Question! ⚡ What do you think about Anarchy Online? Let us know. 👇 The links to AO are below. 👉 🌟 Website: www.anarchy-online.com 🌟 AO's Discord: discord.gg/anarchyonline
AO players will never forget the insane freedom that came with buying your first Yalm. Saving up that ~4mil was one of the most rewarding mmo experiences I've ever had.
Haha! If someone found a terminal selling the cheapest Yalm, we'd keep a character logged into that game space to stop the stock from rotating. Then we'd advertise it the chat channels. invite anyone to team who couldn't get the same GS and then they'd get in to buy one. >.> Good times
Having been an avid player of Anarchy Online from 2005 to 2012, I can't help but reflect fondly on the countless hours spent immersed in its riveting universe. The personal reasons that led to my departure from the game came far too soon and, to this day, I still yearn for the virtual camaraderie I left behind. In a landscape crowded with countless MMORPGs, Anarchy Online stood out with its unique blend of compelling narrative, richly detailed environments, and a community that was second to none. The friendships I forged with people from around the globe are among my most cherished memories, serving as a testament to the power of this game to connect individuals across cultures and continents. What I particularly loved about Anarchy Online was its community spirit, a sense of belonging that transcended the usual player-vs-player conflicts typical of the genre. This community will forever hold a special place in my heart. I recently returned to the game, driven by nostalgia and longing for the experiences that once defined my virtual life. Sadly, the world I rediscovered was far removed from the thriving, bustling universe I had left. The servers felt desolate, the player count was markedly reduced, and the once-thriving community seemed to have diminished. It is truly disheartening to witness such a pioneering game in the MMORPG genre become almost a ghost town, especially when I consider its immense potential and the meaningful memories it continues to evoke for many former players. In this era of modern remakes and sequels, I can't help but imagine what an Anarchy Online 2 could look like. A complete, modernized rendition of the game, preserving its core essence while catering to contemporary gaming trends and technologies, could be an extraordinary venture. Such a project would not only reinvigorate the existing fan base, but it could also introduce a whole new generation of players to the unique joys of Anarchy Online. Despite its current state, Anarchy Online remains a landmark title in my personal gaming journey, and I am confident that it holds a similar position for many others. Its legacy in the world of MMORPGs is irreplaceable, and it is my sincere hope that one day we might see this iconic universe reborn in the form of Anarchy Online 2.
A true spiritual successor to Anarchy Online would certainly find a dedicated & loyal player base. I am especially fond of your memory that despite areas having a PvP emphasis, the community in general had a high degree of camaraderie. Thank you for your thoughtful comment! 💖
I believe that the new iteration of AO would not succeed if it kept the complexity, which made the game what it is. Times have changed and young people these days have different preferences. And You remember all too well that this game requires immense ammounts of time put into it to be competitive in PVE (or PVM how we called it back then) not even speaking about the PVP which was always my goal in the game. So maybe when our generation retire and have more free time at our hands, then it could maybe work, but who makes games specifically for old people ? :D
As someone who has stories such as the crawl a thon across clan, neuts and omni, the level 5 bar brawls. Such fun, where even the GM's were laughing so hard they forgot they were telling in OOC. Who can forget Liaker, breaking FC's system and fighting everyone in the combat zones. Made real friends there. My last comment is about the complete levelling of relationships, we had a doc, although slow was fantastic. We later found out in RL he was a paraplegic, using a head stick to control. He was still our doc regardless of his material state. No other game has ever beaten that level of camadarie. FC lost it. But our memories are strong as ever. Clan Forever ...Kallipar Martial Artist Ascension. CNIHVURSTF THNXBYE...LOL
I sank COUNTLESS hours into this game back in the day. This game cost me relationships with women, lol. I remember getting my superior perennium gun on my sniper, getting the bright orange tier 3 armor, gwydwinn (?) hammer, heavy notum tank armor and a helmet that looked like bull horns on my enforcer. Standing in the main areas asking for buffs to squeeze on your newest item. A remake of the game with the latest technology would be amazing!!
I have based my life around this game. I think it influenced my brain development. It certainly provided escapism and helped me deal with trauma. Its community taught me there were good people in the world, and I think the clunky and unyielding gameplay might have been deliberate (if idealistic) to force that jolly cooperation. I don’t know of any other game where a pioneer CAN be so powerful, but the multiplicative effect of working as a group is just as viable. If there was a political agenda it showed that Anarchy is a viable path to Utopia. It taught me critical thinking as well as the ability to visualise distant goals and the power of an appetite for problem solving. My job is about as close as I can get to everything I loved in terms of industry and how I execute my tasks. I recently got burnt out at work and spent a couple days off finishing a level 10 trader twink that I first started 11 years ago. It feels like much of society is losing a lot of these skills and values, including AOs publisher. There are no long term goals anymore, only tiny dopamine hits between 20 seconds videos, or quarterly earning reports. We are more technologically advanced than ever, and yet I think many children today have no idea what is possible. Don’t get me wrong, the world is a very big place with lots of cultures, but the western capitalist model massively influences global lifestyle. I think this is what makes part of me wish I could remain in AO’s Utopia, even after all these years.
@@FKProds I couldn’t agree more man. This game had the same impact. It seriously helped my brain develop a mindset to grab life by the balls this game took dedication
What a nostalgia trip watching this. I was there at launch and then played for 7 years, what were certainly some of the darkest times for me outside of the game, but the community that existed in AO was my refuge. Those of us that were around all the time, we were all close. When tragedy hit the community we all grieved. When drama occurred, there was no hiding it from anyone. To this day I will sustain that I had deeper friendships with players of this game than perhaps half a dozen folks, outside, ever. I recall fondly when the biodome content was added, I organized my clan to be one of the first groups to approach it. The devs were so invested that during and after, in secret, GM Means was messaging me, asking for live feedback. We went on to become good friends over the next couple of years, I watched my influence shape a world. I went on to help with some deeper beta testing, but then something happened. It may have been the release of WoW or an expansion. The community left quickly, and the game started to lose appeal for all. It was a formative time in my life though and I will never forget it.
In an age where MMOs are consistently dumbed down, we need more complicated games to exist. Anarchy online is basically a customization powerhouse. It's not complicated. Overwhelming for the first time yes. But once you understand the system is incredibly easy to use. And that complicated system becomes a mode of customization that no other game has. It's actually a shame that modern games are so dumb and basic in comparison. Also note that open world dungeons are not meant to be the only way to level up. The original game was mostly based around quests, which you obtain from mission terminals. Now that is a grindy boring system. But that was the main aspect. Or you can level up by going to open world dungeons. Or you could just level up in the open world itself. It lets the player decide. Which is the point of an MMO, player choice
Having played from about 2002 then off and on, the customization and depth is really what is missing from newer games, or at least the skill based vs level based equipment. I remember back in the day there was a level 1 trader running around who had twinked into 60 or 70 equipment. And that ability to twink opened up a small and somewhat niche but valuable market for players. You get locked out of the subway after 24, so make a twink and solo the boss. ToTW, same thing. Because one of the bosses shares a model with the high level MP pet, I made one just so I could set up a situation where the boss was hitting itself. I think I spent most of a month working out all the details for how to do that but it was a major sense of pride and accomplishment the first time I rolled up and just smashed the final 3 bosses solo. And seeing everyone freaking out as the 'boss' is running loose. Sure I needed a couple outside buffs to pull out the biggest pet, but I could sell off loot from soloing the bosses that full parties would wipe on more often than not. And on top of all that, there where a solid handful of ways of making money as a low level. Sure having a 220 and be able to just roll over the dynamic bosses in a zone and net a few million in half an hour is one thing, but if you knew where to look you could make almost as good money from like level 5. Those bots in the subway drop a memory chip. Only worth a few hundred at the level they drop, but give it to someone who can take it to ql200 and now its about 100k in a shop. 2 bags is enough for your first proper vehicle. Or enough for, it not a full out twink, at least a solid equipment upgrade that should last you into your 40's. Then your in ToTW and can start solo farming the passes. 50k/ each but a team is going to need at least a few. And spares. Half mil in 20 minutes solo with just decent equipment from that subway payout. I think it was entirely possible to not touch the mission board until around 150: OG backyard until 5. Subway to 20-you get kicked. ToTW to 60 (plus some BIS loot), Foremans to 100. CoH? It was more of a loot dungeon than a leveling one, but it still counts. Maybe a handful of missions for the token board just to get a neck item. Then Smugglers den. I forget what that runs to because I would raid the mantis side for eggs but your looking at ~150 just from dungeons. I don't think the mission system was really a grind. At least not if you where smart with it. There was a 3ed party program for reading the mission rewards that was sort of needed if you where item hunting, but those mission items could be anything. Spend 2 minutes rolling a few missions that you can either blitz (so cash and item that was probably worth a bunch) or run (xp and loot) and is a nice alternative from having everything in the shop. And don't even get me started on crafting. There are certainly some rough edges but I think AO got most things right enough, given that there wasn't as much to go on 22 years ago, and it didn't really get anything wrong. Some in game references to avoid having to look up guides would be nice and being able to see all the crafting laid out. And instead of myriad factions, all with there own rep and currency there where a handful: Main faction (tokens), and PVP for bragging rights. SL added the side factions (effectively just 1 per side) and the main neutral one with no currency. AI added research (more an XP sink), AXP, and the commendation things. So 3 xp bars, 3 'factions' that you sort of go up with just by playing, and 1 spendable currency besides credits. I guess in conclusion the magic sauce is to have enough to do to be able to make your own endgame and to not have to spend days on end filling a little bar until it goes 'ding!' and repeat 99+ more times.
I do love AO's degree of customization -- it's entirely freeing. Moreover, I did not take a look at the procedural mission system and in retrospect, I should have. Maybe next time! 💖
@@MarleMMO to add to what @goblinphreak2132 says... I played AO starting in Feb 2002. Leveling in those days, it was often pulling missions from mission terminals with a team, going into the mission and clearing it for xp. But also, organic hunting grounds developed. For instance, large groups of players would gather at a random bridge where two "Bully" mobs spawned on each end. Often there would be a team to join there, and you'd wait for the bully to spawn and kill it for a huge chunk of XP. At higher levels, I remember large groups standing around the Cyborg area in Mort. One player would pull a cyborg (often multiple by mistake) out, and teams of players would work to take them down, hoping to earn enough of the shared damage on it to be awarded xp. There were loads of areas that became hunting grounds like that just by word of mouth.
Made my first european friends in this game. A lvl 15 trader with a ql 186 rifle taught me how to twink then flew me to Norway to hang out. 10/10 still play to this day.
Core memory, my experience with AO went from falling in love with the gameplay to becoming a hugely personally influential period of life. This isnt even a hyperbole but playing AO is a human journey.
I started playing in 2002. It was the first mmo I ever played I was 32 at the time. I still play from time to time and I am still friends with members of the org I was in. Clan forever!
I remember when i was playing AO back then, i was grinding for nearly a month to find (Grid armor 4) for my fixer, and when i finally did it, it was the happiest moment in my entire life LOL.
