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The Anvil of Crom: We built this city
While we didn't quite built our guild city on rock and roll, we did use the blood, sweat, and tears (not to mention curses) that resulted from several weeks of dedicated resource gathering and guild-bank raiding. Come to think of it, we did use a metric butt-ton of rock to build it, so the fact that you're now singing Starship's 1980s anthem isn't all for naught. You're welcome. Anyhow, building a city in Age of Conan isn't for the faint of heart. I've been promising to talk about it for nearly a month now and continually pushing it back because that's about how long it takes for a tiny guild (currently four active members) to build anything worth talking about. Happily, tier two is nothing to sneeze at, and we've now got a satisfying sprawl covering a sizable portion of the southern Purple Lotus Swamp. Our city, resting behind some rather enormous sandstone walls, features everything from a well-fortified keep, to all the crafting facilities and a trader, to a large contingent of NPC guards, nobles, and (because it's Funcom) hookers. Read on to discover the pai... er, fun that is Hyborian city-building, and don't forget to check out the gallery below. %Gallery-97265%
The Anvil of Crom: Filling the leveling gaps
Never let it be said that The Anvil of Crom doesn't exist to serve the readers, as this week, we're taking a step back from our usual industry rantings and ravings to indulge in the creation of a proper leveling guide. There aren't really a lot of such Age of Conan resources on yonder intarwebs (and if you've written any I missed, my apologies but Google doesn't like you). Anyhow, my guildmates began to flounder about after exhausting their 30-ish level quests, and (after I pointed and laughed for a few minutes) I figured a formal guide was in order. So, join me after the cut as I perform my Hyborian civic duty and clue some of our newer players in to the best places to get their level on. Also, keep in mind this is how I've progressed on several characters across three of the four racial choices and their associated zones, so if you have a more efficient way, feel free to share it in the comments.
The Anvil of Crom: A tale of two Conans
It was the best of games, it was the worst of games, it was the age of PvE, it was the age of PvP, it was the epoch of skill-based, it was the epoch of gear-based, it was the season of battlegrounds, it was the season of FFA, it was the spring of Wiccana, it was the winter of Tyranny, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way -- in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only. Whoops. It seems I've gone and butchered another literary quote in service of my column, and while Dickens may not have had a pulp lit-based MMORPG on his mind when he began his opus, his line of thought nevertheless applies to Age of Conan (and really any game that undergoes radical change). Head past the cut for more on Age of Conan's intriguing duality.
The Anvil of Crom: Dead men walking
Hoo boy. Well, after last week's F2T versus P2P throw-down, I figured it was time to take a break from controversy and tread the relatively safe waters of in-game impressions. That's not to say there won't be plenty of opinion this week, as this is after all an opinion column and not straight-up "journalism" with a capital J. With that said, let's delve into the Cimmerian foothills, shall we? The lands of Hyboria are vast and varied, whether you're traversing the sandy dunes of Stygia, mingling with the crowds that line Aquilonia's city streets, or traveling across, over (and even under) Cimmeria's darkened highlands. As your humble correspondent continues his trek towards the mythical hinterland known as level 80, my rangers have been spending the majority of their time in King Conan's ancestral homeland of Cimmeria. We've already examined the war-torn landscape of Conall's Valley in a previous edition of The Anvil of Crom, and this week we'll take a tour of the next stop along the Cimmerian express route, namely the Field of the Dead. Join me after the cut to journey through the burial mounds and haunted forests that make up this unforgettable zone.
The Anvil of Crom: Completionism and avoiding the F2P plague
I'd like to start this week's column with a disclaimer: I expect to get a lot hate for what follows. A few of you might agree with me, and that's great, but as something of a traditionalist (both in and out of gaming), I'm used to my views being unpopular when measured against current trends. And let's be honest, nothing is currently more trendy, in vogue, or bandwagontastic than F2P when it comes to MMORPGs. F2P, or more accurately, F2T (free-to-try) is sweeping over our industry like a ravenous zombie horde, sucking brains, wallets, and customer common sense right out the window due to its insane profitability and a glitzy PR assault. Right now, in fact, someone, somewhere in the Funcom offices is no doubt running the numbers on whether or not tacking a cash shop onto Age of Conan makes financial sense. They may even be contemplating pulling a Turbine and going completely F2T. I mean, how could they not be considering it? With subscription-based games dropping like flies, it's only a matter of time before every game on the market is engaging in Sony-style double dipping (yes Cryptic and now Icarus do it too, but frankly the alliteration just wasn't there). Hit the jump to learn why F2T isn't as great as you think.
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.
The Anvil of Crom: Delving into PvP minis
There's a lot to like about Funcom's Age of Conan MMORPG, whether you're into the lush visuals, the lore, or the laid back progression. If you're anything like me, with combat and competitive sensibilities that lean toward the carebear side of the fence, you'll also likely appreciate the game's approach to PvP. For starters you have two major options: the free-for-all PvP servers or the PvE-focused realms that give you a bit more control over the ganking experience. On the former, you've got your standard kill-everything-that-moves mentality, which, while fun in spurts, ultimately gets in the way of Age of Conan's top-notch PvE experience. On the latter, you can kill or be killed on your own terms, either in the Border Kingdom zones or in the game's mini-PvP scenarios. Hit the jump for some minigame impressions.
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.
