Here is a current system requirments screenshot for Windows Vista for those of you that want to know. This does not violate the NDA from what I have read.
From what ive taken from the beta leaks the game has come a very very very long way in the last 40 days. With a nother massive patch just april 2nd. Sure the game wont be 100% when launched, but what MMo ever has?
... there were several promised features that were either missing or broken completely. The majority of the game at that time was based around a revolutionary dynamic instanced mission system.... a system that only rarely functioned properly.Most instances were bugged so they couldnt be completed, or have unintentional invisible walls that blocked movement through rooms. There were severe lag and server slowdowns, especially with more than a handful of people on screen at once.
The beta testers knew well the issues and said it wasnt ready and there were still major problems to resolve before it was release ready. ...Worst releases in the history of mmos. ... I see the same nda being held until near release. I see the same kinds of posts about the state of things.
AO(C) ?
AO is a F2P now... AOC = also a F2p ?
fine.
(NB if you think i'm a AOC hater or XXX hater you"re wrong.. Bought Lotro, boring when you reach lvl 50, payed but stopped, bought Vg, nice at start but awfull at lvl 30+, stopped, tried TR, boring, tried POTBS... well..don't know, etc. That's enough. Looking for a good pvp/pve mmorpg... but i fear AO syndrome. Nothing about PVP, still NDA, nothing about OB : what about technical pbs at launch ? etc etc etc... )
Was a BT in Lotro since 2006. Perfect BT . Serious. And really important: had pbs in Jan. with stress tests. Turbine and CM made a good job and fixed the pbs (login server) and without this Stress test and massive BT, this could be a disaster at launch. It has been a SUCCESS.
Lotro is a success.Even if i stopped the game (not my taste past lvl 30... And reached only lvl 30 at BT... lool) this BT was serious, perfect and Lotro is a polished game, best one since World of Warcraft I think. Imagine AOC without this massive BT and stress testing...
Even VG had an OB... Tried VG 1st time at the OB. Even VG had an OB... can't you see ?
You can't seriously stress test a game with 1000 players..that"s not enough.
Supports GeForce 6, 7, 8, and 9 series GPUs including these newly released GPUs:
GeForce 9800 GX2
GeForce 9600 GT
GeForce 8300
GeForce 8200
GeForce 8100/NVIDIA nForce 720a
NVIDIA nForce 730a
Supports single GPU and NVIDIA SLI™ technology on DirectX 9, DirectX 10, and OpenGL, including Quad SLI technology with GeForce 9800 GX2.
Adds new PureVideo HD features for GeForce 9800 GX2 and 9600 GT:
Dynamic Contrast Enhancement
Dynamic Blue, Green & Skin Tone Enhancements
Dual-Stream Decode Acceleration*
Microsoft Vista Aero display mode compatibility for Blu-ray & HD DVD playback*
Added the following pages to the NVIDIA Control Panel:
Manage Custom Resolutions
Adjust Television Color Settings
Adjust Screen Size and Position
Move CRT Position
Improved performance on many DirectX 9, DirectX 10, and OpenGL applications.
Numerous game and application compatibility fixes. Please read the release notes for more information on product support, features, driver fixes and known compatibility issues.
Users without US English operating systems can select their language and download the International driver here.
* Note: Users will require updated software from third-party movie players to experience the new Dual-Stream decode acceleration and Aero support for Blu-ray and HD DVD playback features.
History lesson: ... there were several promised features that were either missing or broken completely. The majority of the game at that time was based around a revolutionary dynamic instanced mission system.... a system that only rarely functioned properly.Most instances were bugged so they couldnt be completed, or have unintentional invisible walls that blocked movement through rooms. There were severe lag and server slowdowns, especially with more than a handful of people on screen at once. The beta testers knew well the issues and said it wasnt ready and there were still major problems to resolve before it was release ready. ...Worst releases in the history of mmos. ... I see the same nda being held until near release. I see the same kinds of posts about the state of things.
AO(C) ?
