I played Age of Conan from Closed Beta, until a few months after launch. I'll get to the reason I'm not still playing it as my main MMO in this article, but that's later. First, I'd like to get people who have never played the game up to speed...

Age of Conan, created by Funcom (Anarchy Online), is definitely a “next-gen” MMORPG, in that it not only uses the most up-to-date graphics and sound engines, but it has added some really innovative gameplay aspects to the genre that were missing or weak. It is a level-based game, though there are skill “trees” which let you customize your character to a certain extent. Let's start with the first aspect of the game you encounter, and move forward from there.

Character Creation -

This is one area where AoC doesn't struggle. The detail with which you can customize your character is outstanding. They have a number of hair-styles, facial shapes, and extras like tattoos and rings. There are 3 races available: the Aquilonians, Cimmerians, and Stygians. I won't go into the details on what the differences between them are here, but there are main differences in their look, starting location, and available classes.

In regards to classes, there is a rather well-stocked selection here if you count them overall. However, not all classes are available to all races. The use of “magic”, for example, is strictly given to Stygians (this isn't the same for healing magic though). Once you've created your character, you run through a brief CG introduction, and wind up on an unknown beach with a strange old man. He gives you some strange insight, then sends you onto your first quest.

Combat -

From the very moment you take your first steps, it's going to become clear that you are here to FIGHT! With nothing but a loin cloth and a broken oar, you're thrown into conflict. Several tutorial pages will pop up during this initial travel you make from the shore to the first city (Tortage). My suggestion would be to read them carefully, especially if you're a new player. The combat in this game is particularly different from any other MMO.

During combat, you are given 3 basic “attacks” or swinging motions (left, center, and right) represented by arrows. You'll soon start amassing a number of other attacks based on your chosen class. Some of these abilities simply require you to click them to active, much like other MMO's. However, and this is especially true for melee classes, many of the special attacks require a COMBINATION of attacks to complete. Things start out as simple as making 1 right swing, then clicking the special attack. As you get to higher levels though, this will become more complicated (4 or more swing combos).

There is also a blocking mechanic you can take advantage of, but you have to remember that your enemies also have this ability. This blocking direction is represented by some large red arrows/angles off to the sides or above your enemy. If you strike and enemy where there are many arrows, much less damage will be done, as that is where they are blocking. You will need to aim for the weakest points (with the least number of red arrows).

Overall, I found the combat rather exciting and fun. It can be done without too much button smashing, and the “critical kills” are a lot of fun. There's just something extra special about lopping off the head of your enemy, or watching them scream and fall engulfed in flames.

Crafting -

I have to say that my experience with the crafting system was not so good, but I gave up on it earlier in my playtime. It suffered from too many people, and not nearly enough resources available to make it a viable use of time. Nothing you could make (without grinding days of materials) was much better than gear from loot drops. The system itself wasn't the worst I've encountered, but it was far too time consuming for the actual rewards. However, I have to qualify this by saying I don't know if this is still the case.

Mounted Combat -

While this was something many talked about prior to the release of AoC, it's not really what I would call a strong point. Having a mount is a traveling necessity in this massive world. It makes getting from city to city where there are no travel carts SO MUCH simpler and faster. However, but the travel and combat are not without their problems.

First, it isn't that difficult to get knocked off your mount. It's not simply 1 swipe that's going to kick you to the ground, but actual combat on your mount is not that easy to maintain. The mounts are also a little awkward to control sometimes. Then there are the actual attacks. You're prevented from using nearly all your skills and spells while mounted (though again, they may have changed that as well). The special “war” mounts are tough, and can also do some nice hits with their attacks, but I never found it to be a viable method of actual combat.

Siege Warfare -

I haven't had much experience with this component of the game, but many who I've known in the game have done so. There seems to be a mixed bag of opinions about it. Some say it's still “broken”, that objectives can't be completed or that it creates problems which unfairly aid one side or the other. But, there are also those who love the mechanic, and say that the bugs are few and far between. When working, for those at the level cap or near it, this can provide nearly endless action competing against other players.

Conclusion -

Overall, Age of Conan has become a very enjoyable game experience. They suffered from some bad press at launch, with many things not working as intended, and some not working at all. Now, they have added more content to fill out blank runs, more items, and they have fixed up many of the problems that plagued early players. The DirectX 10 implementation is nearly complete (though still technically called a “beta”), and I was able to run the game in DX10 with no problems evident. Some have complained about a major memory leak (which someone somehow claims to find in every MMO), but I never encountered this, even in longer play sessions. Maybe if I were on for 8+ hours a session...

I am looking forward to The Rise of the Godslayer expansion this year, and I think that will really determine the future of the game. If they can improve on things, and draw players back in to see the renovations that have been done, it could turn into a great success.  They have a free trial available at this time, and I definitely recommend trying it if you've got the systm requirements for it.

For more information on Age of Conan, as well as the "Rise of the Godslayer" expansion,

check out their website it: www.AgeofConan.com

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