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Choose My Adventure: Extreme DIY makeover edition
Life may be like a box of chocolates, but gaming is like a Do-It-Yourself project. It may not be as mouth-watering an analogy, but it is certainly fitting: MMOs are a giant construction zone where players build their own experiences in a virtual world using tools from the game and their own imagination. Each project is a unique undertaking, bearing the personal touches of the builder, whether the builder is an individual or a group like a guild. Some players prefer to build a single residence and settle in, while others enjoy moving from project to project, exploring new territory and testing new tools. Me? I tend toward the former; I'm the kind who tinkers around in one place over a long period of time. But all that's about to change. Again. That's right, folks; it's my turn to break ground on yet another Choose My Adventure! For the next six weeks I am leaving the comfy confines of my familiar surroundings and allowing you to direct my next MMO project. Yes, my dear Massively friends, you will be the foreman of this endeavor, determining every step of the construction, from where I'll build my newest experience to what tools I'll get to use.
Funcom's Joel Bylos on the centralized TSW, AoC, and AO team
By now, most MMO gamers are pretty familiar with the fact that Funcom underwent restructuring. But what does that mean; what exactly did it entail? The term "restructuring" in itself signifies changes but does nothing to actually enlighten folks on what the changes are. Other than the fact that Joel Bylos was named creative director for all three of Funcom's titles -- Age of Conan, Anarchy Online, and The Secret World -- and that the team will be in one centralized in location, we know little of the details. How many developers survived the restructuring and relocated to remain on the team? Is this move foreshadowing one or more games slipping into maintenance mode? How will the coveted dev attention be divvied up? What does the future hold? Devoid of facts, players are left left wondering about how these changes will impact their favorite games. While chatting with Joel Bylos in an exclusive interview, I was able to ask some of these very questions.
The Daily Grind: Is 'maintenance mode' really a negative?
This week's news of Funcom naming Joel Bylos the creative director on all three of its MMORPGs was met with some predictable "maintenance mode!" and "yay, Funcom's failing" rhetoric in our comment section. While neither of these suppositions are based in reality, the former got me to thinking, and what I thought was that "maintenance mode" isn't an automatic negative to me like it appears to be to some folk. For one thing, I play a ton of MMOs, and for another, I'm not exactly a content locust since it usually takes me several months to max out an avatar (and several more after that to gear him up). I can see why the hurry-up-and-beat-the-endgame crowd would be cross with a title that doesn't add new content every other week, but for me that's not only OK, it's preferable since it means that I might actually see all of the content, finish all of the story arcs, and get some use out of my gear. Time between content updates also means time that I get to explore, socialize, roleplay, and do all the stuff that MMOs facilitate beyond the basic treadmill. What about you, Massively readers? Is "maintenance mode" a turnoff or does it give you time to catch your breath? 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!?
Funcom's Bylos named creative director on AoC, AO, and TSW
Funcom has announced that The Secret World creative director Joel Bylos is now the creator director for all three of the firm's MMORPGs. This includes TSW, Age of Conan, and Anarchy Online. Bylos has penned letters from the game director for TSW and AoC, while AO's Dave "Ilaliya" Williams passes the torch via a forum post. Bylos' TSW letter talks additional content plans up to and including Issue #12 (the live game currently sits on Issue #5, with #6 scheduled for early March). Bylos has a special place in his heart for AoC stemming from his time as the lead designer on the Rise of the Godslayer expansion, and his initial game director letter reflects on both coming home and the opportunities for expanding Hyboria. He also talks a bit about the pros and cons of having a single production team working on three live titles. Finally, outgoing AoC producer Craig "Silirrion" Morrison recaps his four years at the helm and hints at a "new opportunity within the MMO world." [Thanks to David for the tip.]
Age of Conan pillages Steam
Age of Conan's become the latest title to join Steam's free-to-play library. To celebrate the game's release on the digital distribution platform, Steam is offering a special pack of goodies for 35% off. The Tortage Survival Pack is currently $6.49 (regularly $9.99) and includes a set of beginner weapons, items to teleport you to your origin city, a DPS-boosting ring, a 20-slot inventory bag, fireworks, 10 XP potions, and a blue snow mammoth mount.
