I hate playing alphas. Lack of features, bugs, downtime+ crashes. Not my idea of fun when trying to play a game, so I just don't and wait till it launches ( I don't even pretend like I'm a beta tester ). This is just the publisher alpha so you really wont have any input into the game. Like always when a company uses a publisher for another region it's just a matter of collecting money and adding patches with a whole lot of " we'll ask the real devs about that " answers.
The actual value of the items is probably worth it if you really want to play the game and can put up with playing in an alpha. I'm sure they'll have other deals once the game goes live if you wait.
lack of features and bugs shouldn't be an issue. This is already an established game in korea. All trion is doing is localizing it. It should already have a years worth of content published into it when it launches.
Agreed, it is already a very smooth running game. I have hit a little lag in crowded housing areas and I have crashed to desktop once but I was tabbing in and out of the game a lot as I was working on something else. Beyond that it has been completely solid. The only thing that needs work is the voicing for the cutscenes and if they were to simply replaced the subtitles with English and otherwise kept all the Korean voicing it would probably be fine.
As for my reaction to the game playing it over the weekend I was over and over again surprised with what I was running into.
The crafting is complex and deep without forcing a pointless minigame on you. Some of it takes some serious time as well. It took almost a day for my geese to mature on my little farm plot.
Creating and transporting goods to market over a long distance is actually a lot of fun. You really need to plan your trip for longer voyages.
I had to climb a tree for 2 of the quests.
I raised my own mount from a foal.
When I dismount, my horse stays there, and follows me. Even levels as I fight mobs and ride her.
I jumped in a river to swim across and noticed that the water was pulling me downstream. And my horse swims also.
And I can swim underwater! I know that shouldn't be a big deal but... um... yeah ESO, I am looking at you.
I was able to get in a rowboat and row across the way.
They have mini submarines and diving equipment.
First time on a glider... worth the price of admission right there.
First time on the airship... ... ... I don't even know what to say. It took us across a bay so large that you couldn't see the other side and we landed in a city that was 4 zones away... and not once was there a zone border or loading screen. The trip took at least 10 minutes. It was just like the first time on the ship from Butcherblock in EQ beta so many years ago. Except with much better graphics and no random death at the zone border.
And as we went across that huge bay I saw an island that looked like it had an housing area. Checked the map and it is almost exactly in the center of the bay. I want an island now.
It has been a long time since I have played a game that has given me such a sense of discovery. I really had a great weekend.
As for my reaction to the game playing it over the weekend I was over and over again surprised with what I was running into.
The crafting is complex and deep without forcing a pointless minigame on you. Some of it takes some serious time as well. It took almost a day for my geese to mature on my little farm plot.
Creating and transporting goods to market over a long distance is actually a lot of fun. You really need to plan your trip for longer voyages.
I had to climb a tree for 2 of the quests.
I raised my own mount from a foal.
When I dismount, my horse stays there, and follows me. Even levels as I fight mobs and ride her.
I jumped in a river to swim across and noticed that the water was pulling me downstream. And my horse swims also.
And I can swim underwater! I know that shouldn't be a big deal but... um... yeah ESO, I am looking at you.
I was able to get in a rowboat and row across the way.
They have mini submarines and diving equipment.
First time on a glider... worth the price of admission right there.
First time on the airship... ... ... I don't even know what to say. It took us across a bay so large that you couldn't see the other side and we landed in a city that was 4 zones away... and not once was there a zone border or loading screen. The trip took at least 10 minutes. It was just like the first time on the ship from Butcherblock in EQ beta so many years ago. Except with much better graphics and no random death at the zone border.
And as we went across that huge bay I saw an island that looked like it had an housing area. Checked the map and it is almost exactly in the center of the bay. I want an island now.
It has been a long time since I have played a game that has given me such a sense of discovery. I really had a great weekend.
Barely having scratched the surface, I'm curious to find out why the game isn't doing well in its native country and elsewhere (Japan?).
