Good post, MindTrigger. All of the points you made are valid, and even accurate. Though on one point I disagree: most MMOs HAVE had glaring bugs at launch, not just AoC.
It was merely your "incomplete" statement I was taking issue with, simply because there are so many thoughtless critics out there that don't really think out their reasoning. If you looked at the last line of my post, the "adjustment" to your comment, you would have seen that that comment is in agreement with your analysis.
I agree that the game could have used some more polish time, while acknowledging the need to get the major issues (namely, core content that was advertised) completed before they launched. That said, I think AoC is a great game, and am thoroughly enjoying my experience. Though, part of this is probably because I have neither started the crafting nor the sieging.
I do completely agree with you that the crafting system sucks and is in desperate need of some attention, however.
I would like to suggest that all the whiners do EXACTLY what they say and leave the game. All of you who are threatening to leave...please do so. The rest of us are having a really good time and I'm all for not having to listen to you any more. Thanks for playing.
Every time the shine begins to come off the latest/greatest release we see the "just leave you whiners" phase. And then you know what the next phase is? The whiners "just leave"...followed by a week or two more of new grumbling-this time by the next wave of folks that are reaching the unfinished content. These new whiners start to whine-and are asked to leave...they to leave. The forums then shift toward "my server is empty" "cant get a group" "when is the server consolidation coming"....followed by more cries for the whiners to leave.
Sometime, a few months out, the general consensus begins to form that the game was in fact a disappointment. People coalesce around this fundamental truth-a select few dig in and stick with the game-the game either lives or dies based on the companies ability to support a diminished population. We the game community all migrate to the latest greatest, campaign for our beta keys, watch video's and screen caps...and the circle of mmo life continues...
PVE NPC cities and attacks either arent in ------------
About me: I am casual player, so I didnt reach high lvl content yet. I love the game, the lore, the system, all of it. So my only problem on higher lvls can be content (including sieges and everything mentioned above). And if you ask me if you should by this game, still answer is YES because I still beleive in Funcom (at least for now).
damit where is the multi quote button on these forums.
Unless I have a terrible memory, those where canceled completely. I dont think all guilds liked be constantly attacked by random npcs whilst trying to thier there shopping/crafting/sociallising/roleplaying/cyb0ring etc.
In LOTRO beta we were balancing classes far before release. (and yet, in the first year, most of the classes had to be rebalanced, and that's w/o any real considerations for PVP) We were polishing up the completed crafting sytem. (which has undergone revisions and uprgrades since launch) Even finalizing the initial higher level areas months before it went live. (and they released a brand new area that wasn't finished within 6 weeks of launch, and have continued to do so since)
Don't get me wrong, I thought LotRO had a good beta/launch, but just pointing out it was far from "finished"
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
All good things headed for AOC and thats a good thing. This is my first time dealing ith Funcom and I think they are doing a pretty good job of cleaning up alot of stuff. I think they tried to be too ambitious with the game, trying to perfect everything. They clearly have good intentions of improving and making the game even better despite some issues at the moment.
AoC is anything but ambitous. The original design of Star Wars Galaxies, now that was ambitious and one of the reasons they never could balance the game or keep up with it's problems. If anything AoC suffers from a lack of vision. Too much time and effort was wasted on making it a pretty game, instead of a fun game with tons of content.
They simply released the game in an unfinished state, and now they are paying the price. I understand some people like this game, but it's hardly an MMO the way it was designed. It plays like a single player game with online elements, including the fact that you can level to 80 very quickly without ever having to group.
That all depends on what level you are when you decide to do the group quests (yes, they are there). I for one was heavily challenged by the group quests and needed a couple people to come along with me.
I am also tired of the "unfinished" comments. By nature, ALL MMO's are unfinished, constantly being changed, tweaked and updated. I've beta tested LOTRO, Warcraft, and MxO, and all of these were buggier than this MMO was at launch (though I think LOTRO, possibly, was slightly smoother).
The "unfinished" argument really doesn't hold water for this reason. A better way to phrase it, perhaps, would be "incomplete content promised upon launch" which, in its own right, is a worthy complaint.
Jon
When I say AoC was unfinished, I am not talking about normal launch bugs, and 'normal' missing content. (which, by the way, is only normal because people continue to pay these game companies to release unfinished games.) I am talking about glaring bugs that could only have been completely overlooked in order to get this game launched on time, and never should have made it past the beta stage. I'm talking about barely implemented key features such as the chat and emote systems, quest log, grouping features, etc. I'm talking about the feats system not working, and the stats on armor not working and/or making little or no impact on a player's stats. Hell, there are stats on items that no one even know what they do because funcom won't release the information.
When I am talking about missing content, I am referring to giant gaps in quests for certain levels. This game was purposely designed so that players could reach the cap (solo) in only 250 hours. Some people have done it in 200. You can't design a game like that, and then use the excuse that you didn't expect players to level fast, so you didn't have the middle and endgame content completed. Also, let's not forget that player cities are bugged to death, and siege warfare is MIA.