AO is a F2P now... AOC = also a F2p ?
fine.
AO is only partially free. The basic game and the first expansion. It requires a subscription for the full game.
Where's the rewards for the veteran followers t(and yes that includees myself) that were promised. No where to be seen.
How many posts on the official forums did you have prior to august 2006? Pretty much everyone from 2005 who ranks higher than Barbarian is in I think. Join date 2005 and 2 posts doesnt = veteran. (not saying you made two posts or getting at you) Its just there are a few people out there who think if they sign up to a forum early enough without being part of the community grants them beta admission to the game.
Only thing I know for sure is forums used to be allot better back in early 2006. I wish them the best, but there is no chance in hell I will buy any game that I dont get to try upfront for free.
I'm not really to up on this game. i'll try it when it comes out and if i like it great.... but since WHEN did it become manditory for a company to let you try their product before you buy it. 99% of mmo's have a free 30days and there's your trial. Buy a console game; MOST don't have demo's. You buy a game or other product (movie, food, book what have you) and if you don't like it ah crap you wasted 50 or so dollars. Beta's were never meant to be anything but tests and or stress events for the company making the game. It has become common place for some people to think "well if you don't let me try your product i'm not buying it". Well thats fine good day. if there is no open beta, buy, the game play for FREE for 30 days (sure more time than you get with console games ANYWAY) and decide then. If they have an open beta and you get a key then even better it's an even FREE'er demo, but it is in no way a right as much as it is a priveladge with some games. What i'm trying to get at is we shouldn't feel we are owed a beta 80% of video games don't have open beta's and i realise that 80% of them don't have monthly fees but thats what the 30free days or for thats 720 game hours name me a another game genre in which you can get that much play time for 50$
I'm not really to up on this game. i'll try it when it comes out and if i like it great.... but since WHEN did it become manditory for a company to let you try their product before you buy it. 99% of mmo's have a free 30days and there's your trial. Buy a console game; MOST don't have demo's. You buy a game or other product (movie, food, book what have you) and if you don't like it ah crap you wasted 50 or so dollars. Beta's were never meant to be anything but tests and or stress events for the company making the game. It has become common place for some people to think "well if you don't let me try your product i'm not buying it". Well thats fine good day. if there is no open beta, buy, the game play for FREE for 30 days (sure more time than you get with console games ANYWAY) and decide then. If they have an open beta and you get a key then even better it's an even FREE'er demo, but it is in no way a right as much as it is a priveladge with some games. What i'm trying to get at is we shouldn't feel we are owed a beta 80% of video games don't have open beta's and i realise that 80% of them don't have monthly fees but thats what the 30free days or for thats 720 game hours name me a another game genre in which you can get that much play time for 50$
I think it mostly has something to do with the trend in mmos where certain features and capabilities are promised and 'gaurenteed' at release time, and the customer doesn't find out about it until they have shelled out the cash. It would be one thing if a developer said 'our game is great, its a lot of fun, play it!', which is all opinion and would be fine since they are entitled to that. But its an entirely different animal if they said it had pvp or raiding or crafting or grouping and the customer buys it only to find it wasn't in.
If previous games had never made false claims about the state of their games or about the features that were implemented, I don't think people WOULD care as much about free trials. But its happened so many times at this point that its become a bit of a 'boy who cried wolf' situation, and not everyone can believe without proof to back it up. And a free trial provides that proof.
The biggest difference I find between the mmorpg world and other business is that, if false advertising occurred this much in the other business, they would actually be held accountable. In mmorpg's, most people just shrug and forgive. And thats probably why it keeps happening.
Waiting for: A skill-based MMO with Freedom and Consequence. Woe to thee, the pierce-ed.
