Interview with Age of Conan producer Gaute Godager

[HaemishM]

So essentially, Age of Conan will hard-code in the need for a guild from anyone who wants to do PVP, as opposed to just making it a choice? AWESOME!

Forced grouping leads to forced groping.

Whats wrong with some GvG? Could you show up errant in Shadowbane to a bane of a city? Not fuckin likely. If you want some one on one, I am sure there will be arena/bar fights/open field PVP.

What's wrong with it is that every other MMOG forces you into guilds to really enjoy the game. There is no place for the errant as anything more than an irritant. And in Conan's case, I don't think he was a member of HardCore_Uber_Guild_07 until he was King.

[Slayerik]

Point taken. lern2guild :)

[WindupAtheist]

If you can make an easy 100 bucks, or work hard for 100 bucks...which are you going to choose?

Will you just go re-read the old thread and STFU?

[Velorath]

What's wrong with it is that every other MMOG forces you into guilds to really enjoy the game. There is no place for the errant as anything more than an irritant. And in Conan's case, I don't think he was a member of HardCore_Uber_Guild_07 until he was King.

Well, he did join up with groups like the Black Corsairs, the Red Brotherhood, and the Turanian Army...

[Fargull]

Hmm.. I don't know.  Nothing about the overview implies that you can not access the crafted stuff without being in the guild.  One of the features that seems to be implemented is the fact that the PvP switch can be tied to Guild membership, similar to the Orange feature from the bygone days of UO.  I find the whole track interesting at least.

[Slayerik]

If you can make an easy 100 bucks, or work hard for 100 bucks...which are you going to choose?

Will you just go re-read the old thread and STFU?

You're the one posting fuckin Trammel / Feluccia pics now arent ya? Take your own advice, oh great forum whore.

[Rasix]

Ok. Enough of the name calling. Enough of the baiting.  If you can't post like you're not on the WoW forums, I'll start making a tapestry of your stupidity in the Den. 

Talk about Conan.

[WindupAtheist]

If Conan were a forum denizen, he'd be smart enough to realize that other people had a Trammel tangent going before I ever bothered to post that pic.  He also would know better than to exhume AW's hoary "You pussy kids are too lazy to WORK for your fun!" line of argument, then cry about said pic when told that we've already done that thread and he should just STFU.

Does that count?

Anyway, the big questions about AoC in my mind (other than "Will it make my hard drive explode?") are what the death penalty will be, and how important rare lewtz are.  The lighter the penalty, the more forgiving players will be toward odd semi-experimental PVP designs.  EVE gets away with a harsh death penalty, but then I've never heard of anyone having to catass for months on end to get a leet item in EVE either.

[Morat20]

If Conan were a forum denizen, he'd be smart enough to realize that other people had a Trammel tangent going before I ever bothered to post that pic.  He also would know better than to exhume AW's hoary "You pussy kids are too lazy to WORK for your fun!" line of argument, then cry about said pic when told that we've already done that thread and he should just STFU.

Does that count?

Anyway, the big questions about AoC in my mind (other than "Will it make my hard drive explode?") are what the death penalty will be, and how important rare lewtz are.  The lighter the penalty, the more forgiving players will be toward odd semi-experimental PVP designs.  EVE gets away with a harsh death penalty, but then I've never heard of anyone having to catass for months on end to get a leet item in EVE either.

EVE's also got safe systems -- you generally only get ganked once or twice in .8 or above space before you learn the simply rule of "Don't fucking open someone else's can, and that fucker with all the guns looting yours? Move on, unless you got better shit in the station than he does". Plus, it's generally more a matter of money to gear out your ship, rather than endless camp time.

Nor is there any real reason you can't have 55 freakin geared out ships -- no real  worry about bank or bag space.

[Slayerik]

If Conan were a forum denizen, he'd be smart enough to realize that other people had a Trammel tangent going before I ever bothered to post that pic.  He also would know better than to exhume AW's hoary "You pussy kids are too lazy to WORK for your fun!" line of argument, then cry about said pic when told that we've already done that thread and he should just STFU.

Does that count?

Anyway, the big questions about AoC in my mind (other than "Will it make my hard drive explode?") are what the death penalty will be, and how important rare lewtz are.  The lighter the penalty, the more forgiving players will be toward odd semi-experimental PVP designs.  EVE gets away with a harsh death penalty, but then I've never heard of anyone having to catass for months on end to get a leet item in EVE either.

And through all this, I thought you liked me WUA. My fiery demon PVP heart is crushed. Oh yeah, back to Conan.

This is pretty much my #1 game on the horizon and im getting my troops ready. Should be good for 6 months of fun? Or was that 10 before I turn into churn?!? :)

[Pococurante]

I won't sub.  But I'm sure my cousin's sister's brother will.