I grinded for months myself, but when I won a roll for living dragon flesh armor from Tarqsque in Camelot castle (correct me if I’m wrong….. it’s been some years), I traded it for GA4. That piece of armor owned and then came the NTs with the GA-nuke 😂 (miss the Tranquility guild and the time back then).. oh and let’s not forget the amazing music ❤️ Think I’m gonna load it up and play some good old Rubi-ka missions again 😂
@@yamensabry5834 loved it! And remember getting Resonance blast for my NT alt from that hard hitting agent (thanks Tranquility). Was beautiful ❤️ I loved tower wars too. Shadowlands kinda ruined it for me tho’
@@ilythiaAO I've never played NT so i don't know about their class specific quests, but as a fixer i just need to know to run the other way when i see one LOL. I liked the Shadowlands, specially the end game stuff, like in inferno, the raids there were insane. I used to compete for the 1st place as a damage dealer with my lvl 220 soldier.
It's wild how complicated things can get-and that's just the base game! Shadowlands took it to a whole new level of chaos. But if you thought Anarchy Online was confusing, Asheron's Call was on an entirely different plane. It was challenging overall, and its character system could permanently ruin your build if you didn't allocate skill points carefully. I'll never forget when I was ported to Ayan Baqur and instantly started getting one shot by everything. To this day, I still hate the Shadows in that game! What kept me hooked, though, was the storytelling. Turbine, the developers, weren't afraid to shake things up and make permanent changes to the game world as part of their monthly story updates. One of my most jaw-dropping moments happened a few months after launch during an update called Darkness Ascendant. Rumors started flying around the community that massive Shadow Spires had destroyed significant cities. At first, I thought it was just trolling, but my allegiance patron (basically the guild leader) told me, "No, seriously. Arwic is gone." I had to see it for myself. When I ported to Arwic, it was completely obliterated-just craters where a bustling city used to be. And this wasn't just any city. Arwic was like Asheron's Call's version of Stormwind or Orgrimmar, where everyone went to trade, group up, or hang out. It was so crowded that it caused "portal storms," which randomly teleported people away when too many players gathered in one spot. There was even a running joke that Turbine nuked Arwic to stop the storms! Another standout memory for me was getting my Atlan Axe. That quest was intense, with so many steps and locations. Thankfully, when I did it, the servers were so active that other players had already cleared most of the mobs. Still, getting my axe skill high enough to meet the requirements took forever. I couldn't hit the alchemy level needed to craft the Quality Pyreal Ingot, so I found a kind player who helped me out-for a decent chunk of gold. Then came the trek to Cater Lake Village-yes, a genuine trek across the land, all while being chased by mobs way higher in level and far more deadly than I was ready for. Once I finally made it there, I bought the Finesse Weapons Glyph and used it to transform my ingot into a Superb Infused Ingot. With that in hand, I returned to the Archmage to trade it for my Atlan Axe! What a journey! But that wasn't the end. I wanted to add significantly more damage via lightning to make it epic, so I went after the Major Sparking Stone. That meant diving into the Amperehelion Vault, a dungeon crawling with level 80-100 mobs. I was only level 55 then, which made it extremely tough, but luckily, higher-level players had cleared most of it when I went in. I was so proud when I finally combined the stone with my axe to create the Peerless Sparking Atlan Axe! I just stood there, showing it off to anyone who'd look. I have so many other memories from Asheron's Call, like when I got my hands on a Hoary Mattekar Robe-one of the most powerful items for spellcasters back then because of its insane stats. The robe became even more valuable when Turbine removed it from the game. They eventually brought it back, but it was heavily nerfed by then. I ended up selling mine on eBay for $250 (that was back when there was no such thing as Bind on Pickup or Bind on Equip! I also remember farming Virindi Masks and selling them for $35 on eBay. I made a lot of money from them. What made Asheron's Call special was the dynamic and unpredictable world. It wasn't just a static backdrop-it evolved in ways that made the story feel alive. That kind of immersion is rare, and it's why the game left such a lasting impression on me. The only game that's ever come close for me is Guild Wars 2. Its Living World story, especially during Season One, had permanent changes that reminded me of Asheron's Call-like the massive spire in Kessex Hills. Even now, you can still see the scars of its destruction. Games like these stick with you because they make the world feel real, like your actions-and the story-truly matter.
I played alot of AO back in the day. I had twinks for lower dungeons. That was the most awsome part of the game for me. Like a level 25 Subway dungeon twink with GTA+Styg or Perennium beamer. I never experienced thiskind of satisfaction in other MMORPGs. Twinking in this game = maxxing out your skills needed, making sure you dont waste any points, gathering special buffs from around town, buying or loaning special items, buying or loaning special armor, making custom special implants etc to equip an item, then you do it all over again to equip the next item, and so on and on until you finally can put on your one special item. Bascially you had to make implant sets to get on higher level implants to get on higher level implants and do it until you ran out of options (since there were only certain slots you could use for certain stat increase). And you have to know exactly what your stats are afterwards also (since you cant change gear afterwards, you can only get buffs, and your NCU is limited), not be too weak to be able to use it. All that brainstorm was what i enjoyed. And also then you can showoff what you have equipped in town and flex in the dungeons with your insane damage. Everyone noticed when you had a special piece of armor or a weapon on you. Since everyone knew the BiS items, but never either got them because the boss was too hard or they farmed and it did not drop or they just couldnt equip it. Never ever seen anything like that in other MMOs. Oh and getting level 220... i remember that also. That was an insane grind. And when someone got to 220 everyone on the server got a notification. It was such an achievement. Well, it was a blast. I hope that someday there will be another great complex mmo with twinking.
Man, there's something about early 2000s mmorpg character models that make them feel much better than what we've got nowadays. Sorta like the old NWN models before Beamdog released the HD pack. Love that blocky-yet-believable and highly customizable look.
Just started AO for the first time a few days ago and holy moly am I loving it. I played MMOs back in the day but skipped AO and I can't remember why. I'd say it's a combination of EVE Online and Star Wars Galaxies
I was there over 500 years ago when the game had its rough launch. I've played it off & on over the years. I have a deep love for this game. The complexity allowed for some crazy character builds.
My first MMO, still the best MMO because of it's complex mechanics. Sadly updates stopped and my guild slowly died, so I too left it like a decade ago. Played since 2005 when I started clicksavering for concrete cushions in order to purchase my first Yalm (flying mount). Played all the way to 2012, when I routinely played two accounts simultaneously, alt tabbing between game windows. Killing end game raid bosses by myself because others in my guild had already vanished into the ether. - Tchu to create Hold Hell at Bay rings and Inferno boots for sale from parts gathered on half a dozen alts. (enf + doc) - The Night Heart in Pandemonium for giggles and some loot (enf + doc) - Mitaar hero for loot to get and sell (solja + crat) Between there I was one of the clan faction raidleaders for Phatznet and Alien playfield, including the huge sector 42 artillery commander progression raids. It really was something special in a time that has passed us by, but the memories and a few screenshots still remain. Rimor / Coven of Hunters
I don't think I'll ever love another game the way I loved this one. If I had the power to make one sequel for a video game it'd be this one. I was one of the better players on my server during the Shadowlands and Alien Invasion days. I still think about my metaphysicist, though I'm not sure I could even get back onto my old account. I think the thing you're missing about the complexity of the stats is that it gives you every single stat to work with, even though you'll only use a small percentage of them. You have the power to up the completely wrong stats, though there are levels of which are easiest to level based on your profession. Also, a lot of them have little to do with combat. And back in the day you got used to knowing how much stats you could buff yourself to put on better gear. You'd often have to switch implants just to equip a piece of gear, that you then could never take off because you wouldn't be able to put it back on again. I've played a lot of these games, but nothing has ever felt like the AO world. I played a character that used nanobots to create manifestations of their feelings to fight people with. I always thought that was a cool idea.
I played AO for basically a decade (2003-2013) and it was the best times I've ever had in an MMO. Sadly as all the friends I knew trickled away, I too lost the motivation to keep playing, and the ignorance of Funcom and their lack of support for this game.
@@MarleMMO Yes, it has been my main genre since starting AO all those years ago. The last decade I’ve spent mostly in SWTOR, GW2, and FFXIV. I have thoroughly enjoyed those games, but never quite felt the magic I did back in the AO days.
Played this for a long time and had several 200+ characters. One thing that stood out way back when was the procedurally generated missions. End game it was fun to have a fixer that could "blitz" these missions for high value items and sell them to other players or shops. I had a friend who was a GM of sorts try out my character and she wondered how I could stand playing with my crazy runspeed. I miss those days.
20 years has passed since last I played and a TH-cam video renewed my interest. Back into Anarchy Online I went! Kinda. My account was...frozen? Having to watch another video about a really shady way of going to a random website to enter login information, the account was unfrozen. Here's a few nods to AO: 1.) Anarchy Online is sci-fi themed, which automatically puts the game into a rare niche 2.) AO doesn't ask me for money every ten minutes, although there was a strong push in the beginning for me to subscribe & maybe the game does later 3.) Open world feeling 4.) Quiet. Ah, no hordes of players spamming chat 5.) Chill, not frantic about combat and a thousand buttons 6.) Anarchy Online still exists whereas most MMOs from the area are gone with a capital "G". Gonna ride this wave out as far as I can. Thanks for the video! Liked & subscribed, always welcome to check out my channel to see if there's anything of interest as well. Blessings be.
I did enjoy playing this game back in the day, so unique. The names of creatures when exploring (the various failed experiments) or the vast number of nanos for classes and their names, like the Bureaucrat (Red Tape or Demotivation Speech: Let's Make a Committee 😄). We'll never see things like this again sadly. But I've always been a casual player and AO was really not for casuals. Max twinking was required for group content, and Shadowlands was f'ing hard! I tried it again a couple times with the new updates but couldn't get into it again.
I had such a blast playing this game in the early 2000's, also made tons of friends. Played for a good 5 years, had like 5-6 max level characters. Was tons of fun. Never Ever played another MMO like this one.
I used to play AO like 20 years ago and loved it for many years. One of the most fun experiences I had was in an Omni city where a scheduled "in character" event was happening. An admin of some sort was leading some players around, and I forget the exact nature of it all, but he slowly approached me and we went back and forth a bit with in-character dialogue cheering on Omni and decrying the Clans. Might sound trivial, but I really enjoyed the depth and engagement!
played back then in the 2000´s ... i played a lot of mmos in my life but i had the most fun and best social interactions in AO. AO will always have a special place in my heart, i wish there would be something new like AO.
When I played, the first time I went to the temple of three winds, I had to travel several zones on foot. It was an adventure on itself because found several rare monsters and different locations. See the towers of pvp across the landscape, crossing to hostile areas where you could be attacked by opposite faction, and that would be miseravel. Walk of shame.
Coming back to this video.... fun fact, there are waypoints. Its on the compass as a dot. Direction you in the direction of the NPC or quest you are meant to go to. and ONLY works if you are in the proper "zone" since each area is its own zone area. Also can find them on the larger planet map as a dot as well.
nothing can beat my 100% self buffed froob nanomage (weakest class) nano tech (even weaker vs the trio), solo Uklesh, Khalum and Aztur the immortal WITHOUT running around the table. Fight took more than 30 mins, and when it was done, my fingers were almost stiff and i was drenched in sweat. lmao
IIRC, Shadowlands was originally supposed to be a whole new title. But they ultimately decided to merge it into AO, which probably explains the radical change in tone/style. I always liked Shadowlands.
Anarchy Online was truly unique and ground breaking at its time. I was a community rep and ran a site called Agent Sector for the Agent class. Many dont realize AO was the first game to have loot linking in chat, random missions and many other things that all MMO's have nowadays.
