The Daily Grind: Has AoC earned your money for another month?

Cancelled and uninstalled. I don't like games that force me to grind out 5 levels before I can start doing quests again.

If only someone could have seen this coming!

My free trial is expiring soon, and I plan to continue playing.

No, it didn't have the smoothest launch ever, but I experienced next to no issues. It did run pretty poorly on my aging 7800GT, but I was planning on upgrading my video card anyway. With a new G92 based 8800GTS, the game runs very well with all settings at high. I'm even able to use some AA. Framerate stays at 30FPS or higher, usually over 40 and I have a fairly modest PC otherwise (X2 2.4Ghz, 2GB DDR2, etc).

The bug fixes are rolling along at a decent pace, which is a good sign.

What I will never understand is how fired up people get over MMO launch problems and class balancing. What MMO launches without problems? I've never seen one. If you purchase any MMO at launch and are oblivious to this experience, you're only setting yourself up for frustration. If you are bothered so much by the post launch tinkering period, hold off on purchasing the game for 6-12 months, you will be much happier.

I'm also continuously amazed at how angry people get over class balance and such. I rarely read official forums for any MMO anymore because it's nothing but a laundry list of complaints. I know these games have a dedicated fan base, but some of these people need to chillax. Read some posts on Blizzard's forums after they decide to "nerf" class X, the rabid posting that follows is of epic proportions. Why do people take this so personally? By reading their reactions, you would think Blizzard had kicked their dog or something. Get over it. Ranting on the forums with an "I'm quitting this game forever!!!1!" post does nothing constructive.

Then again, I'm not a hardcore player these days. I left those habits behind in EQ1. Now I play a few days a week, and I prefer the exploration and social aspects of MMO's to hardcore grinding and the quest for better loot. It also helps that I love R.E. Howard and his Hyborian world.

I also just joined a guild and I'm having the time of my life exploring the game. I have a feeling this will sustain me well into the launch of Warhammer Online.

Cancelled.

Anyone that hasn't is a total sheep that accepts mediocrity.

"canceled, shame they rushed beta."

Same really, I rolled a female bear shaman, possible the worst class/gender combination you can get at the moment.

40% longer specials for females bug + bear shaman having 50-75% of the hps of casters in the game = big ass bugs in it. Combine with crafting bugs, siege bugs, pvp bugs, MASSIVE spell bugs (some of the shamans spells not even working), feat bugs.

It should have been in beta for another two months, I might go back in 2-3 months and see if it's changed, but I'm not paying for a beta no matter how cocky of retarded the leader developer comes off in interviews (hint: get a proper PR manager).

Renewed with fingers crossed.

This game has great potential but, then again, so does Vanguard.

I plan on sticking it out for another month or two as FunCom has been "busting their picks" in resolving issues, re-balancing classes and adding content. If they can sustain that pace and continue to improve the game, as opposed to dropping a NGE on us, I'm staying.

I'm not so sure releasing the game a month or two later would have helped much as many of the major early-game issues were either not reported (like "WTF just happened? oh, well, it's beta", "someone probably already reported this" or exploits the testers didn't want to be fixed -- just yet), not encountered or not taken seriously by FunCom during the closed beta. Some people blame the closed beta testers but, if you've seen some of the posts on the closed beta forums, some of them are damn good testers; there are a bunch of whiney freeloaders too, of course, but that is expected in any MMOG's beta program.

FunCom made a huge mistake by assuming people would level at a reasonable rate, like reaching like max-level in a two months instead of four days (!), or building Guild Cities so quickly so when people did reach those levels, build cities or try siege warfare it was glaringly obvious they were not ready yet. If the game had three or more months of development time some of these types of late-game issues may have resolved before going live so there is some validity in the "released too early" argument.

I believe FunCom has enough resources and incentive to keep improving the game for at least a year -- even if the servers become ghosttowns (which, I feel, is unlikely). If you've already left AoC I recommend checking back in six months or so to see if the reasons you left are still valid. Of course, you might have found something else you like better by then. . .

