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The Daily Grind: How often do you upgrade your gaming PC?
Well, it's that time of decade again, the cycle that comes around every three or four years when I'm forced to put an aging PC out to pasture. Age of Conan's new Khitai zones have brought my four-year-old gaming rig to its knees and, rather than run around looking at circa-1998 environment textures (and six minute load times), I recently took the upgrade plunge. Luckily, most MMORPGs don't have the stringent hardware requirements that a lot of single-player games feature, and you can generally get away with relying on outdated hardware in our particular subset of gaming. For example, aside from a video card upgrade (driven by the silly desire to play Crysis a couple years ago), I've been playing dozens of MMOs on a PC that hasn't been state-of-the-art since early 2006. What about you, Massively readers? How often do you upgrade your gaming PCs, and has an MMORPG ever driven you to do so?
One Shots: Always someone bigger than you
Just when you thought it was safe to head into Age of Conan's new expansion, Rise of the Godslayer... It appears that, while exploring exotic locales in Khitai and working toward all those beautiful new armors, you run the very real chance of becoming toejam. We might have hoped that today's One Shots contributor, Dits, had some friends with him. Alternatively, running the opposite direction seems like it would have been a wise choice as well. But, no. It appears that Dits had a different idea, as he wrote a note in to explain his reaction to this situation: "O hai there." We wonder how that worked for him. If you like to write silly notes about screenshots from your character's point of view, we'd love to showcase them. Snap a screenshot and email it to us here at oneshots@massively.com along with your name, the tale, and the name of the game. You never know -- that image could be one of the next ones featured here on Massively! %Gallery-85937%
One Shots: Beware the wild lands
Been thinking about heading back to Age of Conan? Between the recent announcement that players can check out Rise of the Godslayer free for 10 days and the promise of seeing gorgeous areas like this one, we can see why so many folks are jumping back in. This image of a lovely waterside town comes to us from Pedro A., who has been enjoying his own adventures in the wild lands. He writes in: "This is a picture of the village of Tesso, in the wild lands of Zelata. It is the point where you start working the quests in this area, eventually ending up in the big temple you can see far in the mountainous distance. The temple is the Sanctum of the Burning Souls: It was a city of splendor in the past, and now is a ruined dangerous place where you can encounter terrible spiders, mad worshipers of evil, and demons." One Shots needs your screenshots! If you'd like to help us out and send in some screenshots of your recent adventures, the address you'll want to send them to is oneshots@massively.com. Be sure to include your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're seeing. We'll post it out here and give you the thanks for sending it in! %Gallery-85937%
Exclusive: Funcom's Morrison explains AoC microtransactions
A few weeks ago, we ran an opinion piece speculating about the possible inclusion of microtransactions in Funcom's Age of Conan. The column generated a lot of discussion, and some players felt that because of the bonus items available for purchase with the recent Rise of the Godslayer expansion, Age of Conan already featured a cash shop of sorts. Funcom's sword-and-sorcery title has featured account microtransactions for a while now, in the form of server transfers and character name changes, but has pointedly avoided introducing a proper item store aside from the bonus expansion items. We went straight to the source to clear up the confusing question of whether Age of Conan does or does not feature an item shop. Executive producer and game director Craig "Silirrion" Morrison was kind enough to answer our questions regarding the Godslayer item packs as well as Funcom's future microtransaction plans. Read all about it after the cut.
Try Age of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer free for 10 days
The Age of Conan expansion Rise of the Godslayer has been out for a while now, and if you're a former player who hasn't tried it yet, Funcom is eager for you to take a look. Everyone likes free stuff, so how about 10 free days of Rise of the Godslayer? From now until July 15th, former Age of Conan subscribers are invited to download and play the expansion at no cost for ten days. Of course, Funcom hopes you'll enjoy it enough to buy it, and there is a little bonus if you do just that. If you purchase on or before July 15th, you'll receive the "Tortage Survival pack," a bundle of goodies that includes a pile of starter weapons and ten double-XP potions. The expansion's trial is available for download now, and newcomers to the game are always welcome to check out the trial of the full game, available on the Age of Conan site.
