Age of Conan Video Interview - Game Designer Jason Stone

[Kodylan]

Following up on our visit to Funcom where we spoke with the game's Product Manager - Jorgen Tharaldsen - we've released a video interview with Game Designer Jason Stone. Jason works primarily on the combat system, and he also shows off some of the combat gameplay that they've implemented thus far.

Jorgen Tharaldsen Article: Curse visits Funcom HQ to talk about Age of Conan | Age of Conan @ Curse

Jason Stone Video Interview:



We don't have embeddable video yet, so you'll have to click the link, but he goes over some things like how swinging your weapon in a forward arc attacks all mobs in front of you, as well as covering the combo system a bit.

[Twobit Whore]

Sweet. Game looks to run smoothly, though no telling how much horsepower he has. Belt slots for potions is cool too. "300 blood" is pretty slick too.

[jake_craner]

awesome, thanks for the video/link.

[Drajakur]

I don't exactly see how you get 'game looks to run smoothly' from that video, but some of the game concepts it illustrates do look pretty cool. Hopefully it will all turn out for the best.

[Twobit Whore]

Well, I didn't see any obvious hitching or stuttering or loading or pausing at all. Maybe my eyesight is bad.. or maybe my standards for 'smoothly' have dropped several notches since playing another recent MMO.

[jake_craner]

Originally Posted by Twobit Whore

Well, I didn't see any obvious hitching or stuttering or loading or pausing at all. Maybe my eyesight is bad.. or maybe my standards for 'smoothly' have dropped several notches since playing another recent MMO.

......vangu.... o i so almost said it.

[Ellsworth]

Originally Posted by Twobit Whore

Well, I didn't see any obvious hitching or stuttering or loading or pausing at all. Maybe my eyesight is bad.. or maybe my standards for 'smoothly' have dropped several notches since playing another recent MMO.

This is the right answer.

Anything that has 'realistic' type graphics, that doesn't run like 'horse shit' will seem to be running 'smoothly'.

Way to lower our expectations sigil I think you made it easier for Conan in this respect.

[Draegan]

The one thing that concerns me is that it seems like its going to be a clickfest. If I have to worry about clicking different arrows with my mouse, I'm just gonna end up staring at the UI. I like using the mouse to move.

Did you find that it seemed all clicking? Can you redefine those combo activaters to other keys?

[Draegan]

Double Post.

[Dzul]

You can map the keys to do the attacks also.
Video looks awesome cant wait to see some group PVP that isnt assist train rape.

[kedwyn]

I'll probably map the keys to my number pad or get one of those mice with a gajillion buttons.


Combat looks pretty fast paced, could be interesting

Too much blood, I'd prefer some nasty finishing moves or something and a little bit of blood here and there. 2 pints of blood per swing is a tad overkill.

[Mist]

Originally Posted by Draegan

The one thing that concerns me is that it seems like its going to be a clickfest. If I have to worry about clicking different arrows with my mouse, I'm just gonna end up staring at the UI. I like using the mouse to move.

Did you find that it seemed all clicking? Can you redefine those combo activaters to other keys?

I think the 5 combo keys are Q123E by default. I don't think you click them. I saw that in another video.

[TwiNCannoN]

Originally Posted by Mist

I think the 5 combo keys are Q123E by default. I don't think you click them. I saw that in another video.

that's correct, you can click them but they're mapped to those keys by default which is pretty clever I think.

Only gripe I have right now is the animations don't flow very well at all. It's very "swing... ok stop, ok swing again, oh good we completed a combo, do a flashy animation". It'd be cool if they meshed into one another and combat was made faster, kinda like soul calibur.

[Dzul]

He said in the interview they are constantly changing the "feel" of combat and still have quite a few animations to add.

I wouldnt mind seeing a thread that was just a open discussion of the "next" gen MMOs coming out in the next 6 months with AoC Warhammer and TR am I leaving anything out?

[softwillow]

I know it is still way to early, but lets hope they change the intelligence of those picts. There were a couple of them on that hill standing only about 5 feet from each other and he was single pulling. I would like to see intelligent mobs actually work as a team.