I was thinking about AO last night, regarding how I experienced the first time I logged on. My first view in-game and how I reacted on a lot of the things I met.
This is not a rant or a flame post. Just how, why and what I did in the beginning. Maybe you have just done the same thing, or have done something worse .
I remember the first time I heard of AO. It was on a Norwegian radio station (on P3, a radio station for the youth). Me being a Norwegian and all, couldn’t believe that finally a Norwegian company made a good game. Well I thought it would be great. I had never heard of MMORPG games before. Had no clue what it was and all. The games I played before were games like Sim City and Sims and such :p. I know….. But when they said we could interact and talk to players all over the world, and every char we would meet, was played by another person, I felt that THIS I have to try. A year went and I bought it.
The feeling I got when installing AO was like waiting to open the Christmas presents. I logged in and here begins the tale of my RK journey:
The char. Creation:
-spent almost 1 hour trying to make the best one. Checking out all of the options.
Landed on a solitus male soldier. Cause I had no clue what a nano-tech or an opiflex was. Atrox looked like they where on steroids. Thought to my self that soldiers HAD to be the easiest to play, since I had hardly heard of the other prof.
First time at a BY:
-“WOW” was my first thought’s. The BY was full of ppl. Started to talk to everyone. Only in Vicinity though. Hadn’t heard of tells. Had no idea what a team was until a player tried to team up with me. He had to explain how to join and talk in team. Made a lot of MT during these periods.
-I was terrified when I met a roller rat. The music when attacked, made me jump in my chair... The leets was cute, so I didn’t want to shoot them at first. Thought we shouldn’t do that. Tried to kill an engy’s pet. Noticed a MP pet and ran like HELL, almost convinced it was after me
-I really thought the BY was the entire playground we got. Stayed there until lvl 10 before I knew we could go outside... To the apt. complex area. Was a bit disappointed. Couldn’t do anything. I got an apt. by mistake. Found the mission booth. But couldn’t get a mission.
-Went back to the training grounds and began to be really disappointed. WAS THIS IT??? Then someone asked me what I was still doing in the BY. I said I had no idea what to do, and where to go. He said I had to go outside to the city. He asked me if I was a n00b. No I said, I was a soldier :p
-This person did show me a lot of things, West athen, shops and the whompa. Not that I knew what a whompa was, I thought it was a lift. Really. He also said if I was lost, go after the “whooomp” sound, then I would see it :p ( he was a n00b too, I realize later) I asked him if he could show me a nice place to start as a newbie (called it a new player then), he showed me tir.
First time in Tir:
-I was running around for a few hours just looking. Enjoying the scenery, soaking up all what I could.
- AND experience all the bugs AO started with. AO crashed every 5 min. MAJOR lag, I really ran into every wall I found, but enjoyd it. Remember this is the first MMORPG I have played. Talked to everyone.
-met a few ppl running into a building. What’s in there I thought. Running after them. Once inside. I was alone. With a lot of monster. Where did they go was my first concern. Later I realize they where a team. And I wasn’t in it.
-Respawned in the BY. In W.Athen. Had no idea that I could save everywhere. Began to save at this save terminal. Always. Even running from tir to w.athen to save.
First time out hunting.
-Still stunned of the feeling I got playing AO. Music was the right, putting me in an emotional state like being on my toes anytime. Met a new Roller rat outside W.Athen. Still scary. Still afraid. The roller rats does something to me now. HATE THEM.
-Didn’t crash that much. Much better.
My armor, weapon, items:
-Well I kind of looked like a Christmas tree on acid. NOTHING was the same. Luckily I got a fashion sense later.
-Was upping all of the abilities until I reach lvl 50. (Realized then I was seriously gimped) so I went with the armor I found.
-I seriously used my solar rifle to lvl 40. Wondering why I didn’t do as much dmg as the rest.
-Didn’t use imps at all. Didn’t know what it was, so why use it. If you find them, sell them.
-when I changed weapon, at lvl 40’sh I went riffle, not assault rifle. Could self equip it without having to put any ip’s on it. I believe it was a ql 10 or 11..
-Had one nano uploaded at lvl 20. and that was the starting on. Didn’t use it though. Thought I didn’t need to rebuff, I had uploaded it, Right???
Places I used to hunt:
-Temple. It was the best place to hunt back in the good ol’ days. EVERYONE was there. We all were running around killing spiders and omni’s in our Christmas armor. My first vech. Was a Kodiak, and this is the place was my first trip. Thought my Kodiak was the best. Got a bit disappointed when I noticed there was something called a “yalm” out there.
-Crater: Man, did I got there much. WG in tir was a great place to find a team. And we would go there and lvl a lot. Got to crowded really fast. Someone in my team said we should try out…..
-Flee-pit: And boy was he right, Better Xp, less ppl. But MUCH more dangerous. Luckily he showed me the save term. Just north of the pit
-Bully Bridge: I discovered this place later in the game. But it was one place I used A LOT of time. Not because of the great XP (it was) but because the slow respawn of the bully.
Blaster Beetle: One place more I discovered later in the game. Still going there to get that feeling again. I really was there for almost a week, before I noticed there was a person on its back, holding a gun.
Spider mnt: WHOHOO. First time I really got a lot of XP. We where a full team, who managed to kill all the spiders. We stood at the spawn point taking out everyone who spawned. Made like 7 lvl that nite. Have tried to locate it later, Think I know where it is now.
Bot mnt.: Still going here. To get all the parts for dodgas quest. A lot of the bots are gone, but you can still find some. A lot less ppl going there. Was fun for a while, but really got bored after a while.
Outside Newland city: I used to go outside NLC when I was at low lvl before. All of the mobs there made a lot of xp in a short time
Bronto pit/oasis: WAAAY east in Newland, Did go there a lot too. Great xp, a lot of ppl. So it was easy to get a team
I will update this post when I get the time, and/or when I remember anything else
Kat