I do agree however that you're right sometimes mmo's lay claim to features that sometimes (or MOST the time) aren't in the released game and come later or are just broken, however i'd rather see them fix those problems than demand a free trial. But even then you are right mmo's are a different breed that sometimes have gray lines on what's promised to be comming from the game at release i just kinda have a sore spot when people start saying give me a free look at your game or else i'm not buyin! IMO you either wanna play the game or you don't and playing the game for even 40 hours is worth 50 dollars IMO even if the product isn't that spectacular or what i had hoped.
it's just from a DEV stand point even if you don't like my product i took ALOT of time to make this thing and spent alot of money into it, the least a consumer could do is shell out at least some money to play it for 30 days.
I have NO clue about the game really, bad or good (don't like getting myself hyped or dreading a game i am interested in most the time) and i am more than will to say hey here's my 50 lemme try this game and see if it in that turn worth the monthly fee to keep going.
1 thing more that is lacking, here 7 weeks before release - Cant wait. But the official webside is realy low on specific game information, crafting, races, classes, spells, "Housing" ect.
But i still pray to that there will be no dalay on the release date.
Ok first off just want to say that I am strongly looking forward to AOC release, however Im a bit concerned. We are now a week into april, leaving only 7 weeks till AOC launch, and the NDA is still up and there is no open beta yet. NDA's are usually dropped between 4 and 8 weeks from release, and the farther out the NDA is dropped can be used to determine the confidence the devs have in their game. For instance, wow dropped their NDA 8 weeks prior to release, while not a fan of WoW, they did have a good product and werent afraid to let the beta testers speak. On the other hand we have Tabula Rasa which bombed once its NDA was breeched, and was cited as one of the things leading to its failure (I disagree, think bad game design led to its failure but thats another topic). Regardless, Im concerned that Funcom hasnt released the NDA yet, and Open beta doesnt seem to be around the corner. I dont think AoC is going to be awful, but if these two things arent taken care of in the next week or so we are most likely looking at a push back sadly... and I really hope thats not the case.
Wow just had nothing to offer, it was (and is) a grinder with quests. AoC has so many features, which could be broken, so the devs want to be sure to make them as clean as they can.
For me, a company that has been around for a while and wants to still exist, knows that they need to launch a more or less finished mmo, with the juggernaut that WoW is, (like it or not they reshaped the MMO landscape), everything that comes out will be compared to it and people, the more they know, they less forgiving they are. we all know what a good launch is and what a bad launch is, how bad can it be before they loose us as costumers and how many of us it takes for them to break even or make a profit.
MMO's are a different than any other game, because they can invest more money in it knowing that if it's a success they will also make more money so the numbers are not only based on sales of the product but on their retention and monthly payments.
In my opinion it would be really dumb of Funcom to release a bad or unfinished game, especially because of the way they news spread, in a matter of days, if everybody complains about it and says it sucks, they wont even be able to get their investment back and if they don't they might even go under.
It is on their best interest to produce a really good game, not a mediocre one... I know that more than making a good game that want to make a ton of money. A lot of the people leaking information are people who played the game 3 months ago and are still complaining about that build.
And you base this on? Stop trolling the AoC forums, this is not the first negative post from your side. If you have something to say, at least back this up with a link. Otherwise stay away from the AoC Forums.
In general: I'm getting sick and tired of hearing all these negative non linked crap. Why don't people (especially trolls) get a life?
We all know the game will be a rushed buggy mess and will end up disappointing everyone and join the rest of the pile of games like EQ2 and Vanguard and DnL etc etc.
hell there is even leaked info on warhammer and people complaining about it. but like AOC or any unfinished game for that matter, it is not fair to Developers, as well as the potential customers, to presume or make final decisions on an unfinished product and yell it out to everyone.
