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This week on The MMO Report
Casey Schreiner's back with The MMO Report this week, and he had plenty of exciting MMO news to cover. Kicking off the report was Guild Wars 2, since ArenaNet provided enough news last week to fill nearly an entire MMO Report by itself, but more news was waiting in the wings. So with a quick recap and a warning not to drool on our keyboards, it was on to Rise of the Godslayer. Age of Conan's first expansion now has a launch date and the release of a new trailer. Up next, World of Warcraft news was wrapped up in a neat little package entitled "Wow We" which included a fun addition to the refer-a-friend program, a WoW movie, and WoW on the iPad. Finally, the City of Heroes newest content update and graphics upgrade got a look, as did the announcement of APB's launch date and unique pricing structure. Follow along after the jump to see for yourself, and check back every week for The MMO Report from our friends at G4TV.
Rise of the Godslayer available tomorrow to Fileplanet subscribers
Are you looking forward to Rise of the Godslayer? Do you feel like it can't come soon enough? We've got less than a week to go until launch, but some fans aren't going to have to wait that long. Fileplanet announced a sneak peek of Age of Conan's first expansion for their subscribers. If you're among that number, you have access to a key via their promotion page. If you're not, Fileplanet will of course be very happy to let you subscribe via the same page. While the expansion itself won't be available until tomorrow, the download is available now to allow subscribers to install ahead of time and jump right in once the sneak peek begins. This is the full expansion rather than a limited version, but it's important to note that the page specifies North American subscribers as well as a limited number of keys, so grab one quickly if you're interested!
Godslayer launch trailer unveiled
With less than a week to go before the launch of Age of Conan's first expansion, the hype is steadily building for Funcom's Rise of the Godslayer. Portions of the new content, scheduled to release on May 11th, are available for inspection courtesy of a two minute teaser video hosted at Gametrailers. The trailer, a pleasing mixture of concept art, comic panels, and in-game footage, shows off the lush lands of Khitai, new tiger mounts, and brief glimpses of the new dungeons in action. Check it out after the cut and over at Gametrailers, and also be sure to read our impressions of the Rise of the Godslayer beta.
Rise of the Godslayer: The Gateway to Khitai and Alternate Advancement
It's an exceedingly rare feat when a game company, particularly a maker of MMORPGs, manages to capture the spirit and substance of a pre-established intellectual property. The landscape is littered with many a well-intentioned but misguided attempt at bringing a beloved novel, film, or multiverse into the realm of video gaming. While Funcom's Age of Conan suffered through a launch that contained a generous helping of bugs and negative forum buzz, one thing the game has always done well is transport the player into a lushly realized digital Hyboria, where lore and Howard references abound for those who care to look. As we draw nearer to the May 11th street date for the Rise of the Godslayer expansion, Massively has managed to snag some time at the controls of the beta client, and we're happy to bring you our impressions of life in the eastern wilds of Hyboria. We touched on the extensive feature list for the new expansion in our earlier look from GDC as well as our Craig Morrison interview, so this time around we'll focus on the major mechanical addition, the AA system, as well as the general look and feel of the beta. Walk this way for more on Khitai and the new mechanics and be sure to check out the gallery below. %Gallery-92189%
The near-death of caravan escorts in Age of Conan's expansion
Rise of the Godslayer is coming on May 11th, and if you're an Age of Conan fan the day probably seems like it can't come fast enough. While the developer letter for the end of April doesn't help hurry the date forward any, but it does highlight one of the smaller but interesting portions of the development process -- the sort of thing that can get lost between the more major systems. And interestingly enough, it was an element that director Craig Morrison originally looked at and declined to leave in the expansion! Originally, the design team had included a feature where you could either hand over money and be automatically transported to and from Khitai, or you could volunteer your services as a caravan guard and make the journey for free. The trade was that as a guard, you would be expected to defend the caravan against assaults, resulting in a small instanced encounter. Morrison felt that the encounters weren't really adding anything that wouldn't be better served as a part of Khitai proper. The full story of the process and the change in philosophy can be found in the director's letter, certainly a nice tease for Age of Conan players.
