The Daily Grind: Has AoC earned your money for another month?
Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Business models, The Daily Grind

This one-month mark also means that some payment is in order if you wish to continue exploring Funcom's Hyboria. The question we ask of you this morning, is: will you be continuing your subscription to AoC, will you be canceling, or have you already jumped ship?







Reader Comments (Page 3 of 4)
6-25-2008 @ 2:24PM
Lethality said...
Cancelled.
Anyone that hasn't is a total sheep that accepts mediocrity.
Reply
6-25-2008 @ 11:51PM
Arabica said...
So...we're sheep if we happen to like the game, but we won't be sheep if we fall inline and think like you do?
Brilliant.
6-26-2008 @ 1:45PM
Origosis said...
ok you and I have had our run ins in the past Lethality, which is all fun and debate, but after seeing your comments around here and there. I have come to realize something...
Either you are a very cold sour person who was beaton alot and feels the need to put everyone down.... or you just enjoy posting Flame Bait.
7-02-2008 @ 11:24AM
GenBanks said...
Haha, that's the biggest load of crap I've heard in a while. Your small-minded arrogance amuses me.
6-25-2008 @ 2:25PM
Ancandune said...
I like the game, but not enough to buy a new computer. My computer is just fine for everything else I use it for, but it bogs down too often while playing AoC, so I'm canceling my subscription. There's other MMOs that are just as much fun that do run well on my hardware.
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6-25-2008 @ 3:45PM
DeathMutant said...
Renewed with fingers crossed.
This game has great potential but, then again, so does Vanguard.
I plan on sticking it out for another month or two as FunCom has been "busting their picks" in resolving issues, re-balancing classes and adding content. If they can sustain that pace and continue to improve the game, as opposed to dropping a NGE on us, I'm staying.
I'm not so sure releasing the game a month or two later would have helped much as many of the major early-game issues were either not reported (like "WTF just happened? oh, well, it's beta", "someone probably already reported this" or exploits the testers didn't want to be fixed -- just yet), not encountered or not taken seriously by FunCom during the closed beta. Some people blame the closed beta testers but, if you've seen some of the posts on the closed beta forums, some of them are damn good testers; there are a bunch of whiney freeloaders too, of course, but that is expected in any MMOG's beta program.
FunCom made a huge mistake by assuming people would level at a reasonable rate, like reaching like max-level in a two months instead of four days (!), or building Guild Cities so quickly so when people did reach those levels, build cities or try siege warfare it was glaringly obvious they were not ready yet. If the game had three or more months of development time some of these types of late-game issues may have resolved before going live so there is some validity in the "released too early" argument.
I believe FunCom has enough resources and incentive to keep improving the game for at least a year -- even if the servers become ghosttowns (which, I feel, is unlikely). If you've already left AoC I recommend checking back in six months or so to see if the reasons you left are still valid. Of course, you might have found something else you like better by then. . .
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6-25-2008 @ 3:58PM
Matteran said...
Yeah, I'm still going. I'm having a lot of fun, but I'm a bit more casual. I'm closing in on 40 and a lot of the quests are dwindling, so I might try another character until they add more 40+
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6-25-2008 @ 4:47PM
Brian! said...
Canceled. I actually just finished filling out another survey they sent my way.
AoC represents one of my biggest problems I have with some of the new MMOs out there - It feels like I am playing a single player game with thousands of others instead of being immersed in a world with thousands of others.
I know it is a game, but in the realm of MMO, there is more than just combat. It is odd how a grandfather game like UO was soooo immersive and had many options for gameplay beyond killing, grinding, and leveling. Yet every generation of MMOs that come out seem to leave out more and more social aspects of the MMO. It is sad when Maple Story feels more fun than AoC.
I am looking forward to WAR. Although it is very killling focused as well, the public quests have the potential to bond strangers and make the world feel immersive. I think RvR also bonds strangers. It did in DAoC anyway. Heck, in that game you grouped in the frontiers so you would not be grief bait, but it encouraged grouping beyond the need for a holy trinity.
Champions is also exciting. CoX version 2? Everything they say is right on, I can't wait to create my toons there. I really hope that they add more social aspects to the game. CoX has costume contests, but that is about it beyond sharing missions. Yet in CoX people still hang just to hang out. Again, I hope Champtions also offers more in that regard.
Jumpgate Evolution is also a hopeful for me. I would love some good space combat in the style of Elite, or X-Wing vs Tie Fighter. The idea of being able to use skill to dogfight my way out of a jam sounds very exciting. I appreciate EVE and it's tactical warfare, but your a ship command there, not a pilot in a cockpit.