What about crafting? Crafting is usually a great side project for people to do while they level. It effectively slows down leveling for many people, because crafting is supposed to be a fun activity that can get you away from grinding and combat. The whole system seems like it was thrown in the game 3 months ago. Static spawning resource nodes that people can mark on their map? In Stygia I played for several days and only came across one node that had one item in it. Crafting itself is not working, including the game breaking gemcrafting system. How did any of this make it past beta?
I'll tell you how. The issues were completely ignored. There are countless beta testers out there who tried to get Funcom to hold the game because it was no where near ready for launch. In my opinion, someone in management at Funcom must have decided it was time to push the game out, so they did. They put all their time into making Tortage nearly flawless, pushed mounts and crafting to level 40 so few people would notice that none of it worked right, and rushed the game out,. Ask yourself how, after FIVE (5) years of development, this game finds itself in such an imcomplete state? You would think it would be the most polished MMO ever released considering how long it's been in dev. This tells me that the team is either too small, or too unorganized to handle this project correctly.
The things I stated above are aside from 'normal' launch problems and missing content. These are key aspects of the game that should have been in the game and completely functioning. Did Funcom do no research of other MMOs to figure out what players consider normal MMO features these days? Any half wit gamer knows that MMO launches can be a rocky ride, but there is a huge difference between launch bugs, and launching a game that is missing a large portion of working standard MMO game features.
Well I can see that you know what you r talking about and thats allot more than I can say for others who made replies in these forums. GJ
"We will have an overhaul of the PvP system – adding consequence and a host of small things."
Yes!!!!!! One of my biggest and only true major concern. Not to say I love everything about AoC(Instances ) but this was something I have been hopeful for since my first night playing.
I have just gotten out of Tortage and have been playing since the 23rd. So far I am having a blast, seeing all there is to see, and have run into no true bugs. At my pace(2-3 hours most days, 6+ hours 2 or 3 days) I should be able to enjoy the same quality every 10 levels. I knew better than to shoot through the levels at unenjoyable speeds.... but of course I have played MMORPGs before.
Funcom is good at sweet talking. Thats all about it. Age of conan is build up to be a pvp game and only now funcom realized the current system is flawed and need an overhaul? I'm not going to wait like a naive kid.
People praising this game are normally all still under level40. Wait till they see the real thing.
Funcom is good at sweet talking. Thats all about it. Age of conan is build up to be a pvp game and only now funcom realized the current system is flawed and need an overhaul? I'm not going to wait like a naive kid. People praising this game are normally all still under level40. Wait till they see the real thing.
An issue that is most important to keep in mind while browsing forums is that each user is convinced that his/her opinion is the only correct opinion. For instance, I am a supporter of what Funcom is doing (though I am not without my criticisms), and Cetra obviously has considerably more issues than I.
I am also in a different position than you, Cetra. As a casual player, I haven't hit 40 yet. My main is 33, and during that time I have taken the opportunity to level another character who is currently at 17. I understand how you must feel, getting to the mid-high level content and not having anything to do. That said, one must keep in mind that virtually all MMOs lack high-level content at this stage in the game. LOTRO didn't implement its content until they were within the 1-2 month mark. MxO had more than enough problems that eventually lead to the sale of the MMO franchise to Sony; Tabula Rasa is just devoid of any depth (in my opinion).
Point being, everyone is going to have different opinions on issues, and none of us are likely to change our own, no matter how well-thought-out a post may be. I am convinced that my opinion is the correct one; others that are heavy Funcom critics believe their opinions to be just as correct. It's a hard thing to come to terms with, but this is the reality: If you believe Funcom is going to turn things around, then you will be patient with them as they work things out. If you believe that they dropped the ball on this one, then you will bash them for an under-developed product and, in some cases, label them as a company that is without hope, at least in this go-around.
Personally, I have become very discouraged with all the negativity surrounding this game. It seems like the nay-sayers far outweigh those that are optimistic about the game's future, and it is hard for me not to get discouraged with AoC after reading these kinds of posts. It sure would be nice if people would state their opinion, while at the same time valuing the fact that there are other players that are enjoying it, and not bashing them for their support of the product.
We will have an overhaul of the PvP system – adding consequence and a host of small things. We are fixing bugs you reported through all channels we can get information from. We will add a new large outdoor region in the 55-60 range this summer! This is only a small taster! More information about the exciting summer and fall Roadmap will come the end of the next week! We are staffing up Customer Service, Quality Assurance and Community departments!
Wait wait...wait...I know this. What are....the 5 things we should have had done before release!
I won't pay to Beta test. Theres a HUGE difference between playing a new game and playing one that just plain isn't close to done. Sorry Funcom. I may see you guys in 6 months or so to see how things have come along. Good luck.
/cancel
Joined 2004 - I can't believe I've been a MMORPG.com member for 20 years! Get off my lawn!
Originally posted by Cetra Funcom is good at sweet talking. Thats all about it. Age of conan is build up to be a pvp game and only now funcom realized the current system is flawed and need an overhaul? I'm not going to wait like a naive kid. People praising this game are normally all still under level40. Wait till they see the real thing.
I am level 50, and the game is great so far. What I find strange is a lot of you seem to be mocking the fact that they are changing up PvP when you yourself also state that the current PvP isn't that great.
Yup, its horrible for a company to change something because it isn't good! I mean WHAT WERE THEY THINKING!?
