Lets talk about Age of Conan (MMO)

[Drift3r]

I'll be honest say that I was excited at first playing the game but I eventually grew bored of it. Meh...back to EVE.

 

[Pepsei]

first character, after level 23, absolutely hated the game

second character,PoM, much better... but content is drying up at level 54 ..seriously...

crafting is so buggy, i'm canceling my account, i'm sure i'm not the only one. there is a reason you see a lot of bitch and moan on the forum. (some of the criticism is quite valid)

i could list other things but since the conan forum is now public, people can see it for themselves.

i will come back when they fix dx10, crafting, stats on gear that actually works, buff display bug, and boss loot table. this game is not a WoW killer yet.

too be fair, the game is absolutely gorgeous. the server is quite stable for the launch.

 

[Shortass]

Originally posted by: Pepsei
first character, after level 23, absolutely hated the game

second character,PoM, much better... but content is drying up at level 54 ..seriously...

crafting is so buggy, i'm canceling my account, i'm sure i'm not the only one. there is a reason you see a lot of bitch and moan on the forum. (some of the criticism is quite valid)

i could list other things but since the conan forum is now public, people can see it for themselves.

i will come back when they fix dx10, crafting, stats on gear that actually works, buff display bug, and boss loot table. this game is not a WoW killer yet.

too be fair, the game is absolutely gorgeous. the server is quite stable for the launch.

Mmh, this is what I assumed many will do. However, with the rather critical acclaim it's been getting, the somewhat rabid and rapidly growing player base, and the constant updates it looks like perhaps in 3 months when I really shouldn't be playing an MMO it will be too refined to pass over.

 

[Reckoner]

I'll return to the game in 6 months. Hopefully they change their tune on the ridiculous amount of instancing (doubtful, not sure if it's even plausible at this point), and increase the content from 40+

 

[KentState]

How will this run on a laptop with a C2D T9300 2.5ghz, Radeon HD 365, 4gig ram, on Vista 64?

 

[skulkingghost]

Iwant this game, but have too many other games to play first.

 

[Skott]

Originally posted by: PaulNEPats
I'll return to the game in 6 months. Hopefully they change their tune on the ridiculous amount of instancing (doubtful, not sure if it's even plausible at this point), and increase the content from 40+

The following letter is from Funcom's Game Director Gaute Godager, regarding Age of Conan plans for the near future.

Fellow Hyborians!

As you may have noticed we have had frequent patches the last two weeks. We hope this will soon start to quiet down, but as long as there are major issues ? and there have been ? we will dedicate the Conan team to fixing them and giving you these fixes as soon as possible! We have a plan on how to move this game forward because as you know, what you have today is but the platform ? the dawn of this world. I hope you enjoy the game as is, but I can ensure you, this is but the beginning!

Our focus from now on can be summarized by these points:

-We will add content, specifically in mid-late thirties and mid-late fifties and make the leveling speed smoother in those areas, reducing the need to grind.
-We will have an overhaul of the PvP system ? adding consequence and a host of small things.
-We are fixing bugs you reported through all channels we can get information from.
-We will add a new large outdoor region in the 55-60 range this summer! This is only a small taster! More information about the exciting summer and fall Roadmap will come the end of the next week!
-We are staffing up Customer Service, Quality Assurance and Community departments!

I will spend some words on a bit more details now.

1. Filling ?thin areas? in our content

We have seen that there are certain level ranges of these Hyborian Adventures that do not have the amount of quality we wish them to have. Most specifically these are the end of the Thirties and the end of the Fifties level ranges. We are addressing this in several ways.

-Several mid-late thirties dungeons are getting a complete overhaul (Black Castle, Pyramid of the Ancients and Treasury of the Ancients)
-Several quests are being made fuller and more entertaining. If people wish to revisit these quests, we will add a system to let them try them out again.
-We are adding first a batch of quests in Eiglophian Mountains (lvls 55+)
-We are also adding in a bunch of quests that didn?t quite make it for launch in the 30+ areas.
-Around 60 quests through the game have been flagged as ?Lore Quests?. They will now be patched out with full Voice-Over. (Roughly 1 quest per level after level 20)

All this will come in June! In July the first level 80 additional Dungeon will be patched out. More on that later?

2. Overhauling the PvP System

People like our open PvP system. There are many plans on how to give this open free PvP even more meaning and Purpose. In the meantime we will be doing some smaller tweaks, and we plan to get these out sometimes in June. I will not go into 100% detail here, but that will come next week! What I can promise is:

-An update on how sneaking and perception works in PvP (nothing major, but an adjustment).
-A change in the amount of information you get when you hover over an other player.
-An added system of consequence to ?ganking?. (Killing much-much lower level players).
-A system of adding consequence to losing a PvP match, and winning a PvP match + turning on PvP Leveling.
-A change in how Crowd Control (Root, Knockback etc) works in PvP.
PvP gear.


