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AOC levels 1-20 are brilliant!
Cpt_Picard
Member Posts: 300
Well, I just played through the AOC trial and I must say; it's the best first twenty levels of any mmo I have ever played (I have played alot of them...). However, I am concerned with actually buying the game because of it's apparent low population and it's apparent bad reputation past Tortage.
I'm stuck between renewing my potbs subscription (it's having a big server merger, so the game will feel more populated) or buying this while I wait for Kotor. (That should be a while). Anyways, some insight into the current state of the game would be nice!
Make it so...
Comments
Play the next 20 levels before you make up your mind, because they are nothing like the first 20.
It they were, perhaps the game would be much more successful than it is.
"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
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"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
Sadly, the trial is only for the first twenty levels. So I will have to base my decision on the experiences of others.
Make it so...
Let me put it this way; the first 20 is more RPG then a MMORPG, and have more voce overs and a genereal nice feeling over it. When I left Tortage the first time, I was ready for hell due to feedback, but I have to admit, I never saw what everyone else was talking about. And that was in January 09, so what can I say, it has not become worse since that. Biggest difference is more group related quests, less voice overs, (still dialog choices) Quests and storys remain imo!
My best tip about this: Get one single month of gameplay and try it yourself, and if its good get several months, since it cheaper that way.
Tortage is AoC best point & worst enemy. It spoiled many players who thought the whole game was supposed to be like it, but it was never supposed to. It was just going to be a good start, something that had not been done before.
If you can spare 9$ for the game try it out.
Personally I preferred open world that happens after tortage as tortage is heavily instances and it I did not get that MMO feeling from it.
As for population well servers were merged so you should not worry about being on empty one.
For most populated EU servers you have Fury PvP one ( do not join it if you cant endure FFA ) and Crom for PvE.
p.s. Most complains past tortage were during first year when game lacked quests at certain level ranges but thats not the case anymore, there is tons of quests now. ( you can get to level 80 with quests and skipping like half of quests available to you )
Futilez[Do You Have What It Takes ?]
Gotta say even after tortage AOC questing is some of the best of I have seen in an MMO. What makes it even better is some of the more interesting quests happen where you least expect. The murderer in AQ is one of my favorite, another was near the temple in the Khemi (SP?) desert in a literal whole in the wall. This quest is quite fun has a old school fantasy movie feel to it. (large statues coming to life etc..), the quest the zombified guy sends you on after was fairly interesting as well. Sorry bad with the names on these quests been a long time since I played and those were early on after tortage.
The only thing different about questing outside tortage were voice-overs IMO. The writing remains the same, as well as interactivity inside dungeons. The presentation still remains the same, bioware style cut scene dialogue, it just doesn't have voice-over (though some quests do post tortage BTW)
For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson
As others have mentioned, the levels after Tortage are completely different. I think the game gets better after Tortage, but many people seem to enjoy the instancing, voice-overs and storyline in Tortage.
I do notice a split in areas that are fun though. In Tortage, the PvE questing is horrible, but the PvP is super fun. As you level up though, the PvE becomes more fun and the PvP becomes horrible.
It's no lie that Tortage is the shit, and everything after will just remind you of any game with the same quests of kill X and return to questgiver. If you find the game fun to play, that shouldn't be a problem, but if the only thing hooking you was the quality of the quests from 1-20, then I don't recommend it. The game is still a blast in combat and a lot of group dungeon bosses are the best I have ever seen, I'm talking really well thought out phases and events... but the other 80% of the game is as generic as the next.
Writer / Musician / Game Designer
Now Playing: Skyrim, Wurm Online, Tropico 4
Waiting On: GW2, TSW, Archeage, The Rapture
1. Tortage doesn't represent the rest of the game
2. Its the only starting area.
3. Its mandatory.
4. Slight differences aside its the same every time you run it.
Result: You'll learn to hate it.
I had the same fears about population. When I got the game (2 days ago) I didn't have to worry any more. The first thing you notice is that all the chat channels open when you purchase the game and they are very active. There are tons of guilds advertising all the time and people arranging groups for raids.
The only places so far where the population has seemed low is the crafting and gathering zones. Which is ideal really cos then theres more resources. Most places are full of players.
The starting area of AoC equals your favorite food. You eat it. And then you are hungry, and the only thing you can do is regurgitate your favorite food and eat it again. And again, and again, and again... So I rather eat half a dozen times food that might not be perfect but still tastes ok, than over and over the same stuff again. :P
Let's play Fallen Earth (blind, 300 episodes)
Let's play Guild Wars 2 (blind, 45 episodes)
Aye AoC first 20 levels are the best I played in a MMORPG, it is a shame Funcom didn't understood that was the way to go for the whole game.
Luckily Bioware won't be as shy as Funcom implementing a story driven MMORPG.
Regarding AoC, before buying the game, play beyond lvl 20, the game gets slightly different
IMO, it gets better after Tortage. Depends on personal preferences I guess.
Try for yourself...
Is that even possible? I was under the impression that the free trial was level-capped at 20.
Only the unlimited trial is capped on lvl 20, normal trial (7-10 days) are not capped.
lets put it this way.
Beta was 1-20... 700k pre orders
4 months later 50k players... this the people who got to go beyond level 20..
SNIP
To bad is BS.
After release game sold over 1.2m in August 2008 it had over 500k subs at end of the same year it was around 150k-200k.
As for now its probably around 100K or a bit under it.
Futilez[Do You Have What It Takes ?]
To bad is BS.
After release game sold over 1.2m in August 2008 it had over 500k subs at end of the same year it was around 150k-200k.
As for now its probably around 100K or a bit under it.
sources for everything you just said
SNIP
To bad is BS.
After release game sold over 1.2m in August 2008 it had over 500k subs at end of the same year it was around 150k-200k.
As for now its probably around 100K or a bit under it.
sources for everything you just said
You mean like you did ?
So far the game has sold-in (to retail and digitally)
over 1.2 million copies and has sold through over
800.000 copies (i.e. customers that since launch
have bought a game client and entered their game
client key and payment details into Funcom’s billing
database). The game currently has more than
415.000 customers (players who are either
subscribers or are playing in the first 30 days
included in the sale of the box).
Source: http://www.funcom.com/funcom/frontend/files/CONTENT/Funcom_Q208_report.pdf
( made mistake about August subs number - it was over 415k not 500k as I said )
Futilez[Do You Have What It Takes ?]
I guess I'm the only one who hated Tortage. 21-22 levels is too much in such a small area for me. Couldn't wait to get the heck out of there.
For me the first 20 levels aren't very good after you did them once.
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Tortage is some of the better story telling in an MMO. Its not great by single player standards but for an MMO good. But I never understood the 20+ haters. Is 20+ different? Yes, the story gets pretty spread out and voice overs stop. But then what MMO player actually listened/read the quest logs?
20+ is an MMO. Open world, typical theme park quests etc. But its gorgeous, accessible, active and with another round of server merges done should be populated. AoC is more or less free to buy so give it a go.
I played through the first 20 levels and now am waiting for the box to be delivered. I wouldn't have bought it but it was only £1.83 off amazon so even if i don't like it, it aint a huge loss
i keep coming back and enjoy it every time i do.......
Playing: FFXIV
Future: wishing for SWG 2, World of Warcraft Classic
Played: Most current and extinct MMO's - 18 Years in....
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