Catch Rise of the Godslayer preview on Xfire
If you've been waiting for more information or a first look into Funcom's upcoming Age of Conan expansion, Rise of the Godslayer, then you're in luck! This Thursday, April 29th at 12:00pm Pacific (3:00pm Eastern / 9:00PM CET), they're planning on holding a special preview streaming event in conjunction with Xfire to give everyone an early look into the exotic new lands of Khitai. "Age of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer is now very close to launch and we are very excited to share our view of the expansion with the world through Xfire," says Game Director and Executive Producer Craig Morrison. All you'll have to do to catch the preview is to point your browser at the main Xfire site at the time mentioned above, sit back, and enjoy the tour. The game's developers will be taking players along as they adventure through some of the new content, offering a chance to see lands and sights as yet unexperienced. There is also a plan to do a question and answer session after the preview as well. If you've been waffling on picking up the expansion, it sounds like a great way to figure out if it belongs on your "must pick up" list -- or to ask any questions about Age of Conan that you may have.
The Daily Grind: Will you play Rise of the Godslayer?
It's a time honored tradition with MMORPGs. First, you get all excited when a game based on your favorite franchise, or a game that just sounds really appealing, is announced. You sign up on the forums, you apply to beta test, and you're generally riding a wave of optimism and feel-good anticipation right on through release. Then reality sets in, maybe the game isn't all you hoped it would be, or the launch was extremely buggy, or real life just got in the way. So you hang up the greatsword, stow the spellbooks, and quest on for the ever elusive greener pastures until.....an expansion! Omg, maybe this will fix the game! Maybe it will be fun! Maybe there's just nothing else out there even remotely entertaining so I'm totally reaching in attempt to find a game I enjoy! Er, yeah, maybe that last bit is only for jaded old-timers like me. Whatever your reasons, now that Rise of the Godslayer has been announced and dated, will any of you Hyborian ex-patriots be returning to see what all the fuss is about?
Age of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer mounts up on May 11
You know who really needs to be taken down a peg? Those gods, man. Look at 'em, up there. Think they're so high and mighty. We hear Kratos is busy, but we're not too concerned about a lack of potential divine retribution-dealers -- especially since Funcom just attached an imminent May 11 release date to its upcoming Age of Conan expansion, titled Rise of the Godslayer. The add-on, which can be purchased as a separate download or a retail bundle with the original, expands the game's landscape to include the eastern empire of Khitai, where dangerous, dark magic is all the rage. For more info on the expansion, we suggest you turn to the MMO experts at Massively, who might be able to explain just how much god-slaying goes on in the new content.
Age of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer has been dated
Yes, it's true, the first expansion for Age of Conan has been dated. Reports indicate that her father was exceedingly upset and... okay, yeah. Rise of the Godslayer, bringing us to the distinctly oriental lands of Khitai, has gotten an official release date of May 11th, 2010. That means it's only a couple of weeks away for anxious gamers, which is cetainly good news. And there's more good news for new players or returning members, as the expansion will be available by both digital means and boxed copies. The boxes will contain not just the expansion, but the original game, allowing curious new players a chance to start new without doubling their investment. If that's not enough of an incentive, boxed retail versions will include a tamed puma pet which will be unobtainable through other means. Details have not been provided, but the boxes are set to contain other in-game items as well. Age of Conan's development team has been hard at work delivering the best they can with Rise of the Godslayer, and players willl only need to wait a little while longer to see the fruits of their efforts.
AoC's Godslayer going retail with exclusive items
In an era where more and more game companies are opting to deliver expansions (and full games) solely through digital downloads, it's refreshing to see a major game update getting the retail box treatment. Rise of the Godslayer, the first expansion for Funcom's Age of Conan fantasy MMORPG, will be coming to game outlets near you in the form of a deluxe box featuring the new game content plus the full version of the original Hyperborian Adventures release. "We are proud and excited about Rise of the Godslayer, and combining the expansion pack with the very latest version of the original game makes for what is undoubtedly the ultimate retail release of Age of Conan," said Morten Larssen, Funcom Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Additionally, players purchasing the retail pack will receive an exclusive puma pet as well as a starter package of unique in-game items that aren't available elsewhere. Stay with Massively for further Age of Conan coverage, including full details on the expansion release dates and exclusive offers as they become available.
