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Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures Collector's Edition
From Eidos
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3 new or used available from $169.88

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Product Details
Amazon Sales Rank: #199 in Computer & Video Games
Brand: Eidos
Released on: 2008-05-20
ESRB Rating: Mature
Platform: Windows
Format: CD
Features
First Mature rated MMORPG: Savage, bloody, violent and sexy; delivering the true essence of Robert E. Howard’s original vision. Real Combat System: Fight mounted or on the ground. Team up in battle formations
Diverse Gameplay: Build cities, craft unique artifacts, explore a fantastic world, befriend others and master the use of magic, steel or bows. True Conan Experience: Explore King Conan's amazing universe.
Conan’s World: Enter a gigantic and savage world spread across the three nations of Aquilonia, Cimmeria and Stygia. Explore jungles, deserts, mountains, valleys, dungeons and cities all depicted in rich, realistic detail.
Form guilds and lay siege to hostile castles in massive PvP battles. Team up with other players in clans or face the Hyborian dangers all by yourself. Let your imagination run wild with thousands of options.

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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Based on the events and characters of Robert E. Howard's Conan the Cimmerian stories, Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures is a fantasy themed massively-multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) that immerses players in a dark, expansive universe filled with ground-breaking brutal combat, dangerously intoxicating magical abilities, and the social and cooperative game features that MMORPG players crave.


The MMORPG finally matures


A troubled King Conan on his throne. View larger.


Test your metal in close combat. View larger.


Straddle War Mammoths & Killer Rhinos. View larger.


Lead your guild in player vs. player battles. View larger.


Explore the pleasures & pitfalls of the Hyborian Age. View larger.

Set in the later years of Conan's life, after he has famously become king by his own hand, the game centers around the fragile state of Conan's rule in Aquilonia. Surrounded by enemies and hostile nations, Conan's rule hangs by a thread and in the end, it's up to players, either singly or backed by their guilds to turn the tide for or against the embattled king.

Massively Multiplayer Gaming for the Adult Player
One of the most highly anticipated MMORPGs in recent years due to the strength and familiarity of the Conan franchise across a variety of major media, Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures is the first of several releases planned for the franchise, all of which are aimed at an adult audience. Firmly rooted in the savage, bloody, violent and sexy Hyborian universe, players can expect a graphically beautiful game blended with gritty gameplay that is true to both the barbarian hero from Howard's writings and the Schwarzenegger influenced version from books, movies and comics.

Available Cultures and Classes
Although Age of Conan contains a wide range of peoples, its playable cultures are currently limited to Aquilonians, Cimmerians, and Stygians. Within each of these players can choose from a selection of archetypal character classes, although available classes and subsequent subclasses are not necessarily the same within each culture. For example, archetypal classes for Aquilonians and Cimmerians are Rogue, Priest and Soldier, while Stygians are represented by Rogue, Priest and Mage. Further differences exist within subclasses for each. See the basic breakdown of all three cultures below:

Aquilonians: Internally divided, but united against their barbarian neighbors, the Aquilonians live lives on the edge. Their kingdom, with its prosperous cities, enlightened culture and religious freedom, is known as the "Flower of the West." Yet for all this and despite the power of King, Conan I, it is a land where culture clashes and unrest are always a threat.

Cimmerians: As the Hyborian Age comes to an end the northern barbarian clans of the Cimmerians know that the end of their time is drawing near too. King Conan I of Aquilonia is himself a Cimmerian, though not typical of his people. Although his life has been filled with wanderlust, his Kin care nothing for what occurs outside their clan territories.

Stygians: Masters of the magical arts and ruled by their consuming worship of the serpent-god Set, the Stygians excel at occult and diabolic lore. They learned long ago that true power lies in knowledge and in pacts with dark powers. This single-mindedness has allowed them become the only culture to harness the secrets of the Mage class and power that comes with it.

