Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Playing AO!! Fun it is!!
xpowderx
Member UncommonPosts: 2,078
I will start out with my experience before giving my personal view of AO. I have been playing online MMORPGs since early 1998. My first game was Asherons Call then I moved to EQ. Played Eq for 4 almost 5 years. I have played DAOC for almost 2. SWG was played til they nerfed TK/Fence/Pistoleers. Then it was off to WOW. I recently left WOW about 2 weeks ago. 18 months ,5 level 60ies and alot of items is enough.
I started playing AO for the first time about a week ago. So far it is alot of fun. Now I will mention it has taken me a week to figure somethings out(still alot more to learn) t. I play a Enforcer as a main 
! For one of the easiest classes I can understand why some of the hack-n-slash younger mmorpgers would not like this game. You really do have to use thought into everything you do.
Now, to AO.. While the graphics are left to be desired the system in-game is fantastic. Never have I seen such a wide array of items, gear and skills available in one single game. For me I am having fun in everything I do. From shopping to questing, to getting that one skill up so I can equip that implant, nano or gear.
The world is plush, filled with creatures and scenery that other science fiction genre games wish they had. From the small details of a shuttle landing or a bird flying around you, the game has plenty of beauty for a older graphic system.
The creatures in the game are well thought out and have good AI. The faction system in this game isnt broken. Very nice! I am actually quite impressed with the faction system.
For me though the character itself is the most impressive function in the game. Even a Enforcer like me can feel like its part of a everchanging and growing world/community. I play mainly shadowlands and love the quests and situations I get into while playing. Now I did notice that Rubi-ka and Nascense are almost two completely different worlds. What works for me in SL doesnt work on Rubi-ka. I think that is a good part of the games flavor. I like the idea of one world with one type of system and another world with a whole different system. For me reminds me of traveling to different countries.. Different rulesets and structure. Really makes you feel like you are on a different world.
I have read some of the veteran players complain about this game. But I think that has to do with a expansion shrinking the £33+"I have a bigger E-peen than U" types. I completely disagree with alot of them. I have fun. And thats what gaming is about!
So for my first review I give this game a big "YES" its FUN! And a thumbs up!
If you are reading this I recommend this game highly. The game is intricate, fun and ever evolving what more could one ask for in a MMorpg!
Comments
AO is an extremly well done and rich game, even longtime players still learn new things after a few years of playing.
The only downside is the graphics engine, but if you play a game only because of it's graphics, well... i kind of hope you stay away from AO cause chances are i wouldnt want you playing it :P
Also worth noting is that the player community is very helpfull and mature, but the learning curve of the game is steep
"Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration - courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and, above all, love of the truth." - Henry Mencken
"With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion." - Steven Weinberg
"And what would you do with a brain if you had one?" - Wizard of Oz
I totally agree with OP.
I myself used 4-5years playing EQ, then off to L2 and finally WoW. Now i'm getting real tired of WoW, and downloaded the free version of AO. So far i get the feeling that this game is really well-tweaked...something that i find very rare having tried many of the different MMORPGs out there.
I didnt think i would have this kind of fun in a MMORPG again, but here i am loving it
*hovers his mouse above the "cancel WoW account"-button*
---------
no sig
So I should really consider AO?
"Now, to AO.. While the graphics are left to be desired the system
in-game is fantastic. Never have I seen such a wide array of items,
gear and skills available in one single game."
Mind the game is pretty much just as old as EQ, came out about 8 months later (EQ came out in the fall, AO in june.) For it's time, the graphics were fantastic. They remained the best graphics in the genre until AC2 came out!
As to items, gear, etc. Yea I think if you took the gear from every MMOG and combined it, it STILL wouldn't be as much as AO has. Last I knew it was over 600'000 items of loot and gear. Mind that was before the last expansion. Plus they used to add over 100 items each patch, probably still do. Wouldn't doubt if theres more then a million different items in the game now. Not all of it totally useful, but most of it is. Even when it first came out you had your choise between a dousen or more weapons at each level range, unlike today where you might have 3 or 4. The game most definately has it's 'EXTREMELY hard to come by, but super uber 'your character sucks if you cant get it' items, but thankfully they are a secondary feature and really you never 'need' them, unless you want to be uber lol.
"The world is plush, filled with creatures and scenery that other
science fiction genre games wish they had. From the small details of a
shuttle landing or a bird flying around you, the game has plenty of
beauty for a older graphic system."
People talk about WoW's graphics as not being all that high rez or realistic, but having great art direction. I say no MMOG comes even close to the absolute beauty in the art direction of AO. Especially the Shadowlands/etc.
"The creatures in the game are well thought out and have good AI. The
faction system in this game isnt broken. Very nice! I am actually quite
impressed with the faction system."
Factions in AO are great. They totally blow away games like WoW or DAoC. The PvP isn't as centric but the disparity and even hatred of 'the dirty clanners' or 'goody-to-shoes OT' is great. Always has been.
