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Age of Conan dev letter talks new content, scheduling
Age of Conan's monthly dev update is here, and Funcom's Craig Morrison uses the latest installment to talk about the fantasy title's content release schedule. The near future will bring an update to the Amphitheatre of Karutonia aimed at level 80 players. Tweaks for the Conqueror and Bear Shaman classes should make the cut as well. After that it's on to The Secrets of the Dragon's Spine updates, which Morrison says will release in stages over the end of 2012 and the first quarter of 2013. The long-awaited tradeskill update also falls into this release window. Finally, Funcom is planning to revamp several of AoC's old-world dungeons as well as add a new PvP minigame and a new raid. More updates are in the planning stages, too, but you'll need to head to the official AoC website for more details.
The Daily Grind: Does new content bring you back to an older game?
My Age of Conan playtime has dropped considerably in recent weeks. The blame falls squarely on The Secret World and a spate of single-player games, though Guild Wars 2 is nudging into the picture as well. News of AoC's Secrets of the Dragon's Spine updates was both interesting and a little bit irritating, then, as there's only so much time in my MMO day. While I'd love to come back and check out the new dungeons, mounts, and an outdoor playfield that is reportedly as expansive as Turan, I'm loathe to trade the fun I'm having in TSW for the old, familiar confines of Hyboria. What about you, dear readers? Do new content updates compel you to leave your current flame for an older MMORPG? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Choose My Adventure: Beware the Bard edition
All the world's a game, and all the men and women are merely players. Shakespeare was really onto something there, even if he flubbed a word a bit. Folks who try to deny their participation in games are just fooling themselves! What are games, after all, but progression in a given world? Some people are just so boring that they stick to only one world. We know better, though, don't we? We choose ours from a myriad of options! Or, as in this case, you Choose My Adventure. I will admit, I have been in the wings, eagerly awaiting my next casting call. Twice now you've sent me on amazing adventures, and I've had a blast! And finally, it's my turn to take the stage again. So what will I star in this time? Will it be a military epic, a space adventure, or a flight of fantasy? My big comeback is in your hands! Peruse the list below and follow your muse to choose which world I will spotlight for the next six weeks. Just be sure to have your vote in by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Sunday the 9th. And don't forget to stay tuned to the MV Guide over the coming weeks to watch the adventures unfold on Massively TV!
Age of Conan heralds Secrets of Dragon's Spine update series
Hyboria's about to get a lot more rowdy, as if that was possible. Funcom announced that it is planning a series of updates for Age of Conan called Secrets of Dragon's Spine, with the first update coming in the next few months. The key focus for this content will be in the titular desert region of the Dragon's Spine, located southwest of Pteion. These updates will not only introduce a new zone, but also plenty of additional quests, dungeons, challenges, and even a new mount type. Funcom says that the Dragon's Spine will be around the same size as the coast of Ardashir, and will feature a new raid and PvP area. The three dungeons to be introduced are the Coils of Ubah Kan, the Sepulchral of the Wyrm and the Slithering Chaos. Creative Director Craig Morrison hopes that this announcement gets fans pumped up: "Our version of Hyboria has grown into a vast online world since we launched back in 2008. With the Secrets of Dragon's Spine update, we are moving into an incredibly exciting part of Robert E. Howard's work, and I think both Age of Conan players and fans of Howard's work alike will find a lot to enjoy once they get to explore this new content." [Source: Funcom press release]
Massively Exclusive: Funcom's Morrison on player-driven games, new Age of Conan content
This month's Age of Conan development update had the potential to be quite depressing in light of Funcom's recent layoffs. There's actually a lot of good news, though, as game director Craig Morrison reveals some juicy bits about AoC's upcoming content release plans. Due to the downsizing, what was once an adventure pack on par with last year's Savage Coast of Turan will now be released in installments over the next few months. The collective title for all the new content is Secrets of the Dragon Spine, and it will take place in various new playfields along the border of Stygia and Keshan. There will be a new raid, a new outdoor playfield (approximately the same size as Turan), several new dungeons, a new mount type, and a new PvP area. We had the chance to ask Morrison about the new stuff as well as Funcom's future, and he had some interesting things to say regarding player-driven content and the kind of games the company plans to make going forward. Join us after the cut for the full interview.
Funcom layoffs confirmed as temporary [Updated]
Apparently having suffered a mediocre launch with The Secret World and a severe dip in its stock value, Funcom has announced temporary layoffs to its staff. The layoffs are part of a company-wide cost-cutting strategy in response to TSW's failure to hit expected sales scenarios, which Funcom predicted in a press release earlier this month. The layoffs appear to confirm parts of the anonymous tip we referenced in our Secret World column last Thursday. Funcom Director of Communications Erling Ellingsen confirmed the layoffs to Gamer.no, stating that operations on Funcom's three MMOs will continue and that The Secret World's revenue model will continue as planned. Unconfirmed reports put the layoffs at 50% to 60% of the studio's workforce. "We're in the middle of the process and we can not go into more detail now," Ellingsen said. On its Twitter feed, Funcom posted the following: "Thank you for your warm thoughts and support. More information to come soon." [Update: Funcom has made a new statement to Massively in light of the layoffs, stressing that the layoffs are temporary. "As we announced in the stock notice that went out on August 10th, Funcom is in the process of reducing operational costs and this process includes temporary layoffs as well as other initiatives. As we are currently in the middle of this process we can not provide any further comment at the present time. Rest assured however that we have long-term plans for the company and that we remain fully committed to all of our games. We aim to provide more information soon."]