[stray]

That guy was great in Repo Man, but he's about 40% responsible for why Conan the Destroyer sucked.

[Samwise]

He was great in Brisco County Jr.  "You have to be fearless to marry your mother."

[Trippy]

Another Conan interview, this one from ToTheGame:

http://www.tothegame.com/interview.asp?gameid=2318

You can fight from horseback and decapitate (!) your opponent.

[dusematic]

I call bullshit.  The game just sounds too cool. I went along with the whole "mugfights in a bar" and even the "monster towns parallel player towns in epic struggles for resources."  But you expect me to believe there will be horse combat, decapitations, AND mature content like slaves and whores? 

[Yegolev]

You can fight from horseback and decapitate (!) your opponent.

You do know that this is being made by FunCom, right?

[penfold]

One of my friends is a designer on this, he has a wonderful quirky sense of humour that was often apparent in AO. I look forward to seeing his input. I'm not too excited about another swords and sorcery mmog ill never have time to play (complete) though.

[Yegolev]

If he is the one responsible for letting fat, bald men wear lacy women's underwear in AO... yes, that was funny.

[WindupAtheist]

Decapitations.

Fucking yes.  It's about time.

[Margalis]

FFXI just introduced in the latest expansion a system where enemies have bases of sorts and when they build up enough forces rally up a group and attack your town. Apparently AO has the same sort of thing in Alien Invasion.

I wouldn't expect a thriving monster town that is really rich and deep but monsters actually doing something rather than sitting back and getting their asses kicked constantly is pretty cool.

[Pococurante]

Hopefully they'll steal Taleworld's M&B and then add in more gore.

[Strazos]

I wouldn't expect a thriving monster town that is really rich and deep but monsters actually doing something rather than sitting back and getting their asses kicked constantly is pretty cool.

Yes, it's cool. Gemstone has been doing it since....forever, and that's game is text.

A graphical mob Invasion would be cool, especially if some GMs log in to control a few "commander" NPCs and taunt the players.

[Slayerik]

I call bullshit.  The game just sounds too cool. I went along with the whole "mugfights in a bar" and even the "monster towns parallel player towns in epic struggles for resources."  But you expect me to believe there will be horse combat, decapitations, AND mature content like slaves and whores? 

Best post ever

[Daeven]

FFXI just introduced in the latest expansion a system where enemies have bases of sorts and when they build up enough forces rally up a group and attack your town. Apparently AO has the same sort of thing in Alien Invasion.

I wouldn't expect a thriving monster town that is really rich and deep but monsters actually doing something rather than sitting back and getting their asses kicked constantly is pretty cool.

Especially if it utilizes a 'The sims' based need driven system at the meta level. input type='players stealing our crap and land' set mode = 'Kill them all, and listen to the lamentations of their womenfolk'.

*shrug*

[Velorath]

From the frontpage just because I feel the need to comment on it:

Funcom and Conan Inc. has extended the agreement in which Funcom has the exclusive rights to develop any and all Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) games based on the Conan license. The agreement gives Funcom the right to develop MMO games with the Conan brand on PC, present and future gaming consoles, portable devices and mobile systems until 2018. In addition, Funcom now has an option to prolong the agreement with five additional years."

The main part of the agreement says they've extended exclusive rights until 2023. Does anyone else find this extreme? Is it necessary? Is it that hot an IP? Also, mobile systems until 2018? Do five additional years really matter that much? What the hell is going on?

I wouldn't go so far as to say that Conan is a "hot" IP, but it's defiantely a strong one.  It's not overexposed like Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, or the Matrix, and there's not a lot of crap Conan merchandise out there or anything.  All of REH's stuff has recently been republished and seems to be selling well.  Dark Horse's Conan comics have been some of the best selling comics that aren't published by Marvel and DC, and they're also publishing tbs of the old Marvel comics.  There's an animated feature adaptation of "Red Nails" in the works, and the P&P RPG from Mongoose doesn't seem to be doing too bad either.

As long as Funcom doesn't completely fuck up Age of Conan, it seems like they could bring in some fairly respectable numbers.  Sure 2023 seems like a long fucking time for the deal to last.  Then again the way the life span of some of these MMO's seem to drag out, I can see why maybe they'd be cautious.

[schild]

2023 is too long and 2018 is WAY too long. Funcom doesn't make enough games to need that much licensing room.

Maybe they could farm it out.

To Tose. :P

[Velorath]

2023 is too long and 2018 is WAY too long. Funcom doesn't make enough games to need that much licensing room.

Maybe they could farm it out.

To Tose. :P

Maybe they figured that if Age of Conan flops they won't be around in 2018 anyway so they might as well just say fuck it and extend the deal on the off-chance it's a 17 year long success.