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I'd Forgotten...
JennysMind
Member UncommonPosts: 869
I'd forgotten how much fun AC2 was before it closed. I didn't even know they were planning on launching the game again until I made an infrequent visit here.
I've played games like WoW and EQ2, and even though they have a few nice things, they were dumbed down to the point there really wasn't any exploring at all. You followed the theme park track with little variance. In AC2 you can explore everywhere. Plus I like the fact that crafted items can be as good as any loot if you are willing to put the time into crafting.
The sense of community in AC2 is the best I've ever been a part of. I like the casual atmosphere. You could sit back, pull out your guitar, and jam away, usually with others joining in.
Now that I've returned, I realized just how bad MMO's are getting. It doesn't seem so much about exploring anymore, but more about getting the best weapons and armor as fast as possible. At least in AC2 I can stop and smell the roses.
Now it's time to dive off the Deru Tree.
Comments
I had fun at lower levels. The higher I'm getting (45 now), the more I see elitist, power-levelling jerks that don't want you in their group unless you're the best healer/DPS/tank class. I'm very disappointed. I expected more of a friendly, all-are-welcome atmosphere in this game. Seems like everyone is in it just for themselves. Some old timers I've talked to say it didn't used to be this way...
I'll give you an example of people being out for themselves. Tonight, we got three groups together for the "Boots" quest. Two of the three groups got the boss kill they needed to complete the quest. Rather than stay and help the 3rd group, approximately 13 of the 27 people just took off and completed the quest. This left the 3rd group screwed. Great community.
I hate to say it, but this is the impression I've been getting too, and I'm not even at the higher levels yet. I hear more and more people talking about scenarios like the one you described, and it's just beyond disappointing. As someone who's certainly not playing one of the "best classes" (a melee/sage in my case), I don't expect to be welcome in any pick-up groups, with that kind of attitude going on in the game. At this point, it seems like the only way to have an enjoyable, drama-free grouping experience is to join a friendly, open-minded allegiance and only group with them. It's just sad that that should be a requirement, as it doesn't really say much about the community of the game. Fortunately, there's a lot of great people too, you just have to look for them.
Suffice it to say, as much as I really like the game itself, the elitist subset of the community has been a real turn off for me. Hopefully, once the powergamers "get to the end" and realize there's not much left for them to blow through, they'll leave and take their min/maxing ideology with them.
That being said I have also seen people being amzingly kind and generous to other players more in this game than any other that I have played.
As for the class nazi's, they are doing you a favor and sparing you there own insufferably controlling behaviour by not subjecting you to there groups. Trust me on this. Even when they want me to join there leet groups I find myself regretting it within the first 10 mins as they start critically judging everyone's builds and implying that other toons are burdens even when we are still kiling things and no one is dying.
Yeah it is relying on word of mouth at this point as they opened it up in a beta state and didn't make a formal announcement about it outside of their forums.
As for the other posts talking about the elitest. I think you'll tend to find a much higher percentage of elitest in the group of people that are out to level fast. So if you rushed up to the 40s-50s there will be a high percentage of those elitest who just want to max level asap. I'm taking my time and my main is only about level 25 right now. I've never had a problem with anyone snubbing a person or class. We've also had people do silly things like jump off of the platforms in the Prosper Vault, causing them to fall to their death, and the whole group (myself included) had no problems waiting for the person to get back.
So like any game you'll have some of those elitest people, but you just put them on the list of people you don't interact with. I think you will find plenty more who don't act like that though. I haven't personally run into one of those people, but like I said I didn't rush up to the 40s-50s right out of the gate so the vast majority of those types of people are ahead of me and will stay ahead of me.
Yep,I hate to say it,but this elitist attitude had a lot to do with people giving up on the game originally.I played the game at release and left for awhile and went back,only to see a dwindled population and peep's thinking they were too good for returnee's and new peep's.It was sad,sure there were good people,but they were few and far between.