Modes Singleplayer as well as Multiplayer
Unlike most MMORPGs, Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures includes a significant singleplayer experience as well as deep overarching multiplayer gameplay. This is an atypical MMORPG feature, but one that has a purpose. Players enter the game as a lowly galley slave with no memory of his/her past, and over the first five to 20 levels of singleplayer action build the skills necessary to survive in the game's multiplayer levels. During this time you will traverse a variety of rich environments including jungles, deserts, mountains, valleys, dungeons and cities packed with NPCs, beasts and monsters, before eventually leveling up and moving back to your chosen culture's homeland. Because the only character-related choices that players have to make at the game's opening are their looks, clothing and culture, this singleplayer mode is important in deciding what class and subclass to pursue and thus the level of impact your character will have in greater multiplayer portions of the game.

In-game levels 20 and above are strictly multiplayer. 20-40 introduce players to guilds. 40-60 deal with large scale combat. 60-80 have the player interacting with King Conan and levels 80 and up represent end-game play. Here gameplay changes as social aspects of MMORPG gameplay take over on a large scale.

Real-time Combat That Takes Queues from the FPS
Traditionally MMORPGs have utilized a mix of auto and turn-based functionality in their combat systems, but Age of Conan dispenses with that, instead drawing inspiration from FPS/action games. Firmly rooted in the brutality of the Hyborian universe, game developer Funcom has devised an action-based system that not only provides the sense of actually being in the fight, but also requires the player to participate in it. That means no simple targeted attacks. Players can attack and defend from nearly any position in real-time, whether on the ground or atop a mount, while standing still or on the move. It's a recipe for carnage and one that fits right into the world of Conan.

The combat system in Age of Conan comes in three forms: drunken brawling, mini games like CTF and massive Player vs. Player battles, which lets you engage in siege combat to defend or attack a city. All are easy to learn, but difficult to master, providing hours worth of play and replay value and are the core of this new cutting edge MMORPG.

Additional items included in the Collector's Edition


Hand-finished, metal-embossed oversized collector's box with inlay page and individually numbered holographic sticker
Leather map of Hyboria (faux) 14" x 20"
The Ring of Acheronia (exclusive in-game item)
Unique Bonus DVD featuring trailers, behind the scenes, developer diaries, and rich artwork
Official Age of Conan soundtrack CD
Art Book (128 pages)
Five free guest passes giving friends online access to the game for a limited time
The Drinking Cape (bonus in-game item)
System Requirements:
Minimum Specifications: Recommended Specifications:
OS: Windows XP Service Pack 2 or Windows Vista
Processor: Intel Pentium 4 3Ghz or equivalent Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz or equivalent
RAM: 1GB 2048MB Dual Channel DDR2
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce 6600 or better NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GTX or equivalent
Video Memory: 128MB 512MB
DVD-ROM: Quad-speed (4x) DVD-ROM drive
Hard Drive Space: 30GB of Free Space
Other: Broadband connection required for online gameplay




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Customer Reviews
Wait, or expect frustration
I just cancelled my pre-order of this game. Have been (trying) to play this product in beta and it is the most buggy software I've ever seen. In addition, Funcom is providing 0 technical support at this time. I'll wait until the product has more polish if I purchase it at all.

Welcome to the 4th Generation of MMORPGs
Pre-ordering a game is something I don't take lightly. If I have an existing game account, there's no question. I'll pre-order an expansion or an upgrade because I'm going to play the game anyway, so why not have uninterrupted access to every new feature? Plus, most companies offer in-game bling or a grind-enhancer of some sort.

The best one I ever got was for pre-ordering one of the eleventy-million Everquest expansions (I forget which). The bonus was a box of potions - 10 shots of instant full health, and 10 shots of instant full mana. That doesn't sound like much, but for an existing top-end character with 15k hp or mana, that's like a gift from the gods for your character. 10 "get-out-of-stuff-free" cards and 10 "caster-second-winds" could turn a raid wipe into a big win. Along with EQ's free mounts and +XP% potions, they were some of the best pre-order bonuses I've seen in 9 years of MMO.