Age of Conan merging Set, Wiccana servers this week
Server merges are coming to Age of Conan this week, and Funcom has posted a lengthy FAQ on the game's official forums that answers most of the inevitable questions. For starters, the big day is August 7th. American PvE servers Set and Wiccana will be merged, with the resulting server retaining the Set name. If character name conflicts arise, they will be resolved based on account status (with actives given priority), character level (higher levels get priority), and account age. Guilds will keep their names but will have their server-of-origin name appended. Guild cities will retain their playfields and spots, with new instances being created when necessary. Battlekeep spots will be cleared, and currently, occupying guilds will see their resources reimbursed. Hit up the AoC forums for further details.
Age of Conan's plans to borrow tech from The Secret World
Funcom's focus of late has obviously been on The Secret World, but that doesn't mean the company has forgotten about Age of Conan. Quite the opposite, in fact; the success of The Secret World's single server technology means that Age of Conan can start moving to an equivalent server architecture. According to the newest monthly update, the process will probably not be finished until early next year, but it will allow people to freely switch shards to play with friends and enjoy cross-server events. One of the other updates -- and one that will have far-reaching implications for the game -- regards the current pace of content development and deployment. The development team is considering moving away from large content updates and toward smaller updates at a faster pace. Feedback is being requested from the community on this and other topics, so if you're an Age of Conan stalwart, you should examine the full letter and give the company your opinion.
The Anvil of Crom: Finding an Age of Conan hidden faction
A couple of weeks ago, I stumbled across an odd quest chain in the Kara Korum portion of Khitai. It was odd because there was no real indication of its existence, at least in terms of the usual NPC exclamation point or any sort of standard MMO visual signal. How did I find it? That's a long story, the short version of which is that I needed a base texture for some new Anvil of Crom graphics that were in the works. Some of the village buildings in Khitai have this nifty moss-covered stone look to them, and as I zoomed in to get a good screen cap, I saw a funky symbol on the wall. It was clickable, and doing so rewarded me with a pop-up window, a quest called Telltale Signs, and my first brush with one of Age of Conan's hidden factions.
Chaos Theory: The Secret World's single-server tech
Something went missing during this month's launch of The Secret World. Do you know what it was? No, snarkonauts, it wasn't "fun." The game is certainly an acquired taste, but it's nonetheless doing pretty well for itself in terms of word-of-mouth and happy early adopters. No, what was missing was a parade of lengthy launch-week queues (and QQs for that matter). I've been present for every AAA MMO kickoff since Star Wars Galaxies in 2003, and The Secret World marks the first time I've been able to log in when (and where) I wanted to log in on day one. RIFT, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Aion, Lord of the Rings Online -- all of these were "polished" launches by most accounts, and yet all of them featured horrendous launch queues that often stretched from minutes to hours. Why was The Secret World so different?
The Anvil of Crom: Three features Age of Conan needs right now
Well, I'm still dodging buckets of boiling oil and flaming arrows on account of my last column. Before I embark on another bit of shoddy journalism, irresponsible cronyism, and revisionist history -- known colloquially around these parts as an opinion piece -- I'd better take a few moments to clear the Occupy Massively folks off my front lawn. OK, all set. They're crusading against the man in another comment section, so won't you join me after the cut for a look at some missing (and essential) Age of Conan features?
Wings Over Atreia: Musings on secrets, subs, and Aion
Perhaps it was a specific alignment of the planets. Possibly it was a special convergence of random unrelated events. Or maybe it's just from poking around old haunts while livestreaming, discussing upcoming launches with friends, or reporting on different aspects of games. Whatever the reason, my mind has been been thinking about Aion in relation to other games quite a bit over the last couple of weeks. I have had many occasions to mull over the features and ponder what makes NCsoft's game the place to be in the face of so many other possibilities. So why Aion? In the face of a major launch and a plethora of free-to-play offerings, why should Daevas choose to remain or begin adventures in the world of Atreia? Well, you could just say different strokes for different folks and all that, but it's more than that. Aion also has a few unique cards stacked in its favor. In all, I say the game has quite a healthy life still ahead of it. Here's why.
Age of Conan survey respondents prefer PvE by a wide margin
It may be early release day for The Secret World, but that doesn't mean Funcom is throwing in the towel on its other MMORPG projects. Case in point is Age of Conan, which is sporting a brand-new game director update as of this morning. Craig "Silirrion" Morrison presents the findings from AoC's annual summer survey, which amount to an unsurprising PvE-is-way-more-popular-than-PvP conclusion. The scores are weighted, so we don't get to see exactly how many players voted and what they voted for, but it's an interesting peek into the minds of AoC's community in any event. Morrison says that "overall, 70% of responders listed one form of PvE as their primary interest, with the remaining 30% listing a form of PvP." He also takes a moment to tease AoC's forthcoming adventure pack, which is as-yet unnamed and supposedly set somewhere in the Hyborian south. Full details are at the official website.
