Hi MacRumors,
I wanted to create a thread where everyone can share memories and experiences about their favorite Mac and/or PC titles that they are most nostalgic about. I have been PC gaming for about 12 years until I decided that there wasn't anything out there or being released that appealed to me anymore, and I found that living in the past with it was much more enjoyable than actually sitting down and getting into it. I have now moved to casually gaming on console (PS3) with some offline titles, mostly RPGs. I really would like to share some memories of the game that I am most nostalgic about, a game that I will always consider to be "the best" even if is is no longer thriving. I would really love to read about your memories as well, if you would be so kind to share.
The game that I am most nostalgic about is Age of Conan. This was an MMORPG that launched back in 2008 based off of Robert E. Howard's writings in the land of Hyboria. It was a supposed "WoW killer" (much like any MMO that has ever launched) although its subscriber base quickly fell and today it is left with a thinning player base. It is currently Free to Play, but its Item Shop essentially makes it a Buy to Win title. It's unfortunate to see it succumb to that, but what an amazing game this was. The graphics, the music, and most importantly the atmosphere. If you have never tried this game, I would advise at least trying it. I'm going to be speaking in the past tense regarding the game from this point on - I have played it off and on from its launch date until less than a year ago. I thought it would be a decent idea to include the information above to let it be known that the game does still exist - although somewhat as a shell of its former self. It was such a fun experience and I want to continue talking about things that nobody here probably will have an idea of, but hopefully some do, and furthermore hopefully everyone enjoys the read regardless of having played the game and it inspires you to share your similar experiences.
There were 12 classes in the game and 4 different archtypes - Soldiers, Rogues, Mages, and Priests. Of the soldiers, there was the Guardian, Conquerer, and the Dark Templar - the Rogues had the Barbarian, Assassin, and Ranger - the Demonologist, Necromancer and Herald of Xotli were the mages - and Priest of Mitra, Tempest of Set, and Bear Shaman of the Priests. The breakdown was pretty simple, but one interesting thing about the game was that everyone could use stealth ("hiding") but Rogues were more efficient at it - they moved faster within it and did not lose stamina (later, "Energy" was added as this resource). The combat system used a series of directional attacks to complete attacks and combos, you started with 3 (upper left, middle, and upper right) and ended up with 5 after level 40 (lower left, lower right - level cap was and still is 80). I have played every class, but mostly stuck with Barbarian, even though it was essentially the worst class at level cap. I just loved the style of the class. Of all of these classes, "Races" did exist but did not provide any benefit or starting zone - only a perceived backstory. These were the Aquilonians, Cimmerians, Sygians, and later Khitans.
The best part of the game was the atmosphere. I really loved the music and the scenery in the zones. I believe there was something for everyone in that game - I mostly stuck to the Cimmerian zones as they were the more snowy/forested/mountainous type. PvP was a blast but my favorite gameplay was solo PvE. It was such an immersive experience, I literally felt as though I was the character as dramatic as that sounds. The quest lines were fun, and on a world PvP server, it seemed like such a real experience. The groups oriented content such as raiding and PvP minigames were enjoyable, but there was nothing like just being alone in this environment. It built upon the atmosphere entirely, and it truly felt like you had to complete the tasks and defend yourself from other players. Using the hiding ability all across the map, striking when necessary, attacking and defending yourself against other players, completing your quests and discovering the land. There was a pretty big sense of completion in that game besides what is present in some games that are so linear today.
One of my favorite things to do was deck out low-level characters and participate in PvP in these starting areas. It was common for a lot of players to do the same, and the combat and PvP was so much more interesting at a low level. There was a server that the development team introduced later on, with "Blood and Glory PvP" - which was basically open world PvP with all city/village/outpost guards removed from the game. So basically, anywhere you were, you could be killed by another player. This made the experience even more raw and realistic. I made a character once on this particular new server (at the time of course) that started from scratch, basically earned my money for gear and other essentials by killing other players. They did not drop their currency and resources, but killing them basically spawned them much like killing regular mobs out in the wild. There was nothing more satisfying that fighting your way through and increasing your strengths and levels as you moved through all of these zones and fought off all of these mobs and players.
There was a lot to do in the game despite the reasons that everyone had basically up and left. I basically had more fun in that game than I ever had in any other PC title. While the game is basically now mostly dead compared to what it was, it will always be special to me and it will always be my favorite game that I am most nostalgic about. It was my first really commitment to an MMORPG, and I met many people, friends, and more throughout the years within the game. It truly was an amazing experience that I don't think can ever be matched. I hope to hear from at least some of the readers here on this sub-forum about your memories of your favorite title or titles. I'm really looking forward to it and thank you for reading about mine.
