Gamespot has an interview up where Jorgen Tharaldsen, product director, sits down at the Austin Game Developers Conference and talks about the future, past, WoW and Warhammer Online.

Obviously I can forsee some comments/flames flying in with regards to what he says, especially from the fans of the games mentioned above. And especially with one sentance there...

Here is a snippet:

And here is the link to the interview: www.gamespot.com/news/6197976.html

It's an interesting read!

I'd love to blame some of it on translation to English, but really I think the FunCom Heads just don't get it.

The 'what we did right' list is longer than accurate  and the 'where we went wrong' list is way, way, way too short

Maybe they should all keep their mouths shut and let Craig do all the talking from now on.

polishing? Polishing is when something works but you want it to work a bit better. It did not work at all!

GameSpot: What do you guys think you killed?
Jørgen Tharaldsen: You can look at it in two ways. There's the game itself, and everything that surrounded it. When it came to the game itself, there are a few things we did really, really well. There's the storytelling, the presentation of quests, and the immersion in the world, and that included the graphics and the audio--I think we blew everyone away with that. How you feel inside the universe, I think, is unique compared to anything that's come before us, just putting all the actors in there.

Sadly the immersion for me was killed alot by the over use of instancing. Later this became less of a problem because less actually played so the instances became fewer. Honestly many people now have an utter distaste for instance's. It became a Multiplayer game instead of an MMO.

The story line I did like but it was Conan so it's hard not to.

The quest system had a bit to much redundency to me. Accept a quest , go out complete the quest, come back to quest giver and recieve your reward. Rinse and repeat many times. This made most quests feel like repeatable quest that merely recycled NPC's.

I'm also very happy with going the active route with the combat system. It feels a lot more responsive, a lot more fun actually. It's a bit stale going back to the old mechanics. I think taking that step forward and having the guts to do that is something that paid off in the end. It was a very hard choice because it took us a lot of time to get it right and polish it, but I think it's given us something really good out the door, and a great foundation to build further on. And that's on the mechanic side.

The combat was a baby step in the direction players have been wanting for a good while now but it could have been done better. It is the same combat system used by other real time combat MMORPG's but with a new flavor. It's still push button 1 then 2 then 3 and watch cooldowns. This is a step in the right direction though sadly it still isn't real time combat because there is still lock on.  They do get credit for softening up the MMO community for an actual real time combat system to come out.

There's also many small things. How we took the Conan license, how we stayed true to it, and how we expanded on Howard's work instead of just taking it and trying to cash in on the license, but really respecting it and evolving it. And that's something we did great as well. There were many areas that we achieved what we set out to do.

Well in all honesty they have no choice in this matter. By obtaining a license they have to go by the guide lines of the IP's owner this is true with any game based on someone else's IP. if you look at many interviews done within the industry you will see that licensed IP's are a huge head ache for this very reason. Many things will be added by people that have no experience in the gaming industry and this usualy leads to issues devs have to deal with.

On the flip side..... Well the player base has done an adequate job pointing out the numerous flaws so there is no need to restate them all when a simple search can achieve the same end.

I do give Age of Conan props on Sound and Graphics and I realy like that it is a Conan IP but..... the over all game would have been a great single player and even looks as if it was originaly made as such.  As a MMO is just doesn't cut it by todays standards. Instance's kill immersion and the ammount of instances in AoC is ridiculus. The quest system is only innovative in the since that it all seems to revolve around the principles used for repeatable quests and constantly recycles NPC's numerous times. If the NPC's had intellegent AI and were had a bit more life to them this wouldn't be that bad but as it stands now the NPC's are pretty generic after the first meetings. Other games in Development have taken this to heart.

In whole AoC turned a very nice concept into a novelty game. Not even a niche game just a novelty game where the novelty factor wears off fast leaving you with a feeling of meh after awhile. The initial feeling is far better than most but fades fast.

They can keep polishing this turd all they want, the result will still be the same. It will be interesting to see what new lies Funcom can come up with, however, with this new guy in charge. I'd love to hear more on how the upcoming "Expansion" is coming along, LOL! That was a funny one, though, announcing an expansion with a retail game released in alpha stage, one of their funniest lies IMO.

