Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures – Everything you need to know
Undoubtedly you’ve heard of Funcom‘s Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures (PC, with an Xbox 360 version to follow) yes? Well, if you’re thinking of venturing into the Hyborian wastes then you might as well prepare yourself for the long journey ahead of you. No, we won’t cast a spell of knowledge for it may upset the Cimmerians in our readership. Instead we deliver an article which discusses everything you need to know to get started. Click on the link below to see for yourself.
Why play Funcom‘s Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures (PC, Xbox 360)? By Crom, I can think of quite a number of reasons, but most of them would boil down to arming yourself to the teeth with deadly weapons and culling the weak from the many humans that populate the lush virtual world. Then again I am a blogger of limited imagination. Seriously speaking though, Age of Conan has a number of things going for it that differentiate it from your average bargain basement orc and elf lovefest.
When discussing the genre, it is impossible not to touch on Blizzard’s World of Warcraft and EA Mythic‘s Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. The former is perhaps the most widely successful game on the market (with the WoW population overcapping that of real-world countries like New Zealand), while the latter has already developed a huge fan base and is making waves throughout the community months before it’s even available.
Does Age of Conan have what it takes to compete with these two powerhouses?
The answer lies in both the history behind the game as well as its innovative gameplay, which makes it unique in its own right.
One thing gamers might not know is that the Conan series is far older than both of the aforementioned games combined. This pretty much ensures a deep well of lore and a rich history upon which to build the game.
The second point, and perhaps what really gives this game the ability to compete against other MMORPGs, are the new innovations the developers have included, just one of which is the unique combat system.
Unlike most (if not all) the games in the MMO market, players are able to mount positional attacks on their foes. Needless to say, this adds another element of strategy to the gameplay. Throw in the ability for guilds to create their own towns, engage in siege battles, and a “mercenary system” which allows players to hire themselves out for battles and you’ve got a new fresh take on the scene.
Who in the nine hells of Set is Conan and what is his role in the game?
Conan the Cimmerian is perhaps the most well-known fictional barbarian in the world. He is the creation of a novelist and writer by the name of Robert E. Howard, a compulsive weightlifter who suffered from regular bouts of depression. When he took his own life on June 11, 1934 after his mother’s death, a number of authors made sure that the legacy of Conan lived on.
One of the first descriptions of Conan can be found in one of Howard’s books called The Phoenix on the Sword where he was described as “black-haired, sullen-eyed… a thief, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth.”
A known follower of Crom, a god who prizes strength above all else, Conan is well known for his martial prowess and has left countless numbers of enemies in his wake, as well as caught the attention of countless women.
Obviously, his martial prowess took him far (both literally and figuratively) in the world to the point where he eventually became the king of Aquilonia and married a woman named Xenobia.
Under his ruler and guidance, the city prospered. However, his ascent to the throne does not sit well with certain nobles who see him as nothing but a brute and an alien in their land. Conan has since been working hard to maintain the stability of his country.
Because of these new responsibilities, he no longer has enough time to bash the heads of those who need bashing (certain nobles for example). Therefore, he must now rely on adventurers to go forth and perform certain “jobs” in his absence.
Now that you know who your employer will be, we might as well move on and get you in the game.
Putting yourself in Hyboria:
Moving on to the game itself, players will need to create an avatar for themselves before they can start playing Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures. To help you guys get started, here’s a quick run-down of the things you need to know with regard to getting yourself in the game.
First up, you will have to pick what race you will be playing as. This influences the way you look as well as what character classes you can play (more on that in a bit).
Aquilonians: These individuals are said to be among the most cultured and educated among all the races on Hyboria. Fighters from this region are usually very disciplined. In general, sorcery is shunned by Aquilonians as evil, however, this bias does not extend to Mitran priests since it is believed that they are favored by the one true god’s grace.
These beliefs are seen in the character choices available to this race. Players who pick to play as an Aquilonian can decide to be either a Guardian, Dark Templar,Conqueror, Priest of Mitra, Assassin, Barbarian, or Ranger.
Cimmerians: Strong, hardy, and extremely dour. That’s pretty much the general impression these individuals make on anyone who they meet up with.
The most famous Cimmerian, Conan, shares a lot of the common beliefs that this group of barbaric tribes share. Almost all Cimmerians value strength and cunning. They also distrust magic in any form.
Cimmerians can choose to follow the path of either a Bear Shaman, Barbarian, Ranger, Conqueror, Guardian, or Dark Templar.
Stygians: These people are almost hated with a vengeance among other communities as they insist on pursuing magic in every shape or form. People from Stygia find wielding swords and axes distasteful, as it is the mark of a Barbarian. They tend to favor cunning, intelligence, and agility over strength as can be seen in the paths they are allowed to pursue.
Stygians can choose to become a Demonologist, Herald of Xotli, Necromancer , Assassin, Ranger, or a Tempest of Set.
Pimp my Cimmerian:
After picking your race, you can then move on to making your character unique. Anyone who plans on playing Age of Conan for any length of time would do well to do so, as distinctive features will help you stand out from the throng.
Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures has a wide selection of customization options which will allow you to create some very unique avatars. Players can tweak everything from the character’s build to its tattoos. Those in a hurry can also choose to randomize their character, a nice addition the developers included.
