http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=40209
The resources in this and my other mods are NOT to be used for the morally bereft so called "adult" mods featuring animals. You people disgust me.
Screen shots. Click to enlarge if so desired.
Friday, 2 September 2011
Maigrets Battle Dogs - Rocky and Spike
My latest mod uploaded yesterday to Tesnexus and today at TES Alliance. Planet Elder Scrolls seems to have some uploading issues at the moment and according to their forums has been going on for awhile.
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=40209
The resources in this and my other mods are NOT to be used for the morally bereft so called "adult" mods featuring animals. You people disgust me.
Screen shots. Click to enlarge if so desired.
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=40209
The resources in this and my other mods are NOT to be used for the morally bereft so called "adult" mods featuring animals. You people disgust me.
Screen shots. Click to enlarge if so desired.
GMod.com - A Warning To Oblivion and Other Modders
This is a warning to Oblivion modders and more than likely other games from Bethesda and other developers.
There's a site called gmod.com using suspect and underhanded methods to mine content from the major and other mod sites for use on their site. It's also possible that they expect to make money from these files which is strictly against the EULA.
For further information see this thread at Tesnexus and modders should check if their work and personal information has made it to gmod.com and have it removed.
http://www.thenexusforums.com/index.php?/topic/428348-gmod-content-policy-content-index-system/
The site also suspiciously wants to install software on your computer which is something browsers should be careful of.
Here are the other topics I couldn't find before and one from the Torchlight modding community.
http://www.thenexusforums.com/index.php?/topic/402881-important-a-site-is-stealing-mods/
http://forums.runicgames.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=18042
For further information see this thread at Tesnexus and modders should check if their work and personal information has made it to gmod.com and have it removed.
http://www.thenexusforums.com/index.php?/topic/428348-gmod-content-policy-content-index-system/
The site also suspiciously wants to install software on your computer which is something browsers should be careful of.
Here are the other topics I couldn't find before and one from the Torchlight modding community.
http://www.thenexusforums.com/index.php?/topic/402881-important-a-site-is-stealing-mods/
http://forums.runicgames.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=18042
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.
Farewell Oblivion Community - Temporarily
UPDATE: I know I whinge about this game but for some reason I always come back to it. That's why I added "Temporarily" to the title. This time I'm going to be more selective about which mods I add besides the ones I can't live without....and one day I will update the post I made here about that...lol.
As mentioned in a newer post I'm getting stir crazy without my games due to the dead hard drive and since I'm also getting a new graphics card, as well as a new hard drive, I can't wait to have a play again. More than that I think, I miss fiddling around in the CS and now Spring is here i might even finish some projects I started and start some new ones I had ideas about.
The stuff below the stars is still true and many things bug me about the vanilla game, but it's still one of my favourite games, even though it lacks a lot of things, in my opinion. But, that's what mods are for and the modding community is still going strong even though Skyrim is on the horizon..
I've also made some changes to the bottom of this post because in the past few days I've had a revelation about the TES Community, or at least the Tesnexus, Official forums part of it and a few others. The rest don't seem to care about thieves or their mods, but that's their problem, not mine. This is due to the trouble over Gmods which I've spoken about in other posts and goes to prove that a community of gamers can stick together when the going gets tough.
*********** ************ *********** *********** *********** **********
Well, I think my Oblivion days are almost over. There's very little left that interests me except for Waalx Animals and Creatures and Elsweyr the Deserts of Anequina which are the only reasons I still play it, when I do that is. It's been months since I did play it more than to upgrade one of my mods. Maybe I'll have another play before Skyrim gets here as I did with Morrowind before Oblivion, but at the present I have no interest at all.
I still look for and download mods though, which has become more of a habit than anything as I don't even use or look at the greater majority of them in game, so who knows, I may change my mind.
I'm not one for serious screen shooting or the type of role playing many are into. For me the game doesn't have the scope for real role playing as I see it, especially without mods to add things like crafting, cooking, having a job, joinable guilds, real consequences for your actions, real factions that cut you out of others because you joined the wrong one and much more that just annoys me no end. There are mods that do add some of these things, but they should have been in the actual game, or some of them at least.
I HATE the way the direction the game is going as far as some mods that are just sick and degrading, yet seem to be more and more popular. Refer to my other posts if you want info on that, but suffice to say I think there are some sick minded people out there, especially where rape, bestiality and other questionable content is concerned. I'm not talking about the role playing sex mods where one can act out a life that includes it, although I can't find a place in a game for it myself when the reality is much more....real. I've said enough about that on this blog so I won't bother elaborating and boring people with it again. I just wonder where morals and a sense that something is just "wrong" flew away to, even in a game.
When I play a game like one from the Gothic series and now Age of Conan and other games as well, the things that annoy the hell out of me in Oblivion just seem so much more obvious. Like the incessant loading screens, however brief, especially to enter every tiny room in a building, which really gets me down. One example that stands out is loading into a tent in a well known cave near Leyawiin. A tent you can't even turn around in!! ....why they didn't just leave this tent and other entrances open is anyone's guess. That particular tent has a dog in it so I suppose they didn't want it wandering when there was fighting going on....who knows. In the two games I just mentioned there are NO or very few loading screens anywhere let alone into something as small as a tiny tent. Changing world spaces I can understand, but not everywhere you go in a town or city because the game engine is crap. These other games NEVER crash or act up either which is another plus in their favour even though they have so much more content and action happening at once.
