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Letter from the Game Director - May 2009
AmazingAvery
Age of Conan AdvocateMember UncommonPosts: 7,188
Today,
Silirrion
Game Director
Letter from the Game Director - May 2009
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This month’s letter marks the anniversary of the game’s launch and it’s been quite a year by any estimation with more than its fair share of highs and lows. It’s kind of hard to reconcile that it has actually been a year already!
Before we get into the all important ‘come on, tell us something about the new stuff that is coming’ I thought I’d take a slight trip down memory lane on a few of the moments that have defined the Age of Conan experience for me personally.
I first heard of the project over five years ago, in the summer of 2004 when, as a freelance editor for IGN, I got to meet some of the folks from Funcom on a press tour in London. They let me in on what their next, then unannounced, project was. That project was Age of Conan, we sat in the hotel bar and talked for hours, (and incidentally was also the first time I saw a prototype demo for what would later become The Secret World!) headed out into Covent Garden and talked some more, and it was that meeting that started the conversations that would eventually lead to me being hired by Funcom later that year. There was a passion for what they did, and for the games they created evident even from those early chats, if the company hadn’t had that aspect and personality to it I doubt I’d be here writing this letter!
When the game was revealed to the public the following summer I got to do the annual trip around the various conventions and trade shows in my role as community manager. It was really during these shows that I got to see just how much people cared about the license and were passionate about seeing a virtual world based on Conan become a reality. It is still the same buzz I get whenever I get to meet gamers and the players of our games, it is your enthusiasm for what we do that really drives us to do what we do with these games. It is also what keeps us going when the pressure is on, and when we need to remind ourselves why we want something to be enjoyable. The greatest thanks as always goes to you, the players and community around our games, without you there really wouldn’t be much point for me to what we do.
Lastly being given the responsibility of leading the team responsible for Age of Conan has been the greatest honour. The team here are dedicated and passionate about the game, and while perhaps people get a little tired of me mentioning that again and again when they ask me what its like to work on a project of this scale and profile, I say it because it really is true. So my thanks also go to the team I get to work with each and every day. It is their creativity, effort, imagination and hard work that make the game what it is today.
Ok, anniversary induced musings on how cool it is to get work on these kind of games done with, what about the updates itself?
Update 1.05 incoming
The update has now been developing nicely on the test servers and we are getting close to when we will start to make the decision as to when it’s ready for the live dimensions. The feedback from the public testing has been invaluable and things are shaping up nicely. Lots has been changed, tweaked, added and improved over the last few weeks as the update has been put through its paces.
There are still a few more builds to go on the test servers at least, but we are now in the home stretch and we are aiming to try and have things ready within the next few weeks. There is still of course time for something to crop up, but right now we are working through the remaining tasks full steam. This update has involved a lot of work for the entire team and we are really looking forward to seeing it make its debut on the live servers.
Sometimes it’s the little things…
Large new outdoor playfield…check!
Dozens of new quests in said playfield with a cool, engaging new storyline…check!
New RPG System…check!
Ability, spell and feat updates for all classes…check!
Quite some headlines in this update! But with the focus of what we talk about in letters like these and the promotional material usually centering on those big headline features it is easy to forget that there is also always a lot of small updates, tweaks and changes that also serve to improve the game in numerous ways.
The coming update is no different, so I thought I would take this opportunity to go over some of the smaller changes that are coming soon that often slip in under the radar. Personally I think it’s just as important that we ensure these small changes also get into the update, as while they might not make for marketing friendly headlines they do add to the game, and address ideas and suggestions from player feedback…so what falls into this category this time round?
New Provisioners – These new vendors can be found in several places selling crates of certain potions and food so you don’t need to buy them one by one anymore. (The stack sizes of potions and food have been increased as well!)
City Life – Players will find their guild cities get a little more populated with NPC visitors, guests and residents. The guild cities should be a little livelier now!
'Path of Comrades' – A new recall ability (that shares it refresh timer with the path of Asura) obtained from your guild city allows you to return to your guild city.
More travel options – New NPCs in the guild cities will offer passage to several locations.