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.
Age of Conan's Shrines of Bori goes live
Funcom has officially released Update 1.07 for its Age of Conan fantasy MMORPG. The sword and sorcery title, based on the literary works of the late Robert E. Howard, now features a new guild-based PvP challenge known as the Shrines of Bori that allows players and guilds to capture and defend both shrines and resources in the lawless Border Kingdoms. In addition, the patch features new PvP levels, Tier 2 PvP gear, and an Expansion Teaser Event called 'The Silver Atrium' that allows players to battle spies, assassins, and various scum and villainy from the far east in preparation for the upcoming Rise of the Godslayer expansion. Finally, Funcom has added a new regional fast travel system accessible via new wagoneer NPCs in major quest hubs and outposts, as well as various game system tweaks including mini-game XP, GUI optimizations, and a laundry list of bug fixes. The much-anticipated Offline Character Progression system did not make it in to patch 1.07. Senior Community Manager Oliver 'Tarib' Kunz states that "there are some adjustments that need to be done to this new system first. But we didn't want to hold back the entire Update 1.07 so we decided to exclude it and deploy all the other fixes and additions for our players to enjoy. You can expect the Offline Character Progression System to be part of a future update." Check out the full Update 1.07 patch notes here.
Faction armor is about choice in Rise of the Godslayer
Today's an exciting day for Age of Conan players, because this month's Letter from the Game Director is out and the theme is faction armors coming in the Rise of the Godslayer expansion. Craig Morrison explains that each class is essentially getting five new armor sets with this expansion, each of which serves a specific purpose. One set will offer a general DPS boost, one a general health boost and three are designed to enhance a different aspect of each class. The example given by Craig uses the Ranger class. Rangers get DPS and health armor sets and also receives three specialization sets: Critical damage, evades and hit rating. Protections and immunities. Traps and regeneration. These sets can also be mixed and matched, meaning that players are going to have a lot of meaningful choices when it comes to equipment selection in Rise of the Godslayer and that's certainly a good thing. Considering the alternate advancement feature being added with this expansion and (according to Craig in this very letter) next week's upcoming PvP-focused Shrines of Borai update, it's an exciting time to be an Age of Conan player. And once we know a solid release date -- beyond Craig's mention of it being "just around the corner" -- things should get pretty heady for the AoC community.
GDC10: A look into Age of Conan's Rise of the Godslayer expansion
We here at Massively are unabashed fans of Robert E. Howard's Conan mythos, so naturally we jumped at the chance to sit down and talk with Funcom's Craig Morrison at this year's Game Developer's Conference. Morrison, executive producer and game director for the Norwegian game maker's Age of Conan MMORPG, gave a presentation on the forthcoming Rise of the Godslayer expansion and then took a few of our questions about the additions in store for the sword and sorcery title. First things first: the eye-catching title refers to the expansion's place in Howard lore, and the game makes use of the events in The Tower of the Elephant, one of the most highly regarded Howard short stories. In a nutshell, twenty years prior to the setting of original game, a young thief named Conan managed to slay the god Yag-Kosha. Unaware of the god's role as a protector of the lands of Khitai, the barbarian unwittingly loosed a tide of dark forces on the eastern lands which have coalesced into a threat to the modern day Aquilonian kingdom, which of course is now ruled by King Conan. Players will be swept up in the story of Khitai as they travel to the far east and attempt to deal with the dangers presented by the evil that has been corrupting the lands for the last two decades. Follow along after the cut for our expansion impressions, highlights from our Q&A with Craig Morrison, and the teaser trailer. Finally, don't forget to check out the gallery below %Gallery-88386% Page 2 of 3 >>
Age of Conan pushing Shrines of Bori towards quick release
Age of Conan game director Craig 'Silirrion' Morrison dropped a lengthy post on the official forums today detailing some good news for fans of Funcom's Robert E. Howard-inspired MMORPG. In short, the new and much-discussed PvP update Shrines of Bori will debut prior to the upcoming Rise of the Godslayer expansion. Morrison confirms that the changes will be pushed to the test server in the next few days, and will roll out to the live servers as part of the 1.07 patch. "It is important to stress that this has been the result of some great extra effort put in by the team and will not effect the schedule of the expansion. When we saw the tremendous support for this feature, and the many very constructive and rational arguments from you, our players...we decided that we would find a way to achieve this," Morrison said. He goes on to state that the 1.07 patch will feature some additional "mini-event type quests" which will lead into the Godslayer expansion launch, making today a great day to be an Age of Conan fan. Look for Massively's impressions of Funcom's Rise of the Godslayer presentation from GDC 2010 later this week, and check out our previous Shrines of Bori coverage. [Thanks Ayonyx!]
