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GDC: Rise of the GodSlayer Articles, Videos and Impressions
AmazingAvery
Age of Conan AdvocateMember UncommonPosts: 7,188
So the Press embargo lifted today on AoC and it's expansion, the links below are all news articles released today containing some great info on the expansion.
Celestial Necropolis Walkthrough Video HD
Actual GDC Video presentation PART 1 Character Creation! PART 2 Alternate Advancement system
AoC player perspective from GDC summary
Cry Your Way Through Age of Conan's Asian Empire - Kotaku Article
Game Reactor Video Interview from GDC
Tentonhammer Rise of the Godslayer GDC 2010 Video Presentation
GDC10: A look into Age of Conan's Rise of the Godslayer expansion - Massively Article and Interview
VGChartz Preview: Age of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer
Comments
Updated with Actual Video from the presentation links (Part 1 and Part 2) above!
Yes..Finally, THANKYOU..
they spoke of one big concern about Faction armor, many were speaking about faction armor mostly being exclusive to certain class only , though it is not completely the case from what ive seen.
so instead of just being stuck with Last legion armor (since its made for soldier types) there is also the option to have Armor that caters to soldiers from the Brittle blade too.
And the AA system the way it is set up makes sense, keeps it from being, i have all the tools to be uber, kind of class issue, it will be tested and tweak of course.
kinda wished i saw some of it in action though.
good stuff
You rock Avery, thanks for all the links.
Very nice and probably the only mmo in development that might have a shot at WoW. But, like I pointed out so many times, MMO's are a progression. If players will buy the game and abandon it in less than a month due to bugs - FC will again lack the manpower and the game will again be slow developed and niche again
in one of the interviews craig stated WoW is a "culture". Yes ofc, but it is a culture that set standards. Players compare 10 years of development to a new game and abandon it due to the new game not being as polished as WoW. Which IMHO is idiotic and will bring about the fall of the genre. MMO's are complex worlds that are bound to be released buggy - hang on a bit, support the game (invest in it) and hope for the best. Or go back to playing WoW 100000th hour
Thx for links Avery. A few questions:
When will 1.07 hit testlive and will it contain the new achievement trees? Or are they only available after the release of the expansion? If it comes to TL will you post notes?
I'm very keen to hear more details on this system, but unfortunately thus far they just kept talking about mounts, provinces, and other stuff that is not as relevant to the gameplay;)
Development tree, as in the new AA System? i doubt it.
So far 1.07 will hold the offline progression system and pvp content of the Shrines of Bori i forgot what else however.
I think this isn't good - what could i mean?
I mean he's litterally telling you exactly what to do rather than letting you discover it for yourself.
If theres something worth doing, then its worth all the work it takes trying to figure out how to get it.
Seems that simple to me.
Just when you think you have all the answers, I change the questions.
I think this isn't good - what could i mean?
I mean he's litterally telling you exactly what to do rather than letting you discover it for yourself.
If theres something worth doing, then its worth all the work it takes trying to figure out how to get it.
Seems that simple to me.
I am sure there are plenty of other parts to figure out. The way I see it, it was more to describe that the road to the Boss contains the same mechanics as the end fight. We saw Craig talk about differences in harder mode too and that the Boss can change it up but I don't think anything too spoiling came from the video.
I often see on the test server feedback requesting whether players would prefer more direction or to be left completely to figure things out. Seems like a bit of an equal split in the past. I would put myself in the same camp as you do though.
First it isn't just WoW, but Guildwars, LOTRO, EQ2 did well for longer, EQ 1 and DoaC were great, Aion is doing much much better than AoC did and that is newer. DnD online had a great run recently after going F2P...and not to mention the many other F2P games doing better, population wise, now. Those are all games people boost while AoC was looked upon with meh last year after patch 1.05 and we are at 1.06 now per free trials and win backs.
Now to your point, WoW released more polished AND had flat out better game mechanics, game engine, class design, small stuff, and at least 10 times the content on day 1. Comparing WoW's PvP and PvE 2 years out to AoC 2 years out would explain why WoW was booming during that period and AoC is well down to 8 servers. You mentioned the lack of resources but both games had the same release funding at release but Funcom just needs to be as effective and efficient in development.
