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Funcom shows off new Age of Conan Dreamworld video
If you're curious about the current MMORPG standard for graphics but aren't currently subbed to Age of Conan, you'll want to check out the new Dreamworld Technology: Powering AoC video that Funcom is showing off on its YouTube portal. The clip features voiceover narration by game director Craig "Silirrion" Morrison and offers viewers a three-minute romp through Tortage, Khemi, Conarch, and Khitai, all rendered in the extreme detail made possible by the 2.1.5 Dreamworld update. In technical terms, Funcom has moved from a forward-rendering approach to a light pre-pass approach. If you're averse to geek-speak, know that this basically allows designers to use many more light sources with minimal performance costs. Dreamworld also makes use of a technique called adaptive shadow mapping, which results in higher quality shadows and higher frame rates. Check out all the details after the cut.
Massively Exclusive: Age of Conan's Craig Morrison on Blood and Glory, grind, and the future
Interesting times are just over the horizon for Age of Conan, and whether it's due to the Dreamworld game engine upgrade or the recently announced Blood and Glory PvP servers, Funcom's sword and sorcery epic isn't standing still as it moves toward its third anniversary in May of 2011. On the heels of the PvP ruleset announcement, we sat down with Funcom executive producer and AoC game director Craig "Silirrion" Morrison for a chat about ruleset specifics, PvP balance, grind, and what we're likely to see once Dreamworld hits the live servers. Join us after the cut for all that and more.
The Anvil of Crom: Blood and Glory reactions and concerns
So the interesting news that Craig Morrison was hinting at via Twitter earlier this week wasn't free-to-play. It was, in fact, something altogether more surprising. For those of you hiding under a Bori rock and who managed to miss the announcement: Age of Conan is adding a couple of servers, one each to the U.S. and EU game regions. These aren't just any servers, either, but rather hardcore FFA PvP-enabled servers with custom rulesets (tentatively titled Blood and Glory) that make the pre-1.04 bloodletting on Tyranny look like a walk in the proverbial park. Player looting. Single character. No guards. These are just a few of the choice morsels Funcom has dangled in front of the snapping jaws of its ravenous PvP crowd. Join me after the cut for a bit of discussion on the potential impact of these new shards.
Age of Conan readying new hardcore PvP servers with corpse looting
Hardcore killas rejoice! Funcom has heard your cries of injustice and is in the process of putting together a new server ruleset for the old-school PKers in the audience. Age of Conan game director Craig "Silirrion" Morrison unveiled the news in his most recent monthly dev update, and while a few things remain up in the air (chiefly a release date and official server names), it looks like most everything else has been hammered out. In a nutshell, Funcom will be adding one new server to both the US and EU versions of AoC, each featuring the new PvP ruleset (tentatively titled Blood and Glory). The new realms will require players to start fresh -- i.e., there are no character transfers. The hardcore shards will also restrict players to one character and will lack NPC guards. PvP will be re-enabled in the Underhalls and White Sands portions of Tortage, and a player looting system will take effect (though details on this are scarce at the moment). Funcom hopes to have the new shards deployed in early May, with some version of the ruleset making an appearance on the test servers prior to that date.
Global Chat: Updates galore edition
Welcome to this week's Global Chat! We love hearing what you have to say at Massively, and we love it even more when we can share the best comments with all of our readers. Massively staffers will be contributing some of their favorite comments every week, so keep an eye out every Sunday for more Global Chat! Global Chat this week is all about updates, updates, updates! Game developers all over are turning their eyes to the future, and it shows in their communication with fans. Developer plans have sparked a lot of fan feedback -- and even discussion about fan feedback. Follow along after the jump to see what everyone's saying in this week's Global Chat!
The Anvil of Crom: Player feedback and "Raving Fans"
A long time ago on a career path far, far away, I served as a director in a small business consulting firm. The project was spun off from a larger, older company, and its aim was to provide better and more personal services to a subset of clients that the parent firm was struggling to connect with. Along with my new assignment, I was handed a copy of the book Raving Fans by our CEO and instructed to commit its principles to memory and to integrate them into my daily workflow (despite the fact that said workflow had little to do with direct client/end-user interaction). How does any of this relate to Age of Conan or The Anvil of Crom? Well, the book is basically the businessman's customer relations Bible, and I was reminded of it earlier in the week when Funcom's Craig "Silirrion" Morrison commented on a Daily Grind that I wrote about game developers and the large gap that often exists between their products and their customers' desires.