There’s a lot to discuss about customizing your character, so to help you out, here’s a quick video of the character customization in the game as taken from the GDC 2008:
Hyborians, what is your profession !?!
Character classes pretty much dictate your avatar’s lot in life. Do you see your character as a Guardian that can take a huge boulder to the chest and keep on going or is he a thin, gaunt Herald of Xotli who transforms into a giant demon that rips off the heads of its opponents?
Whatever you may envision your character to be, you will probably find an archetype and class to fit your playing style. Here’s a quick look at each of the classes available and what they specialize in:
Priest archetypes:
Priest of Mitra: This character class is perfect for players who prefer to support their party with the best healing and defensive spells in the game. As most gamers would expect, those who chose this class won’t be the best fighters or the most durable, but they will definitely find a place among any raiding party.
Tempest of Set: Known for dealing damage using lightning based attacks, these priests are more effective in combat than the Priests of Mitra. However, they pay for this boost in offensive skill with less efficient healing spells. Then again, if there are no enemies to damage your teammates, who needs healing right?
Bear Shaman: This class is the most combat oriented priest and can normally be found in the frontlines charging along with the other warriors. Members of this class can tap into two aspects of nature, namely, Tranquility and Fury. The former allows them to mend wounds while the latter makes these warrior priests stronger and more resilient in battle.
Rogue archetypes:
Barbarian: There are two kinds of people in the world, one who sees a problem and thinks of the most logical solution and the other who would grab the biggest weapon he can and bash it until it goes away. Guess what this class is? Seriously, if you want a high all-around DPS class then pick the Barbarian.
Assassin: If you prefer striking from the shadows and demolishing your foes with intricate combos then this is the class for you. Assassins can chose to deal specific kinds of damage to maximize the effect their attacks have against the opposition.
Ranger: Masters of ranged combat, individuals who pick this class will be able to use both bows and crossbows to maximum effect. The arrows let loose by a Ranger can stun foes, stop magic users from casting spells, or simply kill them outright.
Soldier archetypes:
Guardian: Tough as nails and just as unyielding, the Guardian is capable of wearing the heaviest armor and taking the fiercest of blows. Some members of this class would forsake the use of a shield for polearms and spears which can wear down multiple opponents in the frontlines and defeat mounted individuals.
Conqueror: A fierce warrior who can use auras to augment both his and his allies’ abilities in battle. The Conqueror can increase the recovery of Mana and Stamina of his friends or increase their DPS to nightmarish proportions.
Dark Templar: Individuals who want play as a character who can fill any position in a party will probably want to roll this class. With its ability to tank, deal huge damage, or even heal the Dark Templar is considered by some as the ultimate warrior. Still, his abilities come at a price, as he must give up a part of his soul in payment to darker powers in order to use them.
Mage archetypes:
Herald of Xotli: Most mages summon demons to do their bidding, this class takes it one step further by taking the very essence of the demon god Xotli into themselves. An act which turns them into living engines of destruction. Not a bad deal considering they are only giving up their immortal souls for this great power.
Demonologist: As the name suggests, this class can summon demons and bind them to their will. However, this is not all they can do. Demonologists are also adept at using both lightning and fire based attacks to fry their opponents into submission.
Necromancer: Members of this class can blur the lines between both life and death by summoning dead creatures to their aid. Each foe that falls is another minion Necromancers can command making them perfect companions when engaging in a battle of attrition.
What else is there to know about your character?
Once you’ve chosen your class, you will have to learn about feats. These skills determine what special attacks and abilities a character has available to it. Every class has three feat trees, a generic one available to all the classes under the same archetypes as well as two class specific ones.
The skill trees are structured in a way that you will have to build your way up to more powerful abilities. Be careful when allocating points since a wrong move could potentially wreck a well balanced build. Still, we’re hoping that the developers from Funcom throw in the ability for players to reset their stats in the game.
Places to visit and things to do:
The lands of Hyboria are vast and there are many places to visit. Those who would chose to visit Cimmeria would do well to visit Conall’s Valley where the Cimmerians live. If you suffer from wonderlust then you can find enough adventure in Broken Leg Glen, the Eigophian Mountains, the Field of the Dead, and the Frost Swamp.
If you would choose to visit the lands of Aquilonia where King Conan holds court, you can walk the streets of Tarantia, the capital city of the land and known as the most princely city of the world’s west. Those who seek battle can quench their bloodlust by visiting the Wild Lands of Zelata or the Border Ranges.
Finally, we have Stygia, a place where adventurers can usually find what ever it is they seek. Brave individuals can visit Khemi, the nation’s capital, where the worship of any god aside from Set is an offense punishable by death. Those who wish to find ancient artifacts can visit the Khopshef Province, while those seeking to test their combat prowess or collect some deadly materials for poisons can visit the Purple Lotus Swamp .
Go forth into the fray warrior, and may Crom smile upon you:
If you’ve played MMORPGs before, then you probably already know that there’s more for you to learn in Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures than what we discussed in the article. However, the knowledge we just provided will help you survive long enough to learn the different aspects of the game (ok, it’s not that hard, but allow us to play it up a bit ok?).
So what are you waiting for? King Conan awaits your presence in his castle in Aquilonia. Strap on your weapons of choice and get ready to get your fill of monsters, adventure, and riches beyond your wildest dreams.
Article originally posted May 20, 2008 at 02:18PM