The Two Directors - Endless Ages

hypnopants · 08-18-2008, 05:18 PM

I've noticed similarities in the 2 games I've played over the years, or rather have been most dedicated to.

Endless Ages and Anarchy Online...
Anarchy Online had a better run because FunCom was the first to invent "In-game Ads" and thus allowed for free-gaming(trust me, the Shadowlands they offer in the p2p is a joke... I preferred Anarchy Online back before the Shadowlands, back before it was all about the grind... so the free-AO with in-game ads was suitable for me :P because it didn't include the Shadowlands!)

But in similarity, I looked at why Anarchy Online still exists today... an avid and dedicated Anarchy Online gamer decided to take it upon himself to make sure AO never died... and thus took over as Game Director.
And although it's a different circumstance, the same has happened for Endless Ages.

It's interesting to see, as Endless Ages and Anarchy Online are pretty much about the same age... and another similarity is that DME plans to also add in-game ads to pay for the server costs and such... keeping the game free, but not just on dedication alone.

Although Anarchy Online has lost it's path(that is, it used to be more fun and more about the store and interactivity of players, now it's designed to attract more players... and I suppose having all of FunCom behind it for so long has lead to some huge improvements including the addition of the Age of Conan graphics engine, is an advantage... but regardless, it just isn't the same anymore... I used to consider the original pre-ShadowLands AO equal in "fun level" to Endless Ages too... and it takes a lot for me to consider an MMOG of any kind, fun.) Endless Ages has gone through so much, but it's still an innovation to the world of MMOGs... and it has sparked many advancements and designs... although most stayed with the cheapest, simplest, lamest WoW-type design(I say WoW as it's the most stereotypical of that design) some have tried to do what the Endless Ages team had tried... but, I'm glad no one really could match it's potential... perhaps with that in mind, it may bring the "sick of grinding" players over to our side.

Thank you for bringing back Endless Ages, the irony though is that I had planned to play Age of Conan(quite an amazing and also innovative game, the beta was incredible) but University is in my way :P I even have the Collector's Edition... but have yet to sign-up

but luckily, thanks to DME, I have a game that I don't have to worry about wasting my monthly fee on, due to a lack of play time, but it still an incredibly fun MMOG. So again, thank you.

**Jason Lee** · 08-18-2008, 06:12 PM

Great Post, this is exactly how I feel about EA, it is unmatched in possibilities and how much fun it can be.

hypnopants · 08-18-2008, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason Lee

Great Post, this is exactly how I feel about EA, it is unmatched in possibilities and how much fun it can be.

EA huh? I dunno man... That Endless Ages game is pretty kick ass, I'd say it's better than any other game, especially that ****ty EA(no offense, all games have their quirks!)! whatever it is!!

... oh wait

spiritwind · 08-18-2008, 10:40 PM

lol?
Im confused Hypno, u doin that on purpose =p.

hypnopants · 08-19-2008, 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spiritwind

lol?
Im confused Hypno, u doin that on purpose =p.

doing what on purpose?
I mean it, EA sucks. Endless Ages is a way better game than EA!
*cough cough*

Linkster · 08-19-2008, 09:45 AM

lol very nice post and i agree, Endless Ages is way better and more kickass then EA :P

**GM_Solstice** · 08-19-2008, 09:45 AM

to be honset as long as the game and community keep a forward movement and the community continues to grow and become solid i will be one happy camper, my main focus is the community as a whole and will always stay that way, with this said all i ask in return is a small bit os patience from the community as we try and get this ball on the road.

and Endless Ages - Reborn is way better and more kick ass than EA or Endless Ages

ArceusSP · 08-19-2008, 03:14 PM

Are GMs allowed to curse?!
HORRAH For Endless Ages!
And i feel srry for any1 who doesnt play.

hypnopants · 08-19-2008, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GM_Solstice

to be honset as long as the game and community keep a forward movement and the community continues to grow and become solid i will be one happy camper, my main focus is the community as a whole and will always stay that way, with this said all i ask in return is a small bit os patience from the community as we try and get this ball on the road.

and Endless Ages - Reborn is way better and more kick ass than EA or Endless Ages

Reborn eh? Is that the current Endless Ages or is that an "in-production" model?