This awakened some deep nostalgia in me. I was part of the initial Beta test team for this game, and I still even have the beta CD from back then. Even this many years later I still have vivid fond memories of this game. The developers and the community in this game were amazing and helpfull even back then, and it offered a unique atmosphere and experience that I havent experienced since. I'm tempted to delve back into it again to see how much it has changed after not having touched it for atleast 15 years.
So I played way back and just got a wild idea to try it again. I have no knowledge of my old account, including the email (which was probably hotmail). Can you help me try to get the game customized for modern computers? I feel like it's so outdated but can be tweaked to get it more in the level of modern mmo. Like the controls and all that
@@atheist101, I recommend installing (if you use Windows) dgVoodoo drivers to use instead of standard graphics drivers. In addition, for stability purposes, using the non-beta client will provide better stability. Other than that, you are welcome to tune the settings in the game based on your preferences. 💖
@MarleMMO One thing I'm having trouble getting used to is the slow strafing. In more modern mmo you strafe the same speed as you run forward but in this it slows to a crawl.
@@atheist101, unfortunately, I think strafing is either tied to the run statistic or is a hardcoded value. Many 'modern conveniences' are (purposefully) absent in AO -- that, in many ways, can add to its charm. 💖
Hey Marle, great job really diving in to this even as a relatively new player (I think?) you picked things up very quickly! Played it since release, then on and off for another half of my life and haven't been on for a handful of years now but always in the back of my mind I think; one day I'll come back. I dream for another MMO that has a buff system like this does, as well as all the combinations of clothes/gadgets/weapons/implants. (Crazy how buffs alone can change how powerful you are to the point of being able to do something or not, to even making yourself so, so much more powerful with outside buffs as well.) Also great to see people like Caloss keep the youtube vids alive as well, inspires some cool builds to try out in the future! Are you pretty much done with AO for now? What's next?
Thank you for the kind words -- I've tinkered in AO for many years although this round is when I took more time to understand mechanics and dive deeper than my other attempts. To your other question, I don't think I'm ever 'done' covering a MMORPG although I am not yet sure what the next installment may look like. I'm open to ideas! 💖
I remember farming FRN's then multiboxing to store them on alts. Man those were some good times with some good friends. I would love if they remade this game with updated graphics.
Never played Anarchy Online past the tutorial. However since I love both Project Gorgon as well as Wurm Online and don't find those games particularly difficult but rewarding. I think I will jump back into AO and give this a try again. I just wish AO had private servers like Project 1999 does. It's unfortunate how Funcom literally abandons every MMO they make in order to make more money on a new IP. I wish they would just sell their old MMO's to new studios like LOTRO did.
This game takes me back. I loved the halluvinogenic music as i fly around on my aircraft across deserts. I had a level 200 advernturer. I stopped after playing the alien expansion
The best mmo ever made. No other game has the depth and complexity that AO has, so many games now are just so dumbed down. AO has a wide range of classes with very different an unique abilities, compare that to any modern day MMO which tends to have class names but really they are just healer, tank, DD with different skins. DisoDoctor / Bug Busters / RK2 Rimor.
One of my favourite games of all time. Takes a long time to get to grips with but I love the challenge and depth to your characters. You get a shiny new piece of armour? Cool, now you gotta figure out how to even get it on! Each profession (class) have their uses too so it makes the MMO part of it really awesome, everyone will need everyone else's help at some point so everyone needs to work together. What a game! Great video btw, thank you for making!
I think you have missed some things in your discussion about complexity and complication in the skill and equipment systems, or glossed over them. I don't contest that they are (perhaps needlessly) complicated for newer players. But these systems are what make AO stand out for me, it's what makes it unique (and uniquely hostile to new or uninterested players). When you discover how far you can push these systems, when you discover that you can ladder implants and gear to equip gear you wouldn't think was possible. When you discover that most gear let you use items at full effect even though you _no longer possess the skills_ required to equip it as long as you have 75% of the requirements. When you discover that this rule is with exceptions: Memory belts and memory chips, and implants will never be "over-equipped", you can push it as hard as you want with treatment, stat and computer literacy buffs. In AO I met players that had played for years and never made max level, they either played low level characters and focused on world pvp (which is level capped, meaning only +- certain ranges can actually hurt eachother) or making characters that can solo subway, or foremans, or Sector10(iirc) -- Dungeons that also have max level to enter. They made some money on helping people or running randomly generated missions to fund their main character or just help guild mates. It is the only MMO I've played where people were content to just chill at level 92, this can largely be attributed to that leveling alone used to be a real slog and almost unfeasible. And that the endgame isn't very interesting. Not without faults or warts, you'll also discover that spells you have learned you can no longer cast. Because the meta phycisist that buffed your Matter Creation skill, he's not around anymore. And the buff expired. You'll unequip an item that it took you 2 days of planning and 6 classes and 4 friends loaning you rare buffing items to equip. For me Anarchy Online is the complex systems, without them it is just a janky old bad game. From what you spoke about in this video you've only given a very charitable take on the janky old bad game. You have not discovered the beautiful interplay of the complex skill system.
I admire your reply and appreciate the defense of AO's depth. The next time I venture into AO, I hope to explore these systems more deeply. Do you still play? 💖
I bought anarchy online on disc day one from Game here in the UK! I remember reading the book cover to cover on the way home in my mums car. It has the best soundtrack of any MMO that I’ve heard, and some of my earliest pc gaming memories was due to this game! I still listen to the soundtrack cd even to this day! I also remember turning into a bird, having my mind blown, and flying to the oasis to farm the big diplodocus looking dino’s 😂good times! Great retrospective video too!
I spent so many years of my youth in this game, it's by far the best MMO I've played still and the depth and complexity and what you could accomplish in terms of twinking your characters and trying out new ideas. The faction wars between Omni and Clan, the tower battles, the duels, the battlestation, the community. Rubi-Ka and The Shadowlands is always going to be something that I remember and look back to with happy thoughts. My first Burden of Competence from Beast, my first 220/30 ding and the countless hours of farming Alien invasions alongside my friends, and yet again, the PVP battles! Best regards and if any of the oldies but goldies read this, hi from Jinxz/Momento/Nuek RK2
Ah AO. A game that I sank like 6 years of playtime into. It was such an immense world. Filled with lore and amazing players. I was in middleschool going into highschool during this game and my Org mates paid for my subscription. I miss them deeply. Final Haven and Black Brigade forever. Shout out to the boys of Weyland Yutani too. Hope you all found a new MMO or hell, are still enjoying this one.
This was my first MMORPG that I really played. My brother and I were very hooked on this in early 2004 and I would pretty much play it on and off from then to now. I still remember going to this little "Beach Party" outside of Borealis somewhere. There was like 40 people just hanging out, dancing, chatting and listening to a radio stream on winamp hosted by another DJ who would also play the game. The social aspect in Anarchy Online was always crazy. Even today the community is one of the greatest that you will find on the internet.
I have a lvl 209 Trader in the original Rubika, and am redownloading it now only to find there's a 2019 client, apparently. But I played for 3 years nonstop. Never hit 220, which I aim to do at some point. But jumping from AO to WoW back in the day was strange to me, because WoW was really cool, but I had a hard time getting into it because it was missing all of the community strengths. Over the years I started logging into AO less and less. Now, the community is basically unrecognizable, but I have an Ark account and never have to pay for it ever again. So, here I go, trying it once more in 2023.
The way you explained this and worked on the details is immaculate! Well done sir! My main character in AO was created on 13 December 2001, I played the MMO intensely for over 13 years and then resolved into WoW. I still to date know about everything there is to know about this game yet, I can not get any of my newer MMO friends to play it because of it's complexity. Me and my old friends still go back to it once or twice a year for nostaligic purposes. We have each class on max level/gear and so on, but it took over 1 year to build each of them. That is what we called the 'AO Grind' there is no end, there is no perfect build. You missed some important parts for me though that AO captured that no other MMO has done before like twinking and PVP on different levels. If you ever want to do another video on this feel free to reach out I can show you what we build up in 22 years of AO and some of the more hidden problems you may not have mentioned. Very very well done sir!
God I spent 10 years of my life 15 years ago on this game and it still leave a impression upon me that nothing ever will ever meet the greatness we had. We all hated WoW when it came out cause it took from our community. I remember raids with 100 people all rolling for 1 piece of armor a week. This was life changing game play for me and if its back like it was someone let me know I might return 15 years later. I played a soldier and agent alongside eachother the whole time.
Played from 2002-2005 or so and my time in AO was the greatest time of my life. One thing that should also be mentioned about the game is it had God tier music.
Aside from DAoC (which I’ve been playing since 2001); AO also has a special place in my heart. I just started AO back up again a few weeks ago after a near-decade hiatus. The population is surprisingly good and the helpfulness is still there. So, so happy I came back!
I remember when someone hit AI Level 30 (highest expansion level) there would be a global server announcement, and then everyone would shower the person with congratulation 'tells' (direct messages). Great sense of community. I have fond memories of finding all the items (concrete pillows anyone?) and buffs from other players in order to twink into overleveled gear. Or seeking out player crafting specialists who could build things for you.
You feel the core of your being shift, as the source makes room for a divine presence. [player] has reached enlightenment. There's something emotional about hearing the Ding one last time and doing your final backflip on the character you spent so much time on.
I played the AO beta and was considering buying it when it came out, but the last patch before release broke it on my video card (it caused fog that made it so I could literally only see a foot in front of me), so I ended up not.
I've played this game since release, and I've had the pleasure of sampling the majority it has to offer. Despite this, I never knew you could bribe yourself out of Arete... you learn something new every day ❤
Aaah the many many good memories of this game. The cultist trains in the temple is still the biggest laughs I got from a MMO. Seeing a confident group of player marching into the depths only to have a desperate half death guy running out moments later yelling "TRAIN!!!!" all the way. Followed by a huge army of cultists as enemies simple don't de aggro xD And when you were higher level I might occasionally draw a train to the entrance just for the lols.
I quit AO as Funcom pretty much just stopped supporting the game and content but I got to say, AO was by far the absolute best MMORPG ever made. The fight system, the building character system, everything was just amazingly put together and sure, you could over twink if you knew how to and had the money for it but I never saw that as bad. AO was the first in designing and creating features, many many features such as the implant system, the skill system and more. It's just amazing when you think about it how much time had to go into creating this system. I would still play it today if they would continue to support it, 100%!
For those interested there is a book which serves as a prequel for Anarchy Online. The book in and of itself is a masterpiece (from famed game developper/writer Ragnar Tornquist). It is named : A prophet without honor. It is available through a Google search on Anarchy Online's archive website. Unfortunately in PDF only.
I remember getting arrested in the game. Me and my friend were in TIR marketplace making a fuss. Anyway we figured out how to agro the big mobs on top of the trade building. So we got it to agro on the players at the market. Eventually the game makers caught up on us and transported me to their prison plane. /Terminate right in front of their eyes and was teleported back to the prison plane and said im sorry I will never do it again. And was set free.
One such reprobate, found himself in prison, found out that he still had his Yalm. equipped it and flew out into the Ark area, where every nano was free and equippable. That was a real stink, but so hilarious 😂 😃
I personally only really like to play moddable single player RPGs, such as the many from Bethesda, but something about Anarchy Online successfully scratched that modding itch. The implants, the funny items and outfits you could equip that seamed like something a modder would come up with rather than an official developer, all those little details conspired to eliminate the feeling so common to MMORPGs that you're playing within a restricted walled garden. For example, the ability to bootstrap your character up a few levels by swapping implants consecutively until you couldn't go any further was an important mechanic to the game, but felt like a cheat, so it made you feel special. I think it's that kind of thoughtfulness that made Anarchy Online such a great game.
