Old account from 2003, no active characters? [edit title: account is way older]

Anyone know if characters that are found here: people[dot]anarchy-online

Can still be brought back from the dead? I haven’t paid for AO since 2010, but recently logged in. I can find my character in the above site, but I can’t see any characters when I hit the new “Character List”. Wondering if my old 220 is gone.

Thanks

Are you sure you’re on the right account, as well as on the right server? Your characters shouldn’t be deleted.

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Thanks for replying, @Saavick .

I’m in the right account, since I can see all of the billing history dating back since 2003 on it. As far as the right server, I haven’t paid and tried to log in yet. All I did was log into the accounts page and click on that “Character List” option that they released recently.

Would I need to pay and log in just to find out, you think?

Not sure what accounts page you are on, but I use this link https://register.funcom.com/account. Dont let the name fool you, its completely different than that garbage one the FC main site sends you to.

There is no character list on this one. Perhaps you may need to login since you never played after the server merge so your characters may not have registered in any way. There is also the possibility they may have been deleted because of how long it has been and all the server and back end changes.

I’m just going to pay the 1 month and see what’s what. Thanks for the tip

Thanks again, @Saavick and @Machschau. I paid for a month and logged in. My characters were all there, including my…holy crap…20 year old character.

Time to explore a little. I thought I had a lot of money, lol. From the little I’ve gathered, inflation has made things…expensive.

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Nice, welcome back :blush:

@Machschau the character listing is a new thing from two weeks ago, and is only available on the new account page; https://account.anarchy-online.com/

Besides a few character wipes affecting only very low level characters (i.e. under 10), characters were never deleted. It may be that your guess about inactive characters not showing up is right though, it would make sense.

Since I have your attention and you seem to be sagely, random question: How is this game even active still? Is it essentially just being kept running for the sake of it, without any plans to upgrade anything?

I guess I’m curious as to why they haven’t just shut the servers down entirely if they have no future plans for it.

Game is still profitable in some way. Lots of people with multiple accounts so they can multi-box and monopolize content (AKA sell nodrop gear for credits).

No one at FC works on AO. That means no bug patches, content patches, QoL or anything.

Here are a few of my posts ranting about the state of the game and how new or returning players shouldn’t pay money for this game. This may bring you up to speed. Note: don’t trust the AO fan boys.

The AO you remember doesn’t exist

Multibox Reality

Is it really worth it to consistently pay to play AO?

Why you askin so many questions?

Where does your AO subscription money go?

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Well those were depressing reads. Particularly trying to point out the AO is not the same that we remember.

I paid for the month. So I’ll give it a small shot. But I don’t know.

Here’s something tho: I logged in today when I finally had more than 5 minutes. I ran through my gear, my bank, checked out some other high level players’ equipment, etc. I then stood around where there seemed to be people. I was checking something out when a player said “Hi”.

I said “Hi” back. And another player chimed in and say “hi”. One of the players was asking about where to level up at low levels. I laughed and told him I haven’t logged in the game in 10 years, I had no clue. He laughed and said “me too”.

The other person also mentioned they were an old timer. Then that person gave the original guy a few pointers and told them to hold on while they log in their other player that had spare equipment. He came back and gave the guy some equipment to help start him out.

THIS is the AO I remember. The random people who you make friends with. It was so, so, so nostalgic to randomly find some people to chat with and see the extreme kind and helpfulness that I remember.

So it’s incredibly sad to read that the experience I had may be fleeting from the game at a fast pace.

I’ve never found another game like this, that gave me that feeling that I had all those years ago.

Giving it a shot to see if you like it is indeed the best way to find out :blush:

Machschau has made it his mission to post negativity on the forums for years, to the extent where you might wonder why he’s still around if everything is so bad. So some nuance may be helpful.

The game is mostly played by veteran players who have either played a very long time or who return after a long break, like yourself. Genuine newbies are rare. The number of players is not bad though, especially at the higher levels. This is subjective of course, but as an indication, you can almost always find teams in the subway, temple of the three winds and foremans, and there are raid bots who raid all the big things multiple times each week, as well as organisations who do things together. The best place to get in contact with other players outside game, better than these forums, would be the Anarchy Online official discord.

