Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[The Game Archaeologist and the Girdle of Anarchy: A chat with Colin Cragg]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/21/the-game-archaeologist-and-the-girdle-of-anarchy-a-chat-with-co/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/21/the-game-archaeologist-and-the-girdle-of-anarchy-a-chat-with-co/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/21/the-game-archaeologist-and-the-girdle-of-anarchy-a-chat-with-co/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

When I declared September to be "Anarchy Online month" I had no idea how far it would go. I mean, sure, I expected an outpouring of fond memories from players and perhaps a statue erected in my honor, but for the UN to pass a resolution for a worldwide celebration of Funcom's brainchild is quite above and beyond.

So really, it's been a wild ride thus far. That's what we game archaeologists prepared for when we attended MMO U (go Fightin' N00bs!) and dusted off old copies of Neverwinter Nights. Be flexible, be enthusiastic, and always be ready for an older title to sweep you off your feet -- these are the sage words of my instructors.

Because of this, I didn't find myself tongue-tied when Anarchy Online's Colin Cragg agreed to an interview. I might have blushed and stared at my feet so that I wouldn't become lost in his wizened, sage eyes, but I marched forward nonetheless. So what did AO's head honcho have to say about working on a mature MMO? Click the link and wonder no longer!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist and the Girdle of Anarchy: A chat with Colin Cragg

MassivelyThe Game Archaeologist and the Girdle of Anarchy: A chat with Colin Cragg originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conananarchy-onlineanarchy-online-launchaocolin-craggddodungeons-and-dragons-onlineeqeverquestfacebookfarmvillefeaturedfightin-n00bsfuncomgaute-godagerinterviewlaunch-daylord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrommouneverwinter-nightsRagnar-TornquistshadowlandsTeletubbiesthe-game-archaeologistthe-secret-worldunTue, 21 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Game Archaeologist and the Girdle of Anarchy: Your stories]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/14/the-game-archaeologist-and-the-girdle-of-anarchy-your-stories/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/14/the-game-archaeologist-and-the-girdle-of-anarchy-your-stories/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/14/the-game-archaeologist-and-the-girdle-of-anarchy-your-stories/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

I have to admit that I have a particular soft spot for Anarchy Online. It was, for better and worse, my first MMO -- on launch day, no less. That experience terrified me so much that I became convinced my machine could never run an online game, and so it wasn't until Shadowlands released that I returned to Rubi-Ka for another go. Fortunately, that time things went more smoothly, and I cut my teeth on that content. Sure, it was mostly over my head, and I'm pretty sure I gimped my character by level 3, but the otherworldly atmosphere and giddy newness of MMOs in general more than made up for it.

After last week's brief overview of the many years of Anarchy Online's operation, vets poured out of the grid to share their own screenshots and stories. It may not be the hip new thing these days -- more like, it needs a hip replacement -- but to hear these players tell it, AO isn't as washed up as you may think.

Read on for sordid tales that would make any of the Game Archaeologist's own adventures look like a dip in the kiddie pool!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist and the Girdle of Anarchy: Your stories

MassivelyThe Game Archaeologist and the Girdle of Anarchy: Your stories originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conananarchy-onlineanarchy-online-launchaoaoce-peeneddieeq2eqiieverquest-2everquest-iifeaturedfixerfuncomgaute-godagergmgridimni-teklaunch-dayold-athenomniprison-missionspugpvproleplayRolePlayingrprunescapeshadowlandsthe-game-archaeologistwhoompahwhoompah-oompaworld-of-warcraftwowTue, 14 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Funcom's product manager speaks out on Gaute Godager's departure]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/19/funcoms-product-manager-speaks-out-on-gaute-godagers-departure/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/19/funcoms-product-manager-speaks-out-on-gaute-godagers-departure/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/19/funcoms-product-manager-speaks-out-on-gaute-godagers-departure/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

With the recent news of Age of Conan's Gaute Godager departing Funcom so suddenly, many players want to know what happened exactly. As an original founder of the company and through 16 years of employment at Funcom, one can only wonder what this says about the company. So MTV Multiplayer was able to sit down to a short interview with Funcom's product manager Jorgen Tharaldsen concerning this sudden departure of Godager.

Tharaldsen is understandably positive about the new direction of the company under replacement game director Craig Morrison. He praises Morrison's work as a community manager at Funcom and as a game director for Anarchy Online. Yet he also touches on the legacy of Godager and what he has meant to the history of MMOs in general. Not much else is said about the reasoning behind Godager's departure (besides what Godager has already said himself), but Tharaldsen seems optimistic about the future of the company and Age of Conan.

