The Significance of Asheron's Call's Shard of the Herald Event (Part 1)

Discussing the significance of Asheron's Call's Shard of the Herald live event. Part one focuses on the storytelling techniques game developer Turbine used to roll out and foreshadow the actual event, with comments on what players noticed throughout the updates.
Full article found here: massivelyop.com...
Part 2: • The Significance of As...
Interview with Vidorian, the Shard Slayer: massivelyop.co...

[@rjlack1975]

I remember when I started playing AC. The spires had just shown up and as I am running around figuring out how useless a swordsman was, I kept hearing everyone questioning why the spires had shown up and speculating on what it meant. It really added another level to the game for me as there were changes happening that people were unsure of. Even those who were high level were unsure of what was going on. It felt good as a noob that not everyone knew everything. It gave the impression of a living world. I still miss AC sometimes.

[@Kalazar88Gaming]

The monthly updates were like my addiction as a kid growing up loving Asheron's Call. I loved decoding town crier messages and going and figuring out the new content without guides or videos. That's really hard to recreate these days.

[@northroad1]

I was a casual player and was also only vaguely aware of these events at the time. the game world was so huge. thanks for chronicling this

[@Bitchblaster]

Fact Fiend made me look this up and I'm highly entertained by this story

[@Gatekid3]

Same. this sounded so interesting

[@johntrovolta4487]

Yep

[@drakemerner4368]

Same

[@zacknelson6376]

Same lol

[@eddy67]

I started in July 2001, just a matter of months after this legendary event. How I wish I could have been playing then! Thanks for video

[@spacechemsol4288]

13:14 i experienced firsthand how Harry (the Shard on TD) became invincible to our attacks, which was one of the reasons the defense was successful for so long. We did manage to overwhelm the defenders but Harry had leveled so much (it didnt just level on kills, it leveled on skill use just like players) that we wernt able to scratch him until more defenders arrived.

[@gourmayo]

thank you for putting this together. this is awesome

[@coryvigen2361]

What a memory. This game took over my off-work time with my x-wife. We had to quit when we had our first child but holy wow was it a fun ride!

[@hekidanjo]

I was there. Nasier of Leafcull, part of the Desvon Klagg allegiance. The server actually had a player organized meeting during the shadow invasion to discuss the lore and what it might mean. I was on a team that took out a spire... I've never seen anything like it.

[@twistedspike69]

This game was amazing like no other

[@dylanherron3963]

I'm only 32 years old as of recently, but having been VERY fortunate enough to have had the means of playing MMO's since I was 11 or so, there really is this indescribable sense of community that came with the older titles from '98-08. Not having everything so automated meant you actually had to talk with people. My EQ and WoW friendships from 2000-2008 (respective obviously to the timeline of game releases) are some of my favorite times in my personal gaming history.

[@netheretic874]

It sounds like a lot of planning and effort was put into the event. I think they were a bit ahead of their time though.

[@origintrackz5235]

Way ahead, games aren't even attempting to do what they did! which is kind of shocking because theres alot of potential to do something special if a dev can adapt that idea. i would love to see a game with an persistent world thats always evolving and actually adapts to what the players do, like what a dungeon master does with pen and paper RPGs.

[@dylanherron3963]

@@origintrackz5235 Think about directly taking feedback and implementing those updates LIVE... it's be SO VERY DIFFICULT and EXPENSIVE. You'd also probably have a large portion of players that would immediately bitch about the exclusivity and being angry that the devs didn't include all the servers. Players would flock to reddit immediately to drag the devs for "making heavy handed updates and item nerfs without taking proper time to test the changes," etc. I would LOVE for those things not to be a factor. But any developer/publisher would look at this concept like a very costly experiment with the potential to de-rail a playerbase. Too risky now-adays.

[@matthewgagnon9426]

I think they were of their time. You couldn't do anything like what Asheron's Call's live events did today, look at how many people were mad that narrative consequences happened in World of Warcraft when Cataclysm came out. AC would blow up towns during monthly updates and it was cool because there was an actual story involved. WoW just can't do the same thing, they're too shackled by the way the game works and the way player expectations are today.

