RPG Vault's Age of
Conan: Hyborian Adventures Status Interview - Part 2 talks further with
Funcom's Craig Morrison about the state of their Conan the Barbarian-themed
MMORPG. One of the topics ids their efforts at improving customer retention by
re-thinking the game's item-centric RPG system:
Age of Conan was designed
not to be item-centric. However, our analysis showed we probably went too far in
this direction, relegating gear to a position where players didn't see it as a
valid progression path, which I think is a fundamental weakness for an RPG
system. So, we didn't quite get it right, and what we're doing now is trying to
find the correct balance and improve it to provide better progression drivers
and to allow our designers to make more challenging and varied gameplay.
In addition, the players felt the core attributes (Strength, Dexterity, etc.)
didn't have enough weight in their characters' progression. Again, when we broke
it down, we agreed with this feedback, and set out on the RPG system revamp to
address this too, with the goal of making both equipment and attributes better
and more useful without going too far down the "items mean everything" road.
They will mean more after the changes for sure, but hopefully, we'll find the
right balance.
ExtremeTech - Why I Don't Like Online Multiplayer Gaming.
"Something about perceived anonymity brings out the worst in some people. I
don't want to pigeonhole teenyboppers, as I've met some very nice
12-year-olds, but they seem to be the worst of the lot, at least according
to my admittedly unscientific survey. It consists of counting how often the
voices—calling me a very, very naughty word—crack as they hurl curses."
Live Expansions: Future
of the MMOG on Ten Ton Hammer.
"The idea of giving players a free expansion may be anathema to most, but
there are some solid reasons why it's a good idea. First and foremost is the
amount of content you can decide to include or not include. When you attach
a price to an item, you immediately attach an imagined value, or worth."
IGN- Is Final
Fantasy VII Overrated?
"Really, this is the best RPG ever made?"
Kombo.com - Is God
of War III Taking Violence Too Far?
"Has Kratos finally stepped over the line from visceral gaming to snuff
film?"
Well we lost that hour to Daylight Saving Time today around these parts. This
could have been worse for me, as it could have happened yesterday, when I lost a
bunch of hours on my own. Oh well, as always, at I do like the later sundowns, I
just hate the shift to get there.
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