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Newer isn't better! Back to DAOC =)
Selek
Member Posts: 236
Server pops have gone way up in the last few months.. I started daoc when SI came out and have been in and out ever since. My last sub ended about 3 months ago and the servers were like 500-700 on a good day..
I looked last night and Devon was at 1500 with Classic at about 800, and aparently Devon hits 1800s on primetime. I'm totally resubbing, with clustering that puts the action back at oldschool levels 
.
I think a lot of people are starting to realize that newer isn't better... I have friends that went back to SWG, and others that jumped back on Everquest. 
-Selek
Comments
With the sad state new MMOs that released in the last two years are In i don't blame you for going back.
DAoC has so much content its crazy, with a good population on the server you play on its completely valid to still play it.
Playing: Nothing
Looking forward to: Nothing
I recently did the trial for DAoC.
The problem I'm having is that the controls feel so akward and the combat is so different from todays MMOs. I can't fire off a spell while in combat...eventually it tells me I'm too tired or something to fight...the quests are rather bland and same-old same-old.
It's a little confusing with all the different spells for different weapons. I guess it's just me being from the WoW generation, but I couldn't really get into it.
The setting is cool though and the graphics are surprisingly good. I liked the variety of classes and races. I REALLY REALLY like the idea of a 3 way faction war. I just can't get over the strange combat, awkward functions, and confusing little things that leave me wondering what exactly these things do...
maybe a simpler version of DAoC would suit me well. I'm all for customization, but don't throw it at me all at once and help me figure out what I'm supposed to do with these points or with this spell.
I like WAR's system of combat customization, but this may just be because of me being from the WoW generation. I did really love some of the things DAoC offered though.
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Guys! I'm hopelessly lost in a mountain of mole hills! Them damn moles!
This should be of no surprise to anyone as DAOC is one of the top 5 MMO's ever made.
just for fun I wonder what would happen if UO, EQ1, AC & DAOC did massive graphic updates.
One has to wonder..
Dutchess Zarraa Voltayre
Reborn/Zero Sum/Ancient Legacy/Jagged Legion/Feared/Nuke & Pave.
I don't thinkt that graphics is what is holding back older MMOs.
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Guys! I'm hopelessly lost in a mountain of mole hills! Them damn moles!
I don't thinkt that graphics is what is holding back older MMOs.
I would tend to agree with you. Older mmorpgs are held back more by their mechanics, poor UI, and low playerbase. Amusingly the last point is one of those ironic things in the mmo industry. As a game declines in popularity people will leave, and as the population dips fewer people are attracted to the game who have never played it because they fear it won't be any good. Of course there might be other barriers, such as a large number of expansion packs, and many downloads.
Older mmorpgs should drastically reduce the barrier to entry by consolidating all of their xpacks and such into a single download, and making the cost very low, or free. Free is probably best. Then give people a 15 day free trial period, and see what happens.
Sadly games like EQ1, Daoc, and UO have tons of expansions, and each one costs money. On top of that you have to go through the hassle of downloading it all, or going and buying it, plus a lengthy install process.
This isn't an endearing experience, and will drive most people to play f2play mmo's like Atlantica online, which recognize that a client has very little inherent value, it is the ability to create character and play the game that counts.
I've been playing daoc again because I have played that game since 2001. It has an extremely foolish install process that takes up too much hard drive space. The downloads are anything but fast, and they expect new players to pay for the latest expansions like darkness falls and labyrinth of the minotaur. I think this is sill considering their overall population during primetime isn't even 5000 players. I would fire the people who have so poorly mismanaged that Dark Age franchise.
It is pathos we lack, and this lack of pathos makes the worlds we explore quite stale.
http://www.mmorpg.com/blogs/Antioche
DAoC's pve is pitiful at best.
The worst part of the game for a new player is the interface though, especially if you're from WoW or WAR because there are no tooltips. You have to right click and ability and select the info button, or press shift+i (I think that's the default) to DELVE the ability. You do the same for items.
Honestly if you have questions about how to do stuff in the game you should just use the /advice channel. There are plenty of very helpful and very knowledgeable people who still play the game. That is one thing that I truly value in daoc. The community is hard to beat. There are a few people who are absolute boneheads, but a lot of people are really cool, and helpful once you get to know them.
