flatscan said:
Then I read about Funcom's interpretation of the world and was thankful it didn't come out for the 360. Seems like they got the combat right, but added a lot of elements that don't much belong in Conan's world. Lightning bolt throwing sorcerers indeed. :x
You've got it right. It depends on your tolerance. AoC gets
A LOT of Conan-things "right". The game really does. Some parts of the game feels like living inside some of the novels.
OTOH, they really got the Stygians wrong. Khemi, for example, the only town in Stygia that allows foreigners (and then, there's a curfew at night) is just like all the other towns in AoC. You go there. You wander around. You talk with people. You do quests.
It's no different than going to Tarantia or to some of the villiages in Cimmeria. And, we both know that
it should be.
Plus, yes, there's much too much magic in the world of AoC. But, I guess, they had to make some marketing decisions. Many, many of the poeple playing AoC haven't read a word of any Conan works, pastiche or Howard. They just want to play a MMO and a lot of them want to play spell casters.
They're not as, I would say, "serious", about the Hyborian Age as we are.
So, yeah, one has to put up with that if one is going to play AoC.
Do the pros outweigh the cons with AoC? I think so. I think it's a good game and enough like my version of the Hyborian Age that I have fun when I play.
But, yeah, the Stygian spell casters have gotten on my nerves from Day One. Luckily, they're not as prevalent once you get out of the "beginner area" after reaching level 20 and get out into the wide world.
Each player has to weight the pros and cons by themselves.
I will say that there is a server (Bane Server) where the three factions do not get along. The Cimmerians fight the Aquilonians fight the Stygians.
I've thought about trying that server, but, there again, I don't like that the Cimmerians and Aquilonians are forced to fight. The game is set when Conan is King of Aquilonia, just after
Hour of the Dragon. And, there are even Aquilonian troops in Cimmeria helping to stemp the Vanir invasions back! So, why would Cimmerians and Aquilonians fight?
Anyway, AoC is good. Damn good. But, not perfect.