As far as development goes, Funcom is indeed not actively developing the game, but that’s not the same as “no bug patches, content patches, QoL or anything”. We do in fact get all of those, although not very frequently. Over the past three years, we’ve had a new progression server with some custom content, a new high level temple of the three winds raid instance, a new high level subway raid instance, some new event content at various halloween, anniversariry and christmas celebrations, some QoL changes such as increased nano durations and some bug fixes. Everyone would like more, but nothing would be an exaggeration.

If competitive pvp is your thing, then the multiboxing concerns Machschau has may impact you negatively. Otherwise, your negative experience with multiboxers is likely limited to a minor sense of annoyance at seeing a team of people run around as one.

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Thank you for your take on the state of things, @Saavick. I appreciate it.

As an aside, I was always a PvM plater; hated PvP. So the multiboxing isn’t an issue I care too much about. Hell I used to do the same thing back in the day, but only to tool around.

In the short bursts of times I’ve logged in, while mostly frustratingly trying to remember anything, it’s been pleasant logging in.

Oh please, negative my ass. It’s constructive criticism. In multiple posts I dont detour anyone from trying the game because they may still like it. But to feed them a false narrative or perspective on what they remember versus what the game is now would be disingenuous.

I have said it before, this game is good. But the game/development has stagnated, the population has dwindled thus turning this into a weekend game to play when people are around. You would have to be rich, dumb or too stubborn to want to pay a monthly fee for a game that you play a couple of hours on the weekend. AO came out in 2001, everyone that played back then is a middle-aged adult (or older) now with jobs, family and a life during the week. They might play during the week, I have never denied you cant do stuff during the week, but to do the juicy stuff you either have to be online at the right time, stay up super late, or wait until the weekend. The game is fundamentally designed on group content. There are ways to circumvent some things but at its core you need people.

No content patches? No bug fixes? No QoL? Are you serious? You really think some weak re-hash instance is content? If you want to be truly and really really really really really technical then sure it is content, it is a new addition to the game. But to really think it is something substantial, then you have a warped sense of what content is. You would probably consume an ant and consider it a meal. This half baked “content” is what companies do to dieing games. I have said it before, the last content we ever got was LoX which was 2009. Everything else has been flavor of the month instances and flavor of the month translates to years in AO time. The amount of bug problems this game still has and have cropped up over the years still haven’t been addressed. The problems with the new engine still haven’t been addressed. There have been 7 “hot fixes” since March of 2020 leading up to June 2021. As to what specifically that entails is anyone’s guess. But judging by the dates, then it is holiday related. Speaking of holiday “content” patches, that trash is on an automatic system and if they choose to add new things they will do so. But the actual thinking and patching involved into executing a seasonal content patch no longer exists. There has been no development on balancing or improvements on any existing system in years. But please, show me how I am wrong.

As to why I linger around is none of your business or anyone else’s. I provide an impartial point of view on the state of the game when people ask. I dont mislead them and tell them that they will experience X Y Z without any problems and to expect a standard MMO experience. AO is far from standard and anyone’s experience is completely subjective. Your comments are always “AO is good, no problems whatsoever” and I am here to negate that. Things are not as good as you claim. This game is fun and it can be fun, but it is far from what it was. Most people that ask how AO is today remember what it was, and it is no where near what it was. That guild you were in? Dead. The friends you made? No longer play. Look through all the forums post about people saying they are a returning player or ask the state of the game and message them. I am sure a majority haven’t stuck around, or none at all. As to why, draw your own conclusion. But this game is not one that can be played consecutively by an outsider or returning player.

I dont tell anyone to not try AO. But I do advise them to not waste their money if they are trying to experience certain things they remember or expect from this game. As to the decision they make is up to them but they shouldn’t walk in with rose colored glasses.

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Thanks @Machschau and @Saavick.

But let’s not derail this thread into personal attacks. I appreciate both point of views. After spending some time in the game, it’s likely I’ll buy a year’s sub. Even with most of the nostalgia gone, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the little time I’ve spent in the game so far.