Of course, there's plenty of useless vault filler for bonuses, too - the "Satchel of Abu Kabar" (8 slot bag with a lil weight reduction, no-drop and only one character per account could claim) from EQ, or the crystal and shadow furniture sets - all around ugly in your choice of gray or bright blue - from UO come to mind.

Funcom as a company did okay with their pre-order bonuses for Anarchy Online - a fantastic game, btw. For their Shadowlands release, they gave away apartments with a view of the central city off the expansion. That being said, I'm excited that they've decided to make the pre-order bonus for Age of Conan a *real* incentive to purchase. There are some fantastic rewards for the collector's edition and the standard release. The Amazon.com pre-order bonus is an amazing Amazon Curved Bow - looks great and is supposed to pack a whallop for mid-level characters.

Personally, I ordered the collector's edition from GameStop to get the mammoth and the bag along with my pre-launch access. Now, almost 80 bucks for the CE is more than I usually like to spend on a game - I'm no warlord rolling in furs and drinking out of gold-plated skulls. Considering I'm jazzed enough launch a community site (clanoptera.org), I figured getting I'd get the CE since it would give me more to write about

This is a really big deal for me. I've played more MMORPGs since 1999 than I can acurately recall off the top of my head, and I beta-tested about half of those. I usually wait until about 6 months post-launch before buying a game from a new franchise because I like to give the Devs the opportunity to work the kinks out of the code before handing over my hard earned cred. "The Matrix Online" is a perfect case in point. It took them almost a year to get their crap together, and to this day, almost 4 years after launch, it's barely more than a time-suck with great graphics.

Age of Conan is a different story. I've read articles and interviews that have impressed me. I appreciate the depth of committment to story and quality of the game experience. I absolutely appreciate that they're going to open servers that cater to a variety of gaming styles - PvE, PvP, and RP-PvP. This means a lot to a RP-PVPer who experienced sheer heck in "Teh W0r1d of W4rcr4f7!!11one."

I particpated in the PvP Beta (and will be joining the open beta today) and found the game world stunning in its complexity and scope. It's big and it's beautiful. The game play is easy to learn and difficult to master, with a learning curve that is both encouraging and engaging. The system requirements are a little on the steep side, but this looks to be a line drawn in the sands of the MMORPG world, and it's positioned to set the standard for Generation IV of the MMO genre games.

The early access is a real coup in the world of MMO launches, as folks who order online tend to not receive their product by launch date. This pre-access allows for 10 days of unrestricted access while the happy customer waits for the arrival of their box with the game key.

All in all, I look forward to a smooth launch, an immersive gaming experience, and a more mature community than the average MMOG.

Thanks for reading!

UPDATE: Open beta is going swimmingly. At 1440 X 900 in the DirectX 9 version (I'm running Windows XP), the game runs at between 46 and 65 FPS outside of town, and from 40-50 FPS in a crowded area of the starting city. There have been server load crashes, but in a stress test, that's to be expected.

I've leveled 3 characters to the max allowed this beta (13) - A Tempest of Set, a Bear Shaman (both priests) and a Guardian (Soldier type). All three progressed with relative ease - the powers are really balanced well. The Tempest of Set, more casting oriented, does AoE damage, AoE Root, and a couple of Heals Over Time, while the Bear Shaman is more combat-oriented, with combo attacks for each attack direction. The guardian is all about being able to take lots of damage over long periods of time.

So far, the Tempest of Set is my favorite, but I'll try more classes this week and update again.

