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Should I return?
Saben
Member Posts: 3
I am looking for a new MMORPG. I just can't seem to find one like AC. I am kind of looking at vanguard, but thats a while off.
Is playing the new expansion of AC worth it or is everything still tradebot and everyone above lvl 128? I want the AC as it was in the old days where you can't wait for the new content and storyline. Or your lvl 30 patron showing you a mote for the first time. When you see Bal'Z run around killing people. Is it still like this or am I in for a disappointment?
Saben of LC
Comments
I'll be surprised if AC is around in a year. I wouldn't invest any new time in it.
From what you are saying it sounds like you would consider it a waste of time, and aren't all games a "waste of time"? Anyway, I never consider it a waste of time, if I am enjoying what I am doing. It's entertainment, and if you can't get the same level of entertainment from another game then why not enjoy your favorite while it lasts. Besides, if more people felt that way, AC would be around for a hellofa lot longer than 1 year.
There's no free trial, no advertising, no expansions planned, the updates have been reduced, really how does the future look for AC? I loved AC but it doesn't look good. Turbine doesn't care.
There's no free trial
Has nothing to do with enjoying the game. Does make it hard for people who have never played to find out if they'd like it.
no advertising
Has nothing to do with enjoying the game. Does cause concerns for the future of the game.
no expansions planned
The game plays better than any of the 10 others I've played in the last couple years.
the updates have been reduced
That's a good thing. I thought the updates caused more problems than they fixed.
really how does the future look for AC? I loved AC but it doesn't look good. Turbine doesn't care.
Again, that has nothing to do with enjoying the game. It is the best game especially for PvP that I have seen.
fjorn you are in denial. Why would you buy a game that you know is going to be gone soon? I buy an MMO to play for years not months.
There were a lot people pissed because AC2 was cancled only 6 months after they just bought the expansion. AC2 was an "enjoyable" game but it doesn't change the fact that anyone who bought it and played it those last 6 months feels like they were robbed.
fjorn you are in denial. Why would you buy a game that you know is going to be gone soon? I buy an MMO to play for years not months.
There were a lot people pissed because AC2 was cancled only 6 months after they just bought the expansion. AC2 was an "enjoyable" game but it doesn't change the fact that anyone who bought it and played it those last 6 months feels like they were robbed.
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You deal in some pretty amazing absolutes my friend. I'm not talking about AC2. In as much as AC2 might have been enjoyable, I'm saying AC is the best game I've played....online....PERIOD. I've tried 10 other MMO's since I stopped playing AC, 1 1/2 years ago. NONE of them could match AC's gameplay as far as quests, content, and PvP as far as I'm concerned.
Now, would I be dissappointed if AC closed up shop in 6 months? YES, but I will enjoy playing the game until then, or until I don't get entertainment from it anymore. Considering we have no control over how companies run their business except with customer feedback and our wallets. You may want to play an MMO for years instead of months, but you aren't guaranteed of that, EVER.
You seem to be trying to persuade people not to play AC b/c of the way you were "treated" on AC2. AC is not AC2, they may be owned by the same company, but they are not the same project. So why don't you get the chip off your shoulder?
Really the game plays just like it always has, monthly patches(Smaller now, but you cant blame the compnay the game is 6 1/2 years old and smaller player base then 2000-2003), still the same ol PK drama and still the fast pace hunting that I love about AC. Now that this game has 6 years of monthly patches and 2 expansion packs, it is NOT for a casual newb looking for a new MMO. There is way too much stuff for a complete newb to grab ahold of. I've played for 5 years and there is alot of quests I've never done, and I've done alot.
But for a returning player, if you truly liked AC, it is still a very fun game. Now that it is sometiem since you have played.. lvl 128 isnt really high. really high is lvl 200+ now, though at 140-150 you are open to 98% of the content easly.
I've tried several MMOs and they all seem realy slow and small compared to AC.
There may be no trial (though they've been discussing that recently so its not out of the realm of possibility) but there IS advertising. They also put out a major expansion maybe half a year ago if that, the monthly updates are still monthly and there has been quite a bit of content in the past few patches. In fact some of the best story arc and gameplay modifications have been in the past couple of patched (I'm looking at you proc weapons).
