stygia
Latest
The Anvil of Crom: Sun, sand, and the serpent kingdom
Welcome back to the Anvil of Crom and the latest edition of the Hyborian travelogue. This week, we're going to visit the lands of Stygia in Funcom's Age of Conan for a look at the final post-Tortage lowbie zone. Previously we've journeyed to the Gateway of Khitai, the Wild Lands of Zelata, and Conall's Valley, all of them race-specific 20-to-40 zones that you can visit when you're through with the Isle of Newb. Stygia's corresponding 20-to-40 content isn't quite 20-to-40 though, as I found out this week while adventuring through the region for the first time. Join me and my brand new Tempest of Set after the cut for some impressions of Hyboria's serpent kingdom as well as a bit of questing advice. %Gallery-107238%
The Daily Grind: The best MMO music
Here's a story for you: a certain blogger is playing The Lord of the Rings Online. He's in the Trollshaws, and he notices the music -- oft-ignored in MMOs -- is actually really good. It's classy and it's beautiful. Then he starts to think about the music in other games -- the gorgeous and mournful guild hall ballad of Meridian 59, the beautiful and muted arpeggios of EverQuest's Kelethin theme, and the dark and foreboding ancient instrumentation of Age of Conan's various Stygian pieces.Music is not usually the focus of a lot of discussion or attention in MMOs. A lot of people probably just turn it off and listen to terrible terrible pop rock in the background. But for those of you who actually pay attention: do any particular musical compositions in MMOs stand out to you? What's the best track yet featured in an MMO?
One Shots: Stygian sunrise
We've been really impressed with all the great screenshots that have been flying in from Age of Conan. Today we're bringing you a lovely one that was sent to us by Wil d. He writes:Here's a recent screenshot I took from Age of Conan. This shot is of my bear shaman, Josun, overlooking the Pyramid of the Ancients in Khopshef Province in Stygia just as the sun crested the edge of the pyramid. I had climbed up a nearby mountain to begin my level 30 destiny quest, but I took the opportunity to take a look around first and was pleasantly greeted by the sight you see in the picture. I simply had to take photos. It really is a lovely location, and a lovely game. We can't wait to see how good it's going to look under DX10. Do you have a lovely vista you found while climbing around your game world? Perhaps you'd just like to show off the cool things that are going on in the games you play? Whatever the reason, whatever the story, and whatever the MMOG -- all screenshots are welcome! Just send them to us at oneshots AT massively.com along with a brief description of what's going on in.
Controversy never ends with Age of Conan
First it was the gore. Then it was the fatalities. Then it was the promise of nudity. Then it was the nipple toggle. Now there's more controversy in the Age of Conan - the Stygians.Richard Cobbett brought up a new area where AoC might offend some of the more religious people in the population in his online journal. The Stygians, the infamous followers of Set, love demonic magic. And when we say love demonic magic, we really mean that they can turn into demons if you're a Herald of Xotli or summon demons if you're a Demonologist. The word Stygian can even be translated as "dark" or "infernal".While this is pretty tame for those of us who are into fantasy settings, it's just another part of where AoC can be offensive to those around it. Funcom has no doubt pushed the envelope with this game, but as any good Conan fan will say, "It's just another normal day in Hyboria."
AoC Lore: Boat Captain Amyr
Down in Stygia there's a river called Styx. Of all the boat captains in the Khopshef Province the most well known is Amyr, master of the Pride of Luxor. Unlike most of the other boats the Luxor is old, but so well maintained that you'd swear it was better than new. Decorated with bright colors, she glides across the lapping waves with little effort. No matter what it is (people or cargo) -- when it absolutely, positively has to get there... Amyr will get it there.The captain is a barrel chested, imposing man with a booming voice who has the command presence that even King Conan would admire. Blunt and forthright are his hallmark characteristics. While he may be stern he's also very shrewd, and can haggle with the best of them.There may be one (and only one) weakness. Rumors suggest that he has soft spot for a woman named Semira, a priestess of Derketo who lives on the island of Pashtun. No soul alive would openly suggest such a thing to Amyr's face.
Age of Conan Product Developer interview, with gameplay video
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/Age_of_Conan_interview_and_video'; On December 5th, I was invited to the Eidos/Funcom Age of Conan press event, where I was privileged enough to be granted access to both the game itself and the development team. I was able to play the opening area, leading into the first town. I sussed out the combat and the conversation interface. I spoke with Jørgen Tharaldsen, the Product Developer, and he let drop a metric ton of knowledge upon my fevered noggin. I reprint here our conversation, interspersed with my handheld-shot video pieces, the first of which is shown above, which is where the game starts, with you as a survivor of a shipwrecked slaver ship. I'd like to thank Jørgen and the entire Eidos/Funcom team, all of whom I found to be gracious, witty, and enthusiastic about their game, which is refreshing to see. My take? The game looks incredible, and it's extremely immersive from the get-go. They say they're on schedule for an early 2008 release, so this is something to anticipate indeed. More videos and the interview after the jump!