kipperlips1 · 08-19-2008, 07:09 PM

i play AO atm, very very very deep and complex game.. if your a retard stay away :P i been playing about many years now but only just got expansions about 7 months ago and i am loving it more than ever, the expansions ad sooooo much content to the vanilla AO it improves the game 10 fold i still havnt reached max lvl yet on any of my 14 toons cos i like to turn xp off and twink at around lvl 150 - 174 b4 i turn xp gain back on, been woprkin on twinking my agent at 174 for the past 3 month now and he becoming pretty good

maybee one day i will reach lvl 220 and AI lvl 30 but im in no rush because AO is not gonna die any time soon it is just too damn amazing.
The reson its stil alive is because it has evolved.. expansions are very good, shadowlands won awards for best game update, also every month or so new stuff is added and even if you ask someone who been playing 7 years a question you sometimes get a "sorry i dont know" this goes to show the amount of content in the game, i been playing quite a while and i learn many new things every day, most people dont give it a chance because either they find it to confusing or like total noobs they dont play cos of outdated graphics (update gonna fix that)
AO is definatly not for everyone though and if you hate math stay well clear, i tried AoC and thaught it sucked.. just another simpleton hack and slash online adventure with one of the most simple skill systems there is, some people will prefer that type of game but i found it to be extremely booring.. its a lot like WoW in gameplay, i have found my MMORPG of choice. EA is totaly different type of game and i love it for different reason from AO
there is no denying that when it comes to content/complexity/skill system AO is the most impressive MMORPG to date and eve online a close seccond , EA is a simple but very fun little game that has potential that is has not yet reached. i loved EA how it used to be and i did have more fun on it than i ever did on AO but the thing is i have done EA and there is no updates or expansions to keep me interested, one major aspect of a MMO is the fact that its should be like a living breathing world that evolves and EA has been stuck in the twilight zone.
EA is also a very short game compared to AO, AO is big enough to keep its old player interested while gaining new players at same time but with a short game like EA people come and go so the comunity never gets big. it seems realy silly comparing why AO is still alive to EA come to think of it.. its pretty damn obvious and besides.. they are totaly different game genres.. the only similaritys are that you play it online with other people and your character lvls up.. its like comparing counterstrike to freelancer :O i love both games for diferent reasons and MMORPG are just more popular with the masses than a game like EA
EA would never be as popular as AO,AoC,WoW,eve but it can still be great for the people who do play it, just because something is more popular does not always make it better it just means the masses prefer it but since when are the masses right? look at democracy.. and pop music lol

hypnopants · 08-19-2008, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kipperlips1

i play AO atm, very very very deep and complex game.. if your a retard stay away :P i been playing about many years now but only just got expansions about 7 months ago and i am loving it more than ever, the expansions ad sooooo much content to the vanilla AO it improves the game 10 fold i still havnt reached max lvl yet on any of my 14 toons cos i like to turn xp off and twink at around lvl 150 - 174 b4 i turn xp gain back on, been woprkin on twinking my agent at 174 for the past 3 month now and he becoming pretty good

maybee one day i will reach lvl 220 and AI lvl 30 but im in no rush because AO is not gonna die any time soon it is just too damn amazing. EA is also a very short game compared to AO, AO is big enough to keep its old player interested while gaining new players at same time but with a short game like EA people come and go so the comunity never gets big. it seems realy silly comparing why AO is still alive to EA come to think of it.. its pretty damn obvious and besides.. they are totaly different game genres.. the only similaritys are that you play it online with other people and your character lvls up.. its like comparing counterstrike to freelancer :O i love both games for diferent reasons and MMORPG are just more popular with the masses than a game like EA would never be as popular as AO,AoC,WoW,eve but it can still be great for the people who do play it, just because something is more popular does not always make it better it just means the masses prefer it but since when are the masses right? look at democracy.. and pop music lol

Honestly, the deeper you get into Age of Conan, the more like AO it becomes. I think you just based your stereotype on the fact that it's not a sci-fi, like most do... funny though how you'll say that "most people dont give it a chance" when you didn't even give Age of Conan a chance

Although to most people, they see AO as something fresh... but actually, it used to be different from classic grinders... but as time has gone by, AO becomes more and more like every other... the game I once adored for it's beauty, storyline, and player interactivity... is no more. You would have to have played since the first month of beta, as I have, to understand how I feel... that is 1 full decade since the first year of AO beta. AO is turning into WoW more and more and more with each passing patch...