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That is cool I hope you have fun. Maybe come and re-visit this thread in a year (if you remember) and tell us of your experiences. The good and the bad no matter how minute you think it was. If you dont play the entire year and find yourself no longer playing before then, then re-visit the thread at that time.

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Fifty pence/cents a day…

There is a world of enjoyment a wealth of experience and knowledge for every question you could ask.
Since AO was put into maintainece mode it has received two new dungeons and items; and 3 QoL patches eg all the old 30mins and shorter buffs NCU/RRFE/BeHe etc etc where extended to 4 hours.

Some will take a pessimistic view and look to reference as much as possible to confirm that bias.
Others take a long look at what the game is:- A unique experience
I’ve tried every other game since AO and been disappointed those that are cheaper lack the content of AO and the depth and imagination and all lack the sandbox quality and twinking

It’s true you can never go back; but you can go forward
It’s true you can’t feel as you did 20 years ago, but you can feel new things
AO is a nostalgia trip
They don’t make nostalgia like they used to.
But they do make AO

And it’s 50 pence a day.

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Why you gotta go all poetic and stuff?!?

It’s been 9 days. I’m having a blast! One thing that hasn’t changed? Meeting great people in the game. I already resubbed my alt account, as well.

This nostalgia trip is going to be tapped right into my veins

I am with you on this @Machschau

My post got removed again so here is a short version without mentioning the game bugs and exploits used by community to play for FREE - meanwhile it is totally not fair for a paying customer who will eventually end up selling a GRACE to someone with exploited credits or someone who gets credits by auto playing 6 characters. The fact the game is “50 pence/a day” @Caloss2 means nothing. Sure you can play the game and have fun with it - up until you get to a point where you need endgame items worth billions of credits or the fact you need lootrights to an item you are not able to get a real team for rather than just pay billions for the service.

… the so called “new” content (Subway/ToTw) is just a bunch of old textures mixed up together into an instance - sure thing its an extra content and it sure did its part of bringing up some teams together again, at least for few months. Considering its difficulty - which is purely a HP DD grind with not much other action, its perfect for multiboxers - to me this was just a well executed plan to make sure there will be a good enough demand for GRACEs. Not mentioning the loot droprates and specifications which made NO SENSE.

Its all about money, and dont get me wrong I dont mind paying for a game at all - but I expect the game to be without major bugs and exploits. Seeing the company taking advantage of a regular paying customer just disgusts me and I dont support it. Therefore, for the nostalgia kick or whatever poetic thing you may think of … I would rather just play froobs to lvl 60, because eventually you will find yourself in the situation where you either need to take a part and start multiboxing/exploiting for yourself or quit the game because you get tired of buying graces to fund your lootrights. I think a quick walkthrough Borealis or OA will give anyone a clear answer.

On another note @dyrshin I am glad you are having fun - enjoy! AO is amazing and unique game but as @Machschau mentioned above - maybe you will find yourself reading this again in several months/year from now on and you will be able to see things little clearer.

Cheers

maybe you will find yourself reading this again in several months/year from now on and you will be able to see things little clearer

If I get a year’s worth of gameplay and enjoy it, it’s a success.

I recently met some ridiculously cool people through the Discord chat. They invited me to their private Org chat (since we’re different sides). THESE people are exactly what I remember AO to be.

  • Absolutely always willing to help
  • Always friendly to talk to
  • Always willing to walk me through something they’ve done hundreds of times
  • Willing to share bounty with strangers
  • Able to talk to about non-AO and RL things

If this isn’t the “old AO” I remember, then I don’t know what is.

And I happened upon these people at random and after barely a week of starting up. And I wasn’t even looking to befriend anyone yet.

@hell : Yes, the economy is to such a state that you need billions. But at least everything is scaled up. That being said, I don’t need the credits. I already have in-game friends that will help in end-game content and loot (and they already have). And again, that’s me finding people without even looking.

I’m not writing this to debate you or start arguments. Your anger has justifications. The fact that this game has been neglected so badly and seems to be on life support is evident and very sad.

I’m writing this as a counter for future readers. This game is still fun to me, literally 20 years after I started the game, and 10 years since I played it last. I can no longer grind hours upon hours (adult with kids now). But the little time I can spare, it’s absolutely worth paying for, to me.

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