One Shots: Do a little dance
Sometimes, a little time and distance from an MMO can completely change our opinion of a game. This appears to be especially true of our readers when it comes to Age of Conan. While many may not have cared for the game at launch, the polish and care that the Funcom team have put into the game since then is often remarked on by our readers. That's why we're not surprised to see a screenshot from the tutorial like this one from Mark. As his note is a bit long, we'll simply say if you'd like to join the fun, email your images to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a note about it. Now, here's what Mark had to say: "I had just loaded up Rise of the Godslayer and could not resist levelling a new Khitai character. While getting back into the flow of the game after nearly one year away, I started playing with the emotes to see what the new race had to offer fluff-wise. She seems to be having a good time dancing with her undead minions. Personally I think Jintana could give Lady Gaga a run for her money!" "I had forgotten how beautiful and rich the world was in Age of Conan. I am so glad I came back to the game after suffering from general MMO burnout. Even with loading screens now and then, it is for me the most immersive MMO I have ever played. Sometimes I can practically smell the sea air and the fires burning." %Gallery-85937%
Funcom releases Godslayer soundtrack package
To go along with their recently released making-of music trailer, Funcom has made the soundtrack to Rise of Godslayer available for purchase in both MP3 and disc format. The deluxe DVD packaging contains 23 tracks composed by Knut Avenstroup Haugen and performed by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. It also features trial clients for Age of Conan, game art, and an in-game flute exclusive to the soundtrack package. The music itself needs no introduction, and features a diverse selection of instruments and artists including a taiko-drum ensemble and world-class ethnic solo masters. Currently both the retail package and the MP3 downloads are only available in Europe via CDON.com, but Massively will keep you updated when the music becomes available in the States.
The Anvil of Crom: Changes aren't permanent, but change is
Yeah, so they're pulling the rug out from under my rangers, in the form of a hefty class revamp that is basically taking a good chunk of everything familiar about Age of Conan's rascally rogues and tossing it out the proverbial window. I shouldn't be shocked by this, after all; spend more than a week playing in this genre and it becomes clear that MMORPG developers are the game-industry equivalent of George Lucas: constantly tinkering with their creations (sometimes to the dismay of their fans) and rarely leaving well enough alone. While it's a truism that one of the appeals of an MMORPG is its malleable nature, that doesn't make it any easier to adapt and adapt again, particularly if you were happy with the status quo. All that said, I'm not dismissing Funcom's upcoming ranger revamp out of hand, as I haven't yet been privy to testing any of the changes. They may well turn out to be a blessing, but ten years of messing around with these games has left me a little leery of radical revisitations. Hopefully my reservations are unfounded this time around. Read on after the cut to see what's in store for Hyboria's bow-and-crossbow crowd.
