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

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.

Funcom announced last week that female characters in 'Age of Conan' will be as strong and able as male characters in their game.

"The strong, fierce and independent female is perfectly in line with the lore of Howard, however, we have expanded it to include ALL the female players."

But what of what makes men and women so distinct from each other? Can "realism" lend itself easily into the MMO? This fortnight, it's making what's real as real as it can be in 'Age of Conan'.

Funcom are promising us a lot with this game, and so our expectations are high.

"'Age of Conan' is not highly-anticipated for nothing; it offers so much, something unique, and does so very, very boldly."

This fortnight, we ask ourselves if there's a danger in 'Age of Conan' peaking so early or setting the benchmark too high too soon. Can Funcom truly set the standard for MMO gaming with 'Age of Conan'?

Gaming is a serious industry, and so now you have serious gamers. But this I ask you: what ever happened to game being played just for fun?

"The standard response to this would simply be, 'Get over it; it's just a game' but for some individuals, it's not just a game, it's a way of life!"

This fortnight we look at how such an emotional investment into 'Age of Conan' may be affecting your own potential enjoyment of the experience the game has to offer now and at release.