From your and everyone else's experience this is the kind of game we've been screaming for in the west. It has quality, it has sandbox elements. The animations are not shitty, etc., etc.
Or do we really want EVE but in fantasy land? I hope the hybridness (sp?) does it well.
The server feels like release there are some many people who bought into Alpha.
yes those people must have found their reason to live with a 150dollar alpha game.
I MEAN, WHY NOT PLAY RUSSIAN VERSION WITH ENGLISH PATCH FOR FREE?
BUT GO ON- PAY THEM A "FOUNDERs"PACK WHEN THE GAME HAS BEEN OUT FOR 3 YEARS NOW.
I HOPE THIS MAKE YOU REALIZE SOMETHING
Myself I was playing the Russian version and paying to play it as well so it was not free.
If you really want to know why I would rather pay 150 and play here read on .
It was laggy, bad translations, have to wait for the English update each patch, could not talk to 90 percent of the people on the server, hard to use the auction house, would use google translate to look items up even though there were in English the database was in Russian. I was happy playing it, I have two level 50s there and prem still running. I also ended up buying WTFast to make my ping and lag better playing on Russian servers which has a monthly fee too.
Now that I'm playing the NA version the servers are 150 miles from my house, ping much better, I can hear all the idiots in chat instead of wondering what they were saying. When someone gets mad at me for killing them I can understand their crying which makes the game more fun for me. Too bad I paid for WTFast there is no use for it now for me.
The thing I hope you realize not everyone is the same for some people it makes perfect sense to spend 150.
As for my reaction to the game playing it over the weekend I was over and over again surprised with what I was running into.
The crafting is complex and deep without forcing a pointless minigame on you. Some of it takes some serious time as well. It took almost a day for my geese to mature on my little farm plot.
Creating and transporting goods to market over a long distance is actually a lot of fun. You really need to plan your trip for longer voyages.
I had to climb a tree for 2 of the quests.
I raised my own mount from a foal.
When I dismount, my horse stays there, and follows me. Even levels as I fight mobs and ride her.
I jumped in a river to swim across and noticed that the water was pulling me downstream. And my horse swims also.
And I can swim underwater! I know that shouldn't be a big deal but... um... yeah ESO, I am looking at you.
I was able to get in a rowboat and row across the way.
They have mini submarines and diving equipment.
First time on a glider... worth the price of admission right there.
First time on the airship... ... ... I don't even know what to say. It took us across a bay so large that you couldn't see the other side and we landed in a city that was 4 zones away... and not once was there a zone border or loading screen. The trip took at least 10 minutes. It was just like the first time on the ship from Butcherblock in EQ beta so many years ago. Except with much better graphics and no random death at the zone border.
And as we went across that huge bay I saw an island that looked like it had an housing area. Checked the map and it is almost exactly in the center of the bay. I want an island now.
It has been a long time since I have played a game that has given me such a sense of discovery. I really had a great weekend.
Your brilliant post has left me speechless ... so all I can say is ... ^^^^ THIS ^^^^
Originally posted by VikingGamerI jumped in a river to swim across and noticed that the water was pulling me downstream. And my horse swims also.
And I can swim underwater! I know that shouldn't be a big deal but... um... yeah ESO, I am looking at you.
I was able to get in a rowboat and row across the way.
They have mini submarines and diving equipment.
First time on a glider... worth the price of admission right there.
First time on the airship... ... ... I don't even know what to say. It took us across a bay so large that you couldn't see the other side and we landed in a city that was 4 zones away... and not once was there a zone border or loading screen. The trip took at least 10 minutes. It was just like the first time on the ship from Butcherblock in EQ beta so many years ago. Except with much better graphics and no random death at the zone border.
And as we went across that huge bay I saw an island that looked like it had an housing area. Checked the map and it is almost exactly in the center of the bay. I want an island now.
It has been a long time since I have played a game that has given me such a sense of discovery. I really had a great weekend.
