As much as I have enjoyed playing Age of Conan, there are just too many problems with the game at the moment for me to continue which is a bit sad because I really do like it a lot. After several months the novelty has finally worn off, mainly because of the game's current problems. It surprised me really that I stayed with it so long which does, I suppose, say how good a game it is, IMHO.
The gloss wears off pretty quickly for me with most games unless they have something really special or can be modded. Repetitive play isn't usually my thing, but AOC does have a lot of variety so it was fairly easy to stay involved. Trouble is it has too many problems at the present.
The latest patch which was a huge update to the game engine among other things, was really the last straw. I was thinking of subscribing and kept putting it off, but now I've finally decided I won't be going ahead. Bit sad really because I would like to have seen and played with the Premium content, but it's just too annoyingly unstable and I have other games that don't cause me so much aggravation....and they don't cost a monthly fee plus more if I wanted to buy other exclusive content. I can only guess how paying customers are feeling. Actually, going by the forums I don't really have to guess.
That's another thing. If you're looking for info on the game or solutions to problems, don't bother with the Funcom official forums. The majority of important info is way out of date and is mostly from 2008 despite that there have been many changes to classes, game play and other areas in the interim. It's a very unfriendly and in my opinion, rude and spiteful place that would make any new player feel immediately unwelcome, except for a very few members who actually do try to help.
The game is supposed to be very well supported by a huge player base so they would have people believe, yet the forums are almost empty. Questions either don't get an answer or some smart ass with an inferiority complex feels the need to shoot the person down to make themselves feel better, or the topic just veers off into bitching and off topic crap. There are a lot of whiners who keep saying they will never play again, withdraw or not renew their subs and generally seem to enjoy making life hard for others, yet if they hate the game as much as they say, why do they hang around?......makes one wonder what their RL life is like...no, not really, it must be a very sad and dreary one. Just more cases of internet anonymity and fake personas. I'm glad I'm not a member and don't plan to be. Forums and I don't get along terribly well and that one definitely ruffles my feathers the wrong way.
From what I see and read there's a lot of resentment from paying players towards free to play people, but without the f2p players the game would be almost empty. As it is I play at night which is prime time in the US or so I gather, (I'm in Australia) and I find it difficult to find other players to team with. Entire zones are often empty or have just a few people playing and that's very often over a span of 8 hours because that's how long some of my play sessions are. I'm talking about weekends when more people would most likely be playing, not so much during the week when it's expected to be quieter.
Funcom recently gave free players permanent access passes to some premium dungeons. The only reason I can see for that is so other players can get a team together to do them because I've seen it mentioned and complained about, for good reason, by premium players on the forums. The Sanctum of Burning Souls is one such popular dungeon. While as a free player I appreciate the sentiment, it's still not easy to find others to team with to raid the group dungeons.
Between server restarts every night during prime time (which have settled down to 12 hourly) to CTD's, freezes, memory leaks, audio loop crashes, lost inventory space and items, lost friends lists, messed up trader transactions and missing items in the mail system, severe lag and rubber banding, crashes on certain bosses and at death, to list some of the problems, it gets really frustrating.
Thunder River especially around the Prison Colony pre patch was a stuttering slide show, but I did read it's not so bad now and it certainly couldn't have been much worse. Being rubber banded into the river from a bridge or off a cliff to my death due to whatever the problem is...lag or bad optimization, is BAD. It's always in the same places like the bottom of the palisades and on bridges over the water, which I think is half the problem, so it really needs looking into even more. There's a huge thread devoted to it, but nothing seems to change.
I was highly annoyed to find my level 71 Barbarian had lost more than half a page of resource inventory space and therefore a lot of rare materials for alchemy and armour crafting. She also lost some normal inventory space even after having previously purchased a larger bag at an in game merchant, and therefore items I had in my bag are gone or unusable. Another player suggested I petition it but what would be the point as I wouldn't get the items back and I've since found it's not just me but others as well, including Premium players.
My other character, a Guardian who is now at level 58 is doing gem cutting and weapon crafting so both characters have complementary crafts and can send things to each other via the Trader. However, now with so much resource space gone it seems pointless to continue as gems, metals and other resources need a lot of room. Free players only get a basic inventory and very little other storage anyway so losing what I already have on top of the other problems is not inspiring me to subscribe.
