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Age of Conan: Letter from the Game Director

SzarkSzark News ManagerMember Posts: 4,420

Craig Morrison, Game Director for Age of Conan, has written a new letter to the community where he discusses upcoming additions to the game including the next major update and the Xibaluku dungeon, and PvP tweaks.

Now that the server merges are complete and the new communities start to come together, in some cases alongside new allies, in others against new foes, I wanted to take some time out and talk a little about what’s coming up in the immediate future.

This starts with the next major game update, and with it some great new game-play and a host of new game-play updates and new features. The update is currently available on the test servers and we’ve been making good progress on getting it polished up and ready for the live environment.

I have enjoyed playing through the new Xibaluku dungeon with the dev team over the last few weeks and I wanted to share a little more in terms of what you can expect to see coming your way when this dungeon hits the live servers. Xibaluku is a six person instance for level 80 players found in Thunder River. That much we have already said in previous information, so more importantly – what does it play like?

Read more here.

Comments

  • MrbloodworthMrbloodworth Member Posts: 5,615

    Sounds like AOC is shaping up, and moving in the right direction.

    ----------
    "Anyone posting on this forum is not an average user, and there for any opinions about the game are going to be overly critical compared to an average users opinions." - Me

    "No, your wrong.." - Random user #123

    "Hello person posting on a site specifically for MMO's in a thread on a sub forum specifically for a particular game talking about meta features and making comparisons to other titles in the genre, and their meta features.

    How are you?" -Me

  • Deathstrike2Deathstrike2 Member UncommonPosts: 1,777

    Sounds like this will be a decent update.  I'm still holding off on resubbing to reevaluate the game until after the itemization changes go live. 

    Also, it sounds like DX10 is not going in yet.  No surprise there. 

  • MrbloodworthMrbloodworth Member Posts: 5,615
    Originally posted by Deathstrike2


    Also, it sounds like DX10 is not going in yet.  No surprise there. 

     

    Its been on the test server for quite a bit.

    ----------
    "Anyone posting on this forum is not an average user, and there for any opinions about the game are going to be overly critical compared to an average users opinions." - Me

    "No, your wrong.." - Random user #123

    "Hello person posting on a site specifically for MMO's in a thread on a sub forum specifically for a particular game talking about meta features and making comparisons to other titles in the genre, and their meta features.

    How are you?" -Me

  • RavanosRavanos Member Posts: 897

    did they ever implement any kind of bonus to encourage grouping? from what i remember AOC might as well been a singleplayer game. you seemed to actually be penalized for grouping.

  • dsebutchrdsebutchr Member Posts: 245

    Rav that is why my wife and I left the game.  It penalizes you for grouping.  Dumbest thing I've ever seen in an MMO.

  • RavanosRavanos Member Posts: 897
    Originally posted by dsebutchr


    Rav that is why my wife and I left the game.  It penalizes you for grouping.  Dumbest thing I've ever seen in an MMO.



     

    yeah i just don't understand games coming out now. i understand no one wants forced grouping but to go out of thier way to deter grouping is just stupid. thats the reason my wife and l left as well.

  • JuJutsuJuJutsu Member Posts: 331

    Does the game not offer a bonus for grouping or penalize grouping? Those are not the same thing at all. I've never played AoC but I'm looking around for a new game so I'd like to know.

     

  • dsebutchrdsebutchr Member Posts: 245

    If you group with another person it cuts your experience points on everything you do by more than half.  There is not bonus your just lose half the xp for doing whatever.  It's more efficient to solo everything.  Much faster too.

     

    It's not really a group oriented game.  You can solo to 80 more than twice as fast as you could duo to 80 because your losing so much XP by grouping.

  • ZANGFEIZANGFEI Member Posts: 439

    ya but ya can't be level 80 in 20 minuts or less though so i want my money back or a new pizza.....

  • phlcarlphlcarl Member Posts: 37
    Originally posted by ZANGFEI


    ya but ya can't be level 80 in 20 minuts or less though so i want my money back or a new pizza.....

