Just curious as to where people might be heading after all the new stuff comes out!

Age of Conan - New Trailer from E3

http://community.ageofconan.com/wsp/conan/frontend.cgi?func=frontend.show&func_id=1022&template=inc_media_listing&selected=1022

I just wet myself....

It looks interesting but it's got too much brown in it :p

I was looking at the Vanguard screenshots and trailer and I must say I will definitely be playing it. Especially since it's going to be on station pass.

A friend sent me their Planetside they got from FF and I installed it last night and played it. That is a fun game, I can see myself playing that a bit too.

Yeah still looking forward to Vanguard.. GO GO!

I have to say, my MMO of choice is still World of Warcraft. It's scalable for most players, and the client is actually well-written. The graphics are excellent (and can be rendered on most common video cards) and, for the most part, keep the classic fantasy feel that MMOs should have. Vanguard looks too video-intensive for an MMO and will only play under a DirectX API, while World of Warcraft will play under OpenGL for Macs. (Alright, I'll admit, I've become a Mac fanboi after getting my Intel MacBook Pro. Sanchek is right about everything of Mac users. I'm even wearing all black.)

Hehe, I loved World of Warcraft until I hit the end game. Sure the big stuff is fun for a bit, but it gets pretty repetitive after awhile. The PVP is....I don't know how to word it.....lacking something? I mean, it's supposed to be the World of WARcraft, but there's really very little war.

Warhammer and Age of Conan seem to address this issue with a more integrated PvP engine. though their PvP types are different (Warhammer seems to have it integrated with the story on a side vs. side type [the way WoW should have been imho] and AoC seems to have it more guild vs. guild [player base vs. player base?])

WoW needs to get that expansion out soon. There's a LOT of great mmo's coming out in the next 3 to 6 months (www.mmorpg.com (http://www.mmorpg.com)) with even more coming out. Everyone's gunning for the mmo dollar and WoW is at the top of their hit list.

This is where I have to give EQ2 credit. They've gotten two expansions out before WoW has gotten one. It's not enough to draw me into it, but at the same time it's enough to warrant my respect for new content.

EQ2 just announced a 3rd expansion and another ADV pack or mini-expansion (that makes 3 of them too).

WoW is too boring for me, everything is exactly the same. I loved EQ1 but I can't stand the graphics and gameplay now after being away for so long.

I have a few macs myself but they don't belong in the gaming world.... yet. Awesome for Garage Band and my iPod and photoshop but PCs are still king.

Vanguard for me.

WoW endgame is ass.

Yeah, I have to agree, WoW is getting pretty boring.

Chronicles of Spellborn was pure cheese. When I reported that somethings didn't seem to work properly, the response I recieved was "That's the way we intended it to work".....yeah, ok. The whole skill wheel is cumbersome, the buff/debuff screens are VERY confusing. The whole chat system feels clunky as does movement in game.

Auto Assault is a lot of fun! Got a hold of a 14 day buddy key from a friend of mine. Must say, it's anything but boring! If you can (they are offering 14 day free trials on mmorpg.com btw!), check it out. Dunno if it offers enough depth to actually subscribe (haven't attempted crafting though, too busy shooting shit and tricking out my ride), but I won't deny that I've been tempted. It's definately different and refreshing.

Going to try A Day in the Desert 3 to see what that's about. I'll report more as I see it. Expectations are not high, but who knows?

Legend of Ares - STAY AWAY FROM THIS! It's a 3 year old game being ported to the west. Dismal, dismal, dismal....but that's my opinion.

Stargate Worlds - Still in development. No screenies yet :( But this could be a great game if done right. No shortage of content at least.

Dark World - I want to see how this pans out. This might give me my ShadowRun fix with the whole modern combat meets Vampires/Werewolves/Humans bit. Gimme nudies of Kate Bekingsale and I'm yours!!!

Warhammer Online - Definately interested, though the resemblance to WoW has me sorta staying away from it. If I can get in on the beta, I'd love to find out that I'm wrong. It shows promise, but so did WoW during beta...