I agree a open beta should happen soon, but I also respect them for holding off keeping things under wraps for now til they are certain this game is ready to go or at least ready for a trial run just before it releases. this will give them time to clean up any code and issues that may be lingering.
however I am pre-ordering the CE version of AOC and am Quite happy with what I see so far, more so i am estatic about the hands on combat system. Lot of people say oh they are being innovative, some say they are rehashing mediorce features, all they need to do is do a few things really well, combat system that is engaging, and fun and hands on (which i think most people will agree will most likely be a blast) i know im gonna love it, hvaent played a game that is truly hands on and interactive in such a way that creates simplistic complexity lol i know an oxymoron but its true. I also think the sieges will be the big thing once people get to a high level. several of my guild mates in Eq2 have already decided and are organized a a exodus from Eq2 to AOC to play on the same server. Im gonna still play Eq2 but i think majority time will be in AOC for a good amount of time hahaha. ill of course throw a post in AOC forums what server we are going to and if anyone wants to come :P
but to get back on the subject at hand. I think its not fair or realistic to slam a game or label a game until its pretty much done, and ready to handle mass consumption. in that it is good to basically shush your mouth, let the devs do their work, and allow the beta testers stress the game to find broken issues with the game so when we the actual retail players purchase the game, we have that much less to worry about.
3.4ghz Phenom II X4 965, 8GB PC12800 DDR3 GSKILL, EVGA 560GTX 2GB OC, 640GB HD SATA II, BFG 1000WATT PSU. MSI NF980-G65 TRI-SLI MOBO.
We all know the game will be a rushed buggy mess and will end up disappointing everyone and join the rest of the pile of games like EQ2 and Vanguard and DnL etc etc.
dont know what u talking about but Eq2 is good, and has good subscriber numbers. VSOH, and DNL u got credibility on those, (DNL i never played so i cant say directly but i have played Vanguard and its still broken beta) but Eq2 is a down right enriching experience. only thing it needs is some engine optimizations to bring it into full support with 8800's and multicore support. other than that the game has rich, story filled quests, awesome gear, enthralling raids there is alot you can do inthat game. so although your entitled to your opinion, thats all it is, an opinion, Eq2 is far from buggy. VSOH? yeah thats a buggy mess.
3.4ghz Phenom II X4 965, 8GB PC12800 DDR3 GSKILL, EVGA 560GTX 2GB OC, 640GB HD SATA II, BFG 1000WATT PSU. MSI NF980-G65 TRI-SLI MOBO.
hell there is even leaked info on warhammer and people complaining about it. but like AOC or any unfinished game for that matter, it is not fair to Developers, as well as the potential customers, to presume or make final decisions on an unfinished product and yell it out to everyone. I agree a open beta should happen soon, but I also respect them for holding off keeping things under wraps for now til they are certain this game is ready to go or at least ready for a trial run just before it releases. this will give them time to clean up any code and issues that may be lingering. however I am pre-ordering the CE version of AOC and am Quite happy with what I see so far, more so i am estatic about the hands on combat system. Lot of people say oh they are being innovative, some say they are rehashing mediorce features, all they need to do is do a few things really well, combat system that is engaging, and fun and hands on (which i think most people will agree will most likely be a blast) i know im gonna love it, hvaent played a game that is truly hands on and interactive in such a way that creates simplistic complexity lol i know an oxymoron but its true. I also think the sieges will be the big thing once people get to a high level. several of my guild mates in Eq2 have already decided and are organized a a exodus from Eq2 to AOC to play on the same server. Im gonna still play Eq2 but i think majority time will be in AOC for a good amount of time hahaha. ill of course throw a post in AOC forums what server we are going to and if anyone wants to come :P but to get back on the subject at hand. I think its not fair or realistic to slam a game or label a game until its pretty much done, and ready to handle mass consumption. in that it is good to basically shush your mouth, let the devs do their work, and allow the beta testers stress the game to find broken issues with the game so when we the actual retail players purchase the game, we have that much less to worry about.
It is not acceptable to keep NDA just until or after the game launches. Especially after the Vanguard.
Also it is not acceptable not to have Open Beta , or at least Open Trial.
AOC has to many IF's attached:
-If it will run on my PC
-If action combat suits me
-If it is too instanced
... You will simply have to try before you buy ( At least if you are reasonable person )
One more thing , Avery talks about 1 weeknd open beta.
This is also nonsence.
