"I found more aggravation than fun this past week and kept wondering to myself, "When does it start to get good? "
That's the question I found myself asking, the difference being that I was asking it shortly after launch.
Fact is, DAoC is not for everyone, it wasn't for me and it may not be for you, Justin. It's a quirky game admired with total love and dedication by a compararatively small number of players still, most of whom stopped playing years ago if they're honest.
Ignore the people who say you should level to Six Gazillion in 20 minutes, they're just jerks who have had nothing better to do with their lives than play particular MMOs 24/7. As a new player you will naturally take longer than experienced players to find your way around and level up.
As to your question about where to go from here, I guess that depends on your feelings about the game. If you see some potential mileage in it then carry on with the benefit of the advice of experienced but sensible players as to what to do and where, but if you see no substantial benefit to be gained from doing so then I would move on to something more profitable from a time point of view, perhaps one of the other options you dropped in place of DAoC.
I last looked at the game a year or so ago and I found there was more companionship and action in Oblivion than in DAoC, it was even more deserted than the European server on Vanguard and that's saying something!
Do you play on PvP servers? I have yet to play any MMO (incl WoW and TOR) on a European PvE server (RP if there is one) that suffers from any Norris references.
VG has PvP, as I recall it had PvP servers, it's just that as the population fell so did the amount of PvP. If these measures result in a rise in population then there's no reason why PvP won't become an active feature again, provided the players want it.
VG has some of the best developed classes of any MMO, not least the ranger and bard. The landscape is also well done, and the gameworld is huge. Dungeons have a reputation as pretty much second to none. Crafting and diplomacy are both worthwhile.
The game has always had a lot going for it, but the initial performance issues for some players were a major factor in its failed launch, and for me the lack of any sense of direction once you hit the late 20's was also a problem. I'll be back in the Summer, however, and will happily give it another go - assuming I'm still willing to do business with SOE after the ProSieben fiasco!
@(Unverified) "The community was better back then. That was back before all the jerks of the world decided that playing video games is now acceptable. Anyone who played games back then knows there is a HUGE difference in MMO communities between then and now. Sadly, the change has most definitely been for the worse. I miss those days."
The best games I've played for restoring the old standards are (1) EQ on the progression servers - I can only speak for Fippy Darkpaw, haven't played on the other one, and (2) Fallen Earth. Both communities are great, although in any MMO I find that playing on a European PvE Role-Play server is likely to offer a decent experience free of jerks and Chuck Norris compared to some of the other server types I've played on.
As for the original topic, in my early days in MUDs I was looked after by a senior player who ran a guild and city and was incredibly supportive. I've personally never taken an individual player under my wing but I have whenever possible made a point of handing down spare gear to new players and asking them to pass it on in turn when they outgrow it. However, that sort of thing was more common in the older games like EQ and isn't often feasible or appreciated in the more modern games where all gear is trivially obtained anyway.
""If you want something, whether it's an in-game item or a microtransaction, you ultimately have two ways to get it: you can play to earn gold or you can use money to buy gems. We think that's important, because it lets more players participate on a level playing field, whether they use their free time or their disposable income to do it."
If there are cash shop items that can level the playing field then it follows that it also allows those with money to burn the chance to tilt the playing field in their favour.
LOL at those who have over-hyped ArenaNet's business model as being based solely on buying the box!
Let's hope it doesn't become just another variant on the Korean pay-to-win business model.
Good to see the old chestnut come up again, there are always a few dimwits around who think that grouped combat is the sole means of interacting with people in a multiplayer game!
The problem with your question is the false premise on which it is based. I don't play a massively multiplayer online game without other people, it really is as simple as that. I probably engage in various ways with more people while solo adventuring than a good many do while in combat with the same 5 people every session!
Choose My Adventure: Dark Age of Camelot, week three
Mar 28th 2012 4:37PM (Massively)That's the question I found myself asking, the difference being that I was asking it shortly after launch.
Fact is, DAoC is not for everyone, it wasn't for me and it may not be for you, Justin. It's a quirky game admired with total love and dedication by a compararatively small number of players still, most of whom stopped playing years ago if they're honest.
