Today is Friday and that means it's time for this weeks Community Update.


Most Improved Game of 2009'

This week Funcom received a very exceptional award from world leading MMO website MMORPG.com for the work done to expand and enhance Age of Conan. The entire studio, let alone the entire Age of Conan Team is very proud to have received such a award over such titles as 'Lord of the Rings Online' and 'World of Warcraft' on our quest to expand our great game.

"'Age of Conan', and the work that the team at Funcom has put in on improving the game since launch, are a testament to the constantly evolving nature of MMOs," says MMORPG.com Editor Jon Wood. "There is no doubt in my mind that Age of Conan deserves to be the Most Improved Game of 2009."

The full article can be found on MMORPG.com.


Production Update

The production focus is again on two fronts after the holiday period. We are trying to close in on having 1.06 ready for the live servers, and also continuing to update the expansion beta and complete more of the Khitai content. In terms of 1.06 the team are tweaking and adjusting the Guild Renown system based on the feedback we have received so far, and generally working through the issues that crop up when an update starts to get closer to release. On the expansion front we are currently very focused on the gameplay implementation for the later playfields, and working on the scripting required and the encounters that will be found there.

On more current events, the system team has released some information on an Assassin revamp that is currently being planned for the next update. The revamp more specifically involves giving the Assassin class a unique set of mechanics that encourages meaningful tactical choices on the battlefield but also a distinct identity in how the class feels and plays to the player and their opponents. Additionally, the system team has factored in a lot of player and Advocate feedback which in return has shown positive reactions from the Testlive and Assassin communities. We are very excited about the initial reactions and we invite you to let us know what you think from the Assassin revamp thread posted on the Testlive forums this week.


In closing, we wanted to ensure that we have been on top of the feedback in regards to the recent server merge discussions. We will have some more information in relation to the server merges next week and will continue to follow your feedback very closely.