One of the biggest differences between Age of Conan and other MMOs, such as WoW, is their dedication to a realistic look in armor and weaponry. Funcom went for a purely realistic look in AoC and they achieved it. Armor is rendered in muted browns, reds and blacks. Weaponry is of a realistic size and actually looks like something a medieval warrior would wield. This is in sharp contrast to the fantastical looking armor and weapons in WoW, Aion or even Warhammer.
Do you prefer this...
I liked most of the armor and weapons in WoW but there were some that just went over the top. For instance, I liked the design of the old Dragonslayer Hunter armor from Vanilla WoW but, come on, gold and purple? Really?!?! Hunters are supposed to be nature like and blend in. Not stand out with garish armor like a pimp on a street corner! Some of the various doodads, skulls and such that stuck out of your armor were out of place too. I really do not need a huge globe of light dangling over my shoulders…thank you very much.
or this??
Aion was even worse. I don’t like Anime to begin with, so Aion really pushed my buttons. Come now, a guy who probably doesn’t weigh 105lbs, yet he is carrying an axe that is three times his size and probably weighs 300lbs? Not only is he carrying it but he is doing flips with it? Nope. Not for me.
Most MMOs fall squarely in one of those two camps. Either realistic or fantastical. WoW, Aion, Allods, FF11 and Tera Online all go the fantastical route. DAoC, AoC, Darkfall and, from what I have seen, all go the realistic route. There are some overlaps, however, with EQ2 and Warhammer having a mix of both.
So, the question is; which do you prefer? Do you like the fantastical armor of WoW or do you prefer the gritty realism of AoC? The pictures above are not a fair comparison. The AoC engine is obviously better but, all things being equal, if they were both rendered in the same engine, with the same detail, which would you prefer?
Corpse Run 
hey, nice blog, been playing aoc for a long time after stopping around launch cause my PC sucked
i prefer a mix of both myself, realistic but with some design thats interesting, assassin tier 1/2 gear is an example of this, it looks great, but looks like it would work good too
Its difficult to compare the two as they are different settings to be honest. Both have a place and both suit each game.
With AoC its a much newer game and the graphics needed to be great to show hyboria in its full glory – also to have the mature element to it it had to look more realistic. It does look fantastic.
WoW on the other hand is an old game but the graphics to me still look not too shabby, sure the designs from the armour leave alot to be desired but hey alot of it just seems to be that WoW promotes itself as a fun game that doesnt take itself too seriously.
In summary I dont think either game would be as charming and popular with its own fans if you were to switch the art styles about. AoC with cartoony graphics? WoW with mega detailed and more serious models? naaaaaa i like them both the way they are.
I agree with that but what if a brand new MMO was being created and you had a choice. Realistic or fantastic? Which would you prefer if a totally new MMO was releasing?
Depends what kind of game to be honest. Id probably go with realistic because WoW is and probably always will be my ‘fantasy game’.
Oh and if you like AoCs armour models you should check out Fallen Earths which imo is even better.
I tried Fallen Earth and while I understand why so many people enjoy it, I just did not. It was a well crafted game and I wish it well, just not for me.
yeah I was talking more from the armour model perspective. I mean old viking like armor is cool but gas masks and items made from scrap is just epic win.
Agreed; Fallen Earth’s draw is defintely the immersion-factor, and the gear is a huge part of it. It simply “wouldn’t work” with gaudy WoW armor.
I, too, enjoy AION’s look. I think they split the difference as Mojeaux references above- there’s some stuff that’s over-the-top and other things that are pretty realistic. And pretty, and realistic, too.
And WoW is so over-the-top it’s hilarious. And I like that, too. It just works for the setting.
I guess I’m just easy to please. 🙂
I think AoC HAD to go with the realistic look only because it was based on an already well known IP. I think it works for them. Had they gone with the gaudy art that is WoW, it would have brought condemnation from the hardcore fans.
One of the problems I had with WoW, was the art. Too cartoony for me. As for AION, aside from the Polearms that you mention (which are two handed weapons), I really don’t see anything TOO gaudy. Sure there is the glowing abyss gear and such, but for the most part it’s all proportionate to the size of the characters. If I remember right, WoW had some rogue meat cleavers (one handed) that were bigger than the characters themselves.
I guess in the end it comes down to what you like and what sort of game you’re playing. Goes back to DOOM and the BFG.
I strongly prefer stylized graphics, largely because they scale well and dodge the Uncanny Valley. That said, “stylized” doesn’t mean “Nickelodeon on Acid”. I prefer stylized, but muted design. Guild Wars is perhaps the best big example close to this notion, though they still go a bit into nonsense at times.
I like both art styles equally. I do tend to like Fantastical just a little bit more though. The typical mmo enemies are anything but realistic (this goes for realistic games you mentioned as well, like AoC) so I find that if my weapons or armor seem a little over the top then I can look past it because I’m using that 18ft sword to chop up a giant werewolf/vampire/demon.
I love the looks of AoC (I really miss the fatalities!), but the drab appearance of armors can get monotonous after a while too. Alternatively I love the looks and design of WoW, but the bright vibrant colors sometimes don’t fit with how I would like the class wearing it to look. I’d love to see a game that strikes a good balance between the two.
I would go with Stylized over Realistic any day of the week. As a whole, we can’t get past the uncanny valley. This in turn makes our “realistic” games not look realistic at all. It is sad, but true.
I like it when a company goes out of its way to find its own art style. Make something unique instead of something derivative. It turns out much more interesting.
I would have agreed with you until I got into Conan. It really has crossed the “Valley”, so to speak, and I am impressed by the animations and look of the game. In Everquest II, which tried for the same realistic look, hit you square in the head with the uncanny valley but, somehow, AoC does not. At least not for me.\
I do totally agree with your second observation. That is one reason why I really liked Allods art-style. It was very similar to WoW but the Soviet Russia influences made it stand out on its own.
Adding you to my blogroll tonight!