Funcom wants you back in Age of Conan, and they want you back bad. As of today, they are offering two free weeks of Age of Conan to returning players, with some rather special incentives for those who pony up cash for a renewed subscription. One month nets you a free week’s worth of game time, which I suppose is nice, but not nearly as nice as the three months incentive. Re-subscribe to Age of Conan for 90 days and you get a beta slot in The Secret World, which is looking much more interesting than many MMO games out today, including Age of Conan.

But wait, there’s more! Subscribe for six months and you get all of that, plus a 10 per cent experience boosting helmet, and a year will get you the beta spot, the helmet and the upcoming Age of Conan expansion, Rise of the Godslayer, completely free! All of this, plus double XP for everyone in the month of November.

A desperate move by a desperate company, or an outpouring of love for the fans that they’ve lost? Is beta access to The Secret World worth $US40 or so? You be the judge.

This is pretty much what I was envisioning when I first heard about The Secret World. Folks like you and me facing off against creatures like this and that. I especially like the concrete golem, though I’d hate to meet it in a dark alley. Luckily it probably wouldn’t fit, so we’re safe for now.

I met with Funcom creative director Ragnar Tørnquist and The Secret World’s lead designer Martin H Bruusgaard on Friday afternoon at the 2009 Penny Arcade Expo, packed into a small meeting room in the back of the main exhibit hall, where the two had to use a microphone to communicate due to the noise of the giant The Beatles: Rock Band stage just outside the door. As convention-goers warbled their way through a sloppy rendition of “A Hard Day’s Night,” we began to delve into the secrets surrounding The Secret World.

What is The Secret World? Funcom’s third MMO after Anarchy Online and Age of Conan is a game that takes place in the real world of today, only everything is true. Aliens and demons exist. The world is hollow. Conspiracy theories are often true. There are mystical forces hiding just beyond sight, and if you see something moving out of the corner of your eye, odds are it isn’t just a trick of the light.

Think The X-Files, or perhaps for a more modern point of reference, the television show Fringe. It’s an intriguing concept made even more intriguing by the unconventional way Funcom is going about structuring this world.

As mentioned in previous articles, there are three secret societies operating beyond the veil of normalcy in The Secret World. In London, the ancient Templar organisation wages a holy battle against evil. They are the closest thing that The Secret World has to good guys. As Tørnquist puts it, “They don’t participate in the war on evil. They ARE the war on evil. They’re good in the sense that in order to get to that one demon in the middle of the town they’re willing to burn the whole thing down, so good is a relative term.”

Then comes the Illuminati…The Secret World’s answer to bad guys. The Illuminati is the most secret of the three societies. Driven out of Europe by the Templar in the 1600’s, the Illuminati operate out of an abandoned warehouse in New York City. To the Illuminati, power is their currency. Getting it, controlling it, and keeping it is their goal, and they will achieve it at any cost.

Finally we have my personal favourite society, the Dragon. The Dragon believe in chaos in order to achieve a balance between good and evil. Their motivations are known only to them, and their actions make sense only to them. From the introductory trailer I was shown: “The two most powerful warriors are patience and time. We are Dragon, and we have both.” The Dragon are master manipulators, playing the two other societies against each other from their base in a monastery in Seoul, Korea. I particularly liked Tørnquist’s description. “These guys believe that the world needs to descend into chaos before achieving balance. They’re unknowable…they are chaotic…they are like the Chinese puzzle box – secrets within secrets within secrets.”

The three societies are united in their war against evil, make no mistake. Their difference lie in their pursuit of power. They share common goals, but when the dust clears and evil is vanquished, each society wants to come out on top.

Your choice of secret society determines your starting location, with the action kicking off at the home base of the Templars, the Illuminati, or the Dragon. Home bases contain the social spaces, vendors, and mentors for each society, so they’ll be an important place to visit as you progress through the game.

And what of progression? The Secret World is a game without levels and experience, so how do you show the rest of the game how good you are?

First off, players can progress in ranks in their particular secret society. Each player begins as an initiate; your actions affect your ranking in that secret society. A higher ranking might mean access to more powerful items and equipment, or titles that display your rank.