9 Dragons - New take on MMO's. Enough with the High Fantasy already! (One more Drizzt type and I'll......post nudes of myself!!! [You REALLY don't want that btw]) Based in a Chinese setting, it's more of a martial arts type game. Graphics by todays standards seem OK, but considering it's still in development, it shows promise.

Warhammer online is the only thing on the horizon that I'm remotely interested in. Though I'm a freak for Dawn of War even though I suck at it, and I'll probably get dissappointed with it the way I did with WoW when there was nothing remotely like Warcraft 3 in it, besides Thrall, Cairne and the rest. Then again, I never played Warhammer Fantasy, so I guess we'll see. I'd like to see a space age RPG game actually, like Fallout.

Auto Assault reeks of Fallout. It's that type of setting, only with more vehicle based combat.

You might like it ;)

I might just give it a shot. It looked fun running over things, but I was kind of skeptical about it since there wasn't much 'hoofing' in it.

Well, the quest system is a lot like WoW (not a bad thing!) and even has way points.

There's some pretty funny aspects of the game. For example, if you kill things in rapid succession, you actually get an accumulated exp bonus for being on a killing spree. Medals are awarded for the funniest of things (the Keen Observer medal for actually reading your newbie pamphlet for example).

All in all, it's a nice break from your typical MMO. I was really quite skeptical and am still kicking myself for not playing the beta sooner.

I don't think I'll ever get to play another MMO again, what with research, work and The Better Half.

But I've had my eye on Middle Earth Online since 2003. It looks like it's shaping up to be pretty fun. But it's being put back more than HL. With makes a person pretty testy after a few years. Promises, promises.

Kind of like Starcraft: Ghost. It got system switched twice I think, and now its on indefinite hold (read: never returning to the game development process), after I think about 5 years of it being even a blip on the game development radar.

I tried D&D Online. A bunch of guys from the BF2 Clan I am in play it. So I tried the 7 day free trial. If you can play with known people and have access to TeamSpeak or Ventrilo(That's whay we used) it's kinda fun. Everything is instanced which sucks big time. Ther eis very little activity with anyone other then maybe your friends. Graphics are ok. Not really a good game but ok if you have friends.

I also tried the D&D 7 day trial and onced I logged in and saw the graphics i logged out, I may be shallow but I need quality graphics to get into a game.

I'm hoping and praying to get into the Age of Conan beta. Been posting on their forums now for a few months, and they seem to be a pretty cool crew. A lot of adults trying to get away from the kiddies (and by that I mean Leet speaking d00d5) that infest some MMO's.

Here's a quick look at pre-beta Age of Conan: http://community.ageofconan.com/wsp/conan/frontend.cgi?func=frontend.show&func_id=1022&template=inc_media_listing&selected=1022

Here's an interview with the games director: http://www.gamespot.com/e3/e3live.html (click on Crush Your Enemies)

I dunno. The Age of Conan seems to be rehashed versions of already made games. It doesn't really bring anything new to the table that I can tell and the whole "play an entire single player game first" would make rerolling a pain in the ass. The combat system sounds neat, but it still can't rival single player games and I think in raiding / endgame it'd get pretty dull over time.

I watched that Gamespot interview, whoever that guy was gallup or something, I did not like his voice, i just wanted to pound him for some reason.

It didn't look very appealing at all.

Crappy graphics and animation, for everything but the landscapes. Not that that's the most important aspect of these games, but it's all they showed us in the trailers, really.

What is it that it's supposed to have going for it?

Well, to be honest I don't think the graphics are that bad considering they're pre-beta. I've seen much worse.

I like it's fresh approach to getting people started in the game. I'm sick of the "Go kill 20 rats and bring their tails to me quests". It also gives people a chance to actually try the game (for the first 20 levels) before they purchase a subscription. Buy the game, play the shit out of it, then if you want to take it further, it's your call. If you realize that you don't want to continue, then there's no further commitment. It's a refreshing change from "I have your free 30 days, but first give us your credit card info".

Top that off with the fact that they have over 80 books (plus countless other types of publications) to fall back on for content.

The mature setting (17+ if not higher) is a definate turn on for me. I'm sure kids will get in, but I hope the numbers are kept to a minimum.

