Tagged News: editorials

Lore is not something that you can so flippantly toy with and manipulate. On the flip side, we have to understand we're talking about the gaming industry, so it is with some reservation that certain liberties have to be taken.

"It is a constant focus for us to make this ['Age of Conan'] right, but sometimes we need to bend some borders, even take the lore and update it somewhat to make it fit better with gameplay."

Funcom Product Director, Jřrgen Tharaldsen, took some time out of his very busy schedule to explain in a Mitra's Method exclusive what measures are being taken to ensure a "true to Conan" experience in the much anticipated MMORPG 'Age of Conan'.

Funcom, as it is currently evident, has listened to their beta testers very seriously because their beta testers have been very serious with their feedback...

"Not listening to experienced beta testers' initial reactions is the most dangerous thing to do." - Gaute Godager, 'Letter from the Game Director'

This fortnight, it's about beta, serious testing, serious testers, and the road to March 25, 2008.

So we have to wait a bit longer for 'Age of Conan', and only the most committed are going to stick around for the game's release on March 25, 2008.

"...get to know Howard, get to know Conan, get to know Hyboria, get to know Funcom, and get to know 'Age of Conan'"

This fortnight, it's all about the making the next seven months tolerable as we revisit a few suggestions on how we can make the most out of this time for ourselves and Funcom.

Do loose lips really sink ships? Is that art of keeping a secret truly lost? And just what sort of implications does breaking an NDA have for Funcom and 'Age of Conan'?

"It [NDA] means you are chosen because Funcom has a belief in you, a belief that you are trustworthy..."

This fortnight, it's all about beta, the NDA, business, and the gaming industry. Strap yourselves in for a wild ride in these, the last few months of the game's development!

We can be so caught up in worrying what we're not seeing or what we haven't seen that we lose sight of the bigger picture.

"Worrying is only going to ruin not only your own personal excitement and anticipation for a game, but that of others, especially if it's unwarranted."

This fortnight, the final countdown begins as the anticipation of more information builds, and builds, and how you can deal with fan doom-calling and press nay-saying.

Hype is only as good as the promises the game company is able to deliver on.

"As we've said before, we will never reveal everything there is about the game. We will certainly show you a wide selection of content and we will reveal the outlines of the different game mechanics, but the meaty details of the game is for you to explore..." - Erling Ellingsen ("LordOrion")

This fortnight: are we doing ourselves a disservice with all this hype surrounding 'Age of Conan'? Do we only have ourselves to blame when our own expectations supersede what is actually given in the end product?

For most PvPers, perhaps the reward of Bloodcoins is not enough, and the penalty of losing only Bloodcoins on defeat is not serious enough. In addition to his comments about a looting system, Gaute Godager said:

"We want risk. As to reward, this is much better."

And he's right: the reward of loot for defeating another player is much better because it adds that element of risk in a PvP setting.

This fortnight: to loot, or not to loot? That is the question!

Calamus returns for the 4th edition of The Drunken Pict! This week he continues his profile of Hyborian races, outlining the characteristics of Stygians, their history, and guidelines for Role Playing them.

Many people simply describe Stygians as Egyptian and assume they carry all attributes correlating to their actual historical counterparts, but what is commonly overlooked is Stygia's Greek, and even Persian connotations.

Click below to read it all.

Resident Age of Conan on WarCry madman "Urfang" checks back in with a colorful and fanciful piece that examines a very serious issue: Windows Vista. Vista will be a big part of Age of Conan and Urfang looks at this potential.

I really, really don't want to go out and buy YET ANOTHER new Microsoft OS (Vista) just to play a new game (Age of Conan), no matter how much I want to play the game.

Read more over on AoC on WarCry.

Tiderius returns with part two of his discussion on archetypes and the gamers who play them in this new editorial from Age of Conan on WarCry.

Life as a rogue, so solitary and bleeding edge. The exhilaration of stalking prey and striking with deadly precision for that one fateful moment is never short of glorious. What makes the gamer who prefers this class tick?

Click below to read it all.