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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.
Xbox Live's Games on Demand has these games on sale next week
Xbox Live's Games on Demand service is getting a serious sale next week – as opposed to those funny, un-serious sales we get all the time – and Major Nelson has posted a list of the titles discounted from June 19-25.All titles will be 75 percent off, and they include Conan, Dark Void, Perfect Dark Zero, Prince of Persia and Viva Pinata Party Animals, most selling for $5. Check out the full list of sale titles below, as provided by Major Nelson:
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.
The Anvil of Crom: Four reasons to return to Age of Conan
A couple of weeks ago, one of Massively's more eloquent commenters referred to yours truly as "Funcom's biznitch." Well, OK, biznitch wasn't the exact word, but you get the idea. This bit of nerdrage was amusing for multiple reasons, not the least of which was that I hadn't covered (or played) Age of Conan for nearly five months at the time. You know what, though? I do like Age of Conan, and I did miss Hyboria. Sure it's got its issues, omissions, frustrations, and WTF-were-they-thinking design decisions, but it's also got a game world unlike any other in the MMO space. Join me after the cut for a few reasons I came back (as well as a preview of what the future holds for The Anvil of Crom).
The Daily Grind: Should veterans and newbs be on equal footing?
Age of Conan game director Craig Morrison recently tweeted a frank reply to one of his followers. The reader asked why Funcom doesn't revamp PvP items to make everyone's minigame stats equal, thereby relegating grindtastic PvP gear to the game's vanity armor slots and providing theoretical balance. Morrison's response: "Not everyone wants a new player and a two-year veteran to be on equal footing. Many want that to count, aside from knowledge." By "that," Morrison meant time spent playing the game and paying your character dues, as it were. This brings up an interesting debate, since MMOs have a reputation for rewarding geared players over skilled players in both PvP and PvE. What say you, Massively readers? Should veterans and newbs be on equal footing? 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!
Age of Conan dev blog outlines stamina changes, multi-spec functionality
Funcom may be gearing up for The Secret World's imminent launch, but the company hasn't abandoned its other Dreamworld-powered MMO. Yes, Age of Conan is still going strong, as it's closing in on its fourth anniversary and pumping out updates on a semi-regular basis. Today's traditional end-of-the-month development letter focuses on said updates, in particular a few systems changes slated for the near future. Funcom's Craig Morrison gives us an update on extensive changes to AoC's stamina mechanics, which have long been a thorn in the side of PvPers and PvEers engaged in lengthy battles. The new system boasts "a new personal resource that will be used just for sprinting. It is also not observable by other players," the dev blog states. Stamina will now be used exclusively for combos, and caster classes no longer have stamina at all. Age of Conan is also getting multi-spec functionality with respect to the game's feat system. Switching between specs can be done almost anywhere in the game world (aside from raids and group instances). Look for these changes on the live servers "later in the summer," Funcom says. Finally, class updates are in the works, beginning with the Tempest of Set and continuing on to the Bear Shaman, the Herald of Xotli, and the Necromancer. There's more too, so head to the official AoC site to read it all.
Leaderboard: Age of Conan's score vs. Guild Wars' score
Believe it or not, there are actually loads of incredible MMO soundtracks. Oh, I know we all bellyache about the repetitive music and how we turn it off and just listen to speed metal or Justin Bieber while we grind boars, but the scores are often wonderful when removed from infinite looping. Today we're going to pit two of the greatest MMO soundtracks against each other as they vie for your approval. In the first corner is Age of Conan's score, which was composed by Knut Avenstroup Haugen. It's not only award-winning and famous outside of MMO circles but hauntingly beautiful to listen to as well. In the other corner is Mr. Jeremy Soule's epic Guild Wars soundtrack (we'll lump all four of them together for this poll), which many claim to be just as memorable as the game's visuals. It's the cream of the audio crop presented for your judgment: Age of Conan's score vs. Guild Wars' score. Give each one a listen and then let us know which you'll vote for after the jump!
Choose My Adventure: Ultimate road trip edition
Let's go for another spin! Just like Mikey of Life cereal fame, I ventured into the realm of Choose My Adventure once before, and I liked it! Grand adventures, camaraderie with readers, exploring the unknown... what more could I ask for? More time, obviously! It ended all too soon. I was totally revved up and ready to jump right back in, but unfortunately neither pleading nor bribery worked to continue my stint as your plucky puppet (and locking the other staff members in a dark closet didn't pan out either -- they escaped), so I had to park it and wait my turn. It took much too long, but finally my time has come again. *happy dance* Now the boss may have handed me the keys, but you will be the ones driving. The top is down, and I've got snacks and shades; all that is left to begin our adventure for the next six weeks is to pick which direction to head and floor it. Although a lot of good places have already been visited, there are plenty more to choose from. In the mood for fantasy? Capes? Nebulas? Heavy artillery? Cast your votes by Sunday, April 22nd, 2012, at 11:59 p.m. EDT for your chance to steer me to the world of your choice. Our possible destinations (in no particular order) are...
Halo 4 awakens Master Chief on November 6
Microsoft and 343 Industries announced this morning that Halo 4 will launch worldwide on Tuesday, November 6. The news comes one day after teasy tweets from Microsoft's Major Nelson indicated some form of collaboration between Microsoft and everyone's favorite freakishly tall late night host, Conan O'Brien, which sparked rumors of a potential launch date reveal.Microsoft studios corporate VP Phil Spencer offered lofty goals alongside the launch date announce. "With Halo 4 leading the charge, we're confident 2012 will be the most successful year in Xbox history," Spencer said. He also pointed out that Halo 4 is just the beginning of Microsoft's renewed relationship with the Chief. "We are beginning a new saga with Halo 4 and embarking on a journey that will encompass the next decade of Halo games and experiences." Just no more cat helmets, Phil. That's all we ask.Additionally, Halo 4 will appear in some form on tonight's episode of "Conan," which Microsoft described as nothing more than a "special segment."Update: Red vs Blue created the charming short above to announce Halo 4's release date. Enjoy!
Leaderboard: Hotbar combat vs. action combat
I've noticed that whenever a studio is developing an MMO that features action combat (i.e., faster-paced combat that's more dependent on positioning, reflexes, and mouse usage), it acts as though it's developing the savior of the genre -- even though action combat is nothing new (just ask Dungeons and Dragons Online or Age of Conan). Instead of seeing it as a revolution that will bring us out of the supposed dark ages, I look at it as a different style of play that some prefer while others shun. Both have their pros and cons. Hotbar combat allows for quick access to a wide variety of skills, levels the playing field for those of us old fogeys who aren't so tight in the reflex department, and focuses more on strategic thinking. However, it's typically slower and not as visceral as many non-MMO video games tend to be. Action combat, on the other hand, is certainly more in-line with its non-MMO contemporaries, with exciting pitched battles at the expense of time to think and a more limited selection of input. So for today's Leaderboard, we're going to tackle the grand ol' staple of MMOs, hotbar combat, vs. the action combat upstarts. Will reflexes or brains win the day? Cast your vote after the jump!
