On the last entry we talked about the overhaul of the RPG system to Age of Conan with the character statistics and itemization enhancements. Today, we’ll go into more detail about those statistic mechanics and how they’re shaping up on the live servers.
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Core Attributes
Just to provide a brief summary here, we’ve revamped and added new stats to the game to further improve items, abilities and the works. This in return helps address the concerns with itemization and making stats more meaningful to characters than what they were before. To give you an overview of what’s been changed, let me first toss out the basic mechanic ‘trickle-down’ changes to one of our core attributes like Strength:
Strength (1 point)
- Increases Combat Rating when using melee weapons (except daggers) by 3
- Increases Armor by 2
- Increases out-of-combat (OOC) Stamina regeneration by 0.05 (0.0125 per second)
- Increases Stamina by 2
- Increases out-of-combat (OOC) health regeneration by 0.15
The above can tell you a lot about what we’ve changed. The ‘trickle-down’ from just strength means a lot more and on top of that it adds some new bonuses than what we had before. One of those new bonuses for example is the ‘Armor’ stat that is added with every 1 point of strength. The new Armor stat falls into our new ‘Armor and Protection Mitigation’ system for both physical and magical attacks. This both helps increase the usefulness of having Strength on items as well abilities throughout the game.
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Looking at the other side of the fence with another core attribute that mainly deals with spells rather than melee like Strength, we can see the basic mechanic ‘trickle-down’ changes to Intelligence:
Intelligence (1 point)
- Increases Spell damage with the intelligence attribute by 0.6.
- Increases Mana points by 3
- Increases Natural Mana regeneration by 0.07 (0.0175 per second)
- Increases out-of-combat (OOC) Mana regeneration by 0.38
- Increases Protection by 0.5
Intelligence also follows the same direction as Strength but more aimed towards our spell users (mages). The revision also includes a new bonus called ‘Protection’ that is added with every 1 point of Intelligence. Like with Strength, this falls into our new ‘Armor and Protection Mitigation’ system but instead of adding more armor for physical damage, this adds more armor (or protection to be more correct) for magical damages such as Fire, Cold, Electrical, and etc damages.
Rating Statistic System
Along with these changes I have to talk about the Rating Statistic System that has also a big part of the latest update. This system introduces a number of new ratings and some converted ratings that will also help make items more meaningful while trying to improve character builds over time:
- Combat Rating – giving you increased damage with melee and ranged attacks.
- Evade Rating – giving you the chance to evade melee and ranged attacks.
- Immunity Rating – giving you the chance to resist magical attacks.
- Critical Rating – giving you the chance to critical hit.
- Critical Damage Rating – Increasing your damage of your critical hits.
PvP Ratings
With the addition to those ratings we also have some new PvP Ratings that only exist on PvP gear. So if you have 20 in Evade Rating and 20 in PvP Evade Rating then your effective rating is calculated at 40. Some of those ratings are the following:
- PvP Evade Rating
- PvP Immunity Rating
- PvP Armor Rating
- PvP Protection Rating
Comparison
All of these new and revised statistics mean a lot to our last update and provides us with the foundation to make those itemization and ability improvements. Though, it’s best represented with a comparison with the old-versus-new listings below. The first listing is one of our old items pre-update and the second listing is the new item revised with some of the stats mentioned above post-update.
The Old
Bluesteel-Mail Gauntlets
Item Type: Heavy Armor
Requirements: Level 75
Wear Location: Hands
Modifications:
- 4.6 Defense Rating
- 2 Knockback Resistance
The New
Bluesteel-Mail Gauntlets
Item Type: Heavy Armor
Requirements: Level 75
Wear Location: Hands
Modifications:
- 377 Armor
- 39 Strength
- 22 Constitution
As you might have noticed, the revised item has more ‘pop’ to it when it comes to first impressions. Even if you didn’t know the mechanics behind the stats, you would feel that the item had more value and more power for your character. Although, the point is not all visual as we have to make those statistics actually provide a new meaning to the item and to the character that utilizes that item over say an item he or she had been using since level 20 now they’re level 70.
Conclusion
The update to the stats is not the ‘win-all’ for the update however. Going into this, I don’t think the developers felt this would be the change that addresses everything. The point is that it’s a step in the right direction with improving systems that need to be improved as well helping address some of the major concerns within the in-game community. We hope to follow the same path with additional systems in the future.
It’s a long run coming but one we are for sure running.
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This is a good breakdown. Thank you for sharing.
Wed Jul 15 2009 12:56PM ReportI believe that the problem with AoC atm is that from when it launched it always tried to showoff with its really good graphics and a lot of marketing went that way,but everyday that passes and they dont fix the major problems this MMO has its a day losing their biggest advantage which is the graphics.So steps in the right direction are not enough,they need huge leaps.Its allready 15 months after launch and it wont be long be4 a MMO with better graphics comes along and swoops it.
Wed Jul 15 2009 2:12PM ReportHonestly they have made huge leaps, nice article.
