Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures
Preview
The Age of Conan will soon be upon us!
by Rook
previewed on PC
PvP on a new scale
PvP in MMOs has always been a cause for countless headaches for gamer and developer alike. Constant re-balancing of classes, PvE player complaining about PvP players and PvP player complaining that there is not enough PvP available. It is a constant that is likely to continue for a very long time throughout all MMO titles that offer the choice of PvP and PvE. Age of Conan is no different in that sense on a basic level.
As it stands, there will be separate PvE and PvP servers available for players. A third PvP-RP server type is also going to be made available. PvP will still be available on PvE server however. On all servers, regardless of type, there are several PvP aspects of the game that all players can take part in. These come in the form of “pick up and play” mini games. One featured is a twist on an old PvP standard called Capture the Skull. It should be pretty obvious where this is heading. Aside from Capture the Skull, a Team Annihilation match up can be played. Both mini-games are pretty standard in the PvP scheme of things and usually isn’t enough for the Hardcore PvP fan.
PvP isn’t driven by factions of the available playable nations, but by the player organizations themselves. Of the playable races, nothing stops them from grouping with each other and fighting for a common cause. With this in mind, the real PvP feature of Age of Conan is an area called the Border Kingdom. The Border Kingdom is the lawless stretch of land that lies on the outskirts of Conan’s kingdom. These areas have been recently opened by the order of King Conan and development is under way. The first step of that development is gaining control of valuable resources and fortifying the border. Guilds and clans will be able to take control of “Battlekeeps” and towers that will grant benefits to the guild as well as provide valuable crafting resources. These Battlekeeps are the heart of the Age of Conan Massive/Siege PvP battles. Designed to allow the player to feel the rush of a massive epic battle, these conflicts are a way of life in the Border Kingdom.
The real estate for Battle keeps is very limited, only a few lots of land per area can support a keep and only the strongest guilds will be able to support and defend their claim on the land from their rivals. The Battlekeep itself is player made. Indeed, the day of player built cities has returned. Powerful guilds will be able to build and develop their battlekeeps and cities and defend them against player opposition. Learning from another MMO title from a galaxy far far away, battlekeeps are not attackable 24/7. Though that would be closer to reality, it just wouldn’t be attainable to have a 24 hour player defense force. Instead, player made targets will have windows of vulnerability during which they can be sieged. Siege is used in the literal term here. When one wishes to claim a keep for his own, one must bring the correct tools. Siege weaponry will play a major factor in the success of a Battlekeep siege.
For those who just cannot commit the time to such a large scale endeavor, the Mercenary system is just the thing to quench the thirst for PvP. Every man has his price, and for the right price he will willingly risk his life for a payday. Guilds can put out mercenary requests in efforts to bolster their forces, regardless of being the attacker or defender. The guild literally puts up a help wanted ad, lists a promised payment and the mercenary can take the job and at the appropriate time of the battle, jump neck deep into it. The only obligation the mercenary has is to the man with the money.
Trial by fire
There is a great deal more being offered by Age of Conan and there just isn’t enough room to cover it all. Mounted combat, exotic mounts, player crafted equipment and structures, class details and economics. Never mind the massive size and insane detail of Hyboria itself. 75 years of lore, plot and characters have been forged into a game that perhaps may finally raise the standard of the next generation of MMOs. Only time will tell if the Age of Conan will make its mark and stay or fizzle into obscurity like so many before. Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures goes live on May 20th 2008.