Though much of what AoC has to offer is either an upgrade or an offshoot of other MMO conventions (questing, for instance, providing the better gear rewards than standard drops), the combat system is truly unique. Every character has default hotkeys set up for three directional attacks:

Upper left, upper center, and upper right. In addition, while fighting, the player can see which of the three directions is being defended or shielded against, and by how much. For example, while I'm fighting a pirate, I may see him start with a shield symbol over his head and one to both the left and right of the character. That means he's prepared for an attack from any quarter. Once I start hitting him on one side, however, the shield symbols adjust - maybe 2 on the right and one on top with the left side being left open. It's at that point that the player wants to do a combo that attacks the left side, as the damage will not be so highly mitigated by the shielding.

It sounds complicated, but it's very visual and is quite easy to get into a second-nature rhythm after a few battles.

The world is separated into two complete versions - one for everyone that takes place during the day, and one that is strictly your own that takes place at night. During the day, quests and activities are available for group. At night (accessed from the Inn with a simple conversation with a quest giver), the world switches over to a series of stroyline quests where all the creatures, all the danger and all the rewards are yours and yours alone. It's during those night quests that the backstory of your character is filled in, and you can make a series of choices that put you into the center of the world's mythology.

It's really impressive.

I'll post more about the contents of the box set when it arrives (thanks for the feedback below).

normal edition & collector edition
whats different between normal edition and collector edition ? I wish you can put some information about it.

The above article was brought to you by discountedgame from http://astore.amazon.com/discountedgame-20/detail/B000V1OUTU/104-1536415-3560739

Age of Conan

Age of Conan
(commonly abbreviated as AoC) is an upcoming fantasy-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG) developed by Funcom for PC and the Xbox 360. Funcom has stated the release date is to be May 20, 2008, for the PC version
with the Xbox 360 version to follow later in 2009. Age of Conan began internal beta testing in Summer 2006, and opened the beta registration process on April 3, 2007.

Hyborian Adventures is the first installment in the planned Age of Conan series that will include expansion packs hinted at on the official forums. The Age of Conan series is set in the Hyborian Age, a fantasy setting created by Robert E. Howard in 1932. Age of Conan itself takes place within the continent of the Hyborian kingdoms, a year after the events depicted in Howard's sole Conan novel, The Hour of the Dragon. Hyborian Adventures' release will celebrate the 76th anniversary of the Conan franchise.

Like other MMO games, there will be a subscription fee. The official site states that you can play all the way up to level 20 out of a possible 80 level cap (levels 1-20 being the single player portion of the game) completely free of charge. Each player gets 30 days free when they start out, and that free-trial period does not start until the player chooses to enter the MMO portion of the games. The price of an 'Age of Conan Playtime Card' is $29.99 for two months (or $14.99 a month) proving that the speculation that the fee is the 'MMO standard' was correct. There is no life-time subscription availible, except to the 1st place winner of a recent contest that includes a prize package including a autographed Collector's Edition copy of the game and a life-time subscription fee to the game. Everyone else will need to pay the standard $15 a month in order to play online.

There is also a slated Age of Conan Fantasy Battle gmaes in development by Mongoose Publishing and an Age of Conan Strategy Board games published by Nexus Editrice.

games Overview
In development since 2003, Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures is an upcoming online action role-playing games based on the Conan the Cimmerian stories written by Robert E. Howard in the early 1930s. The game is being developed for the PC and the Xbox 360 by Funcom, the creators of the science fiction MMORPG Anarchy Online and the adventure gmaes The Longest Journey. While the games appears to be a semi-traditional (Only semi because some of the ways the gmaes actually work, for example it does not have the traditional "click and hotkey" combat system or general exploration system) MMORPG, Funcom prefers using the term "online action RPG" instead.

When first entering the world of Hyboria, the games is divided into two sections: In the first section you can choose if you want to play alone or with other players. At night, the gmaes is a single-player-experience, while at day it is a multiplayer-experience. Switching between the two is done by sleeping in an inn. This whole first part is done on an island called Tortage. When you reach level 20, you are allowed to leave the island and thus the second section takes the character created during the first portion to a whole new environment. The online world promises to be dynamic, as players may form guilds (player organizations), conquer territories and erect cities which are vulnerable to attacks by humanoid NPCs.