On the other hand, if AO had stayed the amazing game it once was, it would have probably went down the same road as Endless Ages... it's tough for a game like Endless Ages, especially since most MMOGamers prefer it to be simple and easy... Endless Ages was simply too hard for most players... it ran on dedication, as AO did back before Shadowlands... but after Shadowlands, AO went down the slope until it became dependant on making money... while it still kept some of the reasons that made it "opposite WoW" the slope continues down into the WoW-like stereotype in order to attract more players.
I felt depressed writing that, I really do miss the original AO. Back when it's head game director, was the head game director for Age of Conan.

But I'm still glad AO kept a few of the original charms amongst the grinding and twinking(mathematical grinding... although with all the twinking calculators, no one really does any math). But again, it's nothing special anymore... it's got content, sure... but it's original reason for being has been lost, and to me... that meant everything.

Edit: Also, on that note about the masses... it works both ways. But the specific reasoning behind that is that because on average, in every census, there is always far more low intelligence humans than high intelligence... thus the more popular something is... the less intelligence is required to understand/enjoy it. That goes for AO too... where back in it's beginning it required a high intelligence to play and enjoy(the challenge was burned into everything you did back then, and all the twinking calculators didn't exist, nor did any knowledge of grinding exploitation), and as time went on... it was re-created to require less and less intelligence, less and less challenge... made it more popular. So as I said, it works both ways... when the masses aren't right(as in, the more popular it is, gives reason to it being "better" which is almost always false) the opposite can be said when looked at from another angle... the masses ARE right in that they know what requires the least intelligence to enjoy...
And as you said kipperlips, paraphrasing, just because a game is popular, doesn't make it "good" ... on that point, as you said EA would never be as popular as "AO,AoC,WoW,eve" ... I agree, AO is popular.

kipperlips1 · 08-20-2008, 12:52 AM

AO is more complex than it ever has been, especialy if you do have all the expansions. vanila AO was very basic compared to what it is today saying its getting more like WoW makes me wonder if you have actualy played AO much or even tried the expansions most people moan about expansions being too hard.. your the first ive heard say its dumbed it down... realy..

AO has lost nothing it has had in the past.. where do you get this stuff from? you just got bored of it.. that doesnt mean the game got worse, it a hell of a lot better than it ever was how can expanding the game while at the same time keeping its original content the same make it worse? the only thing that has changed is at first nobody knew ****.. it was clean slate and the economy was non existant, now that there are people to learn from and interact with and a good economy how is that a bad thing?
i think you have the old nostalgia bug like many old EA Gold players have had :P but seriously AO as it is now makes the original vanila one seem realy basic if you look at it without getting all soppy with nostalgia.

you say the deeper you get into AoC the more like AO it becomes but you also sead AO is becoming more like WoW with every new patch.. so they all the same game then in your opinion? do you actualy know what your talking about of just making this stuff up? :P

hypnopants · 08-20-2008, 01:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kipperlips1

AO is more complex than it ever has been, especialy if you do have all the expansions. vanila AO was very basic compared to what it is today saying its getting more like WoW makes me wonder if you have actualy played AO much or even tried the expansions most people moan about expansions being too hard.. your the first ive heard say its dumbed it down... realy.. you say the deeper you get into AoC the more like AO it becomes but you also sead AO is becoming more like WoW with every new patch.. so they all the same game then in your opinion? do you actualy know what your talking about of just making this stuff up? :P

actually it's all connected. AoC is becoming more like the original AO, and the current AO is becoming more like WoW.

And honestly I'm not going to try and explain it all to you. Also, for those who say it's becoming more like WoW, are the ones who no longer play it. Might explain why you've never heard anyone say it.
Don't dumb it down for me, I respect Anarchy Online. It can't be helped that it is becoming a corporate tool. You just seem to be insulting AO infront of me.

