Age of Conan Event Report, Parts Two and Three

MMORPG.com has kicked up the second and third installments to their detailed report of Funcom’s recent press event for Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures.

For those who might not be aware, mounts are currently available to players at level 40. At launch, there are 6-8 different horse variations to choose from and while the developers are looking at the possibility of low level mounts, nothing is currently in the works. Now, on to the combat:

Horses, they’re not just for riding anymore as Age of Conan introduces the ability to actually fight from the back of your mount. I didn’t believe it until I saw it, and it’s a refreshing change from getting knocked off of my horse every time I get attacked by some depraved animal in the wilderness.

To go into a little more detail, characters can fight from the backs of their horses in Conan using whatever weapons that they happen to be carrying. Not only that, but the horse can make attacks all on its own (trust me, it’s pretty funny to watch as enemies try to sneak up behind a rider only to get their faces kicked in by the horse’s hind legs).

Mechanically, the feature is designed to simulate real mounted combat. Players who are mounted are able to attack with their swords on the left and right flank of the horse, while enemies behind and in front are out of reach (with the exception of the kick I mentioned before). Speed too plays a factor in combat, as does maneuverability. These horses don’t turn on a dime, and like real horses, need at least a little bit of space to turn in.

Once a player is mounted, the character and the creature share health (being mounted gives a health boost for just this reason) and currently when the mount dies, so does the character. That isn’t to say that they aren’t looking at the possibility of changing that in the near future. Speaking of the future, there are also post-launch plans to give mounts their own paper dolls and equipment, making them an even greater extension of the character.