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Asheron's Call: Asheron’s Calling for a Hip Replacement

SBFordSBFord Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129

MMORPG.com's Adam Tingle is constantly on the look out for THE game for him. There may be millions of them out there but finding the perfect fit isn't always easy. In a new report for MMORPG.com, Adam has check in to Asheron's Call to see if the game of his dreams lies there. Check out what Adam discovered about Asheron's Call and then let us know what you think in the comments.

I started my journey in the lands of Asheron’s Call by sculpting an avatar to perfection; perhaps through years of increasingly simple character creation tools, or my general slumped, half-conscious modus operandi of approaching gaming these days, but the extensive choices in Asheron’s Call are enough to make anyone stand to attention. Gone are the usual “do you want to be a big angry looking thing with a shiny shiny or a small gentile looking think with a spark sparky?” but actual choices in how you want to approach the game. From an extensive selection of races to the application of attribute points in to certain areas, Turbine’s original MMO harks back to that old tradition of you know, thinking about what kind of experience you wish to have from the game. It is kind of refreshing in a way.

Read more of Adam Tingle's Asheron's Call: Asheron’s Calling for a Hip Replacement.


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Comments

  • sirphobossirphobos Member UncommonPosts: 620

    AC was an awesome game in its time, but like the article said, it's pretty much impossible to play for anyone that isn't a seasoned veteran of the game.

    I would love to see a modern version that plays similar to AC.  Build whatever character you want without classes.  Huge open world.  Some of the funnest times in AC were simply wandering off into the middle of nowhere and trying to find areas or dungeons that few if any had probably seen before.  Not to mention the actual danger you felt when doing things like taking the portal to the Direlands for the first time. 

    The only thing I didn't really care for in the game was the allegiance system.

  • elockeelocke Member UncommonPosts: 4,335

    Make the UI and character controls/feedback more modern and I'll pay to play the game.  DAOC is doing that, so AC should follow suit.

  • AkaisAkais Member UncommonPosts: 274

    This game was my first real foray into the MMO Genre and I both love and miss it.

    Going back to it though... Not really an option.

    It's graphically very long in the tooth and has some mechanics that are massive timesinks.

    Much like the poster above I would love to see a truly updated version of the game graphic-wise with the exact same world/gameplay/etc. I don't go "fanboi" over games but I would over that one. The ability to explore (or get lost...), the knowledge that even the bunnies could kill you (Fluffy!!!!), that worse stuff spawned at night. Waking up one morning and fidning a town you'd been bound to utterly destroyed. This game brings back the fod memories of a game world that was truly in motinon as opposed to the static offerings you see in MMO's now.

    Sadly the rushed launch and the drama between MS and Turbine surrounding AC2 has most likely killed this franchise.

    I genuinely wish things had gone differently for Asheron's Call as I'd love to see a new one.

     

  • GajariGajari Member Posts: 984

    AC was my first and best experience in the MMO genre. Not just MMORPG's, but online with other people in general. I saw an ad for it in a gaming magazine way back in the day and was like "HOLY SHIT!? ONLINE WITH OTHERS, IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE!?"

    While playing AC, I was opened up to EQ and UO and such, but it was the first I even realized MMO's existed and it was amazing. I had so much fun playing this game and I got all my friends into it.

    I quit playing after about 3 years. The main problem with the game IS the grind, because my friends still play it ten years later, and they're still doing the same thing now as back then: macroing.

    Basically, my friends macro (run a program that plays for them) and spend more time watching the game being played and letting their character level up on its own, and occasionally talking to people. Pretty much everyone that plays does this to level up because the grind is insane.

    If they changed this to a degree, and updated the graphics a bit, I'd probably start playing again. But unfortunately, it's too far gone to ever expect that to happen.

    Still, was the best game out there for its time, imo. Good article.

  • quentin405quentin405 Member Posts: 468

     Haha god I have such great memories of AC.. I recently tried out the trial and well, Im happy with those being just memories.. I cant stand the game nowadays, played the trial until mid teens.. Still is pretty awesome I just couldnt stand the looting..

     

    As a noob you need money.. So you need to loot items.. Every monster drops like 4-9 items, and every item you loot takes like 3 full seconds..