Exactly! When I first went on the airship, I was amazed at how long the trip was! Like you said, it's several minutes! The view is amazing!! I was talking to the other passengers who were saying how awesome the airship was too. The carriage ride, another public form of transportation is also very nice. It's very peaceful and doesn't take a second but minutes as well. You can sit back and enjoy the view.
I haven't experienced the boats yet, just my lil rowboat but these things are what makes AA a really enjoyable experience so far. The crops take awhile, you harvest, you feed your livestock, shear them or butcher depending on what your purposes are. If you want to sell goose down, you get some baby geese, buy bean seed, plant, harvest, feed the geese. You then, shear the geese and viola! You have your goose down. You can also plant trees and many other crops.
Anyone know what level you get your first claim for land or around what level one would be for that? I hear your farm is around level 15, but curious about claiming the land
I definitely had similar "awe" moments my first few days playing, but I'm only level 8 and not all that far. The water/underwater is one of the best I've seen in any game really. Very well done!
As for my reaction to the game playing it over the weekend I was over and over again surprised with what I was running into.
The crafting is complex and deep without forcing a pointless minigame on you. Some of it takes some serious time as well. It took almost a day for my geese to mature on my little farm plot.
Creating and transporting goods to market over a long distance is actually a lot of fun. You really need to plan your trip for longer voyages.
I had to climb a tree for 2 of the quests.
I raised my own mount from a foal.
When I dismount, my horse stays there, and follows me. Even levels as I fight mobs and ride her.
I jumped in a river to swim across and noticed that the water was pulling me downstream. And my horse swims also.
And I can swim underwater! I know that shouldn't be a big deal but... um... yeah ESO, I am looking at you.
I was able to get in a rowboat and row across the way.
They have mini submarines and diving equipment.
First time on a glider... worth the price of admission right there.
First time on the airship... ... ... I don't even know what to say. It took us across a bay so large that you couldn't see the other side and we landed in a city that was 4 zones away... and not once was there a zone border or loading screen. The trip took at least 10 minutes. It was just like the first time on the ship from Butcherblock in EQ beta so many years ago. Except with much better graphics and no random death at the zone border.
And as we went across that huge bay I saw an island that looked like it had an housing area. Checked the map and it is almost exactly in the center of the bay. I want an island now.
It has been a long time since I have played a game that has given me such a sense of discovery. I really had a great weekend.
^ This.
I can't remember the last time I had this much fun in an MMO in a long, long while. You get the same kind of awe when you are out in this world - that true sense of awe and adventure I remember with my very first MMO. The immersion is amazing. It's really hard to put into words. Think of all the good parts of SWG (Pre-CU) + the open world (minus chunking) in Vanguard, with really fun combat and the ability to basically multiclass. And don't get me started on the crafting. Just amazing.
You can climb trees. You plant trees, You harvest trees. You farm. You raise your mounts. So many vehicles - rowboats, ships, cars, carriages, blimps, gliders, tractors, build your house, there is crime and punishment! I reported some blood-stains I found on the shore of an island which gets sent to the justice system as evidence of a crime that occured in that area - (I guess a PVP fight broke out there?).
In this game you WANT to click on everything and anything. Many, many objects are interactive. Far more than any MMO in my experience to date. Hell, you can pick up a pebble in the middle of the road and throw it at somebody!
I'm extremely happy I took the $150 plunge, as AA has filled a void in my MMO game-space I have been longing to get rid of.
If you have the money sure go ahead, to much for my blood for alfa. In Europe the prices are in Euro and not in Dollars so its 1/3 more in Sweden so I rather wait.
I would prefer to keep my money, play the free Japanese version because they are the only ones planning on gutting the changes to fit the Japanese market which is no P2W of any kind, period. Trion has only said they will not keep one change, the daily limit on crafting. Everything else that's P2W in the 1.0 changes are remaining. No thank you, no one gets a dime from me in a PvP heavy game with a single P2W item.
Originally posted by Raquis its your choise but I got bored with the beta that I played the Russian one in 3 days.its all about dark souls 2 for me now and ESO, 2 AAA games for the price of acreage,if it was everquest next I would have said ok.I would not have bought it not now anyway but that's a great game coming.