As i hear , the client is over 20gig large. It will take people up to 1 week to download it (depends on your bandwith and luck) And all this for 2 days testing ? That would be a mean joke.
For me. I said it before.
No mater how long I anticipated and waited for AOC. I do not even consider in wildest dream , buying it
Regarding AoC (as being a "next gen" title *cough* that will even remotely live up to their ridiculous self-made hype) there are not too many points in which i agree with FC.
But i agree with them that not lifting the NDA until release and not having an open beta is indeed a good decision...at least from their point of view.
Comments
Here is a current system requirments screenshot for Windows Vista for those of you that want to know. This does not violate the NDA from what I have read.
From what ive taken from the beta leaks the game has come a very very very long way in the last 40 days. With a nother massive patch just april 2nd. Sure the game wont be 100% when launched, but what MMo ever has?
AO(C) ?
AO is a F2P now... AOC = also a F2p ?
fine.
(NB if you think i'm a AOC hater or XXX hater you"re wrong.. Bought Lotro, boring when you reach lvl 50, payed but stopped, bought Vg, nice at start but awfull at lvl 30+, stopped, tried TR, boring, tried POTBS... well..don't know, etc. That's enough. Looking for a good pvp/pve mmorpg... but i fear AO syndrome. Nothing about PVP, still NDA, nothing about OB : what about technical pbs at launch ? etc etc etc... )
Was a BT in Lotro since 2006. Perfect BT . Serious. And really important: had pbs in Jan. with stress tests. Turbine and CM made a good job and fixed the pbs (login server) and without this Stress test and massive BT, this could be a disaster at launch. It has been a SUCCESS.
Lotro is a success.Even if i stopped the game (not my taste past lvl 30... And reached only lvl 30 at BT... lool) this BT was serious, perfect and Lotro is a polished game, best one since World of Warcraft I think. Imagine AOC without this massive BT and stress testing...
Even VG had an OB... Tried VG 1st time at the OB. Even VG had an OB... can't you see ?
You can't seriously stress test a game with 1000 players..that"s not enough.
BT Lotro Vg TR GnH POTBS etc ...
Good luck Funcom.
Just a small heads up regarding nVidia drivers:
GeForce Release 174 BETA
* Note: Users will require updated software from third-party movie players to experience the new Dual-Stream decode acceleration and Aero support for Blu-ray and HD DVD playback features.
Well... its a rather clear assumption if you keep NDA locked till the day of release, then you have little if any confidence in your game.
If you took the NDA down 3 months before your game released you have a huge amount of confidence.
I forget what dev was talking about NDA's and release dates and such recently, but it seems to be a fairly industry wide agreed upon thing.
No, Funcom doesnt keep the NDA up till day of release. They keep it up forever.AO(C) ?
AO is a F2P now... AOC = also a F2p ?
fine.
AO is only partially free. The basic game and the first expansion. It requires a subscription for the full game.
How many posts on the official forums did you have prior to august 2006? Pretty much everyone from 2005 who ranks higher than Barbarian is in I think. Join date 2005 and 2 posts doesnt = veteran. (not saying you made two posts or getting at you) Its just there are a few people out there who think if they sign up to a forum early enough without being part of the community grants them beta admission to the game.
Only thing I know for sure is forums used to be allot better back in early 2006. I wish them the best, but there is no chance in hell I will buy any game that I dont get to try upfront for free.
I'm not really to up on this game. i'll try it when it comes out and if i like it great.... but since WHEN did it become manditory for a company to let you try their product before you buy it. 99% of mmo's have a free 30days and there's your trial. Buy a console game; MOST don't have demo's. You buy a game or other product (movie, food, book what have you) and if you don't like it ah crap you wasted 50 or so dollars. Beta's were never meant to be anything but tests and or stress events for the company making the game. It has become common place for some people to think "well if you don't let me try your product i'm not buying it". Well thats fine good day. if there is no open beta, buy, the game play for FREE for 30 days (sure more time than you get with console games ANYWAY) and decide then. If they have an open beta and you get a key then even better it's an even FREE'er demo, but it is in no way a right as much as it is a priveladge with some games. What i'm trying to get at is we shouldn't feel we are owed a beta 80% of video games don't have open beta's and i realise that 80% of them don't have monthly fees but thats what the 30free days or for thats 720 game hours name me a another game genre in which you can get that much play time for 50$
Treasure Island Dizzy?
