GridStream Productions

Funcom just launched the webpages for Age of Conan.
http://www.ageofconan.com/

For those of you that are unfamiliar with this: AoC is Funcom's new MMORPG, set in the world of Hyboria. Short-story is:

- Three "races" of humans (Cimmerian, Stygian and some other toss that I can't remember:P)
- Four Archtypes per "race"
- Level-progressed game (like AO is today)
- You can't be Conan, but you can meet him
- Fantasy-themed, but no elves/dwarves (and I thank them for that)

It uses much of the same Gfx-engine as Midgard did, but I have no doubt that FC has had their fun with it. I'll admit to being hideously curious about this game, but wether or not it'll turn out any good remainst to be seen...

Well, never heard of it before at all, but hell - I'll give it a fair go.

Looks okay, interesting couple of sentences on the features there. Will check back when they run a trial.

Yep, this has been seeping through the cracks for some time now. I don't really think it's a good move by FC, I think they should stick with cyberpunk, but that's just personal tastes (and a bit of gazing at an oversaturated fantasy market).

But my normal hatred of fantasy genres gives way to this particular game, though.

No elves, no dwarves, no freakin' fairies and goblins. Just cold steel and a whole lotta blood (and maybe a touch of truly arcane magic) in a brutally dark, disturbingly sensual, and all-around realistic, historically rewritten world.

That, I can totally dig. I think I may REALLY enjoy this game, so long as it's dynamic enough on all scales of playability.

Woot! I would play this just to interact with Thulsadoom.

i can't wait.


Conan is by far the greatest comic book character ever and i can't wait to be immersed into his world.

*digs out his stash of old Savage Sword of Conan comics and reads*

I can only imagine that I get to be a sexy, large-breasted woman in skimpy clothes. If that's the case, I'll give it a shot.

ValliKat wrote:I can only imagine that I get to be a sexy, large-breasted woman in skimpy clothes. If that's the case, I'll give it a shot.

ROFL -- go look through the screenies.

I must admit I don't like the graphics much. I mean, it looks nice and all that, but those kind of graphics always kinda ruined the "magic" of a game for me. You can never make it exactly realistic, and I find that whenever they try... It kills the mood. The cities look great, no denying it. But I'd prolly not give this game a try.



Tm

Oddysee wrote:I must admit I don't like the graphics much. I mean, it looks nice and all that, but those kind of graphics always kinda ruined the "magic" of a game for me. You can never make it exactly realistic, and I find that whenever they try... It kills the mood. The cities look great, no denying it. But I'd prolly not give this game a try.

An interesting observation, I'm usually the exact opposite. I hate the cartoony stuff or the stuff that's made specifically not to look realistic. Hence my "other" reason for completely loathing most MMO's out there now, especially WoW.

I love the lighting in those conan screenshots, and the more attempts at realism, the better (unless of course they totally bork it up...which it doesn't yet look like they have).

But, to each their own.

O...M...G...

My interest in MMORPG's may be returning.

Nothing peaks my interest more than a "dark, gritty fantasy" with Funcom at the helm.

Aha! So this is what replaced Midgard.

Can't say I like the name, but it's designed to represent the product, not be "cool". Dark gritty fantasy would be welcome in the MMORPG field, I think.

Eh, *tacks another mmo on her "to watch" list*... I wonder where my Conan The Barbarian DVD is...

Kinda interested in this, looking at it, and having heard what I've heard from tune underbellies of the beast. I don't know what to say outside of that I'll watch it, the same way I'm watching MxO, and WoW.

Just registered to their forums myself, and I have to admit I am excited. I am really looking forward to it.

Alien Invasion - best played on Alienware (makes sense kinda)
Conan the Barbarian - best played on Ali....ummm where?

Boinky wrote:Alien Invasion - best played on Alienware (makes sense kinda)
Conan the Barbarian - best played on Ali....ummm where?

Conan the Barbarian - best played on your IBM PS/2 286 Machine with Windows 1.0!

Nexeus wrote:

Boinky wrote:Alien Invasion - best played on Alienware (makes sense kinda)
Conan the Barbarian - best played on Ali....ummm where?

Conan the Barbarian - best played on your IBM PS/2 286 Machine with Windows 1.0!

Pffft!

Amiga and Commadore for life! ^^

Oddysee wrote:Amiga and Commadore for life! ^^

Amen!

Coltess wrote:

Oddysee wrote:Amiga and Commadore for life! ^^

Amen!

/me throws a 1541 Drive off of a 10 story building just to see what damage it would cause.

Otori wrote:/me throws a 1541 Drive off of a 10 story building just to see what damage it would cause.

/me tosses a bunch of double punched 5.25" floppies after it.
Good times!

I can add a few goodies that I've found so far...

1: the game will be rated M for a reason. We're talking blood, gore, heads/arms/legs/other appendages flying...
2: The first 20 levels will be played OFFLINE. As in that you will be connected to the game servers, but you will NOT partake in the storyline until you get online for real. (strange concept, will be interesting to see if they can make it work).
3: You start out as a penniless, professionless slave, and get to choose a profession after a few levels.

All in all, it looks interesting. There's a lot of activity on the AoC-boards, but not a whole lot of info yet. Will be fun to see what Funcom comes up with on E3.

That being said, people has also speculated wildly about what will happen to AO. From what I've seen from the devs and mods on both forums, AO will still live on. And wether or not I'll move from 30k'ish AC to 10k BC is something that remains to be seen.