Age of Conan

[mattpegher]

Age of Conan was due to be released today. Havent seen anything online confirming this. Has anyone heard anything about this new MMO?

 

[walterthedog]

May 20th is the present release date...

You can pretty much count on games and records coming out on a Tuesday. M

 

[CalvinHobbes]

http://forums.anandtech.com/me...t_key=y&keyword1=conan

 

[TurnX]

yeah they pushed back the release some time ago, though from the looks of it it will be the last delay... hopefully anyway

 

[ZzZGuy]

Anyone care to give a list of "new features" that will set AoC apart from WoW? I've seen some of the latest gameplay and it killed all enthusiasm I had, and most of the detail I've seen is that combat will be more gritty ( cut heads off),you can build cities and maybe have boats. I haven't heard much about the grinding apart from having pure PvP skills which level up from killing other players, which might be the only thing that saves the game for me. I'm still going to try it but I have accepted that I will most likely be disappointed.

 

[TurnX]

There are plenty of new features in this game that will set it apart from WoW. Honestly, I understand why people are constantly comparing every new game to WoW as that is pretty much all that most people know MMO wise, but really people need to open their eyes and see WoW is not the end all, be all MMO. I would really love to list all the cool stuff that AoC is planning on doing, but if you head over to their website and check out their multi page FAQ it will explain everything:

http://community.ageofconan.co..._feature&selected=1093

The main thing setting this game apart from all the EQ clone games, WoW included, is that the combat is active, meaning you don't just hit 1 auto attack button and walk away. Thats really only one of those "new features" and like I said read the FAQ and all will be clear. Will everyone like this game? Probably not, but those who are looking for something new will be sure to find something fun in AoC.

 

[Skott]

I'm wondering if the guild pvp will help or hurt AoC? Thats another of its main differences from other MMOs. Its guild pvp and not realm/alliance pvp. 80 levels of grinding too. WoW has what? 70 levels now? AoC has mounted combat too. Thats something unique and different. As mentioned the combat will require more strategy thinking and button smashing against an opponent.

 

[manimal]

Remember WOW was not the first MMO either, some of us have been playing since ultima-WOW is just another one in a long list of sucesses. Its claim to fame is accesability and being the first to market intelligently.

Conan has a chance because alot of people are leaving WOW and looking for something different. Another thing going for it is the relative sucess of the Conan franchise. Now if John Milius was involved and the Governator made an NPC appearance the game would be a HUGE hit.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: manimal
Remember WOW was not the first MMO either, some of us have been playing since ultima-WOW is just another one in a long list of sucesses. Its claim to fame is accesability and being the first to market intelligently.

Conan has a chance because alot of people are leaving WOW and looking for something different. Another thing going for it is the relative sucess of the Conan franchise. Now if John Milius was involved and the Governator made an NPC appearance the game would be a HUGE hit.

no, just no...john milius totally fucked up the Conan story. While AoC is still a far cry from the Conan story, I think it follows it better than the movies.

 

[TurnX]

Hey, no Conan movie hate allowed in this thread

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: TurnX
Hey, no Conan movie hate allowed in this thread

I like the Conan movies, just not as part of the Conan story. If you look at them like just fantasy action movies, I don't mind. But to think it has anything to do with the REAL Conan that REH created is just disrespectful.

 

[TurnX]

Originally posted by: pontifex

I like the Conan movies, just not as part of the Conan story. If you look at them like just fantasy action movies, I don't mind. But to think it has anything to do with the REAL Conan that REH created is just disrespectful.

Ohh I agree, but as a separate entity those movies are some of my all time favorites and really if they hadn't been made I doubt I would have been interested in the Conan MMO, at least initially.

 

[manimal]

While licenses were taken with the story for the first film the writing was not bad at all. While the later movies were crap the first is a well crafted piece of storytelling. Like any adaptation the format and time constraints of the film medium rarely get a story 100 percent right.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: manimal
While licenses were taken with the story for the first film the writing was not bad at all. While the later movies were crap the first is a well crafted piece of storytelling. Like any adaptation the format and time constraints of the film medium rarely get a story 100 percent right.

This isn't an issue of not being 100% right. It's an issue of maybe being 5% right.

Most of the story from the first movie was from the Kull (another REH character that Conan was based off of) stories or just made up.
There were very few actual scenes that matched up with a Conan story. Conan also had black hair - not brown, and blue eyes - not brown.

 

[chizow]

Originally posted by: ZzZGuy
Anyone care to give a list of "new features" that will set AoC apart from WoW? I've seen some of the latest gameplay and it killed all enthusiasm I had, and most of the detail I've seen is that combat will be more gritty ( cut heads off),you can build cities and maybe have boats. I haven't heard much about the grinding apart from having pure PvP skills which level up from killing other players, which might be the only thing that saves the game for me. I'm still going to try it but I have accepted that I will most likely be disappointed.

Aside from what's already been released giving too many details would be breaking NDA. Not really a good idea in highly public forums like AT. I will say that I'm a bit concerned about how the rating will impact potential user-base and future support. Some feel an M rating will help weed out kids that diminish their play experience. Others think it won't help at all and will just drive away casual players. I'm not really sure but I'm leaning towards the latter.

As others said and has been published in previews, the game is definitely not WoW and earns its M rating. Gore, partial nudity, adult themes (sexuality, murder, gratuitous violence, dismemberment, corpse-related concerns etc). I can't recall any flat-out cursing like say, Witcher, but there's no need to mince words with an M rating either.

What's been published about combat is also true, kinda. You still have different skills, you just enable them with *three* attack buttons rather than one which need to be tapped in sequence in order to perform the attack skill. Still needs some work imo, but its definitely more involved then skill/button mashing.

The community/PvP aspect is a big question mark that will probably be fully implemented/polished after release. I doubt they'll be able to properly test and balance guild/pvp stuff before the game goes live. I wouldn't base your purchasing decision based solely on what you read about guild/PvP features. Like any MMO or non-MMO game, there's going to be certain things about this game that you love at first, but over time that may fade and all you end up seeing are the problems. I think for most everyone its just a matter of time before you reach that saturation point.

 

[Skott]

I liked the Conan movies. Well, the second one was just okay at best. Not as good as the first IMO. Anyway, I agree its best to leave Arnold and past directors/producers/actors out of it. AoC doesnt need their help. Also, from a personal point of view a M rating or a AO rating wouldnt bother me none since I am well over the age of 18. Way way over. LOL I can see why they labeled it that way though and its justified IMO. But its just a rating. If Mr & Mrs. Jones wants/allows young Johnny or Jane to play the game they'll get it for him/her. I dont think the developers are all that concerned by the rating label. Europeans view things differently than Americans do.

 

[TurnX]

The rating is really only there to protect the makers of the game. Most stores could care less what the rating is when they sell it to someone as long as they are selling it. That way when Mr. and Mrs. Smith get all up in arms about their kids playing a mature game, the gamer makers can go "hey we told you it was bad, yell at the people you bought it from."

 

[Skott]

I agree with you on that point. I'm not so sure who really seriously cares about pc game ratings. I dont think the kids really get that worked up over it. They know how to get the game if they want to get it bad enough. Mom & Dad usually give in to their demands. Politicians seem get worked up about it though. I dont know. Maybe its just because I dont get worried about it I feel others dont as well. /shrug