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Anarchy Online; old sandbox gem finally morphed to become a 'modern' MMO!!
chrisel
Member UncommonPosts: 990
Hi all!
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I have, like many of you, been fed up for years with newer MMO's, ever since WoW was released. After that, I feel the MMO's have been shallow & without soul. I do not think that the genere is dieing, but it is slowly changing into something that does not deliver to me as old school MMO gamer. I guess I can call me that; 'old schooler' since my first MMO was Anarchy Online at it's release.
After I played AO (Anarchy Online), I started to try out about every single MMO release there was; I was completely 'hooked' upon the genre. I played them all, all from Shadowbane to EQ1 & EQ2, SWG; about everything up until World of Warcraft. When I tried WoW, I turned my back to all the rest. Reason was simple; WOW was highly polished and it offered something 'new', without me clearly understanding what 'that' was, and still can't fully understand.
Today I feel the modern MMO's have outplayed their roles; comparing them to many old school MMO's, and in this case AO, they are shallow and completely without 'soul'. So why did I leave AO you might ask. The reason is simple, yet complex & understandable; As the years went by, and I 'grew' as MMO gamer, I changed from being a mouseclicker to a hardcore keybinder with one aim; PvP. AO could no longer fulfill my demands how to play my characters, which made me unable to 'connect' to the toons. This was especially going for PvP; I was barely able to live with being a mouseclicker in AO's pve. Backdraw is that I have just about no interest in the pve parts of MMO's.
The last weeks in my MMO life has been mostly gone to search for a new MMO. I am desperate after a MMO game to play, after the cancellation of the WOW sub right after Cataclysm was released. I realize that games like WoW will be unable to offer me what I demand from MMO games, so theres no point to play them just for the addictions sake. I want to play them MMO's for the fun & thrill. I have spendt the last weeks reading reviews, watching gameplay videos on YouTube as well as doing some free trials. None fo them I have checked have been anything near to stir my interest.
But my mind always went back to Anarchy Online... If it were not for the UI I said to my self oh so many times last weeks. Until today. I did in desperation log into my Fr00b account today (F2P), and while the game started to download the patch I read its notes. What a shock; My prayers have been heard! The User Interface and its keys are now fully re-assigneble! I have been 'whining' about this for years; so long & so much I thought these changes would never come.
So today I have no more excuses to not play AO anymore. My previous experiences from the game I know I will connect to my toons satisfactory, which will give me a totally new & highly improved gaming experience. If you are outthere, looking for a game yourself, preferably a sandbox MMO, I strongly suggest you give AO a try, if not even for a 2nd time.
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I will list up some of the reasons why AO is a great choice amongst all the MMO's:
-Modern UI, fully customizable & rezisable with all keys to be assigned as pleased (finally!)
-Deep & complex character cusomization
-Advanced character equipping
-Extremely complex & deep 'twinking' part (you do not know what 'twinking' is before you have played AO!)
-Huge open 'sandbox' world with tons of content
-Real politics with real wars between factions
-Politics & wars between organizations (guilds) within own faction
-3 factions with one of them neutral in middle (this is balancing things out if one faction becomes too powerful)
-Steep learning curve; mastering the game is a real challenge. Definately most complex of all games I ever played
-14 different playable classes. All from Healers & tanks, to beuraucrats, engineers, traders, pet classes & dps
-Battlestations (BG's) for all level brackets
-Alien missions (quests)
-Great teaming experience (the only game I enjoyed teaming, and I am a 'solo fanboi')
-Player housings
-Player cities
-Player shops
-Social clothing
-World PvP with meaning (destroy enemy towers, build own to get guild bonuses)
-Raiding
-GM events
-Fast & very helpful ingame customer service
-Develop your class as you please with advancement pts
-etc etc.
Long time since I played AO actively, so I bet there are more to the game than this, and some I have forgot to mention.
