Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures Coverage Round-up
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Since Age of Conan is so focused on consensual PvP (Border Kingdoms, Mini-games, Bar fights), the label "PvP Server" seems to really just mean "Gank Server." With all of the debate raging on the forums, and the origin of MMORPG being Role Playing games, would you please inform us of Funcom's plans regarding the implementation of RP-PvE servers. My thanks.
While we know a lot of people want and would enjoy an RP-PvE server, both our internal surveys and external figures have shown that only a small percentage of people overall desire an RP-PvE server. Should that change, or should we see a strong increase in demand, we will consider it, but RP-PvE is consistently, and significantly, behind every other server type we've thought about in popularity, and opening a server is no small commitment in hardware, staffing, etc..
Next it's an interview with game director Gaute Godager at GameSpot:
Give us an overview of the beta. What can players expect to experience?
Gaute Godager: The beta is in its final stages in terms of content and code right now. Classes are getting more and more balanced. The quests, items, and spells are getting their final touches. We still have issues, sure. Plenty of bugs and optimizations to finish off, but we are en route to a fantastic, involving game! What you will experience in the upcoming beta session is hardcore, hands-on, action PVP combat.
You select one of 12 classes. You may choose to play through the [levels] one-through-five story introduction to the game. (I urge you to do this, as you will get a glimpse of the final game in terms of soloing and player-versus-environment, or PVE, gameplay.) After this session, which takes about an hour, you will be automatically leveled up to 20, and will be participating in minigame PVP action. Using the automatic search option, you will be playing either "capture the skull" or "team annihilation."
Then there's this interview with product manager Erling Ellingsen at Onlinewelten:
One special feature of Age of Conan is the player cities. Can you tell us a bit more about that? What buildings can be built? Will every guild city look the same or are there customization options to create buildings in different styles etc.?
Erling Ellingsen: This is a substantial feature in Age of Conan's feature set, and we hope to expand it post launch as well. At launch, however, the system works something like this: any guild that lives up to the requirements (guild size, money, resources etc.) can create a peaceful city. You will need to collect the resources from Mother Nature herself and build it up building by building, and you actually need crafters to create the blueprints needed to start construction!
You will be able to make anything from entire city walls and towers, to the central keep and a variety of crafting and class specific buildings. You will see temples, blacksmiths, a guild house for thieves and much more. All buildings give your guild a bonus, and they can all be upgraded into various tiers that make them look different. All buildings can be entered.
Followed by another interview with Mr. Ellingsen at Mondes Persistants:
Beautiful graphics, big battlefield with hundreds of players, collision, line of sight... Are you sure it is not a little bit too much to handle ?
I certainly understand your concern, and I guess time will show, but we are putting a lot of effort into making our technology work under those conditions. Tests have been positive and a lot of that is owed to our proprietary graphics engine called Dreamworld. Having shaped this engine over several years it has allowed us to create an engine that is truly scalable and can adapt to a lot of different systems.
And, finally, two previews at VideoGamer.com:
The combat really is the key. Where mounts in "that other MMO" are primarily used to get you from A to B quicker than it takes to walk, Funcom has designed its mount system from the ground up to add a dimension to battles. Mounts are the perfect weapon for driving back attacks and breaking up groups. Every mount has its own set of specific abilities, which are all physics based, ensuring that careful positioning is just as important as knowing your way around a blade. Their powerful, sweeping strikes send enemies flying and knock opposing players off their feet. It's then up to your on-foot mates to mop up the now broken group.
That's not to say that you won't be able to deal any decent damage while on horse back. Player characters can wield weapons while on horses (but not other mounts, more on that later), using the direction-based combat system players will have mastered during their on-foot adventures. The keys 1, 2 and 3 are your overhead forward attacks, Q and E your left and right uppercuts. Things can get pretty complex, and fast, especially when faced with multiple enemies and other human players who are also mounted up. Clicking hot-keyed mount attacks with the mouse cursor with one hand while keeping the other hammering away with player attacks is no small feat, but it can be extremely rewarding. After about 10 minutes of play we were able to use the horse's charge attack, which causes the mount to speed towards a single enemy and knock it down, trigger front and rear kicks on surrounding enemies then deal some serious damage with Thrud's twin blades. Sweet.
And Primotech:
Unlike certain other MMOs which will go unnamed, Age of Conan isn't padded with quests that require the player to spend hours on end annihilating rat infestations. (Many of the quests are tied to the story arcs,) Tharaldsen affirmed, with a wide variety of mission goals ranging from simple assassinations, investigations, and escorts, to more complex objectives, like getting a volcano to erupt or slaughtering a particular crocodile to avenge a grieving widow or providing aid to King Conan himself.
Mounts are a fan-favorite in any MMO; in Conan, the player can ride into battle atop a mammoth, rhino, horse, or camel at level 40. In an open valley, Tharaldsen spawned a mammoth and a dozen crash test dummy enemies. After carefully climbing onto the beast's back, he illustrated how using the same buttons for bladed combat would cause the mammoth to swing its tusks in the corresponding direction, sending the AI flying through the air in every direction.
