2. Combat

2A. Real Combat

How the combat system works in Age of Conan
The quick answer is: unlike anything you've ever seen before in any MMO. One of the key features in Age of Conan is the revolutionary approach to real-time combat. With real combat we have created a system that really brings players into the game and make them active participants in the battles they fight. That means giving them complete control over their attacks in real-time, and where they aim their attacks. This is a much more hands-on approach to MMO combat, where the players must make strategic decisions regarding how they stand in relation to the enemies they are fighting. We call this the Real Combat System, and it promises to bring a unique element of action to MMO combat.

Real Combat System
When fighting with a sword, an axe or other melee weapons in Age of Conan, you actually have to direct your weapons in certain directions yourself, in real-time. Whereas in other games of the genre you usually just have to target something and then click a “fight” button, in Age of Conan you have to perform the strikes yourself in one of six different directions. This makes battles much more interesting in terms of action, and you have a far greater control on how your character fights. With the unique targeting system you can also hit multiple enemies at once, so if you happen to slash your sword through two enemies standing next to each other, both of these will suffer damage. It is all, in one word, real.

Meanwhile, players who enjoy fighting with ranged weapons will also experience the real combat system. Whereas in most games of the genre you will equip a bow, click a “Fire” button and then see your character fire the arrows automatically, in Age of Conan you will actually have to string the bow yourself, aim and fire manually as you would in a single-player game. This makes archery more demanding, but it also makes it incredibly much more exciting.

Player-made battle formations
Players (and even computer-controlled enemies) will be able to create formations that will increase the participants damage output and defense rating, as well as giving special types of attacks. A formation will have a leader who can designate spots in the formation for players, and the players have to stand at the specific spot for the formation to reach its maximum potential. Formation combat will naturally be very useful in PvP battles, but will also play a vital role in PvE. You can break out of a formation at any time should you wish, but being inside one will improve your chances of winning. Many formations work in an almost rock-paper-scissor kind of way. For instance if you have a formation of horse riders thundering down on you, a good pike formation may do the trick in breaking them up.

Fighting while riding on horsebacks
As a player you will be able to acquire mounts such as a horse or a camel, and a central part of the combat system actually revolve around being able to fight from the back of your mount. Not only is it possible to swing your sword and strike your foe while mounted, but it can actually help you deal greater damage if you plow through your enemies while mounted. Players will for instance be able to equip a lance, a weapon that becomes extremely lethal if you are able to time your attack right.

Level of gore in combat
Staying true to the original books of Robert E. Howard and the Conan license in general means that the combat will be bloody, barbaric and brutal. Age of Conan will be a Mature rated game, and this allows us to bring a truer depiction of combat than what you normally see in MMOs. So, there will be blood, there will be decapitations and the violence will be graphic and true to the lore.

Control of attacks
You can control your characters combat moves in real-time. Contrary to other massive online games, you thus won’t fight only by clicking a series of icons. You will have to use your keyboard or a gamepad to strike in certain directions and you have to aim your attacks manually. All in all there is a massive amount of strategic opportunities, but the initial system will be quite easy to learn the first time you enter the game.

2B. PvP & Siege Combat

Real Time Combat System in PvP combat
The Real Combat System is how we handle combat throughout the entire game. When fighting with other players you still use the same rules and dynamics as when fighting computer-controlled enemies. To prevent exploits there may be certain limitations.

Fighting between players
Age of Conan have a deep PvP system where you can tests your skills against other players in different kinds of modes and environments. There will be three main PvP modes in the game, Siege PvP, PvP mini-games and drunken brawling.

However, fighting between players is consensual because it is limited to certain areas of the game world. If you want to avoid player-versus-player combat, all you have to do is avoid these areas. The Border Kingdom is the main region for the massive PvP combat, and here player guilds will fight over ownership of battlekeeps. We may also add free for all PvP servers if there is a sufficient amount of players who wants this. We have built the technology to launch free for all PvP servers should there be a demand.

Border Kingdom
King Conan has opened up for expansion into the bothersome Border Kingdom that lies north of Aquilonia, and several individuals in his court will thus sponsor settlements in this region. This means that the players can set up their own persistent castle, or battlekeep as we call them, in these areas. The battlekeep must be defended against other guilds that want these highly lucrative areas. The Border Kingdom is, in general, a deadly place where you are wise to tread carefully.

In addition, there are other areas to engage in player-versus-player combat besides the Border Kingdom. You can, for instance, pick a fight at a tavern once you get drunk enough, or you can get involved in mini-games in the arenas. But generally other players will not be able to harm you outside the Border Kingdom unless you want them to.

Battlekeeps

Drunken fighting