Funcom shows off Rise of the Godslayer’s Gateway to Khitai
Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Video, Age of Conan, Expansions, News items
As the release of the Age of Conan expansion Rise of the Godslayer draws nearer, Funcom continues giving us peeks into some of the zones we’ll see when it arrives.
This time we’re moving out of the grasslands we saw a few weeks ago, back to the Gateway to Khitai. Those living within its confines have the protection of soldiers and sorcerers as well as their great wall. They have no need to worry about those outside and their squabbles.
Maybe they do, though. It seems like all should be safe and cozy, maybe all the danger isn’t on the outside. “Why this lingering suspicion that the great wall was not built to keep the darkness at bay, but to keep it contained,” asks the trailer.
We’ll find out soon enough. In the meantime, Funcom has given us the trailer video, along with a gallery full of screenshots and concept art of the Gateway to Khitai. Follow along after the jump and take a look for yourself.
Continue reading Funcom shows off Rise of the Godslayer’s Gateway to Khitai
Funcom shows off Rise of the Godslayer’s Gateway to Khitai originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Official Age of Conan database offers easy info
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.
Official Age of Conan database offers easy info originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Age of Conan video walks players through new Tarantia Commons zone
Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Age of Conan
This has been a really big week for Age of Conan. They released Update 5, “Gangs of Tarantia“, which has introduced new zones and content, but more than that, completely reworked some of Age of Conan’s existing game mechanics. The amount of written content that Funcom has put together on these changes is substantial — in fact we linked to all of it in our post on Update 5 earlier this week. Funcom can write all they want about the new changes to the game, but when it comes down to it, actually seeing these places they’ve described may have a stronger impact. With that in mind, Funcom released a video tour of the Tarantia Commons zone today, narrated by game director Craig Morrison.
Tarantia Commons is what he describes as “the urban underbelly” of the capital city of Tarantia, a place Morrison says is “wracked by gang warfare and civil unrest.” In other words, there’s always a lot going on in Tarantia Commons and the video walkthrough shows this, revealing how players will choose which side to take in riots — either aid the city guards or stick it to the man with fellow rioters. The riots then trigger other events. Specific quests become available and certain bosses spawn, depending upon the general state of chaos in the streets of Tarantia Commons.
There are two warring gangs in the new gameplay area, The Wharf Rats who exist at ground level in the streets of Tarantia Commons, and The Crows whose area of influence shows off a different aspect of the game: rooftops. Interacting with The Crows above Tarantia Commons gives a different perspective on the city, with some impressive views of the zone. Of course there’s content on the outskirts of Tarantia Commons for players to experience as well, including a leper colony where NPCs will lash out at you, intentionally trying to infect you with disease. As an added bonus, or spoiler depending upon your point of view, the walkthrough also shows off a boss encounter and the tactics he’ll employ against players.
If you’re on the fence about returning to Age of Conan to see the new content, this Tarantia Commons walkthrough might just be the tipping point. We’ve got a video embed for you after the jump:
Continue reading Age of Conan video walks players through new Tarantia Commons zone
Age of Conan video walks players through new Tarantia Commons zone originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Age of Conan’s Update 5 goes live, game director hints at future improvements
Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Classes, Game mechanics, Guilds, MMO industry, Patches, Crafting
The fifth major update to Age of Conan,”Gangs of Tarantia“, has gone live. The update adds the Tarantia Commons District, a high level area with both single player and group dungeons, as well as a revamped RPG system. There are substantial system changes that have gone into effect in Update 5, which impact every class in Age of Conan, covering everything from itemization changes to feat trees, as well as abilities, spells, and combos. Plus Funcom has rolled out a complete overhaul of the gem crafting system and introduced new rewards tied in with guild cities. Any in-depth look at the sweeping changes made to Age of Conan with Update 5 is beyond the scope of this post, but are summarized in the patch notes.
In the June letter from the game director, Craig Morrison explains how Gangs of Tarantia is the most significant update made to the game thus far. Morrison also drops some hints about the directions Funcom plans to take Age of Conan with future game updates. He writes that the next update to Age of Conan will focus on three main areas: improving guild gameplay; new high level content in the House of Crom; and more goals and objectives with Border Kingdom PvP.
Beyond the letter from the game director, Funcom has grouped together a ton of information related to Gangs of Tarantia and AoC in general, which can be found in Issue #23 of the Age of Conan newsletter.
Age of Conan’s Update 5 goes live, game director hints at future improvements originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The importance of good audio in an MMO
Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Age of Conan, EVE Online, EverQuest II, Culture, MMO industry, Academic, Education, Virtual worlds, Black Prophecy
In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the development budgets of new MMOs. To stay ahead of the technological curve, a large portion of the budget invariably goes toward the graphics department. Studios produce impressive graphics engines and mountains of art assets in an effort to make their game one of the most visually impressive out there. Amidst all the fuss over graphics and gameplay, audio is often overlooked and underfunded. It’s been shown that good music and sound effects can have a significant impact on the perceived quality of a game. This is something that some development studios recognise and support but many continue to neglect this vital part of the gaming experience.
In this article, I examine the importance of good audio in an MMO and explain the underlying psychology involved.