I actually had a much funner time playing AOC for 3 mths than i have in warhammer even though i have only played WAR a couple days. War just doesnt seem to have anything that makes me want to stay up late playing it and regretting the lack of sleep the next day which i truly miss. Im always looking to get that next online game fix like I had back in EQ1. May never get it back, might be a one time high but at least AOC graphics and fighting system was a GREAT improvement to the online games that have come out so far. Huxley where are you?.................And yes, I will still try to learn to like Warhammer just in case im missing something, and then go back to WOW or AOC or hopefully call of duty 5 will come out to fill the morpph gap till my next fix. If lineage 3 is even being made thats a game i would jump on, L2 had some good game play, to many farmers but at least you could kill them : )

Originally posted by GrayGhost79

GameSpot: What do you guys think you killed?
Jørgen Tharaldsen: You can look at it in two ways. There's the game itself, and everything that surrounded it. When it came to the game itself, there are a few things we did really, really well. There's the storytelling, the presentation of quests, and the immersion in the world, and that included the graphics and the audio--I think we blew everyone away with that. How you feel inside the universe, I think, is unique compared to anything that's come before us, just putting all the actors in there.

 

Sadly the immersion for me was killed alot by the over use of instancing. Later this became less of a problem because less actually played so the instances became fewer. Honestly many people now have an utter distaste for instance's. It became a Multiplayer game instead of an MMO.

The story line I did like but it was Conan so it's hard not to.

The quest system had a bit to much redundency to me. Accept a quest , go out complete the quest, come back to quest giver and recieve your reward. Rinse and repeat many times. This made most quests feel like repeatable quest that merely recycled NPC's.

 

I'm also very happy with going the active route with the combat system. It feels a lot more responsive, a lot more fun actually. It's a bit stale going back to the old mechanics. I think taking that step forward and having the guts to do that is something that paid off in the end. It was a very hard choice because it took us a lot of time to get it right and polish it, but I think it's given us something really good out the door, and a great foundation to build further on. And that's on the mechanic side.

 

The combat was a baby step in the direction players have been wanting for a good while now but it could have been done better. It is the same combat system used by other real time combat MMORPG's but with a new flavor. It's still push button 1 then 2 then 3 and watch cooldowns. This is a step in the right direction though sadly it still isn't real time combat because there is still lock on.  They do get credit for softening up the MMO community for an actual real time combat system to come out.

 

There's also many small things. How we took the Conan license, how we stayed true to it, and how we expanded on Howard's work instead of just taking it and trying to cash in on the license, but really respecting it and evolving it. And that's something we did great as well. There were many areas that we achieved what we set out to do.

 

Well in all honesty they have no choice in this matter. By obtaining a license they have to go by the guide lines of the IP's owner this is true with any game based on someone else's IP. if you look at many interviews done within the industry you will see that licensed IP's are a huge head ache for this very reason. Many things will be added by people that have no experience in the gaming industry and this usualy leads to issues devs have to deal with.

 

On the flip side..... Well the player base has done an adequate job pointing out the numerous flaws so there is no need to restate them all when a simple search can achieve the same end.

I do give Age of Conan props on Sound and Graphics and I realy like that it is a Conan IP but..... the over all game would have been a great single player and even looks as if it was originaly made as such.  As a MMO is just doesn't cut it by todays standards. Instance's kill immersion and the ammount of instances in AoC is ridiculus. The quest system is only innovative in the since that it all seems to revolve around the principles used for repeatable quests and constantly recycles NPC's numerous times. If the NPC's had intellegent AI and were had a bit more life to them this wouldn't be that bad but as it stands now the NPC's are pretty generic after the first meetings. Other games in Development have taken this to heart.

In whole AoC turned a very nice concept into a novelty game. Not even a niche game just a novelty game where the novelty factor wears off fast leaving you with a feeling of meh after awhile. The initial feeling is far better than most but fades fast.

I agree with you that AoC would have perhaps been an average-mediocre single-player RPG, perhaps carving a small group of fringe qausi-nerd, sex starved, self-hating RPG followers similar to, and perhaps competing with, what The Witcher has.

