This wouldn't have happened for a little while yet as I was four silvers from having enough money to buy the horse and training book, but due the kindness of another player I am finally able to ride. Believe me a horse is an essential in this HUGE world, not only for getting around faster, but it also comes in useful for galloping at full tilt through a group of enemies if you have to, or want to pass them without fighting.
Handling the horse is so much easier than in any game I've played to date. So smooth and intuitive. Plus it has reins and stirrups for that extra bit of realism. Since I'm a free player I only get basic training, but there are options for normal dismounting, obviously, and for an extra fast dismount if you happen to be caught out by an enemy or just want to get into the action. The horse can climb slopes the player has difficulty with and can go into cities or in fact anywhere really.
What led to this is another player asked me to team up for a couple of quests in the Fields of the Dead which is the burial grounds of my race and clan and has been desecrated by enemy forces and evil magic. I was admiring his black horse and mentioned that I was just a few silvers away from getting my own and to my utter surprise he opened a Trade Window and gave me the rest of the coin I needed. Then he waited while I went away across the continent to buy my steed. When I returned he also gave me a heap of potions and some armour he has no further use for at his level. We then went on to decimate groups of werewolves and their bosses to save a dying man from his nightmares of being bitten and losing his comrades to a grisly death.
This was a big deal to me because making money is HARD and I've been hoarding what I have and not buying anything so I could get the horse. I've been relying on potions, weapons, armour and other drops from enemies to survive and if I say so myself doing very well considering I'm now level 47....just over halfway to the level limit. Not that the fun stops there as there's so much more to do and discover afterwards.
I've since learned however that taking on resource gathering and trade skills as early as possible is a good way to make money because you can sell what you gather or create. I haven't chosen a trade yet, but I am now gathering resources for future use and some drop from enemies as well. I didn't know or actually realize that until much later than I should have despite reading the forums and anything else I can find about the game.
I won't mention the player character's name in case he wouldn't want me to, but if he ever reads this he'll know who he is since I've mentioned my character name in other posts....lol....thanks! It goes to show kindness exists even in a game, and I have to say I was taken by surprise by it considering some negative stuff I've heard about online games, none of which seems to apply to AOC by the way. Anyway, this player is several levels above me and has also given me some useful game tips since I'm still a newbie to this game in a lot of ways.
This game is hard for a beginner, but tactics and other strategies have paid off and allowed me to move forward pretty well. It's also a very social game which I really like so you don't have to go it alone, and in fact you often need comrades to complete many quests as it's impossible otherwise. Group quests are a lot of fun as well. The game's quest manager tells you if a quest requires a group or can be done alone so there's no confusion there. There's so much to discover and learn and so much further to go. I can't see myself getting sick of it anytime soon.
Here's a pic of my new horse. As far as I'm aware I can't give him/her a name but I'll think of a fitting one for a brave steed.
This is what I'd really die for...not literally..lol. I think I posted a pic already but here's another one. I have to subscribe to be able to have one though as free players can only have a basic horse.
Just for something different here's a screen shot taken last week in a dungeon. The poor "bloody" guy was trapped beneath a stone door that crashed down on him and ...errrr..severed his top from his lower half. It wasn't my doing. I had to break the door down to get through which is why it doesn't show now.
A little less grisly... a tree. XD.
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