This video made me remember all the fun I had with this game. MMO's today don't encourage community like they did back then and give players too many ways and incentives to play alone. In AO maybe I want money so I go farm something even as early as the subway. Maybe I want to try to do a dungeon so I go and find people outside to try with and make new buddies. Maybe I want to make a twink character at a specific level for reasons. I did what I wanted to do to get stronger and work toward my goals. New mmo's are so formulaic that everything feels like what I have to do instead of what I want to do. I mean sure, grinding mobs isn't for everyone but I found it relaxing. Good music, chatting to people and getting stronger was enough. Dungeons sometimes had people training monsters for a party wipe but not instancing them out made people interact with people and made them community hubs so it was worth it. WOW quests felt like chores from the very start, didn't encourage social interaction and was the only way to level up into a pretty much clone of everyone else. AO was more like ARK where youre motivations to play and progress came from you and what you wanted to do rather than what the game tells you to go and do and it was so much better. Add in the layers of systems in AO and every character felt personal and unique and it rewarded intelligence by making you feel like an unstoppable force thats breaking the game. Pure gold. My highlights were a lvl 49 nano tech in lvl 150 gear with no points in hp so my absorb shields made me almost invincible because pvp hits could only do a max % of hp per hit at the time so my shields were unbreakable. They nerfed me but it was fun. My nano tech enforcer who used absorb shields constantly to offset my low hp and make me able to tank without any doctor up to about lvl 160-170 then well geared trox got able to utilize absorb shields enough to be better but wow was it fun before that. But you know what I miss the most is my people. We were misfits, hell.. one guy was so drunk most of the time that I thought there was a language barrier when I met him. Misfits but all very solid players. Lung cancer got our leader and we kinda drifted away eventually after that but I will always remember what we had. RIP Dizzz
I remember wanting to play this game so bad when I was a kid. My imagination ran wild thinking of a world in which you can do whatever. Was never able to play it though due to no pay option.
Curious to check this game out again, I played when it first released so it's been a while. Just got a new gaming PC, having not really gamed since 2011 when I left WoW. Now I'm looking at MMOs that I might try. This is for nostalgic reasons but who knows might be fun still. Also looking at New World, which is obviously more up to date.
I quit that decades ago because wrangling gears to become stronger at a low level was too complicated for me. but everyone was basically soloing TOTW that way.
I love this game. I still play it. It’s a game me and my bro like to play together. If anyone ever needs any buffs my toons are in ICC by the building near the Neleb tent. I’m the guy who runs around with all the toons with “Smurff” in their name.
Today its like my engi lvl 92 goes arround with his ql155 warbot. ;) But yeah, best times where the great twink wars, lvl 15 and lvl 60. When your trader goes arround in lvl 12 and destroys lvl 25ish players only for the lols and the tower field.
I played this game on release back in 4th grade. Still to this day nothing comes close to the complex system and leveling. Its just insane. I wish they did a revamp of this game though..
As an original player who still logs from time to time, i can safely say you ended at a good note. ToTW is a required area for everyone due to 4 key items practically all players need, but are guarded behind 4 equally massive bosses. After that? You would have had to find your way to the steps of madness which is also convoluted to a new player, get the last item all players need to progress at that level, and then you would have been ready for the 3rd real dungeon. OT mines, which scales in difficulty practically every room. Loot however becomes something that will take the broken currency system and make you a part of it however, as most items sell for hundreds of thousands just at an NPC vendor, which is what i've always considered the real start of the game, as you've gotten a credit farming area that lets you buy all of those nice implants that make you OP early game. Being able to say you could solo Abmouth (Abby in chat) used to be, and is still pretty big bragging rights due to just how complex the beginning phases are.
@@MarleMMO It's always been Lv 60 for me, at bare minimum. Level cap is 220, and 60 leaves a lot of room to abuse trader buffs (wrangles, which we used to sell as a service), med buffs, and put on that medical suit to use those OP implants while under-leveled, as it doesn't remove or de-buff them if you suddenly "don't meet the reqs". To add, another part that the game carried was giving guilds their OWN CITY. Like, full on "defend your city" status with massive battles, towers to defend, etc. Anarchy Online is still to this day, the most complex MMO ever created when playing right. If you ever re-visit this game? I'd be glad to give you a tour of the deeper areas like the mines. Least i can do. Us Weyland Yutani's are kinda known for showing people around and knowing the game's complex mechanics lol.
It was my first mmo back at 2004. Been on and off alot of the other mmo-s. And the only one i play to this day is AO. Got 64 characters with all sorts of weird builds for differrent tasks. And people are non toxic. So much fun!
I loved AO, I love coming back to it and I hate it :) . Never found a MMO I like as much, the math problem to slove of twinking that item on. That a lot of items are not level locked but skill locked and with buffs, implants and gear to equip it way earlier than if just level your way into it, is a great part of why this game still speaks to me. The combat and the requirements of need a group to do things does not so much anymore :) waiting for hours to get your team, for the healer to leave when you get the tank, classic MMO problems.
My first MMO, back in 2002. Bucketloads of fun running around with NO CLUE how to play my class(es). A skill and eqipment system unmatched since, even with the utter trash crafting system. My first experience raiding, getting Complete Heal on my doc around level 135, and jumping directly into uncounted Mercs raids. Having full sets of Azure armor and Notum tanks on two toons as a Neutral player back then was pretty much unique. Shoutout to Desert Winds, Independent Rubikans, the Nanomage Liberation Front and all the other fantastic Neutral players who made up such a unique and delightful community back in the day. If Funcom took the core of this game, and applied current knowledge of systems turorials, and put it in a new engine with updated graphics and animations, pure nostalgia would drag me back like a magnet.
yea. I was there at the start. 1200 ping after starting area and trying to heal people. but it was fun and new at the time. I remember competing for the best place to sell buff for implant.
I remember when this came out. I was playing EQ and DAOC at the time. I tried playing it but just was not in to futuristic type games and it seemed very convoluted at that time
The best MMO that awarded skill and knowledge. Played from NW to AI and when SL dropped, there was nothing like it. The music in SL zones, the world, it was just on another level. Adonis and Penumbra were just INSANE. Played during the golden age on RK1 of Clan guilds like Synergy Factor, Redemption and my guild, Storm (before the whole superguild Spartans stuff). Still have tons of screenshots from my agent days getting all types of pvp titles on a bunch of characters (Apprentice -> Expert) and all the hate tells for ganking flagged players. Really miss that game, its just too dead to play.
AO and DAoC were peak MMOs for me. Graphics improved in newer ones and there were a few notable ones with great ideas but mainstream "pretty" MMOs never surpassed those early ones when it comes to vibe and community.
That time 22 years ago when I thought oh wow engineers look like such a awesome pet class, then ran out of money watching my first bot die over and over to where I was too broke to cast another shell….hard lessons.
The first time i played this game was magical. Such a vast dystopian and intresting world to explore. All different classes were extremely valuable in their own way. Which caused teams to always look for people, because without a doctor, NT, fixer or enforcer you could not clear that final boss. Another quality of the game was that it is was not just pay to win. Especially in the early years some of the best players out there were non- paying players who simply had a large enough brain to game the system.
Question! ⚡ What do you think about Anarchy Online? Let us know. 👇 The links to AO are below. 👉
🌟 Website: www.anarchy-online.com
🌟 AO's Discord: discord.gg/anarchyonline
I personally am a tad busy with other MMOs, but I definitely think I'll be giving this game a look.
♥️
I would have stick wit it if the controls wasnt so poop
@@veryrare432hz It's an oldie yet a classic! 💖
@@MarleMMO yes ur video make me want to try again
AO players will never forget the insane freedom that came with buying your first Yalm. Saving up that ~4mil was one of the most rewarding mmo experiences I've ever had.
I believe it! 💖
Haha! If someone found a terminal selling the cheapest Yalm, we'd keep a character logged into that game space to stop the stock from rotating. Then we'd advertise it the chat channels. invite anyone to team who couldn't get the same GS and then they'd get in to buy one. >.> Good times
@@djjonesy1519 i miss this game so much
I've spent my first 5Mil buying a Pioneer backpack from a beta tester ^^
@@vinsang63 What a bargain. I paid over a bill for mine :P...eventually
I think Anarchy Online was probably the best MMO to ever be released. It defined MMOs for the next 20 years.
It's such a classic! 💖
If only!
No it didn't
Having been an avid player of Anarchy Online from 2005 to 2012, I can't help but reflect fondly on the countless hours spent immersed in its riveting universe. The personal reasons that led to my departure from the game came far too soon and, to this day, I still yearn for the virtual camaraderie I left behind.
In a landscape crowded with countless MMORPGs, Anarchy Online stood out with its unique blend of compelling narrative, richly detailed environments, and a community that was second to none. The friendships I forged with people from around the globe are among my most cherished memories, serving as a testament to the power of this game to connect individuals across cultures and continents.
What I particularly loved about Anarchy Online was its community spirit, a sense of belonging that transcended the usual player-vs-player conflicts typical of the genre. This community will forever hold a special place in my heart.
I recently returned to the game, driven by nostalgia and longing for the experiences that once defined my virtual life. Sadly, the world I rediscovered was far removed from the thriving, bustling universe I had left. The servers felt desolate, the player count was markedly reduced, and the once-thriving community seemed to have diminished.
It is truly disheartening to witness such a pioneering game in the MMORPG genre become almost a ghost town, especially when I consider its immense potential and the meaningful memories it continues to evoke for many former players.
In this era of modern remakes and sequels, I can't help but imagine what an Anarchy Online 2 could look like. A complete, modernized rendition of the game, preserving its core essence while catering to contemporary gaming trends and technologies, could be an extraordinary venture. Such a project would not only reinvigorate the existing fan base, but it could also introduce a whole new generation of players to the unique joys of Anarchy Online.
Despite its current state, Anarchy Online remains a landmark title in my personal gaming journey, and I am confident that it holds a similar position for many others. Its legacy in the world of MMORPGs is irreplaceable, and it is my sincere hope that one day we might see this iconic universe reborn in the form of Anarchy Online 2.
A true spiritual successor to Anarchy Online would certainly find a dedicated & loyal player base. I am especially fond of your memory that despite areas having a PvP emphasis, the community in general had a high degree of camaraderie. Thank you for your thoughtful comment! 💖
I also played around the same time? who was your character?
I believe that the new iteration of AO would not succeed if it kept the complexity, which made the game what it is. Times have changed and young people these days have different preferences. And You remember all too well that this game requires immense ammounts of time put into it to be competitive in PVE (or PVM how we called it back then) not even speaking about the PVP which was always my goal in the game. So maybe when our generation retire and have more free time at our hands, then it could maybe work, but who makes games specifically for old people ? :D
Burroheals@@Bigwheels161616
As someone who has stories such as the crawl a thon across clan, neuts and omni, the level 5 bar brawls. Such fun, where even the GM's were laughing so hard they forgot they were telling in OOC.
Who can forget Liaker, breaking FC's system and fighting everyone in the combat zones.
Made real friends there.
