Age of Conan, beta testing and... my gripes

[YURDAMASTA]

Age of Conan beta testing!!! my gripes about the game.

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Now ill say this, AoC looks great has some of the best graphics in any game, both online and offline, the backgrounds and level design, ect..all top notch, even though some of the character designs are off, with some ugly textures, it has great engine as well, unlike Two Worlds? it also has video's to prove it, with real time gameplay, you can clearly see a decent framerate, but that being said it also has some serious flaws, (ie) reason for delay,

I been one Age of Conan's Forums both complaining and making suggestions about the combat, currently which has no real blocking, if they don't add it to the Xbox version, which the PC version being beta tested right now as we speak still does'nt have any realtime dynamic blocking, my biggest gripe, they seem to have got the combos system ironed out, however if they don't make some serious correction for the Xbox 360 verision I may pass and wait for Marvel Online as my MMORPG which is also scedueled for next year.

[YURDAMASTA]

This is one post I made on the official Age of Conan Forum~

OK!

I reworked my whole ideal Combat after considering the isues you guys had,
and add a few of my own ...

MAKE IT SIMPLE YET DEEP!
1ST
REAL TIME COMBOs should be done with all four buttons.... three for attack, one for ranged, use the XBOX controller as a basis for the PC, since it also works on PC has less bottons and will MAKE IT SIMPLE YET DEEP.


X button~ Light Attack
A button~ Heavy Attack
B button~ Kick Attack
Y button~ Ranged
R button~ Block
LB Button~shift
RB Button~toggle
D-PAD~Magic

Combo's [custom combo's] player learned~{[x],[a],[b] is a combo...[a],[x],[b] is a combo...[a],[a],[a].ect...all combo's based on three buttons presses with a different animation at the end.

see simple...

Melee
yet how can it be made deep, example Fable 2, has one button combat, only thing here is you use three buttons...like Soul Calibur, DOA or Virtual Fighter...only thing is theres a canned animation at the end.

you can (tap X) for regular attacks,(tap A) heavy attacks,(tap B) for kick attacks, use variation for combos. [also allow for button customization in menu]no need for tutorial, player will automatically catch on by pressing buttons.(simular to marvel alliance)

see simple! yet DEEP!

Magic
you can use the D pad, press (up),(down),(left),(right) to activate different spells, and hold down (LB) button the switch between spells.

see simple yet DEEP!

Ranged
you can tap (Y) button to shoot arrows, tap (RB) to toggle between arrows.

[BLOCKING]

{PASIVE BLOCKING}
To sum it up Passive acts like a defense BOOST! of your characters armor rating based on your Shield and Characters stats, simply equiping a shield will activate random auto blocks that increase you overall defense rating, they can also break based on quality

{ACTIVE BLOCKING}
you can press (B) to block or parry,depending on if you have a shield or not, if you have a weapon your character will parry, blade to blade.

Well due to latency(lag) there has to be a certain amount of time this activated BLOCK must last, say you press block it must last at least 5 to 10 seconds.

This should deal with lag, however it should be act like a like Buff, only not increase the characters defense which [passive] does.

An [active] Block...[a Block limiting HP loss] lasting 5 to 10 seconds.


{Passive affects armor rating}{Active affects Health percentage}

[one protects you randomly, the other is activated by the player]

this should seperate [Active from Pasive] Blocking...

[Active Blocking]
Press the block button and your protected for 5 to 10 seconds,
20% is the maxium amount of damage that can be taken during this time, even if the its multiple MOBs or or level 80 BOSS. if your level 20 and you block in time, for a good 5 to 10 seconds he or they can't kill you, even with multiple hits because the ACTIVE BLOCK only allows for 1 to a max of 20% health loss for 5 to 10 seconds.

(example) if you fighting a powerful Boss way above your level, every hit will due 20% HP damage, five hits, five successful blocks and your dead meat because the maximum damage is 20% of your original HP while active blocking, however if you fighting a lower level Boss he may only hit for 5% HP damage when your block is active, if you fail to block and don't hit the {Block Button} Boss may hit for 50% HP damage, because blocking limits a percentage of your total HP loss, it also depends how powerful he is, as well as your armor and shield's passive block rating...

These numbers are a mere guideline, since this is a game and balancing is required and testing must be done, lets say a sniper shot you with a Cross bow and you were actively blocking, it would automaticaly do the maxium damage 20 percent because its a powerful weapon, when you see the sudden health drop, you would know someone shot you with a Cross Bow and you better get to him quick or find cover, because you got 10 seconds before he can do anymore damage, because banging on the block button, or button mashing wont matter,since there would be a cool down time for the BLOCK maybe 20 to 30 seconds, so you know to use your Active block wisely.

Conclusion with a {Active Block} lasting 5 to 10 seconds based on a health percentage taken, button mashing wont matter, nethier will latency(lag) or Progression.

(example) your character has 200 HP, a Boss hits you, the maxium you lose is 40 Hit Points,if he hits you 3 times within that 5 to 10 seconds, you Block, you still only lose a maxium of 40 HP, if he misses 2 times and hits you only 1 time you may get off losing only 10HP, so if you Actively press the BLOCK BUTTON! it wont matter how many times you press it, blocking will only last for 5 to 10 seconds, rendering button mashing useless.
because after that theres a cool down time, before you can block again say 20 to 30 seconds...so button masshing wont help.

We'll call it [COOL DOWN BLOCKING]

can't get more simple than that...

same setup can be done on PC {Keyboard/Mouse} of course with (Arrow keys) subsituted for D Pad for magic, other Keys for Combat and a block key ect...


