Age of Conan

Stepping onto the burning sands of Tortage Island, one might think you’ve ended up in a tropical paradise. But the island hides great secrets. This is where you make your very first steps in Age of Conan, before launching into the massive gameworld.

After having completed the character creation process – which takes place on the slave galley where you have been placed as a rower – you will, in the course of a massive event, wash up on the burning beaches of the Island of Tortage. It may look like a tropical paradise when you first bury your feet in the white sands, but you will soon discover the dangers – and the treasures – that the island holds. Equipped with nothing but a broken oar, you must brave the many dangers of the island and make your way towards the freebooter town which also goes by the name of Tortage.

After having met a certain character on the beach – one which will be recognizable by those who know the Conan lore – you will be thrust into a series of interactive quests that will pit you against the savage picts and the vicious pirates that inhabits the island and other islands around it that you will also explore. You will search through the thick, dense jungles of Tortage and discover a world of adventure

Off the coast of Hyboria, on one of the largest of the volcanic Baracha Isles in the Western Sea, lies a haven of smugglers, thieves, and pirates called Tortage. Carved out of the black and rocky cliffs of the island of the same name, the city of Tortage is the single most infamous port off the mainland of Hyboria. Although founded originally by Argossean sailors, its constant flow of miscreants, slaves and vagabonds has seen it teeming with all cultures for generations. Kushites, Aquilonians and even Cimmerians live side by side with Zingarans, Shemites and even Stygians on its dark and sinister streets—even a number of wayward Picts have rowed south to call Tortage home.

If it is illegal somewhere else, it is probably obtainable within Tortage’s inns, taverns and manors. Most of the city itself has been in turmoil for quite a while, a rebellious uprising forming against the ruthless oppressor currently in power. This rebellion has become so worrisome to the ruler and his sinister allies that only those proven loyal to the overlord of Tortage are allowed free passage off the island. His law is that of the sword, and he is capable of anything that will bring him closer to crushing those who oppose him. Such a boon can be a powerful bargaining tool when dealing with slavers and smugglers, whose loyalty can often be bought quickly when the need arises.

Much of Tortage Island is dense and humid jungle, with dangers lurking along shadowy paths cut back daily by adventurous travelers, and brave explorers. The island is dominated by a large volcano and it is sometimes the cause of nervousness to those who are new to the area, but most of the natives and long time residents believe it is nothing to fear. A host of sharp-clawed beasts await the unwary explorer. The heated cries of apes and even the blood-curdling shrieks of Picts can be heard echoing into the night along with the screams of their victims.
Wandering the streets of Tortage alone is far from the safest practice either. A home for predators of a different variety, in the form of swift-bladed pirates and lurking bandits, the weak or unprepared do not last long in the pirate port. While the swarthy inhabitants have cut open more than a few throats, many more thrive on the slaving industry that flows in and out of Tortage like the tide. Just as many lives are bought and sold here as are ended, sometimes for a pittance.

With pirate factions like the Red Brotherhood, Zingaran Freebooters, and Black Corsairs agreeing to leave their battles in the sea while in port, there is no lack of tension on the streets and docks of Tortage. It is not far from the mainland by ship, but the way is not an easy one. The factions are always lurking to prey upon loot-filled vessels they can get to before their rivals. Between pirate threats, swirling maelstroms that can crush a ship like pottery, and the forbiddance of passage off the island, a future here seems bleak. Once Tortage has claimed you, your freedom depends on cunning, strength of will, and what allies you choose. Or, it can be your grave.

"When we sat down and started doing the early sketches of the graphical and technical design of Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, we spent a great deal of time thinking about what works and what does not work for massively multiplayer online games. At Funcom, we’re all gamers and we draw on thousands of hours of online play experience when we go about designing such a game as Age of Conan. We’ve also made online games before – our previous venture, Anarchy Online was released six years ago – and this gave us an invaluable lesson and taught us a lot about how these games really work."

Art Director Didrik Tollefsen on Tortage:   

Tortage is not easy to find amongst the hundreds of Barachan isles. And if you do, you’re going to have a hard time getting into the main bay outside the city. A maze of sharp reefs in every direction and sneaky fog makes it almost impossible to navigate a ship without knowing the route by heart. The city is a hidden treasure in it self, and one with great depth and multiple layers of discovery. Some of the structures on this island are the remains of an ancient civilization called Acheronian Empire. The large, main keep, looming over the harbour, is one of them. Horrible things took place here at the time when the whole island where covered with this bizarre looking-architecture. Dark rituals and human sacrifice where everyday stuff for the common Acheronian. 