I find myself avoiding cities and NPC's because of the stupid AI, inane comments and awful voice acting that is used for every race, generic cut and paste dungeons and a lot more. If it weren't for the amazing modders that made this game what it should have been, as far as humanly possible, I would have uninstalled it a couple of years ago. In my opinion it was released as a base for modders to fix, not a real game.
Then there are the CTD's and other problems that still occur even with every mod and available fix applied because of a game engine that can't handle a living breathing world. This is why the cities are almost deserted, there are very few animals and the AI can't handle more than around 15 actors on screen at once without the "statue" effect. I'm sick of the micro management to keep a game running from one play session to the next.
At this point in time I can't be bothered with it. I work to get my game stable and running smoothly and then for no explicable reason it starts acting up. My patience is wearing very thin. I probably know more about this game and how it works than any other I've ever played, especially since I mod it, personally and in released mods which don't really show how much I do actually know.
I can do world building and editing, some basic scripting and quest work as well as other things. As far as quests go I don't use them in my released mods, except for a couple of small ones, because the mods I make are ones I always like to play with and it peeves me when I have to do my own quest over again for every new character. That's not to say I'm ungrateful for the epic quest mods that are around...I thank the people who have the patience to do it and have enjoyed their work immensely.
Then there's the recent furor over the upgrade to Tesnexus and it's other game sections. This was very nearly the nail in the coffin for me and almost put me off altogether. However it is growing on me, especially since some changes gave been made. I'm having a problem with downloading anything, but since it seems to be hard to nail down what that problem actually is, and I'm not alone, I'll wait until a solution is found...hopefully. At the moment there's not much that interests me in the newer files and I also don't want to download much until I get my computer fixed....see newer posts re hard drive.
My main gripe about Tesnexus as a community though is some of the people and I guess it's a bit like the old saying "You can choose your friends, but not your family." Or something like that. Like any group of people there are some I wouldn't give the time of day to and others who could be good friends, and in fact some are. Some of them are my age and older, not just some of the younger members.
I haven't been as active in the community as I used to be because the community has changed and is definitely not as friendly. I suppose that's because it's grown so much since I joined. Too many chiefs and not enough Indians as the saying goes and I'm not talking about the staff. The normal members, who think they are the be all and end all of the community and get to say what others can think and say just grates on my nerves. It's like any family where the bullies rule, get away with it, and everyone else is expected to tow the line.
If I ever see this emote, and it's other forms again, related to people having a voice it will be too soon.
Re the Tesnexus upgrade....There are things I don't like about the upgrade, but it's here to stay and I admit it's growing on me. Orange isn't one of my favourite colours either, but at least it was toned down. It's better than the Fallout colours though...lol.
I've removed the rest of the rant. Over the past days it's proven to me just how close a community can be when something threatens it. Refer to the posts about Gmods.com. It's pointless and self defeating to whine and complain about things I can't change and that are often bought about by my own personal problems. It might make me feel some kind of relief for a short time because I can say what I like here to a point, but then when I read back over what I've written it seems petty and is not who I really am. If I'm going to complain about something I'll keep it private so I can vent without regret.
I also want to take this opportunity to apologize to any people I may have offended, however I won't mention any names here. The people I do not get along with probably know it already and will never be friends. Not because they have differing opinions to me, that's natural after all, but because of their nature and the way they treat others.
Suffice to say, I have made a lot of friends through the TES modding community and some are still friends after all the years since Morrowind and then the Oblivion years.
As mentioned in a newer post I'm getting stir crazy without my games due to the dead hard drive and since I'm also getting a new graphics card, as well as a new hard drive, I can't wait to have a play again. More than that I think, I miss fiddling around in the CS and now Spring is here i might even finish some projects I started and start some new ones I had ideas about.
The stuff below the stars is still true and many things bug me about the vanilla game, but it's still one of my favourite games, even though it lacks a lot of things, in my opinion. But, that's what mods are for and the modding community is still going strong even though Skyrim is on the horizon..
I've also made some changes to the bottom of this post because in the past few days I've had a revelation about the TES Community, or at least the Tesnexus, Official forums part of it and a few others. The rest don't seem to care about thieves or their mods, but that's their problem, not mine. This is due to the trouble over Gmods which I've spoken about in other posts and goes to prove that a community of gamers can stick together when the going gets tough.
*********** ************ *********** *********** *********** **********
Well, I think my Oblivion days are almost over. There's very little left that interests me except for Waalx Animals and Creatures and Elsweyr the Deserts of Anequina which are the only reasons I still play it, when I do that is. It's been months since I did play it more than to upgrade one of my mods. Maybe I'll have another play before Skyrim gets here as I did with Morrowind before Oblivion, but at the present I have no interest at all.
I still look for and download mods though, which has become more of a habit than anything as I don't even use or look at the greater majority of them in game, so who knows, I may change my mind.
