Age of Conan: Unchained was recently updated with a new tier 4 raid in the Jade Citadel. We caught up with Game Director Craig Morrison to talk about the changes and the challenges that players will find and take a peek into the game's future. Read on!

MMORPG.com: Update 3.3 is critical for the Priest of Mitra class, what changes can players expect?

CRAIG MORRISON: The Priest of Mitra feat trees have primarily been improved and streamlined while making sure that the actual style of play of the Priest of Mitra class did not change dramatically. Several core spells have been updated to make them more useful and less situational and some have been made more user-friendly, and easier to manage. All the changes were done with the main goal of improving the flow of the gameplay experience of the Priest of Mitra.

Read more of Garrett Fuller's Age of Conan: Unchained - Craig Morrison Speaks.

Lots of good stuff coming for this game this year.  I myself am enjoying my time back, playing a brand new Priest of Mitra from scratch and enjoying it.  It's at least something to tide me over for the next few months till TSW and GW2 hit.  The game has definitely improved the areas that made me quit 3 months after launch.  The game is optimized better and I don't crash all the time or have 5 minute loading screens and the level gaps are gone and xp comes faster so the long climb to 80 isn't so laborious.  Glad this game didn't close shop.

I know this is a 2008 game. I remember the graphics being superb. However, after recently installing it to experience their F2P, I was so underwhelmed that I had uninstalled before entering Tortage. The graphics, even maxed out on my GTX 580, looked extremely dated and the combat was much clunkier than I remembered.

I guess the "cartoony" look is the way to go, as WoW is MANY years older, yet something about it rings more modern.

Originally posted by mmoDAD

I know this is a 2008 game. I remember the graphics being superb. However, after recently installing it to experience their F2P, I was so underwhelmed that I had uninstalled before entering Tortage. The graphics, even maxed out on my GTX 580, looked extremely dated and the combat was much clunkier than I remembered.

I guess the "cartoony" look is the way to go, as WoW is MANY years older, yet something about it rings more modern.

 

Edit: Let me just make it short, This game has the best graphics of  99% of any new MMO to date still. thats all im gana say.

Originally posted by mmoDAD

I know this is a 2008 game. I remember the graphics being superb. However, after recently installing it to experience their F2P, I was so underwhelmed that I had uninstalled before entering Tortage. The graphics, even maxed out on my GTX 580, looked extremely dated and the combat was much clunkier than I remembered.

I guess the "cartoony" look is the way to go, as WoW is MANY years older, yet something about it rings more modern.

 

dont get this comment..game is still the best looking mmo on the go atm.

Originally posted by mmoDAD

I know this is a 2008 game. I remember the graphics being superb. However, after recently installing it to experience their F2P, I was so underwhelmed that I had uninstalled before entering Tortage. The graphics, even maxed out on my GTX 580, looked extremely dated and the combat was much clunkier than I remembered.

I guess the "cartoony" look is the way to go, as WoW is MANY years older, yet something about it rings more modern.

I agree on th cluncky combat feeling, i dropped AoC now and playing DCUO and that action combat combat feel lighting fast compared to AoC, it also have a Rock-Scissor-Papaer at the core of its mechanics makes it really immediate.

But regarding the graphics the only bad thing is that some ambient  models (flat walls, flat ground) have only a poor texture + a poor bump map, which gives a really old school Doom feeling, could they use micro tessellation technology it would look astonishing as the rest does (caustics from outside the water, volumetric lighting...). SO if the graphics looked bad on your box you probably had some very wrong settings or your aestethics for graphics is really peculiar, because even if it is a 2008 game it still has the best graphics of any currently published MMO.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gF3AqaCQUVA

Good game..but ohh god it's boring listening to Craig talk.

Originally posted by mmoDAD

I know this is a 2008 game. I remember the graphics being superb. However, after recently installing it to experience their F2P, I was so underwhelmed that I had uninstalled before entering Tortage. The graphics, even maxed out on my GTX 580, looked extremely dated and the combat was much clunkier than I remembered.

I guess the "cartoony" look is the way to go, as WoW is MANY years older, yet something about it rings more modern.

 

Yeah realistic looking games tend to date pretty fast.  When you compare this game to something like Arkham City or Skyrim it sort of just falls apart. But if you actually look at the graphical power used in making spell effects, mobs, and cities you can kind of see that the graphics are still probably the best in the industry.

Originally posted by troublmaker

Originally posted by mmoDAD

I know this is a 2008 game. I remember the graphics being superb. However, after recently installing it to experience their F2P, I was so underwhelmed that I had uninstalled before entering Tortage. The graphics, even maxed out on my GTX 580, looked extremely dated and the combat was much clunkier than I remembered.

I guess the "cartoony" look is the way to go, as WoW is MANY years older, yet something about it rings more modern.

 

Yeah realistic looking games tend to date pretty fast.  When you compare this game to something like Arkham City or Skyrim it sort of just falls apart. But if you actually look at the graphical power used in making spell effects, mobs, and cities you can kind of see that the graphics are still probably the best in the industry.

 

More than just probably. The character models in AoC have no equal in any other MMO. On top of this they also took (and are in the process of taking) the developments for TSW on graphics to show that into AoC aswell. In other words AoC has a skin of 2012 developments on top of something that already look great. TSW have no hope in matching the quality of the AoC character models. AOC rocks on graphics performance and animations. No doubt about that.