And then there's the 2 gold limit for f2p, but that's another story and not a glitch from the patch.
My friends list is now empty which is a pain because I thought at first I'd been dropped from their lists and felt a bit let down for a bit...lol, wondering what I'd done.. Then I find this is also affecting others including premium players, as are the other problems. Trouble is I haven't bothered to write the names down and some have unusual spelling so I can't really search for them and just have to hope I come across them sometime which seems unlikely now.
Anyway, I'll probably not be playing until I read that the game has been fixed and is back to it's mostly stable Pre 1.3.3 patch condition. At least Skyrim's problems are being sorted albeit it in a roundabout backward fashion and I can lose myself in the snowy wilderness fighting dragons. That's also another story of woe and much gnashing of collective teeth....lol.
Showing posts with label Age of Conan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Age of Conan. Show all posts
Monday, 12 December 2011
Saturday, 22 October 2011
Armour Crafting in AOC
I'm just about to hit level 57 in Age of Conan and have only just decided to take up Armour Crafting despite that I read on the official forums it's hard work gathering some of the resources. Various kinds of leather being the main ones. I could have started crafting at level 40 but couldn't decide what I wanted to do...lol.
I think it will come in useful though as I can, if they want it, supply my guild with any armour they may need as self crafted armour is much better than you get in drops and has gem slots. Other than that I can sell it but it probably wouldn't be very lucrative considering there's probably a large number of others doing the same thing. I mainly want it for my own use, for my guild and basically just the experience to try it out even if gathering resources is a bit of a grind sometimes.
It was either that or weapon smithing, but armour is probably more useful. I can buy or trade rare weapons (or anything else) from the Trader screen where players put them up for sale, and I've sold a few things myself that way, but I wanted to try another trade so I chose armour. There's also the option to trade player to player directly so there are plenty of ways to do things.
I'm already an Alchemist so as long as I can get the ingredients, I can supply my own potions. In the early levels up to around level 40 or so, I never bought anything from merchants and relied solely on drops (except for Epic and very rare ones I assume), because I was saving for my horse, but now I have one and have reached higher levels I'm finding a stock of potions is heavily required to survive.
Most ingredients for all crafts can be purchased from merchants, but there are very rare ones that need to be found via quests or taken off the cold, dead bodies of enemies. The most used recipes come from trainers, but there are also rare ones that are drops from bosses or I believe can be bought and sold from other players at the Trader screen.
There's so much to do and learn in this game and I'm still only Free to Play which I hope to remedy in a couple of months. I'm still a MMO newbie...lol.
I think it will come in useful though as I can, if they want it, supply my guild with any armour they may need as self crafted armour is much better than you get in drops and has gem slots. Other than that I can sell it but it probably wouldn't be very lucrative considering there's probably a large number of others doing the same thing. I mainly want it for my own use, for my guild and basically just the experience to try it out even if gathering resources is a bit of a grind sometimes.
It was either that or weapon smithing, but armour is probably more useful. I can buy or trade rare weapons (or anything else) from the Trader screen where players put them up for sale, and I've sold a few things myself that way, but I wanted to try another trade so I chose armour. There's also the option to trade player to player directly so there are plenty of ways to do things.
I'm already an Alchemist so as long as I can get the ingredients, I can supply my own potions. In the early levels up to around level 40 or so, I never bought anything from merchants and relied solely on drops (except for Epic and very rare ones I assume), because I was saving for my horse, but now I have one and have reached higher levels I'm finding a stock of potions is heavily required to survive.
Most ingredients for all crafts can be purchased from merchants, but there are very rare ones that need to be found via quests or taken off the cold, dead bodies of enemies. The most used recipes come from trainers, but there are also rare ones that are drops from bosses or I believe can be bought and sold from other players at the Trader screen.
There's so much to do and learn in this game and I'm still only Free to Play which I hope to remedy in a couple of months. I'm still a MMO newbie...lol.
Saturday, 8 October 2011
Games Bosses...Arrrggg!!!
What is it with game bosses??? In particular at this moment bosses in Age of Conan, but any game really. I hate them.
It's rapidly becoming my opinion that they are basically cowards and scaredy cats who can't take on a puny warrior single handed without help when they realize they are about to lose.
