Some guy is getting a lot of attention on Reddit for a fascinating writeup on the dramatic rise and fall of Age of Conan, a surprisingly successful MMORPG whose popularity has waned nearly as quickly as it exploded last spring.
He argues that the first twenty levels, which take place in the bustling city of Tortage, are fully-fleshed, bursting with fascinating NPC's, fun quests, and breathtaking visual design. But then:
From here on out, most of your questing will involve going to the proper Place of Great Respawn and grinding mobs like you were filling up a resume to take some Chinese gold farmer’s job. The dust and dirt must be really hard on the lungs, too, since the vast majority of quest givers are mute. Voice acting, it seems, was too much a courtesy for Funcom to extend after the trial period.
Ouch. I met a guy who worked for Funcom during Age of Conan's development period at a pub. We became friends. He complained a lot for a guy who (to me) had one of the coolest jobs in the world. He also drank a lot.
Apparently, he wasn't the only disgruntled employee:
Read More...