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Anarchy Online

Helton

Arcane
Joined
Jan 29, 2007
Messages
6,789
Location
Starbase Delta
I mean oldschool AO. Froob play. Before shadowlands and level caps out the ass. I mean shadowlands is okay, don't get me wrong. Feels unfinished even now, years after release; but the story and atmosphere are decent stuff. Its the route the gameplay took I don't like.

But that's not the point I'm getting at. I'm saying Anarchy Online was tight. It is a very rich game. The complicayed skill system coupled with buffs, equipment, and then implants... Your ability to twink was significant and took skill, knowledge, and experience. Level locked dungeons, then, give you incentive for twinking and that's a game in itself. Lovely mechanics.

This is a game where I honestly don't feel every <class name> is the same. Shadowlands as I mentioned, moved it more that direction; along with unique items which are far superior to their standard counterparts -- so every Enforcer and Keeper is running around with a styg... But all the same, the game really lets you customize, and in viable ways. And if you're crafty and good with numbers you can really squeeze extra juice out of your resources.

Are there any other MMOs, or even games in general, with the same complexity and depth in designing your character?
 
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
717
I fucking loved the Agent class. The ability to mimic the other classes was just too awesome for words. However I also remember the launch... what a fucking disaster. Unfortunately Funcom hasn't really learned anything from the past fuckups, as demonstrated by Age of Conan's launch. I used to be extremely excited about The Secret World, but I've convinced myself it will be another horrid buggy mess at launch and slowly the game will die an elongated death. The MMO space would be a much better place if AO had become a blockbuster and WoW was in the dustbins of history. Too bad it didn't turn out that way.
 

Truman

Scholar
Joined
Sep 30, 2009
Messages
791
Location
Asstown
I went back a few months ago (I think) because I heard there was a graphics update but the whole place was empty. Such a strange sight.

Yeah, AO was an excellent game. It lacked a bit in atmosphere, possibly due to its age, but it had a fascinating setting and it really was very interesting to try out each of the classes.
 

Zomg

Arbiter
Joined
Oct 21, 2005
Messages
6,984
I played it on launch and they ruined my character like two weeks in by making the defense skill work

never forgive
 

Nael

Arcane
Joined
Dec 12, 2005
Messages
11,384
Location
Indy
:necro:

Still going strong...

http://cdn.funcom.com/ao/crm/2015/apr/index_web.html

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Anarchy Online has received great improvements all across the board! Play now to experience the 18.7 patch with a host of new stuff to enjoy:

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Check out all this and much more in-game! Read more about this huge update here.

Download the client here if needed
ss_screenshot_01.jpg
ss_screenshot_02.jpg

default_03.jpg
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I haven't played for about 4 years... I might give it another run but I'm sort of protesting the perpetually delayed "new engine."

Its a long shot but are there any AO players on here?
 

Shannow

Waster of Time
Joined
Sep 15, 2006
Messages
6,386
Location
Finnegan's Wake
I used to play a long time ago. Still the only "real" mmo (I don't count GW as such) that I really had fun with for a longer period of time.
I played it as f2p. But after a while the "You could have this much better item or this much more convenient spell if only you paid a subscription" got too much on my nerves. And that was long before I reached the "Well, we have this nice content. Don't you want to pay a subscription to experience it?"
Just today I deleted an email from them without reading it. I suppose it was an advertizement for this. So I don't plan on returning. Sry ;)
 

Nael

Arcane
Joined
Dec 12, 2005
Messages
11,384
Location
Indy
Anarchy Online has never been F2P or pay-to-win. I don't know what you're talking about.
 
Joined
Mar 3, 2010
Messages
8,820
Location
Italy
it's been f2p for years and years, only you could access only part of the content, and of course the expansions were off limits. money extremely well spent that i put in those expansions, i paid the subscription for a year and a half.
but graphics were terrible already back then, the interface wasn't good enough to manage all that stuff (i had tons of containers within containers and i could barely remember them all) and the grind was awful already when i was young and inexperienced enough to endure it.
that email truly tempted me to try it again but i fear anarchy online can't be saved anymore.
 

Nael

Arcane
Joined
Dec 12, 2005
Messages
11,384
Location
Indy
Is this worth a try as a newbie, or is it a "veteran only" game by now?

Its an older game so the learning curve is definitely steeper than next Gen shit but the update says they overhauled the new player experience so I would think it might be worth a try. If a vast sandbox world with some procedural content appeals to you then I'd say give it a try. Seriously I don't think there is an MMO that comes anywhere near the size game world that AO consists of.
 

Nael

Arcane
Joined
Dec 12, 2005
Messages
11,384
Location
Indy
So... about that engine update.

Only 16 Micro-Issues Remain!