Jukebox Heroes: Age of Conan's soundtrack
I'm going to be honest with you: I've been putting off this particular column for months now. I've been dreading it, really. Because what I say next is probably going to turn off a lot of you who seem to worship this score like nothing else I've seen: I only kind of like Age of Conan's soundtrack. It's not really my favorite, nor in my top 10. And I know that this goes really against the feelings for this score that I've seen professed in Jukebox Heroes and elsewhere. You know what? That's OK. Musical preferences are some of the most subjective things in the world, and we can't be expected to like everything, right? If Age of Conan's soundtrack gets people listening to more MMO (and even video game) scores, then that's a win for our niche-within-a-niche-within-a-niche hobby. This score (and all of Age of Conan's subsequent music) was composed by Norwegian Knut Avenstroup Haugen. He won several awards for his work on the game, including the International Film Music Critics Association Award for Scoring Excellence. If you're interested in the man, Massively's Jef Reahard did an interview with him back in 2010 that makes for good reading. Otherwise, let's head onward and I'll share my personal favorites from the original game score!
Funcom game directors talk relocation, effects on TSW, AoC, and AO development [Updated]
Funcom has published game director letters for all three of its MMOs this morning, and one of the topics on everyone's mind is of course the studio's reorganization. As it turns out, the dev teams for The Secret World, Age of Conan, and Anarchy Online will all be operating out of the company's Raleigh, North Carolina facility which was previously the sole domain of the Funcom customer service team. TSW's Joel Bylos notes that the move will cause some "development turbulence," and that the game's DLC and update schedule will slow down temporarily as a result. He has more details on both the game's Issue #6 update and veteran rewards in his letter. AoC's Craig Morrison says that the fantasy title isn't going anywhere, although he also acknowledges some staff turnover due to the relocation. He also notes that having the game's dev team and community team in the same building will be a huge benefit. Finally, Anarchy Online's update echoes the first two, but game director Dave "Ilaliya" Williams writes that the engine upgrade, server migration, and new player experience are all still on the table. [Update]: Funcom has also published an update on the restructuring process on its main website. [Thanks to David for the tip!]
Funcom restructures Montreal branch, keeps games operational
Funcom is taking hedge trimmers to its Montreal offices today. Senior Game Designer Tanya Short posted the following this afternoon on her Twitter account: "When your branch shuts down, I guess it's less like being fired and more like honorable discharge. Thanks for going down with the ship! Bye!" Massively contacted Funcom for an official statement. Director of Communications Erling Ellingsen confirmed layoffs but assured us that Funcom's games will continue on: "We are currently in a restructuring process and the Montreal office is part of that process along with our other branches. This process unfortunately involves a reduction in staff, but the studio is not closing down. It will continue on, but in a different form and function than today. Anarchy Online, as well as The Secret World and Age of Conan, will definitely continue to operate and be an important part of the company's focus going forward." He said that the studio would provide more details when it had finished with the process. Funcom previously stated that it was restructuring the company to make it more profitable. The Montreal office was established in 2009 and employed 110 people.
Funcom teases Age of Conan Secrets of the Dragon's Spine trailer
Funcom released Age of Conan's Secrets of the Dragon's Spine content update last week, and the company wants to make sure you haven't forgotten about it already. The friendly reminder comes courtesy of a new trailer that shows off plenty of gorgeous Stygian desert fly-through shots as well as brief glimpses of new mobs and subterranean locales. The adventure pack is targeted at high-level AoC players and boasts a new dungeon called The Sepulcher of the Wyrm. View the video in its entirety after the cut. [Source: Funcom press release]
Age of Conan launches Dragon's Spine update today
Age of Conan fans itching for a new content can now explore a whole new area and dive into new quests and storylines as the first part of The Secrets of Dragon's Spine update series launches today. This 4.0 update brings with it not only the new area with its accompanying quests and stories but also a new group instance, Sepulcher of the Wyrm. Named Dragon's Spine, this area is a desert region, found southwest of the ancient city of Pteion has only one small oasis and a network of caves and tunnels in the mountains to break up the vast stretches of sand dunes. But the content won't stop there; future updates in the series will contain a tradeskill system revamp, more dungeons, a new raid instance, and even a new PvP arena. Players should note that The Secrets of Dragon's Spine content is available to paid premium players only.
