11.0 Technology

Read all about the technological aspects of Age of Conan, from how the graphics is rendered to how it all sounds.

11.1 What graphics engine is Age of Conan running?

Age of Conan is based on Funcom’s proprietary DreamWorld engine, which we’ve been working on since our MMO Anarchy Online, which started production in 1996. Today, it is one of the most advanced MMO graphics engines in the industry and renders locations, characters, and effects in a way that pushes the boundries of what was previously possible in an MMO.

11.2 Will Age of Conan use instancing?

Yes. Funcom was the company that pioneered the use of instancing in Anarchy Online and we will do so again in Age of Conan. Our design philosophy has focused on providing extremely detailed areas. For example, trees and grass move in the breeze, boats rock gently on the seas, and NPCs roam, wander, go off to get drinks and come back, and so on.

Perhaps most importantly, instances will also allow us to set certain areas aside for the individual player and keep things fun, engaging, and intimate. There are also wider, more open areas with lots of people for those who want the feel of a big crowd around them at all times. This is a tricky decision to make, but we feel the level of detail we’re able to put into an instanced world makes for the best, most immersive MMO experience to date.

11.3 Will the game be presented in surround sound?

We use a 7.1 surround sound system for Age of Conan. In addition, many of the key computer-controlled characters in the game feature voice acting, and we’re spending a lot of time and effort on making an epic score for the game, as well as incredibly realistic ambient and combat sounds.

11.4 How do you control your character?

The traditional “mouse and keyboard”-style play is the usual way of playing. We largely use the familiar WASD layout for movement, with some unique controls for the combat system.

11.5 What are the available view perspectives?

The majority of the game is played in third person mode, but you can zoom in and out using the keyboard or the mousewheel and switch into first person should you wish to.

11.6 How many people can play on each server?

Our goal is to have a low enough population on each server so that “everybody knows your name,” since that will make the rivalries more fun and exciting and create a sense of community while maintaining that Massively Multiplayer feeling.

11.7 How many characters can I have?

You have 8 character slots in total, covering all servers.

11.8 What’s this I hear about an Xbox 360 version?

We’re working on an Xbox 360 version of Age of Conan and will be ready to release precise details sometime after the launch of the PC version.