July Progress Report: Anarchy Online

Nowadays, when gamers hear the name "Funcom", the trumpeting horns of Hyboria's armies can be heard approaching over the next ridge. Sexualized barbarism & bloodshed rest on the tip of our tongues, and in the seat of our minds, for we are undoubtedly thinking of Age of Conan. That's fair enough, as Funcom's newest MMO has been heavily publicized since it's release, easily overshadowing the uniquely realized (though dated) world of Anarchy Online.
Senior Designer Brad L. McAtee has written up a short post on the official website to assure us that, despite the general "loneliness" of his office (July is vacation month), a few dedicated employees are still punched in and crunching away on Anarchy Online's newest features. "Newest features?" you scoff, as you raise an eyebrow. I don't blame you. The game has been slow to update since a significant portion of Funcom's resources have been funneled off to AoC in the last year or two. Nonetheless, Brad, or "Kintaii", has some big plans for the next update, including new head models, Keeper nano changes, and world additions.

Anarchy Online's content updates start with some revamped AI Dungeon and Daily Mission content, which should be evidenced by screenshots in the days to come. As mentioned before, Nano and "Metaing" systems are being assessed, and subsequent updates are planned here as well. Brad himself has been tinkering with a new PvP playfield, and intimates that the area is coming along quite nicely – if he doesn't say so himself. Moreover, he plans to publish the mechanics of this new zone in the next update. A plethora of additional tweaks and fixes are in the lineup, as well as in-game events and an ongoing "Newland City Logo" contest. Here is Brad's post at the official site.
Moral of the story is, if you're an AO player, this looks like a good time to jump back in and explore the game's newest additions. Just watch your back …Omni-Tek knows where you sleep!

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