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 Anvil of Crom: Offline leveling? It's about bloody time
You'll forgive me if I don't devote this week's column to Rise of the Godslayer. Yes it's coming out in two days, and yes I've been playing (and enjoying) the hell out of the beta, but frankly I think I've contributed quite enough to that particular hype machine at this point. Instead, I'd like to highlight Age of Conan's offline advancement system, and in doing so, attempt to restrain my optimism over the fact that maybe, just maybe, a major MMORPG developer finally gets it. In a nutshell, Funcom has taken a page out of CCP's book by allowing progression to take place whether or not the player is logged in and chasing carrots. In addition to the free-level-every-four-days mechanic now available on the live servers, the Godslayer expansion will also make use of the system by giving players the option of leveling up their new Alternate Advancement trees over time, whether they're logged in or out (step away from the ledge, naysayers, it's a very slow process in the current beta build). Jump the cut to see why Funcom made the right decision.
The Anvil of Crom: The Valley of Death
It's been a crazy week here at the Anvil of Crom offices. Ok, I'm not really important enough to merit my own office, unless you count the spare bedroom with a computer and dozens of discarded MMORPG boxes spiraling towards the ceiling. Nonetheless, much Age of Conan playing, researching, and writing has gone on as of late. In addition to my characters on the live servers, I've been exploring the lands of Khitai thanks to the gracious folks at Funcom who have allowed me to take a peek at the Rise of the Godslayer beta. I'll be detailing my experiences with the expansion for you in the next couple of days, so keep your eyes peeled. I've also managed to find time to advance my rangers a bit, and have played through the entirety of Conall's Valley with the exception of a couple of pesky group quests. At this point, approaching level 40 and having a decent feel for combat, feats, and the game in general, I feel safe in declaring myself a former newb. Certainly it's a big jump to 80 from where I'm standing, but after spending a few days exploring the Cimmerian highlands, it's clear that I made the right choice in returning to Funcom's Hyboria. Hit the jump for some impressions of Conall's Valley.
The Anvil of Crom: Family unfriendly
There's been a lot of lip service paid to family friendly MMORPGs over the last couple of years, and deservedly so. Games like Free Realms, Mabinogi, and Toon Town Online have all done well for themselves by realizing that the first generation of gamers are all grown up and busy popping out future button mashers of their own. Free-to-play doesn't have the market cornered on family friendliness either, as pay-to-play titles like City of Heroes, World of Warcraft, and (I'm betting) the upcoming Star Wars: The Old Republic are or will be hugely popular with kids and their parents due to a lack of objectionable content. Isn't it refreshing then, when a game like Funcom's Age of Conan comes along and completely turns its nose up at all the political correctness? Even though that's a bit of a rhetorical question, I'll answer it for you. Yes, yes it is, extremely refreshing. Hit the jump to find out why.
The Anvil of Crom: Class selection guide
Welcome, my barbaric friends, to The Anvil of Crom. Last week we kicked around the difficult dilemma of server selections for my return to Age of Conan, and with that out of the way we can delve into some of the class choices available in Funcom's version of Hyboria. Given that I'm currently playing two rangers (one on Wiccana, one on Cimmeria), this column will ultimately focus heavily on those experiences. I'll also toss in the occasional comment on assassins (my launch day character and now an alt) as well as how my rangers fare against all twelve classes. Age of Conan is a unique title in many ways, but none are more readily apparent than the melee combat system and the newish take on traditional MMORPG class roles. If you're new to the game or newly returned, chances are you're having a bit of a time deciding which class is right for you. If you pick one based on prior genre experience, you may find some surprises in store. Hit the link below for some basic class breakdowns as well as my reasons for going ranger. Page 2 of 3 >>
The Anvil of Crom: A server conundrum
Sooo, I recently returned to Age of Conan, not exactly news given the existence of this column, but what is news is the amount of fun I've been having. The game has changed since release, certainly, and when you add content, bug fixes, and polish to a darkly decadent game world that was already the best looking on the MMORPG market, you've got a recipe for good times. I'm actually surprised by how much there is to do in Age of Conan. At release, I power-leveled an assassin up to 70 on the Tyranny PvP server, and basically ganked and got ganked for a solid month, rarely experiencing much outside of monotonous mob grinding and guild drama. This time around, I'm taking my time, exploring the world, reading the quests, and generally having a blast. As an example, I spent a good week to ten days fiddling around with all of the classes, putting each of them through their paces in the early Tortage levels. After much deliberation, I finally settled on a Cimmerian Ranger, not the most original choice I'm sure, but one that has proved to be great fun through level 21. Choosing a server was an even tougher decision. Read about Cimmeria versus Wiccana after the cut, and don't forget to tell me what I'm doing wrong in the comments.
The Anvil of Crom: Craig Morrison interview
Welcome to another installment of The Anvil of Crom, Massively's weekly look at Funcom's Age of Conan. It has been a big week for the sword and sorcery title, with the much-anticipated Update 1.07 going live on Tuesday, bringing a wealth of fixes as well as the Shrines of Bori PvP content. With Rise of the Godslayer looming on the horizon, it's as good a time as ever to take a break from our normal commentary format and chat with Craig 'Silirrion' Morrison, Age of Conan's Executive Producer and Game Director. Follow along after the cut as we chat about everything from the forthcoming expansion, to PvP mini-games, to social options.
The Anvil of Crom: AoC community guide
Cue the Basil Poledouris music, the lamentations of women, and the sounds of armor and steel, for Massively has come to Hyborea. Join me as I kick off the column and chronicle the trials and tribulations of a newb making his way through Funcom's version of Robert E. Howard's harsh realm. Every week we'll bring you Age of Conan tidbits, commentary, and news and views straight from the horse's mouth in the form of Funcom guests and Q&A. This week, per Massively tradition, we'll take a quick look at the game's community and examine the resources available to the neophyte barbarian and the seasoned throat-slitter alike. Follow along after the break for a listing of essential resources for the new or returning Age of Conan player.
