Combat

[Morreion]

Combat in Age of Conan is a definite highlight of the game. It has a fun look and feel, and seems less like a grind than some other games.

You can target other players, but due to the emphasis on area of effect attacks, combat feels more fluid than focused. When you target someone, you will see a semi-spherical outline around their figure. You of course have to be in range to do damage to the target. You'll notice that that outline sometimes is thicker in some places than others, or is nonexistent in a certain arc. This is a defensive indicator- thick arcs are areas well-protected, thin arcs less so and no arc at all means an area is vulnerable. In addition to special attacks, you have 3 basic attack keys- left, center and right. You attack the arc that is least defended for best damage on your target. You can distribute your defenses likewise around your targeting sphere, but I find that in combat, I'm thinking of other things than trying to shift my defenses around. This whole process makes combat more engaging, as PvE opponents tend to shift their defenses in response to your attacks.

Also note that there is no auto-attack in AoC; you have to click a button to attack. Doing a basic directional attack uses no stamina, but special attacks always eat up your green bar, so be careful. Stamina is also used for sprinting by holding down the shift key and moving.

Special attacks are earned by leveling up. They usually involve a follow-on chain move; the higher the level of a special attack, the more follow-up clicks you will have to do. All of this results in more damage, so it's all good! During your first 20 levels, you use 1 or 2 follow-up chain attacks. They get longer in the future.

A fun part of the combat experience is the finishing move, which happens occasionally. This occurs when you kill a target, and the effect is a mini-animation of you finishing them off in a gruesome way. For instance, characters using edged weapons sometimes impale their opponents and use their foot to kick the body off of their weapon. Another very popular move is decapitation *laughs* A memorable blunt weapon finisher is when your target drops to its knees in front of you and you bonk it on top of the head with a huge downstroke. A finishing archery move will have the target drop to its knees, gripping its blood-spurting chest.

As you've probably noticed, combat in AoC is quite bloody; blood flies in arcs and jets from a target taking damage, particularly noticeable when doing an area of effect attack against a few attackers. It can be a bit much if you're sensitive to that kind of thing. However, combat stays interesting this way. Fighting sound effects reinforce this, with plenty of shouts, grunts, and the clashing of steel. This is a vital way of detecting combat nearby when PvPing.

Overall, combat is a definite plus for AoC. It has an FPS-style feel, and stays fresh longer than some other combat systems I've experienced.