     

    Back in the day it was the sauce.. nowadays I dont have the patience..

    image

  • Paragus1Paragus1 Member UncommonPosts: 1,741

    This game was years ahead of its time.  If they remade this game with better graphics it would ba amazing and probably hold its own in today's market.

  • Loke666Loke666 Member EpicPosts: 21,441

    Originally posted by Paragus1

    This game was years ahead of its time.  If they remade this game with better graphics it would ba amazing and probably hold its own in today's market.

    Just remaking the game as it was would be missing the point. What made it so great was that they thought outside the box and invented new mechanics.

    A new AC should be based on all those good ideas but it must also continue what the first (and maybe AC2) started with.

    I don't believe that just upgrading the graphics of old games is the smartest thing you can do, no matter what Blizzard think. AC was never as large as Star craft so AC3 will need to offer both something old and something new.

    But I am all for a AC3 otherwise. :)

  • OzmodanOzmodan Member EpicPosts: 9,726

    Well to start with, there are a bunch of add-ons that really help out the UI.  Without them it is rather awkward at best.

    You did not even discuss combat which has no auto targeting and no auto attack.  You can actually dodge magic and missles.  There are several sites that have tons of info on the game, you really need to read up on them before playing.

    Items that fall can have varied stats.  You don't get the same item from the same npc.

    You did not even cover the fact that the game is skill based, while it has levels they really don't mean much, just more skill points to spend.  It has great flexibility on how you design your character, you can put skill points in anything you desire, but it does help to specialize in a few.

    It still is one of the better games out there, but again it is a very grindy game. 

    Pretty much a terrible job on reviewing the game because you left out the basic facts.  Where does MMORPG get such terrible game reviewers?

  • AlienShoresAlienShores Member UncommonPosts: 79

    Like some others here, AC was the first MMORPG that my wife and I ever played.  It was an unbelievable experience.  We had no *clue* what we were doing, but because of that absolutely everything was new and exciting.  We had a blast and made some good friends in the game and together we went on many giant adventures. 

    Killing that damn Fluffy was a great accomplishment! :)

    I'm not sure if we'll ever get a new game that can capture the feel of AC in its prime.  Mostly because we're all seasoned vets now and nothing ever feels truly new.  One can hope though.

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  • Loke666Loke666 Member EpicPosts: 21,441

    Originally posted by AlienShores

    Like some others here, AC was the first MMORPG that my wife and I ever played.  It was an unbelievable experience.  We had no *clue* what we were doing, but because of that absolutely everything was new and exciting.  We had a blast and made some good friends in the game and together we went on many giant adventures. 

    Killing that damn Fluffy was a great accomplishment! :)

    I'm not sure if we'll ever get a new game that can capture the feel of AC in its prime.  Mostly because we're all seasoned vets now and nothing ever feels truly new.  One can hope though.

    Actually, I think because MMOs have been so similar for a long time it will be easier for games to feel new if they go outside the box now than it would have been 8 or 10 years ago.

    For someone that only have drank Coke for 15 years a DR Pepper will be a very different thing.

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  • KyleranKyleran Member LegendaryPosts: 43,435

    What made the early MMO's "grind" bearable was the fact they usually strongly encouraged and rewarded grouping with your fellow players.

    When played solo, all early MMO's pretty much sucked for me including DAOC and Lineage 2.

    But when grouped up with others that's when they were really fun, so it's understandable that the OP didn't have a good time, I doubt there are any new players to group with on a given day.

    The getting lost issue I can relate to, I'm terrific in the real world with navigation and directions, even in wilderness situations, yet somehow in game worlds I'm lost all the time w/o my mini-map, not sure why that is.

     

    "True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde 

    "I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant

    Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm

    Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV

    Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™

    "This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon






  • I joined many friends years ago in AC and although I was never a big fan of the game like they were it offered a few things that no mmo as far as  I know has attempted. The landscape is real in that if you see a mountain in the distance you can climb it as it's a open world. There are no 'pretend' vista's wedged between barrier walls (like most if not all mmo's today). You can just pick a direction and go there. If I remember right the game world is the size of Rhode Island.

    Second, it had real world geometry so if someone fired a arrow your direction you could dodge it.