LOL you got bored in 3 days.. HAHAH..
So you got to level 15ish.. doubt you got into trades at all.. if you were on the RU servers, did you get premium account?
Trolls should go back to their caves
Just because I'm a gamer doesn't mean I drive a Honda.
If you do get in Alpha, do you think you will still play at release if let's say it is in 6 months or so they release the game, and how long will you play after that?
Think about this also because it is fun to play a game but remember that you will have to keep your sub ( patron ) up and running to be able to do lots of stuff in game to fully experience it once it is release. That said. It could be good for you to Alpha test to get all the ins and out of the game but again you wont get full server experience form the start, i am sure they will limit the levels or things to do in game while in alpha or beta even go all the way to increase xp, drop rates etc...
Again are you willing to mess with that big feeling of "its a new game out i could have fun in it" just to play it in advance or do you wish to wait and get a big blast of fun once it is release and most of the bugs are already fixed and the system is already in place? It is your 150$ you gona spend in a unfinish game " because change most be done to adapt to the west side of the world " that you don't even know how it will turn out like.
Look also at what they sell and the price there at and think about what is it they will include in that in-game store? and at what price? It does look fishy at this point so why spend that much just to try to be the cool guy. Also you wont be able to stream anything or post pics etc. remember the NDA...
If you do get in Alpha, do you think you will still play at release if let's say it is in 6 months or so they release the game, and how long will you play after that?
Think about this also because it is fun to play a game but remember that you will have to keep your sub ( patron ) up and running to be able to do lots of stuff in game to fully experience it once it is release. That said. It could be good for you to Alpha test to get all the ins and out of the game but again you wont get full server experience form the start, i am sure they will limit the levels or things to do in game while in alpha or beta even go all the way to increase xp, drop rates etc...
Again are you willing to mess with that big feeling of "its a new game out i could have fun in it" just to play it in advance or do you wish to wait and get a big blast of fun once it is release and most of the bugs are already fixed and the system is already in place? It is your 150$ you gona spend in a unfinish game " because change most be done to adapt to the west side of the world " that you don't even know how it will turn out like.
Look also at what they sell and the price there at and think about what is it they will include in that in-game store? and at what price? It does look fishy at this point so why spend that much just to try to be the cool guy. Also you wont be able to stream anything or post pics etc. remember the NDA...
Definietly the best MMO on the market in terms of features and mechanics it has definetly the potential to be the second most played MMO but only if they have a good F2P implemented or a reasonable priced subscription.
I'm currently playing in another family member account, for me is far from being worth the 149€ really far, I would only pay 30€ tops.
But is definetly the best MMO I have ever played better than GW/GW2/SWG/EQ/EQ2 thought I just have put around 10h.
ASROCK Z97 E-ITX Intel i7 4790k @ 4.5Ghz+KrakenX41 Gigabyte 1070 8GB Mini OC 16GB Crucial 1333mhz 1.3V SWG 8 Year Vet, WW2OL 8 Year Vet. Aka Darksparrow Rancorheart(tempest/farstar), Fxmkorp
Check out some twitch streams. If you see yourself playing this game for a number of months, then yea the $150 pack will be worth it. The alpha will run you $30 dollars. You'll have 3 months of patron status, and plenty of credits to buy a few more months of it as needed.
On the other hand if you have no idea how long you'll be playing but want the head start so you can get some decent land for your house/farm, then the silver pack should suffice.
Next, if you could care less where you're house/farm will be, just ignore the founders packs and just pick up a patron pass for $15/month when the game launches.
Lastly, if you are broke, you can still play and be productive, but you won't be able to own land. However, the patron passes can be traded so you can pay in-game gold and buy them from another player.
So pretty much, decide where you land and go from there.
If you're too hungry to play and lack the funds, just go mess around in the Russian version. There are plenty of guides around, just don't get too invested.