Seriously though I've had more fun in Age of Conan that I have ever had in WoW and really any other MMORPG I've played to date.
Also, instanced zones. Sorry but when I'm out and about I don't want to see 200 people in the same damned zone trying to kill the same damn mobs. Maybe some of you enjoy that competition (look at WoW's launch and even the launch of the new sunwell isle) but I enjoy the game to actually feel a bit real. How "realistic" and immersive is it if you have 300 of the same "heroes" all trying to kill little boars?
The zones are still incredibly populated anyways, and there is PvP and players to be found everywhere.
By the way, I feel like most of the players complaining about the game haven't even done any of the content yet. They do 1-20 or so and then start complaining on how they don't look as cool as their character in WoW who has been raiding for 3 years, or how the game isn't as polished as games who have been out for years and years. If you're going to compare the game than compare it to other games at launch.
And hell, at least unlike the WoW launch I can actually play the game without the server being down for 8 hours.
Funcom has been incredibly responsive on the problems so far and are working to fix them. When is that suddenly a "bad" thing? In all my time as a conq as well (again, lvl 50) I haven't come across any game breaking bugs or really even very serious ones. In fact my main issues with the game was:
- Guild cities not really doing anything atm. My guild has about 7 buildings so far that don't do anything.
- Confusing stats, not sure what some of them do.
- Zones are a bit thin around lvl 50. However I'm used to grinding from Lineage II and, honestly, the grinding in this game isn't bad. Combat is actually fun unlike in WoW so -- yeah. Plus, group grinding is seriously effective.
Otherwise the PvP additions are all just gravy for me. I was fine with just being able to kill whoever wherever but this just means that the game is going to be that much better .
Age of Conan is already a great MMO, and as these changes come along it'll become even better. Meanwhile games like World of Warcraft constantly are on the downfall, due to them trying to add in horrible PvP mechanics (arena sucks) and trivializing any sort of PvE encounters in the game. While they'll still have a majority of the "Casual" players Age of Conan should hopefully pick up more of the big gamers who want something new.
Some of you just don't get it. Well you will soon, this game is so void of things to do after 50 it is pathetic.
What is really sad is that alot of us are already in the 50's after a couple weeks after release. That is really going to accentuate the lack of stuff to do at endgame very soon.
Talk about an unchallenging game, can you spell boring...
Any MMO that let's you level so fast has huge issues and this game has them in triplecate.
Sorry so many of you are so blind. You will eventually get the idea that this game needs a minimum of 6 months to a year to mature enough to have decent content.
Case is closed on AoC and there will be alot of people canceling before the first month is out, that certainly does not indicate a good game.
I am very disappointed in Funcom, they just don't understand what a good MMO should be.
Well I'm having heaps of fun playing various characters - I like how the night missions in Tort change depending on your character type, thats a nice addition.
I played thru EQ2 opening and I had a lot of fun in that too , depsite the bugs..
for me its not about having a complete game, something that has 50+ content, heck even 40+ content can wait - for me its having fun and AOC has that in bucket loads -
Everyone plays these games for different reasons, but in the end of the day its a game to me and every game ive played thats been online has involved some major and lots of minor changes and implementations..
some people cope with change and growth others gnash and wail, shrug if you dont enjoy new released games...dont play them..
there are costs and benifits for doing so - and seriously by now all you people should know that new games have all the same new game issues that EVERY game released in the last few years has...
so either enjoy the rough edges or keep out till its at a more mature game, but whining because a new game doesnt have the depth or stability of a 3yo + game is daft.
Played or Playing: Anarchy Online, Guild Wars, Age of Conan, Everquest II, City of Heroes, City of Villains, ArchLord, Dungeon Runners, Silkroad Online and loads of not worth mentioning F2P mmos ]
Some of you just don't get it. Well you will soon, this game is so void of things to do after 50 it is pathetic. What is really sad is that alot of us are already in the 50's after a couple weeks after release. That is really going to accentuate the lack of stuff to do at endgame very soon. Talk about an unchallenging game, can you spell boring... Any MMO that let's you level so fast has huge issues and this game has them in triplecate. Sorry so many of you are so blind. You will eventually get the idea that this game needs a minimum of 6 months to a year to mature enough to have decent content. Case is closed on AoC and there will be alot of people canceling before the first month is out, that certainly does not indicate a good game. I am very disappointed in Funcom, they just don't understand what a good MMO should be. Blizzard is laughing itself silly at Funcom.
there is content in the 50+ region, i.e. in the eglyphian mountains
i never ever got bored in aoc and i play 30h/week
maybe people that want 100+h/week content for 30euros should either buy an expensive version of tetris or wait 2 years into the game.
from what ive seen so far exeeds the content of a lot of "standard video games"
if your bored, visit my blog at: http://craylon.wordpress.com/ dealing with the look of mmos with the nvidia 3d vision glasses
Funcom is good at sweet talking. Thats all about it. Age of conan is build up to be a pvp game and only now funcom realized the current system is flawed and need an overhaul? I'm not going to wait like a naive kid. People praising this game are normally all still under level40. Wait till they see the real thing.
They've been pretty good at delivering thus far. Sure, I'm entirely disgusted with what they're trying to call a crafting system, based on the concept glimpses we saw back near the start of development, and with how half-assed their guild city status still is but that's about it.
