I've held off playing AoC. Didn't do the BETA even after I suffered through the long download. I pre-ordered for early access but I read about the BS drama with access keys really being "while supplies last". I wasn't in a particular hurry and still very busy at work, so I didn't bother following up on mine.
I did however, want to SEE the damn game when it arrived today. After installing and patching, I was greeted by audio and the BLACK SCREEN OF DEATH. I tried accessing the Support forums but they're locked to only paying customers. I go to register my key and give them my credit card. So why oh why, couldn't I login to anything AT ALL??? Dunno. It says user/password invalid. Tried registering again but the activation key was consumed so that didn't work. I tried requesting a new password but it says it didn't recognize my email address. Grrrrrrrrrr. Very strange since I still get BETA email from them and it's the same email I used when giving my game's activation key. Suffice it to say, that I'm not happy about it grabbing my key and credit card information but not knowing who I am now.
After updating every damn thing I could thing of and having the game check Verify the Resource database it still didn't work. I searched several unofficial forums and found that I wasn't alone with this problem. I tried things that had worked for others but it didn't work for me. Finally, I ran across an article on MMORPG.COM which provided two XML files that needed to be replaced in order to get the video working.
I downloaded them, placed them in the designated folders and voila video. All I saw was the game introduction which looked like crap on these downloaded settings. I hear the game looks good so hopefully, they're are fixing this video driver issue and patching it toote sweet.
Not a good beginning Funcom. Bugs and the video thing I can deal with for a first launch. Being locked out of the official forums, support and the login because your registration is fucked up, I don't like one bit. I especially don't like the game key being consumed with payment information while being told immediately after that I don't exist in your database. Not cool at all. The first thing that came to mind was, "Aww hell nah, I wasted money on another Vanguard??"
I hope that's not the case. I'll give it a few days and see if the email I sent to technical support gets a response. If not, I'm going to be one pissed off...
Thats pretty shitty man, I've heard of the problems happening separately but I don't know anyone who had to deal with all of them at once. That being said, this is personally the best game launch I've yet to experience. I never had issues with the EA because I paid for it as soon as the option came up. I also have a fairly good computer so I haven't had many technical difficulties. The servers have been extremely smooth minus a few bad zones such as Fields of the Dead.
Posted by: Vytautas | May 23, 2008 at 01:23 AM
Most people get rid of the "black screen" by temporarily switching to window mode prior to running the game. Always run the game from the conanpatcher.exe.
Posted by: PeZzy | May 23, 2008 at 02:20 AM
Wow, this is really the first I've heard of an issue like this. I've been playing without problems (minus downtime) since the Early Access on the 17th.
Hope it gets straightened out!
Posted by: JoBildo | May 23, 2008 at 08:10 AM
Yes I had the black screen and had to use the config.exe file to switch to windowed mode. After logging into the game once like that it fixed whatever the issue was.
Another friend of mine had his graphics flashing and had to edit a file in his local settings to make his graphics card use a different shader model or something. A game with these kinds of graphics requires some tweaking it seems. So far though I haven't heard of anyone with a 256MB card being unable to play.
Posted by: Relmstein | May 23, 2008 at 09:55 AM
I tried running in Window Mode and running directly from the patcher. Those were the first two solutions I found on the internet. Locking their support forums from the public is rather stupid because if anything goes wrong with registration from a customer they don't have access to SUPPORT. DOH. As for it being a good release, from my point of view I'll have to say no. This is the FIRST and only game where I couldn't log into my account, let alone the game. WOW release and expansion was flawless for me. As was EQ2 EOF. Lag aside, I expect all games to have massive lag on release, this is the first time I've had this sort of issue. Hell with Vanguard at least I got on the crap at release.
I'm not satisfied that my only recourse is to send an email and wait for someone to answer it. I'd prefer a long wait in a phone queue where at least I'd know I was going to speak to someone that day.
I'm not pissed because I couldn't get on the game. I've wait this long a few more days don't matter. If the registration page was down and I couldn't register, so what, I'd wait. If after registering I couldn't log into the game, so what, I'd wait. It's the fact that I registered and gave credit card information and the system says I don't exist and my game key is gone, is the problem.
When you take my credit card information and say, "Thanks," I'm now a customer and expect a certain level of service. No access to phone support (doesn't appear to exist) and no access to the official support forums (they didn't foresee registration problems and decided if you're not registered you're not a paying customer) is what is grating on me. They have notice on the patcher explaining that they are reserving support for paying customer right now which is why it's locked is annoying when a paying customer cant access it DOOOOOOOOOOOH!
If their email support is as good as CCPs then I should hear something today. If not...
Posted by: saylah | May 23, 2008 at 10:04 AM
I don't want to sound like a fanboi, but thousands upon thousands of people have installed, gotten into and successfully played the game with little more than a few minor glitches here and there.
That you are having problems doesn't mean Funcom or its product sucks. Technical problems happen and database problems happen. Give them a chance to fix it before running off to the Web and comparing them to Vanguard. I can't think of a much worse insult for a gaming company than that.
Posted by: Mike | May 23, 2008 at 11:14 AM
Didn't say the product sucked. Didn't say it was like Vanguard. I said my first thought was, "Uh oh..." Blogs are about personal experiences and this has been mine. Just like the hundreds of posts about good experiences don't represent everyone, neither does my post attempt to represent everyone either. :-) Blogging is from a personal perspective. I'm not a news site. I don't have to be impartial. I talk about what happens to me in games.
And although I'm sure thousands of people are playing, this post is getting hundreds of hits from Google - people searching "Black Screen" and "Activation key not working" which means I'm far from being alone in this situation.
Posted by: Saylah | May 23, 2008 at 02:54 PM
I hear you. Bought it today, installed, patched and tried to get an account. My ID name bounced, wrote a new one plus Visa info again. Now I no longer exist. On AoC anyway. Sent my woes to the Cistomer Support, hope for a fast answer...
Yeah, right, like it is going to happen since its late friday evening... :) Sigh! And I was looking forward to playing AoC during the weekend. Well, I have to settle for Titan Quest then. Good riddance!
Posted by: Signal_tome | May 23, 2008 at 03:26 PM