However, graphically the game is not that great. And, graphically speaking, way overrated. Animations in AoC are some of the crudest I've seen in a game in a long time. Animals look ridiculous. The UI is ugly. Zones are boring and feel completely linear. Not to mention the engine performs like a 1972 Ford Pinto. Add to that that the game has no immersive feel into REH's Conan whatsoever. In fact, I doubt seriously anyone who worked on AoC even actually read an original REH Conan book. 

Some games have it, some games don't. AoC don't.

I would completely disagree that they got imersion right. This game more than any Ive played felt the least like I was part of the world.

Originally posted by movindude

I actually had a much funner time playing AOC for 3 mths than i have in warhammer even though i have only played WAR a couple days. War just doesnt seem to have anything that makes me want to stay up late playing it and regretting the lack of sleep the next day which i truly miss. Im always looking to get that next online game fix like I had back in EQ1. May never get it back, might be a one time high but at least AOC graphics and fighting system was a GREAT improvement to the online games that have come out so far. Huxley where are you?.................And yes, I will still try to learn to like Warhammer just in case im missing something, and then go back to WOW or AOC or hopefully call of duty 5 will come out to fill the morpph gap till my next fix. If lineage 3 is even being made thats a game i would jump on, L2 had some good game play, to many farmers but at least you could kill them : )

I'm just the opposite as far as the WAR/AOC thing goes. I kept waiting and waiting for something in AOC to grab me . It never did. In WAR, even though its nothing earth shattering as far as inovation in combat, I do enjoy it because I have options. I like that since I kind of have burnout ( I think) If I get tired of questing I can jump in with some other people and do a PQ. If I want PVP I have mulitple options.  So while it may be nothing new, it is fun for ME.

Thats the key. I may not like AOC and I surely don't like how theyve treated their customers or how they run their game BUT if someone likes it then more power too them. I just take exception with fanboys who try to blow smoke up your rear.

Originally posted by Imjin

I would completely disagree that they got imersion right. This game more than any Ive played felt the least like I was part of the world.

And I would completely disagree with you.

For me AoC, together with Lotro and EQ2, is the most immersive gaming I have seen in mmorpgs. These games feel like mmoRPG worlds. Compared to this, WAR is only a cartoon mmo pvp game.

Originally posted by BigMango

Originally posted by Imjin

I would completely disagree that they got imersion right. This game more than any Ive played felt the least like I was part of the world.

 

And I would completely disagree with you.

For me AoC, together with Lotro and EQ2, is the most immersive gaming I have seen in mmorpgs. These games feel like mmoRPG worlds. Compared to this, WAR is only a cartoon mmo pvp game.

And you are trying to prove what? that Graphics are important then gameplay? i have played both and right now WAR has 100 times better gameplay then AOC including PVP.

Originally posted by Getalife

 

And you are trying to prove what? that Graphics are important then gameplay? i have played both and right now WAR has 100 times better gameplay then AOC including PVP.

Then you have nothing to worry about then right?

War is a good game, these are the AoC forums, a lot of people play both, most who post here post to chat about AoC. The war boards are over there ------------>  Looks like they needs some feedback with balancing issues.

Originally posted by AmazingAvery

Originally posted by Getalife

 

And you are trying to prove what? that Graphics are important then gameplay? i have played both and right now WAR has 100 times better gameplay then AOC including PVP.

 

Then you have nothing to worry about then right?

War is a good game, these are the AoC forums, a lot of people play both, most who post here post to chat about AoC. The war boards are over there ------------>  Looks like they needs some feedback with balancing issues.

Once more Ill try to help you out by advising you that pointing out ANY short comings in any other game when the game you live for was launched broken to hell is just not a  good idea. Makes you look very silly.

Originally posted by Getalife

Originally posted by BigMango

Originally posted by Imjin

I would completely disagree that they got imersion right. This game more than any Ive played felt the least like I was part of the world.

 

And I would completely disagree with you.