     

    lol i know right, just have fun with your wives playing the game. dont worry about exp and getting to 80 so fast. also be lucky your wives play comp games. if im not mistaken, dont all games reduce exp in groups but only because u can mow through mobs with very little downtime? = faster exp

  • VespersVespers Member Posts: 246

    Actually, I can think of quite a few games that will give you bonus experience when you group with 3+ players. Something like +10% exp for each player in a 3 person group, 15%-20% for 4 person group, 30% or so for a 5 person group and like 40% bonus experience for a 6 person group.
    This was a concept that the original Everquest came up with and alot of MMOs today has adopted in their own game.

  • ThillianThillian Member UncommonPosts: 3,156

    I can't believe it, I didn't read AoC news for some time, but I checked this one. There's still no dx10 in-game? FOR CHRIST SAKE IT'S ON THE BLOODY BOX, and he's talking about shaping up nicely on test server ALMOST A YEAR AFTER?

    REALITY CHECK

  • FlummoxedFlummoxed Member Posts: 591
    Originally posted by Thillian


     I didn't read AoC news for some time



     

    Yup, DX10 and most everything else has been explained and is in the process of being corrected since the departure of the original lead designer.

    The AoC development cycle had to basically start over from scratch after the mess left by the previous guy, the new guy re-prioritized everything and the current work being done is to most everyone's satisfaction.

    The general consensus is the game's finally in good hands and heading in the right direction.

  • RavanosRavanos Member Posts: 897
    Originally posted by phlcarl

    Originally posted by ZANGFEI


    ya but ya can't be level 80 in 20 minuts or less though so i want my money back or a new pizza.....

     

    lol i know right, just have fun with your wives playing the game. dont worry about exp and getting to 80 so fast. also be lucky your wives play comp games. if im not mistaken, dont all games reduce exp in groups but only because u can mow through mobs with very little downtime? = faster exp

     

    Ok how about we take away all exp unless you are in a full group. I mean after all you wont give a damn right because we all should be playing for fun right?

  • MrbloodworthMrbloodworth Member Posts: 5,615
    Originally posted by dsebutchr


    If you group with another person it cuts your experience points on everything you do by more than half.


     

    No, it just splits the XP between your party members. You will kill more, faster, in a group.

    ----------
    "Anyone posting on this forum is not an average user, and there for any opinions about the game are going to be overly critical compared to an average users opinions." - Me

    "No, your wrong.." - Random user #123

    "Hello person posting on a site specifically for MMO's in a thread on a sub forum specifically for a particular game talking about meta features and making comparisons to other titles in the genre, and their meta features.

    How are you?" -Me

  • RavanosRavanos Member Posts: 897
    Originally posted by Mrbloodworth

    Originally posted by dsebutchr


    If you group with another person it cuts your experience points on everything you do by more than half.


     

    No, it just splits the XP between your party members. You will kill more, faster, in a group.

     

    so in other words you have to mass pull entire areas of mobs in order to get the same amount of xp per hour as a soloer can in about a 5th of the kills.

    stupid logic like this is whats turning MMOs into Massive single player games. I for one am sick of putting a group together and people only join for one kill then disband because "i can get better xp solo".

    your theory doesn't work, it would work if mobs instantly respawned in huge groups ... maybe then it would work but this whole "you can kill bunches of mobs faster thus netting you more xp" is bullshit overall.

  • ZANGFEIZANGFEI Member Posts: 439
    Originally posted by Ravanos

    Originally posted by Mrbloodworth

    Originally posted by dsebutchr


    If you group with another person it cuts your experience points on everything you do by more than half.


     

    No, it just splits the XP between your party members. You will kill more, faster, in a group.

     

    so in other words you have to mass pull entire areas of mobs in order to get the same amount of xp per hour as a soloer can in about a 5th of the kills.

    stupid logic like this is whats turning MMOs into Massive single player games. I for one am sick of putting a group together and people only join for one kill then disband because "i can get better xp solo".

    your theory doesn't work, it would work if mobs instantly respawned in huge groups ... maybe then it would work but this whole "you can kill bunches of mobs faster thus netting you more xp" is bullshit overall.