MassivelyFuncom's product manager speaks out on Gaute Godager's departure originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Sep 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocfuncomgaute-godagerhyborian-adventuresinterviewjorgen-tharaldsenmtv-multiplayerFri, 19 Sep 2008 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Producer & game director for Age of Conan resigns from Funcom]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/17/producer-and-game-director-for-age-of-conan-resigns-from-funcom/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/17/producer-and-game-director-for-age-of-conan-resigns-from-funcom/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/17/producer-and-game-director-for-age-of-conan-resigns-from-funcom/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Some big shake-ups seem to be happening over at Funcom today as Gaute Godager resigns from his position at the company as producer and game director for Age of Conan. His replacement is Craig Morrison, who's held the same position with Anarchy Online for several years prior to this change. While most (or more than half) will agree that Age of Conan is in a very dissatisfying state, this news still comes as a shock. Gaute Godager was one of the founders of Funcom and is leaving the company and the games industry after 16 years. He was also a part of Age of Conan's development since its conception.

Incoming producer/director Craig Morrison stepped fully into the Conan community to greet the players today, as well. You can read his address to the faithful on the official forums. Follow the break for Godager's parting words and reasons for leaving Funcom.

Continue reading Producer & game director for Age of Conan resigns from Funcom

MassivelyProducer & game director for Age of Conan resigns from Funcom originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Sep 2008 07:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocblizzardbreakingcraig-morrisonfuncomgame-directorgaute-godagermythicproducerwarwarhammer-onlineworld-of-warcraftwotlkwowwrath-of-the-lich-kingWed, 17 Sep 2008 07:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan's game director outlines the future of the game]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/12/age-of-conans-game-director-outlines-the-future-of-the-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/12/age-of-conans-game-director-outlines-the-future-of-the-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/12/age-of-conans-game-director-outlines-the-future-of-the-game/#commentsFiled under: , ,

At the end of the week, Age of Conan Game Director Gaute Godager offered up a letter to the players on the official game site. Saying that it had been too long since he last spoke with the playerbase, the Director sought to touch base and clarify Funcom's future plans for the M-rated title. Now live for some seven weeks, the team is hard at work on new and updated content for the game. Some of the content mentioned in the June letter, unfortunately, hasn't seen release yet. The updates to PvP are the most obvious MIA content, which Godager says are not yet in the game because they haven't reached the quality standard they're aiming for. The changes are now on the internal test server, and full details of the PvP changes can be found on the official site.

They're also hard at work on new dungeons and zones. Ymir's pass looks to be the first on the block, a new 55-60 zone. It may see release this summer if they can get the level of quality right in time. After that they're aiming for a level 80 dungeon in the Thunder River area, which should see release alongside another dungeon in the same zone, and of the same level. Godager didn't give details on those additions, but assured they would both contain "new bosses and cool loot". They've put some work into improving siege PvP optimization (to get over the buggy lagfest issues), and overall are striving to improve performance in the game. Beyond that, Godager offers a number of other positive-sounding plans for the near future in the letter: improved customer support, a DX10 version unveiling at Liepzeig in August, and the activation of buddy keys as soon as next week. Hyboria fans owe it to themselves to check out his open letter, and see the face of Age of Conan's tomorrow.

MassivelyAge of Conan's game director outlines the future of the game originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 12 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocdirectors-letterfuncomgaute-godagerletter-to-the-playerspvpSat, 12 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan surpasses 700k registered users]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/age-of-conan-surpasses-700k-registered-users/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/age-of-conan-surpasses-700k-registered-users/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/age-of-conan-surpasses-700k-registered-users/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


We've been quite taken aback by the responses many players direct at Funcom's Age of Conan. We're not sure if the accusations of the game being a "beta version" or just a "total POS" are the product of unrealistic expectations or are just general animosity towards a game that, at launch, lacks the polish of its biggest competitor. If you've got your ear to the ground, all this rabble-rousing would give the impression that Funcom's early success would be short-lived.

The indication from Funcom however, is that this grumbling hasn't affected sales. They put out a press release today revealing that Age of Conan is sitting at over 700,000 registered subscribers worldwide. Game director Gaute Godager made sure to reaffirm the company's focus on shoring up the existing weaknesses in the game, acknowledging that retention is as important as aggressive growth in the MMO game.
Age of Conan Coverage Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out our Age of Conan destination page, including all of our interviews, hands-ons, galleries and original features!