My last comment is about the complete levelling of relationships, we had a doc, although slow was fantastic.
We later found out in RL he was a paraplegic, using a head stick to control. He was still our doc regardless of his material state.
No other game has ever beaten that level of camadarie. FC lost it. But our memories are strong as ever.
Clan Forever ...Kallipar Martial Artist Ascension.
CNIHVURSTF THNXBYE...LOL
I sank COUNTLESS hours into this game back in the day. This game cost me relationships with women, lol. I remember getting my superior perennium gun on my sniper, getting the bright orange tier 3 armor, gwydwinn (?) hammer, heavy notum tank armor and a helmet that looked like bull horns on my enforcer. Standing in the main areas asking for buffs to squeeze on your newest item. A remake of the game with the latest technology would be amazing!!
A true UO 2 would be amazing. 💖
I have based my life around this game. I think it influenced my brain development. It certainly provided escapism and helped me deal with trauma. Its community taught me there were good people in the world, and I think the clunky and unyielding gameplay might have been deliberate (if idealistic) to force that jolly cooperation.
I don’t know of any other game where a pioneer CAN be so powerful, but the multiplicative effect of working as a group is just as viable. If there was a political agenda it showed that Anarchy is a viable path to Utopia.
It taught me critical thinking as well as the ability to visualise distant goals and the power of an appetite for problem solving. My job is about as close as I can get to everything I loved in terms of industry and how I execute my tasks. I recently got burnt out at work and spent a couple days off finishing a level 10 trader twink that I first started 11 years ago.
It feels like much of society is losing a lot of these skills and values, including AOs publisher. There are no long term goals anymore, only tiny dopamine hits between 20 seconds videos, or quarterly earning reports.
We are more technologically advanced than ever, and yet I think many children today have no idea what is possible. Don’t get me wrong, the world is a very big place with lots of cultures, but the western capitalist model massively influences global lifestyle. I think this is what makes part of me wish I could remain in AO’s Utopia, even after all these years.
I can see how AO has selected for traits that promote long term thinking, planning, and achievement. I do miss that era of MMO design! 💖
@@FKProds I couldn’t agree more man. This game had the same impact. It seriously helped my brain develop a mindset to grab life by the balls this game took dedication
What a nostalgia trip watching this. I was there at launch and then played for 7 years, what were certainly some of the darkest times for me outside of the game, but the community that existed in AO was my refuge. Those of us that were around all the time, we were all close. When tragedy hit the community we all grieved. When drama occurred, there was no hiding it from anyone. To this day I will sustain that I had deeper friendships with players of this game than perhaps half a dozen folks, outside, ever.
I recall fondly when the biodome content was added, I organized my clan to be one of the first groups to approach it. The devs were so invested that during and after, in secret, GM Means was messaging me, asking for live feedback. We went on to become good friends over the next couple of years, I watched my influence shape a world.
I went on to help with some deeper beta testing, but then something happened. It may have been the release of WoW or an expansion. The community left quickly, and the game started to lose appeal for all. It was a formative time in my life though and I will never forget it.
Thank you for sharing your story! 🥰
@@MarleMMO I logged back in either a fresh toon and a new subscription after writing this and I’m addicted all over again haha!
@@danip.3245 🥳
In an age where MMOs are consistently dumbed down, we need more complicated games to exist. Anarchy online is basically a customization powerhouse. It's not complicated. Overwhelming for the first time yes. But once you understand the system is incredibly easy to use. And that complicated system becomes a mode of customization that no other game has. It's actually a shame that modern games are so dumb and basic in comparison.
Also note that open world dungeons are not meant to be the only way to level up. The original game was mostly based around quests, which you obtain from mission terminals. Now that is a grindy boring system. But that was the main aspect. Or you can level up by going to open world dungeons. Or you could just level up in the open world itself. It lets the player decide. Which is the point of an MMO, player choice
Having played from about 2002 then off and on, the customization and depth is really what is missing from newer games, or at least the skill based vs level based equipment. I remember back in the day there was a level 1 trader running around who had twinked into 60 or 70 equipment. And that ability to twink opened up a small and somewhat niche but valuable market for players. You get locked out of the subway after 24, so make a twink and solo the boss. ToTW, same thing.
Because one of the bosses shares a model with the high level MP pet, I made one just so I could set up a situation where the boss was hitting itself. I think I spent most of a month working out all the details for how to do that but it was a major sense of pride and accomplishment the first time I rolled up and just smashed the final 3 bosses solo. And seeing everyone freaking out as the 'boss' is running loose. Sure I needed a couple outside buffs to pull out the biggest pet, but I could sell off loot from soloing the bosses that full parties would wipe on more often than not.
And on top of all that, there where a solid handful of ways of making money as a low level. Sure having a 220 and be able to just roll over the dynamic bosses in a zone and net a few million in half an hour is one thing, but if you knew where to look you could make almost as good money from like level 5. Those bots in the subway drop a memory chip. Only worth a few hundred at the level they drop, but give it to someone who can take it to ql200 and now its about 100k in a shop. 2 bags is enough for your first proper vehicle. Or enough for, it not a full out twink, at least a solid equipment upgrade that should last you into your 40's. Then your in ToTW and can start solo farming the passes. 50k/ each but a team is going to need at least a few. And spares. Half mil in 20 minutes solo with just decent equipment from that subway payout.
I think it was entirely possible to not touch the mission board until around 150: OG backyard until 5. Subway to 20-you get kicked. ToTW to 60 (plus some BIS loot), Foremans to 100. CoH? It was more of a loot dungeon than a leveling one, but it still counts. Maybe a handful of missions for the token board just to get a neck item. Then Smugglers den. I forget what that runs to because I would raid the mantis side for eggs but your looking at ~150 just from dungeons.
I don't think the mission system was really a grind. At least not if you where smart with it. There was a 3ed party program for reading the mission rewards that was sort of needed if you where item hunting, but those mission items could be anything. Spend 2 minutes rolling a few missions that you can either blitz (so cash and item that was probably worth a bunch) or run (xp and loot) and is a nice alternative from having everything in the shop.
And don't even get me started on crafting.
There are certainly some rough edges but I think AO got most things right enough, given that there wasn't as much to go on 22 years ago, and it didn't really get anything wrong. Some in game references to avoid having to look up guides would be nice and being able to see all the crafting laid out.
And instead of myriad factions, all with there own rep and currency there where a handful: Main faction (tokens), and PVP for bragging rights. SL added the side factions (effectively just 1 per side) and the main neutral one with no currency. AI added research (more an XP sink), AXP, and the commendation things. So 3 xp bars, 3 'factions' that you sort of go up with just by playing, and 1 spendable currency besides credits.
I guess in conclusion the magic sauce is to have enough to do to be able to make your own endgame and to not have to spend days on end filling a little bar until it goes 'ding!' and repeat 99+ more times.
I do love AO's degree of customization -- it's entirely freeing. Moreover, I did not take a look at the procedural mission system and in retrospect, I should have. Maybe next time! 💖
Yeah, I love opened ended MMOs. I hope to dive even deeper into AO in the future to experience some of it. 💖
@@MarleMMO to add to what @goblinphreak2132 says... I played AO starting in Feb 2002. Leveling in those days, it was often pulling missions from mission terminals with a team, going into the mission and clearing it for xp. But also, organic hunting grounds developed. For instance, large groups of players would gather at a random bridge where two "Bully" mobs spawned on each end. Often there would be a team to join there, and you'd wait for the bully to spawn and kill it for a huge chunk of XP. At higher levels, I remember large groups standing around the Cyborg area in Mort. One player would pull a cyborg (often multiple by mistake) out, and teams of players would work to take them down, hoping to earn enough of the shared damage on it to be awarded xp. There were loads of areas that became hunting grounds like that just by word of mouth.
I love organic open world leveling in MMOs! 💖
Every serious AO player remembers the feeling when they got their Heavy Notum Tank Armor.
And later their Burden of Competence
HNTA + D-chest + Azure armor
Made my first european friends in this game. A lvl 15 trader with a ql 186 rifle taught me how to twink then flew me to Norway to hang out. 10/10 still play to this day.
That's incredible! 🥰
Core memory, my experience with AO went from falling in love with the gameplay to becoming a hugely personally influential period of life. This isnt even a hyperbole but playing AO is a human journey.
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I started playing in 2002. It was the first mmo I ever played I was 32 at the time. I still play from time to time and I am still friends with members of the org I was in. Clan forever!
Such a classic MMO! 💖
I remember when i was playing AO back then, i was grinding for nearly a month to find (Grid armor 4) for my fixer, and when i finally did it, it was the happiest moment in my entire life LOL.
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I grinded for months myself, but when I won a roll for living dragon flesh armor from Tarqsque in Camelot castle (correct me if I’m wrong….. it’s been some years), I traded it for GA4. That piece of armor owned and then came the NTs with the GA-nuke 😂 (miss the Tranquility guild and the time back then).. oh and let’s not forget the amazing music ❤️ Think I’m gonna load it up and play some good old Rubi-ka missions again 😂
@@ilythiaAO Camelot was the most fun .. i went there for PVP i didn't even care about the raids LOL
@@yamensabry5834 loved it! And remember getting Resonance blast for my NT alt from that hard hitting agent (thanks Tranquility). Was beautiful ❤️ I loved tower wars too. Shadowlands kinda ruined it for me tho’
@@ilythiaAO I've never played NT so i don't know about their class specific quests, but as a fixer i just need to know to run the other way when i see one LOL. I liked the Shadowlands, specially the end game stuff, like in inferno, the raids there were insane. I used to compete for the 1st place as a damage dealer with my lvl 220 soldier.
I still count hecklers in my dreams. Those pre-INF missions grinds towards 220 were nothing to scuff at. WoW completely shattered that patience, lol.
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It's wild how complicated things can get-and that's just the base game! Shadowlands took it to a whole new level of chaos. But if you thought Anarchy Online was confusing, Asheron's Call was on an entirely different plane. It was challenging overall, and its character system could permanently ruin your build if you didn't allocate skill points carefully. I'll never forget when I was ported to Ayan Baqur and instantly started getting one shot by everything. To this day, I still hate the Shadows in that game!
What kept me hooked, though, was the storytelling. Turbine, the developers, weren't afraid to shake things up and make permanent changes to the game world as part of their monthly story updates. One of my most jaw-dropping moments happened a few months after launch during an update called Darkness Ascendant. Rumors started flying around the community that massive Shadow Spires had destroyed significant cities. At first, I thought it was just trolling, but my allegiance patron (basically the guild leader) told me, "No, seriously. Arwic is gone." I had to see it for myself.
When I ported to Arwic, it was completely obliterated-just craters where a bustling city used to be. And this wasn't just any city. Arwic was like Asheron's Call's version of Stormwind or Orgrimmar, where everyone went to trade, group up, or hang out. It was so crowded that it caused "portal storms," which randomly teleported people away when too many players gathered in one spot. There was even a running joke that Turbine nuked Arwic to stop the storms!
Another standout memory for me was getting my Atlan Axe. That quest was intense, with so many steps and locations. Thankfully, when I did it, the servers were so active that other players had already cleared most of the mobs. Still, getting my axe skill high enough to meet the requirements took forever. I couldn't hit the alchemy level needed to craft the Quality Pyreal Ingot, so I found a kind player who helped me out-for a decent chunk of gold. Then came the trek to Cater Lake Village-yes, a genuine trek across the land, all while being chased by mobs way higher in level and far more deadly than I was ready for. Once I finally made it there, I bought the Finesse Weapons Glyph and used it to transform my ingot into a Superb Infused Ingot. With that in hand, I returned to the Archmage to trade it for my Atlan Axe! What a journey!