Originally posted by troublmaker

Originally posted by mmoDAD

I know this is a 2008 game. I remember the graphics being superb. However, after recently installing it to experience their F2P, I was so underwhelmed that I had uninstalled before entering Tortage. The graphics, even maxed out on my GTX 580, looked extremely dated and the combat was much clunkier than I remembered.

I guess the "cartoony" look is the way to go, as WoW is MANY years older, yet something about it rings more modern.

 

Yeah realistic looking games tend to date pretty fast.  When you compare this game to something like Arkham City or Skyrim it sort of just falls apart. But if you actually look at the graphical power used in making spell effects, mobs, and cities you can kind of see that the [strike]graphics[/strike] aestethics are still probably the best in the industry.

fixed it for you

It's worth mentioning that the newer areas like the House of Crom actually uses all the features of the updated engines, with lighting and all. The older areas have gotten a touch-up, but the newer areas look even more impressive.

All pretty much more of the same,  pushing class imbalnces even further apart ,. over powering  over powered classes.  It is clear they have a group of "fans" (I mean"Friends) they are catering to and everyone else is just extra money.

Tomorrow...tomorrow and tomorrow.When it comes to the crafting re-vamp thats been talked about for over a year  and complained about, from pre-launch.

Originally posted by mmoDAD

I know this is a 2008 game. I remember the graphics being superb. However, after recently installing it to experience their F2P, I was so underwhelmed that I had uninstalled before entering Tortage. The graphics, even maxed out on my GTX 580, looked extremely dated and the combat was much clunkier than I remembered.

I guess the "cartoony" look is the way to go, as WoW is MANY years older, yet something about it rings more modern.

 

WoW looks applling next to this game, much like GW looks horribly dated now (After seeing video and screenies of GW2 I have worries about that game also, but I digress). Yes, it has many issues but the graphics and combat are aces. As for DCUO, yeah, I like that too, but its just too much of a button masher. AoC actually requires you to use your brain - but I realize this is tough for many. Well, it should be a challenge, yes? Not just one button click like most other MMO's. Also, yes, Funcon need to get thier $h1t together as well - god they are slow sometimes. [Mod Edit]

I can't believe soemone would complain about Age of Conan's graphics, honestly shocking.

The only thing I could say about its graphics is that AoC's female characters are ugly, both in body, animation, hair and faces.  Male characters look like they were created by a far more talented group of people than the female characters.

Thats it.  The rest of AoC is realy superb.

 I myself am enjoying my time back, playing a brand new Priest of Mitra from scratch and enjoying it.  It's at least something to tide me over for the next few months till TSW and GW2 hit.

Originally posted by mmoDAD

I know this is a 2008 game. I remember the graphics being superb. However, after recently installing it to experience their F2P, I was so underwhelmed that I had uninstalled before entering Tortage. The graphics, even maxed out on my GTX 580, looked extremely dated and the combat was much clunkier than I remembered.

I guess the "cartoony" look is the way to go, as WoW is MANY years older, yet something about it rings more modern.

 

Whatever you have been smoking...I DO NOT want it.

You can't be serious, as AOC is still the best damn looking mmorpg game out of all currently released ones, with one of the most innovative and enjoyable combat systems.

AOC had its flaws sure, but graphics and combat ARE NOT one of them.

"... the problem we often see with significant PVP centric balance adjustments like this is that too many try and give feedback based on how they think it will work , rather than trying it out for themselves, so hopefully players will dive in and test out those changes when they go to test during the summer."

You are such a piece of work Craig. Did you honestly just say that? You are placing blame on the COMMUNITY for its feedback regarding PvP balance? What a joke. You have never listened to a f***ing thing the community told you to do.

You banned half the best Pvpers on US servers from the Testlive forum for telling you how broken your ranger revamp was and said they were "discussing exploits" because they called you out for leaving in combo molding.

Look at Shrines of Bori. You made us do a PvE material grind for the best PvP gear in game. There were pages and pages of feedback on how to fix this system, and you guys put in HORSE RACING AND STORYTELLING instead.

Look at the statistical discrepency between a pvp 0 caster and a pvp 10 soldier. In what universe do you think putting these characters against eachother in a PvP situation would be enjoyable gameplay to either character?

You and your dev team are clueless about class and gear balance because you DON'T PVP IN YOUR OWN GAMES, much less on every class. You aren't even a gamer, you are a salesmen with what used to a be great product that is now bastardized.

Don't give funcom any more money, its only going to the Secret World, their next Pve lobby game with zero resources devoted to balanced PvP.

He talks a good game, but I dont know.

Ill install and maybe play for a bit to see.

I agree ALL pvp games match vets vs noobs. TSW is no different. Premade v pug = fail. End of story.

Random should be random. No premades allowed.

Originally posted by Wolfmeister

He talks a good game, but I dont know.

 

Ill install and maybe play for a bit to see.

 

I agree ALL pvp games match vets vs noobs. TSW is no different. Premade v pug = fail. End of story.

Random should be random. No premades allowed.

 

 

This is from the 4/1/2012. You are late my friend.