However, the reason I post is you go on to urge players to pay money in the hopes of Funcom developing great content but my signature answers that for most players doing that the last two years....20 bosses compared to what WoW, EQ, EQ2, LOTRO had two years out. The expansion better be awesome as they need loads of people and content to keep them to recoup the marketing costs. They actually need to not make another expansion but rather improve the game mechanics, fix the bugs, and polish the game this time with the staff they have left.
People play good games so if you want people to play AoC make it a game worth playing.
Funcom has reviewed all of its assets relevant for
impairment testing. This process has led to
recognition of an impairment loss of around
3,1 MUSD for Age of Conan due to a decrease in
numbers of subscribers for the game. Funcom Q4 10 report.
http://forums.ageofconan.com/showpost.php?p=2926123&postcount=7 500 mains/alts on Tyranny in past 30 days - instead of merge servers let's open a new PvP server, again! http://forums-eu.ageofconan.com/showthread.php?t=106427
Not gonna even comment on first part. The second - I urged players to buy and support the product because it offers somehow an advancement from "more of the same". Lotro is nice but is more of the same. Same with EQ2.
While expansion promises new, creative ways for fighting the bosses, altarnate advancement system and knowing Craig the bosses are pretty damn awesome and even better than what he showed - given his history, he always holds back the biggest surprises
Actually AoC is less of the same....which touches on my first point.
An emote gimick in a single group instance will really improve MMOs or is that innovative..EQ1, LOTRO, WoW, EQ2 all had gimicks as well as high end strategy based encounters.
The bosses have so far been sub par to other games otherwise the 2 added raid zones would have generated buzz and an increase in revenue but we can both agree is is meh and scrawny compared to the raiding MMO status quo . The other games have way more high strategy encounters which is of greater importance than gimmicks, imo. I'm not sure how many group and raid zones there will be but AoC has been less of the same thing.
AAs and chain combos are from ever quest.
It's been two years and AoC has not done a single new thing so far of note or innovation and the filler arrow system for the X box port is where they tried to change things they watered it down to more of the same, and knowing Craig he is a Funcom developer so just like release expect 10% of what they puff to actually be in the game or be working to any reasonable standard. AoC has and will strive to be an Everquest and Warcraft clone as they have been just to get and keep people but I am doubtful they can keep enough content turned out do to the graphics.
The thing about innovation is if it is good people will play the heck out of the game. Warcraft added quests and scripted boss encounters to MMOs that is it the rest of the popularity is do to sheer volumes of content since release and quality in every thing they do. But yeah if AoC ever becomes polished with great game mechanics and content on par with an MMO...in AoC 3 hours a week clears all raids and most are easy enough to PuG the whole thing or spots. 1 1/2 years out we were raiding 30 + hours a week to clear 5 instances, 3 were not puggable, with an extra optional 3 hour molten core run.
Funcom has reviewed all of its assets relevant for
impairment testing. This process has led to
recognition of an impairment loss of around
3,1 MUSD for Age of Conan due to a decrease in
numbers of subscribers for the game. Funcom Q4 10 report.
http://forums.ageofconan.com/showpost.php?p=2926123&postcount=7 500 mains/alts on Tyranny in past 30 days - instead of merge servers let's open a new PvP server, again! http://forums-eu.ageofconan.com/showthread.php?t=106427
We're aiming for the week after next. It's possible it could come sooner but we don't want to rush it. The update itself will contain a lot of the preparations for the long haul. The AA System is an expansion feature and will not be activated until the expansion is released.
The 1.07 update will include the PvP content now that we have decided to release before the expansion rather than after. The 1.07 update will also include a limited time event in order to give players a great introduction into the things to come.
Community Update
Besides being important to prepare everything for the upcoming expansion "Rise of the Godslayer", this update will also bring some cool new content additions, improvements and fixes for the live game. As we announced this week the new Shrines of Bori PVP feature will be rolled out with this update, bringing with it new PVP levels, rewards and the new token reward system.
The update will also include a new limited time event (much like the "Nights of lost Souls" event last year) which brings brand new quests staged in Stygia and Aquilonia which include smugglers, spies and assassins from the far-east. Keep your eyes peeled for more information on that front as we get ready to roll out the update.
