Up to this point, I’ve been pretty kind to AoC despite my personal disinterest in the game. There have been a lot of bugs and crap, obviously, but because it just released and I’m not actively playing it at the moment I haven’t thrown many stones.

Then I read this little gem. By the way, I’d like to note that I’m linking to TTH here instead of the forums proper because I still can’t see them without logging in. Despite Funcom saying this would no longer be a problem. But whatevs.

You may have read on Massively previously that male and female avatars have different damage outputs because of problems with their animation cycles. They said they’d get back to the playerbase (of which I’m still a part) as soon as they knew something. Well, now they know something:

I know that many of you will probably be disappointed to hear that it might take us as much as another three to four weeks to solve this issue, for which I can only apologize, but we want to make sure that we devote the amount of time that an issue of this magnitude and importance deserves rather than rush out a “quick fix” that might not work as well.

• This is utter crap. I’m sure there is a design reason for basing damage output on the length of an attack’s animation (and I’d love to hear it, actually), but putting on my player hat: I don’t freaking care. You’ve just told a large portion of the playerbase that their game experience has been harder than was originally intended all along. You’ve told a large part of the playerbase that their male counterparts are better at their classes, generally. This cuts to the very heart of the average MMO player’s reason for playing an MMO in the first place. “If only I’d picked a guy, I’d be a better guildmember,” is the implicit thought in every player’s head.
• Maybe, and I’m just saying here, if this game wasn’t built on an IP that includes the subjucation and objectification of half the human race … this might not seem quite as bad as it seems.
• Damnit, two out of three of my characters are suffering from this bug!

Why can’t they bring back the bug that made female breasts smaller? That one I liked. Made my avatar look a bit more, you know, human.

That said, they are trying to move to this:

Anyone get the feeling Funcom took five years to develop the first 20 levels of a game?

Syp was one of the many, many people to write a post aimed at my interview with Richard Bartle at Massively. Unlike most of those other people, though, Syp followed that up with a post clarifying Dr. Bartle’s responses. In the face of clarification, Sype’s own reaction is very well-thought out.

“I agree that we’re on the same side of wanting MMOs to improve and jump forward, but I think you’re being far too harsh on the current crop of games in an industry that is still in its baby phase. Evolutionary development is how most forms of entertainment grow — the movie industry had a few revolutionary jumps, but by and large, most of it was evolutionary in nature … Why this irks us in the Warhammer community is that it appeared as if you were quickly dismissive of WAR as having the “same old patterns” without taking into account the features and style of gameplay that has either never been done before or has been done poorly in this field — the Tome of Knowledge, Realm vs. Realm conflict, Public Quests, Living Cities, Living Guilds, etc.”

This was some great blogging, Syp. I added the Waagh blog to my blogroll just last week, and this week I’m really glad I did.

Even as I write this, I’m cutting across the roads and fields of Azeroth on my warstrider, enjoying one of my favorite things in all of World of Warcraft: The town-and-city-based treasure hunt. The one you might be most familiar with is the Lunar Festival, which sees players scouring the world for departed and beloved ancestors.

This year’s Midsummer Festival (which I’m really loving) has players traveling the paths to honor or desecrate (alternately) the celebratory bonfires of their faction and the opposing one. I took a few minutes and planned out my entire route through the world. Any time spent on something like that has to get used *somewhere* right? So below is my lengthy route from Silvermoon alllll the way through to Area 52. I’m a hordie, of course, so this route might not be so useful for Allies.

Catch you on the road! /wave

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I’m trying to decide if this is funny, or dumb. It’s right on the line and I can’t precisely tell. Can you help me?

Now’s your chance.

Also … comparing me to Xerxes? Really? I am so not the god-king you are looking for.

Rabbit had a great comment in my “Worst. MMO. Player. Ever” post, and it’s one well worth addressing.

Asks the Murdoch:

“I do understand where you are coming from, but here’s the thing: if it’s not all that different from WoW, but looks a little better and feels a little better, why is this not a stunning achievement? It’s a bit like saying “well, the BMW M3 is just another $50,000 sports car, it’s just a little faster and I like the interior.” Doesn’t that still make it an amazing car?

To some extent I think all MMOs require a substantial time commitment to even get the feel. I know in LOTRO I didn’t get a sense of it until maybe 20 hours in. I didn’t really get hot and bothered about AoC until I hit the harder group content around level 30-35, and some of the instances from there have blown away Moria and the Balrog, my previous high spots.

But ultimately, if it doesn’t work, eh, that’s OK. We’ve got lots to play with.”

So, from back to front … I completely agree about ‘lots to play with’. I’ve been opening my eyes more and more of late to games I previously didn’t think were all that interesting. Silk Road is probably the one I’m most surprised by. I actually had quite a lot of fun playing that one. A rundown on my experience in that game is going up on Massively later this week, and I’ll link it here.

I generally agree with the idea that MMOs taketime to ‘get’, and I’ve been trying to push forward with that. I’m thinking I’ve forever put myself into healing mindset. I started an alt in the priest overclass, and it’s a texture I’m much more comfortable with. Maybe I’m just ‘that guy’ now, the dude who always has to wear a robe and shout funny words at his holy symbol.

Ultimately, though, I come back to the same point: beneath the paintjob of different attack mechanisms, it’s the same old diku-inspired game that I’m playing in World of Warcraft. And I need to be clear, here … Age of Conan is only meeting my expectations for WoW if you go back to the launch days. See, this is where Blizzard gets you. It’s all fine and good that the game is polished, but in a month players are going to have hit the level cap and find there’s little to do besides meaningless PvP. Two guesses where they’re going to go.

You can’t just compete with WoW as a concept. This is the really trick bit with these new games. You have to compete with WoW + patches + the Burning Crusade + (if you want to stay on top of things) Lich King.

I can think of precious few new games coming out that have this kind of ambition.

Who knows, maybe I’ll find more “there” past level 30, as Rabbit suggests. I’m hopeful, and I want to stress again: this is just from my perspective. AoC has had a really great launch and looks like it’s in a good place to deliver. Now Funcom has to move the ball down the field. It’s all up to them.