But that wasn't the end. I wanted to add significantly more damage via lightning to make it epic, so I went after the Major Sparking Stone. That meant diving into the Amperehelion Vault, a dungeon crawling with level 80-100 mobs. I was only level 55 then, which made it extremely tough, but luckily, higher-level players had cleared most of it when I went in. I was so proud when I finally combined the stone with my axe to create the Peerless Sparking Atlan Axe! I just stood there, showing it off to anyone who'd look.
I have so many other memories from Asheron's Call, like when I got my hands on a Hoary Mattekar Robe-one of the most powerful items for spellcasters back then because of its insane stats. The robe became even more valuable when Turbine removed it from the game. They eventually brought it back, but it was heavily nerfed by then. I ended up selling mine on eBay for $250 (that was back when there was no such thing as Bind on Pickup or Bind on Equip! I also remember farming Virindi Masks and selling them for $35 on eBay. I made a lot of money from them.
What made Asheron's Call special was the dynamic and unpredictable world. It wasn't just a static backdrop-it evolved in ways that made the story feel alive. That kind of immersion is rare, and it's why the game left such a lasting impression on me.
The only game that's ever come close for me is Guild Wars 2. Its Living World story, especially during Season One, had permanent changes that reminded me of Asheron's Call-like the massive spire in Kessex Hills. Even now, you can still see the scars of its destruction. Games like these stick with you because they make the world feel real, like your actions-and the story-truly matter.
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I played alot of AO back in the day. I had twinks for lower dungeons. That was the most awsome part of the game for me. Like a level 25 Subway dungeon twink with GTA+Styg or Perennium beamer. I never experienced thiskind of satisfaction in other MMORPGs.
Twinking in this game = maxxing out your skills needed, making sure you dont waste any points, gathering special buffs from around town, buying or loaning special items, buying or loaning special armor, making custom special implants etc to equip an item, then you do it all over again to equip the next item, and so on and on until you finally can put on your one special item. Bascially you had to make implant sets to get on higher level implants to get on higher level implants and do it until you ran out of options (since there were only certain slots you could use for certain stat increase). And you have to know exactly what your stats are afterwards also (since you cant change gear afterwards, you can only get buffs, and your NCU is limited), not be too weak to be able to use it. All that brainstorm was what i enjoyed. And also then you can showoff what you have equipped in town and flex in the dungeons with your insane damage. Everyone noticed when you had a special piece of armor or a weapon on you. Since everyone knew the BiS items, but never either got them because the boss was too hard or they farmed and it did not drop or they just couldnt equip it. Never ever seen anything like that in other MMOs.
Oh and getting level 220... i remember that also. That was an insane grind. And when someone got to 220 everyone on the server got a notification. It was such an achievement.
Well, it was a blast. I hope that someday there will be another great complex mmo with twinking.
Now I want to play AO again 🤣
Man, there's something about early 2000s mmorpg character models that make them feel much better than what we've got nowadays. Sorta like the old NWN models before Beamdog released the HD pack. Love that blocky-yet-believable and highly customizable look.
Yeah, I entirely agree. I have a personal fondness for these 'old-school' looks too. 💖
22:15 ahahaha I am Ludwin of NinjaKittens- can't believe after getting the hankering to watch an AO review on YT I stumble over that
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Just started AO for the first time a few days ago and holy moly am I loving it. I played MMOs back in the day but skipped AO and I can't remember why. I'd say it's a combination of EVE Online and Star Wars Galaxies
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I was there over 500 years ago when the game had its rough launch. I've played it off & on over the years. I have a deep love for this game. The complexity allowed for some crazy character builds.
Yeah, they really had a unique set of theory crafting systems! 💖
My first MMO, still the best MMO because of it's complex mechanics. Sadly updates stopped and my guild slowly died, so I too left it like a decade ago.
Played since 2005 when I started clicksavering for concrete cushions in order to purchase my first Yalm (flying mount).
Played all the way to 2012, when I routinely played two accounts simultaneously, alt tabbing between game windows. Killing end game raid bosses by myself because others in my guild had already vanished into the ether.
- Tchu to create Hold Hell at Bay rings and Inferno boots for sale from parts gathered on half a dozen alts. (enf + doc)
- The Night Heart in Pandemonium for giggles and some loot (enf + doc)
- Mitaar hero for loot to get and sell (solja + crat)
Between there I was one of the clan faction raidleaders for Phatznet and Alien playfield, including the huge sector 42 artillery commander progression raids.
It really was something special in a time that has passed us by, but the memories and a few screenshots still remain.
Rimor / Coven of Hunters
Thank you for sharing! 😊
I don't think I'll ever love another game the way I loved this one. If I had the power to make one sequel for a video game it'd be this one. I was one of the better players on my server during the Shadowlands and Alien Invasion days. I still think about my metaphysicist, though I'm not sure I could even get back onto my old account.
I think the thing you're missing about the complexity of the stats is that it gives you every single stat to work with, even though you'll only use a small percentage of them. You have the power to up the completely wrong stats, though there are levels of which are easiest to level based on your profession. Also, a lot of them have little to do with combat. And back in the day you got used to knowing how much stats you could buff yourself to put on better gear. You'd often have to switch implants just to equip a piece of gear, that you then could never take off because you wouldn't be able to put it back on again.
I've played a lot of these games, but nothing has ever felt like the AO world. I played a character that used nanobots to create manifestations of their feelings to fight people with. I always thought that was a cool idea.
Super cool - I do love its freedom! 🥰
Same here mate still have my characters from way way back at launch.
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I played AO for basically a decade (2003-2013) and it was the best times I've ever had in an MMO. Sadly as all the friends I knew trickled away, I too lost the motivation to keep playing, and the ignorance of Funcom and their lack of support for this game.
I'm so happy and sad! Do you still main a MMO? 🥰
@@MarleMMO Yes, it has been my main genre since starting AO all those years ago. The last decade I’ve spent mostly in SWTOR, GW2, and FFXIV. I have thoroughly enjoyed those games, but never quite felt the magic I did back in the AO days.
I have enjoyed all the titles you've mentioned too -- I'm so sad that I missed classic AO; I was neck deep into EQ at the time. 💖
Played this for a long time and had several 200+ characters. One thing that stood out way back when was the procedurally generated missions. End game it was fun to have a fixer that could "blitz" these missions for high value items and sell them to other players or shops. I had a friend who was a GM of sorts try out my character and she wondered how I could stand playing with my crazy runspeed. I miss those days.
Thank you for sharing your story! 🥰
Miss this game, was playing an Adventurer and Fixer.
Shout out to Avatars Reloaded my old org (guild).
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Fellow 'Fourth Faction' member, here. ;)
I remember you, you mained a Doctor right?
I might be wrong but it has been a few years.
Muntfix salutes you.@@Malentor
20 years has passed since last I played and a TH-cam video renewed my interest. Back into Anarchy Online I went! Kinda. My account was...frozen? Having to watch another video about a really shady way of going to a random website to enter login information, the account was unfrozen. Here's a few nods to AO: 1.) Anarchy Online is sci-fi themed, which automatically puts the game into a rare niche 2.) AO doesn't ask me for money every ten minutes, although there was a strong push in the beginning for me to subscribe & maybe the game does later 3.) Open world feeling 4.) Quiet. Ah, no hordes of players spamming chat 5.) Chill, not frantic about combat and a thousand buttons 6.) Anarchy Online still exists whereas most MMOs from the area are gone with a capital "G". Gonna ride this wave out as far as I can. Thanks for the video! Liked & subscribed, always welcome to check out my channel to see if there's anything of interest as well. Blessings be.
What a great reply! Thank you for stopping by, and cheers to your TH-cam efforts! 💖
I did enjoy playing this game back in the day, so unique. The names of creatures when exploring (the various failed experiments) or the vast number of nanos for classes and their names, like the Bureaucrat (Red Tape or Demotivation Speech: Let's Make a Committee 😄). We'll never see things like this again sadly. But I've always been a casual player and AO was really not for casuals. Max twinking was required for group content, and Shadowlands was f'ing hard! I tried it again a couple times with the new updates but couldn't get into it again.
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Aww man when I got my 1st Perrenium Sniper Rifle - Ely Hecks
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I had such a blast playing this game in the early 2000's, also made tons of friends. Played for a good 5 years, had like 5-6 max level characters. Was tons of fun. Never Ever played another MMO like this one.
I'm so envious! 💖
I used to play AO like 20 years ago and loved it for many years. One of the most fun experiences I had was in an Omni city where a scheduled "in character" event was happening. An admin of some sort was leading some players around, and I forget the exact nature of it all, but he slowly approached me and we went back and forth a bit with in-character dialogue cheering on Omni and decrying the Clans. Might sound trivial, but I really enjoyed the depth and engagement!
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played back then in the 2000´s ... i played a lot of mmos in my life but i had the most fun and best social interactions in AO. AO will always have a special place in my heart, i wish there would be something new like AO.
When I played, the first time I went to the temple of three winds, I had to travel several zones on foot. It was an adventure on itself because found several rare monsters and different locations. See the towers of pvp across the landscape, crossing to hostile areas where you could be attacked by opposite faction, and that would be miseravel. Walk of shame.
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Coming back to this video.... fun fact, there are waypoints. Its on the compass as a dot. Direction you in the direction of the NPC or quest you are meant to go to. and ONLY works if you are in the proper "zone" since each area is its own zone area. Also can find them on the larger planet map as a dot as well.
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nothing can beat my 100% self buffed froob nanomage (weakest class) nano tech (even weaker vs the trio), solo Uklesh, Khalum and Aztur the immortal WITHOUT running around the table. Fight took more than 30 mins, and when it was done, my fingers were almost stiff and i was drenched in sweat.
lmao
I wish they made games like this again. The others are so boring
Choices really mattered in AO -- something I wish that modern games try to balance better. 💖
I think star wars galaxies emu server's (and TOR) have captured most of the remaining audience for this game.
Interesting; how so? 🥰
IIRC, Shadowlands was originally supposed to be a whole new title. But they ultimately decided to merge it into AO, which probably explains the radical change in tone/style.
I always liked Shadowlands.
I had no idea! That's very interesting; thank you for sharing. 💖
Oh man, I used to be a greeter back in the day. Ah, memories
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Grew up with this game. Really amazing game. My uncle got me my first expansion pack as I didnt have a credit card yet. Memories, hehe.
I remember having to convince family members to get me MMO xpacs/subscriptions too. xD
Anarchy Online was truly unique and ground breaking at its time. I was a community rep and ran a site called Agent Sector for the Agent class. Many dont realize AO was the first game to have loot linking in chat, random missions and many other things that all MMO's have nowadays.
So fun! Thank you for sharing! 🥰
Not to mention "instancing".
The private procedural missions, yeah? 🥰
This awakened some deep nostalgia in me. I was part of the initial Beta test team for this game, and I still even have the beta CD from back then. Even this many years later I still have vivid fond memories of this game. The developers and the community in this game were amazing and helpfull even back then, and it offered a unique atmosphere and experience that I havent experienced since. I'm tempted to delve back into it again to see how much it has changed after not having touched it for atleast 15 years.