Age of Conan dev update details new solo instances
Looking for more solo-centric content in Age of Conan? If so, you'll want to check out Funcom game director Craig "Silirrion" Morrison's latest monthly development update for all the details on three new solo instances coming soon to a Hyborian server near you. First up is the Refuge of the Apostate, a level 80 instance found in Khitai's Kara Korum zone. The dungeon centers on the conflict between the Scarlet Circle and Last Legion factions, though non-aligned players will still be able to take part. The encounter is designed to be challenging both in terms of navigating the environment and defeating the boss and his minions, so Funcom designers have granted players significant completion rewards including faction marks of acclaim and rare trophies. There's a catch though -- the dungeon can only be done once every 20 hours. Funcom is also gifting solo players with two Auto Content Generation (ACG) dungeons. If you're familiar with the Tarantia Noble District villas, you'll have an idea of what's in store here. Like the villas, each of the new areas scales to a player's level between 40 and 80. The Breach and the Forgotten City dungeons feature three repeatable quests, also located in Khitai, and they are designed to provide players with another option for advancing to endgame. Read all about the new instances (and a bit about upcoming crowd-control tweaks) on Age of Conan's official forums.
The Anvil of Crom: In praise of forum PvP
Hello my fellow barbarians, and welcome back to The Anvil of Crom. The new year is but a babe at this point, but there's already a lot going on in the world of Funcom's Hyboria. If these first few days are any indication, I'm certainly not going to be hurting for column topics in 2011, and the Age of Conan community isn't going to be hurting for discussion items either. As far as my in-game adventures are concerned, I'm plugging away at the Khitai content with my Demonologist and seriously considering making him my permanent main. I'm still waffling a bit as I love alts and love the way they allow me to experience different parts of the game, but the post-80 grind is simply too much to bear on multiple toons. I guess moving to a single-character playstyle is ultimately a good thing, but in past games I've been unable to shake the nagging suspicion that I'm missing something. Look for more on this in a future column (assuming I can make up my mind). Anyhow, it's been quite a while since I took the community's pulse (mid-November to be exact), so what say we take a look at what's got Age of Conan's players (and developers) talking of late.
The Perfect Ten: The movers and shakers of 2010
Even though MMOs are the products of great teams of talented workers -- from sound artists to writers -- it's inevitable that a few of the people behind the curtain step out into the limelight. It's a smart move, really; it provides a personal face for people to associate with the game, it keeps messages consistent, and it draws any potential hate onto one person instead of the team at large. It stands to reason that these public figures end up being some of the major movers and shakers in the industry because of their high-profile positions. From CEOs to community managers, these are the people with power to make decisions, the voice to change opinions, and the personalities to inspire millions. Oh, that last sentence is pure poetry. Let's re-read it again, shall we? So in our last Perfect Ten of the year, I've asked the Massively team to compile a list of the 10 biggest MMO movers and shakers of this year. All of these people now owe us cupcakes of gratitude. (Legal Disclaimer: This does not signify a binding cupcake-blogger contract.)
Age of Conan producer's letter talks new content, possible movie tie-in
It's the end of the month, and if you're following Age of Conan, you know it's time for the traditional letter from the game director. Funcom's Craig "Silirrion" Morrison obliges us with a lengthy look back at 2010's AoC milestones as well as a glimpse of what's coming in 2011. In addition to continual content rollouts and tweaks of the current 2.1 build (which is set to include two new Pai-Kang 6-man instances, new tier four Jade Citadel raids, a solo daily instance, and two new auto content generation dungeons), Morrison hints at a possible tie-in with the forthcoming Conan motion picture. "Some of the things [on tap for 2011] might just relate to the return of the great barbarian to the silver screen later this year in the form of the new Conan movie. That is something we are very excited about, and means there is great potential over the coming year, with a lot of renewed interest in everything Hyborian," he writes.
World of Warcraft will reign for another 20 years according to industry analysts
With all of the recent focus on World of Warcraft following its latest expansion, it's no surprise that the industry leader is at the center of another round of "What will topple WoW?" discussions. In an article on Eurogamer, industry analysts and developers lend their thoughts as to what made World of Warcraft so dang popular to begin with, and what it will take -- if anything -- for another game to beat its popularity, subscription numbers and cultural footprint. Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter declared that nothing will top the title for at least 20 years due to an insurmountable lead, although this became debated by the other participants. Cryptic's Jack Emmert thinks WoW will be "chipped away at" instead of toppled. Age of Conan's Craig Morrison thinks that nobody can consciously plan to overcome WoW's lead saying, "You don't topple a cultural phenomenon. But you can join one." GamersFirst's Bjorn Book-Larsson doesn't think there's a need for WoW to be toppled due to the size of the market. Codemasters' Dave Solari imagines that the winning formula "would have mass market appeal, with instant accessibility, would work on all platforms, particularly mobile, be incredibly viral and social -- like a feature-rich FarmVille." Undead Labs' Jeff Strain thinks that MMO studios should be looking at it a different way: "They should instead be striving to achieve the same level of success with their own game ideas." Some even speculate that Blizzard is the only studio capable of besting its own game, perhaps with its second MMO that's due to be announced in 2012. Head on over to Eurogamer for the full discussion.