MassivelyAge of Conan surpasses 700k registered users originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>700kage-of-conancomplaintsfuncomgaute-godagersalessubscriberssuccessMon, 30 Jun 2008 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[AoC is to WoW as steak is to McDonalds, says AoC director]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/26/aoc-is-to-steak-as-wow-is-to-mcdonalds-says-aoc-director/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/26/aoc-is-to-steak-as-wow-is-to-mcdonalds-says-aoc-director/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/26/aoc-is-to-steak-as-wow-is-to-mcdonalds-says-aoc-director/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Gaute Godager, game director for Age of Conan at Funcom, has been on top of the world this past month. They successfully delivered the biggest MMO to hit that market since World of Warcraft, with over a million units shipped inside of a month. You could probably understand then if he comes off a bit smug when talking about the quality of his undeniably blockbuster title. Rounding up a recent interview with Eurogamer, Godager cheekily likens the difference between Age of Conan and World of Warcraft to the gastronomical disparity between steak and McDonalds.

Now, we know that Godager was just having a bit of a friendly jab at Blizzard, having prefaced the comment as such. Although having seen the surprising backlash against the game for its prodigious bugs, thin quest content in some areas, and unfinished crafting system, we think there are perhaps more apt analogies out there. How about a steak that you ordered medium-well, but came out rare?

MassivelyAoC is to WoW as steak is to McDonalds, says AoC director originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanblizzardeurogamerfuncomgaute-godagerinterviewmcdonaldssteakworld-of-warcraftThu, 26 Jun 2008 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Funcom responds to concerns following first instances of AoC's "Massive PvP"]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/19/funcom-responds-to-concerns-following-first-instances-of-aocs/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/19/funcom-responds-to-concerns-following-first-instances-of-aocs/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/19/funcom-responds-to-concerns-following-first-instances-of-aocs/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


Age of Conan players have started getting to the stage where they can partake in the game's much-hyped "Massive PvP" -- the first battlekeeps are up, and you can be sure that people are all too keen to go and knock them down. However, it seems that the first wave of these epic battles have not gone so smoothly, and not just for any guilds left with a pile of smoking rubble.

Funcom has posted on the official forums (with the actual message being penned by Gaute Godager) in the hopes of reassuring the community that the problems that have been experienced with these battles are being looked at. The main issues are identified as those of client performance, and those of content and collision. Client performance is apparently the biggest problem being reported, and even before people started to get into massive PvP, some fixes to do with this have been worked on behind the scenes.

Continue reading Funcom responds to concerns following first instances of AoC's "Massive PvP"

MassivelyFuncom responds to concerns following first instances of AoC's "Massive PvP" originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocbattlekeepbreakingclient-performancecollision-detectionfeaturedfuncomgaute-godagerkeepmassive-pvppvpsiegesiegingThu, 19 Jun 2008 14:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Meet AoC's main man, Gaute Godager]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/15/meet-aocs-main-man-gaute-godager/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/15/meet-aocs-main-man-gaute-godager/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/15/meet-aocs-main-man-gaute-godager/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Age of Conan's Game Director Gaute Godager has definitely made an effort to reach out to the fans, involving himself in promotional videos pre-release and often weighing in on the forums in the last few weeks to discuss current game issues. Despite this, most people probably don't know much about the man himself -- that is, until now, as MMORPG.com has conducted an interview to find out more about AoC's visionary.

The mighty Commodore 64 is responsible for breeding Godager's love of gaming, and Pool of Radiance and The Bard's Tale brought him to the world of RPGs. Of course, his fondness for sci-fi and fantasy books (in particular from Asimov and Tolkien) were what made him seek out games in the first place, to further the escapism that he had experienced in reading. This led to him dreaming about creating these worlds himself, and becoming a founding member of Funcom -- and eventually, to bringing us AoC. Check out the whole interview for more on Godager's past and a tiny bit on how he thinks his latest game is going.

