PVP Options?

[Wyntremoon]

My husband and I have played many various MMOGs together and are considering trying AC. I've been a bit confused trying to find some info about the game though. My main question is are there any servers that are completely non-PVP (like in WOW you can choose a PVE, PVP server, etc.)? We are only considering the game if there is a non-PVP option. Also how is the solo vs group content of the game? Is a lot of the game soloable or mostly dependent on grouping? Thanks for any help that anyone can provide! :)

[Twine]

In the game, there are 9(?) or so servers, and only one is full PvP. The rest, you can visit a shrine that will turn you PvP, but when you go to one, it only let's you PvP against other people who've also done this. These people are sometimes referred to as "red" players because they show up on the compass as a red dot, instead of the normal white for players. You also have the option to go "PK lite." You do this as a chat command from anywhere, and can temporarily go PvP against other PK lites. You don't loose anything on death as normal, but still take Vitae penalty.

-- Note -- More experienced players: Please correct me on anything, or add to this, as this is how I understand it to be from the forums and my Long past gaming experience.

[Lancelore]

Hello Wyntremoon,

AC is basicly non PvP. As Twine wrote there are options to turn on PvP or Pklite, but not many people do that. The players who do, can't attack you, so you don't have to deal with it.

Only 1 server (Darktide) is always PvP no matter what.

One of the strong points of AC is the choice you have between playing solo and grouping. You can do almost anything (90%) of the game solo, but several quests only by a group (very heavy or splitting up to finish). Most standard is to hunt in small groups when like to have company or for safety reasons.

So if you want to socialize with others it can be done easely, but if you want to wander alone, you fine too.

Hope to cya in game.

[Akede]

Like yourself Wyntremoon, I've wandered the MMO scene for some time too. AC was my first MMO from back in late 1999. At the time, I didn't appreciate it for the same reasons I do now.

One of the things that most other MMOs have is an end game based on raiding, where you gather a large number of people to stand around coordinating until you attack the big-bad-behemoth-from-hades or whatever. I find that part of game very boring.

AC has thousands of quests rolled out through monthly events for the past 5+ years. Very few can even attempt to do them all, there are so many.

AC is VERY solo friendly. I can pop in for 30mins, hunt some mobs and then log out. Getting to where your friends are hunting can be fairly quick too.

Dungeons are very different in AC. They actually have puzzles which might require several teams to beat. eg. One team reaches Door A while team B throws switch C to allow team A to proceed to the next switch so team B can proceed. Some of these puzzles can be timed as well.

The storylines since launch are massive. I can't get my arms around them after playing for several years on and off. You can't steamroll your way to the end game like in WoW in several weeks.

If you love to explore, no game holds a light to AC in terms of the massive terrain variety and pure volume.

The one factor that has kept AC a laggard in the MMO market is the graphics. Even with the new updated engine, you can't compare the graphics to WoW or EQ2. What I've come to learn is the wisdom of life. Don't judge a book by it's cover, because some really good looking covers contain ugly, shallow innards.

[Lancelore]

Akede,

I must admit that the graphics are not from a standard like WoW, but they are acceptable and I never found them disturbing. As you well discribed, the features of the game, the content and game play are more important then the graphics i.m.o.. They are realistic enough to put the sweat in you hands by a major battle.

[Endrin]

Like yourself Wyntremoon, I've wandered the MMO scene for some time too. AC was my first MMO from back in late 1999. At the time, I didn't appreciate it for the same reasons I do now.

One of the things that most other MMOs have is an end game based on raiding, where you gather a large number of people to stand around coordinating until you attack the big-bad-behemoth-from-hades or whatever. I find that part of game very boring.

AC has thousands of quests rolled out through monthly events for the past 5+ years. Very few can even attempt to do them all, there are so many.

AC is VERY solo friendly. I can pop in for 30mins, hunt some mobs and then log out. Getting to where your friends are hunting can be fairly quick too.

Dungeons are very different in AC. They actually have puzzles which might require several teams to beat. eg. One team reaches Door A while team B throws switch C to allow team A to proceed to the next switch so team B can proceed. Some of these puzzles can be timed as well.

The storylines since launch are massive. I can't get my arms around them after playing for several years on and off. You can't steamroll your way to the end game like in WoW in several weeks.

If you love to explore, no game holds a light to AC in terms of the massive terrain variety and pure volume.

The one factor that has kept AC a laggard in the MMO market is the graphics. Even with the new updated engine, you can't compare the graphics to WoW or EQ2. What I've come to learn is the wisdom of life. Don't judge a book by it's cover, because some really good looking covers contain ugly, shallow innards.

:D That is very well phrased. I have tried to explain the same idea a houndred times and always find myself shouting about stupid 13 year olds playing crap games like worldofgaycraft. :confused:

[Evins Wardlaw]

Great Post Akede, the only things that I would add would be about the game speed and the factor of human player skill. I played DAOC, WoW, SWG, and AC2 and none of those games compared to the speed of that AC.... the others seemed so SLOW and METHODICAL that I could not continue with them. DAOC is catching on and has portaling now... but WoW takes forever to get around.

In addition, I play on Darktide and player skill component is awesome. The ability of mages to dodge wars and arrows is amazing. I played those games that I mentioned earlier and they seem so robotic since you can' t dodge a magic attack in WOW or DAOC. The only hope is for a melee to get close enough to disrupt the spell casting.

Lastly, I love the depth of options in the PvP... you have 7 different war spell damage types... multiple types of war spells... life rings.... life/stam siphons... inepting spells.... in DAOC you have fire, ice or earth, and in WoW you're either Fire or Ice. All the other games seem so basic after playing Asheron's Call.

I'm surprised Asheron's Call hasn't been recognized more for that. I was reading in Beckett's new magazine, MMO Gaming Monthly, and they had a review of Turbine's DDO and the author was "ohhhhhhing and ahhhhhhing" over the fact that player skill actually can improve your player in combat instead of just hitting a key and letting it autooattack. I couldnt help but think that we've had this in AC since day one.... oh well. Im glad to hear AC got some respect from gamespy and I hope AC stays around for years to come.


Later,
EVins