Morrison chats about latest Age of Conan development update
Age of Conan's Craig Morrison has taken to the official forums for his latest monthly development update. While the proposed tweaks and additions are interesting in their own right, the epic amounts of PvP-focused QQ in the 18-page (as of press time) comment thread following Morrison's post can also be a fun read, depending on your perspective. As for the updates themselves, they include a summation of progress on the new Call of Jhebbal Sag PvP minigame, a Christmas (sorry, winter solstice) event that features new quests and rewards, and further content additions. This last bit looks to be considerable, and Morrison touches on new Pai-Kang 6-man dungeons, new tier four Jade Citadel raids, a level 80 solo instance designed as a daily quest, and two new solo dungeons that will scale between levels 40 and 80. If it sounds like a lot of PvE, it is, hence the temper tantrums from the I'm-canceling-my-sub-no-really crowd. Morrison, as he often does, actually responds to a good number of the comments in detail, and it's worth a read if you're interested in Age of Conan's near future.
The Daily Grind: Do you turn off XP?
Craig Morrison's latest blog post got me to thinking about MMORPG design, progression, and the sweet nectar of the gods known as XP. When you get right down to it, XP is a huge part of why we play these games, whether it be the simple pleasures inherent in watching the bar move, or the fact that we're hell-bent on a particular plateau that will allow us to equip the one-shotting batarang of WtFpwned!!11! +1. There are some among us that do the unthinkable, though, or would if their game of choice gave them the option. Yes, a few hearty souls turn off XP gain. I know, right? The horror! What could possibly motivate such a bold and rebellious act? Is it to avoid out-leveling a compatriot? A desire to continue questing in a particularly awesome section of the game world? Even the wisest cannot tell why you'd want to disable the almighty XP, so today's question is a bit simpler (but feel free to expound on it if you wish): Do you turn off your XP? 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's Morrison on designing for challenge and accessibility
Funcom executive producer Craig Morrison is drawing on his game journalist roots of late, via a series of in-depth postings on his personal blog. Morrison, a former IGN editor prior to his Funcom days, has a lot to say about gaming trends, which is great news for industry watchers and anyone interested in occasional glimpses into the thought process of an MMO developer. In his latest opus, the former Anarchy Online (and current Age of Conan) game director discusses the challenges in developing, well, challenge. In a followup post to his earlier discussion on progression, Morrison talks at length about the decisions developers face when it comes to providing players with a steady diet of dings and digital pats on the back, while simultaneously making it seem like something worthwhile is being accomplished. The post contains a number of interesting observations, among them the notion that most modern MMORPGs parcel out their challenging content in sideshows that are entirely optional (raids, dungeons, etc.) and, in many cases, tangential to the main event (questing and hunting). While it would seem to be a relatively simple matter to add occasional challenges to the leveling treadmill, Morrison cautions that care is needed to avoid alienating segments of your playerbase. "If you are going to be able to inject occasional challenge or difficulty spikes into the standard progression as well, you need to have thought about it to make sure that it won't become a bottleneck, and that it will survive a review," he says.
Age of Conan's Morrison talks tech upgrades
Age of Conan's Craig Morrison is back with his latest monthly development update. The October edition is very tech-heavy, with a lot of emphasis on the tweaks and additions that Funcom engineers have been making to the game's Dreamworld engine. While a lot of the details may go unnoticed to your average player, the goal is to continue improving the game's performance as well as add tools to further content creation down the road. Of particular note are the additions of Lua scripting capability (to facilitate dynamic events), improvements to the game's collision detection (and the implementation of nVidia PhysX), and tweaks to both DX9 and DX10 clients. Morrison also confirms that Guardians will be the next class to receive a substantial update. He also clarifies the upcoming PvP minigame changes. Check out all the details on the official forums.
