Where is everyone?

[Adjanah]

Summed up briefly, I can say these things for AoC in the state I've experienced it in:

Combat is lovely. Much more hands-on and chunky than we're used to. I foresee plenty of people whining about it, but I for one love it.

If it DOES come out in May, be ready for a buggy and not-quite-finished game. From what I've seen so far, it could easily use several months more on the test bed. But even so, it has captured me utterly. Stuff has "real" sizes, everything is beautifully designed, there is a LOT of different clothing, character customization is great, and it just REEKS of lore. And, keep in mind, that while a buggy and not-quite finished game isn't *optimal*, it is still how many MMO's start. Give it time.

And as for upgrading and giving up on old computers, it has been built to cater to a LOT of different machines. Yes, it will require more power than, say, WoW, but it should run on most machines even so.

The zoning takes some getting used to, but it is no worse than in EQ2, and they actually have good reasoning behind it. Mechanically, it makes it easier to make of course, and allows for more people online. And if you want an actual EXPLANATION why there are zones, it is because these zones are not designed to lie right next to each other like in WoW or LotRO. WoW and LotRO make their worlds tiny by linking everything together. AoC are putting their zones hundreds and thousands of miles apart, with metaphorical travel between them, and leaving the option open for developing the spots inbetween later. I for one love it. Since it is impossible to build the ENTIRE world, I'd rather we focus on the interesting bits, and don't artificially make them smaller than they should be.

I say chin up and let's take it for a spin. I got a very very good feeling about it, and that's what matters most to me really, no matter what people whine about.

[kellidir]

I'm mostly following the crowd right now. I am looking forward to AoC, and I will remember to get me a collectors edition if I can.

I suppose mostly I'm just dissappointed in the way that LOTRO has been handled. Bree is just horrible to travel through now. Housing and civie clothing just feel so limited. the first big expansion is a gloried huge dungeon when the game already has too many oversized and badly designed dungeons as it it. Lotro is pretty, i'll play it when i've got nothing better to play. But I certainly wouldn't pay a subscription for it. Which is where the lifetime membership kicks in.

[Archibold]

Thanks Adjanah

You do , though , pretty much confirm what i was thinking. Combat is a big deal in AOC. It is very borderline,
some will absolutely love it , and other will hate it. And there is no way to know until you actually try it hands on.
As for zones/ing It is ok , and does not concern me to much. What does concern me though , is the "sameness" factor. From what i see AOC will not differ from lotro/wow/eq at all.Same Quest/grind/raid/craft - with better graphic and different combat system. I hoped that in 2008 we will finally be graced with advanced virtual world.

But well. The fact that PC requirements are scalable as you say , is a good news. So i will have to dish less money into PC upgrade. That is good

[Lildarwen]

I was always a big fan of zones. Why? Reason is very simple.

Look at WoW for example.... all the mobs are the same. Different textures, different colours - but still the same mesh. That's because they have an overall world and it would simple blow up their database to have dozens of different mobs in zones, where they are not needed. So it is an overall of 3 BIG zones.

EQ always had the advantage that they can use different textures / meshes in each zone you enter. That makes EQ2 so lovely.

And for the point of AoC being the 'same' as the other big games.... I see there IS a difference. The difference is the world itself. Look for LotRO.. to play a roleplaying storyarc still binds you to the overall story... and the overall story is that we are stuck in the ringwar. That depresses after some time, because nothing moves forward.

In Hyberborea we can write our OWN story.... we have a world but nothing is given (except Conan being king of Aquilonia). We can strive for whatever we want... we can build our own universe. And FINALLY we can have player cities again...

For the rest... I really see no way to avoid the grinding and itemhunting - because it's the base every MMO exists upon. Levelling and evolving your character...

All I want is some fantastic roleplay with people I like and can trust.

Counting the days...

[Adjanah]

*nods at Arch and Lilly*

Combat is very much a big part of the game. It is heavily pvp-centrered, and it is the world of Conan afterall, which is indeed a brutal, unforgiving place. I still haven't ventured outside the starter zones yet since I want to save as much as possible for the actual release, so I can only comment on what I've seen so far, but I don't think it will be a big problem, even for an old carebear like me. It will take getting used to, but I think we will like it in time.

And yes, AoC is an MMO more or less built on the same foundation as WoW or LotRO. It is NOT a revolution in gaming at all, BUT it is taking some brave steps in new directions. There will be grinding, of course there will, and there will be quests of the variety of "Kill ten boars". I say come for the world and the lore and the rp, and do the rest in the amounts that you like. Because it is BEAUTIFUL, the world ROCKS and I think it is going to be a blast.

[Haelewulf]

Recommending that either this be shifted into the AoC forum, or locked down, since the original topic has long since vanished.

[Adjanah]

Right you are, Wulf. Topic closed, I think Ember got her question answered anyway. ^^