In the latest Monthly Development Update, the Age of Conan: Unchained team talks about the deployment of the Savage Coast of Turan, a new adventure pack coming in early 2012 and upcoming changes to the tradeskills system. It's a terrific look at what the team has been up to since the release of the free to play "Unchained" version of the game.

We have started preliminary work on a revamp of the tradeskill system that exists in the game. Now that many of the other areas have been tweaked and improved, it is an area that we have wanted to get at for some time. While tradeskills were never a huge selling point for a game with a license like ours, they are a key part of an MMO, so we have started work on new designs to revamp and invigorate the crafting systems in the game. This will be a lengthy process, as it is no small undertaking, and we will talk a lot more in terms of details towards the end of the year, and envision the new systems going live at some stage in the first half of next year (providing, as always, that all goes to plan). We didn't want to try and band aid the existing system, so this is more of a substantial update that will hopefully integrate a deeper, more involving system for people to enjoy.

Read more on the Age of Conan site.

This is one of the things i was kicking and screaming for back at the game's launch. But no, it was "combat, combat, combat". So, i bought the game anyway and after 3 months or so couldn't be bothered to log in anymore. That I was heading into a new school semester made it even easier to walk away.

Glad Funcom finally realized that a good crafting system will make people stick around. It's too late for them to get me back, though.

What I loathed the most about AoC's crafting system was the super high levels required to even begin crafting. It's just so dumb to give lower level players less stuff to do.

In my perfect MMO, I could focus on crafting and get to max level without ever engaging in combat.

Awesome... I love it. Craig should look in his forum I have several suggestions on how they can do this really really well :D. gogo funcom!.

Good....I remember gathering and doing shit with my craft skills....hope this works.

Oh what about Funcom allow us to go into Khitai too if we bought the xp pack....They have a lot of shit to do w/ the game.

give me my god forsaken PANTS!!!!!!