ArcheAge Old Questions

I really want to like ArcheAge. I do. I do like the mix-and-match skill sets. I do like the story behind the main quest line. I do like the character creation, although I think I overdid it on reshaping my own. I always like highly customizable housing (ever since I wished I could do more with my ship in STO).

But I have concerns. The housing that promises to be pretty cool—and functional, at least if you're into farming—turns out to be another thing I may avoid entirely. The open-world nature of the farms means you're always competing with other players for prime space. I "compete" for real estate in the real world. Why would I want some backwater plot in my pretend one?

Despite the protestations of many, the game is almost completely about PvP. Even those people that say PvP is not the end-all, be-all of the game indirectly admit to actively avoiding PvP combat. Because, while they do manage to avoid said combat, it is no less PvP when you stealth behind enemy lines to deliver trade goods. It just means you're a successful smuggler.

There also seems to be a theft mechanic to go along with the justice system they have set up. There are those who talk about banding together for protection. Even if it is purely defensive, that ends up looking to me like this. →

On top of all that, Scooter, who was the original impetus behind trying ArcheAge, frequently encounters a problem where ArcheAge literally causes her computer to reboot. Given that it is newer than my own, and there is no heat problem that we can discern, I am at a loss as to what can fix it. The hard drive I have the game installed on was running incessantly during play sessions. But I turned the video settings down, and it seems to be doing better. In the end, if we can't resolve the technical issues Scooter is having, it won't matter whether either of us likes the game or not.

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