One Shots: Just bricks in the wall
We're just now starting to see all the various different landscapes in Age of Conan's newest expansion Rise of the Godslayer thanks to readers like Joshua P. who keep sending their images in. When you add in the promised upcoming revisions to the game engine and DX10, we can only imagine how much more awesome Age of Conan is going to look in the future. For the here and now, though, we have Joshua's note on the above landscape: "They sent me on a quest through the northern half of the Gateway to Khitai, which involved fighting legions of Zang Xin beasts on the side of a mountain; then the lieutenant of their army. After he was down, I noticed a rickety old ladder leaned against the side of the cliff leading up to Cong the King of the Zang Xin, a giant brute that towered over my Priest of Mitra. It was an epic battle, but thanks to Mitra's blessing I was able to defeat the beast. He dropped a worthless green piece of armor that I couldn't even wear -- how disappointing. At least I got this nice view of the Great Wall from the top of the mountain!" Do you have screenshots of your favorite game that you haven't sent in to us yet? If so, why are you holding back? You should gather those up and send them to us here at oneshots AT massively.com. We can always use more screenshots to show off. %Gallery-85937%
AoC's Morrison drops hints about the future
Funcom's Craig Morrison, Silirrion on the official Age of Conan forums, has returned with another Letter from the Game Director. Morrison, who also serves as executive producer on the Robert E. Howard-themed MMORPG, looks into his crystal ball to give fans a bit of a teaser in terms of future updates. "So overall, the answer to the 'what next?' question is more of 'a little bit of everything' rather than one specific theme for the time being. We want to continue to improve the game and build upon the progress we have seen so far. That means now that the expansion is out, we will take the opportunity to address a wider selection of smaller and back-end or performance updates," he writes. What's involved in the "little bit of everything?" We're glad you asked. According to Morrison, everything entails new Khitai quests, performance tweaks for all of the recently released expansion content, and significant revisions to the Dreamworld game engine as well as various DirectX10 functionality. Oh yeah, tweaks to PvP gameplay (specifically Shrines of Bori issues), possible vanity options, GUI enhancements, and cross-server minigame options are also on the table. "We are also though looking at a few things that offer longer term benefits. Included there are things like changing the way the mini-games queues work at a fundamental level to ensure fairer fights, and also starting to investigate further the possibility of offering cross-server PVP games," Morrison says. Check out the full letter for all of the details.
One Shots: I always feel like somebody's watching me
Perhaps it's just us, but there's something kind of unsettling about a mountain in the distance, through the mists, that just stares at you. Sure, we know it's something undoubtedly left there by an ancient civilization, but if we were in Sixscot's shoes, we probably wouldn't turn our backs on that thing until we saw it up-close. There again, that may just be the hangover talking. In any case, we're glad to see this interesting Age of Conan screenshot from the new areas in game. Lest we give too much more away, here's Sixscot with the scoop: "Here's a picture of my lvl 29 Bear Shaman, Xantis, in the Gateway to Khitai zone. You can see some ruins in the background and my loyal Kappa by my side. I've been having a blast in the new zone and am looking forward to investigating other ruins and structures that I can see off in the distance." Have you found a great place to adventure, or just hang out, in your favorite game? If so, we'd love to see those screenshots! Send them to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the game it's from, and a quick description. Sure, you can keep them to yourself -- but adventures become better in the retelling. %Gallery-85937%
The Anvil of Crom: She's crafty, but not my type
Know, O Prince, that between the years when the oceans drank Atlantis and the gleaming cities, and the rise of the sons of Aryas, there was an age undreamed of, when shining kingdoms lay spread across the world like blue mantles beneath the stars. Thither came Joe Gamer, a crafter, a harvester, to grind the gems of Funcom's Hyboria beneath his sandaled feet. Ok, so maybe I embellished Robert E. Howard just a tad with that last bit, the point being to illustrate that there's something a little off-kilter about the tradeskilling system in Age of Conan. As enjoyable as I find the combat, exploration, and various other aspects of Funcom's sword and sorcery MMORPG (not to mention the Rise of the Godslayer expansion), it's odd that I'm almost completely meh about the crafting system. Part of it has to do with being spoiled by more complex crafting mechanics in other games. The other part, well, I don't what it is exactly, but maybe I will by the end of this week's column. Click past the cut for more.
