Author Topic: Anarchy Online FINALLY Gets Its Upgrade  (Read 1721 times)

Little David

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Anarchy Online FINALLY Gets Its Upgrade
« on: December 15, 2013, 01:52:01 AM »
Anyone remember this one? It's the big daddy to all of Funcom's games, launched way back in 2001 and went free-to-play in 2004-ish. I played it wth some friends for a while back then.

Since 2007, they've been working on a comprehensive upgrade for the game's graphics engine, and an overhaul of the game's models and textures so that they're closer to modern standards.

Well, after six years, they're just about done. They were doing open beta testing earlier this September, and now it's going to be implemented soon. Their winter holiday special includes a special offer that provides immediate access to the new engine's closed beta if you sign up for VIP access for a full year, and closed beta access in January if you sign up for half a year. On top of other benefits like half-again bonus time for both offers and cash shop money.

I'd been keeping tabs on this for a while, as my old AO buddies and I were interested in picking up where we left off once the game got its overhaul. Looks like we might be doing that soon!

Shenku

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Re: Anarchy Online FINALLY Gets Its Upgrade
« Reply #1 on: December 15, 2013, 07:55:27 AM »
My oldest brother and I use to play for a while back in 2002-2003ish, and though I never got very far in it, it still holds a place in my heart as my first experience with an MMO(I still remember how the Shadowlands expansion made my mother's computer scream in agony from its "amazing graphics" at the time...), and I'm glad to see it's finally getting a facelift. I tried hopping back into the game about two years ago, and only played for a few days before getting lost on all the stuff that had changed since I had last played, and ended up wondering away again...

Always wanted to get more into it, because I always loved the concept and the world, I just couldn't get past the grind of leveling up solo(didn't really know anyone aside from my brother who played, and am not very good at joining random teams... Yet another thing about CoH that I miss... Random PuGs were never as bad in CoH as my experience has been in other MMOs, and CoH players were always a lot more forgiving if you didn't know something or made a mistake...).

Thunder Glove

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Re: Anarchy Online FINALLY Gets Its Upgrade
« Reply #2 on: December 15, 2013, 03:13:46 PM »
Prepare for the inevitable barrage of forum posts saying "I liked the old graphics better!" :D

Little David

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Re: Anarchy Online FINALLY Gets Its Upgrade
« Reply #3 on: December 15, 2013, 06:04:15 PM »
Prepare for the inevitable barrage of forum posts saying "I liked the old graphics better!" :D

Hah, I hope not. AO's original graphics are just a shade or two above Thief I and II's "meaty lump stick figures."

Thunder Glove

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Re: Anarchy Online FINALLY Gets Its Upgrade
« Reply #4 on: December 15, 2013, 09:02:48 PM »
Believe it or not... that doesn't matter.  One game I've been playing for a while had a major major graphics overhaul back in 2009:

And I still see posts on the forums demanding the old graphics back, because they're "better". :D