Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
AGDC 07: Age of Conan Interview with Jørgen Tharaldsen
AmazingAvery
Age of Conan AdvocateMember UncommonPosts: 7,188
From the Warcry Network: http://www.warcry.com/articles/view/interviews/2095-AGDC-07-Age-of-Conan-Interview-with-J-rgen-Tharaldsen
"Funcom's Jørgen Tharaldsen came to AGDC with the glow of three Best of Show awards from the recent game convention in Leipzig, Germany still fresh in his eyes. There, for the first time at a public game show, players were able to line up and actually play Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures. In Austin, Tharaldsen told us about the new PvP features, siege gameplay and their mature slant.
Age of Conan features four brands of player vs. player combat: duels, arena combat, drunken brawling and siege warfare. The first two are likely relatively familiar to fans of the genre, while the second new, are innovations unique to Age of Conan.
The biggest part of their PvP solution is siege warfare. This is where guild warfare happens. Guilds can build cities throughout the area of three kinds: Battlekeeps are the largest, with a limit of nine in existence per server at one time, Forts are the middle ground and there can be 15 at any moment, and finally resource patches are available to a lucky 18 guilds. What happens if they've all been built and a new guild wants one? Well, they have to first destroy one that an opposing guild owns.
Inside each plot there are a variety of spaces where the guild can invest in buildings that either provide some kind of benefit or defend the location itself. It's up to them to manage the correct balance of security vs. benefit.
When an enemy grows covetous and decides to take a guild on, they must lay siege to the area. Each guild gets to set up windows of vulnerability each day. They must have a certain amount, but this makes sure they know when they need to be online and defend. After each attack, there is a period of reconstruction (just like when a plot is first claimed) when the area is completely safe.
During the siege, the attackers have a limited amount of time to overrun the defenses and burn the place to the ground. The defenders simply have to keep them out.
As a layer of intrigue, players around the world can flag themselves as mercenaries. In dire situations, defenders or attackers can pay to bring them in on their side. They are instantly teleported, for the fee, to the area and might very well hold the keys to battle. Like real mercenaries though, these players likely have no stake in the issue and might not be the best investment. There is of course a cap on the number either side can buy.
The other three forms of PvP are much smaller in scale, but each with their own uniquely Conan flavor.
Drunken Brawling is a small, but brilliant feature that really leverages their intellectual property. It's simple. Levels don't matter. In bars, people can just beat the tar out of each other. Plus, he told us, anyone who signs up for their community site prior to launch will receive a free in-game drinking cape.
Duels are relatively straight-forward. At level 20, players gain the ability to face off in single-combat against consenting enemies. In the violent, pre-historic world of Hyboria, it's a good way to settle a fight.
Arena combat takes place inside instances and also carries a level 20 minimum. Tharaldsen boasted of their quick opponent search, which he noted is even faster if people are pre-grouped, and promises capture the flag and team annihilation games will be on the menu. The twist to their arena system is that the game temporarily alters the player's levels to ensure maximum fairness. It's a mini-game, for fun and the changes are very much temporary. They believe it's a small price to pay for short queues.
To supplement these kinds of combat, there are 20 "PvP levels" players can earn and blood money to be collected. The levels allow players to unlock PvP-only abilities, while the blood money acts as PvP loot. When a player pays to go to the border kingdoms, their money is not taken away, but converted to blood money. Then, when killed, players can loot some of that blood money. It's a badge of honor and more. NPCs within the border kingdoms sell special PvP feats as well and demand blood money in return.
Funcom has also made waves with their decision to go for a mature rating, the first mainstream MMO to do so. Tharaldsen told us that it was not a decision taken lightly, but that it is definitely more than just a gimmick. For them, to truly build a world that honors the universe Robert E. Howard created, they had to have an "M" rating. Anything else would be watered down. He also pointed out that the entire game is mature, not just a few parts for show. It permeates their quest, their art and their combat.
"[If it was not mature] it wouldn't be a Conan game," Tharaldsen said.
To them, this is an advantage. He pointed out that while some assume that only kids play video games the evidence doesn't support it. The average age of an Anarchy Online player (their other product) is 27 years old and - using pre-WoW numbers - the general MMO gamer was well into their 20s. This stands to a certain level of logic since to play these games players usually need a credit card."
............................................
Enjoy
Comments
Ya know Avery... all this copy and paste you spam here is easily found on the official AoC website. Or you think these people are incapable of looking that far for information?
I think i called this earlier... copy and paste plagiarists are all 5 stars?
I mean, a topic should atleast contain YOUR views on whatever ever it is you're quote or linking... not just spamming like you're some community updater.
Oh right and topics like you put like "Lull in the Storm" and thats it are far more productive??
