New to this forum, late to the party
I just started playing the AC games December, 2012 after I saw the buzz of AC3 and decided to pick up the original AC. I became hooked immediately on the gameplay, visuals, and overall complexity of the game as far as the many different things you can do, and the varied ways you can do them. Once I finished I moved on to AC2, and now I'm on ACB. I ended up on this website because of posts I read from stabguy over on GameFAQS linking to here. (BTW thanks, stabguy, for the great guides and information you've offered for new players of the series. It's easy to get bewildered early on, so your help was well appreciated).
I still don't understand how Ubisoft Montreal put out a game per year for four years. A lot of companies put out a 6 hour single player FPS with multiplayer every year, but do it using two dev studios. Ubisoft put out an incredibly detailed 30 hour campaign game yearly (of course taking a "leisurely" two year development time on AC3). It's amazing. Anyway, I'm glad to have finally found these games. They are addictive!
You showed great restraint to not dive straight into AC3 but to start at the beginning. AC1 is a popular title among members of The Hidden Blade. I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself here.
Welcome! I started in Dec 2011, and also started from the beginning.
To reply to your comment: After AC2, the team split and people worked on AC3 for 3 years while others cranked out ACB and ACR. You'll notice that ACB is not as long as AC2/AC1 and ACR is even shorter.
My gameplay times to finish are probably about average to 100% sync the games.
AC1 ~ 20h
AC2 ~ 25h (30 with DLCs)
ACB ~ 20h
ACR ~ 15h
AC3 ~ 35h (I'm up to 60h now just roaming around doing random stuff / finding out things to do in the game)
Again, WELCOME!!!
“Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus
AC1 was great. I almost skipped it because of comments I saw on GamerFAQs, but I'm glad I didn't. I wanted to play this series from the start so I got the whole story, which I really have enjoyed. But I have to admit, buying these games a few years after they came out has its benefits. I got AC1 through ACR for $15-20 each. For how long I have played these games, and how much fun I've had, that's a great deal!
Welcome! Hope you like it here!
"To reply to your comment: After AC2, the team split and people worked on AC3 for 3 years while others cranked out ACB and ACR"
That's interesting, I didn't know that. That makes it easier to understand how they pumped out these games and still maintained a good deal of consistency of gameplay and story, although I know the gameplay has evolved somewhat from game to game.
AC1 was great. I almost skipped it because of comments I saw on GamerFAQs
yeah. that seems to be a general trend in Gfaqs, unfortunately.
Welcome, fenway - it's nice to meet you! I came to The Hidden Blade the same way you did, through Stabguy being so helpful and knowledgeable on GameFAQs. I hope you enjoy it here! 
Hello there.
Ubisoft is a massive gaming developer/publisher. ACII had nearly 2 times the number amount of people working at ACI.
Welcome. I started with ACII,on my birthday.
Just glad you started with the first game and liked it. Hardly anyone outside of THB seems to care about AC1 nowadays. 
The initial repeated treks through the Kingdom got a little tedious, but that improved with the quick passage available later in the game. The gameplay, story, and visuals far outweighed the cons. I had so much fun, I did every interrogation, eavesdropping, and pickpocketing to get the whole story. I had a blast!
Just glad you started with the first game and liked it. Hardly anyone outside of THB seems to care about AC1 nowadays.
Even including Ubisoft, it seems...
“Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus
aurllcooljay wrote:
Just glad you started with the first game and liked it. Hardly anyone outside of THB seems to care about AC1 nowadays.Even including Ubisoft, it seems...
I meant people in general. But yeah, even Ubi. All they really care about is coming out with the next game.
I had so much fun, I did every interrogation, eavesdropping, and pickpocketing to get the whole story. I had a blast!
Good for you. I don't think I did all that on my first playthrough. If you haven't already watched Stabguy's Beginners' Guide to Assassinations I recommend you do. Of course now that you beat the game it would be too late, but oh well, funner the second time around.
Welcome! The party at TheHiddenBlade never stops, so you're not truly late 
I too started with AC1 and loved all of it. It was only after playing that the year it came out that I just went crazy over it. One year later, ACII was announced (no one had any idea there would be a sequel, the ending was just meant to be crazy mind nonsense) and I went even crazier. So uh, I'm here now
no one had any idea there would be a sequel, the ending was just meant to be crazy mind nonsense
Are you trolling the new guy, DAZ? I don't know when Ubisoft first announced that AC was a planned trilogy but it was common knowledge as early as January 2008, two months after the release of AC1.
Back then, no one knew it would take place over the course of history. We all assumed it was just about Altair and Desmond (which could've worked, actually).
You'll notice that ACB is not as long as AC2/AC1 and ACR is even shorter.
From the speedrun point of view, you might be wrong.
I finished ACR in 2:41:18, and ACB will be finished in (around) 2:30:00, but with more Desmond parts. So finally they're quite similar in terms of completion time.
Double McStab with Cheese wrote:
You'll notice that ACB is not as long as AC2/AC1 and ACR is even shorter.From the speedrun point of view, you might be wrong.
I finished ACR in 2:41:18, and ACB will be finished in (around) 2:30:00, but with more Desmond parts. So finally they're quite similar in terms of completion time.
Speedrunning, sure.
But from a "time to get to 100% sync" point of view, I'm pretty sure ACR was shorter (for the average person) than ACB.
Love your speedrunning, Fed. Looks like it takes a lot of work!
“Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus
I agree with you. And despite this not being the point of this thread, thank you very much.