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ezorn33
Village Dweller
Joined: 24 Jun 2002
Posts: 6
Location: Cambridge, MA |
| MMORPG for a relative newbie? |
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Hey all,
With my graduation approaching, I think I'm ready to move from single-player games to an MMORPG. The thing is, I don't have a ton of experience with RPGs in general. I've played and loved Gothic and the old QFGs, and I didn't love so much but played Summoner. Which game should I play?
Things to consider:
1) I won't have a TON of time to play this game, as I will have a full-time job. Let's say 1-2 hours per day MAX during the week, maybe a bit more on the weekends.
2) I definitely prefer a medieval style setting to scifi. I'm not a big star wars guy.
3) Though gameplay is king, one of the reasons I love gaming is my constant amazement at the latest in 3d graphic technology. So I want something that looks at least pretty good -- especially the buildings (castles, cathedrals, etc.).
Based on my own research, I'm leaning towards DAOC. By the time I buy it, the gold edition will be out, and soon after the expansion with player housing will be out. Is this a good choice? |
Mon May 12, 2003 3:57 pm |
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Xanaki
Ghost of Asheron
Joined: 07 May 2002
Posts: 398
Location: Helsinki, Finland |
Reading your above message and desires I'd definitely suggest DAoC. However, DAoC is not very solo friendly game, which perhaps would be your thing considering you would play only few hours per day. Atleast the upper level play in DAoC (30+) basically requires you to group frequently if you want to advance in levels.
However, since this is your first MMORPG you have a *lot* to discover. When you start the first character, do not care about if you are making a "uber template" or not, just pick a character you want to play and play it as you want, picking up the skills you want and so on. You will see *lots* of high level people around you but don't care about that. If you go into the leveling treadmill your game is instantly ruined. Play it slowly at first exploring the areas and doing the quests. You will have lots to do.
DAoC suits perfectly to your medieval setting requirement. It has castles and knights and such 
_________________
=Moderator of General MMORPG talk forum=
Senior Editor @ www.mmorpgdot.com |
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Tue May 13, 2003 11:05 am |
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yeahgood
Village Dweller
Joined: 14 May 2003
Posts: 1
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Try AC2
Its so easy and fun |
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Wed May 14, 2003 10:00 am |
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Wlad
Village Dweller
Joined: 15 May 2003
Posts: 9
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I would say Asherons Call 2.
Ive played Everquest for 3 years and Dark Ages Of Camelot for 1 year and tried Anarcy online for a couple of months.
Asherons Call 2 has the best story and its possible for users to spend a few hours (1 to 3 ) and still have fun and advance.
This game is not like the other MMORPGs that require hours of hours of camping stuff.
Its also a free trial right now so you can download it for free and try it out for 2 weeks before you diside.
Good luck in there  |
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Thu May 15, 2003 8:46 am |
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Xanaki
Ghost of Asheron
Joined: 07 May 2002
Posts: 398
Location: Helsinki, Finland |
If you like a rich and living world (especially with Medieval setting), stay away from Asheron's Call 2. It is currently empty and dead, you don't see the typical NPSs like merchants selling weapons and other goods. Only few NPCs exist in the whole world. And as the game player population is very low you even rarely see another real person. Having no NPCs can be a good idea but it also demands very much from the game economy. It requires high amount of players so the economy can develop and work.
World looks pretty but when it also feels completely dead and generally hostile it makes me feel that I don't belong there. Towns are empty, houses and buildings are just decorations which you can't enter.
Other item of complaint is the lack of special items. There are only few basic types of items and every monster seems to drop the same kind of loot. You only look the level of the item and the damage of the item, if it's better than yours Use it, if it's not see if you can gain materials for crafting from it. Loot is very boring in AC2. Unlike in AC1 where there are tons of different types of items that are actually usable and the items have tons of special qualities that you want to have in them.
However, AC2 is easy to get into, and reaching moderate levels even alone is easy. And it might be good for a total MMORPG beginner as there is not too much stuff to learn in AC2. My view above is from an experienced MMORPG player and I dislike the simplified concept of AC2 completely. For me graphics do not make a game. If the game has good graphics it's a bonus but the basic game play must be in order and fluent in order for me to play it. And this is where AC2 lacks completely.
Try the AC2 free trial before you buy the full game. If you like the trial, then buy it. But I can not recommend it at all.
_________________
=Moderator of General MMORPG talk forum=
Senior Editor @ www.mmorpgdot.com |
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Thu May 15, 2003 11:18 am |
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ezorn33
Village Dweller
Joined: 24 Jun 2002
Posts: 6
Location: Cambridge, MA |
Xanaki,
Thanks for your detailed opinion. What do you think of DAOC? |
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Thu May 15, 2003 3:31 pm |
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Xanaki
Ghost of Asheron
Joined: 07 May 2002
Posts: 398
Location: Helsinki, Finland |
I don't really mean to bash AC2, the opinion above was just my opinion (although many share it:). I know people who like AC2 too so It's not a complete failure and maybe they are able to make more content and fix the problems in time (Hopefully soon enough).
Even I don't like it, I suggest that you try AC2 free trial.
About DAoC, hmm what to say. I like it a lot when I played it. Early levels are quite easy to play solo (1-30) but practically after that you are required to group to get any decent progress with your character. This is because a death in DAoC can happen pretty fast if you don't know what you are doing. And death results in experience loss (not like in EQ though, you can't LOOSE a LEVEL in DAoC .