[@thtuskey]

I participated in this, proudly played on Thistledown from launch, for about four or five years. I remember when the Shadows were first introduced, they were really creepy as hell. I wasn't involved in the 24/7 vigilance defending the shard, but did pop in there from time to time. I really really loved Asheron's Call. Very fond memories as new things were introduced every month. I loved the open world exploration. You would just stumble across a dungeon nobody had ever heard about. I always wonder, "What happened to my pal Skippy Skullcrusher... "

[@ZapatosVibes]

Thanks for making this. What an amazing buildup and moment in MMORPG gaming history!

[@demon39063]

I remember this so well, especially after hearing you describe it. Very glad to have been able to experience this first hand.

[@kingtimmy88]

Beautiful lore telling. I loved the game. Id love to heard more

[@G2Bryce]

1:49 For the record, these weren't just minor updates either. They could be small or they could be HUGE. Elementals invading, Yanshi being destroyed, Bael'Zharon showing up in the noob zone, etc. And this was every month.

[@deathbysnusnu2744]

OMG I remember all of this. The Nexus Armor. Turbine needs to bring AC back. I miss AC. The Subway was the trade market spot.

[@thenoobletlego]

Jump on the HighTide PVP server.

[@jeffwilliams5933]

@omerta @omerta Based on yer tone I'm guessing you're a Darktide scumbag?

[@patrickmcglonejr8163]

ACEmulator bruh

[@dylanherron3963]

Mate, your effort literally got noticed by Falcon from Gameranx. Check it out! "10 more accomplishments from gamers" or something to that effect. You're in the #2 slot.

[@DengarSW]

Got a link? Google search isn't bringing anything up

[@dylanherron3963]

@@DengarSW kzbin.info/www/bejne/enzQhmeuf9t9nqc

[@dylanherron3963]

around the 11:00 mark. Made me come and check out your video parts on it. Truly amazing, that the Devs actively adjusted the updates to suit Thistledown feedback, I can't imagine the former devs remember this with anything other than fondness and pride.

[@DengarSW]

Found it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/enzQhmeuf9t9nqc TY!

[@srkestel]

I bet this video blows up! Great work by the way!

[@Deathscythe193]

I was a kid when these events were happening but I still remember BZ going into towns and slaughtering people. It was the talk of the game, the rivers turned blood red and you'd hear of BZ attacking a town and go check it out.

[@LOLDEMOS]

Thank you for this piece of history (and it is)

[@DXMage]

Everyone in game at the time knew that the crystal (Harry) dropped the one nexus gem for uber armor back in the day. No one cared about the defense of the shards. But instead of following the narrative just like players in a game of DnD they did what the DM didn't want them to do. The defense of the shard delayed the release of the content and when word got out that the devs were going to make it happen that made even more players step up to defend it. Great times. I remember on Darktide at Fort Teth that was normally a PvP battle ground because of its importance that when the shadow generals attacked that enemy guilds set aside their differences to defeat the shadow invasion. Cool times. I was also there when The Hopeslayer showed up at Fort Teth and started to lay waste to everyone there.

[@360Fov]

I can't believe a channel with less than 100 subs has such a bad ass video!

[@Sam.From.Wonderland]

The stolen loot mentioned at 11:56 occurred on DarkTide. While Lop is listed at the player who go the kill, there was no corpse and the gem just hit the floor. A character named "Mistress of Desire" ran up, grabbed the gem, and portaled out.

[@marting7848]

Shollos or Lop was supposed to get the armor. indeed.

[@origintrackz5235]

Sneaky Sneaky...

[@wilhelmscream6834]

Sound about like Darktide haha

[@tausenti]

I remember the shadow people change, hehe got killed too many times to count! The spires brought shadow and other nasties way too high level for me at the time, they spawned underneath

[@tangoseal1]

I played AC from birth to death of the game and let me tell you the lore was a bitch to work through. Many games now ram the lore down your throat and make it the most uninteresting thing ever. AC made the lore HARD AF to dig through and figure out and that made it so more immersive that there was actual existential threats to the outcome of the entire game moving forward that you in many cases could not stop from happening. A truly once in a generation, or even two generations type game dare I say. A shame that there hasn't been even an inkling of an attempt to create a modern MMO that took the best and fixed the worst from AC and dare I say even Everquest.

