Age of Conan : Hyborian Adventures (MMO)

[Quillan]

They don't really tell you what's going on in the Noble District until you start getting quests over there, which won't happen until around level 40. The scenery is absolutely gorgeous no matter where you go. Wait till you see Conall's Valley in Cimmeria.

[FrostyBoy]

Good thing i'm Cimmerian then.

[vee4473]

Well, bump to say that I really do enjoy the game. The combat is alot of fun for my barbarian. The combos plus directionals are a fun twist and alot of the combat animations are just downright fun. Not being able to do fatalities at will is a bit disappointing though. When it happens it doesn't get old though.

My main problem at this point with the game is the fact that you need 3 keys (upper right, overhead, upper left) just to do basic attacks (5 at later levels for lower right and left). This coupled with the fact that mouse buttons can't be hotkeyed makes it all the worse. Trying to find 3-5 keys to hotkey just for white attacks, then more for combos is a bit much. I'm getting super carpal.

I haven't made it past the mid 30's, so yeah, I can't comment on that, but the game is fun. The switch from voice overs in noob island to text is a little much though.

I have to say that pvp is more fun than I thought. Probably because I am having more success than I had in wow. Not sure why....

The FFA pvp is a bit intense, in that everyone you meet can attack at any time. No factions to be a part of, just see someone and not know whether they will attack. It's odd because at least in wow you were a part of a faction and you could hate the other side. In AOC, it's more like "i'm not sure who you are, so i'll just watch you and keep an eye out". Like I said though, i've been jumped by even levels and a few higher and actually won, so maybe something is right in this AOC mess...The knockbacks are great..

The main thing that makes me wonder about this game though is the female attack discrepancy (they hit for less damage). And this post by devs makes the red flags go up to full mast in high wind...http://forums.ageofconan.com/showthread.php?p=1314180

This was seriously overlooked in beta? I can't seem to wrap my head around it.

Anyway, the bottom line for me is that I am having a blast really in the game, but there is still something itching at the back of my neck about it all...can't put my finger on it yet though....

I've basically been playing lotro and AOC for a pvp fix for now.

[Quillan]

I think the vast majority of the beta testers were male, and aside from female characters made for eye candy, the vast majority of the characters were male too. It wasn't until a couple of weeks ago that this was even noticed.

[DrSpike]

Shouldn't females hit for less damage though? They can make up for it with better cooking skills.

[vee4473]

Originally posted by DrSpike
Shouldn't females hit for less damage though? They can make up for it with better cooking skills.

You jest (I think), but there were some suggestions on the AOC forums that females should swing slower and do less damage, but have higher dexterity, agility etc...so they are more effective in those regards.

I laughed at first, but it could be interesting if an mmo grabbed the gonads and actually implements legitimate differences between the sexes.

One thing AOC did beat WoW on is the forums. The AOC general is pure gold lately. I thought wow general could never be beat.

AOC general killed wow general. Not a feat to be taken lightly.

[FrostyBoy]

I'd also like to add one more thing that kind of impressed me.

I stopped my ranger at level 30 and started a new game, this time as Barbarian.

And i'm not kidding, but almost every quest I have done was completely different to my previous game with the Ranger. Initially I was worried I would have to do all the same quests all over again. I don't know how the dev's managed to squeeze so many quests into one area, but they did.

Btw, my name is Alpine on the Cimmerian RP server, I am the one with no shirt and a skirt. And I am happy I managed to secure the guild name Highlanders. I had a hilarious time recruiting people - basically, my rule is; you can't join my guild unless you pass a test and you must remain shirtless (only if you're male), this is to show that you don't need armour to win a fight, that you're not a sissy.

So far I have recruited only 2 people, because I make it kind of hard to get in; to past the test, I will ask you to strip you of your clothes, then make you attack a certain number of some NPC; if you pass, I will let you in. I do it this way because I want people who are good, not just recruit anybody, (Brotherhood). It's great fun and they have a good time fighting naked. Not easy either, I have asked about 10 people so far, 8 have failed.

[vee4473]

Just to share this, the other night I was in the underhalls on an alt and an assassin player character came out of stealth and attacked me. I saw him, but I still haven't gotten the hotkeys situated like I like so I stalled..excuses excuses, i know.

He triggered a fatality and all I saw was my toon getting stabbed in the throat by the assassin's dagger, having it ripped out with gory detail and my toon slumping to the ground. The assassin then walked away.

Maybe that's why it's so fun for now.

If i'm gonna die in pvp, that's the video game way to go baby.

[DrSpike]

Originally posted by vee4473


You jest (I think), but there were some suggestions on the AOC forums that females should swing slower and do less damage, but have higher dexterity, agility etc...so they are more effective in those regards.

I laughed at first, but it could be interesting if an mmo grabbed the gonads and actually implements legitimate differences between the sexes.

Interesting but hard to balance across classes I think. If say warriors were always better as a male character and rogues were always better as a dextrous agile female then the debates would be endless.

[Zero]

didn't like it. Game reminds me of MK. and combat sys reminded me of KI. Combo system really brought in the skillz~ :rolleye: am i rite?

oh who am i kiddin, using fighter analogies in civ forum.... maybe drspike will translate.

anyways games not bad. still dont like it. its not geared toward my type of liking (even though they say it is). Plus, I just have hard time liking games these days to begin with (part of being older and grumpier) so maybe its that too.

[DrSpike]

Originally posted by Zero
didn't like it. Game reminds me of MK. and combat sys reminded me of KI. Combo system really brought in the skillz~ :rolleye: am i rite?

oh who am i kiddin, using fighter analogies in civ forum.... maybe drspike will translate.

He means that the combos are too automatic and the finishing moves are derivative.

[vee4473]

Originally posted by Zero
didn't like it. Game reminds me of MK. and combat sys reminded me of KI. Combo system really brought in the skillz~ :rolleye: am i rite?

oh who am i kiddin, using fighter analogies in civ forum.... maybe drspike will translate.

anyways games not bad. still dont like it. its not geared toward my type of liking (even though they say it is). Plus, I just have hard time liking games these days to begin with (part of being older and grumpier) so maybe its that too.

Your grumpiness is probably the culprit. I've felt that same syndrome.

But, I agree in that it isn't a bad game at all. But, it leaves a wanting feeling as I said earlier.

The combat system is fun (as long as you can find a way to configure hotkeys to your liking). People wanted something more than auto attack, they got it. A work in progress, yes, but a fun one. It turns the typical mmo fare into something at least fun to look at.

MK? KI? not hardly, but it is a new concept in mmos and deserves its kudos regardless of what you think of it. Kinda like the WII. They tried something new, something that so many have been asking for, but decide to trash it when it appears.

Unfortunately, the combat is ALL AOC has going for it. The rest is "been there, done that" trash gameplay.