     

    I agree, Faster, Bullshit overall really sucks, i say Kill a mob that takes 20 minutes and chat for ten till he pops again.....J

  • RavanosRavanos Member Posts: 897
    Originally posted by ZANGFEI

    Originally posted by Ravanos

    Originally posted by Mrbloodworth

    Originally posted by dsebutchr


    If you group with another person it cuts your experience points on everything you do by more than half.


     

    No, it just splits the XP between your party members. You will kill more, faster, in a group.

     

    so in other words you have to mass pull entire areas of mobs in order to get the same amount of xp per hour as a soloer can in about a 5th of the kills.

    stupid logic like this is whats turning MMOs into Massive single player games. I for one am sick of putting a group together and people only join for one kill then disband because "i can get better xp solo".

    your theory doesn't work, it would work if mobs instantly respawned in huge groups ... maybe then it would work but this whole "you can kill bunches of mobs faster thus netting you more xp" is bullshit overall.



     

    I agree, Faster, Bullshit overall really sucks, i say Kill a mob that takes 20 minutes and chat for ten till he pops again.....J

     

    i meant the whole  idea that a soloer can kill 2 mobs and a group hast to kill 10 mobs even though they do it faster is BS. it doesnt work with respawn times and mobs scattered about.

  • spriggannysprigganny Member UncommonPosts: 31

    This game sucks, who gives a dam about grouping when no one plays it.

  • patrikd23patrikd23 Member UncommonPosts: 1,155
    Originally posted by sprigganny


    This game sucks, who gives a dam about grouping when no one plays it.



     

    HAHAH well said :)

  • BafucinBafucin Member Posts: 276

    More lies. They failed, so it's too late for this game. I'm not going back.

    For me Failcom is like SOE. Not going to buy anything from them again.

  • BafucinBafucin Member Posts: 276

    Tabula Rasa banned me for asking questions. I told them the game will fail if they don't do something about this and that. What happens to the game? They pull the plug of it and now it's dead.

    Pirates of the burning sea also banned me. I told them the same thing. That game is still alive today, but with a very low populations and I'm sure it will soon die.

    Age of conan also banned me. Again I told them that they need to change this and that. What happens? From 700k players it go down to 50k or something? Still alive today but I'm sure it will become free to play soon. Less servers is a good sign something is not going well.

    Yes I get banned a lot. But I'm still right in the end and I can enjoy looking how the games die infront of me.

  • ZANGFEIZANGFEI Member Posts: 439
    Originally posted by Bafucin


    Tabula Rasa banned me for asking questions. I told them the game will fail if they don't do something about this and that. What happens to the game? They pull the plug of it and now it's dead.
    Pirates of the burning sea also banned me. I told them the same thing. That game is still alive today, but with a very low populations and I'm sure it will soon die.
    Age of conan also banned me. Again I told them that they need to change this and that. What happens? From 700k players it go down to 50k or something? Still alive today but I'm sure it will become free to play soon. Less servers is a good sign something is not going well.
    Yes I get banned a lot. But I'm still right in the end and I can enjoy looking how the games die infront of me.



     

    LMAO:

    1000 Emails sent to the Developer stating ...IF you don't make bigger bags the GAME will DIE. "was that you by any chance"............./chuckles..... all games will come to an end at some stage of time no matter how good or bad they are.......... some are destine to be  fubared in our eyes because of other reasons.

  • actionfitzactionfitz Member UncommonPosts: 35
    Originally posted by Ravanos



    so in other words you have to mass pull entire areas of mobs in order to get the same amount of xp per hour as a soloer can in about a 5th of the kills.


     

    wouldnt worry about that, at later levels you wont be grinding many mobs per hour as...

    - on the pvp servers you'll likely just end up as free pvp kills to a large guild boosting their mates through the area or just the general asshat-griefers.

    at least that was the way it was when i stopped my sub awhile back.

    feel free to correct me :)

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