For example I'm trying to kill the Blood Defiler Guardian in my Destiny Quest which is a single player quest, and when I get him to 50% health he knocks me down and runs back to his pool of blood to heal and before I can get up he's back at 100%. I've poisoned the blood pool as part of the quest requires yet he's still a pain in the rear....literally. I'll get him though and stay in the cave if it takes me forever as I've tried to get through this instance several times. It's part of my main quest so I can regain my memories and lost abilities according to the main story.
The first few times was my own fault because being a newbie I didn't realize I wasn't using my combos properly. Fixed that and killed the other baddies with no problem even when they came in pairs and even though they are leveled exactly to me for this quest. I had big problems with the Arch Mage in the same area because of this, but he was a pushover when I finally got it right. He also summons huge snakes to help him when he starts losing....didn't work this time buddy. Ahhhahaha!!!
UPDATE: I got the Blood Defiler Guardian this time. The trick was to lure him so far away from the blood pool that he couldn't get back to it in time to regenerate after he knocked me down and I was able to chase and catch him before he could get back. Also laying into him and running to keep him away from the blood pool helped me to regain stamina which was my main problem as I couldn't use combos without it. I had plenty of stamina potions but they didn't work fast enough unless I ran and kept him following me so I could also regen stamina. I tried that before, or so I thought, but this time it worked on the second try. Yay!!
It felt SO good and like I really achieved something that I was starting to think was almost impossible.
I hate bosses in general in games. Another example is a boss in a sewer system in AOC. I would get him to half health and then he summons half a dozen crocodiles to help him....but in the end he FAILED epicly!!!lol.
It doesn't help that I have crap reflexes and start losing focus in a long drawn out fight due to arthritis in my hands and fingers, but I'm persevering and more importantly...winning.
Giant bosses who need help to kill a single human wielding nothing but a huge axe (and some awesome combos and abilities mind you) have confidence issues IMHO.
Watch your back you cowards!. I'm coming to get you! Eeeyyaaahh!!!
It's rapidly becoming my opinion that they are basically cowards and scaredy cats who can't take on a puny warrior single handed without help when they realize they are about to lose.
For example I'm trying to kill the Blood Defiler Guardian in my Destiny Quest which is a single player quest, and when I get him to 50% health he knocks me down and runs back to his pool of blood to heal and before I can get up he's back at 100%. I've poisoned the blood pool as part of the quest requires yet he's still a pain in the rear....literally. I'll get him though and stay in the cave if it takes me forever as I've tried to get through this instance several times. It's part of my main quest so I can regain my memories and lost abilities according to the main story.
The first few times was my own fault because being a newbie I didn't realize I wasn't using my combos properly. Fixed that and killed the other baddies with no problem even when they came in pairs and even though they are leveled exactly to me for this quest. I had big problems with the Arch Mage in the same area because of this, but he was a pushover when I finally got it right. He also summons huge snakes to help him when he starts losing....didn't work this time buddy. Ahhhahaha!!!
UPDATE: I got the Blood Defiler Guardian this time. The trick was to lure him so far away from the blood pool that he couldn't get back to it in time to regenerate after he knocked me down and I was able to chase and catch him before he could get back. Also laying into him and running to keep him away from the blood pool helped me to regain stamina which was my main problem as I couldn't use combos without it. I had plenty of stamina potions but they didn't work fast enough unless I ran and kept him following me so I could also regen stamina. I tried that before, or so I thought, but this time it worked on the second try. Yay!!
It felt SO good and like I really achieved something that I was starting to think was almost impossible.
I hate bosses in general in games. Another example is a boss in a sewer system in AOC. I would get him to half health and then he summons half a dozen crocodiles to help him....but in the end he FAILED epicly!!!lol.
It doesn't help that I have crap reflexes and start losing focus in a long drawn out fight due to arthritis in my hands and fingers, but I'm persevering and more importantly...winning.
Giant bosses who need help to kill a single human wielding nothing but a huge axe (and some awesome combos and abilities mind you) have confidence issues IMHO.
Watch your back you cowards!. I'm coming to get you! Eeeyyaaahh!!!
Friday, 7 October 2011
Finally! I Have A Horse
After much scrimping and saving my coins in AOC I finally have my horse. A dapple gray that looks a lot better in game than in screen shots where he/she looks more white. I probably need a better lighting situation..lol.