The guild structure actually gives guilds a purpose. The prestige classes look pretty damn cool.

The player built cities help spawn PvE content as well as playing host to PvP content.

Mounted Combat. Blood and Gore. Bar Room Brawls. Actual Action required when fighting instead of simply button mashing. No high fantasy (no elves, gnomes or dwarves), not that I mind it, but EVERYONE is doing it these days.

I'll admit the character models don't look out of this world, but to be honest that's the least of my worries. I'll take a game that works with mediocre graphics over a great looking game that's broken any day of the week.

Not to mention that this game is supposed to be going beta next month, so there's still plenty of room for improvement.

Yeah, I'm stoked.

I really wish folks that are playing Vanguard SOH could post here. I know I'm "Conan this and Conan that", but I am interested in hearing what they're doing to make their game different from the rest.

So far the graphics look good. Player built modes of transport seem like a great idea. Apparently (so I hear, take this with a huge grain of salt) it's not enough to talk to someone to get information or quests from them, you have to actually guide a conversation. This could be good for adding realism, or it could be frustrating. Who knows?

I'd like to see how they're doing combat. It'll be interesting to see how their system is going to work. Is it going to fall back to the old EQ style, will it follow WoW's and EQ2's model (both are pretty similar) or will it be more action oriented like Age of Conan.

I'm trying to be impartial here, though I'll admit my past experiences with SOE's tech support has left me with bit of a bad taste in my mouth. Top that with a 6 month SWG stint and you got yerself a bitter person LOL. I'll give kudos where kudos is due though, if they manage to pull this off, I'll be the first one to admit that I was wrong about their arrangement with SOE. I'd just be interested in seeing how the game goes after the 30 day sub's are up and they start getting their hands on the 6 month sub's.

I still remember arguing with my friend over EQ2 and WoW when they both first came out. He loved that game, said he wouldn't have switched for the world. When it hit day 30 after launch, the nerf bat came down. I know they've done a lot with that game since (That new expansion has me pining for Castle Mistmoore LOL), but he'll never go back to SOE after that.

One can only hope that SOE tries harder to try and support what has the potential to be a great game. Just please understand how some people, as soon as they see the SOE logo, they run away screaming.

I don't remember a nerf 30 days after launch I remember a nerf 6 months after launch when they revamped combat.

I don't understand how people see a logo and run away screaming that's a bit silly IMO but it's their choice. If EQ2 had stayed the same since launch with no changes it would have died long ago. If it's one thing I can give the game credit for it's that it literally has something for everyone regardless of your play style. It did start out with the intentions of not being for hard core players but that changed quick and is now evident with the freaking tons of end game quest series.

The thing about EQ2 is that it's ever changing and never feels old to me. But I would have to agree with Lani, there is so much to do that needs to be done that it can feel almost overwhelming at times. And if you can't log tons of hours a week you'll be very far behind any hard core raiding guild.

When it started I had hoped it would be all EQ1 wasn't with suped up graphics .... it failed at first but it is slowly coming about. It gives a new twist on the game of old and it's beautiful. The other great thing about the game is that the concept of the holy trinity of needing certain classes in a group is bunk. We did KoS instance after instance last night with two paladins one level 70, one level 64...a 67 monk, a 64 templar, 70 illusionist, and a 70 necro and we had no trouble taking out any named 70+ in the zones. Fun stuff and very nice loot :D You don't have to in an uber raiding guild to get metal chests /nod

It all comes down to what you want to play though, I have Station Pass and I play some of those games when I want a break from EQ2 and I will definitely give VG a go.

Yeah, EQ2 actually does seem to be doing certain things right lately. I won't lie and say that I haven't been tempted to try it out, just out of a sense of nostalgia, but there is always the fear that they'll screw it up for me just like EQ1. Old habits die hard I guess.

WoW did it for me in the beginning, but now is growing stale fast. Yes, I'm demanding, but with all the products out there looking for those MMO dollars, I can afford to be. Over 5 years ago you played EQ or went back to UO if you wanted the big MMO experience.

Companies are working on the next big, successful formula. I suspect that now Blizzard has gone from David to Goliath as far as subscriber base goes, everyone's eye is on those guys and how to dethrone them. To be honest, I hope it's another party that does so, just to breathe some new life to the genre.