On top of this all, there will be a new match engine impleted in Q1 2011. This will, hopefully, bring AO back to the top. Game has tremendous potential. It offers game mechanics that other games is not even close to offer these days. Anarchy Online is definately not for the impatient, which should exclude me; but I have seen and played it, so I know what the rewards are. AO is definately not some 'auto-wear the gear' game. If you are good at twinking, you can wear gear that is 5x you own level with ease. Gear in AO has not 'level' requirements, instead they usually require a combination of skills & abilities to be worn.
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The game is very hard to learn, with a steep learning curve. This is good as it is usually too much for kiddies. Backdraw is that many newbs tend to give up within 5 mins after login, cause the game is so complex. Well, despair not. Help will be there shortly if you just do /petition then write in your problem & hit enter. A very nice & easy system, based upon volunteers that comes to help. There are also tons of fan sites all over the internet, as well as many helpful organizations ('guilds'). Some organizations are even dedicated to help newbs, especially the neutral ones. When you arrive in Borealis after you are done on 'newbie island', ask around; and I am sure you will get the help needed.
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So to you all in same boat as me, all you who are burnt out or fed up with the current MMO's; Give Anarchy Online a try. There is a free to play part, so why not give that a chance? There might be a chance that Anarchy Online could be the answer in your search for an MMO.
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Cheers!
-Chris
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PS:
Feel free to ask questions or even send me PM. It has been ages since I played this game on a regular basis, but I am more than willing to give a hand or 2 ingame to help you get started. Anarchy Online is a true gem, and it deserves all players it can get.
Make us care MORE about our faction & world pvp!
Comments
last i checked the froobs dont get half of the stuff you listed:p too bad i forgot the login info of my grid4 armored fixer:D
I have no idea what Froobs are offered. When I play MMO's I go for the full package after the trial. F2P is to me just to 'sniff' a bit on the game. I never expect a fully gaming experience from F2P's. Today I just logged into my Froob account to check the status of the game, and I must say I am mighty pleased & impressed. Now I will reactivate my 2 main accounts, But still, I am sure Froobs get most of what I listed? Anyways, no MMO are meant to give it all to F2P users, so I think that is understandable. The main problem for me, was the clunky and non customizable UI. Today that is sorted out. Which made me a happy MMO player.
You can retrieve your login info as long as you remember the email. No problems. Hope to see you ingame. I have already talked to some nice people who have offered my to join their organization. People are way more relaxed and friendly here in AO than in most other games I have played.
PS; Grid Armor 4 fixer is cool!
Make us care MORE about our faction & world pvp!
gfx, low pop and bad modern pc support.
AO is the best mmorpg for me but is marred with a lot of problem.
if they have gfx like rift or warhammer online or aoc i will play it. Nowadays we're pampered with good graphic mmo, even the upcoming SW TOR mmo is being criticize for it's graphic much less AO.
Interface wise imo they need a major overhaul to make it as good as modern mmo nowadays. Easy, clean, good looking interface.
Also gameplay wise is too easy now with all those expansion. I could ask my friend(if there is any left in the game) to powerlevel me from 1 to around 150 in a day.
There is some talk about revamping the game with AoCs engine as well. And it is nice that they still keep up the classics.
I wish they could fix up DaoC as well.
Its just a empty rumour among fans.
And the engine fix they keep talking about is actually just new rendered. All assets will be the same.
Hi. I used to play AO and DAOC before I got into wow. We have similar stories. I played wow up until about a year ago when I quit mmos altogether. A few months ago, I came across Darkfall Online and have been hooked on it since. It's got a steep learning curve which shouldn't be a problem for you since we both know how AO is. But Darkfall is a true pvp paradise and a gem.
I recommend all gamers looking for a true gem to try Darkfall Online. darkfallreview.com has a decent review and an awesome movie of the pvp. Check it out, try the 14 day trial. No excuse not to!
In case you missed it:
http://forums.anarchy-online.com/showthread.php?t=553916
thanks for the recommendation. coming from an ao player means a lot to me
I jus got 30 days free playtime but I won't even bother with it. I just can't play AO anymore.
"you are like the world revenge on sarcasm, you know that?"