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.
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.
Friday, 2 September 2011
Age of Conan- More Screen shots
I'm seriously thinking about subscribing to this game, but I want to play a bit more first. It's still keeping me up at night and is getting better and better as I level up.
I so want one of the tiger mounts as I see them pass by and hear them growling. There are several variations, including the orange and black, besides the one in my screen shot.
Click to enlarge is desired
I so want one of the tiger mounts as I see them pass by and hear them growling. There are several variations, including the orange and black, besides the one in my screen shot.
Click to enlarge is desired
Saturday, 27 August 2011
Age of Conan - A Travelogue Video
This is the game I'll be playing for the near and foreseeable future so many of my posts will more than likely be about it. Maybe I should have started an Age of Conan blog, XD...but I won't. This one is enough.
Anyway, this is a short post, but shows an excellent video of the environments in the game accompanied by the excellent in game music. Kudos to the author of the very professional video.
To say I was astounded is an understatement. Even after reading on various sites about the game, I was still blown away with this video and the actual size of the world.
This is how it actually looks in game. The city I just left, Tortage, is featured at the start with the jungle environment.
Age of Conan - Into the Big World
Well, I played for over six hours again last night and finally liberated Tortage, the first city you play in after the tutorial. It was easier than I thought it would be with a little strategy, sneaking talent and fighting skill which I'm getting pretty good at...so far.
I'm not going to put spoilers here for anyone who may want to try the game. Some screen shots will show areas I've completed, but will mean nothing to new players or anyone who haven't progressed that far.
I have now visited my characters homeland, however briefly, and am following my quest to regain my heritage and memories of a former life. Picked up a few quests and used the Pathfinders to travel to a few areas to see the world, then I'll actually do the quests. Pathfinders are people who take you to various places, much like fast traveling in Oblivion, or actually more like the mages in the guilds in Morrowind.
How's this for a city...Old Tarantia where I am now. I can't wait to see the rest of the game if it's like this.
High above the city on my mission to free the city.
Fight high above the city. I had to leave the HUD on because it's too hard to take action pics without it.....and not die!
A city in ruins
Fight with savage Picts.
Making a sneaky exchange
At the race track in Old Tarantia...just having a look around and wishing for a horse
I'm not going to put spoilers here for anyone who may want to try the game. Some screen shots will show areas I've completed, but will mean nothing to new players or anyone who haven't progressed that far.
I have now visited my characters homeland, however briefly, and am following my quest to regain my heritage and memories of a former life. Picked up a few quests and used the Pathfinders to travel to a few areas to see the world, then I'll actually do the quests. Pathfinders are people who take you to various places, much like fast traveling in Oblivion, or actually more like the mages in the guilds in Morrowind.
How's this for a city...Old Tarantia where I am now. I can't wait to see the rest of the game if it's like this.
High above the city on my mission to free the city.
Fight high above the city. I had to leave the HUD on because it's too hard to take action pics without it.....and not die!
A city in ruins
Fight with savage Picts.
Making a sneaky exchange
At the race track in Old Tarantia...just having a look around and wishing for a horse
Thursday, 25 August 2011
Age of Conan Continued
I am so loving this game and I can see why online games are so addictive. My first character was a test to try out the game and find my way around the mechanics which are so involved and a bit confusing at first. It's much more than a standard rpg. The story, the music, the live NPC's...just everything is so immersive.
I've created a new character called Sorrel who is a Cimmerian Barbarian and she rocks. Usually, I prefer to play as a mage or half and half magic and melee, but I'm really into this melee system. My girl is a berserker and the combat is so fluid and satisfying, now that I've gotten used to it.
Anyway here are a few more pics and I'll add more to this post as I remember to get them. It peeves me so much that screen shots look so flat compared to the game, or any game for that matter, but I refuse to touch them up as it defeats the purpose and doesn't reflect the reality in game.
Until Skyrim comes along this will be my main game and probably for a long time after as it's going to take awhile to get out of the first city into the main world.
This is at the very start in the tutorial so she has on the basic clothing all characters start out in and a piece of wood from the slave ship she was on which sank to the depths.
Overlooking Tortage city.
Healing power...standing at a resurrection shrine, but using the rest function to heal out of combat.
Sorrel - face shot. Wearing a bandana, but her hair is braided.
