Well, I’ve been back in Age of Conan for about four months now, and I’m still really liking the game. Most, if not all, of the bumps and glitches that were in place when the game launched a year ago have been smoothed out and fixed. Content is plentiful and entertaining. I just hit 70 on my conqueror, and the game is still “fresh” to me, with plenty to do and see. In fact, I’ve found myself outleveling some of the dungeons, simply because I haven’t had time to try them out before I level past them. Oh well, at least that gives me something to do on my many alts. 
However, there are a few things that I would like to see in Age of Conan that aren’t there at this time, so I’ve put together my own little suggestion box of things that I think would improve the game.
1. I’d like to see a better petition and feedback system. In order to send a petition in Age of Conan, you type /petition <your problem here>. Call me retro, but I when I type /petition, I’d like to see a menu come up that I can fill out. A screen with checkboxes that would allow me to classify my petition into categories, such as stuck, harrassment, naming violation, quest problem, etc. I’d also like a small box that would allow me to type a brief explanation of my problem. As the system stands now, it can sometimes take me two or three times to get my petition filed correctly. For example, one time I typed in: /petition offensive stance bug and the message I got in return was “Your petition has been received and classified as “harrassment.” I guess because I used the word “offensive.” So I had to delete that petition and re-do it with a message not using the word “offensive.” A simple check-box screen could have avoided this. I do like that you get periodic updates that tell you what number you are in line to have your petition addressed, but other than that, I find the system clunky and inefficient. Just putting in a simple form for players to use would save the GM’s time in reviewing petitions and also make sure that the petitions were classified correctly from the get-go.
2. Give me a feedback function in game please. Although AoC has improved dramatically, it still could benefit from the input of its playerbase. I truly think FunCom wants to take the wishes of its customers into account (despite what may folks say on the forums.), but their current feedback system sucks. You actually have to send a freaking e-mail to them at feedback@ageofconan.com. I’m sorry, but most of the time when I think of an idea for the game, it’s while I’m playing it! I’d love to be able to type /feedback and have another box pop up with categories and a description box. Just to be able to put my ideas down when I’m thinking about them, or when I see room for improvement would be of huge benefit. I think more people would become active in helping come up with suggestions to make the game better if it wasn’t so cumbersome to do it the current way.
3. Fix the guild UI. The guild UI has not seen any dramatic changes since launch, and that’s one area that NEEDS some dramatic change. It’s clunky, impractical and not very effective at all. There is no way to customize your guild ranks except by using the pre-selected ranks that they give you when you choose your guild government form (Aquilonian, Cimmerian, Harem, etc.). You can’t make up your own guild rank names. The powers that you give your ranks are not easily customizable either, and there aren’t enough ranks in place to get creative. The guild chat works ok, but up until recently, there was a bug that required a new guild member to log or zone before they could speak in guild chat. Thank god that got fixed finally.
4. For the love of all that’s holy, please give me an LFG channel. As it stands, the LFG system is useless. They gave me my easy-to-see box, but it’s a pain in the butt to use it. Most people like to type what they’re looking for into a channel–70 Conqueror LFG for Ampitheater, PST. Not hard at all. But the problem is that the only place to type that in where people are going to see it is the Global Channel. Let me be clear: I hate Global. I turn it off the first second I create my character. Seriously–that’s the first thing I do. Global tends to be filled with the mouthy, immature, over-opinionated goofballs who seem to think that an MMO is either a place to spew controverisal religious/political speech or practice their potty-words vocab. That’s not what I want to see filling up my chat box when I play. However, Global is the only channel right now in AoC that people seem to use to find groups. If FunCom would give us an LFG channel–and actually POLICE the LFG channel so that it is used for what it was intended for–then it would make it so much pleasant and easier to find groups. People would know where to go to find a group immediately when they get in game, and they wouldn’t have to subject themselves to the steaming pile of garbage that is the Global channel.
5. Please give me a mentor down option. The current method of mentoring is called an apprenticeship in AoC, and it works when a higher level character takes a lower level character as an apprentice, thereby bringing the lower level character up to the higher level. That’s all well and good, but personally, I prefer to be able to mentor down to the level of a lower level player. It would give me an opportunity to go back and experience content if I wanted to without destroying the xp for my lower level groupmates. I guess I understand why they put the system in place as it is–it prevents a fully equipped, armored and experienced player from kicking butt with lower level content (and I guess PVP, no clue because I’ve not tried it), but honestly, I don’t see the big deal. Why not give us the option of either? How cool would THAT be?
6. More space please. Inventory/bank space is severely limited in AoC. It’s not “crippling’ or game-breaking, but god it’s inconvenient. As an alchemist, I carry around a ton of different components that won’t store in my resource bags in order to craft my goods. I have to store most of it in my bank (which is small), otherwise I’d have no room whatsoever to pick up loot when adventuring. It sort of defeats the purpose of being able to craft anywhere. I simply can’t carry it all with me. So why not give me a resource inventory in the bank so it’s not taking up all my bank space? Or better yet–give players the ability to craft boxes/bags like in EQ2 that would hold your goods.
7. Gimme housing. Yes, I know it’s fluff and not game-breaking, but they already put these guild cities in that most people don’t use except for seiging on the PVP servers, so why not give me at least an inn room? It’d be a great money sink and a fun sideline for downtime. I’d love to be able to display a trophy or decorate. It would also open up carpenter as a crafting profession–someone who could make furniture for the houses. Instanced housing would work fine! There’s already a couple of inn room instances in game–one in the Serpent’s Head Inn in Khemi and one on Tortage in the Thirsty Dog Inn. How hard would it be to instance some of those doors that don’t open in those inns to allow people to have their own inn room that they rent? Or better yet–put rooms in the barracks in the guild cities so that people can have a room in their guild city. I’m not asking for huge tracts of land to be developed, but PLEASE give me my own little private space!
8. Social clothing. More fluff, but it adds so much to a game for most people. Even non-rp’ers like to have a unique appearance. If they can’t give us a host of social clothing options, then an appearance tab would be fine. Something where you can choose an outift to be seen wearing and yet still have your armor on a different tab so you don’t physically have to change clothes. A lot of the armor is very generic and well…ugly. I”m not complaining so much about that because it doesn’t break gameplay, etc., and from a lore standpoint, honestly–did people wear pink platemail chestplates? No. I’m fine if they keep the realistic looking armor pieces, but at least give me the option of equipping pieces that I find attractive, even if they don’t fit my class or level that well. Wow–there’s another crafting opportunity–tailors!
Well, that’s it for now, but I’m sure my list will grow. I think the upcoming 1.05 patch is going to address so many gameplay issues and that it’s going to be an overall positive for the direction of the game. Unfortunately, that patch isn’t addressing some of the smaller concerns like the ones I just wrote about. I guess I need to leave them some feedback. Wish I could do it in game.
