC people were running. Ahhh...but that's the trap, you see. Content in gear progression systems is limited to ONLY content which provides more gear.
Thus, any new content which is added MUST provide a remote upgrade to the gear obtained in previous content to be viable. Since the game is going to have a raiding focus at all..that means they WILL be making new raids...which means the new raid gear will be even BETTER than the gear from a previous raid, which we have already agreed upon as being a noticeable advantage in combat. The gap can only widen as they move forward...it can never shrink. WoW could only overcome this circular trap by introducing arena gear, and offering players (ALL players) a way to shorten the gap by doing something else.
So, here we are, come round full circle to playing the SAME game we just left. Because they are using a raid-gear progression...they have only one place to end up. They must add new gear, it must be better, we must do something to earn it. They aren't going to make crafting a salvation from this, I will bet hard money on it. If crafting CAN make items as good as raid gear...then it will require items obtained from the raid dungeon to make it. If it makes PvP gear as good as what you could get from PvP...it will require PvP to obtain the mats. They aren't going to make some easy way out...because THAT would devalue the efforts used to progress elsewhere. No one would dare raid if crafting could make items just as good, after all.
Conan had the opportunity to really reach forward, to really divide themselves from these archaic systems that plague the genre. They had the perfect IP to move away from gear based progression, to leave behind the raiding systems of old. They chose not to, opting instead to run the same beaten path again expecting it to forever win them players. I think its going to backfire...I think the masses hungry for something NOT WoW will rebel against these types of game designs now. Especially when the very IP they are crafted from has no NEED for it. Jesus, I don't recall Conan wielding a +5 awesome broadsword of pwn...nor do I recall him ever losing a fight because his +5 weapon wasn't good enough to get the upper hand against someone with a +10. Its pathetic in my eyes.
Watch out, you are nearing a torching from the rabid fanbois, with this type of talk. Personally i couldn't agree more. AOC doesn't offer anything new in terms of indepth gameplay. Same old tired system that has plaqued mmo's for much to long.
Dude, you need to chill. All it seems you like about AOC is it's graphics. There's more to a mmo than stunning visuals, and AOC lacks alot.
I am going to promise you that it has no direction to go BUT that one. They may do a lot better in the execution OF that ideal...but in the end, given their open and direct statements regarding the matter, it WILL be this way. Basic mathematics and the structure behind gear progression systems demands it. It doesn't even matter if they begin with but a small gap between the gear. Remember, WoW raid gear had but a small gap as well when it was only MC people were running. Ahhh...but that's the trap, you see. Content in gear progression systems is limited to ONLY content which provides more gear.
Thus, any new content which is added MUST provide a remote upgrade to the gear obtained in previous content to be viable. Since the game is going to have a raiding focus at all..that means they WILL be making new raids...which means the new raid gear will be even BETTER than the gear from a previous raid, which we have already agreed upon as being a noticeable advantage in combat. The gap can only widen as they move forward...it can never shrink. WoW could only overcome this circular trap by introducing arena gear, and offering players (ALL players) a way to shorten the gap by doing something else.
So, here we are, come round full circle to playing the SAME game we just left. Because they are using a raid-gear progression...they have only one place to end up. They must add new gear, it must be better, we must do something to earn it. They aren't going to make crafting a salvation from this, I will bet hard money on it. If crafting CAN make items as good as raid gear...then it will require items obtained from the raid dungeon to make it. If it makes PvP gear as good as what you could get from PvP...it will require PvP to obtain the mats. They aren't going to make some easy way out...because THAT would devalue the efforts used to progress elsewhere. No one would dare raid if crafting could make items just as good, after all.
Conan had the opportunity to really reach forward, to really divide themselves from these archaic systems that plague the genre. They had the perfect IP to move away from gear based progression, to leave behind the raiding systems of old. They chose not to, opting instead to run the same beaten path again expecting it to forever win them players. I think its going to backfire...I think the masses hungry for something NOT WoW will rebel against these types of game designs now. Especially when the very IP they are crafted from has no NEED for it. Jesus, I don't recall Conan wielding a +5 awesome broadsword of pwn...nor do I recall him ever losing a fight because his +5 weapon wasn't good enough to get the upper hand against someone with a +10. Its pathetic in my eyes.
Watch out, you are nearing a torching from the rabid fanbois, with this type of talk. Personally i couldn't agree more. AOC doesn't offer anything new in terms of indepth gameplay. Same old tired system that has plaqued mmo's for much to long.
Bah, why would I be worried over some zealous fan? Besides...I doubt any of them actually have something in mind to fire back with, they've been too busy dealing with all of these brain dead haters here that only seem to care about zoning. If anything, I expect most of them to agree with my sentiments. They just happen to be giving Funcom the benefit of the doubt about it. I suppose I could have been like that, once. But, I've already expended such benefits on another game...and discovered that basic math makes such hope kinda dumb. You can't fight the numbers, after all.
Heh, my first ever MMO was FFXI.
So it absolutely stuns me to see people upset about zoning.
Zoning was a battle strategy for my breed!
RUN FOR THE ZONE! GOBLIN INCOMING!
Guess I was just raised different
I agree with you, as I play CoX still. Zoning doesn't bother me (though I prefer seamless) and I can ignore it just fine if the GAME is fun. Hating this game for its zoning is likely the dumbest reason I can fathom for NOT playing something. I mean, out of ALL the things you could hate on (I've even given examples above!) you chose THIS??
The fans should actually be REJOICING over this. If this is all the haters have to feed on...the game is doing FINE. I'm the only hater I know of actually slamming design features around here. Its such a cold and lonely corner.
You are in for one hell of a surprise, friend. A great surprise indeed....
If its disguised time-sinks you hate, expect AoC to be the same treadmill WoW was at endgame. They've already declared it so.
Didn't WoW solved the issue between PvE raid and PvP arena gear progression some 6 months ago? When I left the game back then, raid gear were useless for anything but entry level arena competition. PvP gear (besides weapons) weren't hot at all as far as raiding was concerned.
So WoW seemed to have solved the issue you're worried about some months ago. If nothing else they proved that they can create a different itemisation path for these two activities.
If one developer can do it and in the process show that it can be done, I don't see why another can't succeed as well. Remains to be seen of course, but I'm hopeful that the developers of the new MMOs are at least taking notice of the successes and failures of their predecessors.
Ever noticed how WoW pulls off the seemless world? The game is comprised of chunks and uses a simple and clean graphics. You can't travel between zones from just anywhere, you can only do it from specific entrance and exit points. It's seemless to a degree, but not completely. Impassable walls around every zone does not a seemless world make.
FINALLY someone gets it right...Thank you for truth
What difference does it make if it gives the feeling of an open world? I like what I see from AoC so far but WoW does things much better. The endless loading zones is just killing me in AoC.
Uh, it takes me roughly 7 seconds to load each zone. If that's a problem for you, then feel free to cancel your subscription.Jesus people are impatient and demanding.