Age of Conan gets some lovely new concept art for Dragon's Spine
Age of Conan is about to get a heaping helping of new excitement and adventure, thanks to the upcoming Secrets of the Dragon's Spine update. Some of the Dragon's Spine content has already hit the test server and should be joining the live game in the rest of 2012 and early 2013. To help stir up some excitement for the update, Funcom released four new pieces of concept art on the game's Facebook page. We wouldn't want your clicking finger to get too much of a workout, so we've gone ahead and collected them here for you. Think of it as a special favor to those of you who detest Facebook and all that social media stands for.%Gallery-173464%[Thanks to barbarous tipster John!]
Age of Conan tweaks F2P offerings, all classes and classic dungeons freely available
'Tis the season for Funcom business model tweaks, or so it seems. Hot on the heels of the recent Secret World buy-to-play conversion comes news of significant changes to Age of Conan's free-to-play model. First off, all 12 of the fantasy title's classes are now available to free players. Also, the F2P gold cap has been increased from two to 10. Still not enough for you? Well, OK, how about all of the pre-80 dungeons in the original Hyborian Adventures game? Instances like the Crow's Nest, Slaughterhouse Cellar, and Xibaluku were previously the domain of subscribers or folks who paid to unlock them, but now anyone and everyone can experience Funcom's considerable dungeon-building chops for no charge. AoC's Bloody Solstice holiday event is also live with today's patch, the notes for which may be found at the game's official website.
Funcom senior designer discusses upcoming workshop for female game designers
There's been a focus of late on the lack of women in the gaming industry, both what causes the issue and what can be done to correct it. Funcom's Tanya Short, a senior game designer on both Age of Conan and The Secret World, is understandably interested in that discussion, and she's not just talking about it. Short is one of the people behind the upcoming Pixelles Gaming Incubator workshop, and in a recent interview she shares her thoughts on the industry as a whole as well as the upcoming workshop. Short explains that there's a pervasive line of thinking in modern society that loving games is something reserved for young boys, meaning that women are pushed out of the field from a young age and encouraged to leave it behind. She makes the point that the key is not targeting specific demographics but to simply stop shaming women and excluding them from games and culture. Read the full interview for more on her views on the industry and the genesis of the Pixelles Gaming Incubator.
Age of Conan's Dragon's Spine content on test servers
Funcom released its traditional end-of-the-month Age of Conan update over the weekend, and it revealed that the dev team is crunching hard on the Secrets of the Dragon's Spine content update. Executive producer Craig Morrison says that some of the new stuff is starting to appear on the game's test servers, so players are free to poke around provided they can't wait for the official release. And when, exactly, is that official release? "It's getting down to the wire now in terms of the release window, so we are currently working hard to bring the first Dragon's Spine updates to the live servers before the holidays. In all honesty it is very tight right now, and as we write this we can't say for certain which side things will fall on," Morrison explains. He also touches on the status of the crafting revamp and post-Dragon's Spine PvP updates, though the nature of the latter is very much up in the air at this point.
The Perfect Ten: Holiday shopping for the MMO gamer
With Thanksgiving almost under wraps in the states (Canada got an earlier patch of Thanksgiving because the devs love that country), the starter pistol is about to go off for the busiest shopping season of the year. Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and oh-crap-it's-Christmas-Eve-and-only-a-gas-station-is-open are all shopping experiences ahead on the calendar, but perhaps the most challenging experience is that of buying the perfect gift for an MMO gamer. Sure, you could just phone it in and buy a time card, some cash shop points, a subscription or two, or even a Prima strategy guide if you really hated the person, but a proper MMO gift goes beyond that. For a great gift, you need to put in some effort and actually research the field... or just be lazy and use my following guide. We both know which option you're going to choose. So while you slowly digest that turkey and moan about having to waddle your butt down to Best Buy at 3:00 a.m., why not allow me to help you with a few shopping suggestions? For this list, I wanted to focus on game-specific merchandise that isn't t-shirts, game cards, or CafePress coffee mugs. I mean, this shirt is the bomb and all, but we can do better!
