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Is this game any good for newcomers?
Devinsam
Member UncommonPosts: 20
I've been looking for a futuristic mmorpg to try out. I'm still playing my old-school mmorpg I grew up with (Asheron's Call) but looking for a change. I'm wondering if this game is newbie friendly, and what I mean by this is simply put; Is it possible to find people to team with and do activities with? I don't mind subscription fees or anything of the sort as long as I can find a few people to have fun with during GMT/UTC evenings. I've been reading the background story of the game on the website and in the PDF and it's fascinating.
Comments
I tried coming back to this game about 4 years ago and it was pretty dead. And ugly.
I love it but i can't play it.
Hi sacredfool,
Ugly doesn't bother me much, it's more so that all the players are max level and there is no one to team with and have some fun. I'm downloading the free to play version atm. Judging by your Templar avatar I'm guessing you've been playing The Secret World?
It's a great MMORPG experience.
I'm on the fence right now about coming back, I thought I was gone a year until I looked at my account. I've been gone 2 years lol.
There's a learning curve but there are helpful people around to assist you. Don't beg for money, chances are, people will give you some anyways to get you started.
There are buffs, nanos, custom implants, and items that allow you to do things at a low level that you shouldn't be doing. It's amazing.
When you discover twinking low levels, your mind will be blown.
So you're saying I shouldn't go around begging for money, items, power-leveling?! Well what is the point of MMORPGs then?! Of course this is thick sarcasm NorseGod. I appreciate your advice. Thanks, hope you return when you feel it's your time!
It's okay for newcomers I'd say. There are some things you need to know though. As others mentioned, AO has a quite steep learning curve, but if you accept the skill system like it is, you'll see the massive freedom and choices it gives you. Especially when it comes to twinking. I don't know much about AC, but I know how it makes me smile when players from WoW-/EQ-esque talk about twinking. In AO it's not only getting a char up to max level and get all the equip for end game, it's completely different. There are good reasons to have a low level twink with the best equip possible.
For example, the Temple of three Winds is a dungeon for up to level 60 players. The boss is quite hard for normal levelling characters, even for teams. A nice goal for a twink is "beat Uklesh solo". And it's possible, I've done it with 11 of 14 professions (with NT I tried but didn't manage to do it without outside buffs, I think Keeper is the easiest profession for this goal, but I never liked the Shadowlands professions Keeper and Shade). Here comes the great strength of the game: If you put enough thought and calculating into it to manage the skill needed for equipping/using something, you're free to do it. Most items don't have level restrictions! My TotW-Agent, for example, was level 60, using a ql200 rifle, ql130+ implants and armor that is meant for chars around level 120. Took quite a bit of effort, but damn is it fun playing that char.
And you don't just need low level twinks for dungeons, there's also low level PvP for land control towers or on the battle stations. And especially in low levels, what works damn well in PvE does also in PvP. There's no such thing as different equip for PvE and PvP, even if most high levelers use different equip. But that's for maximizing effectiveness, not for "oh, that armor has no pvp-related defensive measures..." like in WoW and other games.
Most professions don't have a proper rotation for abilities, it's knida chaotic. You get some special attacks (especially as a free player) that you can and should use when ready most of the time. And then you've got your profession related nanos which are more like a use when needed type. So no 15 hot bars with gazillions of actions, for free players one hotbar with 10 actions is enough on most professions.
Hi there TheSedated.
Thank you for all the information. I'm currently exploring The Abandoned Subway. Someone mentioned "totw" yesterday and I asked what it was and got the explanation for the Temple of the Three Winds. I'm still wondering if I should subscribe or not immediately. I've also gotten the whole daily thing explained and I read more on the website AO Universe. I feel rather lonely most of the time and the game so far gives a bit of a "grind" for experience feel. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with that, just not my thing.
The daily mission system eases off the grind quite a bit. But AO is definitely grindy. Not as much as it was back in the day, but it is still a bit hard. A good way to find people to play with is on the official AO forums in the newbie area. Tell the folks you're new and you're looking for some people to play with in the low levels and I'm sure you find a lot of helpful people. And you'll get bombarded with presents ingame, money, items, you name it. Just don't ask for items or money directly.
A good way is "Hey, I'm ... and I just started to play AO. I'm searching for some people to ask questions about the game and maybe to do some low-level stuff, because I feel lonely a lot of the time. Aside from that, I'm quite interested in this game and so far I think it's nice.".
A bad way (but you'd get some help although) would be "Hi! I r noobie. Crdz plz."
Thanks for the suggestions! I'm not really the type to ask for help, credits or anything else as such, but it would be nice to team with people because grouping simply makes it more fun!
i was gonna try it on a whim, not really happy with my side-project MMO atm, (eve is always my main baby) but everyttime i DL the installer it just disappears from my task manager without a trace.
wierd really.
RIP Ribbitribbitt you are missed, kid.
Currently Playing EVE, ESO
Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed.
Dwight D Eisenhower
My optimism wears heavy boots and is loud.
Henry Rollins
FYI,
Most people are in Shadowlands leveling. There are Froob Orgs out there.
I think they re-did the newbie area and will come out around the same time the engine upgrade comes out. I'll bet many people will play through to try it out. I'll probably sub just for that myself.
When you find some groups in ToTW, be sure to friend them. Basic stuff, I know, but it's easier to keep track of people because there are many places to go for each level range. I usually go get the loot around lvl 25 in ToTW and return to Shadowlands.
Oh, and I strongly advise you roll a Doc as your first toon, they can get groups fast, and can solo much endgame stuff to fund, and gear up alts.
If you roll a doc, get the upgrading robe in steppes of madness, then the chalace in totw. Then in your 70's get the 2 CDR pistols in Foreman's. They will last you until 200. Until Foreman's, just focus your skill points into healing your group through dungeons, it sucks not to fight, but, it's worth it later on. If you can find a level 90 to get those pistols, you can twink them on at level 25. I did it and solo'd GoT in ToTW for the first time (heavily buffed of course).
My 1st advice is to read first in http://www.ao-universe.com/ about the guides you are interested.Also roll for start a crat (bureaucrat) as your main.You gonna love the debuff's line
Oh yeah, Crat is a good first toon also. Good call.