Originally the Tortage-part was going to be a full single-player-experience, but that has now been changed.
One of the primary attractions of Age of Conan is the "Real Combat" system, which promises greater player interaction during combat than previously seen in online role-playing games . The player is able to direct the swings of their character's weapon during combat to attack six separate target zones. Funcom has stated that this system will be easy to learn even for veteran MMORPG players who are used to "click and wait" combat; however, the specific details of this system have yet to be unveiled. In order to utilize the combat mechanics, the player will use 5 keys; 1, 2, 3, Q, and E. Other features will include battle formations, which impart bonuses to the group using them, and mounted combat, which will also use the "Real Combat" engine.

Funcom is focusing on developing content for the "end games," the time at which characters have reached maximum advancement, rather than the "grind" and promises a fast levelling process. Funcom has also promised the graphic nature of Robert E. Howard's short stories will not be toned down for the game.

Age of Conan has also recently been given a Mature 17+ rating. This can be seen on their latest video of a new region in games.

gamaes Characters
Characters in Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures are created via a user account on an online server. Characters created on one server are not usable on another; however, Funcom is planning to have a server transfer process for characters after the game is launched. Players create characters which function as their virtual avatars in the online world of Hyboria. When creating a character in Age of Conan, the player may choose from three playable races. The character is one of four archetypes (in bold) and one of three class selections for each archetype. There have been hints of more playable races with expansions.

A screenshot of the character creation and extensive customization featured in Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures.Aquilonian Cimmerian Stygian
Rogue
Assassin
Ranger
Barbarian
Rogue
Ranger
Barbarian
Rogue
Assassin
Ranger

Priest
Priest of Mitra
Priest
Bear Shaman
Priest
Tempest of Set

Soldier
Guardian
Dark Templar
Conqueror
Soldier
Guardian
Dark Templar
Conqueror
Mage
Necromancer
Herald of Xotli
Demonologist


On January 18th, 2008, Ten Ton Hammer announced that the Lich and Scion of Set classes would be merged into other existing classes. While specific details are not yet available, the general announcement can be found here.

games Combat

A helmeted warrior attired in Aquilonian armor, with Picts riding mammoths in the background.From an IGN interview with game director Gaute Godager of Funcom:

“ We call the engine Real Combat, and it is based on six directions, or ways, of attacking an opponent with a sword. First, you can hack down against the head. Second, you can slash diagonally down from the right, while the third is slashing the same way from the left. Fourth, you can thrust against the torso. Fifth, you can slash diagonally up from the left, and sixth, you can slash diagonally up from the right. The point here is that these directions lend themselves naturally to being strung together in combinations. These combos unlock additional damage and faster combat, if done well.”

More than any other feature, combat is the prime attraction of Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures. Funcom is determined to make the traditional Dungeons & Dragons-inspired "round-based" system of combat that is the current standard in RPGs obsolete. Instead Age of Conan will feature what Funcom has termed the "Real Combat" system. This system is a first-person melee approach in which every enemy starts with three different areas that players can swing at, with eventually five areas at the later levels. Players choose where they wish to swing along with which weapons. Spells, or techniques they wish to use are started by activating the combo via a button and then you must string together certain directions of successful attacks and then watch as their avatar completes the action. As players become better at using the system, they will find combinations of abilities, swing styles and target points that string together to make more devastating attack combos. While player stats and items bonuses will play a role in this system, the idea of "Real Combat" is to bring more player skill into MMO fighting.

Players will also have more fighting options than they may be used to in older MMOs. While the "Real Combat" system is the basis for one-on-one weapon battle, players will also use the system for spell-casting, ranged combat and even battling on horseback, mammoth-back, rhino-back, and camel-back (mounted combat). In some situations, however, players will choose to band together and unite their skills to face other bands of players or AI controlled armies or uber-mobs; in essence, "formations." While formations as originally intended are no longer in play, (no-one likes to lose control over their characters), it is now more location based effects for some classes (Stand in line with a Conqueror when he is running his formation, and you will have a great deal of resistance vs knockbacks for instance...)

