Age of Conan's "PvP Patch": A Renaissance in the Making?
DateTime:9/27/2009 11:20:23 AM
All quotes from the Official AoC Forums: "I love it. There are a few things that need changed, but overall, no OOM errors, no crashes, the occasional lag spike, but I can deal with that over the entire game crashing. Balancing is WELL on its way. But most of all, our server was jam packed, endless pvp."


This week marked the release of the much anticipated 'PvP Patch' that many thought would never come. In some ways, what is arguably the most important patch since launch, debuted to a collective yawn. This most likely happened for a couple of reasons. First, customer confidence in Funcom has been at an all time low, due to patch delays, continued performance and technical issues, and content related issues. Secondly, the new kid on the block, some WAR game, launched and all stage lights were focused on that theatre. What transpired in the days after Funcom's PvP patch was both unexpected (at least by this writer) and quite possibly a sign that King Conan may still have influence in the world of MMORPGs. In the days leading up to the patch, a couple of somewhat major events happened which point towards a possible Rennaissance for Funcom and Age of Conan.

"This patch is amazing to say the least."

First, Funcom published a list of Role Playing Rules and Guidelines. Why is this at all significant? Roleplayers, when given a venue and support, are extremely faithful to their games. What is significant about Funcom creating a haven for roleplayers is that it is the first step towards recognizing the importance of community within the MMORPG genre. Since the notorious 'Early Start' beta, Funcom has made a series of customer service blunders. Many of Funcom's player communications (whether it be due to cultural differences or bad choice of words) have been perceived as demeaning and flippant by much of the player base. Moves such as implementing role playing rules on RP servers are a step in the right direction and one way to gain some respect back from the player community. More frequent, open, and honest communication will go a long way towards bringing back jaded subscribers and influencing new customers to give Age of Conan a chance.