Ignore the people who say you should level to Six Gazillion in 20 minutes, they're just jerks who have had nothing better to do with their lives than play particular MMOs 24/7. As a new player you will naturally take longer than experienced players to find your way around and level up.
As to your question about where to go from here, I guess that depends on your feelings about the game. If you see some potential mileage in it then carry on with the benefit of the advice of experienced but sensible players as to what to do and where, but if you see no substantial benefit to be gained from doing so then I would move on to something more profitable from a time point of view, perhaps one of the other options you dropped in place of DAoC.
I last looked at the game a year or so ago and I found there was more companionship and action in Oblivion than in DAoC, it was even more deserted than the European server on Vanguard and that's saying something!
Grand Chase: Heroes updates with new player housing
Mar 28th 2012 2:04PM (Massively)Hmm.
The Daily Grind: Do you prefer open or closed chat?
Mar 24th 2012 2:23PM (Massively)Do you play on PvP servers? I have yet to play any MMO (incl WoW and TOR) on a European PvE server (RP if there is one) that suffers from any Norris references.
The Daily Grind: Do you prefer open or closed chat?
Mar 24th 2012 10:47AM (Massively)The help channel in Fallen Earth is probably the only public chat channel in MMOs worth having on.
The Daily Grind: Do you prefer open or closed chat?
Mar 24th 2012 10:45AM (Massively)Play on a European server. Most of us have never even heard of Chuck Norris.
Vanguard going free-to-play this summer, beefs up dev team
Mar 22nd 2012 4:13AM (Massively)VG has PvP, as I recall it had PvP servers, it's just that as the population fell so did the amount of PvP. If these measures result in a rise in population then there's no reason why PvP won't become an active feature again, provided the players want it.
Vanguard going free-to-play this summer, beefs up dev team
Mar 21st 2012 8:13PM (Massively)VG has some of the best developed classes of any MMO, not least the ranger and bard. The landscape is also well done, and the gameworld is huge. Dungeons have a reputation as pretty much second to none. Crafting and diplomacy are both worthwhile.
The game has always had a lot going for it, but the initial performance issues for some players were a major factor in its failed launch, and for me the lack of any sense of direction once you hit the late 20's was also a problem. I'll be back in the Summer, however, and will happily give it another go - assuming I'm still willing to do business with SOE after the ProSieben fiasco!
The Daily Grind: Who was your MMO mentor -- and whom did you mentor?
Mar 21st 2012 12:34PM (Massively)The best games I've played for restoring the old standards are (1) EQ on the progression servers - I can only speak for Fippy Darkpaw, haven't played on the other one, and (2) Fallen Earth. Both communities are great, although in any MMO I find that playing on a European PvE Role-Play server is likely to offer a decent experience free of jerks and Chuck Norris compared to some of the other server types I've played on.
As for the original topic, in my early days in MUDs I was looked after by a senior player who ran a guild and city and was incredibly supportive. I've personally never taken an individual player under my wing but I have whenever possible made a point of handing down spare gear to new players and asking them to pass it on in turn when they outgrow it. However, that sort of thing was more common in the older games like EQ and isn't often feasible or appreciated in the more modern games where all gear is trivially obtained anyway.
ArenaNet expands on microtransactions in Guild Wars 2
Mar 20th 2012 2:14PM (Massively)If there are cash shop items that can level the playing field then it follows that it also allows those with money to burn the chance to tilt the playing field in their favour.
LOL at those who have over-hyped ArenaNet's business model as being based solely on buying the box!
Let's hope it doesn't become just another variant on the Korean pay-to-win business model.
The Soapbox: Voice chat is the worst thing ever
Mar 20th 2012 1:45PM (Massively)Good to see the old chestnut come up again, there are always a few dimwits around who think that grouped combat is the sole means of interacting with people in a multiplayer game!
The problem with your question is the false premise on which it is based. I don't play a massively multiplayer online game without other people, it really is as simple as that. I probably engage in various ways with more people while solo adventuring than a good many do while in combat with the same 5 people every session!