[@notoriousquinnb]

Honestly I think this event was really well done. Turbine knowingly played off people's desires for new loot/gear and knew most people would do the necessary deeds to get it, damn the consequences. People let Bael'Zharon into their hearts for that sweet sweet GSA and let us all down, and Charwic was their fault :p

[@Lord_Mideon]

Mythrandia defended Thistledown from Beal for a long time. It was quite amazing. The GMs actually played the game with you.

[@dizzolve]

this is great thx! I actually left the game sometime after the Island update ....... and shadows were starting to appear I think ........ I think I remember the big spires that made no sense ........ and but not sure about the cratered town. I played Harvestgain

[@patrickmcglonejr8163]

I was there in the front lines of Frostfell... all the bodies... all the death.... ill never forget the horrors of that day!

[@deathbysnusnu2744]

I'd like to see bring back AC like is was on relese go through all the progression of the game again but balancing mobs better and use modern days graphics an don't touch anything else. I'd pre order that and i never pre order games.

[@Immortalbob]

Theres work being done right now around that bz lightning flash, wish we had video of it :/

[@DengarSW]

OO, details? Links? Edit: So others can see a recreation attempt (real quick at the 11 second mark, not quite as I remember it but it gives a close impression): streamable.com/pfzfx3 If anyone has videos/screenshots/files of this or other long lost Asheron's Call's moments, remember the Asheron's Call Preservation Project may have use of them! www.accpp.net/

[@Immortalbob]

@@DengarSW seems my reply disappeared? hit me up on discord.

[@G2Bryce]

6:00 I remember when Atlan weapons were introduced! They were SO cool!! To this day they are my favorite game weapons ever.

[@dantran5478]

gathering the mote.. having an alchemist to make it peerless ignot, then the run to the atlan mountain cave thingy to get it forged. good times.. I got most of my motes in teth area :D

[@G2Bryce]

@@dantran5478 I remember getting my first peerless atlan sword, it felt like I was a jedi getting a lightsaber. All my friends had peerless atlan weapons, some even had multiple, back when unarmed was the best because of how fast you could hit with it. I didn't care about being the best, I just wanted to look cool and the peerless atlan sword with the lightning was epic. The fire and acid versions were cool too, the frost was kinda harder to notice. All these years later and I still haven't found a sword I like more

[@EdgarVerona]

It sounds like they rewarded exactly what they intended: the plot wouldn't have gone forward if the players didn't destroy the shards, so all the "kill these and be rewarded" lead-ups weren't a bad move: it was actually leading to exactly the outcome they were hoping for. Only thistledown resisted where the game was leading them! If the players had listened to the warnings in the lore, it would have actually been worse for AC plot-wise

[@SeanMurphy74]

top 3 game of all time for me.I compare so many games to this

[@chrisvinci5417]

I remember this battle. Was intense. I remember Hell Maker, wonder what happened to him

[@Ashrots]

He lurked on the HG Facebook for awhile but haven’t heard from him in years. Though it has been awhile since you made this post as well.

[@j2ehyp]

God, I miss AC. It was the best, absolutely the best, MMORPG ever.

[@sessybish1001]

I miss this game.

[@chalor182]

We all knew not to kill the crystals... the lore wasn't buried too deep we just wanted pretty green numbers more, to our everlasting shame 😔

[@mamontjpeg]

I am from Nikitun!

[@UglyBuckle]

Very cool video

[@spawnofthanos630]

I’m here cause of gameranx good video tho

[@lleeoojar5138]

why am i here from sao

[@origintrackz5235]

Hamud was just trying to put yall onto game, by introducing everyone to the power of MODS AND THE NEXUS!!!

[@uncletrem1126]

so this were fortnite stole in-game events

[@X3PsychoX3SSM]

Is this Walter jr???

[@maliwan516]

lmao does sound like him doesn't it

[@rublaj]

well the significance was zero massive rpg are still failing and incredible boring games based in fetch quests.