Really long discussion and alot of subjects brought up. I may add my own which is a review of the game itself since i am 4 months in here only.
My perspective for possible changes etc:
PvE:
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World Content = Beta Phase of Development
Every place from low level to end game, should have ‘‘even lvl scalable’’ Solo (Normal/ Unchained mode) instances, Group (Normal/ UC) Raid (Normal/ Hard modes) For example Forgotten City. Such a big place and only one instance…
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Leveling
I am satisfied with it and all content offers the oportunity to max AA perks.
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Crafting and economy.
Could be better. For example, low level rare craftables, are not going to be sold at the trader at all since the one who has the gold for it, is over lvl 80. During this phase of the game, some may go for Alchemy but other skills are rendered useless. Same goes for Epic craftables. We could use more content.
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Drop rates.
Lower than 20% drop rates of rares is just too much. Take for example the rarity of Darksteel from Atzel’s Fortress. They should be rare but there are people who farm for that specific recipe almost 2 years and never got it. Grinding + MMO is Canon but the percentage is too extreme in AoC.
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Rewards.
Leveling characters benefit alot from quest rewards but lvl 80 players will just ignore them most of the time and start zombie grinding RF and OS because they offer better rewards. Or do 10-20 runs per day Mona Palace etc. for trophies. But that isn’t very ‘‘RPG’’
Everything else is ok.
PvP:
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Learning
You either have to be lucky in a guild with new PvPers ‘‘Impossible’’ to actually learn it (after you really learned your class first, that means Raid instances etc. and understand your combos and builds in order to use your class correctly) and compete with them, or you have to be really stubborn and mindlesly either go to die every few seconds while the older players think you troll minigames and vote kick you OR you have to go die in every arena fight.
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Gear up and leveling.
Your access to your lvl pvp sets is blocked after you reach 80, and before 80 you can’t use them plus their stats are not worth it and you have to follow the forementioned in order to get PvP T1 equipment.
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Becoming competitive, since AoC doesn’t utilize Sparring/ Parrying, it needs a serious enhancement of the Active Blocking and Dodging system in order for those capabilities to be usefull.
Reason is because only these defensive and elusive capabilities can give a chance against an OP opponent.
Therefore and especially if you are a ‘‘Caster’’ you have to rely on a ridiculous mechanic of ‘‘Kiting’’ sprint jumping like Super Mario to actually have a chance to stay alive. As a result it has become the main PvP skill in AoC.
Non comparable to Dark Souls caster combat, which is how it should look like, at least the blocking and dodging mechanics should work, but they don’t.
And of course since that’s the only way you can survive, you try to use this but you can’t because every hit you take ‘‘Ensnares you’’ and the other’s have snare resistance full while you don’t… So your attacks do not ensnare, neither do they enough damage, neither do you resist enough damage so the only thing you can do, is being ‘‘forced’’ into an experience in which you aren’t even competitive.
I am stubborn so i got to a good point, i geared, i leveled AAs and it’s a bit better so in time i’ll do well, but i hate to have to ‘‘kite’’ instead of dodge and block and i am just one stubborn fool!
How many new players will even bother with it?
I guess we all know the answer…
Anyway. Currently, i just do Unchained mode, because it helps my PvE learning curve, done enough Raids and lvl 80 dungeons from the old world, the expansions await as well, i won’t grind mindlessly for recipes, trophies, shards etc. already got bored by RF and OS, PvP event as well since it’s an Alt Farming fest, i’ll soon have my Ibis sword and continue.
But i have to say with utter confidence:
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AoC has unfinished mechanics and content, game is still in Beta Phase, not even the 2nd OS gems have been added.
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After T6 ‘‘When i get there since i only log on casually from now on’’ i guess the enthusiasm ended and i got bored, i will deffinitelly not farm Chaos forever for gems, i will surely not grind grind grind and i will get even more bored if there is no other content.
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PvE wise, Dark Souls won me, PvP wise, For Honor won me. It’s a shame because i love AoC and i want it to be great.