Age of Conan dev update talks new armor, crafting components from PvP loot
Funcom is hard at work on Age of Conan's Secrets of the Dragon's Spine content, and executive producer Craig "Silirrion" Morrison has published his customary monthly development update to bring fans up to speed. There's a good bit of space devoted to new armor creation (including some nifty concept shots and a blurb about upcoming vanity sets). Morrison also says that the team is on track schedule-wise, but there are no dates to report beyond what we already knew about the first of the Dragon's Spine stuff at the end of 2012. He does mention an interesting tidbit with regard to the crafting revamp and the different ways to obtain ingredients under the new system. "We mentioned in the stream that some ingredients would drop from player loot. That is indeed the plan, and we want the next sets of PVP items and armor to be gained in part from actual conquests on the battlefield, so an important component of the new system will be that some ingredients required for some of the new PVP items will only come from killing other players."
Funcom may incorporate new Schwarzenegger Conan film elements into AoC
Remember last year's Conan the Barbarian film reboot starring Khal Drogo? Well, forget all about it, apparently. Universal and Arnold Schwarzenegger are hoping to recapture some of Conan's early movie magic with a reboot of the reboot. Yep, the Governator is set to play everyone's favorite Cimmerian savage for the first time in 30 years, and ostensibly this latest flick will take its cue from the quick shot of an older Conan atop the Aquilonian throne at the end of 1981's Conan the Barbarian. Age of Conan executive producer Craig Morrison responded to the announcement by saying that Funcom has a great relationship with license distributor Paradox and so some sort of AoC tie-in could well happen. Funcom's Savage Coast of Turan adventure pack expanded on the ideas and locations presented in last year's Conan film, and the firm also made gear from the picture available in-game. "It's a little too early to tell what form that [a new movie tie-in] will take, but we will have some great opportunities with this as it all comes together," Morrison wrote on the AoC forums. "We are definitely looking forward to seeing what we will be able to do alongside it. With a 2014 release we will have plenty of time to be working on how to best take advantage of another movie." [Thanks to Duffy for the tip!]
PointMMO goes into open beta
Despite what the name may have you believe, PointMMO is not a game but a digital distribution service specializing in online RPGs. Today the site announced that it has transitioned into open beta for those looking to test out its system and features. Currently, PointMMO's library is rather anemic, with its most well-known titles being World of Tanks, Age of Conan, Anarchy Online, and Allods Online. Some of the game pages include mentions of special promotions for signing up through the service, such as an Anarchy Online leets giveaway. PointMMO claims to offer the fastest way to get into MMOs with its downloader and comes with several social options that are integrated with Twitter and Facebook. The service is currently available only in North America, although the company plans to expand into Europe in 2013.
Age of Conan dev letter talks new content, scheduling
Age of Conan's monthly dev update is here, and Funcom's Craig Morrison uses the latest installment to talk about the fantasy title's content release schedule. The near future will bring an update to the Amphitheatre of Karutonia aimed at level 80 players. Tweaks for the Conqueror and Bear Shaman classes should make the cut as well. After that it's on to The Secrets of the Dragon's Spine updates, which Morrison says will release in stages over the end of 2012 and the first quarter of 2013. The long-awaited tradeskill update also falls into this release window. Finally, Funcom is planning to revamp several of AoC's old-world dungeons as well as add a new PvP minigame and a new raid. More updates are in the planning stages, too, but you'll need to head to the official AoC website for more details.
The Daily Grind: Does new content bring you back to an older game?
My Age of Conan playtime has dropped considerably in recent weeks. The blame falls squarely on The Secret World and a spate of single-player games, though Guild Wars 2 is nudging into the picture as well. News of AoC's Secrets of the Dragon's Spine updates was both interesting and a little bit irritating, then, as there's only so much time in my MMO day. While I'd love to come back and check out the new dungeons, mounts, and an outdoor playfield that is reportedly as expansive as Turan, I'm loathe to trade the fun I'm having in TSW for the old, familiar confines of Hyboria. What about you, dear readers? Do new content updates compel you to leave your current flame for an older MMORPG? 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!
