Age of Conan at 55.

I hit 55 earlier today in Age of Conan, and I thought – why am I still playing? Most of the game revolves around grinding now, but still, I seem strangely addicted.

It hit me. My guild. My guild is awesome, a bunch of some of the best MMO players on my server, and the reason I’m still playing this game, and I’m still so hooked, is because I can’t wait to rake in the achievements with these guys. When I was playing LOTRO, I got fed up with levelling. I ground my way through it, and then, when I hit level 50, everything changed. Suddenly, I was taking part in raids into the Rift, and I was having so much fun. The process of a raid is what I enjoy, the achievement you feel after knocking down a boss even quicker than before. I don’t know if you’ve seen the Bartle test, it analyses your gamer psychology. Well, I came out as an achiever. I could have told you that, but still… Achieving is why I play games.

Age of Conan has so much in it to achieve. Raiding, PvP, city building, they’re all huge achievements to be unlocked. And while the gameplay is good, the combat, admittedly, I do really enjoy, the level of quests is poor, and the time needed to level is quite high, but I’ll persevere, and then, when I get to level 80, the fun will start for me. The levelling is little more than a glorified tutorial for me, teaching me how to play the class.

I’ll stay in Age of Conan for the time being, and while my position on Warhammer Online hasn’t changed, it’s looking possible that I could have two MMO subscriptions on the go for the first time ever. By that time, maybe Age of Conan will have lost it’s fun (LOTRO inevitably did, but why that happened is enough material for another post). Or maybe I’ll still enjoy the achievements I complete with my guild.

This also got me thinking, of the basic game mechanic of guild competition present in AoC. It’s something many sucessful MMOs don’t do. WoW, obviously, goes with the faction vs. faction approach. Both methods, do, for me, have advantages, the faction approach’s main advantage is that no matter your quality or experience, you have allies of all types. But the biggest disadvantage is an imbalance causes an imbalance in the whole PvP game. The guild approach’s main advantage for me is the personal feel – you know everyone in your guild, and as such, feel much closer with the members. The disadvantage is, you need to scout around to find a guild on joining, and there will, inevitably be elite guilds, which the smaller guilds can’t compete with.

Overall, I can enjoy a game with both system, but I think, for Age of Conan, the guild system works well. The idea of defending my guild’s city, and fighting for the reputation of my clan appeals to me. The personal aspect of it makes my battles really feel worthwhile.

P.S. Sorry for the rollercoaster views on AoC at the moment. Some days are good in Hyboria, others bad. Today was really good!