In league with the ancient Dark Ones of the deep, this empire dominated the whole of central Hyboria. After its fall, Pirates of Tortage have been looting the riches of Acheron for centuries, some more eager than others. So no wonder the whole city is a large patchwork of different elements. From ancient, heavy shapes, to wreck pieces of the many hijacked ships of these waters. Their wooden, wet skeletons can be seen all over Tortage bay, like stranded whales they linger and make a creepy vista to the south. They take what they can get their hands on, and put it together with crude tools of this age. But despite its mostly shady inhabitants, Tortage city’s infrastructure works quite well for a drunken, violent bandits nest. Its an organic-looking place filled with merchants of all kinds, selling their stolen goods from stalls on the main square or down by the harbour. These colorful elements make an interesting contrast to the rather worn and desaturated structures of the city. You’ll find many interesting little moments as ye explore the many, narrow streets of Tortage. Enjoy the stay, but watch your back. And for Crom’s sake, stay away from the many dungeons below the city

Quest Designer Andreas Öjerfors on Tortage:

It’s fascinating to stand back and look at the development of Tortage, from the first drawings on a whiteboard to the conflict-filled city we have today. Even when it was nothing more than scribbles in a meeting room, we knew that we were going in the right direction with the isolated and violent nature of the island. It was a great setting for the story we wanted to tell. The city of Tortage is a town of pirates, and we wanted to use that theme to the full extent. The artists created a complete architecture set only to be used on Tortage, with pieces of old ships integrated into houses and a common mariner theme. The pirate rule gets the limelight in story and quests. Factions of pirates and villagers clash, and it is in this conflict that the player’s destiny truly begins. Introducing the player to Hyboria, we had to set the mood from the very first minute.

All throughout the process of designing the quests, it’s been important to give them that certain edge that Robert E. Howard’s writing had. The good thing about being a game developer is that you can tell both employer and girlfriend that you are doing “research” when playing games. When you have been in MMO-mode for a while, I think it’s vital to take a step back to take a look at what the role-playing genre is really about. So that’s what we did. We revisited the classic RPG formula, and used that as a basis for Tortage. We made it epic and cinematic, but the core remains – it’s about combat, character development and story.

In Game Maps of Tortage -  Early Beta Maps:

High outer view:

Zooming in:

And zooming further in:

I read a few stories lately that involved the lore, Conan the Buccaneer, Pool of the Black One and Conan of the Isles promting me to take another look at Tortage: All info taken from main website; 3 map pictures cut out from official videos by me.

Regards.

Background Fact on Tortage:

Was actually a real place! Robert E. Howard adapted the bloody island into the Conan Lore.

Tortuga lies on the north side of the great and renowned island of Hispaniola (modern Haiti), about three leagues from the coast. The island is small; some sixteen leagues in circumference and acquired its name (Ile de la Tortue, “Turtle Island”) because its shape is that of a turtle. Indeed, when viewed from the coast of Hispaniola, it resembles a monster sea turtle floating upon the waves.

Although extremely rocky, it is covered with large trees that grow where no soil can be seen, their roots lying naked on the rocks. The north side of the island is uninhabited and most inhospitable, having neither beaches nor harbour, apart from a few gaps between the crags. People live only on the south side and there is but one harbour which ships can enter.

Read more about the real Tortage and Pirates here: http://www.piratesinfo.com/detail/detail.php?article_id=69

Just and update:

This Video is Alpha Footage posted nearly 2 years ago! still gives some idea of the area for people interested:

www.gametrailers.com/player.php

nice revisit, thanks for the read 

Bravo!! Once again, great, entertaining post and info Avery!

Originally posted by mach789

Bravo!! Once again, great, entertaining post and info Avery!

Cool thanks, not long now till the masses can have a sample of the place!

Originally posted by AmazingAvery

Originally posted by mach789

Bravo!! Once again, great, entertaining post and info Avery!

Cool thanks, not long now till the masses can have a sample of the place!

Avery, want to bet?  I'll buy you a pint and wench at the Thirsty Dog Inn if I see a beta key before July 2008 or if launch happens before September 2008.  And yes, thanks for the info even if it is Tortage for the 1,000th time (not your fault).