As for under 40? I have 3 chars over 40, one of which is over 50, and I'm finding no lack of content. Not as much content as under 40, sure, but when I'm still having extreme trouble with there being more quests than I can fit in my questlog? Argh! Heh. Anyways... for every one of you people that bitch and whine about lack of content, on these forums, I've spoken to a player that says they're having a whale of a time, more than just a few of which are all the way to mid 70s. That doesn't scream "lack of content"; it screams "you're too single-minded about wanting to bitch about something and just can't be bothered looking around for more stuff to do". :P
Originally posted by jedibeck16 Personally, I have become very discouraged with all the negativity surrounding this game. It seems like the nay-sayers far outweigh those that are optimistic about the game's future, and it is hard for me not to get discouraged with AoC after reading these kinds of posts. It sure would be nice if people would state their opinion, while at the same time valuing the fact that there are other players that are enjoying it, and not bashing them for their support of the product.
Every game, without fail, has had people spewing out negativity in spade-loads, when they find things don't match their perfect little vision 110%. I'd guess that more than half of it's just disgruntled (and annoying) little pessimists that want to find something to complain about, so they can look like they know what they're talking about alongside all the other whiners. No biggie, though... World of Warhammer will be out, soon enough. :P
The nay-sayers always look like they outnumber the optimists, though. Keep in mind that all the optimists you're looking for probably aren't reading or posting on the forums; they're actually playing the game!
That said, the game's definitely not without its "issues" - what game isn't, even 5 years after launch, assuming they haven't actually died by then? - but overall, I've found AoC to be the smoothest launch I've ever been involved in (and I've been around since pre-OSI/UO days). Even with the bugs, I'm still having heaps of fun! That, in my opinion, is what counts: it's fun! When it stops being fun then the solution is glaringly simple: I'll stop playing it. Right now, the game is, in fact, extremely playable and, so long as you avoid the couple of game-breakers, you'll be fine (those being gemmed items causing client crashes [already fixed on PTR] and, for us crafting nuts, having a full quest log when trying to learn a craft bugs out the craft [personally never had a problem with it]).
True, they do need beaten to death, several times, with what they're trying to call a crafting system but my biggest gripe, by far, is that my system is a heap of steaming monkey poo that needs upgraded... and that's not Funcom's fault, at all! Argh!
Of course, the day I find a fun PvE/PvP game with a crafting system akin to SWG's is the day I uninstall all my other games and play that one. Still not found another game that I found as much fun as SWG pre-CU and that makes me sad. Ho hum.
I find it amusing how people are talking of cancelling after just 2 weeks of playing, about being burned by this MMO and how they're going to get out before any more damage is done. Oh noes!
EVERYONE knows that the first month of an MMO release is its messiest time. Almost ALL MMOs are released too early, because companies know they can give you 90% of a game and it will keep most people happy. Funcom even hinted the start would be rocky - 'open' beta only to level 13, NDA beyond that.
When you look past the launch problems and content-sparse areas (which are being addressed within the month) AoC is a GREAT game that is unlike any other MMO out there.
It shows funcom listen to their community. Big thumbs up from me. Im having a great time playing, just have to ignore the doomsayers on the mmorpg.com forum.
Some of you just don't get it. (actually, I think we do) Well you will soon, this game is so void of things to do after 50 it is pathetic. (can't speak to that since I'm not there yet, but you might be right)
What is really sad is that alot of us are already in the 50's after a couple weeks after release. (well, that is sort of sad, but not because its Funcom's fault, maybe you need to look in a mirror to see who's fault that is) That is really going to accentuate the lack of stuff to do at endgame very soon.
Talk about an unchallenging game, can you spell boring... (What game is 'challenging' to you, I've yet to ever find one. Its the PVP aspect of any game that adds some challenge, but the PVE never is)
Any MMO that let's you level so fast has huge issues and this game has them in triplecate. (again, leveling so fast? I'm level 23/13/11 respectively, and played since launch. But not exactly living in this world)
Sorry so many of you are so blind. You will eventually get the idea that this game needs a minimum of 6 months to a year to mature enough to have decent content. (seems decent so far, in the meantime I guess I'll take out my frustration killing others.)
Case is closed on AoC and there will be alot of people canceling before the first month is out, that certainly does not indicate a good game. ( you'll not prove this statistic, FC won't ever release the it so you'll never really know. People announce they quit/cancelled WOW all the time, yet subs continue to grow upwards)
I am very disappointed in Funcom, they just don't understand what a good MMO should be. (I think they do, might not have fully executed their vision yet, but I think they have a clear idea where they want the game to go, even if it doesn't agree with your definition)
Blizzard is laughing itself silly at Funcom. - (if Blizzard is doing anything its watching to see what elements of AOC players seem to find most fun/in demand and figuring out if they should incorporate those elements into their game.)
AOC isn't the game for you, ok, makes sense, best you go play one of the other new games that was recently released.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Anyone level 70+ that is complaining about being bored needs to brush the potato chip crumbs off their chest and go empty the crap bucket from beneath their chair.