If you actually played the game you'd know the playerbase has been steadily going up over the past few months and more and more people are coming back to the game. As for the community, if you expect to be crowded in every single dungeon you go into and packed in the marketplace, your crazy. AC is not like it was in 00' when you couldnt walk for 10 seconds without bumping into someone else, the game has much more sparse but still competitive player base. As for the person complaining about leveling, since when has every single MMO not been all about leveling? I havnt leveled in AC in over a month as i've spent all my recent time running all the new quests and collecting titles (currently at 43 total).
Theres plenty to do in AC and if you've played before you just have the added advantage of not wasting all that time on worthless templates and bad leveling. I've never grown tired of the game and I dont see the title dieing for a long time yet.
I had been thinking of getting back to this game after a 4 year absence, but looking at this inactive board made me change my mind. I was burned once by Turbine in AC2 and have no desire to play a game that probably won't be around in a year.
I've set a reminder in my calander to check back on this board in a year, and post one way or the other about AC. I'm betting it is still around, as new content is still being added monthly. If they had no plans for AC, I doubt they'd be working on getting game keys downloadable. I enjoy playing AC, and like in real life, I don't worry about the future. I can't change it, I might as well enjoy life as it comes.
Striving to and surpassing Darkerknight's gimpness.
BIG DISSAPPOINTMENT. you can't go back.
I remember putting on my first piece of jewlery and asking my friend if he could see it on me! LOL... you will never get that back. Once you learned it... its over. I still play AC, TOD. Its all about leveling. No more story tellers sitting in Qualibar or Eastham or Lytelthorp. I also miss the "old" days. I'm Eyaf Gau-Zho in Thistledown if you come that way.
+ AC world is huge and populated
+ combat is fast paced with a lot of movement
+ PvP is some of the best I've ever seen in terms of length of fights, rewards for killing, and sheer fight excitement
+ Montlhy content
I've recently returned after playing almost every top hyped game that has been released. All were either terrible or were "Raiding" end games which I despise.
AC is very accessible for a brand new player. The starter quests get you headed in the right direction and open the world to you. As far as catching up on the "history of the world", forget it. Just too much to learn, but you can learn some from doing the quests. Some sites exist that list all of the quests for people to find things by level and difficulty.
You can pop into AC for 30mins and play whack a mole for XP or do some quests solo. Then later in the evening meet up with some buds to tackle some quests that require puzzle solving/teamwork.
AC still has a lot going for it, sadly it's all steak with very little sizzle.
Dec 20,1999: AC1(DT).Since then:DAoC,SB,AC2,L2,EvE,WoW,SoR
====================
Currently playing: ArchLord - L58 Knight
LoTRo - L13 Dwarf Guardian
Ok lets get one thing straight...
IMO and in alot of everyone else's,
I will tell you why... because everyone that has left because they thought another MMO was better has came back. It does give you a month free when you start playing... which is kinda like a trail period. And why does a game that has been around for 6 and a half years need a trail period? That should tell you right there that it is a great game.
I have played EQ, EQ2, CoH/CoV, D&DOL, WoW and more and i have always come RUNNING back to AC.
They give you ALOT of fresh content montly, alot of live events (which AC was the first to pioneer that one) they offer housing, (OOP! they did that first TOO) a GREAT allegaince system (WAIT! who did patron and vassle first?) Are you seeing a pattern yet? AC is everything you want out of a great game. I have had the same buds and monarchy on that game for the last 6 and half years i have been playing then i did when i started.
The community is great, if you need something everyone will jump up and help you in a instant. It doesnt matter if you are level 1 and they are level 275. I am currently level 160 and i help anyone i see even if i do not know them. Ask anyone you know that plays AC, and they will tell you the same thing. There is ALWAYS something to do or to see. If you are wanting to come back to ac, then come on! i will even give you some awesome equipment if you want to meet up man.
Lets see how long any of the other MMOs last. It wont be as long as AC, with a dev team that listens and makes changes based on the feedback of the players. And with the great community, and PLENTY of stuff to do AC will be the best MMO experince you will have.
And if you are one of those losers that only play the game for the graphics then you should be shot in the face! There is alot more to a game then graphics! If you arent there for it running great and playing great, instead there for looking great then find something else.
By the way I am: Cool Magi Dude of Morningthaw, Look me up sometime!
I've played AC, I was in the beta and I played it for a bit at release. It was "ok" never what I would consider "great". If it had been "The best MMO ever made" it would have eclipsed EQ, but it didn't. AC was a decent MMO and I will be the FIRST to jump on the "AC broke all kinds of new ground in the MMO industry" bandwagon. They did TONS of new things with AC that had never been done before.... But the best? No not hardly.
