[Vorph]

Originally Posted by Lyrical

I downloaded the first expansion, since it is free (because of the in-game advertising). It's not a bad offer. $9.95 for all the expansions is pretty decent.

I play it occasionally (Fixer around L100 or so). I resist adding in the expansions because once you add them to your account you can't play the free version of AO anymore.

I haven't played it much since downloading it. Call me shallow, but the graphics engine (circa 2001) looks like it needs updating.

It's getting a bit dated for sure, but they had some of the best models when it was released, so it's not as bad as it could be.

I am curious, does anyone play AO and like it? I have heard several people say this is the best MMO out there. I played at launch and it was a disaster. I haven't really given them a chance since that time. It was probably the worst launch ever of any MMO. In my opinion, once a turd, always a turd.

I like the game itself a lot. It has some flaws though. Guns are just melee weapons with a really large reach, and combat looks silly when you're fighting toe to toe with a SMG or rifle. The game also lacks in variety when you play it for a while. You end up doing lots and lots of door missions, or farming camps outdoors when you need a specific nanodisc.

The community and economy both suck massively. Some nanos (spells) are available only as extremely rare drops from mobs that generally are group-only, and cost an ungodly amount of credits if you try to buy them from another player. When you play with a pickup group, it's highly unlikely that people will default to you a rare nano for your class.

Another thing that seems daunting is the sheer complexity of the game. The game systems seem overly complex.

It's only really complex once you start getting into high end implants, and over-equipping weapons/nanos. You basically get a bunch of buff items (expensive, but you can get a lot of them yourself if you plan properly while still low level), find a bunch of people willing to all cast buffs on you at the same time, and then equip the stuff before the buffs wear off. Oh, and you need someone with the skills to put the implants together for you too. Designing the implants isn't as hard as it seems, there's a few windows apps people have made to make that part easier.

The real problem is getting a bunch of people from 5 or 6 different classes to all help you out at once. Some stuff can be done in advance, but the really big buffs are also really short duration so you have to have multiple people willing to help.

Last time I loaded up AO, I was getting used to the UI again after WoW and EQ2, and I accidentally unequipped my SMG. I couldn't re-equip it without buffs, of course, and I also had a hacked MPS (shitty gun) in my inventory along with all the parts to convert it into a MCS (good gun). I figure, np, I'll just get the new gun made, grab a high level Mocham's/Wrangle, and be good to go. Heh, right... couple hours later and I'm still looking for someone who'll take the 30 seconds to put the gun together, nevermind the Doc and MP to buff me afterwards.

Stuff like that is why I don't play AO.