If any player thinks they can get to level 80 solo, then they didn't do things like Sanctum of Burning Souls at the quest given levels, because, if they did, they didn't make it beyond the spiders, guaranteed, and there are many such group oriented instances.
If a player *didn't* do these instances, they are missing out on some pretty dang nice/cool places to adventure and cheating themselves of content that occurs *before* endgame.
Sitting at 45, and having a blast playing AoC. (I have played, WoW, LotR, CoH/CoV, Lineage 2, ShadowBane, SWG, DaoC, EQ2, AC2, AO, Eve Online, Guild Wars and many more I am forgetting right now.)
Best looking game I have played MMO wise, and better than alot of non MMO's. (Eve and LotR come close)
Best 1-20 gaming expierence in any MMO. (Nothing compares, very well done)
Best Melee Combat in a game. (nothing like directional swings, combos, fatalities)
Best Music in a game. (I am really enjoying the sound track while I play.)
Questing - On par with WoW, LotR, EQ2
PVP - better than WoW, but Guild Wars, and Eve are probably better at this point.
Guild functions - Several buggy features, but you can build a city, which very few games let you do that.
Crafting - Not so good, feels added on late, similiar to WoW and PvP at launch, something they didnt plan much.
Instancing - there is one annoying spot in Tortage sewers, where it seems like every door you walk through triggers another instance, most people that complain about this most likely have run into it. It is the only place I have been in that is like that, and the rest of entire world, you hardley notice it, so i am ok with it at this point.
Spell casting - pretty much what all other games have, nothing really new.
Classes - very fun and exciting to play, nice variety.
Feats - I have grown to enjoy testing results and builds, with out all of the info right in front of me, and having to read about the only build anyone is useing for thier class. It's exciting to be in a game that hasn't been dissected by the mathameticians.
Mounts - best in any game I have played
The Grind - Are you kidding me? stop complaining, this game is very easy to level in even if there were no quests at 50-60, which there are plenty if you know where to look. And be social, do some grouping.
All in all, this is a great game and has set a high bar for all existing, and upcomming MMO's.
Rage - Head Honcho of the Revilers "Ragemore and Whine Less"
The fact that the Director HIMSELF talks to the players... ... and acknowledges (big) shortcomings: is proof of damage control. They must have had BIG numbers of cancellations to justify this. Detail: he doesn't speak a word on instances and lack of Siege battles. But helas the same mistakes: Promisses of "new" without even fulfilling the old .
While this might very well be the case, some would undoubtedly call it welcome communication on the part of the devs to the community. MxO also does this, and if I'm not mistaken, SWG did this too. It's not a new concept. Not a lot of games do that, though; therefore, for those that do, IMO it makes them look really good.
The fact that he acknowledges shortcomings to the community? How can that be a bad thing? I'm pretty sure that the gaming population is growing, not declining. The people that have left are those who complain 24/7 and, in reality, would be dissatisfied with the product no matter what happens. Also IMO, the AoC community is better without the negativity.
Comments
Good post, MindTrigger. All of the points you made are valid, and even accurate. Though on one point I disagree: most MMOs HAVE had glaring bugs at launch, not just AoC.
It was merely your "incomplete" statement I was taking issue with, simply because there are so many thoughtless critics out there that don't really think out their reasoning. If you looked at the last line of my post, the "adjustment" to your comment, you would have seen that that comment is in agreement with your analysis.
I agree that the game could have used some more polish time, while acknowledging the need to get the major issues (namely, core content that was advertised) completed before they launched. That said, I think AoC is a great game, and am thoroughly enjoying my experience. Though, part of this is probably because I have neither started the crafting nor the sieging.
I do completely agree with you that the crafting system sucks and is in desperate need of some attention, however.
Jon
Wooohooo. about time. pvp levels!
My blog:
no but he sounds like an AWESOME guy.
My blog:
Sometime, a few months out, the general consensus begins to form that the game was in fact a disappointment. People coalesce around this fundamental truth-a select few dig in and stick with the game-the game either lives or dies based on the companies ability to support a diminished population. We the game community all migrate to the latest greatest, campaign for our beta keys, watch video's and screen caps...and the circle of mmo life continues...
Unless I have a terrible memory, those where canceled completely. I dont think all guilds liked be constantly attacked by random npcs whilst trying to thier there shopping/crafting/sociallising/roleplaying/cyb0ring etc.
My blog:
_____________________________
Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur.
Don't get me wrong, I thought LotRO had a good beta/launch, but just pointing out it was far from "finished"
Change is inevitable in MMO's.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
They simply released the game in an unfinished state, and now they are paying the price. I understand some people like this game, but it's hardly an MMO the way it was designed. It plays like a single player game with online elements, including the fact that you can level to 80 very quickly without ever having to group.
That all depends on what level you are when you decide to do the group quests (yes, they are there). I for one was heavily challenged by the group quests and needed a couple people to come along with me.I am also tired of the "unfinished" comments. By nature, ALL MMO's are unfinished, constantly being changed, tweaked and updated. I've beta tested LOTRO, Warcraft, and MxO, and all of these were buggier than this MMO was at launch (though I think LOTRO, possibly, was slightly smoother).