Getting to the max level in DAoC (lv50) takes a lot of time and work. But you don't need to worry about that unless you are going to participate in the realm RvR (Realm versus Realm war). Pretty much everyone roaming the border areas are high level. There are also Battlezones in DAoC for different level ranges, so you do not *NEED* to be high level to do PvP/RvR. At the time when I quit there were zones reserved for 20-24, 25-29 and 30-35. These are a good thing for people who want to practice RvR war because a lower level has not much chance in the real frontiers (high level ganking).
But again, as this is your first MMORPG you will have lot of new things to explore, whatever game you pick. So don't worry about RvR yet if you pick DAoC, you will hear about it a lot and learn on the way
DAoC is essentially a group game. But soloing is also possible with dedication (one of my friend soloed from 1 to 50 in DAoC, but he's crazy
Currently I'm playing AC1 again (lv110 battlemage)
_________________
=Moderator of General MMORPG talk forum=
Senior Editor @ www.mmorpgdot.com |
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Fri May 16, 2003 8:18 am |
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Wlad
Village Dweller
Joined: 15 May 2003
Posts: 9
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Xanaki i really think you should
1. Instead of pointing out alot of errors and failurs in AC2 recomend a MMORPG that you like so the guy gets an idea what he should play.
2. Try the free trial of AC2 and choose the europeen server with upp to 900 players online on the nights.
3. Make a char and try out a few classes and lvl to at least 20
Ok Ok AC2 isent perfect but for people with a real life and a family id say its the best out there today. |
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Sun May 25, 2003 10:16 pm |
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Xanaki
Ghost of Asheron
Joined: 07 May 2002
Posts: 398
Location: Helsinki, Finland |
Wlad, I was in the AC2 beta for over 6 months, and I've seen the lower level play as well as the upper level play in *each* class.
Now, I do not want this to become a fight about AC2. But I have to point out few more things.
The views I pointed out about AC2 were *my feelings* about the game. I know there are persons who like it and there are persons like me who do not like it.
The game has not even changed much since the beta. It still is a pure hack'n slash without any real content. As a person who now (after playing multiple MMORPGs for years) seeks something more than "hack'n slash" (hunting for exp) the game is not for me.
I will change my opinion about AC2 when the real content comes in. And I might even play it. After all I have bought the game.
quote:
1. Instead of pointing out alot of errors and failurs in AC2 recomend a MMORPG that you like so the guy gets an idea what he should play.
If you read the above comments. I recommended AC2 too. It might just work for a person who is starting to play MMORPGs and have no experience on them. I also recommended DAoC, but DAoC might not be a game for casual gamer, atleast in upper levels!
quote:
Ok Ok AC2 isent perfect but for people with a real life and a family id say its the best out there today.
True! AC2 might be great if you find a group of people who you can spend time with in the game. Because it is not a solo friendly game mainly. And I am sure they will add things to it.
If one likes a solo friendly game then I would suggest the game I am (again) playing, Asheron's Call 1. It's game for casual player as you can solo your way from level 1 to level 126 if you want (I am a lv118 mage there now). Although it has somewhat outdated graphics engine (it still looks ok) it has *lots and lots* of content, quests, items (special loot) and areas to explore.
As I said, lets not start to fight over it This is just my opinion as a MMORPG player not as a moderator of this board.
_________________
=Moderator of General MMORPG talk forum=
Senior Editor @ www.mmorpgdot.com |
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Tue May 27, 2003 10:27 am |
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Wlad
Village Dweller
Joined: 15 May 2003
Posts: 9
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Im now a lvl 33 Human and ive tried many of the skills as a human and they are very funny.
About content i must say they have put in alot to do upp till now .. but from 33 and upp to 45 ive heard its not much to do beside hack and slash and thats not very funny.
I played an Enchanter in EQ from 1 to lvl 55 and i do not want to play that kind of game again since i now have a family hehe.
I started upp AC2 to have some fun untill they release EQ2 but i will prob make a break in Ac2 for a month or 2 now untill they come upp with some more stuff to do.
Last month new armor quests was great and as i said earlier untill now ive not spend a single night at same lvl or killing same stuff hours of hours as in most other MMORPG. |
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Wed May 28, 2003 11:04 pm |
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dagoo7
Head Merchant
Joined: 07 Nov 2002
Posts: 58
Location: USA |
I recently came back to DAOC after playing it only a little around launch. The new SI client and enhanced graphics are very nice. I also played AC2 and I found it depressingly empty and dead. DAOC has a lot of players, and have added a lot of content since launch (including quests, and seperate epic quests for each character class). Also has got a huge range of classes/subclasses that all play quite differently.
I'm not sure how interested you are in the realm vs realm aspect (consentual pvp between the three realms in borderlands). This tends to be the focus of the high end game on most servers. If you are less interested in pvp and the pl/uber kind of mentality, you can check out the coop server (Gaheris). Thjis would be a good place to get your bearings and people are very helpful on this server.
There is no RvR on this server but there are still keep raids against keeps in the borderlands just pve. Another cool thing about Gaheris is that all realms are allied so you can travel between all realms and experience all content (normally restricted to your starting realm). You can also have characters from every realm on this server (normally restricted to one). Gaheris would be a great place to get the feel for the game. I've had a much better experience on Gaheris and will be staying there.
IF you do get DAOC and play Gaheris, look me up (main character named "Camper") and I can help you out and get you hooked up with my guild if you like. |
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Mon Jun 02, 2003 2:47 pm |
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