Wed Jul 15 2009 3:17PM ReportDon't you guys love how instead of addressing the problems I stated in the message I posted here, Funcom decided to take the cowards way out and have the post deleted. What are they so afraid of. Why is it so hard to be honest with their playerbase about this and other issues? I mean Famine or any other rep from Funcom could have came on here and answered this question in 5 minutes. Instead they do this and keep making the problem worse. It goes to show why myself and thousands of other players will never give Funcom another penny. It doesn't matter how great you make the game if the company behind can't even be upfront with their players. I wonder how many more money they have to lose before they figure that out.
Thu Jul 16 2009 12:48PM ReportThis kinda just admits they didnt design the game, just the graphics. Oh well Im glad things are changing because if they do fix the 'game' side of it, they have a monster on their hands...if, if they can get people back.
OH and FWIW I just got an email saying my free trial initation period is about to be up..wouldnt the better way be to keep it open forever so if I ever get the whim, I can go play it?
Also, fuck you funcom/mmorpg for sending me an email to say I won the game copy, then another to say 'fuck you we didnt mean it'
could have atleast bribed me off with some itamz or an extended trial or something. PR guys. you neeedz teh PRz!
Thu Jul 16 2009 1:14PM Report@bigdaddysfe: Not really on topic of the blog for this week but can you send that question to our community email so we can address it correctly rather than using the blog for a private message service? I think it's important to address if it's important to know. I'll send ya the details now. :)
Thu Jul 16 2009 1:27PM ReportOk so now stats matters, I don't mind but I think FunCom did a huge and good job on that.
Now Famine, tell me how about character look?
Due to the stats will this game be a copy of WoW with players looking like clowns or having all the same set of equipment?
What's your view and future on character customization and look?
How about a full UI revamp?
Thu Jul 16 2009 1:53PM Report@Deewe: You can judge for yourself. This is a screenshot I took after the big update. These are 4 Barbarians all level 80 and all wearing different items. I asked them to stand together after they told me that the items they had on were not social but instead, equipment that was viable for their level and builds.
http://img507.yfrog.com/img507/4800/barbarianexample.jpg
Thu Jul 16 2009 2:22PM Reporti just bought this game...great game !
Thu Jul 16 2009 2:56PM ReportI love the game, I tried the trial and got hooked. I'm only level 36 on my main conq, but it's a sweet game thus far for me. <shrugs> I heard it was bad at launch, but from my present view, it's a great game.
Thu Jul 16 2009 10:41PM ReportI found the numbers game to be a big or maybe the only problem with this game.I cannot figure how they can start adding in meaningful numbers /stats now without dumbing the game down a ton.They would have to revamp the entire design of the game.I get a headache trying to figure out their new numbers now,to me it is too late,they should have designed a better system from the start.
I know EQ2 did something that was very tricky and to me they fooled all the players.They added in this system to boost your player based on Achievement points.What i found because i was away from the game for so long that those points did nothing at all,they must have revamped each players damage somehow so the new stats would do nothing,it just looked meaningful on paper
.I would not be surprised if AOC is doing the same,showing all these new stats so players think they are working towards something but in the end have the exact same game.
Sat Jul 18 2009 11:00PM ReportThis is awesome, i am glad i came back for a bit. even better on my new gaming rig.... SHWING.
Game On.
Sun Jul 19 2009 12:24PM Reportits a huge start and improvement!!!
Sun Jul 19 2009 1:47PM ReportWell famine that pic is exactly what the game needs.
For the record many Wow players would pay $$$ just to have a social clothing feature like in LotRo or EQ2.
IMHO you won't solve the stats vs look issue without either social clothing or letting players transfer stats from one item to another of the same kind.
And you shall be able to have your character looks nice from level 1, unless you consider the game starts at 80...
And thanks for the pic and the answer!
Mon Jul 20 2009 7:27AM Report@Famine, in case you're not convinced character look is really important to players, I invite you to have a look at the following polls on SWTOR:
http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?p=1185553
http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=25938
http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=38922
http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=22434
Mon Jul 20 2009 7:45AM Report@Deewe: Thanks for the info! We do know how important it is to have nice character diversity as well nice options to make your character look great. If it's one thing we learned from Anarchy Online it's that social items are very much needed including social clothing. Though, when it comes to the core of the game we need those parts to be there as a foundation first or we can't function as a game. I think in the future you will see a lot more social or character options open up just because RP seems to be a major part of the game.
Mon Jul 20 2009 8:36AM ReportOnce I build my new rig, I'm gonna try Age of Conan again. I want to like it. I spent 150$ on it. Through a mistake, but still. All my friends quit, so that I'm not sure how I'll fit back in. After AoC, some of my friends quit MMOs entierly. Kind of sad, when there's a few promising ones comign out.
Wed Jul 22 2009 5:11PM ReportI've got a level 36 Hox and a friend of mine has a 47 Conq. We have both been really enjoying the game. If you haven't played it before it's worth playing the trial once they open them up again.
Fri Jul 31 2009 7:00PM ReportIt's sad that this game is becoming as gear-centric as the rest. It's sad that they are changing the basic mechanics of the game after a year out of the box. How many more times are they going to change how attributes work or which trait does what...
I enjoy the game, but they are slowly driving me out.
Tue Aug 04 2009 5:27PM ReportMMORPG.com writes:
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