Oh, and enough whining at how others spend their money. It's their money, and they'll do what they want.
"For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast, And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed: And the eyes of the sleepers waxed deadly and chill, And their hearts but once heaved, and for ever grew still!" ~Lord George Gordon Byron
Not to mention you can get the scarecrow and start yhe trading quest within 40m (did a speedrun and took me 30m knowing where to go and gathering enough money.)
Well I bought it over the weekend and whilst it still needs polish (it is alpha after all) I can see this being pretty popular. I get my moneys worth ie alpha, beta, 3 months patrion, $75 shop credit so can buy extra patron. Plus the other bits.
As the game has a pretty in depth economy it gives me the time until it goes live to understand it and play it!
Oh and the four day headstart which will be invaluable
Well I bought it over the weekend and whilst it still needs polish (it is alpha after all) I can see this being pretty popular. I get my moneys worth ie alpha, beta, 3 months patrion, $75 shop credit so can buy extra patron. Plus the other bits.
As the game has a pretty in depth economy it gives me the time until it goes live to understand it and play it!
Oh and the four day headstart which will be invaluable
this game isnt a content alpha - its soley a translation...so no "polish" of mechanics
anyway, regarding the fact that beta starts in june/july...i dont think the extra 50 bucks are worth it (even if you get more of the other stuff)...the cheapest package should suffice for the head start - if at all...besdies, in europe - of course - we get once again fed in the b-hole as we pay A LOT more for the packages (and dont come with taxes - a lot of country such as mine do not carry the eu taxes)
for me, the premium package bascially costs 190 usd...no...just no...
Comments
Agreed, it is already a very smooth running game. I have hit a little lag in crowded housing areas and I have crashed to desktop once but I was tabbing in and out of the game a lot as I was working on something else. Beyond that it has been completely solid. The only thing that needs work is the voicing for the cutscenes and if they were to simply replaced the subtitles with English and otherwise kept all the Korean voicing it would probably be fine.
All die, so die well.
As for my reaction to the game playing it over the weekend I was over and over again surprised with what I was running into.
The crafting is complex and deep without forcing a pointless minigame on you. Some of it takes some serious time as well. It took almost a day for my geese to mature on my little farm plot.
Creating and transporting goods to market over a long distance is actually a lot of fun. You really need to plan your trip for longer voyages.
I had to climb a tree for 2 of the quests.
I raised my own mount from a foal.
When I dismount, my horse stays there, and follows me. Even levels as I fight mobs and ride her.
I jumped in a river to swim across and noticed that the water was pulling me downstream. And my horse swims also.
And I can swim underwater! I know that shouldn't be a big deal but... um... yeah ESO, I am looking at you.
I was able to get in a rowboat and row across the way.
They have mini submarines and diving equipment.
First time on a glider... worth the price of admission right there.
First time on the airship... ... ... I don't even know what to say. It took us across a bay so large that you couldn't see the other side and we landed in a city that was 4 zones away... and not once was there a zone border or loading screen. The trip took at least 10 minutes. It was just like the first time on the ship from Butcherblock in EQ beta so many years ago. Except with much better graphics and no random death at the zone border.
And as we went across that huge bay I saw an island that looked like it had an housing area. Checked the map and it is almost exactly in the center of the bay. I want an island now.
It has been a long time since I have played a game that has given me such a sense of discovery. I really had a great weekend.
All die, so die well.
Barely having scratched the surface, I'm curious to find out why the game isn't doing well in its native country and elsewhere (Japan?).
From your and everyone else's experience this is the kind of game we've been screaming for in the west. It has quality, it has sandbox elements. The animations are not shitty, etc., etc.
Or do we really want EVE but in fantasy land? I hope the hybridness (sp?) does it well.
The server feels like release there are some many people who bought into Alpha.
yes those people must have found their reason to live with a 150dollar alpha game.
I MEAN, WHY NOT PLAY RUSSIAN VERSION WITH ENGLISH PATCH FOR FREE?