And now that it's under 30k subscribers (10k is the number cited by MMORPGCHART.COM with statements by turbine that it's "Closer to 30k")??? I don't see very much future for the game unless it makes a miraculous comeback. Turbine has 90k subscribers in DDO... no way are they going to keep AC on life support when they're paying off a $30-40 million development cost for DDO and still sinking money into LOTRO... No... unless AC gets a radical boost in players... SOON.... it's doomed. It's below the line where a MMO is self sustaining, even with all it's development costs paid for.
Currently Playing: Dungeons and Dragons Online.
Sig image Pending
Still in: A couple Betas
I've played AC, I was in the beta and I played it for a bit at release. It was "ok" never what I would consider "great". If it had been "The best MMO ever made" it would have eclipsed EQ, but it didn't. AC was a decent MMO and I will be the FIRST to jump on the "AC broke all kinds of new ground in the MMO industry" bandwagon. They did TONS of new things with AC that had never been done before.... But the best? No not hardly.
And now that it's under 30k subscribers (10k is the number cited by MMORPGCHART.COM with statements by turbine that it's "Closer to 30k")??? I don't see very much future for the game unless it makes a miraculous comeback. Turbine has 90k subscribers in DDO... no way are they going to keep AC on life support when they're paying off a $30-40 million development cost for DDO and still sinking money into LOTRO... No... unless AC gets a radical boost in players... SOON.... it's doomed. It's below the line where a MMO is self sustaining, even with all it's development costs paid for.
You can't base how good a game is based on the number of subscribers. If that was the case, WoW would be better than all other MMO's combined. Plus EQ and other MMO's advertised much more than AC ever did. I think a better indication on how good an MMO is are the opinions of people who played the game and retention rate. AC may have a low population now, but it's hung on for a long time, and the opinions overall of this game have been high.
IMO, AC ranks near the top of MMO's, it's just outdated. Other than EVE Online, I really haven't seen any other MMO that has peaked my interest. As a matter of fact many of the ones released in the past have gotten worse...ie....UO, SWG.
Amount of players has absolutely nothing to do with the greatness of a game. It's all about gameplay, and AC has it in a big way.
The community manager of the official forums for AC said that the Direct2Drive sale was a big success. He also said that a new advertising campaign will be starting soon. It sounds like they are finally waking up to the needs of this game.
If the game was closing down in a year, I would be playing as much as possible. I certainly wouldn't quit now. The idea that the game will shut down is a reason to play now, not to give up right away.
I've played AC, I was in the beta and I played it for a bit at release. It was "ok" never what I would consider "great". If it had been "The best MMO ever made" it would have eclipsed EQ, but it didn't. AC was a decent MMO and I will be the FIRST to jump on the "AC broke all kinds of new ground in the MMO industry" bandwagon. They did TONS of new things with AC that had never been done before.... But the best? No not hardly.
And now that it's under 30k subscribers (10k is the number cited by MMORPGCHART.COM with statements by turbine that it's "Closer to 30k")??? I don't see very much future for the game unless it makes a miraculous comeback. Turbine has 90k subscribers in DDO... no way are they going to keep AC on life support when they're paying off a $30-40 million development cost for DDO and still sinking money into LOTRO... No... unless AC gets a radical boost in players... SOON.... it's doomed. It's below the line where a MMO is self sustaining, even with all it's development costs paid for.
WOW! so what about your figures! If i am not mistaken, wasnt the figures about the same LAST year? And they still havent shut it down.
I am so glad we do not have people like you making games, because as soon as your numbers dropped below 30k you would just pull the blug wouldnt you? The people at turbine have been putting out updates and putting in countless hours for the people that i know what good gameplay is.
I hope you just remember that what elements it takes to make a good game and know that AC has them all, just because the game is dated, doesent mean that it cant be UPDATED. I hope this debate is over, because one thing stands firm.
If it wasnt for a pioneer MMO like AC, you wouldnt have alot of the games that have the sence of real good gameplay that AC posessces. And AC isnt going anywhere for a long time.
Look me up! I am : Cool Magi Dude of Morningthaw
I've played AC, I was in the beta and I played it for a bit at release. It was "ok" never what I would consider "great". If it had been "The best MMO ever made" it would have eclipsed EQ, but it didn't. AC was a decent MMO and I will be the FIRST to jump on the "AC broke all kinds of new ground in the MMO industry" bandwagon. They did TONS of new things with AC that had never been done before.... But the best? No not hardly.