3. New Massive Region

We will unveil this location later, but it will feature a host of quests, new monsters and places of dreams or horror. It will be styled towards the players in the late 50s and bridge the experience on the way to Atzels Approach. We have plans for releasing several of the areas that didn?t quite make it for the release.


4. Fixing bugs and increasing Customer Service

Funcom has always prided ourselves with having great customer satisfaction. The success so far for this title has left us with the need to increase the size of CS. This will go in parallel with the constant fixing of bugs and other issues that lead people to petition. Included in this is even better testing of the game by increasing the size of Quality Assurance and informing you better about changes by staffing up the Community Department. I know a blurb like this will haunt me always, but I will still venture one: We aren?t satisfied until all our customers are! You know we had a very, very difficult launch of Anarchy-Online! That was a very painful process for all of us working on it ? 4 years. You might not understand how driven we are to make sure you enjoy this game, and all the support around it!

The future is very bright for Hyboria. There will be many bright mornings following this, the very first. Together we shall surge ahead and build the world even bigger, better and more detailed!

Yours truly,

Gaute Godager

Game Director
Age of Conan, Funcom

 

[hooflung]

The best thing about Age of Conan is that after 13 days that there are so many whiners about the game not being complete on launch as if this was the first game in the history of MMOs to never do so. Like an MMO is supposed to be complete when it launches. I guess thats ok if you expect a prepackaged pile of shit like Guild Wars 1 was which was nothing more than a loby room for meaningless PVP or a 20 hour story arc.

Conan has a lot of flaws, but is pretty good despite it. Just like EVE was/is. Just like WoW was/is.

 

[ivan2]

I am lvl 30 and starting to hit some pretty nasty bugs. Last night my radar werent working half of the night. Questing is becoming a bitch because it's hard to find the NPC to return to and I have to rely on my group to navigate the map.

Player summoning is not working, nor is instance switching. Althought re-logging will enable instance switching again, it's annoying.

I will compare it more along the line of SWG launch rather than WoW launch, because I don't really remember many game breaking flaws in WoW, other than my hunter being fubared in solo pvp... It's fun, but annoying.

 

[Pepsei]

Originally posted by: hooflung
The best thing about Age of Conan is that after 13 days that there are so many whiners about the game not being complete on launch as if this was the first game in the history of MMOs to never do so. Like an MMO is supposed to be complete when it launches. I guess thats ok if you expect a prepackaged pile of shit like Guild Wars 1 was which was nothing more than a loby room for meaningless PVP or a 20 hour story arc.

Conan has a lot of flaws, but is pretty good despite it. Just like EVE was/is. Just like WoW was/is.

the game has been in the making for what 3~4 years. and it seems like the most basic thing, primary stats, are broken, it is funny you mention prepackaged shit like guild wars.. at times i feel like playing guild wars with mortal kombat.

wow, eq had working stats in the beginning, they had working crafting....

i want to like this game, i gave it a second chance by playing another class, loved the first 50 levels...but all the good things (very stable servers, graphics, music, lore, and well polished content in tortage) can't overcome all the negatives with this game.

have you look at the aoc forum? filled with endless whines about this game (which i do expect for a new mmo, but not this much)

my personal issues with this game (warning, wall of text)

1. Stats are either broken or turned off. wisdom is suppose to affect my magic rating, i can be naked or fully geared with lvl 50 stuff that adds about ~30 wisdom, and my magic rating does not move a point. same with STR, DEX. I'm better off using +hp +mana gear since they do work.

2. Crafting issues, good thing they make it so that only lvl 40+ can craft, less complaints. Gem crafted items cause a crash anytime you mouse over it, i'm glad they're fixing this in the next patch.

3.Mounts are buggy. Fighting on horseback isnt really an option at this point, well, you can use it to kick people off the cliff, that's funny in pvp, see the video in another thread. It's really a donkey that funcom painted as a horse.

4. Many quests are broken or get bugged out. the two final pyramid quests, the wounded child, the 3 people you have to kill in old Tarantia, etc. are the ones that really annoyed me. I snuck into epic instance later to finish the wounded child.