The Daily Grind: Do you hold an MMO grudge?
The Secret World is launching in a few days, and frankly I'm pretty excited about it. Between the modern setting, the fantasy-horror mashup, and the divergent questing system, it'll probably be my go-to MMO for a while. Because it's Funcom, though, some gamers are rolling their eyes and writing it off. This has to do with the company's (well-earned) reputation for buggy MMO launches, including both Age of Conan and Anarchy Online. While a bit of wariness is understandable, the serious-business rhetoric and the depth of feeling behind the company-specific grudges held by some gamers is both mind-boggling and comical. What about you, morning crew? Do you hold a grudge against Funcom in particular or MMO companies in general? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
The Daily Grind: Is there an MMO zone that you avoid at all costs?
I don't normally avoid zones in MMORPGs. Even the ones that people consider poorly designed are typically fun to experience a couple of times either for the visuals, the quest content, or both. Age of Conan's Kara Korum, though, is a horse of a different color. It's nigh unavoidable if you're playing through the game's Rise of the Godslayer expansion content, and it features dozens of essential faction quests as well as ample gear and monetary rewards. The overarching storyline is rather interesting too. That said, Kara Korum is unequivocally the bleakest, most depressing slice of gaming I've ever experienced. Aesthetically, Funcom has created a pretty good approximation of hell, and the sheer human misery on display via the various NPCs and vignettes weighs heavily on the heart. Needless to say, I won't be coming back to Kara Korum once I've finally conquered it. What about you, early risers? Is there an MMO zone that you avoid at all costs? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
The Anvil of Crom: On Age of Conan's 'bad launch'
I recently ran across an internet discussion featuring the worst MMO launches of all time. Age of Conan was in there, of course, and while I'm not going to tell you that the title's debut was perfect, I feel that there's quite a bit of misinformation stemming from the game's early days. Some of you may disagree and interpret this week's column as a fanboy defense of Funcom, but if you've been reading The Anvil of Crom for more than a month, you'll know that I take the devs to task far more often than not. The stark reality is that AoC's launch simply wasn't as bad as some people make it out to be.
The Perfect Ten: Worst MMO launches of all time
First things first: Whatever MMO release is currently ticking you off is the worst launch of all time. It would be folly of me to try to convince you otherwise. You've been roundly slapped in the face and you don't want me to convince you that the pain was in vain. I understand. Getting past that, however, would it be possible to examine the subsequent 10 worst launches in the MMO industry? If your trauma isn't too great, that is. It would be? Terrific! What constitutes a horrible game launch is varied, although each and every one of the following games made an unfortunate blunder that caused the title to stumble instead of sprint out of the gate. It's not the end of the story, of course, but it does make for a good tale to tell to youngsters camping in the open woods or a particularly seedy LAN center.
Funcom soliciting Age of Conan feedback via annual summer survey
If you've ever wanted to give Funcom a piece of your mind when it comes to Age of Conan's development, now's your chance. The latest monthly development update is live, and with it comes the annual AoC summer survey questionnaire. It's a pretty lengthy set of questions, and it covers everything from item store prices to PvP to potential player housing. And lest you think the survey is just for show, AoC game director Craig Morrison begs to differ. "It genuinely does have an impact. Many of the answers in the previous surveys became the templates for specific additions, features and new content. People voted for a 12v12 minigame two years ago, and that was what we made for the next minigame. People wanted more solo instances, those arrived as well," he writes.
The Anvil of Crom: Downgrading an Age of Conan account to F2P
As I mentioned last time, I'm currently test-driving the EU servers. As such, my Age of Conan subscription fee is spoken for, and my US server characters are now relegated to free-to-play status. Since I'm still deciding on an EU main (I just rerolled after getting a PoM to 22), I figured I'd use this week's column to take a quick look at my veteran account through the eyes of a free-to-play customer. When AoC Unchained debuted last summer, I read the account services matrix like everyone else, but to be frank, I didn't pay it much attention because I'd always been a subscriber. In the back of my mind, I figured that anyone who's halfway serious about Age of Conan would want to sub up, and my experiences this weekend have only reinforced that notion.
The Anvil of Crom: Age of Conan turns four, taps SWG for crafting inspiration
The last time I did an anniversary retrospective for Age of Conan, we had a recent expansion, some new dungeon content, and several class revamps fresh on our minds. The year before that, we had the earth-shaking combat and itemization changes. This past year, the major development was, of course, the switch to a freemium business model, followed closely by the game's first adventure pack. Join me after the break for a quick rundown on the last 12 months as they happened in Hyboria, as well as an anniversary interview with game director Craig "Silirrion" Morrison that sheds a bit of light on the crafting revamp.