Yeah, I'm still going. I'm having a lot of fun, but I'm a bit more casual. I'm closing in on 40 and a lot of the quests are dwindling, so I might try another character until they add more 40+

Canceled. I actually just finished filling out another survey they sent my way.

AoC represents one of my biggest problems I have with some of the new MMOs out there - It feels like I am playing a single player game with thousands of others instead of being immersed in a world with thousands of others.

I know it is a game, but in the realm of MMO, there is more than just combat. It is odd how a grandfather game like UO was soooo immersive and had many options for gameplay beyond killing, grinding, and leveling. Yet every generation of MMOs that come out seem to leave out more and more social aspects of the MMO. It is sad when Maple Story feels more fun than AoC.

I am looking forward to WAR. Although it is very killling focused as well, the public quests have the potential to bond strangers and make the world feel immersive. I think RvR also bonds strangers. It did in DAoC anyway. Heck, in that game you grouped in the frontiers so you would not be grief bait, but it encouraged grouping beyond the need for a holy trinity.

Champions is also exciting. CoX version 2? Everything they say is right on, I can't wait to create my toons there. I really hope that they add more social aspects to the game. CoX has costume contests, but that is about it beyond sharing missions. Yet in CoX people still hang just to hang out. Again, I hope Champtions also offers more in that regard.

Jumpgate Evolution is also a hopeful for me. I would love some good space combat in the style of Elite, or X-Wing vs Tie Fighter. The idea of being able to use skill to dogfight my way out of a jam sounds very exciting. I appreciate EVE and it's tactical warfare, but your a ship command there, not a pilot in a cockpit.

canceled it myself.
I did not appreciate the lack of quests. Gone are the days of L2 &EQ2 I simply don't want a straight out grind.they could at least cover it up with some bullshit quest of collect this...

Combat system was novel for awhile but I found myself quickly looking for ways to workaround it a go back to one clicking especially for pvp.
Was not all bad though the game was truly beautiful and that cannot be disputed.

I will keep on playing. Great combat system, good storylines, beautiful game - but most importantly, I, and my guildies, are having fun.

I'm really surprised about the "having to grind to level" comments. Now, my main is only level 51 (so I haven't seen everything), but I have YET to grind to get XP. If anything, I've actually been deleting quests (to free up room for new ones).

I love to explore and find new content; content, which seems to me , is abundant. I am not on the fast-track to get to lvl 80 as soon as possible. I'm enjoying just playing.

Maybe content thins out at 60 or so (at 51, I am debating deleting quests to pick up new ones - and I have no "repeatable" quests atm), but I will keep paying to play and find out. Even if it does, I think I will have plenty to do - I haven't even started crafting yet.

I don't really find it too surprising that people who have 80's already are burned out. I'm taking my time and enjoying the game thoroughly. And my main (a Ranger) is supposedly under-powered.

Canceled. Crap.

Definitely sticking around to see the PvP System patch and the quest content patch which will fill out grindy areas. Considering they're labeled both of those for the next few weeks I think it's worth my patience.

In terms of grinding it happens beginning at around lvls 56-57. At that point the ONLY quests you can get are red quests in Thunder River/Aztel's landing. Problem is you only get 3 of them which gets you up about half a level, then you have to gain a couple of more levels before more quests become available (which again are all red), etc. This continues up until around 65-70 (65 if you are a heavy group player as you can group grind on mobs on the prison isle) at which point you will then AE grind camps of mobs in the final areas not just because there are a lack quests, but because you can level in a fraction of the time.

And before anyone says a word about rushing to "end game" I only play on Friday evenings, Saturday afternoon's and evenings, and Sunday Evenings and I am already 70. You are expected to hit 80 in ~200 hours.

Cancelled.

Might be back at some point.. in 6 months or so when they move to more normal patching schedules.