Mitra's Method: Stephen "weezer" Spiteri's Age of Conan Column

I had a chat with the king of Aquilonia this month, and while I was impressed by King Conan's hospitality, I was left wondering, "WWCD?" What Would Conan Do?

"You take your blade in one hand and your balls in the other, by Crom, and you cut them down, one by one, and if Crom wills it you will have their heads on a pike like a Stygian shish!"

This month, it's a satirical look at life on an open PvP server and raiding a beast on command of the king!

After spending 30 days in Hyboria, I decided it was time to check-in with myself and reflect on what has been so far:

"Personally, I've not been left disappointed by what I have experienced in the game so far... I wonder what the next 30 days are going to teach me."

In this edition of Mitra's Method, I take the time to stop and smell the roses.

It's here!

Yes, and after a minor delay (newborn-aggro), I am now pleased to bring to you all the answers to the questions you submitted to me over the week-and-a-half. Here's a sneak-peek:

4. What level do spell-casters get Spellweaving and how difficult is it to control it?
As far as I know, spell-casters are able to Spellweave from the very early levels, but you'd have a very limited array of spells at your disposal at that stage. Spellweaving is not difficult to control, but as a player you'd need to be careful not to push things too far, as a Spellweave that goes wrong can bear negative consequences on your character. These penalties vary. I would recommend experimenting first, just to see how far you can push your spell-caster and to get a feel for the various bonuses and penalties that can arise as a result of a successful or failed Spellweaving attempt.

Jump inside to see all the answers!

Mitra's Method is giving you the opportunity to ask your questions about Age of Conan!

"The NDA has been lifted for press members, so if there is anything you desire to be answered, then be sure to submit a question!"

'Read More' to find out how to submit your question, and the steps you need to take to do so.

The second instalment of my 'Age of Conan' beta journal entries, where I eagerly share my experiences wandering through the streets of Old Tarantia and lock horns with another eager PvPer:

"It wasn't long after I stepped off the jetty in the region of Bushbur in the Khopshef Province, that I noticed, what I assumed was a level 20, soldier-class character only a matter of yards in front of me... We stopped and stared at each other for a while, but it wasn't long into admiring the artwork in the armour pieces he was wearing that he actually drew his sword (which also looked spectacular) and shield and decided to rush at me. It was here where the PvPer within me uttered a loud primordial 'Yawp' and grinning, I said to myself, 'It's on like Donkey Kong!' Okay, so this is open PvP; so be it!"

Don't just sit there drooling over your keyboard; read the whole thing!

There's a difference between making big promises and being able to actually deliver on them:

"'Darkfall' makes quite a lot of promises itself, and yes, even I'll admit that it all sounds good, but where is it all working in front of us?"

This fortnight, we take a reality-check: 'Darkfall', where's the beef?

I've been given very special permission by Funcom this week to give everyone a special look inside Hyboria, in an exclusive found only here, on the WarCry network:

"As a player in this tapestry of drama and adventure, it felt truly as though I was single-handedly weaving the threads of this epic tale, unravelling it bit by bit."

Yep, it's a beta journal, and expect another one of these to come before release!

I quite enjoy PvP, myself, but without any rules to speak of set in place, basically what you've got is a breeding ground for gankers, "griefers", and spawn campers:

"Rules need to be established, and mechanics need to be implemented in order for things to be 'fair game' for all players."

This fortnight, we take a look at how Funcom can take the steps in encouraging fun and mature PvP on their PvP and RPvP servers.

This fortnight we go through 'Age of Conan' Game Director, Gaute Godager's "state of the game" report with a fine-tooth comb:

"At the end of the day someone has to say, 'This was a much better idea on paper than in the game. Let us focus on what is there - for the good of the whole game.'"

Yes, cuts are going to hurt players, but if we're doing so for the sake of maintaining a vision, then Gaute tells us that we must cut, cut, cut away, but in all honesty this is no real cause for major concern.

After having come back from Oslo, Norway, and settled back into "life, the norm", I'm as enthusiastic as I ever was about 'Age of Conan':

"Now we are on the final stretch, with the goal plain in sight."

This fortnight, we learn that the "Rome wasn't built in a day" philosophy also applies to game development.

I'll bet that you, the Mitra's Method faithful, are dying to read on and find out what I have learned about 'Age of Conan' and its progress through the beta stage.

"...This was an opportunity to see the groundwork of this game; the developers hard at work making this game what it is set out to be on May 20, 2008."

Today, it's information about the game itself with a plethora of information to come over the next coming days also.

None of us can predict the future, so why do we waste our time guessing about things that might come?

"We have this uncanny ability to break-down every single word Funcom utter and jump very quickly to our own conclusions. There's a soothsayer in every single one of us, it seems."

This fortnight the question is asked, "Is this our way of dealing with the wait?" and an opportunity for you to get your questions answered by Funcom in the weeks to come.

In this last regular edition of Mitra's Method for 2007, we take a look at the "year that was..." for 'Age of Conan'.

" If this year had bumps, then bring on the dips and loop-the-loops, by Crom!"

Is there truly merit into looking to the past to determine where one is headed in the future? This fortnight, you can be the judge of that.

What do you really want in Age of Conan? What is your Age of Conan "Christmas wish"?

"It's simply not good enough just to meet expectations in today's market; you have to go well beyond them!"

If you've been good this year, what are you hoping "Santa Gaute" to deliver to you by the time the game is finished, polished, and ready? This fortnight, it's more than just about a "good gaming experience", but the things you want and are hoping for in Age of Conan all together for that "awesome" feel.

Funcom has their server setup in place and Amsterdam and New Jersey are where players will be connecting to, but what about those wanting to join their friends abroad?

"Should you play on a server on another continent it would mean a potentially poorer gaming experience, latency wise, and we would like to avoid that at all cost."

This fortnight we explore what implications "crossing the tracks" will have on players from one continent to the next.