Age of Conan unveils offline leveling

"Unveal".... really? Are they taking all the young cattle out of the game?

Why, whatever do you mean? *Points to the corrected title*

Thanks.

Just getting back into the game, not sure I'm a fan of this. I want to play for the content, not the race to the end.

I know people will say, "Well don't use them you total douchebag, stop telling me how to play!!!!!1"

How the impact on trying to get people to enjoy that content with you, forming groups and relationships in game is put under some strain if you are try to enjoy all the content.

And I can see a problem of people just jumping all content for the last few levels, as the later levels are harder to earn. You give a system to players, they'll use it in the most efficient way, so not sure this is a stellar idea.

Good to see Funcom working out new ideas, but back to the drawing board on this one.

Sounds like a scheme to attract more lazy players, you know the ones that don't stick around once you've handed everything to them because they're bored.

I think it is a fine idea. AoC's level-grind isn't very daunting as a whole so giving a few levels here and there won't cause too much of a fuss, whereas other games like Aion might have an old-schooler backlash.

I know when I played, I would have liked to skip cart-farming or the last part of Kesh.

actually its a great way to lure in the people who like Eve for the ability to progress without online grinding. i'd love to see more mmos do something like this. i get really tired of having to frag mobs over and over to progress.

As if I needed even more of a reason to never play this game again... They had some good ideas that were executed poorly, and they continue to make poor decisions to try and pull back all the people that left.

I think this is actually very reasonable, the one level every four days would be equivalent to leveling through casual/moderate play in that same amount of time, so it gives people some reason to keep interest in their character and to keep subscribing even if they are unable to play. I, being hardcore as hell one moment and completely absorbed by real life BS the next, would like options that let me play as much or as little as I want, and this helps.

And hell, it's not like they implemented an auto-bot like Jade Dynasty/Battle of the Immortals or something.

I think this is a great Idea.

The amount really isn't much, if anything this is really only good for super casuals or alts.

For concerns on whether this will effect grouping -- it is once per four days, no one is suddenly going to out level you because of it. They would need to accrue the points over time (a month should see you building up 7 levels worth, assuming you get to stockpile as many as you want) to have any significant leveling in an instant, and that would be time that they could spend just maxing the character the old grindy way. Having this isn't going to affect a person's will to group.

As to player retaining, this could affect that... But who says it will be in a negative way? 'Working for it' being the excuse that players will stick around longer is silly, if anything having to *work* for it will drive them off -- this is a *game*, remember? Players will stick around if they are having fun.