Age of Conan's Morrison talks progression, design
Armchair designers of the world, take note. If you've ever wanted a peek inside the mind of an MMORPG developer, Craig Morrison's latest personal blog entry might be right up your alley. The Funcom executive and current Age of Conan boss has posted a lengthy look at his thoughts on massive design, and more specifically, progression. Morrison examines progression versus entertainment, and goes on to contrast the need for the former with the desire for storytelling. He also touches on the vast array of player motivations, ultimately concluding that while "progression, and the need for it, is a bedrock of the expected player experience," future MMO designers should be mindful of the differences between what they want the player to do and what the player wants to do. Clearly, there is no easy answer to the question of how does one design a good MMORPG. After all, one gamer's soul-sucking grind of death and despair is another's relaxing evening at home. That said, Morrison's perspective illuminates at least one line of developer thinking and is worthy of a read-through whether you're a dev, a player, or both.
The Anvil of Crom: Ranting ranger is ranty (oh and some opinions on the dev update)
Yes, it's that time of the month again: It's time for another analysis of a Funcom development update. This time around, there's the added bonus of a new patch (2.0.7) to discuss, but for the most part I'll spend today rant... er, talking about Craig Morrison's latest monthly roadmap for Age of Conan. After two weeks of positivity, I guess the time is right to bring a little balance to the Force (or at least, to The Anvil of Crom), so join me after the cut as I break down the good, bad, and fugly in relation to where the Hyborian Express seems to be headed.
Age of Conan adding Conquest game mode, new PvP minigame
Age of Conan's Craig Morrison has been a busy man of late. When he's not generating discussion fodder on his personal blog or overseeing the setup of Funcom's new production studio in Montreal, he's finding time to chat up the AoC community on the forthcoming additions to the game via his monthly development update series. Morrison enlists the help of two additional Funcom developers in the latest installment, beginning with lead systems designer Einar Forselv, who talks a bit about the incoming PvP additions. Not only is a new PvP minigame in the works, but an entirely new game mode is coming along with it. The new mode, called Conquest, will make its debut in the new mini -- The Call of Jhebbal Sag -- and will find players fighting for control of a strategic location in the Pictish wilderness. Funcom has also added a new wrinkle in the form of resource points that fluctuate depending on how well your team is doing at holding capture points. The new mini will feature two groups of six for a total of 12 players per side, and it will also allow players to bring their mounts into a minigame battle for the first time. Lest you think the 2.1 update series is solely focused on PvP, Morrison also taps dynamic gameplay designer Tanya Short for a bit of an explanation about the social features coming soon to a server near you. She provides a bit more info on the activities briefly mentioned in last month's letter. "This patch introduces two major social content additions: guild events and horse racing. Both will hopefully provide guilds and roleplayers with some fun activities and offer an interesting diversion for everyone who wants to try them," she writes.
Craig Morrison on success and failure
Last week's Craig Morrison blog topic brought a wave of interesting comments from readers and writers alike, illustrating why MMO number-crunching is always a hot-button issue. The Age of Conan game director takes another crack at a controversial topic with his followup post, and attempts to deconstruct the logic of fans who insist on labeling games "successes" or "failures" despite not having the information necessary to make such a judgment. "Whether any title that displays a numbers trend similar to another can be deemed a success or a failure depends entirely on the budget, ambition and infrastructure of the project," he writes. While that's common sense to most folks, there are still some who insist that AoC and Warhammer are "failures" despite the fact that they remain open for business and profitable. Morrison acknowledges that both titles fell short of their ultimate subscriber goals, but also cautioned that equating lower-than-desired numbers to failure "is a very dangerous assumption to make."
Craig Morrison talks MMO numbers (or the lack thereof)
Ah, the numbers game. It's often quite comical when it comes to MMORPGs and their die-hard fans (or detractors, as the case may be). Aside from Blizzard, very few MMO development houses release real numbers relating to their playerbases, and forum jousters are thus relegated to citing guesstimates and, in most cases, pure supposition sprung from the likes of wildly inaccurate measuring tools such as Xfire or the late MMOGchart. Funcom executive producer and Age of Conan game director Craig Morrison weighs in on the perplexing state of MMO number-crunching on his personal blog, offering a bit of insight as to why hard data is, well, hard to come by. He cites a lack of context for the near-universal reticence of developers when it comes to publicizing their community sizes. "Without standard definitions everything ends up in that vague, murky and entirely subjective middle ground... and a middle ground that very few could reasonably be expected to accept as being worthwhile exploring in a business sense," he writes. So what's his solution? In broad terms, he mentions a rating system, citing television's Nielsen metrics as well as cinema box office figures as semi-comparable standards. While such a system probably wouldn't stop the endless fan bickering, it might at least provide an answer to the question of how each individual company defines success.