Ah the creatures of AO. HUGE variety. Games of it's day like DAoC or EQ just didn't compare. Not only to the variety but the shier number of different types of monsters. Man I could tell you some stories that would have you laughin your butt off about old AO. I spent a lot of time in beta and the early days in West Athen and it's connected zones. Screaming and running for the zone from Virulent Minibulls. Trying to use our tactics as best we could to fight the droids at the junkyard while running for ammo at the small base across from it. Laughing our butts off at the Yuttos singing their farty songs.
You've just scratched the surface. The game is just SO much deeper then almost every other MMOG out there. I spent years with the game and STILL hadn't seen or heard everything it had to offer. Oh and dont skimp out of Rubika. I know the Shadowlands are the place to be. But as you level, explore rubi-ka. It has some amazing and wondress things to see, hear and experience. Each zone is unique and there are things to see that'll have you falling out of your chair laughing or holding your pounding chest from a scare or amazement.
I haven't played AO in years but it nearly brings tears to my eyes when I think about what a fantastic time I had with the game and how no MMOG I've ever played (in the last 7 years, and that includes almost every single one of them) has come within a thousand miles of being as cool or fun or just plain awesome as AO was to me. Everyone has that 'first mmog' thing. AO wasn't my first, but I think of it as if it was, it was just so awesome.
Lol I think I'll open a froob account. Though I do miss at times the guild I helped found that has come to be one of the largest in the game (3305 Local) and spans several games and has built a group of friends and great friendships. I miss my fixer Xaielao with his 1800 runspeed, his original CR13 Mausser 'Bessie', my kickin Perennium Beamer. My sleak black Yalmaha.
I miss hanging out and partying with Gridstreem Productions at Leets glass dance floor. I miss the halloween parties in the castle shrowded by fog (cant remember the zone.) I miss all the foods, the virtual-alchohol, the GREAT RP atmosphere and support the game has (only SWG surpassed it).
Unfortunately the game has change over the years from what I so loved and enjoyed. But for newer players.. it's still VERY viable and fun.
As to the leet dudes 'my e-peen is bigger then yours' it's an unfortunate side effect of AO's heavy focus on 'uber loot'. You'll notice it MUCH more as you get higher level and such. But if you avoid them, it's no big deal.
AO is/was an increadible game, and dispite my rational mind, I'm putting high hopes toward Funcom that they can capture the same increadible, ahead of it's time, fun as hell gameplay and spirit in Age of Conan, that they did in Anarchy Online.
I trully believe that had AO not had it's horrid release and subsiquent terrible press and rumors. It would have quickly and easily surpassed EQ as the most popular MMOG of it's era.
Anarchy Online is kinda hard to describe. It might be difficult to start but if you give the game it's due shot I'm sure you'll enjoy it and you can't beat trying it for free.
If you create a toon on Rimor be sure to give me a tell and I might can show you some of the ropes.
/tell Dawnwalker or /tell Duskhealer
Ok when i get it I will do that.
great post been wonderin wether to give this game a go and uve answered my questions, I come from similar background to u WoW, swg i pld UO for 3 yrs as well so good review and helped me make my mind up
thnx
AO is actualy the only game that give u more learning and playing time
as compare to others newest game too
even AO gfx is outdated its content is best to none
I would like to tell you a story about Anarchy Online.
It'is brilliiant. The End.
I remember first hearing about AO during my EQ days, as a number of former players left EQ to play AO. They all came running back with their tails between their legs due to the infamous launch. I first took an interest in AO a year and a half ago but never followed up this interest.
For quite some time, I've been carefully deliberating over what title to try: DAoC, L2, SoR, were amongst the front runners. Then I decided that maybe an old skool title would suit me as I was feeling nostalgic about EQ [pre-SoL] with the news that the Combine server was to be launched at the end of June. Fortunately, I perused the AO forum [MMORPG.com] and became absorbed by complexity and rock solid gameplay that AO offered. What also appealed to me was the Sci-fi feel (SL notwithstanding) as I do like the futuristic/cyberpunk setting. The froob offer was the icing on the cake - free play until Jan 07 with no current need to purchase any of the expansions!
I've spent the last couple of hours thoroughly engrossed in the game [newbie island], getting used to the GUI and interface - not to mention having to figure out how to get my F keys to function properly (damn MS natural keyboard - I needed to hit the F Lock. Duh. /slaps forehead). My MMORPG skills have atrophied since quitting EQ in Sep 02, and quitting Eve in Oct 03, then summer 05. So I will need to spend some time to get these skills back to up to speed once more.
Even though my experience so far is cosmetic as I have barely scratched the surface, I am impressed and engrossed. So much so that I'm cancelling a fancy dress party tomorrow night so that I can play my instead.
I've finally built my new Pc: Athalon 64 3200, 7600GT 256MB and 2Gig Crucial Ram and I'm playing Anarchy Online :P I feel an Alanis Morrisette moment coming on ..
Regards,
Riotgirl
"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."
I tried it once, I didn't like it. The graphics are good yes, but the controls are REALLY complicated even the fighting....come on man TIMER for attacking! Really slow and boring and how the heck do you go to City, you know the big place with lots of people and shops >.>The best free game for me is Flyff and nothing else!
And by timer, do you mean the attack and recharge time? Alot of RPG games have that.
Seriously, this game isn't that hard if you take a good 30 minutes actually reading the Tips screen which pop up.
Groovy.