Filed under: Age of Conan

Age of Conan Director's letter for October

by Rubi Bayer Nov 2nd 2009 at 3:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, News items

The October Director's letter for Age of Conan has been released, and it looks like the AoC team is continuing to seek player support and suggestions for improvement. The increase in player questionnaires and surveys will continue in an effort to get feedback from fans, as will weekly updates from the community teams to keep players informed of what's happening. They're also working for increased player interaction by seeking more members for the volunteer program and continuing the recruit-a-friend program.

The big news, as always, was the upcoming update. The 1.05 cycle is coming to an end and the 1.06 cycle is in the works, with the hope that it will hit the test servers in the next few weeks. The Director's letter gave a few hints as to what to look for in 1.06: "We are now focusing on the new Guild Renown feature and the new Tier Three raids encounters. We will be running several initiatives one the test servers during the testing to ensure you get your chance to have your say!"

The full letter can be seen on the official site.

Massively wishes you a happy Halloween

by Alex Ziebart Oct 31st 2009 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Age of Conan, Aion, City of Heroes, EverQuest, EverQuest II, Fallen Earth, Final Fantasy XI, Guild Wars, Lineage, Lineage 2, Warhammer Online, Star Wars Galaxies, Exteel, Free Realms, Champions Online, Runes of Magic, Legends of Norrath

Halloween is probably second only to Christmas in terms of holiday popularity. Ask just about anybody what their favorite holiday is, and they'll probably list one of those two (if it fits the culture). Naturally, as MMO players, we have fun celebrating it in our virtual worlds just like we do in the real world. And boy, this year, do we ever celebrate. Just about every active MMO out there had (or has) something going on. The 2009 lineup included:

Most of these events last a few days into November, so if there's any one in particular you're dying to experience, you might still have a chance if you have a subscription laying around. If you're not able to visit any of these in person, we have screenshots from many of these events in the gallery below. Enjoy!

Gallery: Halloween 2009

Official Age of Conan database offers easy info

by Kyle Horner Oct 30th 2009 at 11:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, News items

MMOs see updates quite frequently, and with games that have developers actively posting on forums an attentive community member can absorb plenty of useful information. However, not everyone is up to the task of tracking all news, dev posts and dev blogs on every little topic. This is where Age of Conan's "New Community Database" enters the picture.

Handled by the community team at Funcom, the database will serve as an easily accessible source of pertinent game-related information about updates old, new, small and big. Everything from minor content stuff to full-on expansions, like Rise of the Godslayer. The website is still partially in beta as content is being added and knobs are being tweaked and dialed for maximum performance. So if in your venture for precious information you run aground due to a lack of content or technical issues, don't be all too surprised.

Having an official wiki isn't a bad idea. With time and attention there's no doubt many a person will find the source of info highly useful. In fact, we've already discovered a great use for it right here, although that particular opinion is arguably of a subjective nature.

More Age of Conan subscription incentives coming

by Kyle Horner Oct 29th 2009 at 4:30PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Business models, News items

Funcom's Erling Ellingsen recently informed Eurogamer about future Age of Conan subscription "initiatives" being planned, which are to follow the new price reduction of multi-month subscriptions . It's of particular interest that Funcom is planning further pricing specials, as they've been doing a lot to bring players back to the game ever since launch. Should their efforts pay off, it's likely that The Secret World will see a significant development boost, which is something we'd be very happy about as fans of Ragnar Tornquist.

However, nobody knows yet if the current "initiatives" have been helping, as Erling wasn't able to comment on current numbers. So until some hard numbers come in -- hopefully of the positive nature -- it's anybody's guess on how the game will perform. It's possible that there's a free-to-play model in the game's future, especially since it wouldn't be the first time a Funcom game has gone that route. However, only time will tell where King Conan and his followers end up.

AoC patch adds veteran points, new dungeon, plastic surgery

by Kyle Horner Oct 28th 2009 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Patches, News items

The most recent Age of Conan newsletter is out and it features a lot to discuss. The big news is that update 5.6 aka Nights of Lost Souls is fully loaded on the live game servers. With it comes new seasonal content, the Veteran Points system and a brand new dungeon. This is the kind of stuff an aged MMO thrives on, especially the Veteran Points -- but there is a small hitch.