Glen ''Famine'' Swan
Senior Assistant Community Manager - Funcom
Wow, thx for the info Famine:)
the proof will be in the pudding as they say. I am curious to see the quality of this release, I hate buggy games
I miss DAoC
As always, their priorities have gone haywire. Why are they focusing so much on 6-man content and showing it as the next Jesus Christ? You will do it once and you'll probably never see it again. Hard modes in 6 man are inconsequential too, since the next raid will always bring better rewards. So typical of Funcom, they don't know what to focus on... and focusing on mid-game content, such as 6 man stuff, is a waste of resources.
It took them over 6 months to release that Ymir's Pass thingy, wasted so much time with that zone and those two instances in it, and players never see it again once they are in the zone for a day or two (even less).
So, do like Blizz does - release lame normal dungeons and only focus on end-endgame stuff.
Atm the expansion looks nice in terms of pve, can't complain about that aspect. Areas are differently structured and finally look fitting for an mmo, so it's a very good new basis.
First it isn't just WoW, but Guildwars, LOTRO, EQ2 did well for longer, EQ 1 and DoaC were great, Aion is doing much much better than AoC did and that is newer. DnD online had a great run recently after going F2P...and not to mention the many other F2P games doing better, population wise, now. Those are all games people boost while AoC was looked upon with meh last year after patch 1.05 and we are at 1.06 now per free trials and win backs.
Now to your point, WoW released more polished AND had flat out better game mechanics, game engine, class design, small stuff, and at least 10 times the content on day 1. Comparing WoW's PvP and PvE 2 years out to AoC 2 years out would explain why WoW was booming during that period and AoC is well down to 8 servers. You mentioned the lack of resources but both games had the same release funding at release but Funcom just needs to be as effective and efficient in development.
And to argue that P2P games are doing better - so to you it is also a surprise that piracy is as successful? If there is F2P game that is good enough there is bound to be many subscribers. AoC is not going F2P because it is bringing profit.
Invalid argument since it is based on perception. Better game mechanics? AoC is praised for combat system. Better game engine? Wait, isn't it the game engine that produces the best graphics and most realistic environment up to date? Isn't it as well the engine that holds 48vs48 without lag? Better engine? Hmm, hardly ...
Class design? Hmm, there is bearshaman, there is hox ... But this one is purely subjective so I cannot argue with you here
Comparing WoW to AoC is invalid as well. At the time warcraft series was the best known computer game, on par with Starcraft almost, while AoC was built by relatively unknown company who's undeniable success was a game that had ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with AoC - that is The longest journey . Also, WoW was something new, while AoC is "more of the same" (same as it would be said for WoW if it was released today)
And like I argued before, AoC was abandoned and people jumped ship immediately which caused rather slow support on the game. ( btw , this is something that WoW players at start didn't do because there was nothing to go to) AoC was a buggy release with level gaps - people, spoiled by WoW (who had the same problems at start with US servers if my memory serves me correct), left.
Also, although many argued that AoC players have high end computers this is not true. Maybe those who stayed but majority of WoW players play only WoW and don't really need high end computer and those ex wow players who came to try the game left immediately when they saw that even on extra low settings the game is unplayable for them. AoC gambled on high end requirements and lost.
However, the reason I post is you go on to urge players to pay money in the hopes of Funcom developing great content but my signature answers that for most players doing that the last two years....20 bosses compared to what WoW, EQ, EQ2, LOTRO had two years out. The expansion better be awesome as they need loads of people and content to keep them to recoup the marketing costs. They actually need to not make another expansion but rather improve the game mechanics, fix the bugs, and polish the game this time with the staff they have left.
Again, you make 0 sense. So let me get this straight. We agree that AoC dropped at launch (which effectively caused slower production) and yet you compare AoC after 2 years with WoW after 2 years (the difference in subscriber base : 200k vs 11m ) Lotro is imho another thing. It is very casual game that requires no real effort and its target is slightly different base than WoW and AoC.
And expansion is exactly this. It is to improve the game mechanics, to make AoC deeper.
People play good games so if you want people to play AoC make it a game worth playing.
Yes, but given the spoiled players IMHO MMO's have 0 chance of succeeding. Because players will not let game to develop as it should. There were only 2 games that were relatively polished at launch - LOTRO and Aion, which both just brought "more of the same" and because of that weren't that hard to be bug free.
There was always the need to support the game through its first stages to get great game at the end. Look at Eve, AO, maybe even EQ2.
Think I'll come take another look at Hyboria when this X-pac launches, not sure what drove me away but something just wasn't there for me.
It seems funcom plans to disable pug raiding. Whether this is a good or a bad thing is debatable.
Also, 6 man, if done correct and with good rewards can be IMHO more fun than 24 people raiding. But as it is now in AoC the 6man instances are still rather easy ... with the mechanics from the video 6 man can become very populated. Why majority of people raid? Because gear is better. If the 6man would have similar gear to raids I am willing to bet anything that 6 man would be more populated.
Let's hope they make Codslayer (not a typo at all) more profound, because the main reason (and not just one of the reasons) I left AoC is because it's more shallow than many single player games out there. Yes,even the design of the new zones can drastically change this attribute.
Not raising level cap is not actually a good idea, imo.
Not raising the level cap is the best idea any dev team ever had in a themepark MMO! More depth to the game, more systems - not the content the players just run through just for the sake of going through it and leaving it behind. Adding new levels means that all the content they worked for so long on will be irrelevant, Why waste time on this when they can add more character customisation which will give the game much more replayability than 10 new levels of mob grinding.
Oh, and Avery - could you please add the testlive patchnotes somewhere here? I'm dying to see them but I won't have access to my AOC until next month so I cant log in:(
Only MMO in development.... You do know that this game has been out for almost 2 years now ? What has AOC done in the last two years ? What has WOW done in those two years ?
Comon... Invest your money and hope the best - but dont throw out nonsense like AOC is a "new" game.... The basics of the game are out and even if Funcom is trying to change some of them - they will never be able to change many of the negative points of AOC (for many when they compared it to WOW for example). Long and repeated loading screens would be one - single player storyline - just to name you two.
Again - the game has been out for almost two years now. Stop talking about it as its the new kid on the block that was released yesterday.
Not raising the level cap is the best idea any dev team ever had in a themepark MMO! More depth to the game, more systems - not the content the players just run through just for the sake of going through it and leaving it behind. Adding new levels means that all the content they worked for so long on will be irrelevant, Why waste time on this when they can add more character customisation which will give the game much more replayability than 10 new levels of mob grinding.
Face it, the majority who still play AoC are level 80 and I dare say have more than one alt who is 80. These people who will undoubtedly play the expansion will get Khitai which will be the alternate "reality" of the current world, which in turn means one or two zones dedicated to endgame alone. So in the end the expansion will feature very little content for level 80 players, especially those who will by then obtain full tier 3 gear and pvp tier 2 stuff.
Well, Funcom sure know how to add mid-game stuff, but yet again their future plans reveal one more consistency - total lack of insight for endgame. Just look at those "fancy" 6-man dungeon videos - why on Earth are they devoting so much time for 6 mans and some mid-game content which is ALWAYS a stepping stone in such a theme-park MMO?
Best balanced expansion was achieved by Blizz in TBC - lots of midgame stuff and lots of endgame stuff, everyone happy and well-fed.
You seem to forget how AA system is supposed to work. The points you get are not based off of levels. So even if u are level 80 u still have to fight in pvp, do raids, quests etc. because you won't progress. And if You look at EQ2 (which they certainly took it from to a point) this will not be extra-fast.
In WoW they added more levels because they didn't add such mechanics which allow for progression without spreading the levels even more. And look at WoW now after 2 expansions and a new one round the corner - you will now have 25 more levels to cut through before getting to the real game:/ On EVERY new alt:/ And those cool areas from BC and WOTLK which had so many cool faction stuff going on are now useless. U just powerlevel there and not waste your time on items which you constantly swap. That's so much development power down the drain...
And those 6-man dungeons - they are there for the reason I described above. If you can't raid you will probably use them to advance through the AA system.