Funcom Community Managers talk about upcoming projects
Julie and Fran of the No Prisoners, No Mercy podcast had some special guests on their most recent show, to the delight of the Funcom fans in their audience. Funcom Community Managers Glen "Famine" Swan and Oliver Kunz visited the podcast to discuss The Secret World as well as Rise of the Godslayer, the upcoming expansion for Age of Conan. The duo talked about their responsibilities within Funcom, and gave some details about what they're working on these days. Rise of the Godslayer, of course, is the big project. With five new regions, a new race, twelve new factions, and all the bells and whistles that go with them, Swan promised that the expansion won't disappoint fans. They also gave an overview of The Secret World as well as their other upcoming project, Pets vs. Monsters. It sounds like a good time was had by all -- the podcast is fun and informative, and definitely worth listening to. For even more information, keep an eye out for our interview with Ragnar Tornquist at GDC later this week as well!
Age of Conan's Alternate Advancement demystified
In an effort to bring interesting new ideas into Age of Conan for players in the higher levels, Funcom has decided to add in an Alternate Advancement system as part of the upcoming Rise of the Godslayer expansion. The idea is that rather than just giving players new levels to play through, they'd like to give people the chance to develop their characters more than ever before. With that said, as with any new system added to an MMO, there is the question of how precisely the new mechanics are going to work when it comes down to it. Thankfully, the Funcom staff have written up an excellent post about the Alternate Advancement system in Age of Conan for players from levels 20 to 80. The full post over on MMORPG.com offers a solid breakdown of what players can expect -- from the use of Prowess, Mastery and Expertise on down to offline achievement points that should keep more casual players in the earning loop. For adventurers who like to call the wild lands of Hyboria home, this is a must-read dev blog, so be sure to pop over there and give it a look.
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%
Age of Conan's next update promising alt leveling and travel improvements
Not every update is going to be a cavalcade of new and awesome systems, even though it feels really satisfying when they are. Craig Morrison, Age of Conan's director, has come out and said in so many words that unlike the game's recent 1.06 update, the upcoming 1.07 will largely feature changes under the hood that might not be as obvious to players. But his most recent letter to the game's fans is hardly all doom and gloom -- even with the lack of major new systems, there are still new things players will notice. Travel concerns are one of the two major issues that the next update aims to address, allowing quicker travel to quest hubs and faster returns from the field. The transport is limited to quest hubs, allowing players easier access to where they need to return but not cutting out a sense of exploration. That's hardly the only bombshell the letter has to drop -- subscribers will now slowly accumulate extra levels that they can allocate to their characters, even while offline. The system is intended to help with alt leveling rather than speeding through content, with Morrison stating that it would take nine months for a character to reach max level from this method. It's an interesting approach to helping alts keep up, and Age of Conan's players will soon get a chance to see how well it plays out.
Funcom shows off Rise of the Godslayer's Gateway to Khitai
As the release of the Age of Conan expansion Rise of the Godslayer draws nearer, Funcom continues giving us peeks into some of the zones we'll see when it arrives. This time we're moving out of the grasslands we saw a few weeks ago, back to the Gateway to Khitai. Those living within its confines have the protection of soldiers and sorcerers as well as their great wall. They have no need to worry about those outside and their squabbles. Maybe they do, though. It seems like all should be safe and cozy, maybe all the danger isn't on the outside. "Why this lingering suspicion that the great wall was not built to keep the darkness at bay, but to keep it contained," asks the trailer. We'll find out soon enough. In the meantime, Funcom has given us the trailer video, along with a gallery full of screenshots and concept art of the Gateway to Khitai. Follow along after the jump and take a look for yourself. %Gallery-85586%