One of those great lines from The Secret World
I used to play AO, but like lots of others, it's just not a game for me anymore. Towards the end, I might log in once a week, look around and say "what am I doing here?" and log out. It was boring. The population was too low, it was just the same old tired game over and over and their promise of an updated graphics engine was empty. It's been years since I left... still no upgrade.
It's not even worth playing for free at this point.
Played: UO, EQ, WoW, DDO, SWG, AO, CoH, EvE, TR, AoC, GW, GA, Aion, Allods, lots more
Relatively Recently (Re)Played: HL2 (all), Halo (PC, all), Batman:AA; AC, ME, BS, DA, FO3, DS, Doom (all), LFD1&2, KOTOR, Portal 1&2, Blink, Elder Scrolls (all), lots more
Now Playing: None
Hope: None
Here is a link to latest news about new GFX engine. The work on this GFX engine is true and I am sure the work is going as intended. There are some nice screens of the heads btw to find in the link. I also talked to someone who told me the gfx engine is in a beta state.
http://forums.anarchyonline.com/showthread.php?t=569656&page=4
No it is not. Check link above. These false rumors need to stop cause they are not doing any good to AO.
GFX is not a problem; it is just a taste and it really doesnt make the game anyway.At least not for many MMO gamers.
Regarding "low pop"; I was online 9am this morning and I can assure the game was far from dead. People all over Borealis. I did not check any other places, but with all the activity in this (lowtime) I assume there are more than enough people ingame.
I don't know when you used to play AO, but your statement about 'bad modern pc support' is unreasonable. My PC is now 1 year old, and the game runs very smoothly with no lag whatsoever. It actually now feeels as smoothly as WoW. Maybe you should throw out your rig, cause it does not sound much "modern" to me. I played in january this year too, no problems back then either. From your statement I assume the problems are on the user side, not the server.
We are pampered with good gfx MMO's today, you are correct on that. But what are the content of these? Shallow & flat, all about grinding gear. Preferably on shortest amount of time as possible. There is no other game that I have played that comes even close to what AO can offer with its gameplay, depth & complexity. If you are unable to see beyond the GFX, then AO is and never were a game for you. Simple as that. I am sure SW TOR as you refer to, will be something for you. I personally have written off that game over a year ago.
So you think the UI needs overhaul? Well, if you have, as an experienced AO player, problem with the new UI, the problem is (again) on the user side, not with the interface itself. I used to 'dislike' the AO interface before; I am very picky about that part of the game. We are now able to re-assign keybindings to every slot as we please. The UI is not the standard AAA ui found within all new 'autoplay' MMO's, but that does not mean you can't learn how it works. I personally find the UI now better to use than the WoW, LOTRO, AoC etc etc. It is harder to get into it, but it is again more complex and customizable than f.ex WoW's UI. The UI in AO really makes wonders now. It could be made easier to understand for newbs I agree on that, but theres no need for any major changes anymore. Let me add that I am 100% keybinder, and for that purpose the "old" UI did not work. Today I am very pleased with the new UI. I give the AO UI rating a strong 8/10, maybe 9/10.
You say that gameplay is too easy. Maybe you have began to suffer under the 'wear & tear' syndrome? Every game has an end to players, whether we like or not. I see no problems in getting fast levels. If getting levels is your only concern, I am sure WoW would be a very good game for you. I did already in beginning of Shadowlands release do 1 to 100 in less than 24 hrs. The game took ages to level back in its vanilla days (pre SL), which I really found a struggle. This was the case of all MMO's back then. Thankfully AO has been able to change as the years gone by. If you find getting levels fast that game breaking, why are you doing it? You know that AO is a sandbox, and theres more than just 1 single way to get levels. I find it weird that some gamers complain about something that you are not forced to do. I personally complain about the things I am forced to do, and leave out whining about things that work.
Actually I have 2 excuses not to try Darkfall;
1. No skill caps, which means the first players will have eternal advantage upon newbs. They can never catch up. A stupid system that is definately a no-no to me.
2. Lootable corpses; which causes alot of grief. Not interested in playing with people who's only cause is to gank lowbies and rob them.