Find out what a team of Neanderthals Melonheads can accomplish in 14+ years of hanging out in saunas and listening to techno 24/7.
 
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Joined
Mar 3, 2010
Messages
8,820
Location
Italy
this is definitely not a game for today's taste, beginning with the combat system which is just "stand there and sometimes press some buttons". it's no doubt old school, with its long downtimes, pre-fight buffings, long skills cooldowns and impossible to do alone zones.
back when i played it, 10 years ago, there was plenty of people around and still took long to put together a simple group for the temple of three winds, the first "serious business" dungeon for levels 15-50 (for those who don't know, ao has 200+20 levels), right now, if ao is a wasteland, 90% of its content would be unavailable.
 

LeStryfe79

President Spartacus
Joined
Nov 25, 2008
Messages
7,503
Location
♫
Codex 2012 Serpent in the Staglands Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Codex USB, 2014 Shadorwun: Hong Kong
No, Scrooge it's too late. The randomized missions, setting, and three factions were cool, as well as the extremely huge skill list. My friend bought a shit load of gold off the black market when we played it. Shopping spree was fun. Overall the game is boring, vacant, and a huge waste of potential. Might fuck around in it a few days for fun if you want. It's cool for that. Horrible animation. Just horrible.
 

zwanzig_zwoelf

Guest
I played it a few years ago, and I remember it as a typical MMORPG. Got bored after a few days and uninstalled it, though music was alright.
Face of Mankind remains as my favorite MMORPG even today, though. Fuck the haters and law enforcement, Brotherhood of Shadows will stomp your ass. :smug:
 

dibens

as seen on shoutbox
Patron
Joined
Dec 4, 2011
Messages
2,629
Funcom? More like Nofunallowedcom. If they didn't treat AO like the redheaded stepchild and waste millions of dollars on stupid retarded shit like Conlolan, it would still be a strong title with much more active community and you wouldn't have to wait ten years for promised changes.

I've been playing Anarchy on and off since 2006 and have a very soft spot for it in muh heart. What sets it apart from most other mmos, not counting the the unique setting, is the absurd levels of of twinking allowed in the game. There is nothing more satisfying than, after days of theorycrafting, min-maxing every last point of stat, swapping gazzilions of items and implants and juggling dozens of outside buffs, being finally able to create a walking god of a character. Level locked gear? Lol, just twinked lvl 200 weapon on my lvl 60 dude. Dungeon boss? Easy, let my 150 lvls higher pet do the job while I /afk. Balance? Do you even trader, I'll rape everyone in pvp with my broken shit. Raid boss? Brb, give me an hour, I will solo it, np.
 
Joined
Jan 4, 2014
Messages
795
I mean oldschool AO. Froob play. Before shadowlands and level caps out the ass. I mean shadowlands is okay, don't get me wrong. Feels unfinished even now, years after release; but the story and atmosphere are decent stuff. Its the route the gameplay took I don't like.

But that's not the point I'm getting at. I'm saying Anarchy Online was tight. It is a very rich game. The complicayed skill system coupled with buffs, equipment, and then implants... Your ability to twink was significant and took skill, knowledge, and experience. Level locked dungeons, then, give you incentive for twinking and that's a game in itself. Lovely mechanics.

This is a game where I honestly don't feel every <class name> is the same. Shadowlands as I mentioned, moved it more that direction; along with unique items which are far superior to their standard counterparts -- so every Enforcer and Keeper is running around with a styg... But all the same, the game really lets you customize, and in viable ways. And if you're crafty and good with numbers you can really squeeze extra juice out of your resources.

Are there any other MMOs, or even games in general, with the same complexity and depth in designing your character?
I get you totally with this thrread. Problem is I am not sure if all this "complexity and depth" is that or just .... something else? I mean, I like it. I am understand you. I like deep systems too, don't get me wrong. But a lot of gamers seem to think these things are tedious or otherwise not fun or boring or ocd or micromanagement. I've played COMPUTER games for 20 years and visited a lot of forums and this seems to be the overridding opinion, even though I don't exactly agree with it myself. By that, I mean I enjoy deep systems, even if they're in fact micromanagement or ocd or not fun or whatever label or description is attached to them.

What I'm saying is, I'm a nerd too, but I don't know if being a nerd is ok or it's perhaps some kind of psychological dysfunction. I'm not a nerd that thinks deep systems are GOOD, I'm a nerd that likes them, but feels stigma for liking them. It's like saying you like alcohol or something. It won't win you any nobel or pulitzers, but it'll make you some freinds who fel similar.

Anyway, my feeling is most games want to dumb it down so you don't need to inspect anything deeply or backtrack on a mistake or feel any sort of frustration. Mostly gamers just want fast action oriented gameplay. It's not methodical, it's more play. It's about experiencing stimulation. Most gamers want an experience, but aren't interested in a deep system.

