Age of Conan Intervew Interview (con't)

FiringSquad: Will the game be more action oriented than other MMORPGs?

Jørgen Tharaldsen: Yes, definitively! For one we have a direct combat system, or our “Real Combat” engine as we coined it back in 2005, and this multi-point melee is brand new to MMOs. We wanted to be true to the action you instantly think of when envisioning Conan, and we are staying true to that in every regards, ranging from how you can ride and fight from mounts, to city sieges to how you can directly control your characters attacks and movement on the battlefield. In truth Age of Conan is all about the action, too, and we believe MMO players will really like some of the combat innovations we have brought along.


FiringSquad: What can you tell us about the creatures players will encounter in Age of Conan?

Jørgen Tharaldsen: We have tried to sample a lot of the history of Conan in the gameplay, and you can expect to meet many of Conan’s foes (and friends) throughout your journeys in Hyboria. The range of creatures goes from known animals like bear and wolves, to fiendish native people like the Picts, to mighty demons, gigantic creatures and horrors and beasts from the depths of the earth. The world of Conan is filled to the brim with unspeakable horrors, and we plan to keep you on your toes throughout the game.

FiringSquad: How will the game handle team play and player vs player combat?

Jørgen Tharaldsen: Team play will be important in Conan (but you can solo too!), and up to 10 players can be in the same team. We are also doing our best to make sure it will be easier to find other players around the same level range. You can even play with a friend of lower level through our “master and apprentice” system. In addition we are introducing player-made formations, which bring something brand new to MMO team play. With formations a leader can command the shape and direction of the formation, and the players are “tied together” (think of a rubber band around the group) but with each player having a certain freedom. You can at any time drop out of the formation should you wish to, but the more tight-knight and disciplined the formation is, the more tactical advantage you gain of course. These formations gives your group a bonus, and they also allow for the protection of softer targets, for instance in dungeon crawls. You will also find that certain formations will break the formations of opposing players. There is a lot of depth to this system, but it’s quite easy to learn, so we truly look forward to see how the players will adapt and how it will all play out on the bloody battlefield ;)

When it comes to PvP it is an essential part of the gameplay experience in Conan, and we are truly focusing on PvP so that it will be fun, brutal, action filled and fair. We are giving you the chance to be a dancing god of death, and your “dance of the steel” as Game Director Gaute Godager puts it should bring loads of entertainment both through the level progression and in the end-game. In general we have divided the PvP into three distinct parts where the players can bash the brains of their opponents out.


Drunken brawling is a hilarious, unique and very “Conanesque” PvP form where every player, regardless of their level, can fight it out in the bars and taverns of the world. Your fighting ability here depends on how much you drink, and what you drinkJ The more you drink the more pain you are able to endure, but the less chance you have of hitting! So it gives the word binge drinking a whole new meaning, and it’s quite unlike any PvP action you have seen before ;)

PvP mini-games is a selection of mini-games, like Last man standing, King of the Hill and so forth (as you know from FPS games), but with a unique Conan twist, of course. These fights will take place in areas of the world dedicated or designed for PvP combat. To level out the fact that many friends have different abilities and levels, we also have a PvP-leveling system where we have divided the 80 levels into 4 tiers. So if you for instance are level 68 but all your friends are 75 you will be auto-leveled up to the max level of that tier during the PvP fight. You might not have amassed all the special attacks, feats and whatnot like the top level players, but at least you have a fair chance of winning if you are cunning;)We have drawn inspiration from the battlegrounds in WoW here as well, and these games should be fun, intense and brutal ;)

Massive epic battles – This is the ultimate large-scale PvP form where guilds and coalitions of players can build their own cities in the border kingdoms, and fight it out in massive battles. Just think of it! Engines of war, mounted warriors charging on horses and mammoths, formations of players struggling for every inch of land, tearing down walls or breaking through the formations of the enemy! For glory and power, with blood and brutality all around, this is truly going to be a part of the gameplay which shines.


I would also like to add that there will be a voluntary PvP system in Conan, in the sense that you only need to fight in PvP should you want to. This means that in most and many regions of the worlds you can not PvP unless certain parameters are met;) Griefing is a nasty thing for those who are on the victim side, and we therefore try to give the players safe zones. We are also toying around with Free for all PvP servers, should the demand be there. Our tech allows for it, and should enough players wish this form of server we do have the ability to implement it, and if not at launch then at least shortly after should our players want it.