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The importance of good audio in an MMO originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Age of Conan anniversary contest prizes include lifetime subscriptions
Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Contests, Forums, News items
We mentioned an Age of Conan event in passing recently but we’d like to point out a bit more about the AoC Anniversary Contest, “Find the King’s Seals“. It’s an easter egg hunt of sorts, where players are given a list of game sites which contain silver seals. There are 25 silver seals to be found for each language (English, French, and German, although only 10 for Spanish), which are collected in the form of codes, found among the Age of Conan articles on the various MMO sites.
Funcom states: “There is also one golden seal hidden somewhere on one of the listed webpages. If you also manage to find that one together with the 25 silver seals for your language, you get the chance to win the grand prize… a lifetime subscription to Age of Conan.” If you’re interested in entering the contest, you’ve got until midnight (Central European Time) on May 31st. You can see the full Age of Conan Anniversary Contest rules and prize listings on the game’s official forums.
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Age of Conan anniversary contest prizes include lifetime subscriptions originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 27 May 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Funcom CFO resigns in wake of $23.3M loss
Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Business models, Economy, MMO industry, News items
These are bad times all around in the massively multiplayer online game industry in terms of the economy. The troubles of some companies are still coming to light, as is the case with Funcom. James Lee from GamesIndustry.biz writes that Funcom has reported its Q4 2008 financial results with “an operating loss of USD 23.3 million, caused by a depreciation of USD 22.8 million due to the lagging performance of Age of Conan.”
In addition, Funcom CFO Olav Sandes given notice of his resignation. Sandes is not the first high level employee to quit in recent months, but all is not doom and gloom. Funcom’s Q4 2008 subscription revenues from Age of Conan have shot up to USD 8.7 million, up from USD 1.2 million year-on-year, Lee reports. Funcom expects a Q1 2009 revenue of between USD 6 million and 8 million, largely comprised of subscription fees for Age of Conan. James Lee’s GamesIndustry.biz article has further details on Funcom’s financial situation.
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Having fun in Conan’s homeland? Make sure to check out all of our previous Age of Conan coverage, and stick with Massively for more news from the Hyborian Age! |
Funcom CFO resigns in wake of $23.3M loss originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Feb 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Age of Conan wins Best Original Score at IFMCA awards
Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, MMO industry, News items
The fantasy MMO Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures is a game that’s notable for its score, and this aspect of the title has drawn accolades from gamers and music critics alike. Composer Knut Avenstroup Haugen was even nominated for Best Original Score in a Video Game in the Hollywood Music Awards. While ultimately that honor went to Wataru Hokoyama for Afrika, Haugen now has cause to celebrate his big win at the International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) awards.
The IFMCA is an association of online, print, and radio journalists who write about film and television music. Clearly they were impressed with Haugen’s work. Age of Conan won Best Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media, this time beating Afrika, as well as Gears of War 2, Mercenaries 2, and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.
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Having fun in Conan’s homeland? Make sure to check out all of our previous Age of Conan coverage, and stick with Massively for more news from the Hyborian Age! |
Age of Conan wins Best Original Score at IFMCA awards originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Feb 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The World outside Warcraft
Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Age of Conan, EVE Online, Lord of the Rings Online, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Warhammer Online, Opinion, Vanguard
Blizzard’s fantasy title World of Warcraft is everywhere these days, perhaps the only title to really pierce the veil between MMOs and mainstream media. For some massively multiplayer online gamers, WoW is the end-all be-all of titles out there. Can over 11 million people be wrong? Definitely not, we’d say. World of Warcraft has very much shaped the industry and writers at Massively have racked up ludicrous amounts of time spent in the game. But there are other engaging options out there, which is the point of an article written by Earnest Cavalli for The Portland Mercury’s ‘Blogtown’.
In “What’s Your Anti-Warcraft?” Cavalli looks at the good, bad, and the ugly among the MMOs on the market. He praises the virtues of Lord of the Rings Online with its ability to pull you into the setting, the riskier style of EVE Online, and the personal legacy of achievements you can establish in Warhammer Online. Cavalli takes aim at Age of Conan though, and lambasts Vanguard: Saga of Heroes as well.
If you’re offended by strong language, look away, because Cavalli doesn’t really pull any punches in his assessment of these titles. Check out “What’s Your Anti-Warcraft?” and see if you agree with his take on the MMO world beyond WoW’s ever-expanding borders.
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The World outside Warcraft originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Age of Conan’s 31 days of Christmas
Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Contests, Events, real-world, Events, in-game
‘Two-handed axes’ and ‘Christmas’ used in the same context generally conjures up images of Silent Night, Deadly Night, but there’s an Age of Conan contest running throughout December that’s equally festive. Funcom is giving away in-game items for Age of Conan every day this month, in the spirit of Christmas gore.
All you need to do to enter is fire off an email to: contest AT ageofconan DOT com, with “Season Give-away” as your subject. You’ll need to provide them with your name, address, phone number and Age of Conan account name. Once that’s done, you’re in the running for this set of in-game items:
Continue reading Age of Conan’s 31 days of Christmas
Age of Conan’s 31 days of Christmas originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 04 Dec 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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