BUT GO ON- PAY THEM A "FOUNDERs"PACK WHEN THE GAME HAS BEEN OUT FOR 3 YEARS NOW.
I HOPE THIS MAKE YOU REALIZE SOMETHING
Myself I was playing the Russian version and paying to play it as well so it was not free.
If you really want to know why I would rather pay 150 and play here read on .
It was laggy, bad translations, have to wait for the English update each patch, could not talk to 90 percent of the people on the server, hard to use the auction house, would use google translate to look items up even though there were in English the database was in Russian. I was happy playing it, I have two level 50s there and prem still running. I also ended up buying WTFast to make my ping and lag better playing on Russian servers which has a monthly fee too.
Now that I'm playing the NA version the servers are 150 miles from my house, ping much better, I can hear all the idiots in chat instead of wondering what they were saying. When someone gets mad at me for killing them I can understand their crying which makes the game more fun for me. Too bad I paid for WTFast there is no use for it now for me.
The thing I hope you realize not everyone is the same for some people it makes perfect sense to spend 150.
Your brilliant post has left me speechless ... so all I can say is ... ^^^^ THIS ^^^^
Exactly! When I first went on the airship, I was amazed at how long the trip was! Like you said, it's several minutes! The view is amazing!! I was talking to the other passengers who were saying how awesome the airship was too. The carriage ride, another public form of transportation is also very nice. It's very peaceful and doesn't take a second but minutes as well. You can sit back and enjoy the view.
I haven't experienced the boats yet, just my lil rowboat but these things are what makes AA a really enjoyable experience so far. The crops take awhile, you harvest, you feed your livestock, shear them or butcher depending on what your purposes are. If you want to sell goose down, you get some baby geese, buy bean seed, plant, harvest, feed the geese. You then, shear the geese and viola! You have your goose down. You can also plant trees and many other crops.
Amazing
Anyone know what level you get your first claim for land or around what level one would be for that? I hear your farm is around level 15, but curious about claiming the land
I definitely had similar "awe" moments my first few days playing, but I'm only level 8 and not all that far. The water/underwater is one of the best I've seen in any game really. Very well done!
It made me realize my posts never have enough color in them to seem really obnoxious and I should probably try harder.
^ This.
I can't remember the last time I had this much fun in an MMO in a long, long while. You get the same kind of awe when you are out in this world - that true sense of awe and adventure I remember with my very first MMO. The immersion is amazing. It's really hard to put into words. Think of all the good parts of SWG (Pre-CU) + the open world (minus chunking) in Vanguard, with really fun combat and the ability to basically multiclass. And don't get me started on the crafting. Just amazing.
You can climb trees. You plant trees, You harvest trees. You farm. You raise your mounts. So many vehicles - rowboats, ships, cars, carriages, blimps, gliders, tractors, build your house, there is crime and punishment! I reported some blood-stains I found on the shore of an island which gets sent to the justice system as evidence of a crime that occured in that area - (I guess a PVP fight broke out there?).
In this game you WANT to click on everything and anything. Many, many objects are interactive. Far more than any MMO in my experience to date. Hell, you can pick up a pebble in the middle of the road and throw it at somebody!
I'm extremely happy I took the $150 plunge, as AA has filled a void in my MMO game-space I have been longing to get rid of.
its your choise but I got bored with the beta that I played the Russian one in 3 days.
its all about dark souls 2 for me now and ESO, 2 AAA games for the price of acreage,if it was everquest next I would have said ok.
I would not have bought it not now anyway but that's a great game coming.
LOL you got bored in 3 days.. HAHAH..
So you got to level 15ish.. doubt you got into trades at all.. if you were on the RU servers, did you get premium account?
Trolls should go back to their caves
Lets see your Battle Stations /r/battlestations
Battle Station
If you do get in Alpha, do you think you will still play at release if let's say it is in 6 months or so they release the game, and how long will you play after that?