I'm not going to explain why and all the details, all I'm going to say is... why are you promoting/advertising Anarchy Online in an Endless Ages forum?

kipperlips1 · 08-20-2008, 09:36 AM

First off you are full of **** I am not promoting AO you are the one that braught it up and im responding bacause i have played both games a lot and since you played AO too i shared character info and give my views on the game. i still think your view that AO is becoming like WoW is kinda funny though :P

i made it quite clear that the best times i had on EA were better than the best times i have had on AO and will say that EA has better potential thats for sure but longetivity on a RPG goes a long way and EA is a short game that has barely evolved and that is why the majority of people move on. EA is an attractive game to a lot of people and it has attracted a lot it just has not been able too keep them i am crossing my fingers,eyes,toes and nuts that one day the team will pull it off and have a finished platform for a game that could continue to evolve and grow in scale and comunity. but untill then i will remember EA as when i had some of the best times i have ever had on a video game.

Forty-nine years ago, add a few days
A baby girl was born.
She was plump and healthy, cute but purple.
Beautiful to eyes that could see
all her potential.

She grew into a lively girl who made
friends and enemies
easily. She kept her friends and often
changed her mind about her ‘enemies’.
She was generous, occasionally sneaky.
Truthful and stubborn. Smart and a ‘quick study’.

A girl who grew into young womanhood
not yet understanding the
fullness of living.

Much growth stopped here, not physically, but
the true maturing of potential.
Still, with limited use of spanned wings,
she flew
into her woman-mold.
Too high. Too fast. Too soon.

Alas, she is gone. But wait! here she comes,
flapping her potential wings so clumsily about her.
How warm and loving, how difficult is she.
***
There are many who find it takes
the fullness of experience
to learn, to fly, to stretch, to grow
into all the span of one’s own potential.

Judith L bailey

hypnopants · 08-20-2008, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kipperlips1

First off you are full of **** I am not promoting AO you are the one that braught it up and im responding bacause i have played both games a lot and since you played AO too i shared character info and give my views on the game. i still think your view that AO is becoming like WoW is kinda funny though :P

i made it quite clear that the best times i had on EA were better than the best times i have had on AO and will say that EA has better potential thats for sure but longetivity on a RPG goes a long way and EA is a short game that has barely evolved and that is why the majority of people move on. EA is an attractive game to a lot of people and it has attracted a lot it just has not been able too keep them i am crossing my fingers,eyes,toes and nuts that one day the team will pull it off and have a finished platform for a game that could continue to evolve and grow in scale and comunity. but untill then i will remember EA as when i had some of the best times i have ever had on a video game.

Sigh... it's impossible to show the blind.
Exactly why I'm not going to bother explaining it to you.

kipperlips1 · 08-21-2008, 12:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hypnopants

Sigh... it's impossible to show the blind.
Exactly why I'm not going to bother explaining it to you.

why make a thread if you not gonna explain?

you cant explain because everything you have sead is an assumption or rumour or just a plain lie.

kipperlips1 · 08-21-2008, 12:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hypnopants

Sigh... it's impossible to show the blind.
Exactly why I'm not going to bother explaining it to you.

wow you are so ignorant
if you dont wanna explain anything dont go making a thread containing lies,rumours and assumptions, it not my fault you are too childish to have a simple debate, you stated a comparison thread on 2 games thatyou know nothing about and they also to different to be compared and im trying to explain to you why they cant be compared. you are the one that is blind if you think they are similar enough to be compared to each other.

its all good and well just coming on and say yay EA is the best! but if i was to say that i would be being biased and a game needs critisism b4 it can get better, if people cant handle the truth.. tough ****.

hypnopants · 08-21-2008, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kipperlips1

wow you are so ignorant
if you dont wanna explain anything dont go making a thread containing lies,rumours and assumptions, it not my fault you are too childish to have a simple debate, you stated a comparison thread on 2 games thatyou know nothing about and they also to different to be compared and im trying to explain to you why they cant be compared. you are the one that is blind if you think they are similar enough to be compared to each other. its all good and well just coming on and say yay EA is the best! but if i was to say that i would be being biased and a game needs critisism b4 it can get better, if people cant handle the truth.. tough ****.

Sigh... The blind stating ignorance, is that not an oxymoron?
But it's amazing how much conspiracy comes up out of such anecdotal evidence.

Kermit · 08-22-2008, 04:06 AM

how did this turn into an argument? lol

+100 nerd points for reading after solstice's post