FAQ/Quests

Will there be any quests in Age of Conan?

Yes, lots of them. Quests are an integral part of the game (though it by no means is the only way of developing your character), and you will encounter many of them as you progress through the world of Hyboria. Quests can be given by certain computer-controlled characters, or you can stumble upon then out in the terrain and have them offered to you.

How do quests work in the game?

We're trying to avoid having quests being all about tasks that just involve killing things or delivering items. While you will certainly find these in the game – after all, they can be quite rewarding when you don't want to dive too deep into a quest line – there are also several quests that really takes skill, strategy and planning to complete. Many quests are multi-layered and they require interacting with both characters and the environment in order to be completed. They also may include puzzle-solving that may require one or several people to break. In addition many of the quests are presented in a very cinematic manner, where NPC’s with spoken dialogue will present the story of the world to you in a way you have not seen in MMOs so far.

You will actually have puzzle-solving in the game?

Yes! While Age of Conan first and foremost is a massively multi-player online game, we realize that one of the major strengths of single-player games is their ability to create involving quests that can really alter the way the world works around the player. In Age of Conan there will be several quests where you will have to do more than just killing or delivering things. This has always been one of the major problems with massive online games, the fact that quests often tend to be non-interactive and not varied enough to really capture the player's imagination. We really aim to change this with Age of Conan, adding quests that are both interactive, captivating and exciting.

Any concrete examples?

Well, one quest that is planned for the game involves having to find food in the form of ice worms in order to distract a dragon that is blocking the player's path. By collecting the food and laying it out for the dragon to see, they might distract it long enough to slip past it. Another one is where you need to burn your way to the bushes, and in order to do so you must first find a torch which will do the job.

How will you interact with characters?

Whereas most MMOs feature boxes full of text which pops up when you talk to a NPC, Age of Conan takes an entirely different angle. Funcom, the developers of the game, are also the makers of the award-winning adventure games The Longest Journey and Dreamfall, and we're using this experience to create interactive conversations with computer-controlled characters that sometimes resemble what you would find in such games. The game can take control of the camera and give you a special angle when talking to computer-controlled characters, and there will be a branching dialog-tree where you can choose what to say and what to reply when talking to these. The storytelling element is always present.

Will exploration of the world be tied up to quests?

Yes and no. You will be able to explore many parts of the world without ever touching a quest, but many areas can only be traversed by reaching certain goals and meeting specific challenges. For instance, in one case, you will have to gain access to a gondola in order to make the ascent up a mountainside so that you can progress further into the region you are exploring.

Will quests be long and complicated or short and simple?

Both, actually. You will find those epic adventures and quests that take a long time to complete, but you will also find quests that can be finished in a short period of time. Both are quite valuable – the long quests may give you more of a challenge and may feel more rewarding, but sometimes you're just logging in to play for a short time, and then shorter quests are more rewarding.

Will players be able to give out quests?

To a certain degree, but they will have to do that by themselves. There is no system in place for that, and players will not be able to create quests as such. A player can, of course, say that he'll pay money if another player delivers or goes out to kill certain creatures, but it has to be handled by the player themselves. Creating a system for this has not been a focus in the development of Age of Conan.