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6-25-2008 @ 4:53PM
Jukasa said...
I canceled. I liked the basic action, but in the end the lack of promised content ruined it for me. It also played a minor part that my computer just couldnt not get the game to run smoothly on ANY settings.
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6-25-2008 @ 7:15PM
borgy78 said...
canceled it myself.
I did not appreciate the lack of quests. Gone are the days of L2 &EQ2 I simply don't want a straight out grind.they could at least cover it up with some bullshit quest of collect this...
Combat system was novel for awhile but I found myself quickly looking for ways to workaround it a go back to one clicking especially for pvp.
Was not all bad though the game was truly beautiful and that cannot be disputed.
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6-25-2008 @ 9:41PM
Ionik said...
I will keep on playing. Great combat system, good storylines, beautiful game - but most importantly, I, and my guildies, are having fun.
I'm really surprised about the "having to grind to level" comments. Now, my main is only level 51 (so I haven't seen everything), but I have YET to grind to get XP. If anything, I've actually been deleting quests (to free up room for new ones).
I love to explore and find new content; content, which seems to me , is abundant. I am not on the fast-track to get to lvl 80 as soon as possible. I'm enjoying just playing.
Maybe content thins out at 60 or so (at 51, I am debating deleting quests to pick up new ones - and I have no "repeatable" quests atm), but I will keep paying to play and find out. Even if it does, I think I will have plenty to do - I haven't even started crafting yet.
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6-25-2008 @ 10:18PM
Chris Chester said...
I don't really find it too surprising that people who have 80's already are burned out. I'm taking my time and enjoying the game thoroughly. And my main (a Ranger) is supposedly under-powered.
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6-26-2008 @ 9:05AM
ScytheNoire said...
Rangers underpowered?? LOL, that's a new one. They are the most OP'd class in the game.
6-26-2008 @ 9:08AM
Chris Chester said...
The increase in the parry/dodge/block rate on Ranger combos has definitely left them towards the bottom of the PvP ladder. Casters are having their day in the sun at the moment.
6-25-2008 @ 11:38PM
wsp.guildportal.com said...
Canceled. Crap.
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6-26-2008 @ 4:14AM
briannewton said...
Definitely sticking around to see the PvP System patch and the quest content patch which will fill out grindy areas. Considering they're labeled both of those for the next few weeks I think it's worth my patience.
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6-26-2008 @ 5:16AM
ghiest said...
"canceled, shame they rushed beta."
Same really, I rolled a female bear shaman, possible the worst class/gender combination you can get at the moment.
40% longer specials for females bug + bear shaman having 50-75% of the hps of casters in the game = big ass bugs in it. Combine with crafting bugs, siege bugs, pvp bugs, MASSIVE spell bugs (some of the shamans spells not even working), feat bugs.
It should have been in beta for another two months, I might go back in 2-3 months and see if it's changed, but I'm not paying for a beta no matter how cocky of retarded the leader developer comes off in interviews (hint: get a proper PR manager).
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6-26-2008 @ 1:42PM
Origosis said...
I love the game, but I myself have hit a dead spot. I have allowed the automatic payment to come out, but if things do not clear up by the next one I myself will be out of the game...
I have to admit this has been my favorite MMO on release yet, but I am starting my Microsoft and A+ Certs up I just got one and have a few more to go till I gain Engineer Status.... And I am not sure what precious time I have will be spent in AoC. now if only I could speel engeneer correctly... engineer egneer? bah!
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6-26-2008 @ 2:17PM
Heraclea said...
Staying for at least another month.
Shallow gameplay? I like shallow. I don't want to spend weeks mastering boss encounters. I want basic dogpiles and to steamroll over stuff in PvE. I'm having fun.
The game needs work, to be sure. Upper level quests need to be put in place. Tanking needs to be rebalanced for survivability, especially against green conning bosses. Yes, there are bugs. Have not gotten to the endgame yet to try endgame PvP. If they keep the promise of PvP in a Conan game - in a low-magic, barbarian world, non-stealthed melee characters ought to be at least playable - they may keep me around for a long time.
The game is roleplaying friendly. One of the genius things about Howard's Hyboria is that it relates tenuously to history, and doesn't come with a huge, confining, and confusing backstory.
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6-26-2008 @ 4:51PM
George said...
Canceled. Waste of money. Total POS.
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