I'm not one for serious screen shooting or the type of role playing many are into. For me the game doesn't have the scope for real role playing as I see it, especially without mods to add things like crafting, cooking, having a job, joinable guilds, real consequences for your actions, real factions that cut you out of others because you joined the wrong one and much more that just annoys me no end. There are mods that do add some of these things, but they should have been in the actual game, or some of them at least.
I HATE the way the direction the game is going as far as some mods that are just sick and degrading, yet seem to be more and more popular. Refer to my other posts if you want info on that, but suffice to say I think there are some sick minded people out there, especially where rape, bestiality and other questionable content is concerned. I'm not talking about the role playing sex mods where one can act out a life that includes it, although I can't find a place in a game for it myself when the reality is much more....real. I've said enough about that on this blog so I won't bother elaborating and boring people with it again. I just wonder where morals and a sense that something is just "wrong" flew away to, even in a game.
When I play a game like one from the Gothic series and now Age of Conan and other games as well, the things that annoy the hell out of me in Oblivion just seem so much more obvious. Like the incessant loading screens, however brief, especially to enter every tiny room in a building, which really gets me down. One example that stands out is loading into a tent in a well known cave near Leyawiin. A tent you can't even turn around in!! ....why they didn't just leave this tent and other entrances open is anyone's guess. That particular tent has a dog in it so I suppose they didn't want it wandering when there was fighting going on....who knows. In the two games I just mentioned there are NO or very few loading screens anywhere let alone into something as small as a tiny tent. Changing world spaces I can understand, but not everywhere you go in a town or city because the game engine is crap. These other games NEVER crash or act up either which is another plus in their favour even though they have so much more content and action happening at once.
I find myself avoiding cities and NPC's because of the stupid AI, inane comments and awful voice acting that is used for every race, generic cut and paste dungeons and a lot more. If it weren't for the amazing modders that made this game what it should have been, as far as humanly possible, I would have uninstalled it a couple of years ago. In my opinion it was released as a base for modders to fix, not a real game.
Then there are the CTD's and other problems that still occur even with every mod and available fix applied because of a game engine that can't handle a living breathing world. This is why the cities are almost deserted, there are very few animals and the AI can't handle more than around 15 actors on screen at once without the "statue" effect. I'm sick of the micro management to keep a game running from one play session to the next.
At this point in time I can't be bothered with it. I work to get my game stable and running smoothly and then for no explicable reason it starts acting up. My patience is wearing very thin. I probably know more about this game and how it works than any other I've ever played, especially since I mod it, personally and in released mods which don't really show how much I do actually know.
I can do world building and editing, some basic scripting and quest work as well as other things. As far as quests go I don't use them in my released mods, except for a couple of small ones, because the mods I make are ones I always like to play with and it peeves me when I have to do my own quest over again for every new character. That's not to say I'm ungrateful for the epic quest mods that are around...I thank the people who have the patience to do it and have enjoyed their work immensely.
Then there's the recent furor over the upgrade to Tesnexus and it's other game sections. This was very nearly the nail in the coffin for me and almost put me off altogether. However it is growing on me, especially since some changes gave been made. I'm having a problem with downloading anything, but since it seems to be hard to nail down what that problem actually is, and I'm not alone, I'll wait until a solution is found...hopefully. At the moment there's not much that interests me in the newer files and I also don't want to download much until I get my computer fixed....see newer posts re hard drive.
My main gripe about Tesnexus as a community though is some of the people and I guess it's a bit like the old saying "You can choose your friends, but not your family." Or something like that. Like any group of people there are some I wouldn't give the time of day to and others who could be good friends, and in fact some are. Some of them are my age and older, not just some of the younger members.
I haven't been as active in the community as I used to be because the community has changed and is definitely not as friendly. I suppose that's because it's grown so much since I joined. Too many chiefs and not enough Indians as the saying goes and I'm not talking about the staff. The normal members, who think they are the be all and end all of the community and get to say what others can think and say just grates on my nerves. It's like any family where the bullies rule, get away with it, and everyone else is expected to tow the line.
If I ever see this emote, and it's other forms again, related to people having a voice it will be too soon.
Re the Tesnexus upgrade....There are things I don't like about the upgrade, but it's here to stay and I admit it's growing on me. Orange isn't one of my favourite colours either, but at least it was toned down. It's better than the Fallout colours though...lol.
I've removed the rest of the rant. Over the past days it's proven to me just how close a community can be when something threatens it. Refer to the posts about Gmods.com. It's pointless and self defeating to whine and complain about things I can't change and that are often bought about by my own personal problems. It might make me feel some kind of relief for a short time because I can say what I like here to a point, but then when I read back over what I've written it seems petty and is not who I really am. If I'm going to complain about something I'll keep it private so I can vent without regret.
I also want to take this opportunity to apologize to any people I may have offended, however I won't mention any names here. The people I do not get along with probably know it already and will never be friends. Not because they have differing opinions to me, that's natural after all, but because of their nature and the way they treat others.
Suffice to say, I have made a lot of friends through the TES modding community and some are still friends after all the years since Morrowind and then the Oblivion years.
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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