14 DAY TRIAL // Funcom is stating that around 250 hours of hard gaming are required to get to the level 80 cap that Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures currently has. It's not too much by MMO standards and it might mean that we're set to see some pretty quick levelers as the game progresses.
Gaute Godager, who is game director for Age of Conan, said that "We have budgeted - because that's what you do, you budget people's time when you make these types of games - a leveling curve which is on average 250 hours of gameplay". He then joked that the quick progression in the game is really there so that he and other people that are working on the game and playing it at the same time can hit the level cap as easy as the kids that play the game all day. At least, we hope he was joking.
He also pointed out that the progression is not even. Up until about level 60, the experience comes in a bit quicker so that about three hours of play are enough to gain a level. The concept is that a typical MMO player, who does a three-hour play session, should, by the end of it, have acquired a level in the game. This mechanic creates a sense of accomplishment for players and by a positive feedback loop assures the developers that not many will just put the game down because of the amount of grinding required to go up in levels.
After level 60, leveling up is a bit harder so that players really get a sense of the epic efforts required to get to 80. But the payoffs are still there, in the form of several abilities and skills that are class specific and that really make it worth while to go all the way up to the level cap.
The barbarian themed MMO is set to be one of this year's most interesting rivals to current MMO king World of Warcraft, so keep an eye out for more news regarding Age of Conan.