Players will also take part in massive siege operations(confirmed). Adventurers can cooperate with one another to build massive cities with walls, towers and catapults that can protect player-owned taverns and merchant facilities. The world will respond appropriately to the rise of player cities, though, even AI controlled enemies will build their own cities, ensuring a constant stream of brutal city-vs.-city combat as players try to knock down enemy walls or defend their homes.

games Community
Player mounts in Age of Conan include horses, mammoths and rhinos.Due to the game being in rumored development since 2003, an online virtual community had steadily clustered around various fan websites regarding Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures. By February 2005, this informal community was still going strong despite no true public announcement concerning the rumored game. Finally, Funcom and Conan Properties LLC jointly confirmed the in-development status of Age of Conan in an official press release on April 20, 2005. Shortly thereafter, a primitive game website debuted and thousands of Conan enthusiasts migrated from their fan sites to the new official forums hosted by Funcom. Many Anarchy Online fans also followed the development of the product due to the involvement of Funcom, who created the Anarchy Online PC series.

Between March 2005 and January 2006, Funcom periodically revealed concept art and screenshots from Age of Conan. The Art Director for the Conan project is Didrik Tollefsen, known for such classics as The Longest Journey and Anarchy Online - Shadowlands, which won the Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction award at RPG Vault in 2003.

On January 24, 2006, Funcom unveiled the community portal for Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures. By this time, much of the pre-launch community had gathered around the forums and IRC chat of the official Age of Conan website. There were informal events such as IRC chats with the developers and, in summer 2006, community contests.

In April 2006, Funcom created a Guild Hall for its pre-launch community and, within hours, forum members began organizing their "player guilds." These guilds consist of individuals who typically share the same playing styles and gmaes play opinions. In January 2007, several important updates were announced regarding class merges and the expected launch window for the games. On January 12th, Funcom announced the original twenty-three classes had been merged down to fourteen classes due to beta feedback.

On April 3, 2007, Funcom began its Beta Sign-Up program which attracted more than 100,000 gamers over the Easter holiday. Shortly thereafter, the "technical beta" phase began on April 27, 2007, and several hundred individuals from the Age of Conan online community began formal testing.

On January 14, 2008, despite earlier comments to the contrary, Pharamond posted on the official forums that there will be an Open Beta, with more details to be announced closer to release date.

On February 7, 2008, Funcom and Eidos announced that over 500,000 people had signed up for the Beta Testing of Age of Conan.

games Setting

An Aquilonian character in Age of Conan gazing at the snowy mountains of northern Cimmeria.From an OGaming interview with game director Gaute Godager of Funcom:

“ The [Hyborian Age] is like a dark, decadent, twisted and corrupt version of Euro-Asian history. Mix a bit of the Roman Empire, Mongolian culture and Babylonian mysticism with '30s-era myths of undiscovered Africa... ”

Age of Conan is set in a low fantasy, pseudo-historical ancient world called the Hyborian Age created by Robert E. Howard. In this world filled with cruel gods, mythical creatures, lost civilizations and a struggling human race, the mighty warlord Conan has finally seized the throne as king of Aquilonia. Yet King Conan's grip on the Aquilonian throne has become tenuous, with ancient evils threatening to throw the realm into chaos. In this twisted fantasy world, dark magic and brutal combat lurks around every corner, and each man and woman must carve their own unique destiny under Conan's reign. In the true vision of Robert E. Howard's dark universe, the time is ripe for those with the strength and will to carve out their own destinies.

The primitive brutality and decadent bacchanalia of the Hyborian Age is one of the unique attractions of Age of Conan due to its stark contrast to the high fantasy settings that typify the majority of contemporary MMOs such as EverQuest II, The Lord of the Rings Online and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. In Age of Conan, there are few of the elements that are common in high fantasy, such as elves, halflings, or Arthurian courtliness. Though one can have a fantasy setting with elves and the like and still be "Low Fantasy" as the defining factor is lack of moral dichotomy of altruistic good, and pure unredeemable evil, this is rarely, if ever, the case.