Fighting a Boss in the tutorial. He was easy....how that changes once the tutorial is over. It's not exactly easy getting combat pics either...lol.
I've created a new character called Sorrel who is a Cimmerian Barbarian and she rocks. Usually, I prefer to play as a mage or half and half magic and melee, but I'm really into this melee system. My girl is a berserker and the combat is so fluid and satisfying, now that I've gotten used to it.
Anyway here are a few more pics and I'll add more to this post as I remember to get them. It peeves me so much that screen shots look so flat compared to the game, or any game for that matter, but I refuse to touch them up as it defeats the purpose and doesn't reflect the reality in game.
Until Skyrim comes along this will be my main game and probably for a long time after as it's going to take awhile to get out of the first city into the main world.
This is at the very start in the tutorial so she has on the basic clothing all characters start out in and a piece of wood from the slave ship she was on which sank to the depths.
Overlooking Tortage city.
Healing power...standing at a resurrection shrine, but using the rest function to heal out of combat.
Sorrel - face shot. Wearing a bandana, but her hair is braided.
Fighting a Boss in the tutorial. He was easy....how that changes once the tutorial is over. It's not exactly easy getting combat pics either...lol.
Monday, 22 August 2011
Age of Conan - Unchained (MMORPG) Free to Play
Well, I never thought I'd say this because for several reasons I've never had any interest in online games.
One of those reasons was lousy internet speeds and miserly monthly download limits which are now a thing of the past...if you're willing to pay a fortune, or like me get a decent discount for a landline, mobile phone (that I hardly ever use) and internet bundle that is. Still not quite like Europe and the States, but at least better than it used to be.
My friend in Greece (ThePriest909) has tried talking me into it a couple of times so I thought "Well, why not." Now I've got decent internet speed and don't have to worry about being capped to dial up speed as much as I used to when my monthly bandwidth allowance was exceeded. In fact I'm finding it hard to get anywhere close to the limit now so I'm happy I won't be capped. Ironically, I'm on the US server and John is on the Euro server, something neither of us thought about beforehand so we haven't met up in game yet, but that will soon be remedied, I hope. Players can change servers relatively easily (I believe) so it's not a big problem.
A little warning....this game is huge. At first I downloaded 12GB which is the first part of the world up to level 20, then I believe it goes to 34GB or thereabouts by the time one reaches level 80. Currently I'm at 20GB of data. It also downloads in the background if necessary and even then I haven't had any lag issues.
I could have downloaded it all at once, but I wanted to see if I liked it first. Which is a big "Thumbs Up."
The game used to be subscription only but is now free to play and the whole world is open for Free players. There are limits on classes and the number of characters one can make as well as a few other things, otherwise it's almost the same as the paid version. Somewhere down the track I may just subscribe as there are some things I would really like to have that the free version doesn't...like tiger mounts...they look awesome.
To say this game is beautiful is an understatement and I wassurprised to find I can run it on high graphics an idiot because I thought I was running on high graphics, but was actually on the default low settings because I didn't check something I won't go into and make myself look even more stupid. I did then try it on high which looks absolutely amazing, however I can't move...it's a slideshow unfortunately. But, I did change to medium and it looks great and I have no lag or other problems with it.
The voice acting and music is superior and the sheer variety of character customization is staggering. No-one need look like anyone else. There are numerous choices of face and body tattoos and scars (or none if preferred), eye colour, hair styles, facial hair for the males, you can change height and weight and much, much more.
A note on voice acting...now I'm out in the big, bad world and except for the main quest givers there's little to no voice acting. However, this is quite understandable and I imagine it would add many GB's of data to an already huge world and it's already a massive size. For people who enjoy reading the story and atmosphere is very immersive. I know some people don't read because when I'm at a quest giver reading the text, others just come and go to get the quest in their journal without listening or reading, which is a bit sad. The whole game is based around a lore and story so they would miss a lot. Each to their own though, I guess.
I've only made one character so far and she's fairly generic because I didn't see the customize face button until I clicked finish and started the actual game. You can't go back which is OK as she's more of a practice run. She looks suitably barbaric for my needs and I chose that hairstyle for that reason.
Launch video from earlier this year. Bloody awesome and this is actually what the game looks like, not just a marketing ploy.