For me AoC, together with Lotro and EQ2, is the most immersive gaming I have seen in mmorpgs. These games feel like mmoRPG worlds. Compared to this, WAR is only a cartoon mmo pvp game.

 

And you are trying to prove what? that Graphics are important then gameplay? i have played both and right now WAR has 100 times better gameplay then AOC including PVP.

Maybe you should read my post again, I am not trying to prove anything. I am just posting my opinion, like Imjin did.

Some people are only looking for some gameplay, and WAR is a good cartoon game for that. Some others are looking for an mmoRPG world to immerse themselves into, and this is where AoC fits the bill for me.

AoC gamplay is worse than Pacman.

There is no word for how bad the Support is. No freaking word!

Originally posted by S1GNAL

AoC gamplay is worse than Pacman.

Yes you are right, AoC is nothing like Pacman. Now please go play your cartoon games and leave us with our mmoRPG. Thanks.

Originally posted by BigMango

Originally posted by S1GNAL

AoC gamplay is worse than Pacman.

 

Yes you are right, AoC is nothing like Pacman. Now please go play your cartoon games and leave us with our mmoRPG. Thanks.

 

 

 I am simply telling you the truth from my perspective. Please let me share this without you telling me where to go. Who is the childish one? The one who tells truth from his heart, or the one who do not welcome others opinion on this forum? 

Pacman can be  fun at times even tho it sux, but AoC is utterly crap. The animations look like your playing a surfing game. The support is not there, just an illusion to get you pissed off.  Moderators who have lost their control on official forums. Scams made by Funcom stealing money from people canceling account more than 1 week ahead. The game is just unfinished and booring. Cheats/hacks/exploiting are all common thing in AoC. Nobody cared, my whole guild back in Juni was exploiting with leveling and golds. Who cares, no risk involved. Yar yar, you dont have to believe in anything I say, I dont care what you do. Just wanted to let you all know what I think of this crap.

Yes S1gnal, I don't agree with everything, but you are right on a few points

It is still a good game, even if it has some problems, and it seems to improve nicely.

Originally posted by BigMango

Originally posted by S1GNAL

AoC gamplay is worse than Pacman.

 

Yes you are right, AoC is nothing like Pacman. Now please go play your cartoon games and leave us with our mmoRPG. Thanks.

 

 

Its funny how you keep saying WAR is cartoon when its been said million times before that gameplay is what matters the most. You won't even admit that WAR has a better launch or superior gameplay then AOC. All the flaming and trolling ends at the cartoon graphics.

Maybe this attitude is the reason why AOC is only getting into more and more trouble.Because all we care about is graphics. Guess what i will take cartoon game with better gameplay over shallow fluff like AOC any day. I still have few days left of  AOC subscription and more i play it i realise how much shallow this game is.

Originally posted by Getalife

Its funny how you keep saying WAR is cartoon when its been said million times before that gameplay is what matters the most. You won't even admit that WAR has a better launch or superior gameplay then AOC. All the flaming and trolling ends at the cartoon graphics.

 

Maybe this attitude is the reason why AOC is only getting into more and more trouble.Because all we care about is graphics. Guess what i will take cartoon game with better gameplay over shallow fluff like AOC any day. I still have few days left of  AOC subscription and more i play it i realise how much shallow this game is.

Getalife, maybe you should learn to read. I have posted many times condemning Funcom for the ways they lied to people and for releasing an unfinished game. Even with the post just above yours I partly agree with S1gnal, so please give me a break.

And no, again, for me AoC has better gameplay than WAR. It's not that WAR has some bad game play, not at all, it's only that it's the same old.... same old... same old... we have seen for 10 years. Nothing new. WAR has only gameplay, that's the problem, it is lacking everything else.

There are plenty of games with some good gameplay, pacman, tetris, WoW,.... and many free 2 play games have some great gameplay (perfect world, shaiya, requiem, rappelz, rohan,...), these games have some great gameplay and they are free, so why would I pay for WAR? For RvR? Shaiya also is a RvR game.

So, good gameplay is all over the place. What many of these games lack is an immersive mmoRPG world. There are only a handfull of games that achived this, and this is where AoC meets games like Lotro and EQ2.