New Social Pets – Check out new vendors in the guild city for some new faithful companions!
Improved Guards – The guards across Hyboria should behave better around PVP and react against the correct targets. When you are tagged as the ‘aggressor’ in a fight will also now be visible in your GUI.
So as you can see, the 1.05 update isn’t just about the RPG and class system changes. You will also note that quite a few of the above are linked to adding more uses and functionality to the guild cities. As I have mentioned before this is an area you will see even more development on over the coming updates. This is just the start!
More on improved character options
Last time out I hinted that there was more to come in terms of the new options for characters that will go live in 1.05. Today I can confirm that we will also be awarding a free extra character spot to all accounts with six months or more subscription history. This means that from here on in, all subscribers will get a ninth character slot automatically once they have subscribed for six months.
This means that veteran six month plus subscribers will be able to take advantage of the new level 50 character even if their existing slots are full. This isn’t just a limited time offer either; the extra slot will become available to subscribers who pass the six month mark in future as well.
We are also planning on offering additional character slots for sale once the update goes live. There will be two additional slots available for purchase. These slots will be available to all regardless of subscription length. So a six month subscriber would have access to up to eleven slots in total (eight by default, one veteran slot, and the two paid slots) and new subscribers will have access to up to ten (eight by default, and the two paid slots).
In closing…
It’s definitely been an interesting year, full of challenges and adventure, and we are really looking forward to the coming year as well. So the toast at the King’s Table is to the year that has passed and in anticipation of the year that is to come!
See you in Hyboria!
__________________
Craig 'Silirrion' Morrison
Game Director
Comments
Thanks for the heads up Avery. looks like a lot of cool stuff will be coming down the pike.....but as always the resident haters will show up spouting their failcom chant of doom.......
I just wish they would start hinting at what we will be seeing AFTER 1.05
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Guys! I'm hopelessly lost in a mountain of mole hills! Them damn moles!
The majority of the staff pulled from AoC to get the Secret World launch ready (well FC's version of launch ready).
But let's not get ahead of ourselves 1.05 still isn't live, it has sat on the test server for many months no reason it won't for a while more.
Keep paying for Beta! in a few more years you might get what's printed on the box!
The majority of the staff pulled from AoC to get the Secret World launch ready (well FC's version of launch ready).
But let's not get ahead of ourselves 1.05 still isn't live, it has sat on the test server for many months no reason it won't for a while more.
Keep paying for Beta! in a few more years you might get what's printed on the box!
About 3 weeks more I reckon from those same 120 people on the team for the last 6 months.
Hey it is nearly a year since you last played now, I admire your strong interest in the game and your ability to keep under the bridge. Shame you don't have the TL access though
What do they mean "New RPG System"?
A lot of it is to do with the forcoming re-itemization patch. (1.05) A little more can be read here in the 2nd post: www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/231000/page/1
Basically an overhaul of the way info is presented stat wise, with tangents effecting gear, feats, attack and defence ratings and so on. It is about how everything comes together with more meaning for the game.
Down from over 300, not really anything to brag about. Especialy when they still don't have the features that were advertised.
Down from over 300, not really anything to brag about. Especialy when they still don't have the features that were advertised.
where did you get the 300 information from? Not that I say it's false, just not seen that number before as I can recall.
And I'm quite sure that it is normal for a mmo developer to reassign people to other games/parts of the development once a game is released as you don't need the same amount of developers making the bugfixes and updates for a game. Other companies outside the gaming industry does this all the time when they have launched a product and have made the production as efficient as possible.
Playing: Battlefield - Bad company (Xbox360) Arma2, DFO (PC)
On my radar: TSW, MO
MMO's played: SWG (pre cu/cu), WoW, AoC, WAR, DFO, Planetside
MMO's that I have tested: Lotro, L2, Aion, Ryzom
"Freedom is just another name for nothing left to lose" - Janis Joplin
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Down from over 300, not really anything to brag about. Especialy when they still don't have the features that were advertised.
where did you get the 300 information from? Not that I say it's false, just not seen that number before as I can recall.
