Age of Conan

It took a while but it slowly dawned on me how pointless the destiny quests and the whole Tortage experience is.

The game is an mmorpg. I don't want the game to tell me who I am. The whole point I play is to develop that part myself. All FC needs to do is provide the environment that encourages that as much as possible,.

Frankly it got a little embarrassing being told how I was basically 'the one'. Ya, me an every other schmuck with 15 bucks a month.  It really felt childish, in this supposedly mature and gritty, brutal world to be spoonfed this high-fantastyesque storyline with my name 'written in the stars'.

Then it dawns on me even more that this is the BEST part of the game in the opinion of many, yet due to its mandatory repetition, over time its bound to become the understood worst part of the game.

The more I think about it the more baffling it becomes that they put the effort into it that they did. In an MMO there are two types of players, rp'ers and non-rp'ers. The rp'ers are going to all (except for 1  per server I guess) completely discount the storyline and the events of Tortage as they develop their own storyline, and the non-rp'ers will completely discount it simply because they don't care.

In my opinion the game plays like a stand-alone rpg with mutliplayer.

So. My question is: What was FC thinking putting so much effort into the destiny quests and tortage?

I have to agree with this. Back when I started playing MMOs, when UO was basically the game to play, there were no destiny quests, you went out into the virtual world and made your own story. That's what MMOs should be about.

I remember my first character in UO when I, because it was a place of warriors and because I was clueless, started on an island Jhelom separated from the rest of the game world. I went out of the city and died to the mobs as they were too high level for a newb. I couldn't get back to my corpse and items so instead of creating a brand new character, I killed the mobs with my fists until I was able to save enough money to purchase some weapons from the NPCs. I then met a role playing guild who were in a middle of a war with another guild. The members of the guild I met helped me out by giving me money to purchase armor and teleported me to the main land. In turn, I helped them how I could in their fight against their enemies. Yes, I was probably stupid by not creating a new character after I messed up but the simple fact that I was able to live through this story, story which I created, a story which reads kind of like a begining of a serious RPG, shows just how robust UO was.

No game, save for EVE was able to provide the same experience. Our hands are held through out the whole ordeal, we all do the same quests and we're all "the ones".

To me, that's just shows that developers are lazy and instead of creating a world for us to play in and create our stories and destinies in, they create a linear story for everyone to follow. Unique experiences in MMOs are rare, everyone does the same thing over and over and over again. You don't create your own destiny, you follow a destiny set for you by the development team.

Originally posted by dhayes68

It took a while but it slowly dawned on me how pointless the destiny quests and the whole Tortage experience is.

Well obviously you are new to this genre of gaming cause else you would have known that many players often have complained with other MMORPG's to have some kind of story tied to your main class/profession.

You also need to understand that this was/is hte setup of the game, if you atleast had gathered some info about the game before you bought it you would have had NO NEED to make such uninformitive topic. Which only shows you didn't know what you bought, sorry thats your blame and your blame only.

The game is an mmorpg. I don't want the game to tell me who I am. The whole point I play is to develop that part myself. All FC needs to do is provide the environment that encourages that as much as possible,.

And this is still possible but I fear seeing so many new people to this genre that they to scared ot let go of hte handholding which always will be persieved as a game being linear while it is in fact those who play it linear will persieve it linear

Frankly it got a little embarrassing being told how I was basically 'the one'. Ya, me an every other schmuck with 15 bucks a month.  It really felt childish, in this supposedly mature and gritty, brutal world to be spoonfed this high-fantastyesque storyline with my name 'written in the stars'.

Did you actualy make it past lvl 19/20?

Then it dawns on me even more that this is the BEST part of the game in the opinion of many, yet due to its mandatory repetition, over time its bound to become the understood worst part of the game.

That might be your unexperiance'd opinion, I disagree on.