The ranking system also extends to your Cabal, which is The Secret World’s answer to a guild. Much like EverQuest 2’s guilds, your Cabal gains rank as new members join, tasks are completed, and the talent pool swells, unlocking special benefits that aid the entire Cabal, from special rooms in the Cabal’s housing to items and equipment that will aid in the struggle against your enemies.

To gain rank, a Cabal needs to attract top players across all areas of expertise, which leads us directly to the other way to stand out in The Secret World. Leaderboards.

Funcom plans on tracking every statistic possible in The Secret World and presenting the results in the form of global leaderboards. From how many items you create to how many monsters you’ve killed to the number of enemy players you’ve taken down in PVP, all of these statistics will be tracked and displayed. Tørnquist explains that they’ll be keeping track of so many different aspects of the game that odds are you’ll find yourself on top of one of the lists, be it crafting or killing.

Being on top of the boards will mean more than simple street cred. Since Cabals will need to have top players in order to increase their rank, Funcom expects that the leaderboards will often be used as a recruiting tool, with rival Cabals trying to lure top players to their ranks, increasing the feeling of manipulation and intrigue that permeates the game.

Plus, you’ll be able to display your stats on Facebook, and who doesn’t love showing off on Facebook?

The battle for ranking and status finally brings us to the player versus player combat in The Secret World. While above ground the battle against evil is the main focus, deep within the hollow Earth, Cabals and secret societies battle for control of the world’s most precious resource: anima. Anima is a key component for crafting items and objects in The Secret World. In short, it’s the lifeblood of the economy, and the only way to get it is to either trade for it or take control of an anima node deep hidden under the planet’s surface.

The PVP combat in The Secret World is called Battle for Hollow Earth PVP. Both solo players and Cabals do battle underground in order to control the precious anima, with Cabal coffers slowly filling the longer they possess a node. There is an element of strategy to the PVP battles, with players able to construct turrets and defences to aid in the protection of their valuable property. There’s also diplomatic strategy to consider, urging Cabals to form alliances and help defend each other from attacks from rival societies or risk being helpless when the enemy reaches their gates.

While players don’t have to participate in PVP, what happens beneath the Earth’s surface will have effects topside. Funcom couldn’t say much now, only hinting that there will be consequences on the surface that could lure players down to give PVP battles a try, and that the Battle for Hollow Earth would be a very important aspect of the game.

Our presentation ended with a short clip featuring actual gameplay from The Secret World, created by internal testers at the spur of the moment a week before PAX. It showed fast-paced, action oriented combat, complete with a targeting reticule. Says Bruusgaard, “It’s a very RPG system, but it feels like an action game as well. You can run around, strafe, and shoot the zombies in the head. Hopefully we can cater to those who are sick and tired of the point and click MMOs and want something more dynamic.”

There are plenty of secrets left in The Secret World. There are new enemies to discover, bizarre characters to meet, and mysteries to unravel. When will the truth be revealed? Funcom has been working on the concept for the game for nearly a decade, and the game itself since 2006, and they’re not prepared to nail down a date just yet. Just rest assured that Funcom won’t stop until The Secret World is perfect, and if their ambitions match the final product, we could be in for something spectacular.

I spent a bit of time this weekend discussing The Secret World with Funcom, but I can’t tell you about it just yet. That’s why they call it The Secret World. It’s all secret and stuff. What I can tell you is that these are shots of the three factions players will be able to join once The Secret World’s secret release date is secretly achieved.

The Templars are holy warriors who fight evil because it’s the right thing to do. The Illuminati fight evil because they don’t want to be the lesser evil. The Dragon fight evil because the fight brings them closer to a goal only they know for sure.

While I can’t tell you more about the factions and what they mean to the game right now, I can direct you to the Dark Days are Coming, where you can take a quiz to find out which of the three factions best represents your goals and desires. The game won’t be out for who knows how long, but I’ve already chosen my side. What’s yours?

The trailer, much like the frozen treats trailer previously released, is full of carefully distilled win. A blonde woman walks through a playground at night; a mysterious creature appears; awesome ensues. It doesn’t tell us much more about the game, but that’s where the Dark Days are Coming website comes in. A link has appeared on the site with a personality quiz that rates your suitability for one of three game factions – the untamed Illuminati, the holy Templars, and the manipulative Dragon. Completing the quiz and filling out your name and email qualifies you for game updates, a package of wallpapers and avatars, a chance at beta access, and an exclusive in-game item once the MMO launches.