I agree, there has been nothing better for a common MMO gamer then the fact that new MMO's come out left and right. Now companies have to compete to get limited amount of MMO subscribers instead of consumers only having two games to choose from.

It's kind of neat though...

A lot of companies out there are finding out just how hard it is to run an online world.

It's a cash cow if you can make one that works, but if your game sucks......

Though it's a ways out this is the one i'm going to be watching

http://www.kaoswar.com/index.php?text=news.php&pageid=News

Be sure to follow the link in the second news article to the the studio website where you can see the only actuall engine model yet released.

Give us a general gist of the game. It looks pretty neat.

Beta testing a game now (those of you that have logins at mmorpg.com can get in on the test) called A Tale in the Desert 3.

Kind of weird in that it's sorta like an MMO in that there's all kinds of people online, but it's more of a resource gatherer/tradeskill game vs. combat type. I'll be honest and say that I haven't played it often enough to really critique it.

The graphics are sub par, the lag is not really acceptable given the graphics and interface, however there is something about this game that's going to make me look at this over the weekend a little bit more before I write it off.

Kaos wars is bieng billed as the the first MMO that will employ an FPS style combat system. it will be an RVR game themed on heaven vs hell, with humans in the middle.
pretty ambitious shit really wich is why i'm willing to give em some support. independant game studios have a rough ride anymore.

Hmm... Might have to look into Kaos. I have been dieing for a FPS combat/MMORPG theme forever.

Everyone's hoping that's how the new Stargate Worlds MMO pans out (as a FPS).

This looks interesting as well. http://www.playtr.com/index.html

www.godsandheroes.com (http://www.godsandheroes.com)


This game (yeah yeah, despite being published by SOE), looks REALLY damn sweet.

I had actually made a comment regarding thier relationship with SOE on the MMORPG boards and a VP actually wrote me, stating the facts regarding the matter. Couldn't believe it! I'm very impressed that these guys at Perpetual are watching and listening to their community.

I dunno if it's enough to switch from Age of Conan, but DAMN! Best game and best graphics of E3 2006? Gotta be doing something right. Move over Vanguard, you just might have competition and it's in your own stable.

I've heard good things about gods and heroes. http://eq2.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=819 friend and guildie who went to E3.

Hmmmm, interesting developments afoot since we last spoke.

Some is old news (Vanguard Saga of Heroes under the SOE banner) and some is fairly recent (Mythic, the guys who did DAoC and are doing Warhammer, got bought out by EA).

Will any of these developments change yer minds?

God's and Heroes does look pretty sweet(just scanned thru the S/S and class dieties section RQ). will definately keep an eye on this one.

http://community.ageofconan.com/wsp/conan/frontend.cgi?session=sveeooxkuamzymlfpg701kw8946id 1&func=publish.show&template=content&func_id=1285&sort=PRIORITY&table=CONTENT

OMG! Spell casting worth a damn!

The devs at Funcom have been consistantly amazing their future player base with weekly updates on their game.

The rest seem like the typical MMO rehash. AoC seems to be offering something fresh and innovative.

I've not seen any of the other companies keep the community going like this.

How much are they paying you?

Dear God! If I was getting paid to talk about this game I'd be in heaven!

Seriously, I've never been this switched on about a game.

You should see what they have in store for keeping griefers in check. LOL, Jail 4tw!

I'll be keeping an eye on Gods and Heros. I like the concept, the graphics look nice, will be interesting to see what it's like.

It just seems that I keep going back to EQ. It would be nice if they would stop coming out with expansions and revamp zones. Make some more difficult, and change it up a bit. They do make some changes, but I think the last thing EQ needs is more zones to go to. They need to make the current zones different. Like the Splitpaw and Mistmore zone revamps.

Gods and Generals and Tabula rasa are the two that are appealing to me at this point. I'm sure I'll buy both and play the free 30 days, but EQ2 holds me :D

I almost, ALMOST bought EQ2 today LOL.

I'm SO fed up with WoW it's not funny.