The more I think about it the more baffling it becomes that they put the effort into it that they did. In an MMO there are two types of players, rp'ers and non-rp'ers. The rp'ers are going to all (except for 1  per server I guess) completely discount the storyline and the events of Tortage as they develop their own storyline, and the non-rp'ers will completely discount it simply because they don't care.

You seem to have a very narrow minded view up on gamers which again sorry to say kinda proofs your lack within games in this genre.

In my opinion the game plays like a stand-alone rpg with mutliplayer.

LOL so you do understand the game as this is said in the booklet of the game, you can read this info on every website that has info on AoC, so what's your point again?

So. My question is: What was FC thinking putting so much effort into the destiny quests and tortage?

They probebely where thinking, now lets try something else, something that many people felt missing in other MMORPG and thats a story line to make you understand where you come from, what you kinda purpuse is in the world, but I geuss complaints like this seem to come from the non-reading of quest, else you would not have made such topic like this.

 There is still allot of freedom after Tortage, but then it's up to a persons playstyle, some simply can not stop being handhold, most can, and it's those who fail at letting their hands go lose who often complain about games in this genre, basicly due ot the lack of experiance with games in this genre.

 

Originally posted by dhayes68

It took a while but it slowly dawned on me how pointless the destiny quests and the whole Tortage experience is.

The game is an mmorpg. I don't want the game to tell me who I am. The whole point I play is to develop that part myself. All FC needs to do is provide the environment that encourages that as much as possible,.

Frankly it got a little embarrassing being told how I was basically 'the one'. Ya, me an every other schmuck with 15 bucks a month.  It really felt childish, in this supposedly mature and gritty, brutal world to be spoonfed this high-fantastyesque storyline with my name 'written in the stars'.

Then it dawns on me even more that this is the BEST part of the game in the opinion of many, yet due to its mandatory repetition, over time its bound to become the understood worst part of the game.

The more I think about it the more baffling it becomes that they put the effort into it that they did. In an MMO there are two types of players, rp'ers and non-rp'ers. The rp'ers are going to all (except for 1  per server I guess) completely discount the storyline and the events of Tortage as they develop their own storyline, and the non-rp'ers will completely discount it simply because they don't care.

In my opinion the game plays like a stand-alone rpg with mutliplayer.

So. My question is: What was FC thinking putting so much effort into the destiny quests and tortage?

 

 

 

Storyline is for bringing you into the game world.

Alot of people like the single-player experience. Its has its place. I just dont know what its doing in a massively multiplayer online game. I personally see these types of games as a stepping stone on the path to greater things. Eventually one day the rest of the gaming world will catch up.

You are totally justified in expressing your opinion on this forum. You have evolved. You are not alone.

Originally posted by Reklaw

Originally posted by dhayes68

It took a while but it slowly dawned on me how pointless the destiny quests and the whole Tortage experience is.

Well obviously you are new to this genre of gaming cause else you would have known that many players often have complained with other MMORPG's to have some kind of story tied to your main class/profession.

You also need to understand that this was/is hte setup of the game, if you atleast had gathered some info about the game before you bought it you would have had NO NEED to make such uninformitive topic. Which only shows you didn't know what you bought, sorry thats your blame and your blame only.

The game is an mmorpg. I don't want the game to tell me who I am. The whole point I play is to develop that part myself. All FC needs to do is provide the environment that encourages that as much as possible,.

And this is still possible but I fear seeing so many new people to this genre that they to scared ot let go of hte handholding which always will be persieved as a game being linear while it is in fact those who play it linear will persieve it linear

Frankly it got a little embarrassing being told how I was basically 'the one'. Ya, me an every other schmuck with 15 bucks a month.  It really felt childish, in this supposedly mature and gritty, brutal world to be spoonfed this high-fantastyesque storyline with my name 'written in the stars'.

Did you actualy make it past lvl 19/20?

Then it dawns on me even more that this is the BEST part of the game in the opinion of many, yet due to its mandatory repetition, over time its bound to become the understood worst part of the game.