The rvr combat is the only good reason to play this game as far as I'm concerned. I play a warrior in an 8man group. I'm the peel tank, and also help to dps of course. We have 2 healers, shaman, skald, savage, runemaster, bonedancer, and warrior (me). We play regularly on the classic cluster, and enjoy fighting other 8mans. The fights are intense, and often last several minutes. Probably the longest fight I've ever had was around 10 minutes.
This is not usual though, and tends to only occur when two exceptional groups fight each other. Usually it is slanted one way or the other because either one group's players aren't very good at playing as a team (they might not have vent, or they don't understand different strategies to use, or their group setup isn't very good). When this happens fights can be very very short. Think something like less than 30 seconds. Those fights are fun as well, but in a very different way.
There are many players, especially on the classic cluster, who solo in rvr. This style of player is, usually, respected by small mans, and 8mans. As in we usually, unless you're a zerging pos, won't touch you. Soloers are those who strictly engage in one on one combat with enemy players. They don't add on fights, either between two players, or between groups. So if you are new to RvR and you're having trouble finding a group I'd suggest trying to solo, but make sure you ask other soloers for tips on how to prepare yourself for it, and that kind of thing.
Well more could be said, but I'll just leave it at that. I'd say give daoc another try because it has a lot to offer those who enjoy pvp. The group vs. group pvp is truly 2nd to none in my experience.
It is pathos we lack, and this lack of pathos makes the worlds we explore quite stale.
http://www.mmorpg.com/blogs/Antioche
yeah it makes me wonder how Warhammer could have been if they had copied what worked in DAOC instead of trying to copy that peice of Sh*t WoW.
I'm not opposed to your litany but that's wrong. EQ1 has all the expansions in one game. You just buy it as a single game and you have all the expansions.
sorry, double post, other is on next page
-Selek
I'm not opposed to your litany but that's wrong. EQ1 has all the expansions in one game. You just buy it as a single game and you have all the expansions.
Yeah most old MMO's you just buy the newest expansion for like 19.95 and then you get the whole game, every expansion, and a month free to play. In my mind its like... resubbing but paying 5$ extra since you never bought the game.
As for anyone who says DAOC has poor quests.. To me at least, that is a VERY good thing!!! I hate questing more then anything in games! Who the hell wants to go collect 10 pumpkins in a field by themselves to get a tiny drop of exp and some pumpkin pie? Thats every "modern" mmorpg for you. I love dungeon crawling with a group. I would rather build a perfect team and go on a beast slaying rampage with friends over "deliver these pies" quests anyday.
I actually love the PVE in DAOC. The game has lots of really hard raids, and challenging group dungeons, and if you want to "level up" outside of pve, you get more exp killing players then you do monsters anyways! Have fun killing the rats in grandmaws basement, delivering pies, plucking pumpkins, killing 10 brown bears, and on a good day finding the necklace at the bottom of the lake. I'll be focus pulling groups of 20 reds in daoc with friends, getting a level every 5 minutes.. and in few days, i'll be doing the best end game pvp in any mmorpg!
-Selek
sorta been waiting for the new server they were thinking about for daoc but looks like it wont be a reality. maybe as war goes down the drain they will do something to daoc..
bobm111
Ironically DAoC's PvE is the only thing that has kept me returning to the game which makes me wonder why I left during the ToA launch. I've always felt the RvR mechanics (Dark Age of CCalot anyone?) coupled with the archaic movement/control system hindered what the PvP should have been. This doesn't change the fact that I continue to play this game off and on, as in general it was one of my favorite MMOs of all time.
Opinions aside, if Mythic had chosen to keep DAoC updates/patches rolling instead of sinking that waste of time and money more commonly known as Warhammer they could have easily brought their flagship game back into modern standards without compromising the old school ideals.
Yes...server numbers are "way up"...to 3000. grats
Clicking on a thread you claim not to care about. Grats logic fail.
I'll come back to DAoC when; they nerf damage, nerf CC, and get a real movement system.
There's no "logic" behind my argument as logic would imply that i'm using some sort of reasoning to support an inference...I can go to camelotherald.com and see like anyone else that the numbers are as low as they've been which doesn't involve any reasoning only the analysis of hard evidence to prove a fact, but I GUESS "gone way up these past few months" could also be seen as subjective.