I wanted to create a thread where everyone can share memories and experiences about their favorite Mac and/or PC titles that they are most nostalgic about. I have been PC gaming for about 12 years until I decided that there wasn't anything out there or being released that appealed to me anymore, and I found that living in the past with it was much more enjoyable than actually sitting down and getting into it. I have now moved to casually gaming on console (PS3) with some offline titles, mostly RPGs. I really would like to share some memories of the game that I am most nostalgic about, a game that I will always consider to be "the best" even if is is no longer thriving. I would really love to read about your memories as well, if you would be so kind to share.
The game that I am most nostalgic about is Age of Conan. This was an MMORPG that launched back in 2008 based off of Robert E. Howard's writings in the land of Hyboria. It was a supposed "WoW killer" (much like any MMO that has ever launched) although its subscriber base quickly fell and today it is left with a thinning player base. It is currently Free to Play, but its Item Shop essentially makes it a Buy to Win title. It's unfortunate to see it succumb to that, but what an amazing game this was. The graphics, the music, and most importantly the atmosphere. If you have never tried this game, I would advise at least trying it. I'm going to be speaking in the past tense regarding the game from this point on - I have played it off and on from its launch date until less than a year ago. I thought it would be a decent idea to include the information above to let it be known that the game does still exist - although somewhat as a shell of its former self. It was such a fun experience and I want to continue talking about things that nobody here probably will have an idea of, but hopefully some do, and furthermore hopefully everyone enjoys the read regardless of having played the game and it inspires you to share your similar experiences.
There were 12 classes in the game and 4 different archtypes - Soldiers, Rogues, Mages, and Priests. Of the soldiers, there was the Guardian, Conquerer, and the Dark Templar - the Rogues had the Barbarian, Assassin, and Ranger - the Demonologist, Necromancer and Herald of Xotli were the mages - and Priest of Mitra, Tempest of Set, and Bear Shaman of the Priests. The breakdown was pretty simple, but one interesting thing about the game was that everyone could use stealth ("hiding") but Rogues were more efficient at it - they moved faster within it and did not lose stamina (later, "Energy" was added as this resource). The combat system used a series of directional attacks to complete attacks and combos, you started with 3 (upper left, middle, and upper right) and ended up with 5 after level 40 (lower left, lower right - level cap was and still is 80). I have played every class, but mostly stuck with Barbarian, even though it was essentially the worst class at level cap. I just loved the style of the class. Of all of these classes, "Races" did exist but did not provide any benefit or starting zone - only a perceived backstory. These were the Aquilonians, Cimmerians, Sygians, and later Khitans.
The best part of the game was the atmosphere. I really loved the music and the scenery in the zones. I believe there was something for everyone in that game - I mostly stuck to the Cimmerian zones as they were the more snowy/forested/mountainous type. PvP was a blast but my favorite gameplay was solo PvE. It was such an immersive experience, I literally felt as though I was the character as dramatic as that sounds. The quest lines were fun, and on a world PvP server, it seemed like such a real experience. The groups oriented content such as raiding and PvP minigames were enjoyable, but there was nothing like just being alone in this environment. It built upon the atmosphere entirely, and it truly felt like you had to complete the tasks and defend yourself from other players. Using the hiding ability all across the map, striking when necessary, attacking and defending yourself against other players, completing your quests and discovering the land. There was a pretty big sense of completion in that game besides what is present in some games that are so linear today.
One of my favorite things to do was deck out low-level characters and participate in PvP in these starting areas. It was common for a lot of players to do the same, and the combat and PvP was so much more interesting at a low level. There was a server that the development team introduced later on, with "Blood and Glory PvP" - which was basically open world PvP with all city/village/outpost guards removed from the game. So basically, anywhere you were, you could be killed by another player. This made the experience even more raw and realistic. I made a character once on this particular new server (at the time of course) that started from scratch, basically earned my money for gear and other essentials by killing other players. They did not drop their currency and resources, but killing them basically spawned them much like killing regular mobs out in the wild. There was nothing more satisfying that fighting your way through and increasing your strengths and levels as you moved through all of these zones and fought off all of these mobs and players.
There was a lot to do in the game despite the reasons that everyone had basically up and left. I basically had more fun in that game than I ever had in any other PC title. While the game is basically now mostly dead compared to what it was, it will always be special to me and it will always be my favorite game that I am most nostalgic about. It was my first really commitment to an MMORPG, and I met many people, friends, and more throughout the years within the game. It truly was an amazing experience that I don't think can ever be matched. I hope to hear from at least some of the readers here on this sub-forum about your memories of your favorite title or titles. I'm really looking forward to it and thank you for reading about mine.
