Faq/Technology

From WikiAOC

[edit] 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.

[edit] 11.2 What sort of new technology does the game feature?

We’ve worked closely with Microsoft on DirectX 10 technology. To our knowledge, Age of Conan is the only MMO developed from the ground up with DirectX 10 in mind (though it runs perfectly well under DX9, as well).

[edit] 11.3 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.

[edit] 11.4 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.

[edit] 11.5 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.

[edit] 11.6 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.

[edit] 11.7 How many people can play on each server?

We would like to reach market standards, meaning about 3500 players online at any given time approaching 5000 during peak hours, but no final decisions have been made. 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.

[edit] 11.8 How many characters can I have?

Our current plan is to have 8 character slots in total, covering all servers, but that may change during beta as we get feedback from our testers.

[edit] 11.9 How many players can be visible on-screen at the same time?

We’re currently optimizing this during the beta phases. Massive siege battles are a huge part of gameplay in Age of Conan and gigantic fights involving lots of different characters are a cornerstone of the game’s design.

[edit] 11.10 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.