Age of Conan - Hyborian Adventures

E3 2006 First Look Preview

One year ago, Funcom unveiled its massively multiplayer online title Age of Conan – Hyborian Adventures. Then it was in pre-alpha mode. With the launch drawing ever nearer, more was revealed at E3 (the Electronic Entertainment Expo) in Los Angeles and it does not take a hardcore gamer to say that this is not only a highly anticipated title, but one that may just alter the way MMO combat is viewed.

It was mentioned, offhand, that the rating may be a little higher than for many MMOs. Why? Well, let’s just say that the created character used in the demonstration was surrounded by enemies (intentionally) and then pulled off a swirling attack that resulted in a few of the enemies losing their heads – literally.

Where Hyborian Adventures deviates from the norm in the MMO genre is that the game starts in a single-player mode. Players select an avatar, from a robust character creation setup, and enter the world as a galley slave with no memory (the tried-and-true RPG ploy), and an open slate to create their own story. The first 20 levels of the game are single-player only, and should take about 15-20 hours to work through. After level 20, the game enters the MMO phase, with players knowing how to fight and so on.

There will be mounted combat, with players being able to swing or manipulate weapons from their mounts. The speed of the mount (horses are motion captured) will determine the amount of damage done. Ranged combat has a targeting reticule and in addition to player-versus-player elements, there will also be city-versus-city combat. The quests are interactive and dialogue driven, giving players an added sense of immersion into the world.

Inspired at the time depicted in the Conan books, Hour of the Dragon, the game will feature Conan as an NPC that gamers can get to know, and even become friends with during the course of the game. He will give quests, and players may even be invited to join him at his dinner table.

Housing will be in the game, with players able to build houses and villages (remember, there is city-versus-city combat) in predetermined areas.

The combat is brutal but the game itself seems deep and compelling, and is definitely a visual treat. While the violence may not appeal to everyone, it is part of the legacy of the title character and the dev team is remaining true to the feel of the game.
 

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