There's plenty of fog in the above. I don't want to step on any egos. Lots of gamers like deep systems and also like some fast action too. I think they define "deep" differently than me. They just want something intelligent and don't like to dig or have to search. They wnat something which challenges their IQ or genius, but not their patience. I know I'm an explorer at heart and like to dig or search on occassion. In tha respect, my expectation of deep system is about exploring it and finding things and then piecing them together in an exploitive way. It's a different desire than the prior. Maybe it really is a sort of psychological thing. If it's, the stigma comes from it possibly being a negative one. Maybe my desire for "searching" is a mental disorder? Say I'm digging through a system, looking for cool things, like a lab rat which keeps pressing a lever to get food? Maybe I'm susceptible to it.

Lots of psych majors are calling games Skinner Boxes. Tha'ts another reason I feel apprehensive. They're comparing gamers to rats which're in a cage and pushing levers for things. Maybe that's all we're, just stupid addicted or disordered lab animals.

PS: I first played Anarchy online in 2009. I've played off/on. Played lots of alts. Never levelled past 60-something. I liked the game. I never stay with any game for very long, but I went back to Anarchy Online more than most because it felt special to me. I really liked Rubi-Ka. The music was great too. The feel was just right. Looking up, seeing the scripted ships flying, it felt immersive. But mudflation, there's so much of it in old games. Rubi-Ka was dead, not ever to reawaken. I eventually left it a almost two years ago, sick of the mudflation and companies and profits and change and all that s*** which is inescapable.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Jan 4, 2014
Messages
795
Oh and OP, Shadowlands was just Funcom's (was it Funcom back then?) way of emulating EQ in AO. That's really what sickens me. It's not just the mudflation. It's not just the WoWtards. It's the fact companies are so desperate and greedy they'll eviscerate themselves. It's like whne a star player on your team ups and leaves for another because they wnat a title. It's not about you or the team. It's about the title. And for companies, it's about the $$$. For AO, it was being trying to be AnarchyQuest.

Anarchy Online only had one chance to be. Shadowlands is where it lost its soul.

Mind you, I also played EQ and liked it. I'm just saying what AO did is just as bad as if it tried to be World of Anarchycraft. Lots and lots anD LOTS of game companies do exactly the same thing. It's business. It has no soul.

PS: John Stockton stuck with the Jazz his entire career. Never got a title. Never fidgeted. Never let them down. Don't tell me he never thought there was better. Teams nowadays break up if they lose IN ONE FREAKING SEASON. Don't tell me that!!!
 
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Norfleet

Moderator
Joined
Jun 3, 2005
Messages
12,250
Maybe my desire for "searching" is a mental disorder? Say I'm digging through a system, looking for cool things, like a lab rat which keeps pressing a lever to get food? Maybe I'm susceptible to it.

Lots of psych majors are calling games Skinner Boxes. Tha'ts another reason I feel apprehensive. They're comparing gamers to rats which're in a cage and pushing levers for things. Maybe that's all we're, just stupid addicted or disordered lab animals.
They are. Why do you think it's so satisfying to beat the system? You don't want to be this guy:
scientificamericanmind0808-22-I1.jpg

You want to be this guy:
tumblr_migesjQ4Mp1qd5ljlo1_500.jpg
 

bylam

Funcom
Developer
Joined
Oct 30, 2006
Messages
707
Funcom? More like Nofunallowedcom. If they didn't treat AO like the redheaded stepchild and waste millions of dollars on stupid retarded shit like Conlolan, it would still be a strong title with much more active community and you wouldn't have to wait ten years for promised changes.

Hahaha this is...well typically, uninformed bullshit.
* AO nearly made the company bankrupt - in fact the company would have gone bankrupt if it wasn't for Conan (and being listed on the Stock Exchange but the influx of cash from that was due to *gasp* Conan)
* Conan made more money in the first week than AO has ever made in 14 years.
* Conan continues to make more money than AO.

Look, you can argue that Funcom mishandled AO - fine. Complaining about "wasting dollars on Conan" though...seriously. AO wouldn't exist anymore if it wasn't for Conan. Funcom would have closed its doors. AO has always been the MMO at Funcom that made the least money and has the least players.
 

Nael

Arcane
Joined
Dec 12, 2005
Messages
11,384
Location
Indy
Balance? Do you even trader, I'll rape everyone in pvp with my broken shit. Raid boss? Brb, give me an hour, I will solo it, np.

Traders were the only class that could touch my Fixer with the MKIV Grid Armor but that was only if they got lucky and survived my Burst/Full Auto ass fuck of death in the first 5 seconds of a fight.
 

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