More on Pasive Blocking~[KNOCKDOWN]

I propose also if your close to death, you don't get killed right away, but when your energy gets low say 30% you get knocked out [Knockdown], and get up like a true soldier with a little enegry, this knockdown gives you a automatic buff and you are invincible for 10 seconds, so you know your close to dying, this should give you some time fight back or run... and this should also off set latency.

Higher levels
Ok! lets say just for the sake of it level 70+ that [Knockdown]~ gives the

At [KNOCKDOWN]{Passive bloking} the {Damage Delaler}or{two handed soldier} a animation skill as well a beserker rage attack at level 70-80 that he automaticly gets when he gets up, lets say for 10 to 20 seconds does double damage.

At [KNOCKDOWN]{Passive Blocking} the {Tanks} move will be at level 70-80 Phalanx, and will increase his armor and double the rating, so when he gets up he will be fully armored,like a real tank, let say for 10 to 20 seconds, after the 10 seconds of [knockdown] or invincibility.

At [KNOCKDOWN]{Passive Blocking} the {Magic User} at level 65-80, at knockdown they may get up and do a automatic spell you set beforehand, like an area heal or a high level mob attack spell and also be invincible for 10 seconds.

Beginners will simple get up with a little energy and with 10 seconds of invincibility but with no special moves till they level up higher.

Conclusion this system allows for Realtime Combat with combos and Active and Pasive Blocking, as well as ease of magic use.

Ps(there also needs to be a limit or (barrier) for how close NPCs can get to one another, so they dont pass through one another while fighting)

Developers may never use it or even look at it, but if they do? this means you DEVELOPERS!!! its is my hope that maybe you will consider it for the Xbox 360 version.
http://forums.ageofconan.com/showthread.php?t=37924

[YURDAMASTA]

latest Beta test videos
link~
http://stage6.divx.com/user/nunduniel/video/1559948/barbarian---aoc-gamona-de

[Variation-XBA]

All I care is if it's gunna be free or not to play, and they haven't answered that yet.

[YURDAMASTA]

All I care is if it's gunna be free or not to play, and they haven't answered that yet.

well I can answer that question for you right now!
NO! ITS GONNA COST$$$
ALL!!! MMORPG's will cost a fee. sorry but its a old question thats always aked by NOOB's to the genre...
:bang:
This is a MMORPG so from your question you must not know what that means, that means its not like a regular single player game, or some regular online multi-player game thats done, and maybe get a few maps added latter no.

MMORPG means Massively Multi-player Online Role Playing Game.

what that means is unlike Halo or GRAW or some online games where you got some levels with 8 to 64 players , in this you got hundreds even thousands of players in a whole world thats persistent or ongoing with a growing economy changed by the developers and players.

see its not a game that comes out and its done, they add to the game every month, so you pay for the game every month, its not like a FPS where they say maybe? we may add some maps latter? humm? and thats it.

:confused:
NO! they have! to add stuff every month, sometimes every week, things they add~

;)
New Levels
New Quest
New Areas
New Weapons
New Items
Cheat protection
Game Balance
Updates
Holiday features
Easter Eggs
New Characters
patches
bug fixes
New Missions
New buildings ect....ect...catch my drift ? at least EVERY MONTH

You have to have a harddrive because some of the downloads are at least 1GB a piece.
:cool:
its like your getting a new game every couple of months...

so that no one else ask? YES THERES A MONTHLY FEE!!! you can't get arround that.

MMORPGs cost between $8 to $15 bucks a month

[YURDAMASTA]

:hump:
only offset to this is, you don't have to pay for Xbox Live gold, you can play on the free silver account, all other games you must pay for the Live Gold $50 a year account to play online, Not so with the MMORPG's you can play on silver no live fee, just the developer fee.

[Variation-XBA]

Yea, I've played EQ for years and almost every other MMO, I must not know what it means at all and that there are fee's included. I've never had a problem paying the fee as I am well aware what goes into mmo development post launch. So don't talk down to me, thanks :)

The fact that they are skirting the question everytime is why it has me wondering. I am fully expecting it to have a fee, but until the words come from the dev's or publisher themselves, sorry, your answer ain't right either.

I'm not OVERLY impressed with the title, but my lack of any mmo for quite some time now (Vanguard sucked balls) and nothing really on the horizon I care about (screw warhammer for its pvp, and tabula beta is meh-ish) I'm thinking of this one next.

[ChessPieceFace]

Yea, I've played EQ for years and almost every other MMO, I must not know what it means at all and that there are fee's included. I've never had a problem paying the fee as I am well aware what goes into mmo development post launch. So don't talk down to me, thanks :)

The fact that they are skirting the question everytime is why it has me wondering. I am fully expecting it to have a fee, but until the words come from the dev's or publisher themselves, sorry, your answer ain't right either.

I'm not OVERLY impressed with the title, but my lack of any mmo for quite some time now (Vanguard sucked balls) and nothing really on the horizon I care about (screw warhammer for its pvp, and tabula beta is meh-ish) I'm thinking of this one next.

You played Vanguard ? Ouch. :p I'm Looking forward to Warhammer, but its pvp like you said.

[Variation-XBA]

You played Vanguard ? Ouch. :p

Yup, once SOE took over it got WORSE (somehow). Our guild even broke the game and many got banned for finding a gamebreaking exploit even when we tried to inform them of how/why etc.

I will never buy another Brad McQuaid game again