The only thing keeping me away from EQ2 is the fact that I'd have to buy the game plus 2 expansions and 2 adventure packs.

I'm actually holding off for an invite to the Cabal closed beta, and then there's the Age of Conan beta that's supposed to start this summer.

Lots of good stuff on the way it seems. I think the WoW expansion is going to be the most underwhelming moment of the year.

EQ2's expansions and adventure packs have been quite good, though. Ironically, while their treatment of the game's mechanics is often shoddy, to the point of making me foam at the mouth, the content is pretty darn good.

Yeah, it looks pretty good, hence why i'm sooo tempted to try it hehe.

If EQ didn't keep coming out with expansions, I'd be done playing it by now. That might not be a bad idea. I know for me, as a hardcore raider though, they need to keep more zones coming out. I need more AA and levels out of the next expansion to keep me motivated, I've digested 99% of what EQ can offer me.

I do understand the people that find it overwhelming, but they for the most part are playing a differant playstyle than me.

Though let me ask you this Taleren. What if they were to revamp a zone, like a complete overhaul. Mobs, types of encounters, visual detail, zone layout, etc. Would you need more zones or would you consider this acceptible?

It sounds like you and I have VERY different play styles. That's not a problem, but EQ has so many wasted zones right now because they are just thru ways to the zones people are heading too. Unless they make them a hot zone. I don't want SOE to stop coming out with new content, but why not change what is being under used at this time instead of just churning out BRAND new content. They could put that content in the under used zones and make them fun again. I'm not a programmer, and maybe it is just easier to start from scratch. I don't know.

I did find one recent change that is kinda nice. There are some mobs in the new hot zones which will call for help and a new mob will pop to join the fight. From what I've read this is a random thing, but adds some adventure to the existing zones. I don't want SOE to stop coming up with new ideas, adventures, but it does get a bit disheartening when I've not been able to progress through content and they come out with a new expansion. I know that it's my fault, no one elses. Family comes first in my house, and I make the choice to sacrifice sleep to play EQ. I'll continue to group with friends and others, and have pretty much given up on seeing the high end game. On the plus side for new expansions... I get good stuff off single group names in MPG that is similar to time gear. :) Though they could do that with a zone wide overhaul too.

PS. I know it is difficult to set a tone with typing. Just want to make sure that people understand this isn't a flame against anything or anyone. Just voicing er writing some ideas. I still have fun in game, or I would have quit long time ago.

This is why Age of Conan seems to appeal to me.

It allows for both provided content as well as player made content. I'm sure there'll be expansions (Robert E Howard's world is HUGE), but being able to build your own city and your own fortress for PvP is just plain cool :)

Why would you need the expansions and adv packs?

To my knowledge a bundle was released which had 2 of the 3 adv packs and the first expansion for $29. The only thing you'd have to buy and I wouldn't do until I knew I was going to like the game would be KoS for the AAs that start at level 20. The AP is geared towards 55-70 you aren't going to be that right away. Just download the trial or something and see if you even like it first. Don't dump cash into yet.

I almost, ALMOST bought EQ2 today LOL.

I'm SO fed up with WoW it's not funny.

The only thing keeping me away from EQ2 is the fact that I'd have to buy the game plus 2 expansions and 2 adventure packs.


I have a 45 troubador on one server
But lately I spend ALLL my time on Nagafen the PVP server, the fact that you dont have to levle crazy fast to be sweet pvper, for example I am a level 34 fury with my exp turned off because at this level I am to low for the people who have fabled gear but im high enough to do major destruction on Q's.

Anyways im long winded and I just wanted to say 4 characters levle 30 plus and I JUST YESTERDAY bought DOF that is the only expansion. I to have been very iffy about buying expansions becuase of the fact that I dont know how long I will be playing Everquest 2.

Here's to hoping you understand one thing that I said. (Cheers)

Though let me ask you this Taleren. What if they were to revamp a zone, like a complete overhaul. Mobs, types of encounters, visual detail, zone layout, etc. Would you need more zones or would you consider this acceptible?

Only if they added new high end raid content with loot equal to or superior to what's currently attainable at my current raid level (350-400 hp items).