Simea - Stygian Race - Mage - Demonologist
She can use some melee weapons, bows and of course spells. And she can summon a demon from hell (Succubus) to help. This screen shot was taken at the start of a cut scene and before I found out how to reemove the HUD.
This is a game of high adventure with a massive number of quests, many of which are tailored to your class or race. You can roleplay to a great extent and even take up a profession like tailoring or other crafting jobs, join guilds and other things I haven't discovered yet. There's so much to absorb, but at least I have single player rpg experience to help me along so it's not all new territory. There's also a large single player component where you're on your own to do with the main quest.
There are quests that have to be done to get off the initial starting island and into the main HUGE world. I'm still working on that, but getting close. Combat can be very hard and one needs to use strategy a bit especially according to your class, but is very rewarding. I've died a LOT, but usually because I'm trying something beyond my level or even at the same level, depending on how many enemies there are at once. Not to mention falling off a bridge into lava and slipping off a bridge over a high mountain pass,which I've done.
I've found the controls a little cumbersome, but I'm getting used to it. At least it's real time combat and not turn based, which is another plus. Besides the controls the only thing that annoys me is the rapid respawn rate of enemies which is sometimes even before you kill all in a group of four. It doesn't seem to happen all the time so I wonder if it's dependent on the number of players doing the same quests, or I might be talking out of my hat. It's not always possible to pull a single or even two enemies from a group and then they all rush you.....resulting quite often in a grisly death. Running away is often not an option as they chase you and more often than not you can't get away.....because....another thing I also find extremely odd is that a pirate for example, can hit me with an unenchanted sword when I'm running way down a path so far out of range it would be physically impossible. My character has been decapitated by a sword from a distance of many times it's length. That's just stupid and all melee enemies do it. Other than that, I've played so far for several hours per day, over four days (I think) and had no crashes, no lags, no problems at all. Big tick for a game world so complex.
Once I get a bit further with this character and learn the ins and outs of everything I'll make a new one and make some changes to how I play. I play on PvE servers (Player Vs Environment) which is just like any role playing game except there are tons of other people doing the same thing you are, but don't want to kill you...and can't anyway. You can work together to an objective or solo, whatever you choose. Plus, there are night time only quests where you're solo anyway, and these are to do with your Destiny and the actual main quest.
Climbing the heights
This is also an adult game insofar as there's a lot of violence, according to the brutal and dangerous world of Conan created in the books by Robert E. Howard, nudity if players choose although I've only seen one topless female barbarian so far and it fits with the world, and harsh language but not crude swearing which I think would ruin the atmosphere.
Read about it here:
http://www.ageofconan.com/playfree/
With the demon and ready to fight - searching for scorpion and snake venom for a potion.
Moments after casting a buff spell. Stygians worship the Serpent God - Set, so I thought that was quite appropriate.
More pics to come.... Hard core fans, (and I know there are a lot of them), excuse the lack of lore knowledge at the moment. I've just started...lol. However, I do know and love the Conan world model and some of the books, although it's been years since I read one.
One of those reasons was lousy internet speeds and miserly monthly download limits which are now a thing of the past...if you're willing to pay a fortune, or like me get a decent discount for a landline, mobile phone (that I hardly ever use) and internet bundle that is. Still not quite like Europe and the States, but at least better than it used to be.
My friend in Greece (ThePriest909) has tried talking me into it a couple of times so I thought "Well, why not." Now I've got decent internet speed and don't have to worry about being capped to dial up speed as much as I used to when my monthly bandwidth allowance was exceeded. In fact I'm finding it hard to get anywhere close to the limit now so I'm happy I won't be capped. Ironically, I'm on the US server and John is on the Euro server, something neither of us thought about beforehand so we haven't met up in game yet, but that will soon be remedied, I hope. Players can change servers relatively easily (I believe) so it's not a big problem.
A little warning....this game is huge. At first I downloaded 12GB which is the first part of the world up to level 20, then I believe it goes to 34GB or thereabouts by the time one reaches level 80. Currently I'm at 20GB of data. It also downloads in the background if necessary and even then I haven't had any lag issues.
I could have downloaded it all at once, but I wanted to see if I liked it first. Which is a big "Thumbs Up."