Besides you can see the thanks like in the French Festival thread??
I would hardly also call it spam, its informative, and fresh news, alot of people don't go to the website, the post of info invites conversation, my contribution so far was to post the thing.
My views were at the bottom: Enjoy
Ps. Rank is based not off content you know.
And if it wasn't posted then their wouldn't be anything to talk about right? or I bet no one would initate conversation, or the usual Friday Update that comes gets posted by mmorpg.com on mondays or tuesdays... late. then conversation comes.
I did update the community thats right, this is something that wouldn't be posted here for us all to see. It explains a little bit more FC's perspective on the AoC and where they are coming from with the mature theme for example.
Thank once again Avery!
ImixZinz, Avery pasting the info here saves lazy bastards like myself from visiting the official site all the time - keep it up I say. At least it helps me stay informed of any updates - I'm sure there are others would agree with me. I'd rather see informative information here than the usual troll posts that seem to be prevailant.
Until Funcom come in here themselves and start posting links to updates, I don't see how this is a problem.
Get over yourself, honestly.
Lets just say I have alot of time on my hands atm, and as someone who follows the game, I frequent the official forums and other places, posting stuff here puts everything in one place instead of following links all the time. Its a 2 minute read, thats all. Only trying to help.
Oh right and topics like you put like "quiet this month" and thats it are far more productive??
Besides you can see the thanks like in the French Festival thread??
I would hardly also call it spam, its informative, and fresh news, alot of people don't go to the website, the post of info invites conversation, my contribution so far was to post the thing.
My views were at the bottom: Enjoy
Ps. Rank is based not off content you know.
And if it wasn't posted then their wouldn't be anything to talk about right? or I bet no one would initate conversation, or the usual Friday Update that comes gets posted by mmorpg.com on mondays or tuesdays... late. then conversation comes.
I did update the community thats right, this is something that wouldn't be posted here for us all to see. It explains a little bit more FC's perspective on the AoC and where they are coming from with the mature theme for example.
Obviously there still isn't anything to talk about if the only responses you get are random thank you's which first of all arnt touching on the subject, and secondly don't contribute to a thread. Its a blank statement that leads nowhere, unless you guys plan to go back and forth thanking and welcoming each other. Id say the majority of your "informitive" posts are mostly ignored unless you post some kind of subject within to engage the conversaion like "i disagree with this" " i agree with this" ... unfortunatly that isn't the case most of the time.
A good thread would be somthing like
<Link/quote here>
<subject/views here>
<topic here>
This very thread, erase the copy and paste and what do you have? Jack squat.
Honestly, I'm just saying... put some kind of substance into the post before hitting enter... just reverberating already posted content is a waste.
Oh right and topics like you put like "quiet this month" and thats it are far more productive??
Besides you can see the thanks like in the French Festival thread??
I would hardly also call it spam, its informative, and fresh news, alot of people don't go to the website, the post of info invites conversation, my contribution so far was to post the thing.
My views were at the bottom: Enjoy
Ps. Rank is based not off content you know.
And if it wasn't posted then their wouldn't be anything to talk about right? or I bet no one would initate conversation, or the usual Friday Update that comes gets posted by mmorpg.com on mondays or tuesdays... late. then conversation comes.
I did update the community thats right, this is something that wouldn't be posted here for us all to see. It explains a little bit more FC's perspective on the AoC and where they are coming from with the mature theme for example.
Obviously there still isn't anything to talk about if the only responses you get are random thank you's which first of all arnt touching on the subject, and secondly don't contribute to a thread. Its a blank statement that leads nowhere, unless you guys plan to go back and forth thanking and welcoming each other. Id say the majority of your "informitive" posts are mostly ignored unless you post some kind of subject within to engage the conversaion like "i disagree with this" " i agree with this" ... unfortunatly that isn't the case most of the time.
A good thread would be somthing like
<Link/quote here>
<subject/views here>
<topic here>
This very thread, erase the copy and paste and what do you have? Jack squat.
It was brand new, just posted not long ago. You havent gave it a chance yet.
Yes was posted elsewhere and not here - thats the point!!
"To them, this is an advantage. He pointed out that while some assume that only kids play video games the evidence doesn't support it. The average age of an Anarchy Online player (their other product) is 27 years old and - using pre-WoW numbers - the general MMO gamer was well into their 20s. This stands to a certain level of logic since to play these games players usually need a credit card."
I presume they aren't too worried as some people are around here that "all the kidz will play AoC" because of boobs.
Well his information supports that the average gamer is older and the average age of the person buying the game a 33 yrd old. Even though in the US the "mature" rated PC games only aquired 15% of the overall market (similarily globally - according to rating board figures), maybe that will change next year with the advent of this especially considering its an mmo and tied to monthly payments?