    But the most interesting feature was that as you joined guilds you contributed experience to those you ranked below propelling the leader upward and those that recruited you so they had a vested interest in your well-being.

    Sure the graphics are dated and today's world of uber game machine bragging it's hard to play anything that your baby can't show to it's best look. Graphic lustre fades as you play a game and at least for me becomes something I pay little attention to. In the end it was the grinding that pushed me away and even the most modern mmo with their hundreds of quests have replaced one grinding for another.

    Anyway, I wanted to share a bit of what I found interesting in what is now an older game that could of been so much more than it was.

     

  • odinsrathodinsrath Member UncommonPosts: 814

    bring AC back to life with a grafic overhaul / UI and it will be at the front of the line of mmorpg's today

  • SnarlingWolfSnarlingWolf Member Posts: 2,697

    Actually there are probably over 1000 quests in asheron's call. There is also no grinding necessary to level in AC anymore. Most low level quests give you over 1 level worth of xp.

     

    http://ac.wikkii.net/wiki/TaoMagicDragon_SC%27s_Leveling_Guide

    Take a look at that, it is a leveling guide that only uses a fraction of the in game quests and gets you to level 150+ very quickly.

     

    Does AC put exclamation points over NPC heads? No, thank god.

    Does AC force you on one starting path the way games like WoW do? No, thank god.

    Does AC require you to think for a moment before randomly running off into the woods, killing a creature, saying there are no quests and saying that the game is a grind and shouldn't be played? Yes, thank god.

     

    Asheron's Call provides a better experience than any MMO out there today, and I've played them all.

     

    And the landscape textures look great. Uncheck the landscape detail textures button. Some video cards now cause the ground to grey out with that checked due to changes in graphics hardware.

     

    All of the above is also easy to figure out if you simply ASK OTHER PLAYERS IN GAME. Click the chat button and change the channel to General Chat (the same way you can in every other MMO) and then say "Hey I'm a new player and need some help." AC tends to be the most helpful community out there. (You can also just do /cg).

     

    Maybe put more than 3 seconds of effort into a game before calling it "A review". If all you've done is grow up on WoW and WoW clones that hold your hand every step of the way. Highlight every NPC, every quest location on the map and every mob you need to kill, well better get ready.... you might have to finally use your brain.

  • vladwwvladww Member UncommonPosts: 417

    Asheron Call was probably one of the only popular mmorpg I never tried..

    until last year :

    After 15mn of gameplay,

    - There was so much loot dropping left & right i just couldn't store it

    - My character had access to a hub of teleporters making land exploration meaningless

    /uninstall

    Was it like this in original AC or did Turbine dumbed down the game after all these years ?

    Like SOE did to EQ ?

     

    ****************************
    Playing : Uncharted Waters Online
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  • SnarlingWolfSnarlingWolf Member Posts: 2,697

    Originally posted by vladww

    Asheron Call was probably one of the only popular mmorpg I never tried..

    until last year :

    After 15mn of gameplay,

    - There was so much loot dropping left & right i just couldn't store it

    - My character had access to a hub of teleporters making land exploration meaningless

    /uninstall

    Was it like this in original AC or did Turbine dumbed down the game after all these years ?

    Like SOE did to EQ ?

     

    You're not supposed to store all of the loot, and yes that much loot always dropped. It is a random loot system so most of it you salvage or sell and only a few pieces you keep for actual use.

     

    Yes there was always groups of portals. There were different subways before, they just consolidated the subways into one dungeon. Also none of those portals are new, all of those options always existed between the subways I mentioned and on the landscape which formed "portal loops" where you'd portal through 3 areas to get where you were going, now you just go through the one you want.

     

    Travel was not meant to be long in AC like it is in some MMOs that require you to take 30 real minutes to get to a quest. The idea was to go where you needed to go and start hunting and questing.

     

    The game is far from dumbed down as the writer of this article showed, some people can't figure it out because it ISN'T dumbed down.

  • BlackraynBlackrayn Member Posts: 142

    Ah the game that started it all for me! The first MMO I ever played, and the reason most all fall short nowadays! When it comes to actually molding your character in the direction that "you" want it to go, there isn't another game that can even touch AC!

