Before I begin, I haven't played AoC. I'm looking for an opinion from somebody who has actually both played AoC and read some of the Robert E. Howard books.

I have a family member in her 50s who is a lifelong fan of the Conan universe. She can probably quote the various characters and locations from memory.

She's a pretty dedicated PvE gamer and I've played MMORPGs with her in the past. She liked LOTRO even though it wasn't always true to the minute lore. Right now she's finished all the content in Guild Wars and looking for a new game. And I'm looking for a birthday present...

How's AoC for a casual MMO player who really likes the lore and characters in the book Conan universe? Is it too hardcore PvP or too hard to start this late in the game?

Thoughts? Thanks in advance.

The first part of thegame pretty much sticks to the lore somewhat.   After that it sorta looses it accept for a couple of areas.    Have her try the free trial first.    That is my suggestion.

If she follows lore closely, I believe she would find AoC to be frustrating and lacking in that regard. There were tremendous opportunities to follow the Conan lore (both canon and pastiche), but too much was disregarded throughout development for it to be a fully lore-rich and lore-consistent experience for those who really want to be immersed in the fullness of Conan's world of Hyboria.

Some good thoughts, thanks guys.

I may have to track down the trial.

IMO the lore is mostly using the appropriate names for places and things, etc...

IF you're expecting the feel of Howard's universe forget it. I say that though not really as a knock against AoC but more as a general acknowledgement that derivatives, especially ones for profit, generally fail to capture the feeling of the original. If you don't care about Conan, it won't bother you. If you're a hardcore fan, you'll probably be disappointed.

Still, do the free trial.

If you need an example: For me the failing to feel like Conan, starts right from the get go. Instead of being some scum who claws their way to where ever it is you're going, you start out as THE singular hero of the game world, whose coming was written in the stars. And mind you, this is an MMO, a MASSIVELY MULITPLAYER game, and everyone starts out that way.

Have to agree to get her to try the trial out too first.

Take a look at conan.com and search the boards there are quite a few die hard fans who and like and dislike the game from a lore perspective. There are many quests that fit right within the lore. Remember it is a video game afterall and we have Funcoms take on it. Places, names, characters, area's all fit nicely in. Each loading screen there are nice quip's from the lore. The gods, some consumables and such like all come from the lore too. I think there is enough in there to keep the fan of the rich history of the lore content. Funcom does a good job of bringing Hyboria alive and as a fan of the lore myself it is great just to walk around in it.

Pre-launch there was a focus on sticking to REH stuff as much as possible and since then there has been several inclusions from the pastiches and more to follow.

I am thinking sevenwind will pop by and give you her take soon. She is a big lore buff and was out at REH's house not to long ago.

community.ageofconan.com/wsp/conan/frontend.cgi

From the FAQ:

15.1 Conan? Who’s Conan?
Conan is a fantasy character created by fantasy author Robert E. Howard during the 1930s. These stories were set in the fictional world of Hyboria, and the protagonist was a mighty barbarian named Conan. The Howard stories follow Conan as he evolves from a warrior and thief to becoming king of Aquilonia, the mightiest nation of Hyboria. Since that time, numerous authors have written in the world of Hyboria, and there are numerous books, comics, and movies based off the Conan license. Today, Conan is more popular than ever, and we’ve delved deeply into the 70+ years of material when we put together our game.

15.2 What were your primary inspirations for the game?
Age of Conan is based primarily on the original works of Robert E. Howard, the original Conan stories, though we’ve also tapped the work of other authors in developing the world. The game itself takes place shortly after the story “Hour of the Dragon,” when the mighty barbarian has finally seized the throne of Aquilonia.

15.3 What steps are you taking to stay true to the original Conan lore?
We’ve focused on the lore like nothing else, and we’ve worked hard to ensure it stays true to the spirit of the stories. Most of the developers are huge fans of the Conan universe, and steeped themselves in the novels, comics, and films. We also have dedicated “lore people” that focus on keeping everything consistent, and we also work closely with the other companies working in Hyboria, like Mongoose Publishing, Penguin Books, and Dark Horse Comics. In addition, Conan Inc., the license holders of Conan, are closely involved with the development.

15.4 Will any of the nudity and other erotic material of the Conan lore feature in the game?
We will not have full nudity in the game, but many characters will certainly be scantily clad, and we are staying true to Robert E. Howard’s sensual vision of the world. Ultimately, this is a Mature-rated game, and you can expect to find what you would find in any Mature rated game.

15.5 Is Conan actually in the game?
Yes! However, Conan is the king of Aquilonia, and he doesn’t hang out with just anyone. If you are fortunate, you may get a chance to meet him in the royal palace, or you may just see him walking out to greet the masses. You will not be able to actually play as Conan, though.

15.6 Are there any other characters from the lore present in the game?
Yes. We’ve dug deeply into the backstory, so you can see and meet many of Conan’s friends and foes, such as Thoth-Amon or Kalanthes. You will not be able to play as Conan, but you can definitely walk a mile in his sandals, as the saying goes.

15.7 Are there any specific locations in the lore that will be present in the game?
Absolutely. We’ve included both famous and not-so famous areas, such as Tortage, Tarantia, the Eiglophan Mountains, Connall’s Valley, and more. If you have any experience at all with the Conan lore, you will feel right at home when you step into this amazing world.

