Every week we'll bring you Age of Conan tidbits, commentary, and news and views straight from the horse's mouth in the form of Funcom guests and Q&A. This week, per Massively tradition, we'll take a quick look at the game's community and examine the resources available to the neophyte barbarian and the seasoned throat-slitter alike.
Follow along after the break for a listing of essential resources for the new or returning Age of Conan player.
Official Community Portal - Here you'll find more in-depth descriptions of lore, game mechanics, and tutorials (both video and textual).
Official Forums - Once you've perused the main site links above, you'll be ready to dive into the meat and potatoes of Age of Conan's community. The official forums are about what you'd expect: a smorgasbord of guides, opinions, discussion, stories, and suggestions. If it has to do with Age of Conan, it's been discussed here. The class forums are particularly helpful for new players who may be unsure of themselves and a bit intimidated by the game's newfangled combat mechanics.
AoC > TV - This aptly named database-driven site is invaluable for the endgame player. Everything you ever wanted to know about faction gear, PvP gear, and raiding gear can be found here. There's also a handy armor builder, attribute calculator, and player profiler.
Age of Conan Wiki - What's an MMORPG without a wiki, right? Yes Funcom's Hyborea has one, and, though it's not as robust as I'd like, there is still some valuable information to be had, particularly in regard to quest and dungeon descriptions.
Silirrion Twitter - Game director and executive producer Craig 'Silirrion' Morrison's Twitter feed is another valuable resource for keeping track of game happenings.
Famine Twitter - Finally, community manager Glen 'Famine' Swan's tweet stream rounds out the essential list of Twitter-related Age of Conan destinations.
Facebook - The official Age of Conan facebook page features nearly ten thousand registered fans, as well as a number of photo and video galleries and timely news updates.
Wiccana Roleplayers - Age of Conan features an active roleplay community, and, though it is spread across two different servers, the quality and quantity of story-based gameplay on display might surprise you. The community-designated 'unofficial' roleplay server is the PvE-focused Wiccana, and their web site, forum, and event information can be found at the link above.
Wiccana Wiki - The unofficial roleplay server also features its own Wiki site.
Cimmeria Roleplayers - If you like your roleplay with a bit of an edge to it, you'll want to check out the open-world RP/PVP server known as Cimmeria. Cimmeria is the only official roleplay server so designated by Funcom, and its community gathers at the web site listed above.
Cimmeria Wiki - The official RP/PvP server also features its own community-driven Wiki.
User Interfaces - Speaking of UIs, you'll find all of the best ones linked in this official forum post. There's also a nifty do-it-yourself web application called UI Builder for those of you that want a quick custom job.
Scripting - Age of Conan offers fairly robust scripting functionality, and Conanimal put together this useful beginner's guide to making the most of the game's script, macro, and emote systems.
So there you have a rundown on the best and brightest with regard to Age of Conan's community. If you want to tell me I suck, you're looking forward to decorating the streets of Tortage with my blood, or otherwise berate me for leaving anyone out, the comment section awaits. You can also contact me via jef[AT]massively[DOT]com with any Age of Conan-related tips or suggestions.
Until next week, I leave you with the greatest piece of concept art in gaming history:
Jef Reahard is an Age of Conan beta and launch day veteran, as well as the creator of Massively's weekly Anvil of Crom. Feel free to suggest a column topic, propose a guide, or perform a verbal fatality via jef@massively.com.
