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Age of Conan: GDC Preview
Dana
Member Posts: 2,415
At GDC, Garrett Fuller spoke to Jørgen Tharaldsen of Funcom about their upcoming Age of Conan MMORPG. The man in charge of the title's marketing had a lot to say. Find out what we learned:
| The grown up MMO for the casual player, Age of Conan offers some very different game mechanics and ideas for players to enjoy. I sat down with Jørgen Tharaldsen of Funcom to discuss the marketing, development and most of all story of Conan as an MMO. There were some preview insights about characters in the game (other than Conan), combat, and bringing together the media of stories, comics, TV, the cartoons, and the movies. What's more, Jørgen said that at its core, Age of Conan will remain true to Robert E. Howards original stories and vision. |
You can read the preview here.
Dana Massey
Formerly of MMORPG.com
Currently Lead Designer for Bit Trap Studios
Comments
Nice article, it looks like Funcom is willing to try a lot of innovative ideas.
This one is definately something worth waiting for.
One of the few titles that i believe has everything going for it!
i said it before and I'm saying it again, this game will rule out all other games on the market for atleast 1 year from release.
I've made my pre-order.
Take my word for it, do not trust me!
No surprises for me.
It's been years i'm playing mmorpgs and i tryed plenty of them.
I can resume my opinion in one thing : AO can be one of the oldest... it's still the best actually for me.
FC is one of the only mmorpg firms that seem to build their games for their own pleasure of how good, immersive and innovative could be.
At a time so many other build more and more "mainstream" games... without no surprises for the player, FC is to my opinion the firm that actually put most time and work in creativity. And that's what really count to make a game immersive.
So no surprise about AoC.
All i read until now is really good.
They just keep their own idea of game... and i like it
good work !
interesting read - this is a game I really look forward too and according to this interview things seem to still be heading the right way
I'm really, really iffy about licensed MMORPGs now a days. SWG and how it turned out. I'm even going to say on a lore and license basis World of WarCraft is even disappointing. There's a lot of deviations from what was set before it that has really just destroyed the fantasy realm for me.
Yet it seems licensed MMOs has became it's own business anyway.
So enters one of my beloved fantasy realms. Plus a whole new heap of anticipation and thanks to the past FLOPS, pessimism.
So far I've loved everything I've seen from Age of Conan. The mechanics, the lore, the screen shots.
I just wonder tho' how many people are just going to treat this as an online chat room where buddies hang around and chat about life and game mechanics?
Then I wonder how many folks like me who enjoy the Conan history and lore so much; The movies, the Marvel comics, Howard's wonderful writings, and now Black Horse's just fan'freaking'tastic comic run, not only want to play this game and gank the piss out of noobs... LoL And become submerged into the game and not just play the character and run along the map but become a blood thirsty war lord and bring wrath to the land.
Basically. Does anyone reckon the game's progression just may develop a great role-play environment that truly suits the Hyborian setting?
I kill other players because they're smarter than AI, sometimes.
Ive played 9 MMOs now and this is the first one that i have actually been getting excited about since I first got DAoC, and its not even out yet.
I dont mean to sound like a future fanboy, but the available options in th eMMO space have been pretty much the same rehashed ideas, with different skins. Some have had even less playability too boot
(for example, one VERY, and i Stress Very popular product out, whose PvP was a lame aftertought)
Level Equalization, Mentoring = Great ideas. Anything to reduce the monotony of the grind and make you viable more quickly in PVP or end game content is a plus.
Bah, im not going to list all the featurs the AOC is planning than noone else has implemented. Lets just say that im gonna preorder (though i will wait to see what nifty extras the various vendors will be offering
The only two MMOs that people seem to like that i havent tried are AO and Eve. Of course AO is funcoms other game, but i am hesitant to try it now, just because i dont want to risk reducing my enthusiasm for AOC.
GOD, I am gonna be a fanboy and 38
Chit happens 
To err is human.
Thank god i'm not human!
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What's a "tiered PvP system"? I mean, in relation to a levelling game?
Will you only be able to fight other players of similar level? That's been done.
Will you have a separate levelling system just for PvP? How does normal levelled hit points affect this?
Will they reduce the percentage difference caused by levels? i.e. will a level 50 be only 30% better than a level 20?
And what's this "master-apprentice" system? Does the master loose some levels and the apprentice gain some, like in CoH?
Another question I have is, will the game world be divied up for different level ranges like the other games? Like WoW and EQ and DAoC? Conan would have said "to hell with that!"
Another question I have is, are items going to be level restricted like other games too? I know what Conan would say to that as well. I mean, when he first escaped from enslavement and ran from the wolves, and found the cave with the skelletal warrior, and took the sword from him, he didn't get a message saying "you are not skilled enough for that weapon."
I see this as a great game for players who like the level grind mechanics. They'll give you some new things, like scars. They're mish-mashing together the best things from the other games, to make the draw backs from the levelling design work better with the switcheroo stuff. And they're giving you a brand new game world backdrop to play in, all new art. And I'm sure when you hit top level and end-game stagnation, they'll give...err, sell you new content just like the others do.
But somehow, I don't envision the Conan I read about doing a /yell for a mini game of "last man standing".
Once upon a time....
It looks pretty awsome to me, I mean im iffy about games u gota pay monthly for, i mean all the games that are like the best you gota pay for, ww2 online, wow, fom (which i loved it but now pisses me off that u gota pay for it now), the matrix online, daoc, second life, i think auto assault, coh, cov, and i can go on for hours but im just saying, atleast get one game where we dont have 2 pay monthly for, i can see paying for, but paying monthly?? ughhh.
- Rileyman - S.E.A.L. Trained -
Wakka wakka wakka - Pac-Man
I probably sound like I'm being down about the game, I'm not. I can't wait for it, even thinking about a game set in Howards world makes me smile. I just won't get my hopes up thinking that the rest of the people who buy it will be there for anything other than p0wnin noobzerz in PvP.
I must say that ever since I quit WoW I have been very excited aout this game. While WoW was fun game, it was very simplified. Conan looks to be (as was AO) a game that allows for tons of tweaking and customization of your character. In addition, IMHO, it caters to more mature gamers.
Having been invlolved in some on-site Focus tests of past Funcom titles I know that guys and gals at Funcom love gaming. They are developing this game for the serious gamer.
-Chegg
A mature MMO which focuses on aquisistion and advancement? Building fortresses and engaging in PvP?
I'm not a huge PvP fan, although I do play EVE and love it, I _will_ be picking this game up!!
I loved the Conan books and will definitely be giving this game a shot when it comes out. I have become a bit more interested in PvP over the years so fortress raiding sounds awesome.
1. They are using an existing story, so its easier / cheaper. They can draw on conan fans and already have a story that is intresting.
2. It is the same old. Leveling system. Its adult because there are scantily clothed women in it? Suggestive prostitution??!!
3. Many promises. Do you all forget the promises that game developers make before launch. How many of these are true? How many get left out? Wait till you see the screen shots. Even then wait for an unbiased review.
4. They are using the "how many sardines can you fit in a can", game developement formula to the extreme.
5. Nothing in this game will be perminant. No housing, no perminant Keeps / castles / towns.
6. its all hype.