Levelling together in AoC?

Armania

Alright, I have some questions for all already in this game. Me and my boyfriend are thinking about getting it this week just to see what the hype is about.

Now, the thing I don't really get from the descriptions is, can you play the game as a group pf two from the very start? With all this talk of whole instance based play I am getting a bit confused about if group play is just for certain areas or if the whole game is explorable as a group.

Secondly, supposing the above is possible (which I'm guessing it is just dodn't want to chance it considering the cost of the game), any two classes that people would recommend for a duo? Both of us orefer ranged, caster and healer type characters to melee based play.

And lastly, I guess I should ask if there's a PvE realm people would recommend? In terms of a good population and possible nice guilds etc.

Thanks!

Kiith

As far as i know, grouping will keep you in the same instance, so that shouldnt be a problem. As for the team you should pick, any class+healer is apparently lethal. Havent tried it yet, but others have vouched for its effectiveness. And i think Crom is the PvE server where most of the people here went. Fury for PvP.

Cuddlesworth

Armania wrote: »

Now, the thing I don't really get from the descriptions is, can you play the game as a group pf two from the very start? With all this talk of whole instance based play I am getting a bit confused about if group play is just for certain areas or if the whole game is explorable as a group.

To begin with their is a good mix and solo and group play in Tortage(starting point). I think the solo play is to get you used to playing your class and introducing you to the main plot. The single player bits are about 4 hours of play. You can group quest for the rest, needed on pvp servers. I'm currently 45 and have seen only a handfull of small instances that are single person only outside of the starting area.

When you leave Tortage you will get sent to different areas depending on what race you picked. Don't let this effect your class choice as it is a very easy matter to travel to one area to another, meaning that in 20 minutes of exploration you will find each other again.

To explain the instance play, everything is instanced. So if you are both in one area even in a main city, you might be on different servers. This is to introduce a proper form of load balancing. You can swap from one instance to another to meet up, or alternatively you should automatically go to the same instance if you are grouped.

Armania wrote: »

Secondly, supposing the above is possible (which I'm guessing it is just dodn't want to chance it considering the cost of the game), any two classes that people would recommend for a duo? Both of us orefer ranged, caster and healer type characters to melee based play.

Actually, I was thinking about this after doing a instance with two healers the other day. As it stands all Heals are HOT's, so you always have a good 10-12 seconds to dps even while healing. And when 2 healers are grouped there are very few situations where the incoming damage is more then the incoming healing.

So I would roll a Priest of Mirta and Tempest of Set. Both heal, both deal Medium(sometimes much higher) ranged Dps and you have a range of AOE stuns to allow you to maintain control of any situation. You will still get situations where you might need a tank class, but that effects everybody. But as said above healer and anything is pretty much a win win situation.

Armania wrote: »

And lastly, I guess I should ask if there's a PvE realm people would recommend? In terms of a good population and possible nice guilds etc.

Thanks!

Havn't a clue, its too early to tell. You might want to consider a Pvp server though. If you get killed by a player character there is no downside besides a repawn nearly always close by and there are no other penalty's. If you are being harrased, change instance. You are still in the same area but the assholes are somewhere else. If there are a bunch of people a similar level to you waiting for a repsawn, gank them then take the respawn to yourself. With 2 healers, everybody with a bit of common sense will run away.

Armania

Thanks a lot for the replies, makes a lot more sense now.

But, I realised I forgot one question - when you buy the game and make a new account, do you get any kind of "invite your friend" offer where they can do a few days trial account? Most MMOs seem to have this and it would be nice if we only had to buy one copy first to try it, especially since we're mot 100% sure that my computer will actually be able to run it.

As for PvP server, having played WoW on one I think it will be a while before either of us dare to make a character on a realm levelled as such in any game... hehe.

Cuddlesworth

Armania wrote: »

But, I realised I forgot one question - when you buy the game and make a new account, do you get any kind of "invite your friend" offer where they can do a few days trial account? Most MMOs seem to have this and it would be nice if we only had to buy one copy first to try it, especially since we're mot 100% sure that my computer will actually be able to run it.

I don't think there is a buddy system currently. Most MMO's only introduce those systems when they want to boost flagging sales or a declining user base. None of which AoC has now.

If you post up the specs of the machine I could tell you if you are capable of running the game.

Armania wrote: »

As for PvP server, having played WoW on one I think it will be a while before either of us dare to make a character on a realm levelled as such in any game... hehe.

I played Alliance on Laughing Skull. It was the only server with a huge percentage of the pop were Horde. We had over 5 Horde guilds who only played pvp and griefed low level Alliance in the meantime. It was apparently the worst server to be on for ganking, including both sides on the other servers. And I started playing 3 months before BC came out. I'm aware of the sheer annoyance of being on a pvp server.

AoC with the instance system has really removed most of the things I hated about getting ganked. The long walks, the repair bills, the annoying debuff from dying, the griefing on the repawn points too. I care so little about dying in AoC at the moment I even kill myself to move around the map quicker since you can choose what point on the map you want to respawn.

When we finish instances instead of heading back to the start to reset we do a pvp respawn. The entire group drops(or gets kicked) and we go hell for leather bashing the crap out of each other. When done, respawn at starting point with all your buffs still there and head outside. Last person has to walk back or commit suicide. Best fun I've had so far is doing this even though as the healer I'm 90% of the time left alive. How many MMO's do you know where good friends and random strangers get to do this in good spirits?

Dcully

As for PvP server, having played WoW on one I think it will be a while before either of us dare to make a character on a realm levelled as such in any game... hehe.

I thought the same but its not bad at all.
The fact its free for all pvp if someone sees a player ganking a lowbie they usually help the lowbie.
Plus there is no real death penalty except you have to respawn at a ressurection point.
Because of this most ganking goes on close to these areas.

Armania

Hmmm... sounds all good to me, thanks.

I'll see can my partner be convinced to try PvP again, it does sounds like the mechanics are way different so I'd be willing to give it a go.

Since the raiding guild in WoW is going slow atm due to exams and summer we have nothing to lose by trying something new really.

Kiith

Dcully wrote: »

I thought the same but its not bad at all.
The fact its free for all pvp if someone sees a player ganking a lowbie they usually help the lowbie.

I tried this earlier, but i keep forgetting that my attacks do damage to anyone in front of me. I've killed some people this way by accident

Dcully

lol happens to me also

humanji

Yeah...sure...by "accident"

nix

Yeah ive beheaded a low level player before trying to help him, mob died just as i was excecuting my last combo move.. it took me awhile to type sorry as i was laughing so hard