5. Some higher-level quests are exploitable. reason why there are many 80's already.

6. travel time. love the quick travel time, but hey, if you want to get to eggplant mountain from tarantia... be prepared for ~20+ minutes of travel (this is including the horrible donkey/horse mount and the suicide express)

7. Features advertised on the box that aren't in-game, dx10, sieging, free guest pass (understandable).

8.Minimap gets bugged out, can't see teammates on your radar unless they are within a close distance. Can't change instances unless you're standing on the rez pad (as oppose to 5 meters away like the screen says)

9. The latest patch introduced so many bugs, it's not even funny. Mobs disappear when theyre 2 feet away from you, stamina potions that can be used over and over again (everlasting stamina potion bug), buff that does not disappear after it expires, it stays on the screen with your newly casted buff of the same name.

10. The mobs get bugged out. I'm sure you've seen it - a creature or NPC will be flailing his arms, looking like he's swimming on land. (happens frequently in one of the tortage instance)

11. The armor looks crappy. This game was supposed to have over 1400 armor sets or something. Well, it might. Too bad they gave 95% of them to the NPC's, and made a level 20 looks the same as a level 60. I've love to have the armors that the old tarantia guard uses. or that whore's purple dress in Tortage for my priest.

12. Lack of content after 53 for me... the early level were amazing, i had so many quests that my quest log was full. right now i have 3-4 red ones that i can't do. i'm not counting the fake daily quests or the 'wanted poster' quests that's just grind in disguise.

I think the game will be great after they fix most of the issues. but if you can look past most of the issues, give it a try.

 

[wheresmybacon]

I'm really enjoying this game so far. I have a level 16 HoX and an 18 conq. I just got the game this week so I'm trying out different classes.

My only complaint so far is PvP. Rangers and Tempests of Set are completely out of control from what I've seen. Also what's the deal with water? I had this guy nearly dead, so he goes and jumps in the water. I can't melee him, so we just sit there and stare at eachother in the water while he regens. Great system. You get in trouble, just find some water and you're good. Alright!

I'm having the most fun I've ever had in an MMO leveling, by far. That will keep me occupied for a while.

 

[FerraraZ]

Originally posted by: hungfarover
I'm really enjoying this game so far. I have a level 16 HoX and an 18 conq. I just got the game this week so I'm trying out different classes.

My only complaint so far is PvP. Rangers and Tempests of Set are completely out of control from what I've seen. Also what's the deal with water? I had this guy nearly dead, so he goes and jumps in the water. I can't melee him, so we just sit there and stare at eachother in the water while he regens. Great system. You get in trouble, just find some water and you're good. Alright!

I'm having the most fun I've ever had in an MMO leveling, by far. That will keep me occupied for a while.

Thats when u pull out a bow or a throwable weapon and hit him with it. If he's running away from u and gets hit with a ranged weapon he's slowed down 50 percent.

 

[Phobic9]

Originally posted by: Pepsei

Originally posted by: hooflung

my personal issues with this game (warning, wall of text)

<snip>

Completely agree. That being said, I'm going to come back in a few months. I got to level 62 and I just don't feel like grinding out the last 18 levels. It may seem like people are powerleveling in this game but any MMO vet can easily hit 80 relatively quickly.

The next time I log in, there should be plenty more things to do and more should be working at least.

 

[mirakuliksis]

Someone have 2 trial code's I can have?

 

[ViviTheMage]

I dont think ill be paying for my next month...got an archer up to mid 40s, a few other charas to 20, and am not really feeling it...so since I sold all of my wow accounts, I will reroll a hunter, for fun this time.

 

[PepePeru]

my biggest gripe so far is how long it took to install.

first part is not the game, but i HAD to be done or damn near close to the first DVD and my freaking power goes out for a split second.

so, im thinking, maybe the installer is smart and knows where it left off....NOPE. had to delete the dir and start fresh.

so, there's +20 mins or so.

so i get the two dvds worth installed & then the patching begins...now, my internet has been really crappy & slow as of late, but i know i can pull more than 105k when d/l a 680 meg patch, 105k/sec sucks it.

so, all in all, i started installing the game around 6pm. I was finally logged in and playing about 915. they really need to give you an option to begin downloading the patches while the game is installing....

 

[Phobic9]

Originally posted by: mirakuliksis
Someone have 2 trial code's I can have?

They aren't working yet but I'm sure you'll have no problems getting a code whenever Funcom activates them. I have 2 sitting around right now myself.

 

[mirakuliksis]

Okey. You have any idea when Funcome gonna activate trial?

 

[Xed]

I restarted on a pvp server, gives things a little more pizazz.

The game needs many months of polish and bug fixes but it's not bad.