I'm in a completely differant boat than you though, I'm maxed into 70, I'm max AA. I'm closing in on 14k unbuffed hp as a bard. Revamping old zones does nothing for me unless they add aa, add levels, or add large raid content. Outside of my main alt (level 70 bst, 160 aa), I haven't done any xp since about a month into DoDh, with the exception of stuff I needed for flagging in PoR.

New expansions to me mean new raids and more aa generally, that's why I want them. Not because I want some place to go grind or single group for drops. If I was in the same boat as you, I wouldn't want more expansions, it would just totally overwhelm me. Not to mention that adding expansions spreads out the more casual players even more, thus making it harder to get groups to do any specific task. It also forces you to buy expansions even if you aren't ready for them because alot of pickup groups focus on new content too. I understand your position, and it's not that I don't agree with what you say in principle. My issue is, without new content, I run out of stuff to do quickly the way my guild and I play the game. Neither way either of us play is wrong, but we might as well be playing two completely differant games.

Hehe, that's the disadvantage of exclusive PVE games. Once ye see all the PVE, there's nothing left to do.

With a PVP/PVE mix, there's always something to do, simply because you have the human factor to deal with in combat.

PVP is not fun to me. I won't go into a long rant why I don't like pvp because I'd type out too much. I got to 60 in wow, raided some and probably did a total of 5 BG's. Just wasnt fun with me and I don't feel like filling up pages about why.

Go Moglor! Perma stuck at 34? lol nice way to farm though :D

Our guild lost 3 of the high healers in the last few weeks. They were all good friends and decided to change servers. So, some of us have taken to levelling healers I don't know that I'll see PvP or my main for some time but I'm really enjoying the fury I made. I'm only level 26 but it's a truly fun class for a healer.

I don't mind PVP when there's no bullshit.

If I'm fighting someone relatively the same level as me, I can take that in stride.

It's these arseholes that at lvl 60 camp lvl 20's that boil my blood.

Funcom's way of dealing with this alone almost has me sold.

Seige warfare and mounted combat are huge in my books. It's about time somebody did it. The battlegrounds in WoW were a step in the right direction but were no where near complete.

If I'm fighting someone relatively the same level as me, I can take that in stride.

It's these arseholes that at lvl 60 camp lvl 20's that boil my blood.

I hear ya. Though the other side of that was when I was trying to level up my Mining skill, and I didn't kill this level 25ish hunter. He just followed me around and next thing I know there is a warlock who showed up and beat me like a red headed step child. I saw him and then it was spirit time running back to my corpse. Learned my lesson that day.

Hehehe, well it's a matter of conscience then in AoC.

Do you:

a) Leave the fellow alone (remember, this isn't WoW, so I believe you'll be able to understand each other), and maybe get ambushed (though if the guy is shouting it out, you should have some warning)..

or

b) Waste the little shit, repeatedly and risk the chance of jail time. I guess it all depends if the little shagger is worth it. :devil

Get a job that never allows you time to play any MMO and your problems about no new aa to get or raids to attend become moot, Taleren.

I still play EQ1 once in a while, although I am not guilded anymore . EQ2 is on the hard drive but never played. WoW was fun for the week I played it. They all are too much of a time sink. Fuck MMOs. Its Oblivion now and hopefully there are other stand alone games just as good on the horizon to eat up my whole hour of free time I have a day.

The huge discussion over on the AoC boards is their asking for no 40 person raids.

Most of the people on the AoC boards are over 24, are usually married or seriously involved, a lot have kids, and want nothing to do with large scale raids. Large scale PvP, definately, but that's usually mass chaos anyway.

It's a pretty cool place actually. For the most part, people are very civilized with those that try to troll shit up usually being ostracized by the rest.

Hehehe, well it's a matter of conscience then in AoC.

Do you:

a) Leave the fellow alone (remember, this isn't WoW, so I believe you'll be able to understand each other), and maybe get ambushed (though if the guy is shouting it out, you should have some warning)..

or

b) Waste the little shit, repeatedly and risk the chance of jail time. I guess it all depends if the little shagger is worth it. :devil


The real question should be:
What would Conan do? in wich case there would never be an option A :D