I Got Erection: Turbonegro and Age of Conan
As well as announcing that Turbonegro (above) will be contributing exciting punk rock music to their MMO, Funcom have released some details about what to expect from the next few updates to Age Of Conan. Top of the list is changes to PvP to deal with the ganking of lower level players, as well as some specific PvP gear, in a patch which should appear towards the end of the month.
Rather more excitingly Funcom are now talking about a free update appear later in the year which features guild alliance warfare. This will allow the guilds to be able to team up and "erect unique-looking alliance battekeeps". This does sound intriguing, I just hope it doesn't lead to the over-the-top super alliance situation now faced by Eve Online. Needless to say, all this alliance stuff is just a part of attempts to improve and expand on AoC's endgame, the player-built villages and Battlekeeps. I'll try and pen something about that in a few weeks, once I've pushed my warrior woman up a few more levels.
After the jump: the excerpted relevant bits of the latest Age Of Conan press release, and why I'm not actually sexually excited by Conan updates.
PvP evolved – To the Death
The great combat system in Age of Conan has taken MMO fighting to a new level of fun, and Player versus Player combat plays a major part in this. As a result, a massive new PvP update is planned for late June. Aptly called To the death, this update brings more consequence and rewards to PvP, and an important part of it is the Fugitive system. The more lower level players you kill, the easier it is for others to hunt you down. In addition, ten PvP levels with additional ranks will be introduced, as well as specific gear and weapons for PvP.Guild Alliance Warfare
Preproduction has started on a MASSIVE free update which will come later this year. Currently titled “Kingship!”, large clusters of guilds will be able to form alliances, and rule and conquer on a massive scale. Everyone in a guild alliance will play a part in this system, and together they can even erect unique looking alliance Battlekeeps. The alliances can also fight over, and build, culture-specific “wonders of the world”, with a direct link to higher powers! As part of the system Funcom will also facilitate larger amounts of players in massive battles.Powerpoints
This fall, a unique reward and character evolution system called Powerpoints will be introduced. This rewards active in-game behavior, and allows for gathering points through numerous methods, including owning a Battlekeep, playing the end-game at level 80, winning PvP matches, or simply being an active guild member or subscribing to the game. There will be many ways to obtain Powerpoints, and numerous rewards, ranging from exclusive Powerfeats to weapons, armor and potions. Powerpoints may even allow you to level faster!New areas and dungeons
You won’t need to wait for an expansion pack to explore exciting new areas. In the next period, Funcom will include several new areas, as well as evolving already existing areas. This includes a brand new dungeon in Aquilonia, reshaping three dungeons in Stygia, and an entire mountain range in Cimmeria!Improved player-made villages and Battlekeep systems
While the guild alliance system brings a whole new level to the game, Funcom will continue to expand the existing player-made areas and the systems running them. A focus on evolving the massive elements of the game even further continues, ranging from placing NPC’s in the cities to more choices and benefits.Social updates
An MMO is nothing without a good social scene. While Conan is all about crushing your enemies, social enhancements are also getting some love. A fun example is the combo-based dancing system which is now coming to the game, and it’s entirely motion captured by professional dance artists.More adventures
Age of Conan has received tremendous praise for immersion and the great voice-over quests. This is but the start of the adventure, and numerous new quests are coming into the game, spread across the entire world and across the level ranges. Soon 60 additional quests will also get full voice acting, further improving immersion.
Kieron Edit: Meanwhile, explaining the title line... TURBONEGRO!!!!