Incidentally, I fit the Dragon clan, as my Facebook profile now indicates. Why set the world on fire when you can make others do it for you? Look at me. The game is nowhere near complete and I’m already roleplaying.

Blir «The Secret World» en våt konspirasjonsdrøm? [Dagbladet.no -thanks Lars!]

Funcom’s new Canadian headquarters will be put to use immediately, with skilled teams being formed to work on both Age of Conan and the upcoming MMO The Secret World, which the company will be showing off at PAX 09 this weekend. The Montreal location further extends Funcom’s global presence, joining previously established offices in Norway, China, the US and Switzerland.

Funcom CEO Trond Arne Aas sings the praises of our neighbours to the North.

“Montréal has established itself as one of the world’s most important locations for video game production, and we are looking forward to taking part in that success. In addition to strengthening our North American presence, the new studio will take advantage of the great incentive programs offered by the Québec region, incentives that makes Montréal one of the most cost effective locations in the world for developing MMO games. This will in turn allow us to better balance our costs, making it possible for us to continue to expand our investments into the MMO segment.”

We may kid our Canadian brethren from time to time, but one thing’s for sure: they sure know how to woo game developers.

Instead of bringing the player to the fantasy, The Secret World brings the fantasy to the player, taking place in a modern setting, where the occult hides just outside of view. While we’ve not heard much since the debut trailer captured our imaginations, Funcom has gotten in touch to let us know they have big plans for the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle next week. Funcom’s Erling Ellingsen assures us that exclusive reveals will be taking place, so we’ll be there to help shed a little light on Funcom’s next big thing.

Hopefully we’ll also find out what happened to milkshake girl, as I’ve been rather concerned.

The new expansion is sure to be a real treat for fans of the original Conan stories. Rise of the Godslayer takes place in the Empire of Khitai, years after a young Conan slew the Elephant God in “The Tower of the Elephant”. Since that event, strange of horrible things have been happening in the empire, and players will get to experience said things as a member of the Khitai, an all new culture with its own starting area.

Along with an expansive new landmass for players to explore, Rise of the Godslayer adds an alternative advancement system to AoC, allowing players to further hone their skills far beyond the level cap. PVP is also getting a boost, with warring Khitai factions pitting players against players in bloody battles. All that, plus new armour, weapons, quests, powers – you know, the good stuff.

Funcom has launched an official website for Rise of the Godslayer, where you’ll find plenty of screens and information. The expansion is also playable at Gamescom this week, so if you’re heading that way, give it a go.

Age of Conan launched to a massive response last year, only to quickly begin hemorrhaging players due to a lack of promised features and an end game that wasn’t quite there. The developer has spent the better part of a year working on those issues, losing a game director in the process, and now they feel they are ready to give it another go. From now through July 22nd, lapsed payers can visit the AoC re-evaluation website, returning to Hyboria for up to two week’s worth of barbarian battling.

“For anyone with an inactive account who ever thought about giving it another try, this is your chance,” says Morten Larssen, Vice-President of Sales and Marketing at Funcom. “After the hugely successful launch last year we immediately started working on updates that would make the game better and provide more content for players, and that is what we have been doing this past year. With the most recent update just out the door, this is the time to ask players to come back and see the results!”

It’s a very enthusiast, upbeat way of saying please please please come back to us. Come on guys, they miss you.

After months spent tweaking and polishing the game play and overall experience of their massively multiplayer take on the Conan universe, Funcom is just about ready to pack their updates into a much more expansive format. Speaking to Eurogamer, Funcom director of communications Erling Elllingsen reveals that a dedicated team has been working on the expansion since the game launched, and that the core changes will continue with its eventual release.

“We are bringing a lot of that into the expansion as well,” said Ellingsen of the core changes, “making sure we build upon the strengths of the game and stay true to the original vision we have always had for Age of Conan. I think players will be pleased!”

At this point I don’t think it’s so much about pleasing existing players as it is drawing in new players. Hopefully the expansion will have some of that as well. We’ll find out come the GamesCom show in Cologne Germany next month.

Age of Conan expansion reveal soon [Eurogamer]