An Avatar striding through a village, right in front of a group of thralls pushing the Wheel of Pain in 'Conan Exiles.' (Photo : YouTube/ Funcom)
Funcom has released a brand new video for the upcoming open-world game, "Conan Exiles." Although the game is set in the Robert E. Howard universe inhabited by Conan the Barbarian it will not just focus on combat. The trailer showcases some of the other mechanics like crafting, building and base defense.
Creative director Joel Bylos and lead designer Oscar Lopez Lacalle elaborate the main mechanics of the game, particularly the aspect of building a village or city. They explain that they designed the building mechanics to be flexible and easy to grasp to the point where players can even build structures on a mountainside.
Building a village is not enough as it needs people to populate it. Citizens and captured slaves or thralls can open forges and crafting stations. The player can also decorate the houses not just with chairs and carpets but also with the trophies of the beasts they killed in the wild.
The video showcases that players should be mindful of their thralls and what they are good at when assigning them a new role. A Stygian thrall will be able to use their knowledge and craft Stygian weapons or armor while a Herkanian may forge a different set.
Not all thralls will immediately obey the player's commands. Captured bandits will try to fight back and the only means of forcing them to give in is to subject them to the Wheel of Pain, Dual Shockers reported. This torture device is seen in the 1982 "Conan the Barbarian" movie and is used to break a person's will.
Other thralls can be trained to defend the city and the player can build weapons to fight off invaders. The player can also launch their own attack against other cities and villages. It is stated that certain structures may be too strong for regular weapons and the best solution is to use an explosive.
Another main aspect discussed is the Avatar system. Shrines or altars are expensive and require time to build but once done the player can summon an Avatar of their deity. This Avatar can aid the player in invading enemy cities.
Funcom has also launched a Twitch channel, Gamespot reported. Livestreamed videos will showcase the intricate details of the mechanics like crafting and building.
"Conan Exiles" will become available for Steam Early Access on PC this Jan. 31. It will also enter the Xbox One Game Preview program in Spring. No date has yet been announced for the PS4 port of the game. The official video feature can be viewed below:
