Mitra's Method is giving you the opportunity to ask your questions about Age of Conan!
"The NDA has been lifted for press members, so if there is anything you desire to be answered, then be sure to submit a question!"
'Read More' to find out how to submit your question, and the steps you need to take to do so.
Funcom lifted their embargo late last week with the FilePlanet Open Beta going live, and so the WarCry Network has been given free-reign to spill the beans on all things 'Age of Conan'.
"For Funcom, creating Age of Conan has been a labour of love, and that is devastatingly obvious in the fruits they have beared in this Crom-tastic game."
This week, we're very proud to bring to our official preview of Age of Conan.
The second instalment of my 'Age of Conan' beta journal entries, where I eagerly share my experiences wandering through the streets of Old Tarantia and lock horns with another eager PvPer:
"It wasn't long after I stepped off the jetty in the region of Bushbur in the Khopshef Province, that I noticed, what I assumed was a level 20, soldier-class character only a matter of yards in front of me... We stopped and stared at each other for a while, but it wasn't long into admiring the artwork in the armour pieces he was wearing that he actually drew his sword (which also looked spectacular) and shield and decided to rush at me. It was here where the PvPer within me uttered a loud primordial 'Yawp' and grinning, I said to myself, 'It's on like Donkey Kong!' Okay, so this is open PvP; so be it!"
Don't just sit there drooling over your keyboard; read the whole thing!
We're giving away some beta keys on Monday, but to tide you through the weekend, we have two new and exclusive screenshots from Funcom. Enjoy!
Shannon "Pharamond" Drake over at Funcom and Mitra's Method's Stephen "Weezer" Spiteri got together for a little chat about the status of Age of Conan. Drake gives us some answers in a special edition of Mitra's Method!
Mitra's Method: One of the key features of 'Age of Conan' is its revolutionary real-time combat system, and it's amazing, but I was wondering how important it was for Funcom to pull this off. Gaute Godager spoke about how at the start "it couldn't be done" but how does it feel to have it nailed-down? How do you think this will change MMORPG gaming?
Shannon Drake: The thing I've noticed playing other MMOs since I started working on Conan is that I'm a lot less tolerant of classic autoattack+special attack combat systems than I used to be. Even in a game I enjoy, I find myself jabbing forlornly at the movement keys and muttering, "So I can't do anything but stand here flailing away?" It's hard to go back to it once you've gotten used to swinging your weapon yourself, working through combos, and otherwise actively managing your combat.
Read it all after the leap.
There's a difference between making big promises and being able to actually deliver on them:
"'Darkfall' makes quite a lot of promises itself, and yes, even I'll admit that it all sounds good, but where is it all working in front of us?"
This fortnight, we take a reality-check: 'Darkfall', where's the beef?
I've been given very special permission by Funcom this week to give everyone a special look inside Hyboria, in an exclusive found only here, on the WarCry network:
"As a player in this tapestry of drama and adventure, it felt truly as though I was single-handedly weaving the threads of this epic tale, unravelling it bit by bit."
Yep, it's a beta journal, and expect another one of these to come before release!
I quite enjoy PvP, myself, but without any rules to speak of set in place, basically what you've got is a breeding ground for gankers, "griefers", and spawn campers:
"Rules need to be established, and mechanics need to be implemented in order for things to be 'fair game' for all players."
This fortnight, we take a look at how Funcom can take the steps in encouraging fun and mature PvP on their PvP and RPvP servers.
Mounted combat. Guild cities. City siege. New defensive combat options. We saw some new wrinkles in Age of Conan at GDC and today we tell you all about them.
Mounted combat is the big bauble of GDC for Age of Conan. The game offers three mounts: horses, rhinos and elephants. Two of them - rhinos and mammoths - are available through pre-order deals, though. If someone pre-orders from BestBuy they will have a fancy new rhino waiting for them. GameStop pre-orders unlock the mammoth, while horses are purchased in the world. At this time, there is no plan to make the elephant or rhino mounts available through the game itself. Regardless of pre-order status though, players cannot ride mounts until they've hit the 40th level.
Read on.
This fortnight we go through 'Age of Conan' Game Director, Gaute Godager's "state of the game" report with a fine-tooth comb:
"At the end of the day someone has to say, 'This was a much better idea on paper than in the game. Let us focus on what is there - for the good of the whole game.'"
Yes, cuts are going to hurt players, but if we're doing so for the sake of maintaining a vision, then Gaute tells us that we must cut, cut, cut away, but in all honesty this is no real cause for major concern.