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Anarchy Online is the best MMO! Been playing since 2005 and still loving it
Excellent -- is AO still your main MMO? 💖
So I played way back and just got a wild idea to try it again. I have no knowledge of my old account, including the email (which was probably hotmail). Can you help me try to get the game customized for modern computers? I feel like it's so outdated but can be tweaked to get it more in the level of modern mmo. Like the controls and all that
@@atheist101, I recommend installing (if you use Windows) dgVoodoo drivers to use instead of standard graphics drivers. In addition, for stability purposes, using the non-beta client will provide better stability. Other than that, you are welcome to tune the settings in the game based on your preferences. 💖
@MarleMMO One thing I'm having trouble getting used to is the slow strafing. In more modern mmo you strafe the same speed as you run forward but in this it slows to a crawl.
@@atheist101, unfortunately, I think strafing is either tied to the run statistic or is a hardcoded value. Many 'modern conveniences' are (purposefully) absent in AO -- that, in many ways, can add to its charm. 💖
Hey Marle, great job really diving in to this even as a relatively new player (I think?) you picked things up very quickly!
Played it since release, then on and off for another half of my life and haven't been on for a handful of years now but always in the back of my mind I think; one day I'll come back.
I dream for another MMO that has a buff system like this does, as well as all the combinations of clothes/gadgets/weapons/implants. (Crazy how buffs alone can change how powerful you are to the point of being able to do something or not, to even making yourself so, so much more powerful with outside buffs as well.)
Also great to see people like Caloss keep the youtube vids alive as well, inspires some cool builds to try out in the future!
Are you pretty much done with AO for now? What's next?
Thank you for the kind words -- I've tinkered in AO for many years although this round is when I took more time to understand mechanics and dive deeper than my other attempts.
To your other question, I don't think I'm ever 'done' covering a MMORPG although I am not yet sure what the next installment may look like. I'm open to ideas! 💖
I remember farming FRN's then multiboxing to store them on alts. Man those were some good times with some good friends. I would love if they remade this game with updated graphics.
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Never played Anarchy Online past the tutorial. However since I love both Project Gorgon as well as Wurm Online and don't find those games particularly difficult but rewarding. I think I will jump back into AO and give this a try again. I just wish AO had private servers like Project 1999 does. It's unfortunate how Funcom literally abandons every MMO they make in order to make more money on a new IP. I wish they would just sell their old MMO's to new studios like LOTRO did.
I hope you enjoy AO! Yeah, a true classic AO server undoubtably would draw a sizable population. 💖
This game takes me back. I loved the halluvinogenic music as i fly around on my aircraft across deserts. I had a level 200 advernturer. I stopped after playing the alien expansion
Thank you for sharing your story! 🥰
The best mmo ever made. No other game has the depth and complexity that AO has, so many games now are just so dumbed down.
AO has a wide range of classes with very different an unique abilities, compare that to any modern day MMO which tends to have class names but really they are just healer, tank, DD with different skins.
DisoDoctor / Bug Busters / RK2 Rimor.
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One of my favourite games of all time. Takes a long time to get to grips with but I love the challenge and depth to your characters. You get a shiny new piece of armour? Cool, now you gotta figure out how to even get it on! Each profession (class) have their uses too so it makes the MMO part of it really awesome, everyone will need everyone else's help at some point so everyone needs to work together. What a game!
Great video btw, thank you for making!
My pleasure - glad you enjoyed the video. It's such a special MMO! 🥰
I think you have missed some things in your discussion about complexity and complication in the skill and equipment systems, or glossed over them. I don't contest that they are (perhaps needlessly) complicated for newer players. But these systems are what make AO stand out for me, it's what makes it unique (and uniquely hostile to new or uninterested players).
When you discover how far you can push these systems, when you discover that you can ladder implants and gear to equip gear you wouldn't think was possible. When you discover that most gear let you use items at full effect even though you _no longer possess the skills_ required to equip it as long as you have 75% of the requirements. When you discover that this rule is with exceptions: Memory belts and memory chips, and implants will never be "over-equipped", you can push it as hard as you want with treatment, stat and computer literacy buffs.
In AO I met players that had played for years and never made max level, they either played low level characters and focused on world pvp (which is level capped, meaning only +- certain ranges can actually hurt eachother) or making characters that can solo subway, or foremans, or Sector10(iirc) -- Dungeons that also have max level to enter. They made some money on helping people or running randomly generated missions to fund their main character or just help guild mates. It is the only MMO I've played where people were content to just chill at level 92, this can largely be attributed to that leveling alone used to be a real slog and almost unfeasible. And that the endgame isn't very interesting.
Not without faults or warts, you'll also discover that spells you have learned you can no longer cast. Because the meta phycisist that buffed your Matter Creation skill, he's not around anymore. And the buff expired. You'll unequip an item that it took you 2 days of planning and 6 classes and 4 friends loaning you rare buffing items to equip.
For me Anarchy Online is the complex systems, without them it is just a janky old bad game. From what you spoke about in this video you've only given a very charitable take on the janky old bad game. You have not discovered the beautiful interplay of the complex skill system.
I admire your reply and appreciate the defense of AO's depth. The next time I venture into AO, I hope to explore these systems more deeply. Do you still play? 💖
I sorely wish we could get AO2
A bona fide AO2 would be lovely. 💖
I bought anarchy online on disc day one from Game here in the UK! I remember reading the book cover to cover on the way home in my mums car. It has the best soundtrack of any MMO that I’ve heard, and some of my earliest pc gaming memories was due to this game!
I still listen to the soundtrack cd even to this day!
I also remember turning into a bird, having my mind blown, and flying to the oasis to farm the big diplodocus looking dino’s 😂good times! Great retrospective video too!
So awesome! And thank you for the kind words! Glad it could ignite some fun memories. 💖
I spent so many years of my youth in this game, it's by far the best MMO I've played still and the depth and complexity and what you could accomplish in terms of twinking your characters and trying out new ideas. The faction wars between Omni and Clan, the tower battles, the duels, the battlestation, the community. Rubi-Ka and The Shadowlands is always going to be something that I remember and look back to with happy thoughts. My first Burden of Competence from Beast, my first 220/30 ding and the countless hours of farming Alien invasions alongside my friends, and yet again, the PVP battles!
Best regards and if any of the oldies but goldies read this, hi from Jinxz/Momento/Nuek RK2
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Notum Wars was so fun. Especially camping TOTW as omni when the tower outside went active. Poor clanners had to cross no man's land.
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Ah AO. A game that I sank like 6 years of playtime into. It was such an immense world. Filled with lore and amazing players. I was in middleschool going into highschool during this game and my Org mates paid for my subscription. I miss them deeply. Final Haven and Black Brigade forever. Shout out to the boys of Weyland Yutani too. Hope you all found a new MMO or hell, are still enjoying this one.
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I still remember those orgs! 🙂 Greetings from the Knights of Ka 🙋♂️
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This was my first MMORPG that I really played. My brother and I were very hooked on this in early 2004 and I would pretty much play it on and off from then to now. I still remember going to this little "Beach Party" outside of Borealis somewhere. There was like 40 people just hanging out, dancing, chatting and listening to a radio stream on winamp hosted by another DJ who would also play the game. The social aspect in Anarchy Online was always crazy. Even today the community is one of the greatest that you will find on the internet.
Thank you for sharing a wonderful memory! 🥰
@@MarleMMO Thanks for covering one of my favorite childhood games :D
@delinquentis9971 My pleasure! 🥰
0:30 Getting Jump-scared by my own fan 3D model is an experience I never though I would experience, yet here I am XD
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i still remember pre ordering the cd in the mail. man i feel old.
The good old days. 💖
I have a lvl 209 Trader in the original Rubika, and am redownloading it now only to find there's a 2019 client, apparently. But I played for 3 years nonstop. Never hit 220, which I aim to do at some point. But jumping from AO to WoW back in the day was strange to me, because WoW was really cool, but I had a hard time getting into it because it was missing all of the community strengths. Over the years I started logging into AO less and less. Now, the community is basically unrecognizable, but I have an Ark account and never have to pay for it ever again. So, here I go, trying it once more in 2023.
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I put several years into AO. Was one of the leaders among ppl that stayed neutral. Dominated both clan and omni in low level twink pvp.
God I miss this game... Need a time machine and go back...
Too bad there isn't a reputable classic server available. :(
The way you explained this and worked on the details is immaculate! Well done sir! My main character in AO was created on 13 December 2001, I played the MMO intensely for over 13 years and then resolved into WoW. I still to date know about everything there is to know about this game yet, I can not get any of my newer MMO friends to play it because of it's complexity. Me and my old friends still go back to it once or twice a year for nostaligic purposes. We have each class on max level/gear and so on, but it took over 1 year to build each of them. That is what we called the 'AO Grind' there is no end, there is no perfect build. You missed some important parts for me though that AO captured that no other MMO has done before like twinking and PVP on different levels.
If you ever want to do another video on this feel free to reach out I can show you what we build up in 22 years of AO and some of the more hidden problems you may not have mentioned.
Very very well done sir!
Thank you for the kind words! I'll be sure to reach out! 🥰
Dumped all my points into Swimming and realized I had to delete my lvl32 toon.
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God I spent 10 years of my life 15 years ago on this game and it still leave a impression upon me that nothing ever will ever meet the greatness we had. We all hated WoW when it came out cause it took from our community. I remember raids with 100 people all rolling for 1 piece of armor a week. This was life changing game play for me and if its back like it was someone let me know I might return 15 years later. I played a soldier and agent alongside eachother the whole time.
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Played from 2002-2005 or so and my time in AO was the greatest time of my life.
One thing that should also be mentioned about the game is it had God tier music.
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Aside from DAoC (which I’ve been playing since 2001); AO also has a special place in my heart. I just started AO back up again a few weeks ago after a near-decade hiatus. The population is surprisingly good and the helpfulness is still there. So, so happy I came back!
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I remember when someone hit AI Level 30 (highest expansion level) there would be a global server announcement, and then everyone would shower the person with congratulation 'tells' (direct messages). Great sense of community. I have fond memories of finding all the items (concrete pillows anyone?) and buffs from other players in order to twink into overleveled gear. Or seeking out player crafting specialists who could build things for you.
I love it. :)
You feel the core of your being shift, as the source makes room for a divine presence. [player] has reached enlightenment.
There's something emotional about hearing the Ding one last time and doing your final backflip on the character you spent so much time on.
@sander7838 The sound design is superb! 🥰
I played the AO beta and was considering buying it when it came out, but the last patch before release broke it on my video card (it caused fog that made it so I could literally only see a foot in front of me), so I ended up not.
Yikes! 💖
I've played this game since release, and I've had the pleasure of sampling the majority it has to offer. Despite this, I never knew you could bribe yourself out of Arete... you learn something new every day ❤
Yeah, a fun detail, eh? What's your favorite part of AO? 💖
Aaah the many many good memories of this game. The cultist trains in the temple is still the biggest laughs I got from a MMO. Seeing a confident group of player marching into the depths only to have a desperate half death guy running out moments later yelling "TRAIN!!!!" all the way. Followed by a huge army of cultists as enemies simple don't de aggro xD
And when you were higher level I might occasionally draw a train to the entrance just for the lols.
