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PostPosted: Sun May 25, 2008 12:01 am 
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Just a few thoughts on my experiences with the retail release thus far.

UI - fairly similar to the default WoW one. You have your hotbar, mini-map, chat pane, health/mana, and target meters, all that good stuff, but I can't help but feel that its a little bit clunky. Could be because I am used to a fairly tricked/modded out UI in WoW for the past couple years.

Questing - Quest are also fairly similar to WoW where the questgiver send you off to gather some materials used in their trade, to kill off someone, or to generally help the Resistance (I am still in the newbie area having just dinged 14). I do like that the mini-map has big "X's" to mark quest locations, or if in an instanced area, a shaded region generally showing you where you had to go. Made navigating very helpful. The leveling rate is also very fair from what I have seen, both quest rewards and per kill. Not sure what my /played is but 14 seems reasonable for the time I have put in thus far.

One thing I didn't like was that when grouping for one chain, it appeared that your group mates did not appear on the mini-map, so it led to a few "where did you go?" moments, and made finding each otehr again difficult. Also getting the group formed seemed to be a little bit more clunky than required due to the instanced nature of the game. Could be because I just don't know the interface yet but it was a pain in the ass the first go round. Should be better when I form another group but I will report back if its still painful.

I also found it amusing that the are automatic guild announcements when a guild mate levels up. No more having to type "ding" yourself. Kind of a neat notification I thought.

PvP - I have roled on the RP-PvP server (Cimmeria) and only been ganked twice. Both from the same assassin, and mostly because I was in a zone where I should not have been at my level. I just made it too tempting for the guy to 2 shot me hehe. I have not experienced any of the battleground-like games yet so cannot comment on how organized PvP works.

I also read that the PvP is free-for-all, which means that unless guildies are grouped together, guildies could fight/gank each other. Kind of a fun aspect imo since you can't count the times I have wished I could fire a frostbolt into Madson. :P

Combat - I am not sure their their combat system is as revolutionary as the devs made it seem as I have yet to actually move my shield defenses around in a fight. I just leave them protecting all sides equally. That could be the reason that I have died A LOT in my travels thus far, but I think the bigger reason for that is the combat just being different from WoW. No auto attack so you always have to hit a key to attack (melee or to cast). Plus I think necromancer's are very shitty early in the game. At 12 or so I really noticed improving and actually being able to take on 1-2 even level mobs readily, whereas prior to that I would die on a 1-1 fight regularly.

Graphics - Pretty decent. I am playing on medium settings at the moment and experience very little slow down. On high I did see a little stutter here and there and probably could bump it back up. The art style is definitely more realistic than WoW and appears a little bit darker. I have found my necromancer spell casting animations do be quite blah, so I was a little worried. But then I saw the fire effects from a demonologist, and was impressed. Must just be hit and miss on how some spells look.

Overall I find it a fairly decent game, but it has not blown me away. That is mostly attributable due to the fact that I have not played with anyone I know. Sure I have guildies from the WoW Horde side (non-Avians) but they are either high level or play at a different time from me so no opportunity to meet up and chum around. Makes for a fairly lonely game.

I do like the fact that I do not know the Conan lore and that the storyline, characters, and world are fresh. Just wish I had more friends in game to fool around with.

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PostPosted: Tue May 27, 2008 10:36 am 
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You mentioned Automatic Guild Announcements.

You guys already have a guild formed there? What can you tell us about the Guild controls/structure, and the requirements, if any, other than a lvl 20?

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PostPosted: Tue May 27, 2008 12:08 pm 
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Look me up if you want to group up. I'm usually on and out hunting with Daimania, Slyclonis, and another friend of ours.
I'm a 34 bear shaman.


We're in low to mid 30's but can always sidekick you if you need it.

We've been simulateously punching through Connal's Valley and Zetala's wildlands

With the current UI though grouping is a mess. Currently no reliable way to locate members on a map. Yeah, who' have thought that would be useful?


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PostPosted: Tue May 27, 2008 12:09 pm 
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Yeah there in one guy that has played a ton and is > lvl 40 now.

I have not poked around the guild controls much as I am not an officer and did not care too much. I did see a pane where the various authorizations could be given to members but it was just in passing so did not note anything in particular. Next time I am on I will try and look into this further and let you know.

It was formed during the early access period so I have no clue what other than level 20 is required. Sorry, not much help there.

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PostPosted: Tue May 27, 2008 12:16 pm 
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So you are on Wicanna then Tetran??

I created a char there just to reserve a name but if I know you guys are on fairly regularly in the evenings then I would most definitely play there more. As I say, the game is quite lonely without peeps to chum around with.

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PostPosted: Tue May 27, 2008 6:39 pm 
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Can someone in game on wicanna, please reply here with your in game name? Skotticus from TCO is looking for someone in game to contact, to start putting together the alliance guild within the game.

Thanks.

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PostPosted: Tue May 27, 2008 8:29 pm 
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Angelus wrote:
So you are on Wicanna then Tetran??

I created a char there just to reserve a name but if I know you guys are on fairly regularly in the evenings then I would most definitely play there more. As I say, the game is quite lonely without peeps to chum around with.


Yup, on Wiccana. I'm usually on Baylor unless I'm helping out someone's low character. From WoW there's Loriana/Daimania playing her priest the most named Moriana, and Slyclonis is Drexel. There's another we play with we met at the SWG Fanfest who has many alts.

We can always apprentice you to hunt higher areas for some good XP.


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PostPosted: Wed May 28, 2008 10:02 am 
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Sounds like a plan. I'll try to find one of you in game in the very near future.

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PostPosted: Mon Jun 02, 2008 11:09 am 
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UPDATE

I have been playing on the PvE server lately and have the following updates to make.

Graphics/framerate - I read something on the AoC forums recommending one adjust gfx to high setting and then disable shadows. Perhaps odd, but doing that I noticed a huge improvement in my fps, and holy crap the game looks amazing. The spell effects I noted being lackluster are now vibrant and very cool. I absolutely love my lightning bolt animation where my char has his arms stretched above his head while teetering/reeling on his feet until the spell is released. Makes it really seem the spell will be big and he is about to lose control of the power.

UI - also read in the forums about the grouping/instancing. Turns out there is a button right off of the mini-map where you can switch what instance you are in and invite those in a group into yours (at least I think that last part is true - I have not grouped up to verify just yet).

Combat - I am now getting used to the system and am starting to like it. This new char is more melee focused and seeing the AoE nature even of melee combat is kinda cool. Seems to be a bit of different strategy than WoW in that pulling multiple mobs isn't necessarily a bad thing is you are prepared to AoE accordingly.

After playing the game a couple more hours and having an active guild chat (got in with the Alliance last night), the game is appealing to me the more and more I play. The PvE server also appears to be the better choice atm as from what I have read, ganking is rampant on the PvP servers, consistent with my brief experience on the RPPvP one.

When I get on next I am going to try and get into some PvP mini-games (ala WoW BGs) and report on that. I am level 12 atm so a bit away from 20 where you can pick up your first set of gathering skills, and will report on that ASAP as well.

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PostPosted: Mon Jun 02, 2008 11:45 am 
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Glad you're liking it more now. I saw your tell in my buffer the other night. I've been out at the Memorial Tournament walking the course and haven't been online much. Its over now and I have just the right level of sunburn to start palying again.

Hope to see you all in game sometime


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PostPosted: Mon Jun 02, 2008 12:11 pm 
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Cool. Never been to a PGA event before. Would be kinda neat to see those guys hit a golf ball.

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