And now that it's under 30k subscribers (10k is the number cited by MMORPGCHART.COM with statements by turbine that it's "Closer to 30k")??? I don't see very much future for the game unless it makes a miraculous comeback. Turbine has 90k subscribers in DDO... no way are they going to keep AC on life support when they're paying off a $30-40 million development cost for DDO and still sinking money into LOTRO... No... unless AC gets a radical boost in players... SOON.... it's doomed. It's below the line where a MMO is self sustaining, even with all it's development costs paid for.
WOW! so what about your figures! If i am not mistaken, wasnt the figures about the same LAST year? And they still havent shut it down.
No, last year it had over 40k players. The year before it had over 50k. 40k is plenty to maintain profitability. 20k is not. 10k absolutely isn't.
It isn't about whether one likes the game at this point. It's not, as I said, a bad game... it's a pretty decent game. It's just marginal as far as profitability goes. You can stick your head in the sand if you want to but AC2 already proved that Turbine won't keep a game open if it's numbers aren't high enough to maintain profitability. AC has slowly declined in numbers over the years and recently has dipped below the 'profit line' as far as number of subscribers. Turbine has as much as admitted that the game is below 30k subscribers. That MIGHT be enough to keep it on life support a little longer... but if SirBruce's number of 10k is more accurate I wouldn't hold my breath on how much longer AC has to live. If it gets down to 10k players Turbine WILL pull the plug on it. They have too much at stake with DDO and LOTRO to try to keep AC on life support with money from those games when they're still trying to pay the debts for those games off.
I know AC was a pioneer in many areas of MMO's. I was THERE. I was in beta for the game and for several months of release before I tired of it and returned to EQ at the time. The bottom line is that while it's a decent game it is *old* and it's numbers have dipped (or are very close to it) to the point where it costs more to run the game than it brings in from subscriptions. Turbine is a business. They aren't going to run the game at a loss. That is just a fact.
Currently Playing: Dungeons and Dragons Online.
Sig image Pending
Still in: A couple Betas
[quote]The bottom line is that while it's a decent game it is *old* and it's numbers have dipped (or are very close to it) to the point where it costs more to run the game than it brings in from subscriptions. Turbine is a business. They aren't going to run the game at a loss. That is just a fact.[/quote]
Firstly, your numbers about how many players make AC profitable could be easily way off. Nobody know the operating costs, and Turbine seems to keep subscribers of this game a closely guarded secret.
In addition to the advertising and direct2drive, they are also going to be upgrading server hardware for the game. Turbine is not treating the game as if it was going to be shut down. The investment of a server upgrade suggests that this game has a long future yet.
It's sad to see so many posters so out of touch with the latest news about AC. Most posters are going off information over a year old. For example, there was the guy who didn't know about the customizable chat windows. If you want to make a comment about features in the game, do your homework.
Comparing to AC2 can be a bit misleading for a few reasons.
AC2 was a M$ designed game that Turbine developed and was not close to AC1 which was completely designed by Turbine and published by M$. M$ completely rushed AC2 out the door and it never had the financial success that AC1 achieved. It's much easier to shut down a product that never made any money then one that always has potential to crack 25k subscriptions.
AC2 couldn't survive the billing migration where alot of inactive accounts that are still being billed help keep the game alive even with lower populations. AC2 dipped below 5k subs and showed absolutely no signs of being accepted by the market place with the Legions expansion sales far under what was expected.
AC1 finally can be bought through D2D for only $19.95 which was a major barrier for people that wanted to buy the game but couldn't find it in retail.
AC1 is significantly faster and cheaper to develop then AC2 was. AC1 has long paid off its dev costs and can strictly run off of Variable costs and shares the same billing and other infrasture with DDO and the soon to be launched LoTRO.
Plus the people playing now are the super hardcore players that are less like to cancel out. From my personal playing experience a few months ago before DDO came out, the population seemed to be getting bigger so I think Sir Bruce's numbers showed the trough in the pop numbers. Of course his next report on it will be very important to see if the trend actually is continuing to decline.
I think Turbine would be very smart to put this in a package deal with DDO. DDO is fun but lacks content and AC1 is fun with lots of content but lacks alot of players. So after you burn through the monthly content and modules you have AC1 to fall back on. Maybe Turbine is saving the package thing as a promotion in case sub numbers do dip below 10k.