The game used to be subscription only but is now free to play and the whole world is open for Free players. There are limits on classes and the number of characters one can make as well as a few other things, otherwise it's almost the same as the paid version. Somewhere down the track I may just subscribe as there are some things I would really like to have that the free version doesn't...like tiger mounts...they look awesome.
To say this game is beautiful is an understatement and I was
The voice acting and music is superior and the sheer variety of character customization is staggering. No-one need look like anyone else. There are numerous choices of face and body tattoos and scars (or none if preferred), eye colour, hair styles, facial hair for the males, you can change height and weight and much, much more.
A note on voice acting...now I'm out in the big, bad world and except for the main quest givers there's little to no voice acting. However, this is quite understandable and I imagine it would add many GB's of data to an already huge world and it's already a massive size. For people who enjoy reading the story and atmosphere is very immersive. I know some people don't read because when I'm at a quest giver reading the text, others just come and go to get the quest in their journal without listening or reading, which is a bit sad. The whole game is based around a lore and story so they would miss a lot. Each to their own though, I guess.
I've only made one character so far and she's fairly generic because I didn't see the customize face button until I clicked finish and started the actual game. You can't go back which is OK as she's more of a practice run. She looks suitably barbaric for my needs and I chose that hairstyle for that reason.
Launch video from earlier this year. Bloody awesome and this is actually what the game looks like, not just a marketing ploy.
Simea - Stygian Race - Mage - Demonologist
She can use some melee weapons, bows and of course spells. And she can summon a demon from hell (Succubus) to help. This screen shot was taken at the start of a cut scene and before I found out how to reemove the HUD.
This is a game of high adventure with a massive number of quests, many of which are tailored to your class or race. You can roleplay to a great extent and even take up a profession like tailoring or other crafting jobs, join guilds and other things I haven't discovered yet. There's so much to absorb, but at least I have single player rpg experience to help me along so it's not all new territory. There's also a large single player component where you're on your own to do with the main quest.
There are quests that have to be done to get off the initial starting island and into the main HUGE world. I'm still working on that, but getting close. Combat can be very hard and one needs to use strategy a bit especially according to your class, but is very rewarding. I've died a LOT, but usually because I'm trying something beyond my level or even at the same level, depending on how many enemies there are at once. Not to mention falling off a bridge into lava and slipping off a bridge over a high mountain pass,which I've done.
I've found the controls a little cumbersome, but I'm getting used to it. At least it's real time combat and not turn based, which is another plus. Besides the controls the only thing that annoys me is the rapid respawn rate of enemies which is sometimes even before you kill all in a group of four. It doesn't seem to happen all the time so I wonder if it's dependent on the number of players doing the same quests, or I might be talking out of my hat. It's not always possible to pull a single or even two enemies from a group and then they all rush you.....resulting quite often in a grisly death. Running away is often not an option as they chase you and more often than not you can't get away.....because....another thing I also find extremely odd is that a pirate for example, can hit me with an unenchanted sword when I'm running way down a path so far out of range it would be physically impossible. My character has been decapitated by a sword from a distance of many times it's length. That's just stupid and all melee enemies do it. Other than that, I've played so far for several hours per day, over four days (I think) and had no crashes, no lags, no problems at all. Big tick for a game world so complex.
Once I get a bit further with this character and learn the ins and outs of everything I'll make a new one and make some changes to how I play. I play on PvE servers (Player Vs Environment) which is just like any role playing game except there are tons of other people doing the same thing you are, but don't want to kill you...and can't anyway. You can work together to an objective or solo, whatever you choose. Plus, there are night time only quests where you're solo anyway, and these are to do with your Destiny and the actual main quest.
Climbing the heights
This is also an adult game insofar as there's a lot of violence, according to the brutal and dangerous world of Conan created in the books by Robert E. Howard, nudity if players choose although I've only seen one topless female barbarian so far and it fits with the world, and harsh language but not crude swearing which I think would ruin the atmosphere.
Read about it here:
http://www.ageofconan.com/playfree/
With the demon and ready to fight - searching for scorpion and snake venom for a potion.
Moments after casting a buff spell. Stygians worship the Serpent God - Set, so I thought that was quite appropriate.
More pics to come.... Hard core fans, (and I know there are a lot of them), excuse the lack of lore knowledge at the moment. I've just started...lol. However, I do know and love the Conan world model and some of the books, although it's been years since I read one.
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