I'm glad I could continue the legacy! 💖
When you finally started to get somewhere in the Temple, and in chat you see "TRAIN!!!1". So frustrating. So fun :)
@@C64SX TRAIN! 🥰
LOL guilty🤣🤣🤣
I quit AO as Funcom pretty much just stopped supporting the game and content but I got to say, AO was by far the absolute best MMORPG ever made. The fight system, the building character system, everything was just amazingly put together and sure, you could over twink if you knew how to and had the money for it but I never saw that as bad. AO was the first in designing and creating features, many many features such as the implant system, the skill system and more. It's just amazing when you think about it how much time had to go into creating this system. I would still play it today if they would continue to support it, 100%!
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Great game much fun in my years of playing my Fixer and blizing missions
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For those interested there is a book which serves as a prequel for Anarchy Online. The book in and of itself is a masterpiece (from famed game developper/writer Ragnar Tornquist). It is named : A prophet without honor. It is available through a Google search on Anarchy Online's archive website. Unfortunately in PDF only.
I had no idea - thank you for the recommendation! 🥰
I remember getting arrested in the game. Me and my friend were in TIR marketplace making a fuss. Anyway we figured out how to agro the big mobs on top of the trade building. So we got it to agro on the players at the market. Eventually the game makers caught up on us and transported me to their prison plane. /Terminate right in front of their eyes and was teleported back to the prison plane and said im sorry I will never do it again. And was set free.
That's hilarious -- thank you for sharing! 💖
One such reprobate, found himself in prison, found out that he still had his Yalm. equipped it and flew out into the Ark area, where every nano was free and equippable. That was a real stink, but so hilarious 😂 😃
I personally only really like to play moddable single player RPGs, such as the many from Bethesda, but something about Anarchy Online successfully scratched that modding itch. The implants, the funny items and outfits you could equip that seamed like something a modder would come up with rather than an official developer, all those little details conspired to eliminate the feeling so common to MMORPGs that you're playing within a restricted walled garden.
For example, the ability to bootstrap your character up a few levels by swapping implants consecutively until you couldn't go any further was an important mechanic to the game, but felt like a cheat, so it made you feel special.
I think it's that kind of thoughtfulness that made Anarchy Online such a great game.
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This video made me remember all the fun I had with this game. MMO's today don't encourage community like they did back then and give players too many ways and incentives to play alone. In AO maybe I want money so I go farm something even as early as the subway. Maybe I want to try to do a dungeon so I go and find people outside to try with and make new buddies. Maybe I want to make a twink character at a specific level for reasons. I did what I wanted to do to get stronger and work toward my goals. New mmo's are so formulaic that everything feels like what I have to do instead of what I want to do. I mean sure, grinding mobs isn't for everyone but I found it relaxing. Good music, chatting to people and getting stronger was enough. Dungeons sometimes had people training monsters for a party wipe but not instancing them out made people interact with people and made them community hubs so it was worth it. WOW quests felt like chores from the very start, didn't encourage social interaction and was the only way to level up into a pretty much clone of everyone else. AO was more like ARK where youre motivations to play and progress came from you and what you wanted to do rather than what the game tells you to go and do and it was so much better. Add in the layers of systems in AO and every character felt personal and unique and it rewarded intelligence by making you feel like an unstoppable force thats breaking the game. Pure gold.
My highlights were a lvl 49 nano tech in lvl 150 gear with no points in hp so my absorb shields made me almost invincible because pvp hits could only do a max % of hp per hit at the time so my shields were unbreakable. They nerfed me but it was fun. My nano tech enforcer who used absorb shields constantly to offset my low hp and make me able to tank without any doctor up to about lvl 160-170 then well geared trox got able to utilize absorb shields enough to be better but wow was it fun before that.
But you know what I miss the most is my people. We were misfits, hell.. one guy was so drunk most of the time that I thought there was a language barrier when I met him. Misfits but all very solid players. Lung cancer got our leader and we kinda drifted away eventually after that but I will always remember what we had. RIP Dizzz
Thank you for sharing your wonderful story! 🥰
You're back with AO content! 🙂
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I think you literally just summarized what it is that makes old MMORPGs so great to me. They were built as worlds first, with living breathing worlds.
I feel the same way! 💖
I remember wanting to play this game so bad when I was a kid. My imagination ran wild thinking of a world in which you can do whatever. Was never able to play it though due to no pay option.
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I think it's free now (as a "froob")!
Curious to check this game out again, I played when it first released so it's been a while. Just got a new gaming PC, having not really gamed since 2011 when I left WoW. Now I'm looking at MMOs that I might try. This is for nostalgic reasons but who knows might be fun still. Also looking at New World, which is obviously more up to date.
Totally different experiences yet both are equally valid. ❤️
I remember playing this as a kid I loved the learning process of this game
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All time favorite MMO
AO is special! 🥰
the thing I remember most about Anarchy Online is the weird in world banner ads for Fanta and other real life sodas
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I loved this game back in 2003. It was the second MMORPG I played after Everquest!
Yeah! EQ was my first too yet I didn't find out about AO until much later. 😭
I quit that decades ago because wrangling gears to become stronger at a low level was too complicated for me. but everyone was basically soloing TOTW that way.
I wish I could have played back in the day, although I hear you: AO can be complicated! 🥰
I love this game. I still play it. It’s a game me and my bro like to play together. If anyone ever needs any buffs my toons are in ICC by the building near the Neleb tent. I’m the guy who runs around with all the toons with “Smurff” in their name.
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Back in the day I had a Martial Artist that used a sledgehammer and bow for pvp. Was legit some of the best gaming times I'v had.
I wish I played back then -- sounds epic! 💖
I played an engi, getting buffed to summon a pet 10+ levels above you was broken. Loved the buff loops you could pull off. I miss this game
I love how AO still rewards player creativity. 💖
Today its like my engi lvl 92 goes arround with his ql155 warbot. ;)
But yeah, best times where the great twink wars, lvl 15 and lvl 60. When your trader goes arround in lvl 12 and destroys lvl 25ish players only for the lols and the tower field.
Level 14 engie with a redline and a level 60 bot. How the Omni used to run and got cut down from 367 crit from the red line. 😅
Anyone else remember the video cut scenes release before and during release that detailed the backstory?
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I played this game on release back in 4th grade. Still to this day nothing comes close to the complex system and leveling. Its just insane. I wish they did a revamp of this game though..
A spiritual successor would be excellent. 🥰
As an original player who still logs from time to time, i can safely say you ended at a good note. ToTW is a required area for everyone due to 4 key items practically all players need, but are guarded behind 4 equally massive bosses. After that? You would have had to find your way to the steps of madness which is also convoluted to a new player, get the last item all players need to progress at that level, and then you would have been ready for the 3rd real dungeon. OT mines, which scales in difficulty practically every room. Loot however becomes something that will take the broken currency system and make you a part of it however, as most items sell for hundreds of thousands just at an NPC vendor, which is what i've always considered the real start of the game, as you've gotten a credit farming area that lets you buy all of those nice implants that make you OP early game. Being able to say you could solo Abmouth (Abby in chat) used to be, and is still pretty big bragging rights due to just how complex the beginning phases are.
Thank you for the kind words. At which level does the 'real start of the game' begin to you?
@@MarleMMO It's always been Lv 60 for me, at bare minimum. Level cap is 220, and 60 leaves a lot of room to abuse trader buffs (wrangles, which we used to sell as a service), med buffs, and put on that medical suit to use those OP implants while under-leveled, as it doesn't remove or de-buff them if you suddenly "don't meet the reqs". To add, another part that the game carried was giving guilds their OWN CITY. Like, full on "defend your city" status with massive battles, towers to defend, etc. Anarchy Online is still to this day, the most complex MMO ever created when playing right.
If you ever re-visit this game? I'd be glad to give you a tour of the deeper areas like the mines. Least i can do. Us Weyland Yutani's are kinda known for showing people around and knowing the game's complex mechanics lol.
@TheEternalHellwalker Reach out to me via my business email. Let's set something up! 🥰
It was my first mmo back at 2004. Been on and off alot of the other mmo-s. And the only one i play to this day is AO.
Got 64 characters with all sorts of weird builds for differrent tasks.
And people are non toxic.
So much fun!
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1:18, Temple of the Three Winds… As much as I adore the Subway, the Temple is the stand out iconic dungeon of the game hands down.
I can't wait to revisit it! 🥰
I loved AO, I love coming back to it and I hate it :) . Never found a MMO I like as much, the math problem to slove of twinking that item on. That a lot of items are not level locked but skill locked and with buffs, implants and gear to equip it way earlier than if just level your way into it, is a great part of why this game still speaks to me. The combat and the requirements of need a group to do things does not so much anymore :) waiting for hours to get your team, for the healer to leave when you get the tank, classic MMO problems.
UO's complexity is one of its strengths -- absolutely! 💖
My first MMO, back in 2002. Bucketloads of fun running around with NO CLUE how to play my class(es). A skill and eqipment system unmatched since, even with the utter trash crafting system. My first experience raiding, getting Complete Heal on my doc around level 135, and jumping directly into uncounted Mercs raids. Having full sets of Azure armor and Notum tanks on two toons as a Neutral player back then was pretty much unique. Shoutout to Desert Winds, Independent Rubikans, the Nanomage Liberation Front and all the other fantastic Neutral players who made up such a unique and delightful community back in the day. If Funcom took the core of this game, and applied current knowledge of systems turorials, and put it in a new engine with updated graphics and animations, pure nostalgia would drag me back like a magnet.
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yea. I was there at the start. 1200 ping after starting area and trying to heal people. but it was fun and new at the time. I remember competing for the best place to sell buff for implant.
I remember when this came out. I was playing EQ and DAOC at the time. I tried playing it but just was not in to futuristic type games and it seemed very convoluted at that time
I was playing EQ too, and I was initially turned off for those same reasons. 💖
I remember the pride when I built my Yalmaha Stiletto and the regret when I sold it.
It's like a Yalm, but huge!
xD
The best MMO that awarded skill and knowledge. Played from NW to AI and when SL dropped, there was nothing like it. The music in SL zones, the world, it was just on another level. Adonis and Penumbra were just INSANE. Played during the golden age on RK1 of Clan guilds like Synergy Factor, Redemption and my guild, Storm (before the whole superguild Spartans stuff). Still have tons of screenshots from my agent days getting all types of pvp titles on a bunch of characters (Apprentice -> Expert) and all the hate tells for ganking flagged players. Really miss that game, its just too dead to play.
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Thank you MatleMMO I used to play this game way back in the day, it was def unique in its feel and presentation. Take care
I hope the nostalgia was welcoming. 💖
AO and DAoC were peak MMOs for me. Graphics improved in newer ones and there were a few notable ones with great ideas but mainstream "pretty" MMOs never surpassed those early ones when it comes to vibe and community.
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That time 22 years ago when I thought oh wow engineers look like such a awesome pet class, then ran out of money watching my first bot die over and over to where I was too broke to cast another shell….hard lessons.
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Anytime I talk about this game and people ask about difficulty, I suggest a college course in Anarchy Online as a prerequisite.
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The first time i played this game was magical. Such a vast dystopian and intresting world to explore. All different classes were extremely valuable in their own way. Which caused teams to always look for people, because without a doctor, NT, fixer or enforcer you could not clear that final boss. Another quality of the game was that it is was not just pay to win. Especially in the early years some of the best players out there were non- paying players who simply had a large enough brain to game the system.
I wished I played AO during its golden years! 🥰