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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: Your guide to the Refuge of the Apostate
Wow, I've completely forgotten how to play my Demo. Due to recent adventures in Bear Shaman land, my level 80 Age of Conan characters have been collecting quite a bit of dust. I haven't really missed them yet, either, as the Shaman is a heck of a lot more enjoyable than I expected. That said, he's only 35, and therefore he's out of the running when it comes to showing me through the new Refuge of the Apostate dungeon content that Funcom released a few days back. Join me after the cut as I get reacquainted with spamming shockstrike and running around with various succubi pets and a severe outbreak of particle effects. I might even be persuaded to offer up a proper guide for the new dungeon (and some review commentary) as well.
Massively Exclusive: Age of Conan's Refuge of the Apostate solo dungeon
Lots of new content is on the near horizon for Age of Conan, and Massively has teamed up with Funcom to bring you an exclusive look at one of the game's newly minted solo dungeons. The Refuge of the Apostate is a level 80 instance located in the lands of Khitai (Kara Korum, to be exact), and it features a storyline involving the Scarlet Circle and Last Legion factions. Funcom's designers are keen on making an unusual dungeon experience (and one you want to repeat) as opposed to the usual mob- and boss-whacking fight-fests. To that end, the Refuge dungeon is rife with what Funcom calls "environmental challenges." Aside from the new content and story experiences, the Refuge will likely be popular with players due to its rewards (which include factional marks of acclaim, rare trophies, and esteem tokens). Check out Funcom's full description of the new content after the cut.
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.
Age of Conan: Welcome to Kara Korum
The nice folks at Funcom continue to give us glimpses at the upcoming Age of Conan expansion Rise of the Godslayer, venturing into the lovely vacation spot of Kara Korum. Well, it's lovely if you enjoy bodies strewn everywhere and horrible hellbeasts. Kara Korum is described as "insanity on the edge of the empire" at the beginning of the newest trailer, and the screenshots and concept art depict a wasteland that promises nothing good for those who venture inside its borders. It's mostly a dead, blasted landscape, and the only green area is the Valley of the Giants, filled with hostile creatures "grown hundreds of times their regular size." At the center of it all is a mysterious crater -- maybe the source of the unpleasant place that Kara Korum has become. There's one way to find out, so good luck! (Make sure you're well-armed.) This latest look at Rise of the Godslayer is a generous one, including screenshots, concept art, and another trailer. Check out the gallery as well as the trailer after the jump. %Gallery-86194%