The End of that story as I have made a final decision not to even try Darkfall
Make us care MORE about our faction & world pvp!
I used to play AO also, really enjoyed it even through the clunky interface. What made me leave was the fact that it is an amazingly vast world with lots to do, but nobody to do it with. If you are not inside a city you'll likely not see anyone else. I was outside the city for 5 days,questing/grinding or what have you and I saw one person in that entire time,far off in the distance who ran across a field,over a hill and was gone in seconds. I started as a froob and started a subscription,played for 4-5 months. Again it was fun, but I felt like I was paying to play a solo game for the most part.
Fully understandable. Game is huge, with tons of content. Even for me as returning player it is hard to 'get into'. I am unsure what FunCom have done lately to make the game feel more 'crowded', but time will show. I can assure you that the 1-79 brackets in f.ex WoW feels about the same. Empty. Everyone is doing end level content. If you however get some info about the game, get into an organization and make up some friends, I am sure there should be no problems discovering the content. I personally like to solo when I 'experience' content so for me that is not much of a problem. I am also self sufficient (and quite helpful), dual playing AO, which I find very fun.
AO is so huge, that I even think with "normal" population the game would be felt like somewhat 'desolate' since it is so incredible large. The correct numbers of the population I do not know, but it seems it is healthy at least.
Still, this AO is a sandbox. Comparing it to easyplay games like WoW, LotrO, AoC etc is not right. AO is complex, deep and very challenging. Many here seem to have outplayed AO, for different reasons. I still have barely broken level 200 on my highest level toon, even though I was there at AO's release. If you former AO fans could tell people why they should play AO, and not focused so much on why you arent, I am sure it would be of tremendous help. Cause there were some reasons why you played it back when you used to?
Ever since it's release, I have been dreaming about an end level toon and doing it's end level PvP. Hopefully I will be able to get there this time. Some here says it is 'so easy' getting levels, and I assume they mean it is easy to get to end level then too. I am unable to see that, as I never played a game where it was so hard reaching end level as it is/was in Anarchy Online. If that has changed, I am very happy about it, and I am looking forward to get there asap!
Make us care MORE about our faction & world pvp!
I am not sure what you mean, but I take you refer to AO as only a grind for gear too.
If so, I would like to point out some interesting parts about AO, that differs the game for every single other game outthere due to it's game mechanics.
I was at AO's release. I was unable to get to end level (200) before Shadowland expansion. Allright, I admit I am altoholic, but still. The game was back it's release so complex and had so many varieties that I was sucked into that very part and had no concerns about the 'gear' whatsoever. Back then there were few if any BOE items at all. Which I hated when they were impleted.
Today, nearly 10 years after it's release I still havent got any "end level toons"; my highest level is 203. I still have no concerns about gear. I am still trying to dig deep into the game mechanics just to discover it's small but cool secrets. Thats me. Dunno about others. I like that alot. I would like get to end level thoug, and I have dreamt about that like... since it's release. AO is one of the very few MMO's where I find interest in nearly every class there is; all 14 of them. Inother MMO's I give a good damn about most of them, and have barely interest in 1 due to the shallow and simple class mechanics & difference. By this I can list LOTRO, SWG, AoC, WoW, DAOC, EQ1, EQ2, EVE (LOL), etc etc. Other MMO's are not even close to the variety just from the class option in AO. Simple as that.
Back in the first years I was very hooked upon 'twinking', and I enjoyd trying out pvp with different toons. This consumed alot of time I might should have put into one single class instead, but done is done. From what I remember, we used to say "do levels for 3 hrs, then gear up for 3 days". It felt so; We went out and was "imba" for 3 levels, then we went back just to gear up again. All the time. We tried to have top gear at all times. In case we came into world pvp. It was fun. No other game came close to this.