Think about this also because it is fun to play a game but remember that you will have to keep your sub ( patron ) up and running to be able to do lots of stuff in game to fully experience it once it is release. That said. It could be good for you to Alpha test to get all the ins and out of the game but again you wont get full server experience form the start, i am sure they will limit the levels or things to do in game while in alpha or beta even go all the way to increase xp, drop rates etc...
Again are you willing to mess with that big feeling of "its a new game out i could have fun in it" just to play it in advance or do you wish to wait and get a big blast of fun once it is release and most of the bugs are already fixed and the system is already in place? It is your 150$ you gona spend in a unfinish game " because change most be done to adapt to the west side of the world " that you don't even know how it will turn out like.
Look also at what they sell and the price there at and think about what is it they will include in that in-game store? and at what price? It does look fishy at this point so why spend that much just to try to be the cool guy. Also you wont be able to stream anything or post pics etc. remember the NDA...
As per this message, NDA was lifted:
http://www.archeagegame.com/en/news/2014/04/archeage-enters-alpha-new-trailer/
If I'm wrong please advise.
Definietly the best MMO on the market in terms of features and mechanics it has definetly the potential to be the second most played MMO but only if they have a good F2P implemented or a reasonable priced subscription.
I'm currently playing in another family member account, for me is far from being worth the 149€ really far, I would only pay 30€ tops.
But is definetly the best MMO I have ever played better than GW/GW2/SWG/EQ/EQ2 thought I just have put around 10h.
ASROCK Z97 E-ITX
Intel i7 4790k @ 4.5Ghz+KrakenX41
Gigabyte 1070 8GB Mini OC
16GB Crucial 1333mhz 1.3V
SWG 8 Year Vet, WW2OL 8 Year Vet.
Aka Darksparrow Rancorheart(tempest/farstar), Fxmkorp
Check out some twitch streams. If you see yourself playing this game for a number of months, then yea the $150 pack will be worth it. The alpha will run you $30 dollars. You'll have 3 months of patron status, and plenty of credits to buy a few more months of it as needed.
On the other hand if you have no idea how long you'll be playing but want the head start so you can get some decent land for your house/farm, then the silver pack should suffice.
Next, if you could care less where you're house/farm will be, just ignore the founders packs and just pick up a patron pass for $15/month when the game launches.
Lastly, if you are broke, you can still play and be productive, but you won't be able to own land. However, the patron passes can be traded so you can pay in-game gold and buy them from another player.
So pretty much, decide where you land and go from there.
If you're too hungry to play and lack the funds, just go mess around in the Russian version. There are plenty of guides around, just don't get too invested.
Oh, and enough whining at how others spend their money. It's their money, and they'll do what they want.
"For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast,
And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed:
And the eyes of the sleepers waxed deadly and chill,
And their hearts but once heaved, and for ever grew still!"
~Lord George Gordon Byron
Lvl 15 is something you can get to in 4-5 hours. In 3 days you can get to lvl 30-40 range.
In RU beta everyone had a Premium account.
So why don't you go troll somewhere else.
Well I bought it over the weekend and whilst it still needs polish (it is alpha after all) I can see this being pretty popular. I get my moneys worth ie alpha, beta, 3 months patrion, $75 shop credit so can buy extra patron. Plus the other bits.
As the game has a pretty in depth economy it gives me the time until it goes live to understand it and play it!
Oh and the four day headstart which will be invaluable
this game isnt a content alpha - its soley a translation...so no "polish" of mechanics
anyway, regarding the fact that beta starts in june/july...i dont think the extra 50 bucks are worth it (even if you get more of the other stuff)...the cheapest package should suffice for the head start - if at all...besdies, in europe - of course - we get once again fed in the b-hole as we pay A LOT more for the packages (and dont come with taxes - a lot of country such as mine do not carry the eu taxes)
for me, the premium package bascially costs 190 usd...no...just no...
This takes about 20 min, but you can get on the RU server and see if you like the game before you drop the cash. Heres a guide. http://www.reddit.com/r/archeage/comments/2435ca/before_you_set_yourself_back_150_try_ru_with_guide/