So this Veteran Points system, it's pretty cool. You gain special points the longer you stay subscribed and then use said points to purchase things like basic riding training, free character reset potions, a nice bag to expand your inventory... oh and larger breasts! Mission control? This is palm, we're on course to dock with face. Being fair, male players can also make their arms buffer, but none of it really seems necessary. In fact, it seems a little counter-intuitive towards bringing back reluctant former subscribers, which is exactly what Funcom has been trying to accomplish.

Even still, there is a lot of cool free stuff coming for the game. Just be aware that, well, this is still Age of Conan in spirit and so, yeah, breast enlargements.

King Conan lowers prices on long-term subscriptions for all

by Seraphina Brennan Oct 26th 2009 at 11:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Business models, MMO industry, News items

If there was ever a benevolent government in these rough financial times, it's King Conan's monarchy. But we don't honor him for the order that he brings to the lands of Hyboria and not for rippling muscles and barbarian tactics that he brings to the throne. We honor him today for the price drop!

While the usual $15 a month price hasn't changed, the 3 month, 6 month, and 12 month prices have dropped. The 3 month now offers a 20% discount, the 6 month is a 30% discount, and the 12 month subscription is now a 45% discount.

This brings the prices to $99 for the 12 month, $63 for the 6 month, and $36 for the 3 month. Certainly good news for anyone who's been sucked in by the barbarians, or looking forward to the release of Rise of the Godslayer.

Rock the jailhouse with Age of Conan's Iron Tower

by Eliot Lefebvre Oct 21st 2009 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Interviews, Previews, PvE

For whatever reason, MMO gamers have a low opinion of prisons. We always seem to assume that rather than being filled with fuming criminals kept under strict control, every one you venture through will be full of escaped criminals staging an elaborate prison break. Then again, it does have a cool factor going for it, which is doubtlessly why Age of Conan has dipped into the well with its upcoming Iron Tower. MMORPG.com has recently featured both a rundown of the upcoming dungeon's features and a short internal interview offering more details about the tower's design and purpose.

Concluding the game's lore regarding the conflict in the Common District of Tarantia, the Iron Tower is embroiled in a war between a group bent on releasing a specific prisoner and a warden dedicated to preventing that same prisoner's release at all costs. Neither side is benevolent toward the players, with the warden at the edge of madness and the invader releasing prisoners to help supplement her forces, and the battle up the tower requiring high-level players to deal with both forces amidst the deranged captives. If that sounds like a good time to you -- and if you're fond of Age of Conan, we can't imagine it wouldn't -- take a look at both the rundown and the interview, and get ready to break in to a prison.

Thrice the Halloween update hath patch'd

by Rubi Bayer Oct 20th 2009 at 5:00PM

Filed under: Age of Conan, EverQuest, EverQuest II, Guild Wars, Lineage, Lineage 2, Culture, Events, in-game, Star Wars Galaxies, Free Realms, Runes of Magic, Legends of Norrath

We are well into that time of year - Halloween is almost here and a quick look into nearly any MMO out there will show it. We've been talking about quite a few games out there and how they're celebrating, but they're certainly not the only ones putting jack-o-lanterns in their windows. Follow after the jump for a look at how some of our other favorite MMOs are celebrating.

Age of Conan reintroduces free trial

by Rubi Bayer Oct 13th 2009 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Expansions, PvP, News items

Age of Conan has seen its share of ups and downs in this first year since launch, but the ride seems to be smoothing out lately. The first expansion is on the way, new content has been offered, and the PvP side is getting some extra attention. Community manager Oliver "Tarib" Kunz even took a bit of time lately to lay out a patch timeline for players, to let them know what's coming up. Back in July, a list of "10 reasons to give it another look", included free account reactivation for two weeks.

Now Funcom is issuing a similar invitation to everyone, reintroducing the free trial for players looking to try Age of Conan, and those wanting to take a second look at the new and improved game. This time they're offering 7 days of full game access, although there are some restrictions on things like trading, public chat channels, forums, and in-game mail.)

If you want a closer look at what Funcom has been up to with Age of Conan lately, visit the trial website to take them up on their offer.

Age of Conan's PvP developer interview

by Eliot Lefebvre Oct 11th 2009 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Interviews, PvP

Age of Conan didn't have the smoothest launch, and its first year has been spent in no small part dealing with the aftershocks. Now, however, the game is cleaning up quite nicely, and it's focusing on core areas that keep people in the game and engrossed. The strength of the game's PvP was always one of its core selling points, which should make it even more interesting to fans to see MMORPG.com's recent interview with PvP developer Tim Donks.