The "unfinished" argument really doesn't hold water for this reason. A better way to phrase it, perhaps, would be "incomplete content promised upon launch" which, in its own right, is a worthy complaint.
Jon
When I say AoC was unfinished, I am not talking about normal launch bugs, and 'normal' missing content. (which, by the way, is only normal because people continue to pay these game companies to release unfinished games.) I am talking about glaring bugs that could only have been completely overlooked in order to get this game launched on time, and never should have made it past the beta stage. I'm talking about barely implemented key features such as the chat and emote systems, quest log, grouping features, etc. I'm talking about the feats system not working, and the stats on armor not working and/or making little or no impact on a player's stats. Hell, there are stats on items that no one even know what they do because funcom won't release the information.
When I am talking about missing content, I am referring to giant gaps in quests for certain levels. This game was purposely designed so that players could reach the cap (solo) in only 250 hours. Some people have done it in 200. You can't design a game like that, and then use the excuse that you didn't expect players to level fast, so you didn't have the middle and endgame content completed. Also, let's not forget that player cities are bugged to death, and siege warfare is MIA.
What about crafting? Crafting is usually a great side project for people to do while they level. It effectively slows down leveling for many people, because crafting is supposed to be a fun activity that can get you away from grinding and combat. The whole system seems like it was thrown in the game 3 months ago. Static spawning resource nodes that people can mark on their map? In Stygia I played for several days and only came across one node that had one item in it. Crafting itself is not working, including the game breaking gemcrafting system. How did any of this make it past beta?
I'll tell you how. The issues were completely ignored. There are countless beta testers out there who tried to get Funcom to hold the game because it was no where near ready for launch. In my opinion, someone in management at Funcom must have decided it was time to push the game out, so they did. They put all their time into making Tortage nearly flawless, pushed mounts and crafting to level 40 so few people would notice that none of it worked right, and rushed the game out,. Ask yourself how, after FIVE (5) years of development, this game finds itself in such an imcomplete state? You would think it would be the most polished MMO ever released considering how long it's been in dev. This tells me that the team is either too small, or too unorganized to handle this project correctly.
The things I stated above are aside from 'normal' launch problems and missing content. These are key aspects of the game that should have been in the game and completely functioning. Did Funcom do no research of other MMOs to figure out what players consider normal MMO features these days? Any half wit gamer knows that MMO launches can be a rocky ride, but there is a huge difference between launch bugs, and launching a game that is missing a large portion of working standard MMO game features.
Well I can see that you know what you r talking about and thats allot more than I can say for others who made replies in these forums. GJ
Still no word on stats being more than text on the screen?
"We will have an overhaul of the PvP system – adding consequence and a host of small things."
Yes!!!!!! One of my biggest and only true major concern. Not to say I love everything about AoC(Instances ) but this was something I have been hopeful for since my first night playing.
I have just gotten out of Tortage and have been playing since the 23rd. So far I am having a blast, seeing all there is to see, and have run into no true bugs. At my pace(2-3 hours most days, 6+ hours 2 or 3 days) I should be able to enjoy the same quality every 10 levels. I knew better than to shoot through the levels at unenjoyable speeds.... but of course I have played MMORPGs before.
Funcom is good at sweet talking. Thats all about it. Age of conan is build up to be a pvp game and only now funcom realized the current system is flawed and need an overhaul? I'm not going to wait like a naive kid.
People praising this game are normally all still under level40. Wait till they see the real thing.
An issue that is most important to keep in mind while browsing forums is that each user is convinced that his/her opinion is the only correct opinion. For instance, I am a supporter of what Funcom is doing (though I am not without my criticisms), and Cetra obviously has considerably more issues than I.
I am also in a different position than you, Cetra. As a casual player, I haven't hit 40 yet. My main is 33, and during that time I have taken the opportunity to level another character who is currently at 17. I understand how you must feel, getting to the mid-high level content and not having anything to do. That said, one must keep in mind that virtually all MMOs lack high-level content at this stage in the game. LOTRO didn't implement its content until they were within the 1-2 month mark. MxO had more than enough problems that eventually lead to the sale of the MMO franchise to Sony; Tabula Rasa is just devoid of any depth (in my opinion).
Point being, everyone is going to have different opinions on issues, and none of us are likely to change our own, no matter how well-thought-out a post may be. I am convinced that my opinion is the correct one; others that are heavy Funcom critics believe their opinions to be just as correct. It's a hard thing to come to terms with, but this is the reality: If you believe Funcom is going to turn things around, then you will be patient with them as they work things out. If you believe that they dropped the ball on this one, then you will bash them for an under-developed product and, in some cases, label them as a company that is without hope, at least in this go-around.
Personally, I have become very discouraged with all the negativity surrounding this game. It seems like the nay-sayers far outweigh those that are optimistic about the game's future, and it is hard for me not to get discouraged with AoC after reading these kinds of posts. It sure would be nice if people would state their opinion, while at the same time valuing the fact that there are other players that are enjoying it, and not bashing them for their support of the product.
Just my opinion.
Wait wait...wait...I know this. What are....the 5 things we should have had done before release!
I won't pay to Beta test. Theres a HUGE difference between playing a new game and playing one that just plain isn't close to done. Sorry Funcom. I may see you guys in 6 months or so to see how things have come along. Good luck.