Technically, it is way up. As I think at the launch of WAR DAoC was around 2100 users online. Pretty sad, since when the game had 21K users(down from 45K before ToA) I felt the servers were pitifully empty, and it led me to cancel my subscription. Of course, this was before the megaserver clusters that we see today.
Not sure how this game could possibly be fun with only 1000 people on the most populated server, and I guarantee, at least, 300 of those are bots.
Surprised you were able to figure out how post without a big floating exclamation point. Now follow your bread crumb trail for your purple text, little one.
Misleading title.
I still read your post though.
I have been out of MMOs a long time, and looking to go back to EQ.
Wife has found a new game in EQ2, and gonna let her teach me a bit of that game as well. Watching her play solo, or grp/raid with her guild has shown me it appears to be a great game nowadays.
Yet IMO my first MMO will always be the best(EQ).
Even if it didnt bring in a bunch of new players, it is a shame the whole game wasnt brought into todays age with a re-write. Although with the amount of content, I would have to imagine it would run millions upon millions to get right.
With the current numbers, I just dont see SOE dumping that type of money into it. Especially with the core playerbase that has hung around this long.
Driving them off, ala a NGE, would be akin to the hair that finally did break SOE's back.
Asking Devs to make AAA sandbox titles is like trying to get fine dining on a McDonalds dollar menu budget.
When and if they make the Origins Server a lot of people are going to come back i bet.That server will provide with a DaoC experience.
I'm missing DAoC more and more with each passing week. But today I logged in to pay my rent, and clicking on the social window to see who in my guild was on really reminded me just how outdated the UI is. It's no problem for someone semi-intelligent, but I think that playing WAR for five months may have dumbed me down a little.
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"Capitalism is currently working as intended."
I don't thinkt that graphics is what is holding back older MMOs.
I agree. DAOC actually looks fine, I'd even go so far as to say better than some newer MMOs that might be more modern tech, but suffer weak art direction.
What holds it back is that the gameplay isn't what it used to be. On the one hand, they screwed it over with TOA and Catacombs - Yes, Catacombs, too. Made it too soloable, although that's understandable, because on the other hand, populations and enthusiasm went way down, simply because its old and played out.
Really no way around that, that I can think of. Except to makle a new game that follows in its footsteps. I can't believe Mythic had the chance to do that, but dropped the ball so badly. How is it that while DAOC is the best MMO I've ever played, WAR managed to be one of the worst?
When I want a single-player story, I'll play a single-player game. When I play an MMO, I want a massively multiplayer world.
Those waiting on Origins, it's been publicly put on hold. It would be too much of a disruptive factor to the existing community. It's not good to have another Classic ruleset exodus effect on the regular servers right now. The dev resources are targeting different things atm. I interpret the current priority is to stabilize and grow the existing community for current rulesets and once those are healthier, wrap up Origins implementation.
There are a lot of new things going on behind the scenes for DAoC at the moment:
A bunch of other things are occurring that aren't public, but will become public over time that should add to the community and support of this game. All this information is publicly available via other forums and the Herald.
GM Pendragon Regulars - Dwarfs - Warpstone - WAR
ex-GM Celtic Dragon - Hibernia - Pendragon - DAoC
Stop.
Cool you tried it. The fact that Dark Age toons cannot cast while taking damage is what made combat in the game. It seriously seperates people who can play a basic wow healer/caster to those who can play a Dark Age Healer/Caster. You actually have to have some skill in Dark Age to know when to cast. Not saying you dont have any, but it takes a bit of time to figure your class.
Most healers in Dark age do not have the fire power a WoW Priest. Druid or Shammy have. Not even close. The Dark Age healers are more like ... well ... healers! They have a solo purpose of standing back and keeping you alive , buffing or cc (in some cases). Same goes for dps casters, who have to start over when throwing a massive dmg spell when interupted. There is a challenge here to keep moving, and contributing to a grp if you are in one. I love this.
WoW was fun and has brought peak interest to millions though its style of play and that is cool. But Dark Age actually personifies what play type you will be, because it takes a bit to master it.
Controls can be changed in keyboard interface to make them feel a bit more familiar. I'm really gald the WoW gen does actually try Dark Age, I am a bit dissapointed, but not surprised it has not caught on for them.