MassivelyMeet AoC's main man, Gaute Godager originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 15 Jun 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaoccommodore-64funcomgame-directorgaute-godagergodagerinterviewSun, 15 Jun 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan newsletter previews new PvP, dungeons, and dancing!]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/13/age-of-conan-newsletter-previews-new-pvp-dungeons-and-dancing/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/13/age-of-conan-newsletter-previews-new-pvp-dungeons-and-dancing/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/13/age-of-conan-newsletter-previews-new-pvp-dungeons-and-dancing/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

It's only been a short time since Age of Conan launched, but it has already seen some troubles. The newest edition of the game newsletter hints that good times are just over the horizon. Above and beyond bug fixing and regular patches, Funcom has announced they have a slew of new concepts and content ideas on the stove. Here are the highlights from the newsletter:
  • Game director Gaute Godager answers a few questions we haven't seen addressed anywhere else. Primarily involving guild systems and tradeskilling, the quickie Q&A shouldn't take you long to read.
  • The team is introducing a sort of alternate advancement system they're calling Power Points. Points are similar to but not exactly like the "AAs" from games like EQ. You'll earn them just by having an open account, and it sounds like down the road new content will drop specifically for characters with enought PP.
  • A number of changes to guilds, guild housing, and the introduction of guild alliances are all discussed on the official site.
  • The newsletter goes back over all the patches they've dropped since launch, particularly noting the addition of unique dances for each race.
  • Funcom is completely revamping Age of Conan's PvP. They're adding PvP-specific leveling, consequences in the form of the 'fugitive system', and a number of tweaks and changes to the art of player on player war.
  • A number of quests past level 20 are getting voice over elements added in. The website lists every one they're working on, and in total this forms a specific storyline the developers want you to be sure to follow.
  • A better interface for chat and guild management will soon be available.
  • The Pyramid of the Ancients and Treasury of the Ancients in Khopshef Province will be getting bottom-to-top revamps.
  • A whole new dungeon will be added to Thunder River. No firm details, but they did release some concept art - the same art that was 'leaked' to the US forums earlier this week.
  • They're also planning an all new outdoor area called Ymir's Pass, which plans to fill a few holes in late-game leveling.
Make sure to check out the newsletter for full details.

MassivelyAge of Conan newsletter previews new PvP, dungeons, and dancing! originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocbreakingdancingdungeonsfuncomgaute-godagerpatchespvpFri, 13 Jun 2008 12:15:00 EST<![CDATA[AoC Game Director gives us a hint of what's to come]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/04/aoc-game-director-gives-us-a-hint-of-whats-to-come/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/04/aoc-game-director-gives-us-a-hint-of-whats-to-come/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/04/aoc-game-director-gives-us-a-hint-of-whats-to-come/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

In a "State of the Game" letter of sorts, Age of Conan's Game Director Gaute Godager gives us a bit of an update on what the month of June holds for the Funcom MMO. It's certainly appreciated when a game developer keeps the players in the loop so soon after the game's retail launch, and Godager makes good use of this letter in that regard.

An overview of the issues he addresses in this letter include:

  • New content, specifically in mid-late thirties and mid-late fifties levels. Plus, they plan to make the leveling speed smoother in those areas, reducing the need to grind.
  • An overhaul of the PvP system, adding consequences and other small things.
  • Reported bugs are constantly being fixed, so keep up the reporting!
  • A new large outdoor region will be added for the 55-60 range this summer.
  • They are staffing up Customer Service, Quality Assurance and the Community departments.
  • Look for even more information at the end of next week.

MassivelyAoC Game Director gives us a hint of what's to come originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Jun 2008 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocfuncomfuturegaute-godagerupdateWed, 04 Jun 2008 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Video, interview paint detailed picture of AoC raids]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/20/video-interview-paint-detailed-picture-of-aoc-raids/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/20/video-interview-paint-detailed-picture-of-aoc-raids/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/20/video-interview-paint-detailed-picture-of-aoc-raids/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

There's a two-pronged assault of Age of Conan raid content information at Ten Ton Hammer -- a 20 minute raid presentation video, and an interview with raid boss scripter Eirik Munthe. Both the presentation and the interview occurred at the AoC launch event in Oslo last week, and both were rich with information. It looks like the endgame content has some incremental innovations just like the lower-level stuff; that should make the hardcore crowd happy.

In the presentation, bits and pieces of one of AoC's level 80, 24-person raids were shown to an audience with live commentary by Game Director Gaute Godager. Multiple bosses were shown, such as a poison-leaking monstrosity and two demons -- one ice, one fire -- who gain power when standing near one another. Godager explained the philosophy behind raiding and epic gear, and using collision detection in battle strategies. He revealed that raid groups will be able to call it a night halfway through a raid and finish any time they want (so long as it's before the raid expiration date -- one week after its start date). There was also a brief series of clips of a massive PvP siege.

In the interview with Eirik Munthe we learned that Funcom put together strike teams consisting of designers, scripters, and writers. Each strike team focused its attentions completely on a 20-level span; for example, Munthe's team worked on content for player levels 60 - 80. Munthe described the challenges he faced when scripting encounters with some of AoC's unique features such as collision detection and CoE (cone of effect) healing in mind.