The example you give in the 2nd paragraph is what I remember.People back then would help you until they had what they needed then leave you.Then you had to try and get another group to finish what you needed.The game itself is very good imo,but if it's like I saw before,not many will stick with the game.It deserve's better.
Some day I'm going to put a sword through your eye and out the back of your skull!
Arya Stark
I've played this for a little and created a couple of characters. I have to say, and it probablly is the norm, that many players want to blow through quests.
I HATE that. That is not me at all. I like to look in every nook and cranny and take my time. I'm not looking to level as fast as I can. I was invited to a fellowship yesterday and they were blowing through close to level 15 quests. I advanced so far, but evidently missed the crucial loot, and didn't find out until later I didn't complete the quest. I can't think that quick. I have an analytical mind but it takes time to stew on things. I quit the fellowship without saying anything, which was probably rude, but members of the fellowship were already moving on and I was lagging behind. This actually makes me want to quit, and I do enjoy the game when left to my own speed.
I enjoy crafting in this game immensely. I don't mind repetition . I'd probably be invaluable to a guild if they understood what I could provide. Nevertheless, it seems players want to see others advance quickly and run from quest to quest. I'm older and the bathroom calls too often. I can't tell you how many times I've been left behind.
I'm going to keep playing for now because I'm having fun crafting, and the quests are still fun in the right setting.
Because of the speed a vast majority of players play makes me solo. It's not that I want to, it's more that I'm a casual gamer. I don't mind stopping to play my guitar with other musicians. I don't care if 95% of the guild is above me in level. I'm not in a race. I do like to quest leisurely, but I excell in crafting. Plus I love the commeraderie of allegiance chat. Just don't expect me to fill a fellowship for a quest. I have ADD and can't stay focused for a very long time in something intense.
I really enjoy AC2 but I wonder if I can find a place where I fit in here.
I have about the same playstyle as JennysMind. I like doing the quests and I like crafting, but everyone is in such a hurry to level up and the groups that form are definitely getting more and more picky about who can join. (I know, one solution is to make my own group.)
I've mainly focused on craftting because I think I'm in the same boat as JennysMind -- I won't be able to (or I don't want to) keep up with guild members, but crafting may be of some value to them.
I'll probably play a few more months but I don't see AC2 being a permanent home. I love the game but I don't really fit in with the hardcore crowd... which seems to be most of the population.
Very good post and right on the money, this is the reason I like to solo, to many people who wont smell the roses and just like to fly through content, the only way to group these days is by joining a guild with like mind set people
Nice to not be alone in this. This is why I never group. Ever.
I was in AC2 at launch... Through all of the various "issues" that Mickysoft and Turbine managed to throw at us. Hell, at some points they even managed to break the chat system, and the combat system. But even so, it was an entertaining game for its time. But it was a serious disappoinment for those coming over from AC1. I spent about two years in AC1, and then went to other games.
I came back and the population had declined quite a bit, and the "elite" had taken over the upper levels. I played up to the expansion, and then Turbine closed the game down (after selling us the expansion of course... ^^). I'm not surprised that the "elite" have shown up again. Most games end up with those types these days. If its not Gear Score, its something else.
I'm yet to see an MMO (and I played a lot of them since UO) where this wouldn't be happening. Sadly it is a human trait that reflects rather well in games.
What can I say, welcome to Earth.
On a more positive note, I'm playing this game as well and haven't had so much good time in a long long time.
Thats more of a MMO problem than an AC2 problem.....Pretty much every game you go to now if you aren't the best geared freak no one wants you.....It started in EQ, then WoW with their gear scores, then pretty much every game that involved groups after that.
That's pretty much the mmo community these days, especially when raiding is involved.
I would rather play alone than with a fellow mmo player.
Sadly, I've reached that point myself. Once in awhile, I'll help someone who is having trouble with a quest or some such. But over all, I really don't like to deal with most of the people in various games.