 

[ViviTheMage]

Originally posted by: mirakuliksis
Okey. You have any idea when Funcome gonna activate trial?

no one does

 

[Pepsei]

just posted - the trial key will only be activated after they have enough servers. and even then only the collector's edition guest passes first.

also, the latest stealth patch really sucks. if you're level 60 and want to go finish Sanctum of burning souls quests or farm blues... good luck, mobs will now hit you hard and kill you. oh well... , at least they didn't nerf my class yet.

 

[DangerAardvark]

Originally posted by: hooflung
The best thing about Age of Conan is that after 13 days that there are so many whiners about the game not being complete on launch as if this was the first game in the history of MMOs to never do so. Like an MMO is supposed to be complete when it launches. I guess thats ok if you expect a prepackaged pile of shit like Guild Wars 1 was which was nothing more than a loby room for meaningless PVP or a 20 hour story arc.

Conan has a lot of flaws, but is pretty good despite it. Just like EVE was/is. Just like WoW was/is.

They say that about every new MMO: "Don't judge it so soon after launch." Then a month passes, and crafting is still shit. Two months passes, still no endgame content. 3 months passes and gameplay oversights still go unfixed. Next thing you know it's 6 months later and the game's dead in the water. I'm not even talking about AoC here. This pattern repeats itself endlessly.

I'm not saying AoC will follow this pattern, but the days of giving MMO's the benefit of the doubt are over. I thought Tabula Rasa was fun too... for 2 weeks.

 

[BadRobot]

i already canceled my sub and started playing eve again. Game was ok i guess. Oblivion kept me interested way longer that conan did.

 

[Naeeldar]

Originally posted by: DangerAardvark

Originally posted by: hooflung
The best thing about Age of Conan is that after 13 days that there are so many whiners about the game not being complete on launch as if this was the first game in the history of MMOs to never do so. Like an MMO is supposed to be complete when it launches. I guess thats ok if you expect a prepackaged pile of shit like Guild Wars 1 was which was nothing more than a loby room for meaningless PVP or a 20 hour story arc.

Conan has a lot of flaws, but is pretty good despite it. Just like EVE was/is. Just like WoW was/is.

They say that about every new MMO: "Don't judge it so soon after launch." Then a month passes, and crafting is still shit. Two months passes, still no endgame content. 3 months passes and gameplay oversights still go unfixed. Next thing you know it's 6 months later and the game's dead in the water. I'm not even talking about AoC here. This pattern repeats itself endlessly.

I'm not saying AoC will follow this pattern, but the days of giving MMO's the benefit of the doubt are over. I thought Tabula Rasa was fun too... for 2 weeks.

They've been making some changes already... some have gone in already to fix the caster classes (demon/necro) and more are planned. According to the developers post/schedule most recently they should have a huge content patch to fix some of the issues at mid level this month and another big one for higher levels in July.

Time will tell but they certainly seem to be aware of the issues that are there.

 

[TurnX]

Originally posted by: Naeeldar

Originally posted by: DangerAardvark

Originally posted by: hooflung
The best thing about Age of Conan is that after 13 days that there are so many whiners about the game not being complete on launch as if this was the first game in the history of MMOs to never do so. Like an MMO is supposed to be complete when it launches. I guess thats ok if you expect a prepackaged pile of shit like Guild Wars 1 was which was nothing more than a loby room for meaningless PVP or a 20 hour story arc.

Conan has a lot of flaws, but is pretty good despite it. Just like EVE was/is. Just like WoW was/is.

They say that about every new MMO: "Don't judge it so soon after launch." Then a month passes, and crafting is still shit. Two months passes, still no endgame content. 3 months passes and gameplay oversights still go unfixed. Next thing you know it's 6 months later and the game's dead in the water. I'm not even talking about AoC here. This pattern repeats itself endlessly.

I'm not saying AoC will follow this pattern, but the days of giving MMO's the benefit of the doubt are over. I thought Tabula Rasa was fun too... for 2 weeks.

They've been making some changes already... some have gone in already to fix the caster classes (demon/necro) and more are planned. According to the developers post/schedule most recently they should have a huge content patch to fix some of the issues at mid level this month and another big one for higher levels in July.

Time will tell but they certainly seem to be aware of the issues that are there.

I think they are defiantly aware of the issues, however my main concern is how long its going to take to really get the game where it needs to be. I think most can agree that the game was released before it should have been, which unfortunately seems to be the trend these days with really high budget MMOs. The fact that they are aware is really a step in the right direction, however if they sit on it for too long they may end up losing a lot of people.

Its really a sad state a lot of these games get into... They are out of production money so they have to release the game early to start making some money. At the same time very few people will keep paying for a game that is unfinished. I really hope AoC can pull it together as I had a great time playing through the lower level stuff, and hopefully if I decide to play it again down the road it will still be there.