MassivelyVideo, interview paint detailed picture of AoC raids originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 May 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>80age-of-conanaocbosseirik-muntheend-gameendgamegaute-godagerinterviewlaunch-partylevel-80massive-siege-pvposlopvpraidraidingsiegesiegingvideoTue, 20 May 2008 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[A quick developer look inside Age of Conan's combat system and player cities]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/19/a-quick-developer-look-inside-age-of-conans-combat-system/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/19/a-quick-developer-look-inside-age-of-conans-combat-system/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/19/a-quick-developer-look-inside-age-of-conans-combat-system/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Smash, Burn, Maim! Combat is so crucial in a game that revolves around killing enemies to advance your character. We have been anticipating Age of Conan's combat ever since its announcement. How did we get to this new era in combat with lopped off heads alongside a variety of other deadly reactionary combos? Well, in this part one video by MMORPG.com, Age of Conan's Gaute Godager and Erling Ellingsen help demonstrate the melee combat combo system and aiming with the ranger class and how it plays an integral role in the ranged combat system.

There isn't nearly enough shown in the video to gauge the differences in combat from other MMOs, but the fact that the developers gravitated towards a combat system reminiscent to Street Fighter 2 and other console fighting games does help explain things a bit better if you haven't tried AoC yet. While the pundits mull over Age of Conan's early start and the thousands of others wait for the official launch we can't help comparing the differences in this combat system from the one in World of Warcraft. Be sure to check out MMORPG.com's inside look regarding AoC's player cities from the same event.

What do you guys think: Is Age of Conan's combat system is revolutionary or does it take button mashing to a whole new annoyance level?

MassivelyA quick developer look inside Age of Conan's combat system and player cities originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 May 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conancombaterling-ellingsenfuncomgaute-godagerlaunchmmorpgstreet-fighterMon, 19 May 2008 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Average Conanite will reach level 80 in 250 hours]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/13/average-conanite-will-reach-level-80-in-250-hours/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/13/average-conanite-will-reach-level-80-in-250-hours/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/13/average-conanite-will-reach-level-80-in-250-hours/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Age of Conan game director Gaute Godager said at the launch event in Norway that reaching level 80 will take "on average 250 hours of gameplay," according to videogamer.com.

The first few levels will come lightning fast, but the bulk of them up to 60 will be comprised of between two and three hours of gameplay. After that, it will get a bit slower, thanks to some input from beta testers. By our math, that leaves five hours per level including and after 60, but who knows how that will be distributed.

Whether this ends up being faster than competing games like World of Warcraft and The Lord of the Rings Online by the end probably depends on your play-style. He said "on average," so does that mean the hardcore achievers will reach the top in 90 hours and the casuals will mosey on up there within 500 hours? There's been a lot of chit chat and speculation in the Massively office about this news. We suppose we'll get a good sense of it by midway through the summer.

MassivelyAverage Conanite will reach level 80 in 250 hours originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 May 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>80achieverage-of-conanfuncomgaute-godagergrindinghourslaunchlevellevel-caplevelingnorwayTue, 13 May 2008 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[AoC for life!]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/aoc-for-life/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/aoc-for-life/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/aoc-for-life/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

We can't wait for Age of Conan to finally go live. A few of us here at Massively even dropped coin for the gigantic Collector's Edition of this brutal, mature themed MMO. Apparently a great many of you feel the same way. However, if you haven't purchased the game yet, then Ten Ton Hammer has a contest you will absolutely want to enter.

From now until April 18, TTH wants to know (in 250 words or less) why you think Age of Conan is the game you'll be playing for life. Ten people will get beta keys. Five of those beta key winners will also get a copy of the Collector's Edition. One will get the CE plus an autographed framed piece of concept art. Finally, one incredibly lucky individual will walk away with a CE signed by FUNCOM founder and AoC Game Director Gaute Godager and - hold on to your sword - a lifetime subscription to the game. You'll never have to pay for the game. Ever!

Now that's one heckuva prize!

MassivelyAoC for life! originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conancollectors-editionfuncomgaute-godagerhyborian-adventuresten-ton-hammerMon, 31 Mar 2008 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan dev video diary 5: melee combat!]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/17/age-of-conan-dev-video-diary-5-melee-combat/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/17/age-of-conan-dev-video-diary-5-melee-combat/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/17/age-of-conan-dev-video-diary-5-melee-combat/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Melee combat. It's one of the main reasons that a lot of people have so much interest in Age of Conan, and it's definitely something that makes the game stand out next to other MMOs. Having thrown out the traditional "auto-attack" altogether, AoC plays more like an action game, and in the newly released Developer Video Diary 5, we get an explanation of some of the finer points of this combat system.