On a side note I have been noticing that even among the high lvl's hybrids are becoming more common and performing impressively. It seem's that the hero 2.0 system has done a lot to make hybrid's viable again after the original hero system killed them off.
This is pretty much what happens to me as well. I love it when an mmorpg releases and everybody is helping each other and exploring the content together, then after a while when the "Everybody for themselves!" crowd move in I find myself soloing and then quiting. I never really understood the point of playing an mmorpg alone, I never stick around long after that revelation. A situation like Vigg posts above is just not right. In my mind staying to help out is just common courtesy. But unfortuatley that seems to be the norm these days and not just in games. At least when you see it happening in Rl you can do something about it.
The policing for that behaviour is something I've just recently been seeing have an effect. Also unlike most mmo's when someone is wronged the general population wil stick up for them instead of just trolling them like in most 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
It isn't like other games. You just have someone swear to you and you are instantly a 2 man allegiance. No prerequisites to building a guild (in AC known as an Allegiance).
Playing: AC2
Played: UO, DaoC, Horizons, Ryzom, WAR, LotRO, Eve, VG...
I don't know about the PayPal aspect but all of their games are down for the current maintenance. Hopefully they will all be back up soon.
Go to latest update on server maintenance on twitter you don't have to sign in to watch it.
https://twitter.com/asheronscall
Hope to build full AMD system RYZEN/VEGA/AM4!!!
MB:Asus V De Luxe z77
CPU:Intell Icore7 3770k
GPU: AMD Fury X(waiting for BIG VEGA 10 or 11 HBM2?(bit unclear now))
MEMORY:Corsair PLAT.DDR3 1866MHZ 16GB
PSU:Corsair AX1200i
OS:Windows 10 64bit
Im lvl62 tumerok CB Forestdutch and i always start fellows taking all classes in my groups and take anyone who wanne come, you have 9 players in one fellow and i go for heal/tank/dd/sorc/chant/range.
Many times we dont have a heal or tank or mezz but as long we can hunt we go and also alway try bridge if 53 wanne join and we can bridge i let him in.
Asheron's call 2 community is like this; They gratz you when become hero WHOLE SERVER do this, they welcome you in fellow they help-wait or get you when you dont have portal or have hard time get to hunt spot, many give items gear when you can use it from total strange in your fellow thats AC2 community for you.
When in deungeon majority will go to great lenght that all finish and get you when die ive even many times with random groups experience they all leave dungeon go to entrance to get the one guy who died and do dungeon all over again.
We chat again in fellow chat have fun and communicate alot very nice, if a group hunts in area where our fellow also wanne we leave and go seek another spot no grievers in AC2.
In last 8 years ive not experience such a nice community then in Asheron's call2 and ive played alot of mmo's over apst 10 years.
Hope to build full AMD system RYZEN/VEGA/AM4!!!
MB:Asus V De Luxe z77
CPU:Intell Icore7 3770k
GPU: AMD Fury X(waiting for BIG VEGA 10 or 11 HBM2?(bit unclear now))
MEMORY:Corsair PLAT.DDR3 1866MHZ 16GB
PSU:Corsair AX1200i
OS:Windows 10 64bit
Maintenance work still underway, no ETA yet. We apologize for the inconvenience. #asheronscall
30min ago
Hope to build full AMD system RYZEN/VEGA/AM4!!!
MB:Asus V De Luxe z77
CPU:Intell Icore7 3770k
GPU: AMD Fury X(waiting for BIG VEGA 10 or 11 HBM2?(bit unclear now))
MEMORY:Corsair PLAT.DDR3 1866MHZ 16GB
PSU:Corsair AX1200i
OS:Windows 10 64bit
I'm stunned. AC2 back. My first love.
Tumerok FI coming up as soon as I subscribe to AC.
great news, what a great game.
I walked everywhere for 2 days when I first played, because I was scared of the portals. And I contacted a gm when my stats dropped , reporting a bug (that was a potion wearing off)
Ahhh, sweet memories of my first mmo. yay