     Why I agree with everyone about it being graphically challenged, I still have not played a game that amounted to the fun I had in this one! Freedom! Characters, landscape and how you wanted to play the game! There was no linear path that you had to follow, no cookie cutter molds! This game was truly do it the way you want it done!

     Not sure if anything will ever be as fun as dropping bells and starting the Queen for the first time! Or the server events when Bael'zhaorn was running around smacking fools into oblivion! Some of the best times ever!

     I to wish that someday that an AC3 or another game can in someway have a game similar to this! I myself could use less grind that there is in AC! But, the principles of this game are done right! AC2 ended up being a good game, but by the time they fixed the major problem from the hurried launch it was to late!

  • RiotgirlRiotgirl Member UncommonPosts: 520

    I never played AC as I was playing EQ. Yes, these games are very, very long in the tooth and probably too far down the line from the original experience to be worth playing (EQ especially), but the old skool gameplay and freedom (open worlds as opposed to sandbox  - I don't give a crap over themepark vs sandbox as the real question in my mind, is how much of one's gaming experience is on rails) still have an allure and majesty that calls over the years to those that would hear.

    Somewhere along the line, the genre has thrown away the baby with the bathwater. 

    As for the review, fortunately I have read a great deal about AC on the AC forums to know enough that although AC has succumbed to the passage of time (as must we all), it is not the case that the genre has progressed too far. In fact, I'd argue precisely the opposite! The pendulum has swung too far towards solo, on-rails play with little player-freedom. As another poster mentioned, there are features in old skool games - as the poster alluded with the combat - that are still yet to be matched, let alone surpassed! As I said before, baby and bath water.

    I would be interested in a 'classic' AC experience on a fresh, clean server if that were possible, to play a title that I missed during the day - and experience a game, the likes of which I cannot experience. So much for progression! ;)

     

    "If you think I'm plucky and scrappy and all I need is love, you're in way over your head. I don't have a heart of gold or get nice. There are a lot nicer people coming up. We call them losers."

  • ray12kray12k Member UncommonPosts: 487

    The best thing about Ac was actually discovering things. Going out to a place with a group of freinds that some guy you just met told you about... lol even getting rolled by the npc's was fun just gettingyour loot back sucked.

     

     

    Or the dc while running and having no idea where your body is haha.

     

    I think if they dont want to mak e a ac 3 then someone should evelop a game that drops you off in the worl and makes you search for places to hunt ect... The ice tachi quest ws clasic...

    AC! is still the best game I played.

  • GolelornGolelorn Member RarePosts: 1,395

    I don't mind the graphics, which were old even in 2000. I do mind the autoattack. Its terrible.

    Tried to get back into it, and the combat was just too boring by today's standards. Still I think its a great game that was way underappreciated.

  • bezadobezado Member UncommonPosts: 1,127
    If it goes FTP or drops sub price down to like $4.99 a month I will return.
  • VhalnVhaln Member Posts: 3,159

    This game even looked horrible in its prime, in the days of Everquest and Anarchy Online.  I don't think anyone ever played AC for the graphics :)

     

     

    When I want a single-player story, I'll play a single-player game. When I play an MMO, I want a massively multiplayer world.

  • DarkcrystalDarkcrystal Member UncommonPosts: 963

    The lore based questing was awesome , I loved leading my guild on quests and hunting partys I miss those days, todays games there is to much hand holding. They should make an AC3 with the same type  of questing, PVP, combat style some what, with it updated, graphics and more. If they did that alone, this would bring many people to play the game.

     

    AC2 was horrid, and it was not smart to try and compete with the 1st one since it was so much better then the 2nd one. Ba dmove by turbine to make AC2 the way they did. If they make AC3 they need to do it right.  I played this for over 7years and ran my guild there and loved it, I miss this game. To one of the posters  sugesting a fresh clean server  , they tried that, it failed badly they same crap happen, people macroed , ran 3rd party apps and more, so the game just needs to be done and make a more modern AC . I 'm sure many players would play it if they did it right, they need to use the same type of questing, exploring, and more. We don't want any hand holding like WOW, or EQ, people who wanted that played EQ.

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