*edit* oh wait, that's a lot cheaper than 50 bucks
I think it mostly has something to do with the trend in mmos where certain features and capabilities are promised and 'gaurenteed' at release time, and the customer doesn't find out about it until they have shelled out the cash. It would be one thing if a developer said 'our game is great, its a lot of fun, play it!', which is all opinion and would be fine since they are entitled to that. But its an entirely different animal if they said it had pvp or raiding or crafting or grouping and the customer buys it only to find it wasn't in.
If previous games had never made false claims about the state of their games or about the features that were implemented, I don't think people WOULD care as much about free trials. But its happened so many times at this point that its become a bit of a 'boy who cried wolf' situation, and not everyone can believe without proof to back it up. And a free trial provides that proof.
The biggest difference I find between the mmorpg world and other business is that, if false advertising occurred this much in the other business, they would actually be held accountable. In mmorpg's, most people just shrug and forgive. And thats probably why it keeps happening.
Waiting for: A skill-based MMO with Freedom and Consequence.
Woe to thee, the pierce-ed.
I do agree however that you're right sometimes mmo's lay claim to features that sometimes (or MOST the time) aren't in the released game and come later or are just broken, however i'd rather see them fix those problems than demand a free trial. But even then you are right mmo's are a different breed that sometimes have gray lines on what's promised to be comming from the game at release i just kinda have a sore spot when people start saying give me a free look at your game or else i'm not buyin! IMO you either wanna play the game or you don't and playing the game for even 40 hours is worth 50 dollars IMO even if the product isn't that spectacular or what i had hoped.
it's just from a DEV stand point even if you don't like my product i took ALOT of time to make this thing and spent alot of money into it, the least a consumer could do is shell out at least some money to play it for 30 days.
I have NO clue about the game really, bad or good (don't like getting myself hyped or dreading a game i am interested in most the time) and i am more than will to say hey here's my 50 lemme try this game and see if it in that turn worth the monthly fee to keep going.
btw sorry for grammer REAL late and long day.
1 thing more that is lacking, here 7 weeks before release
- Cant wait. But the official webside is realy low on specific game information, crafting, races, classes, spells, "Housing" ect.
But i still pray to that there will be no dalay on the release date.
Wow just had nothing to offer, it was (and is) a grinder with quests. AoC has so many features, which could be broken, so the devs want to be sure to make them as clean as they can.
Humm....
...mmuH
For me, a company that has been around for a while and wants to still exist, knows that they need to launch a more or less finished mmo, with the juggernaut that WoW is, (like it or not they reshaped the MMO landscape), everything that comes out will be compared to it and people, the more they know, they less forgiving they are. we all know what a good launch is and what a bad launch is, how bad can it be before they loose us as costumers and how many of us it takes for them to break even or make a profit.
MMO's are a different than any other game, because they can invest more money in it knowing that if it's a success they will also make more money so the numbers are not only based on sales of the product but on their retention and monthly payments.
In my opinion it would be really dumb of Funcom to release a bad or unfinished game, especially because of the way they news spread, in a matter of days, if everybody complains about it and says it sucks, they wont even be able to get their investment back and if they don't they might even go under.
It is on their best interest to produce a really good game, not a mediocre one... I know that more than making a good game that want to make a ton of money. A lot of the people leaking information are people who played the game 3 months ago and are still complaining about that build.
MMO's are a invest in time and money.
Players are investors, too
There will not be an open beta.
And you base this on? Stop trolling the AoC forums, this is not the first negative post from your side. If you have something to say, at least back this up with a link. Otherwise stay away from the AoC Forums.