And I'm quite sure that it is normal for a mmo developer to reassign people to other games/parts of the development once a game is released as you don't need the same amount of developers making the bugfixes and updates for a game. Other companies outside the gaming industry does this all the time when they have launched a product and have made the production as efficient as possible.
FC claimed 300+ right after Godager left and they were trying to dig out of the launch mess.
Down from over 300, not really anything to brag about. Especialy when they still don't have the features that were advertised.
Wasn't 300 including all Funcoms employes doing anything with AoC like network technicians, support, shuffling papers around and so on?
Anyways, most if not all companies moves some people after launch.
Down from over 300, not really anything to brag about. Especialy when they still don't have the features that were advertised.
Wasn't 300 including all Funcoms employes doing anything with AoC like network technicians, support, shuffling papers around and so on?
Anyways, most if not all companies moves some people after launch.
Yep all employees, just like it was 5 months b4 release, but not including support staff CS. Out of that there already was quite a few ppl on TSW.
Thats another misinformed avenue closed for you Unfinished.
Silirrion is really a stand up professional and probably the best community manager working in MMOs today. He deserves better. And that's all I have to offer about this letter.
It realty easy to run a rather small community like in Age of Conan where there is below 70.000 users. Try to be a community manager for a 600K mmo or even 11. million plus. Then its becoming tough. So Silirrion got a easy job.
Spoils of War - The quickest way of ending a war is to lose it.
It realty easy to run a rather small community like in Age of Conan where there is below 70.000 users. Try to be a community manager for a 600K mmo or even 11. million plus. Then its becoming tough. So Silirrion got a easy job.
*cough*
You know very well that AoC has a lot more users than that. And I'd say it's fairly harder to be the community manager of a game with a bad image than of one with a good image.
Heat, pressure and time. The three things that make a diamond, also make a waffle.
Also known as Ardanwen.
It realty easy to run a rather small community like in Age of Conan where there is below 70.000 users. Try to be a community manager for a 600K mmo or even 11. million plus. Then its becoming tough. So Silirrion got a easy job.
I don't know if I disagree with you (aside from your estimation of their subscription count, as neither of us truly know - unless I missed a memo or something).
But, comparing my personal interactions with other community managers and Sil, and their interactions with others that I've witnessed, in both smaller and larger communities, I stand by my assessment of the man's professional worth. I also think that the level of success of the game/company that he's currently working for does not invalidate this opinion.
Oh they aren't mistakes they are just what his hotsheets and scripts tell him to say.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_62/363-Im-Evil
Most people don't care if it is 300 or 120 people. Perhaps you can address the point about features being advertised on the box that were not in game? The lack of mini-games at launch was one of the many reasons I quit.
Most people don't care if it is 300 or 120 people. Perhaps you can address the point about features being advertised on the box that were not in game? The lack of mini-games at launch was one of the many reasons I quit.
mkay...and now there's mini-games...what's your point?
are you pissed because siege towers and bar fighting isn't in? If that's the only thing you got, then I don't think you should play MMOs...because no MMO ever delivers all the is promises until maybe the second or third expansion (See: WoW Hero Classes)
some things just don't work out, as well.
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Guys! I'm hopelessly lost in a mountain of mole hills! Them damn moles!
There were a lot more promises broke than just bar fighting. I spent over $2,000.00 on a new gaming rig. AoC wasn't the main driver for this purchase, but was a catalyst for it. I went through the trouble of upgrading to a DX10 system only to have that also be missng with the game.
Aside from the actual missing features, AoC's marketing mislead people in a variety of other ways. That is probably why they are revamping the entire game. Instead of calling it that, they are saying that they are revamping the "RPG" of AoC. Also, the term revamp is quite misleading as well, as it implies that there was something there before it. Itemization, weapons stats and other core features are not being revamped, they are being finally added to the game.
I also remember Hyboria as being marketed as a large and wide open world to explore. But what they delivered was a P2P version of Guildwars. This game let me down worse than Vanguard. And THAT is saying something.
