Tagged News: aoc

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.

The long awaited State of the Game announcement is now available at the official Age of Conan forums. With the recent delay many players have been wondering exactly what state Age of Conan is in. After many weeks of speculation, Project Director Gaute Godager has stepped up to let us all know just exactly where Age of Conan stands:

So then; what about the cuts you might have heard about after the community event? First of all; we wanted to tell our community sites this first as they are so important to us. That some cuts had to come is a natural part of creating an MMO, and I will tell you why. As you all know it is my responsibility as a Game Director to guide the vision, tinkering at every little part of the game to make the WHOLE much better than each of the parts. That means that my job is not only about creating but also about changing stuff, or cutting them - or as in the case of classes pool them up. 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.» I do this all the time, through the whole development cycle. I do this on hundreds of things you have never heard about. I do this with regret more often than not, but I always know it is the right thing to do. With more than 500 features, tons of content and endless combinations of features and content to balance - each and every one a building block in the great MMO world of Hyboria, it must be done.

For the State of the Game in its entirety, click here.

After having come back from Oslo, Norway, and settled back into "life, the norm", I'm as enthusiastic as I ever was about 'Age of Conan':

"Now we are on the final stretch, with the goal plain in sight."

This fortnight, we learn that the "Rome wasn't built in a day" philosophy also applies to game development.

Funcom has announced that they have had 500,000 people sign up to participate in the Age of Conan Beta test. Of couse, not all are actually in the Beta at this time, but the percentages will surely rise as they approach launch.

Read the press release after the jump.

Following earlier surprising news stating that no nudity whatsoever will be featured in Age of Conan's North American edition, a new post by Funcom's community manager Shannon "Pharamond" Drake claimed that the same version will in fact, include nipples, but not full nudity:

It has come to our attention that the North American edition of the game was submitted (by Eidos) to the ESRB without any server-side censorship:

-full blood
-full fatalities
-breasts with nipples
-not full nudity

The ESRB reviewed our application and gave us a rating of Mature 17+. The full rating with descriptors has not yet been publicly announced but will be posted on the ESRB web site on 13 February 2008.

This announcement came as a relief to many Conan fans, who would like to keep the brutal and seedy theme of Hyboria intact.

Today WarCry is happy to bring to you part two of the developer Q and A held at the Funcom offices during the community event held back in mid-January.

"In this installment, you'll find: What's in it for solo players, server types, priests vs. potions, UI customization, the 360 version, roleplaying, and more."

First, a small taste:

Head on in to see segments one and two.

Meet the classes in 'Age of Conan'!

More tasty tid-bits from the 'Age of Conan' Collector's Edition art book preview CD given to all those that attended the community event in Oslo on January 18.

Here's an hors d'oeuvre:

Pay a visit to the Renders section of the screenshots page to see the rest the images.

During the community event in Oslo last week, the formalities were concluded with a two hour developer Q and A session, which gave press and community representatives a chance to ask those hard-hitting questions about all things 'Age of Conan'.

Here's a small taste of things:

Parts two, three, and four of the Q and A session will come with next week's Funcom Age of Conan Friday Update.

You've read it in words, now see it in video as we are lead through the Funcom offices to show off developers and staff busy at work on 'Age of Conan', plus a glimpse of a dungeon raid and Necromancer play in action.

Here's a sneak peak:

Enter the article to view all the videos.

I had the opportunity to give dungeon raiding and CTF PvP a go while over in the Funcom offices last week, and today I present my my hands-on report of my experience:

"If the 'Age of Conan' dungeon designers were going for a dark, hellish, dank, and misty look for the Sanctum of Burning Souls, then they well and truly pulled it off."

Whether your game's dungeon raiding or PvP, 'Age of Conan' will be a game to sate your gameplay desires.