In general: I'm getting sick and tired of hearing all these negative non linked crap. Why don't people (especially trolls) get a life?
We all know the game will be a rushed buggy mess and will end up disappointing everyone and join the rest of the pile of games like EQ2 and Vanguard and DnL etc etc.
hell there is even leaked info on warhammer and people complaining about it. but like AOC or any unfinished game for that matter, it is not fair to Developers, as well as the potential customers, to presume or make final decisions on an unfinished product and yell it out to everyone.
I agree a open beta should happen soon, but I also respect them for holding off keeping things under wraps for now til they are certain this game is ready to go or at least ready for a trial run just before it releases. this will give them time to clean up any code and issues that may be lingering.
however I am pre-ordering the CE version of AOC and am Quite happy with what I see so far, more so i am estatic about the hands on combat system. Lot of people say oh they are being innovative, some say they are rehashing mediorce features, all they need to do is do a few things really well, combat system that is engaging, and fun and hands on (which i think most people will agree will most likely be a blast) i know im gonna love it, hvaent played a game that is truly hands on and interactive in such a way that creates simplistic complexity lol i know an oxymoron but its true. I also think the sieges will be the big thing once people get to a high level. several of my guild mates in Eq2 have already decided and are organized a a exodus from Eq2 to AOC to play on the same server. Im gonna still play Eq2 but i think majority time will be in AOC for a good amount of time hahaha. ill of course throw a post in AOC forums what server we are going to and if anyone wants to come :P
but to get back on the subject at hand. I think its not fair or realistic to slam a game or label a game until its pretty much done, and ready to handle mass consumption. in that it is good to basically shush your mouth, let the devs do their work, and allow the beta testers stress the game to find broken issues with the game so when we the actual retail players purchase the game, we have that much less to worry about.
3.4ghz Phenom II X4 965, 8GB PC12800 DDR3 GSKILL, EVGA 560GTX 2GB OC, 640GB HD SATA II, BFG 1000WATT PSU. MSI NF980-G65 TRI-SLI MOBO.
dont know what u talking about but Eq2 is good, and has good subscriber numbers. VSOH, and DNL u got credibility on those, (DNL i never played so i cant say directly but i have played Vanguard and its still broken beta) but Eq2 is a down right enriching experience. only thing it needs is some engine optimizations to bring it into full support with 8800's and multicore support. other than that the game has rich, story filled quests, awesome gear, enthralling raids there is alot you can do inthat game. so although your entitled to your opinion, thats all it is, an opinion, Eq2 is far from buggy. VSOH? yeah thats a buggy mess.
3.4ghz Phenom II X4 965, 8GB PC12800 DDR3 GSKILL, EVGA 560GTX 2GB OC, 640GB HD SATA II, BFG 1000WATT PSU. MSI NF980-G65 TRI-SLI MOBO.
but it's ok to sing it's praises?
There are two sides to every coin, are there not?
Today is 2008 , not 2003.
It is not acceptable to keep NDA just until or after the game launches. Especially after the Vanguard.
Also it is not acceptable not to have Open Beta , or at least Open Trial.
AOC has to many IF's attached:
-If it will run on my PC
-If action combat suits me
-If it is too instanced
... You will simply have to try before you buy ( At least if you are reasonable person )
One more thing , Avery talks about 1 weeknd open beta.
This is also nonsence.
As i hear , the client is over 20gig large. It will take people up to 1 week to download it (depends on your bandwith and luck) And all this for 2 days testing ? That would be a mean joke.
For me. I said it before.
No mater how long I anticipated and waited for AOC. I do not even consider in wildest dream , buying it
before i give it a run on my PC
Regarding AoC (as being a "next gen" title *cough* that will even remotely live up to their ridiculous self-made hype) there are not too many points in which i agree with FC.
But i agree with them that not lifting the NDA until release and not having an open beta is indeed a good decision...at least from their point of view.