Continue reading Age of Conan dev video diary 5: melee combat!

MassivelyAge of Conan dev video diary 5: melee combat! originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 17 Mar 2008 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>andrew-griffinaoccombatdecapitationdev-diarydeveloper-diaryevan-michaelsfuncomgaute-godagermelee-combatvideo-diaryweaponsMon, 17 Mar 2008 11:01:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC08 Highlights: Age of Conan, Requiem: Bloodymare and All Points Bulletin]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/02/gdc08-highlights-age-of-conan-requiem-bloodymare-and-all-poin/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/02/gdc08-highlights-age-of-conan-requiem-bloodymare-and-all-poin/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/02/gdc08-highlights-age-of-conan-requiem-bloodymare-and-all-poin/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


Age of Conan

Conan gets mounted

One of the hottest tickets for MMO enthusiasts at GDC08 was the Funcom session showing off new features in their upcoming Age of Conan. Mounted combat was the eye candy of the day. Game Director Gaute Godager walked our team through the basics of head to head battles astride War Horses, War Mammoths and War Rhinos. For the reading-averse, you can also listen to an audio recording of the presentation.

Gallery: GDC 08: Age of Conan Preview

Continue reading GDC08 Highlights: Age of Conan, Requiem: Bloodymare and All Points Bulletin

MassivelyGDC08 Highlights: Age of Conan, Requiem: Bloodymare and All Points Bulletin originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 02 Mar 2008 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>conan-podcastcrackdowndave-jonesdeveloper-podcastfuncomgaute-godagergdc08gdc08-highlightsgdc08-podcastgothicgravity-interactivelast.fmmassively-podcastmounted-combatrealtime-worldssouth-koreavehicle-customizationwar-horsewar-mammothwar-rhinoSun, 02 Mar 2008 12:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Next-Gen talks with Age of Conan's Gaute Godager]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/04/next-gen-talks-with-age-of-conans-gaute-godager/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/04/next-gen-talks-with-age-of-conans-gaute-godager/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/04/next-gen-talks-with-age-of-conans-gaute-godager/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

The Age of Conan interviews are all over the place lately. Gaute Godager is the game's director, so when we saw that Next-Gen had sat down with him to talk about FunCom's upcoming barbarian invasion there was little doubt that it would be an interesting read. The interview covers the usual subjects of combat and maturity that AoC always has people asking about, but then Gaute is asked a much more interesting question. He's asked how he feels about the MMO market and whether or not he thinks that people are playing more than one MMO at a time, let alone a very mature one. Part of his response is, "People say: "Don't go too mature - that's risky; you'll lose all the 14 year olds." But there's not that many! They just make a lot of noise." which could be true according to FunCom's statistics which show that the average player is around 25 years old. The MMO market has definitely ballooned to a much larger size than it was several years ago; this could be the perfect time for a game like AoC to succeed.

MassivelyNext-Gen talks with Age of Conan's Gaute Godager originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Jan 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocfuncomgaute-godagerindustry-newsnext-gensocialstatisticsFri, 04 Jan 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan director sits down for two-part interview]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/08/age-of-conan-director-sits-down-for-two-part-interview/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/08/age-of-conan-director-sits-down-for-two-part-interview/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/08/age-of-conan-director-sits-down-for-two-part-interview/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Gaute Godager, the man behind the Age of Conan's loin-cloth, if you will, recently sat down for the second round of a massive two-part interview with RPGVault, to discuss some of the finer points of the game's development. This round of the interview focused on some more extraneous elements of the game's development, including their approach to marketing the game in the Asia and their justification for bumping the game's launch back into 2008. This comes on the heels of the first interview piece they published, which was focused on slightly more interesting elements like the combat and the siege system.

More than any other developer in recent memory, it seems like Funcom has been willing to talk to people, usually at extremely great length, about what makes their game stand out from the pack. Whether they're just providing a fan-service or trying to hedge doubts in the gaming community about their game remains to be seen. Personally, I'd rather see them talk about the game less and work on opening up the beta so more of us can decide for ourselves. Talk is cheap, as they say.

MassivelyAge of Conan director sits down for two-part interview originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Nov 2007 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocdeveloper-interviewfuncomgaute-godagerinterviewThu, 08 Nov 2007 13:30:00 EST