Well you might say this could look like a gear grind, but I feel this way different. I felt it was a grind to be powerful for pvp; the gear had no "Bind on pickup" so we just traded the gear over to the new toons. No big deal. What is the difference today? As far as I see it, I think AO is one of the few games where you can give a good damn about getting levels, just stop your xp then start twinking and stay there having fun. Like forever. With bare no grind for gear; just buy what you need in the GMS (AH) then get the buffs, use a calculator then pew pew.
Great game holding great game mechanics! No other game is even close to this. This is even a short version of a portion of my view. I am too tired to start a complex comparing of AO to f.ex World of Warcraft, so I will make it short; WoW is a shallow 'autoplay & autoequip' game with no (barely) other challenge than time consumption.
Make us care MORE about our faction & world pvp!
Interesting.
My first MMO back in the day, may have to return and check in.
I would like to make a small "update" about the game, some minor, but still significant info I got after chatting with one dude ingame:
If you any of these, you get 1.33 level each 18th hr, up roughly level 120:
-Daily Quest
-1 Battlestation
-Hand in doja chip that drops in Shadowlands (maybe others)
This means 4 levels each 18th hr. Very nice for those who want something else than running missions, or grind hecklers. I havent checked this myself, so I cannot verify it personally. But still, I did not ask for this info, and the dude who started talk about this sounded very friendly & nice.
I am pleasantly surprised about the community though (RK1/Atlantean). I have been asking lots of newbie questions in the OOC channels, and not a single time I have been met with anything but helpful people. Great community, definately the best so far I have met. The community, in general, was before (years ago) suffering a bit under "wear & tear" syndrome I felt. I am glad to see that the community is so incredible friendly today.
Make us care MORE about our faction & world pvp!
Im guessing you're an attempt at viral marketing this game.
Few vets would disagree with your general point but the bottom line is that there are key problems that prevent us from returning:
1) The game plays like utter crap on even semi-modern computers
2) Population is very low
3) The graphics do need an update regardless of what you say. I value gameplay over graphics any day but AO is an extreme case. Plus, it's simply inexcusable that there has still been no graphics update.
4) Funcom offers no real support for this game and really does not care about it.
Playing: EvE, Warhammer free unlimited trial, Allods Online
Played: Anarchy Online, WoW, Warhammer, AoC, Ryzom. Aion
Strongly Recommend: Ryzom, EvE, Allods Online
First i loved AO, played 3 years straight back in 2002-2005. I tried to go back last year and i did'nt last long. Sadly there is no one left, it feels like a ghostown, even in major cities that were always full of peoples when i was playing Rome, Omni-Ent, are all but deserted. I always said i'd give the game another try when they'll release the new engine, but so far it still not there. They've been working on the engine since 2006 i believe. Now they are saying it's gonna come out in the next 3 months, i would'nt hold by breath on that if i was you. AO was a great game, it's definitively in my top 3 MMO's of all time along with Asheron's Call. Unfortunatly it's dead now, no fun to play a game with no players.
couldnt really get into this game before. but then again i do that to all games. then i go back playem again and go *hey this is kinda cool i like it* cept wow...never liked it when i tried teh trial didnt like the 2nd trial..:-) might have to redownload the game n try it out again :-)
How are the graphics? AO really needs a total overhaul of models, textures, and graphical effects before I'd reopen my sub, gameplay wise the game is fine but its just far to dated for today. New water and shadow effects doesn't cut it either.
"An MMORPG could be completely diffirent from WoW. Just look at games like Dofus, Wizard101 or EVE. But as it is, most of the Western MMOs are trying to succeed by out-WoWing WoW. It's like an army of 10 sports games made about same sports, and barely none about other sports. WoW clone is an accurate description of those games, it manages to convey much information with only two words."
-Poster on mmorpg.com
Rift: World of Warcraft clone #9321 Nothing special to see here move along.
I had good times as a fr00b in AO. I played for around a year or so back in 2006-7ish. I enjoyed all the fr00b classes that were offered.
Make us care MORE about our faction & world pvp!
The numbers say otherwise.
What numbers??
Just because AO don't have the same subscribers as WOW it doesnt mean the game is dead.
I mean SWG still has people playing and the game has become F ing POS.