15.8 What’s more important—sticking to the lore or making a fun game?
The lore is critical to us, however, we also consider that we are making a game, and games are about having fun. It’s a fine balance, and we tread that line every day.

15.9 Slavery is prominent in the Conan lore—is this true for the game?
There are some computer-controlled slaves and some slavery present in the world (for example, your character starts as a galley slave), but you cannot have slaves of your own, for instance. The world of the 1930s, when the stories were written, was a completely different place, and we’ve taken certain measures to make things a bit more modern and fun to play. We’re well aware of how the lore fits with the world, but we also want to be careful and tasteful about how things are presented.

15.10 Where can I find out more about the Conan lore?
We have a lore library here on the website. You can also check our newsletters or the official Conan website. Finally, there are thousands of comics, books, and films out there. If you want to experience the world of Conan, there are many approaches you can take, but only in the MMO can you live, fight, and explore in Hyboria.

Well, in some aspects it follows the books rather good, but in other not.

I mean Conan isn't someone that runs around with a magical sword (or anything else magical for that matter) but in the game every barbarian does.

Conan don't uppgrade his gear either, he spend his money on women and booze. You can't really be like him in the game, but that is unfortunatley how post EQ MMOs are. LOTRO have the same problem, they both focus to much on loot and too little on the actual story.

All that said, AoC do have some wonderful enviroment that do feels like the books. The gear do often also look right, not always however. The graphical things are great as long as you have a good computer.

The group dynamics works rather fine also, and the classes feels rather fun. Some dungeons are really good even if I don't think they feel like anything in a Conan book.

The main problem of the game is really that there just isn't enough of things to do. You can't level 2 character without either grinding mobs and villas forever or doing 90% of  the same quests on both characters, the game really needs at least one expansion (like EQ2 did).

Still, the trial is free and the game is worth testing. Someone that have read Howard will fine many familiar places and characters. And the game have excellent voice acting for all quests in Tortage and some later, they are the best I seen in any MMO and adds a lot to the feeling of the game.

I don't play myself right now but plan to return to the game at some point.

Originally posted by Loke666

Well, in some aspects it follows the books rather good, but in other not.

I mean Conan isn't someone that runs around with a magical sword (or anything else magical for that matter) but in the game every barbarian does.

Conan don't uppgrade his gear either, he spend his money on women and booze. You can't really be like him in the game, but that is unfortunatley how post EQ MMOs are. LOTRO have the same problem, they both focus to much on loot and too little on the actual story.

All that said, AoC do have some wonderful enviroment that do feels like the books. The gear do often also look right, not always however. The graphical things are great as long as you have a good computer.

The group dynamics works rather fine also, and the classes feels rather fun. Some dungeons are really good even if I don't think they feel like anything in a Conan book.

The main problem of the game is really that there just isn't enough of things to do. You can't level 2 character without either grinding mobs and villas forever or doing 90% of  the same quests on both characters, the game really needs at least one expansion (like EQ2 did).

Still, the trial is free and the game is worth testing. Someone that have read Howard will fine many familiar places and characters. And the game have excellent voice acting for all quests in Tortage and some later, they are the best I seen in any MMO and adds a lot to the feeling of the game.

I don't play myself right now but plan to return to the game at some point.

I don't recall ever reading the chapter about where you can take a pill and get larger breasts or larger arms either. But that's in the game. You know Robert would have wanted it that way.

I am a huge fan of R. E. Howard and his works.  I thought the devs did an alright job trying to balance the lore with playable content that would be enjoyable to the masses.  I think the killer for me was the combat and the game mechanics.  At first I really liked the combat until I realized I was just playing "wack-a-mole"....

I am highly considering subing again. AoC after WoW is on my top list. When I get bored from Aion, I'll give AoC another go.

It's a game, so no, it won't satisfy your expectations for a cartoon, or your fantasies.

But if a low-fantasy setting, without wow-like neon world nintendo graphics is what you seek...

Welcome :)

The box is less than 10 dollars at amazon and includes 30 days free playtime, when its for a gift then this is better than doodling with a  free trial. The die hard lore nit-pickers will always hate the games/movies -  or whatever is based on their favorite works. The game feels like Hyboria to me and I think any Conan fan should try it. Yep, I did read some of the novels. It surely isn't too late to pick up the game, rather, its better to start now than having been there all the time lol

gl, hope she likes it if you do decide to make it her bday gift!

Originally posted by motorthor

The box is less than 10 dollars at amazon and includes 30 days free playtime, when its for a gift then this is better than doodling with a  free trial. The die hard lore nit-pickers will always hate the games/movies -  or whatever is based on their favorite works. The game feels like Hyboria to me and I think any Conan fan should try it. Yep, I did read some of the novels. It surely isn't too late to pick up the game, rather, its better to start now than having been there all the time lol

gl, hope she likes it if you do decide to make it her bday gift!

Yeah, the deeply into the lore folks traditionally dislike adaptations due to consistency. I have who after she saw one of my favorite movies (The Fellowship of the Ring) was extremely unhappy due to leaving out Tom B so your mileage may vary.

Still the trial is free and the box is pretty cheap so you are not out much if you do not like the game.