There were a lot more promises broke than just bar fighting. I spent over $2,000.00 on a new gaming rig. AoC wasn't the main driver for this purchase, but was a catalyst for it. I went through the trouble of upgrading to a DX10 system only to have that also be missng with the game.
Aside from the actual missing features, AoC's marketing mislead people in a variety of other ways. That is probably why they are revamping the entire game. Instead of calling it that, they are saying that they are revamping the "RPG" of AoC. Also, the term revamp is quite misleading as well, as it implies that there was something there before it. Itemization, weapons stats and other core features are not being revamped, they are being finally added to the game.
I also remember Hyboria as being marketed as a large and wide open world to explore. But what they delivered was a P2P version of Guildwars. This game let me down worse than Vanguard. And THAT is saying something.
First I don't think that buying or spending that much money for sole purpose of the promise of one or two games is really justified. Not even I went out my way pre launch. As for the nature of the games in this genre, things can change as fast as the wind can. I don't think I have played a game that delivered everything said all upfront. With AoC after 6 weeks I got more than I got less than started with. I expected things won't all be there.
The term re-vamp is correct and it's implication is correct too. Weapon stats for example were there they just didn't have much as a meaning in a more easy to read fashion as they will have now. Itemization at the very core is putting all the details down. In AoC the details and functionality was there but in a way that was not as transparent for all and in some cases lacking so much some people felt non existant. Generalizing is taking this all and thinking that they are "finally being added" is wrong in the fact that what was there is being tweaked more so. If you head over to Conan valut at IGN and take a look at the patch 1.05 impressions - links also posted in threads created by me here (in user history) also link to side by side comparisons which shed more light on things and visually show you what is what. They wouldn't be able to do this if there was nothing there to begin with.
As for the size of the world, what was we told many, many months before release?
Hyboria will be zoned, each zone will consist of several large zones up to 8 kilometers squared at the largest, but many 4x4. (up to around couple dozen ish zones this size) There will also be seperate instances, personal instances, grouped and solo instances and dungeons of varying sizes. There will be loading screens and so on.
Personally I thought the world would be a bit bigger than it was, but let me ask you at which point is it going to be enough for you? I don't think that any amount of new zone inclusions would be good enough. As you have this stigma attached for $2000 and the expectation in thinking something different to what was published to the public (in some cases probably well before your PC purchase)
If people are equally thinking a game is worth dropping 2 grand down then surely at somepoint no matter what issues or things that didn't work out then, have the capacity to re-evaluate, as a lot of ppl will say these days, you may find yourself missing out.
I am more interested in talking about the current state than something which doesn't have any bearance for me, because it is outdated. You know like the English (home nationality) talking about WW1+2 to the extent all these years on. Sometimes you grow out of it and into new things, such as buying BMW and going to Oktoberfest
EDIT: let me just briefly add that I am not disputing things were not perfect at launch and I was royally upset in some area's. But since then the potential has being realised much more and acted and implemented on to a degree that re-enforces my personal preference in continuing to find value in my monthly sub. In AoC's case the benefits now outweigh any negative feelings I had post immediate launch.
Give it up, Avery (Amorey, is that you?), your time is up. Talking in the future tense is getting really ancient and unconvincing for the majority of players who were disappointed and disillusioned by one of the greatest scams in MMO history. I mean, seriously, just look at this goddamn patch 1.5 - sure, it's awesome, but it introduces such basic stuff that other MMOs have and that MMO players take for granted, and I see no reason to praise the developers for introducing that one year after the release. This patch is all the more reason that so far AoC players have been playing a beta, a damn test version for Funcom to realize what to do with the game. Sadly they decided to WoW-ify the game at its core, forgetting all about their promises in delivering an alternative to WoW clones.
They should just rename patch 1.5 into "WoW update".
does this patch include a fix for broken gathering proffessions?
I need more vespene gas.
does this patch include a fix for broken gathering proffessions?
Hi there, could you be a bit more specific?
does this patch include a fix for broken gathering proffessions?
Hi there, could you be a bit more specific?
at the moment whether you have the skinning proffession or not you can gather various leathers (same for the silk, ironsilk etc) Are they fixing this?
I need more vespene gas.