One Shots: Mysterious marauder
With the recent expansion Rise of the Godslayer now live in Age of Conan and the contest in conjunction with Xfire, Funcom's bloody barbarian MMO seems to be enjoying a surge in popularity currently. That's why we're a little mystified as to precisely why we got a great screenshot of a burned out caravan in Khitai from a mysterious stranger who refused to give us his name. Is he on the run from King Conan? Has he done something truly dastardly that has turned the ancient gods against him? Perhaps he torched those caravan wagons himself! We'll likely never know, but hey -- at least we have a really nice screenshot to enjoy. Are you adventuring through the new areas in Age of Conan? Would you like to show off some of the exotic sights of Khitai? All you have to do is email your screenshots to us at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a brief note indicating what we're seeing. We'll post it out here for everyone to check out and give you the credit. %Gallery-85937%
Funcom's Morrison asks for your AoC feedback
Age of Conan executive producer and game director Craig Morrison is no stranger to the game's official forums, and earlier today he stopped by the boards to solicit feedback from fans. Specifically, he's interested in your thoughts regarding progression in the recently released Rise of the Godslayer expansion. "What do you consider to be your first priority for progression in the expansion content? As we move forward it's one of the important areas for us to consider at we look at any potential balance changes to the methods and sources of progression, so I am interested to see what you folks think," he writes. Head on over to the official Age of Conan boards to cast your vote and make your voice heard in the discussion.
The Anvil of Crom: Getting into Godslayer
You might have heard about a little expansion that recently came out, Rise of the Godslayer or some such. Yes it's been getting a lot of press around these parts, particularly up to last Tuesday's launch. As some of you snarkier keyboard cowboys have noted, said coverage has since died down. Contrary to popular conspiracy theories though, that's not because of a buggy expansion launch but rather because we've been spending so much time playing it. I mean really, who has time to write about games when you could be playing the heck out of them? Eventually responsibility did rear its ugly head and here you have this week's column, i.e. what passes for my initial impressions of the live expansion client. Since we covered Alternate Advancement in detail in our beta preview, this week's piece is a little lighter on the game play details and a little heavier on the general atmosphere. So, join us past the cut as we take a break from our dueling rangers and head for Hyboria's exotic far east.
The Anvil of Crom: Age of Conan anniversary retrospective
Thinking of coming back to Age of Conan? You're not alone, as the recently released Rise of the Godslayer expansion, plus a wave of generally positive buzz, have conspired to reverse the fortunes that Funcom's ambitious Hyborian MMORPG experienced during its rocky launch. Two years is an eternity in the computer gaming world, and the game bears little more than a skin-deep resemblance to the title that launched way back in May 2008. Age of Conan has undergone significant revision in its short lifespan, from a sweeping combat and itemization revamp to the addition of numerous dungeons and play fields, all of them pre-dating the new expansion. The laundry list of additions can be broken down into six major categories: combat and itemization, PvP, crafting, gameplay, new zones, and the expansion. We'll also touch on smaller details such as performance tweaks and offline leveling, so hack your way past the cut to see the gory details.
The Daily Grind: What are your summer MMO plans?
After too many snowstorms, blizzards, blizzageddons, snowmageddons, ice storms, dreary days, and martyred meteorologists to count, we've emerged from winter as timid fleshlings, blinking in the bright spring sunlight. It's hard to imagine that in just a few weeks, we'll usher in the summer season -- traditionally a dry spell of new game releases. Still, many of us will get off school or college, or enjoy a vacation away from work, and have a chunk of gaming time open up. So what are your MMO summer plans? Will you invest more time in your current favorite title? Are you planning on exploring old favorites, perhaps in preparation for upcoming patches and expansions? Did you miss out on a recently-released MMO, such as Star Trek Online, Global Agenda or Age of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer, and are considering a one-month pass to check it out? Or mayhaps you're holding out for one of the rare summer releases, such as Mortal Online and APB? What are you going to do in MMOs this summer?
The Daily Grind: Pre-order now!