/cancel
Joined 2004 - I can't believe I've been a MMORPG.com member for 20 years! Get off my lawn!
I am level 50, and the game is great so far. What I find strange is a lot of you seem to be mocking the fact that they are changing up PvP when you yourself also state that the current PvP isn't that great.
Yup, its horrible for a company to change something because it isn't good! I mean WHAT WERE THEY THINKING!?
Seriously though I've had more fun in Age of Conan that I have ever had in WoW and really any other MMORPG I've played to date.
Also, instanced zones. Sorry but when I'm out and about I don't want to see 200 people in the same damned zone trying to kill the same damn mobs. Maybe some of you enjoy that competition (look at WoW's launch and even the launch of the new sunwell isle) but I enjoy the game to actually feel a bit real. How "realistic" and immersive is it if you have 300 of the same "heroes" all trying to kill little boars?
The zones are still incredibly populated anyways, and there is PvP and players to be found everywhere.
By the way, I feel like most of the players complaining about the game haven't even done any of the content yet. They do 1-20 or so and then start complaining on how they don't look as cool as their character in WoW who has been raiding for 3 years, or how the game isn't as polished as games who have been out for years and years. If you're going to compare the game than compare it to other games at launch.
And hell, at least unlike the WoW launch I can actually play the game without the server being down for 8 hours.
Funcom has been incredibly responsive on the problems so far and are working to fix them. When is that suddenly a "bad" thing? In all my time as a conq as well (again, lvl 50) I haven't come across any game breaking bugs or really even very serious ones. In fact my main issues with the game was:
- Guild cities not really doing anything atm. My guild has about 7 buildings so far that don't do anything.
- Confusing stats, not sure what some of them do.
- Zones are a bit thin around lvl 50. However I'm used to grinding from Lineage II and, honestly, the grinding in this game isn't bad. Combat is actually fun unlike in WoW so -- yeah. Plus, group grinding is seriously effective.
Otherwise the PvP additions are all just gravy for me. I was fine with just being able to kill whoever wherever but this just means that the game is going to be that much better .
Age of Conan is already a great MMO, and as these changes come along it'll become even better. Meanwhile games like World of Warcraft constantly are on the downfall, due to them trying to add in horrible PvP mechanics (arena sucks) and trivializing any sort of PvE encounters in the game. While they'll still have a majority of the "Casual" players Age of Conan should hopefully pick up more of the big gamers who want something new.
Some of you just don't get it. Well you will soon, this game is so void of things to do after 50 it is pathetic.
What is really sad is that alot of us are already in the 50's after a couple weeks after release. That is really going to accentuate the lack of stuff to do at endgame very soon.
Talk about an unchallenging game, can you spell boring...
Any MMO that let's you level so fast has huge issues and this game has them in triplecate.
Sorry so many of you are so blind. You will eventually get the idea that this game needs a minimum of 6 months to a year to mature enough to have decent content.
Case is closed on AoC and there will be alot of people canceling before the first month is out, that certainly does not indicate a good game.
I am very disappointed in Funcom, they just don't understand what a good MMO should be.
Blizzard is laughing itself silly at Funcom.
Well I'm having heaps of fun playing various characters - I like how the night missions in Tort change depending on your character type, thats a nice addition.
I played thru EQ2 opening and I had a lot of fun in that too , depsite the bugs..
for me its not about having a complete game, something that has 50+ content, heck even 40+ content can wait - for me its having fun and AOC has that in bucket loads -
Everyone plays these games for different reasons, but in the end of the day its a game to me and every game ive played thats been online has involved some major and lots of minor changes and implementations..
some people cope with change and growth others gnash and wail, shrug if you dont enjoy new released games...dont play them..
there are costs and benifits for doing so - and seriously by now all you people should know that new games have all the same new game issues that EVERY game released in the last few years has...
so either enjoy the rough edges or keep out till its at a more mature game, but whining because a new game doesnt have the depth or stability of a 3yo + game is daft.
Nice, it's gonna be a fun summer. I love AoC!
Played or Playing: Anarchy Online, Guild Wars, Age of Conan, Everquest II, City of Heroes, City of Villains, ArchLord, Dungeon Runners, Silkroad Online and loads of not worth mentioning F2P mmos ]
i never ever got bored in aoc and i play 30h/week
maybe people that want 100+h/week content for 30euros should either buy an expensive version of tetris or wait 2 years into the game.
from what ive seen so far exeeds the content of a lot of "standard video games"
if your bored, visit my blog at:
http://craylon.wordpress.com/ dealing with the look of mmos with the nvidia 3d vision glasses
They've been pretty good at delivering thus far. Sure, I'm entirely disgusted with what they're trying to call a crafting system, based on the concept glimpses we saw back near the start of development, and with how half-assed their guild city status still is but that's about it.