That might be your unexperiance'd opinion, I disagree on.

The more I think about it the more baffling it becomes that they put the effort into it that they did. In an MMO there are two types of players, rp'ers and non-rp'ers. The rp'ers are going to all (except for 1  per server I guess) completely discount the storyline and the events of Tortage as they develop their own storyline, and the non-rp'ers will completely discount it simply because they don't care.

You seem to have a very narrow minded view up on gamers which again sorry to say kinda proofs your lack within games in this genre.

In my opinion the game plays like a stand-alone rpg with mutliplayer.

LOL so you do understand the game as this is said in the booklet of the game, you can read this info on every website that has info on AoC, so what's your point again?

So. My question is: What was FC thinking putting so much effort into the destiny quests and tortage?

They probebely where thinking, now lets try something else, something that many people felt missing in other MMORPG and thats a story line to make you understand where you come from, what you kinda purpuse is in the world, but I geuss complaints like this seem to come from the non-reading of quest, else you would not have made such topic like this.

 There is still allot of freedom after Tortage, but then it's up to a persons playstyle, some simply can not stop being handhold, most can, and it's those who fail at letting their hands go lose who often complain about games in this genre, basicly due ot the lack of experiance with games in this genre.

 

 

 

Short version: STFU, you are inexperienced. You could have just said that instead of repeating it in various forms.

to the OP: what you search is called a "sandbox" mmorpg. AOC is a more linear game. On a sandbox type of MMORPG no one will tell you are the chosen one, and none will tell you are not, because maybe you are, since it depends on what you want to do. You might become the mightest champion or the worse vilan, or just an average. Good sandbox games even have a story line also, but it doesn't evolve around you.....

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but not one person speaks for all.  Which is why the OP will find that a lot disagree with his points. 

There is EVERY point to having a story arc in an MMO. 

Firstly, its for those who actually enjoy them and dont just run round every quest giver, gathering up the quests to be completed in the least amount of time possible. 

Personally I watch films and play games to enjoy the story.  To me playing a "Sandbox" game is like playing checkers online, utterly boring in its concept.  This is because the majority of the time all the players do in a "Sandbox" game is declare war on each other and kill each other without any reason whatsoever.  So the whole idea of players creating a rich player driven scenario just goes completely out of the window.  I wouldn't class myself as an RP'er, but doing so has no sense of purpose at all.  Therefore, to me "Sandbox" games are extensions to the PVP gameplay style and don't lend themselves very well to a PVE environment.

However, I also have the opinion that going out to kill 20 rats in a PVE environment for no reason is also utterly tedious.  We are humans, and as such we like to feel that there is a purpose to everything. 

Secondly, a story arc provides such a purpose by making the players feel that they are involved in something bigger than there immediate concerns.  Not necessarily because the player is "the one", but still made to feel that they have some part to play in it all.  Even if its a small but nevertheless significant part. 

Thirdly, the story proves to the player that the devs have actually given some thought into how and why the environment was designed the way it was.  And not just slapped together without a second thought on the matter.

Now, coming back to the OP's statements, nowhere was it stated that AOC was a sandbox game.  Everyone knows its based on the works of Robert E. Howard and therefore includes the characters and scenes from his books.  That alone gives you a good idea how the game would be laid out.  Putting Conan into an MMO without any reason whatsoever would have been a pointless exercise, and even calling it Age of CONAN would have been pointless for a sandbox game. 

And so, to ensure that suggestions of any kind of linearity were in a sandbox game, the devs could have just called it "Realistic Medevil Online" and have done with it.   But they didn't.  It's based on an IP and will therefore involve characters and scenes from that IP.  And to involve them means creating story arcs.

It seems that what the OP is looking for, just like others have said, is a "Sandbox" game where there is freedom to do what you want, when you want with the minimum amount of restrictions.  Unfortunately for the OP, AOC was never touted to being a sandbox game.