Instead, Hyboria is a land of neither good nor evil, but "moral shades of gray" in which Conan, himself, is a barbaric anti-hero and his enemies are, upon occasion, rightful princes or altruistic minstrels revolting against his militaristic autocracy. As such, this moral ambiguity and bloodthirsty atavism of R.E. Howard's Hyborian Age sometimes disconcerts newcomers to the lore who are accustomed to the classicist fantasy of authors like C.S. Lewis.

games Music
There are three principal individuals overseeing the music and audio for Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures. The Audio Director is Morten Sørlie, who created the widely hailed soundtrack for Anarchy Online - Shadowlands. Sørlie is accompanied by sound designer Tord D. Nikolaisen, and composer Knut Avenstroup Haugen who is writing the musical score for the game. To create a fitting musical score for the Hyborian universe, composer Knut Avenstroup Haugen turned to many different sources. For the music of the different ethnic groups, Haugen studied traditional music from relevant parts of the world. For the overall theme of the Hyborian Age, Haugen researched its musical history, primarily Basil Poledouris' orchestral soundtrack to the Conan the Barbarian (1982) film, while avoiding conventions that connect too closely to specific historical periods.

gameplay | discounted games
It is considered a discountedgame since the price has dropped from $49.99 to $45.90. Click discountedgame astore for details.

Technology
Funcom

Tortage City, the backwater capital of the Barrachan Isles, as seen in Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures. DreamWorld Engine
The DreamWorld graphics engine was developed by Funcom circa 2000. Other computer gmaes powered by DreamWorld technology include Anarchy Online and its various expansion packs. When Funcom began developing Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, the company reviewed its existing technology base and decided to focus on the further evolution of their proprietary DreamWorld engine as opposed to licensing a third-party engine like many online RPG companies do. As such, Funcom began to retool their engine with the overall design, pipeline and implementation process was taken into account. In light of these changes, the DreamWorld engine has been rebuilt for Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures with new features, special effects and optimizations.


"Real Combat"
"Real Combat" is being touted by Funcom as a revolutionary approach to combat in online RPGs where the player is in direct control of the character's weapon strikes in real time. This multi-point melee and ranged combat system is purportedly easy-to-learn and is one of the prime attractions of the title. Allegedly, the "Real Combat" system will take the ritualized combat experience previously found in online RPGs in a new direction. For this system, Funcom has also added aspects such as formation combat, mounted combat, siege combat and hive combat.


games Cheetah
Cheetah is a shader-oriented proprietary render engine re-written from scratch by Funcom featuring a phong per pixel lighting system. This engine allows for improved graphics and ambience. This is coupled with a trapezoidal shadow system, an in-house system developed by Funcom that allows all objects to cast shadows onto everything.


Perlin noise-based cloud generating system
Perlin noise-based cloud generating system is a five-layered procedural system that enables multiple layers of dynamic clouds; thus, visually-realistic cloud behavior.

SpeedTree
SpeedTree is a programming package produced by Interactive Data Visualization, Inc. (IDV) that aims to produce high-quality virtual foliage in real time, suitable especially for video games but also aimed to a lesser extent at some other kinds of simulations. It has so far been licensed to a substantial number of video games developers, including developers of the Unreal engine series. SpeedTree is currently being used in several games, one of which is a MMO action gmaes World War II Online, and the renowned RPG The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.


games DirectX 10
"Funcom is proud to be one of the few developers who is tapping into this technology, and we look forward to showing you even more of DirectX 10. Some of the improvements visible in the videos and the screenshots are improved parallax mapping, better lighting and more advanced shadows technology. DirectX 10 will also make it possible to have sharper textures, more details in every scene, longer view distances and much more."