As for under 40? I have 3 chars over 40, one of which is over 50, and I'm finding no lack of content. Not as much content as under 40, sure, but when I'm still having extreme trouble with there being more quests than I can fit in my questlog? Argh! Heh. Anyways... for every one of you people that bitch and whine about lack of content, on these forums, I've spoken to a player that says they're having a whale of a time, more than just a few of which are all the way to mid 70s. That doesn't scream "lack of content"; it screams "you're too single-minded about wanting to bitch about something and just can't be bothered looking around for more stuff to do". :P
Every game, without fail, has had people spewing out negativity in spade-loads, when they find things don't match their perfect little vision 110%. I'd guess that more than half of it's just disgruntled (and annoying) little pessimists that want to find something to complain about, so they can look like they know what they're talking about alongside all the other whiners. No biggie, though... World of Warhammer will be out, soon enough. :P
The nay-sayers always look like they outnumber the optimists, though. Keep in mind that all the optimists you're looking for probably aren't reading or posting on the forums; they're actually playing the game!
That said, the game's definitely not without its "issues" - what game isn't, even 5 years after launch, assuming they haven't actually died by then? - but overall, I've found AoC to be the smoothest launch I've ever been involved in (and I've been around since pre-OSI/UO days). Even with the bugs, I'm still having heaps of fun! That, in my opinion, is what counts: it's fun! When it stops being fun then the solution is glaringly simple: I'll stop playing it. Right now, the game is, in fact, extremely playable and, so long as you avoid the couple of game-breakers, you'll be fine (those being gemmed items causing client crashes [already fixed on PTR] and, for us crafting nuts, having a full quest log when trying to learn a craft bugs out the craft [personally never had a problem with it]).
True, they do need beaten to death, several times, with what they're trying to call a crafting system but my biggest gripe, by far, is that my system is a heap of steaming monkey poo that needs upgraded... and that's not Funcom's fault, at all! Argh!
Of course, the day I find a fun PvE/PvP game with a crafting system akin to SWG's is the day I uninstall all my other games and play that one. Still not found another game that I found as much fun as SWG pre-CU and that makes me sad. Ho hum.
I find it amusing how people are talking of cancelling after just 2 weeks of playing, about being burned by this MMO and how they're going to get out before any more damage is done. Oh noes!
EVERYONE knows that the first month of an MMO release is its messiest time. Almost ALL MMOs are released too early, because companies know they can give you 90% of a game and it will keep most people happy. Funcom even hinted the start would be rocky - 'open' beta only to level 13, NDA beyond that.
When you look past the launch problems and content-sparse areas (which are being addressed within the month) AoC is a GREAT game that is unlike any other MMO out there.
For better and for worse, this ain't LOTRO.
It shows funcom listen to their community. Big thumbs up from me. Im having a great time playing, just have to ignore the doomsayers on the mmorpg.com forum.
Knights who say Ni website!
AOC isn't the game for you, ok, makes sense, best you go play one of the other new games that was recently released.
Oh wait... there aren't any. NM.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Anyone level 70+ that is complaining about being bored needs to brush the potato chip crumbs off their chest and go empty the crap bucket from beneath their chair.
If any player thinks they can get to level 80 solo, then they didn't do things like Sanctum of Burning Souls at the quest given levels, because, if they did, they didn't make it beyond the spiders, guaranteed, and there are many such group oriented instances.
If a player *didn't* do these instances, they are missing out on some pretty dang nice/cool places to adventure and cheating themselves of content that occurs *before* endgame.
Sitting at 45, and having a blast playing AoC. (I have played, WoW, LotR, CoH/CoV, Lineage 2, ShadowBane, SWG, DaoC, EQ2, AC2, AO, Eve Online, Guild Wars and many more I am forgetting right now.)
Best looking game I have played MMO wise, and better than alot of non MMO's. (Eve and LotR come close)
Best 1-20 gaming expierence in any MMO. (Nothing compares, very well done)
Best Melee Combat in a game. (nothing like directional swings, combos, fatalities)
Best Music in a game. (I am really enjoying the sound track while I play.)
Questing - On par with WoW, LotR, EQ2
PVP - better than WoW, but Guild Wars, and Eve are probably better at this point.
Guild functions - Several buggy features, but you can build a city, which very few games let you do that.
Crafting - Not so good, feels added on late, similiar to WoW and PvP at launch, something they didnt plan much.
Instancing - there is one annoying spot in Tortage sewers, where it seems like every door you walk through triggers another instance, most people that complain about this most likely have run into it. It is the only place I have been in that is like that, and the rest of entire world, you hardley notice it, so i am ok with it at this point.
Spell casting - pretty much what all other games have, nothing really new.
Classes - very fun and exciting to play, nice variety.
Feats - I have grown to enjoy testing results and builds, with out all of the info right in front of me, and having to read about the only build anyone is useing for thier class. It's exciting to be in a game that hasn't been dissected by the mathameticians.
Mounts - best in any game I have played
The Grind - Are you kidding me? stop complaining, this game is very easy to level in even if there were no quests at 50-60, which there are plenty if you know where to look. And be social, do some grouping.
All in all, this is a great game and has set a high bar for all existing, and upcomming MMO's.
Rage - Head Honcho of the Revilers
"Ragemore and Whine Less"
The fact that he acknowledges shortcomings to the community? How can that be a bad thing? I'm pretty sure that the gaming population is growing, not declining. The people that have left are those who complain 24/7 and, in reality, would be dissatisfied with the product no matter what happens. Also IMO, the AoC community is better without the negativity.
I personally appreciate what's been going on.