Pre-ordering has become something of an epidemic in the gaming industry. Whether you're looking to plunk down five bucks at Gamestop several weeks in advance of Red Dead Redemption or pay for the full enchilada on Amazon and wait for them to ship you a box on launch day, companies large and small have taken to offering their goods up for sale before they're really for sale. MMORPGs aren't left out of course. Currently the darling of the pre-order ball is Realtime Worlds' All Points Bulletin, simply by virtue of being the next big genre release. Along with the early payments, players are generally rewarded with some sort of in-game trinket. Age of Conan's first expansion, launched this week, offered up a Loyal Kappa and Ravager of Jhi pet duo to those who pre-ordered Rise of the Godslayer. Both of these items, while aesthetically cool, are completely unnecessary (they function as fairly weak combat pets and buffers), mainly because Funcom is following the unwritten gaming rule that states thou shalt not provide early adopters any kind of real advantage. Along with the pets, early Godslayer customers were given a bewildering array of expansion upgrade packages to choose from, each featuring different items designed to temporarily boost XP, ease the transition for newbs, or just make their avatars look that much cooler. Whether all of this is a good thing is up for debate. On the one hand, it's clear that players love any chance to acquire new shinies, even if it means paying a little extra. On the other hand, it can be argued that pre-ordering allows MMORPG makers to deliver unfinished games due to pre-existing demand and blind faith from fans. What say you, dear readers? Yay or nay on MMORPG pre-orders?
AoC: Godslayer downtime extended
Those of you taking the day off work to enjoy Funcom's first Age of Conan expansion are hopefully finding other things to do with your time as afternoon gives way to early evening. Rise of the Godslayer, the sprawling addition to the Robert E. Howard-based fantasy MMORPG released in 2008, has been delayed. The server downtime was originally scheduled to last approximately 12 hours, beginning at 4am Eastern time this morning. As the day wore on, Funcom began experiencing undisclosed technical issues with the European server deployments and opted to release an updated announcement via the official forums. The EU delay also means that the American server launch will be pushed back, and Glen 'Famine' Swan, Senior Assistant Community Manager for Funcom, posted an expected up time of 8pm Eastern. "Overall, we are aiming to come up within the 2 hour extended delay, but it highly depends on how the EU deployment goes when it's fully launched," Swan said. While you're waiting, you can check out the official Godslayer update notes (dubbed version 2.0) to get a taste of what you can expect when the servers come up.
AoC: Rise of the Godslayer launch day roundup
Can't get enough Rise of the Godslayer? We here at Massively can't either. In fact, if we weren't slaving away composing this roundup to make your Godslayer launch day research a little easier, we'd be logged in right now. So thank us, of course, and be sure to check out all of our Age of Conan expansion coverage that you may have missed. GDC10: A look at Rise of the Godslayer If you're looking for an exhaustive run down of all the features coming your way in the new expansion, look no further than this Rise of the Godslayer preview from GDC2010. The piece features extensive information on new factions, mounts, dungeons, and excerpts from an interview with Game Director Craig Morrison. Faction Armor detailed in Game Director Letter Game Director Craig Morrison details the new faction armor system in the upcoming Rise of the Godslayer expansion, and Massively brings you the highlights as well as a smattering of helpful links. Massively interviews Craig Morrison Massively's weekly Age of Conan column, The Anvil of Crom, sits down with Funcom's Craig Morrison to talk about a wide range of topics, including tidbits about the new Rise of the Godslayer expansion. Rise of the Godslayer retail exclusives announced Funcom announces that Rise of the Godslayer will be available in both digital download and retail formats, both including exclusive pre-order pet items, XP bonuses, and assorted goodies. Instanced travel encounters detailed Funcom's Craig Morrison returns with another Letter from the Game Director, this time highlighting a unique feature of the expansion that takes the form of instanced travel encounters. Massively is there with all the details and links. Rise of Godslayer beta impressions Jef Reahard, Massively's man on the street in Hyboria and author of the weekly Anvil of Crom column, takes a long look at the Godslayer beta and the Alternate Advancement system and likes what he sees. Rise of the Godslayer launch trailer released GameTrailers releases the exclusive teaser trailer for Funcom's Rise of the Godslayer expansion. The trailer, a pleasing mixture of concept art, comic panels, and in-game footage, shows off the lush lands of Khitai, new tiger mounts, and brief glimpses of the new dungeons in action.