The interview is very frank -- Donks comes out and says clearly where he feels that PvP is hitting its mark, and what places he thinks it's still falling short of target. He's pleased by and large with the game's "murder point" system that discourages high-level players demolishing weaker (although some players aren't), but he's not wholly happy with how the PvP advancement system in the game is working and talks a bit about how he wants to improve it. There are also a few stories that highlight some of the little changes that can have a larger impact on the overall direction of the game, including how something as small as altering NPC patrol routes can encourage PvP.

If you're curious about the direction that Age of Conan's PvP is going right now, both in the near future and with the upcoming expansion, the interview should provide a meaty read. And if after that you feel the urge to pick up your sword and go find someone unsuspecting to test it on, well, so much the better.

Age of Conan's patch plans laid out

by Seraphina Brennan Oct 2nd 2009 at 8:00PM

Filed under: At a glance, Fantasy, Age of Conan, MMO industry, Patches, News items

Timelines are always subject to change, but it's still nice to know them, right? Age of Conan's patching timeline was just laid out by community manager Oliver "Tarib" Kunz in an informal manner on the forums.

Patch 1.05.6 is currently on the test server, and it will be staying there for about another 2 weeks before it makes its way to the live servers, barring any unforseen testing mishaps, of course. That's the patch that has the new Iron Tower instance and the veteran rewards system.

Once 1.05.6 is out on the live servers, patch 1.06 will be pushed onto the test server. Patch 1.06 is the big one, featuring new tier three dungeons, the House of Crom "social dungeon" where multiple teams of players will work to overcome unknown obstacles, guild renown, and tower PvP. 1.06 will be added slowly to the patch server, however, focusing on the bigger updates like guild renown and tier three dungeons before moving on to the other features of the patch.

Age of Conan director's letter unveils veteran rewards and level 80 instance

by Seraphina Brennan Sep 26th 2009 at 10:00AM

Filed under: At a glance, Fantasy, Age of Conan, Game mechanics, Patches, Endgame, News items

The September edition of the Age of Conan director's letter is offering some exciting developments for dedicated players in the form of a new level 80 dungeon, the Iron Tower, and the implementation of a veteran rewards program.

The veteran rewards program works a bit differently than most other programs, utilizing the new currency of "veteran points" instead of a reward per-month interval system. Each month players will be rewarded X amount of points that they can either save or spend in a new veteran reward shop, which contains items of convenience. The points rewarded will increase after each six month interval passes, giving the players more options the longer they play.

PAX 2009: We travel east with Rise of the Godslayer

by Kyle Horner Sep 9th 2009 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Age of Conan, Expansions, Massively Event Coverage

Age of Conan came to PAX pretty much directly off their announcement of the Rise of the Godslayer expansion. So when we arrived at our appointment to check the game out and speak with Executive Producer Craig Morrison, you can imagine our curiosity levels were quite high.

This expansion is taking players far into the eastern lands of Khitai, which is essentially a retelling of our own ancient eastern worlds. Something we were told right away is that Funcom wanted to avoid Japanese influences, as they're fairly over-saturated in videogames. Instead, they're going for a heavy focus on Korean and Chinese culture for the lands of Khitai.

Gallery: Age of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer

PAX 2009: We travel east with Rise of the Godslayer part 2

by Kyle Horner Sep 9th 2009 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Age of Conan, Expansions, Massively Event Coverage

Funcom to open Montréal studio

by James Egan Sep 1st 2009 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Age of Conan, MMO industry, News items, The Secret World

Word got out earlier today that Funcom is establishing a new game development studio in Montréal. If your French is up to snuff, you can read all about it on Les Affaires, but Funcom was quick to make an announcement of their expansion plans. According to their official release, the new studio is being established in cooperation with Investissement Québec, with Ole Schreiner as CEO of the Montréal studio.

Funcom CEO Trond Arne Aas made a statement on Funcom's reasons for establishing a Québec studio: "We are excited about the opportunity that Montréal represents to our company, not only because of the great incentives offered by Québec, but also the authorities' strong commitment to training qualified video games personnel and building a video games cluster in Montréal and Québec."