Powerpoints - Imagine an MMO achievements system where you can use the achievements you've earned to buy new weapons and armor. That's exactly what this planned update is all about. You will get powerpoints for everything, from in-game behavior, to simply subscribing to the game. The press release also teases that "Powerpoints may even allow you to level faster!"

The people from Funcom put in a lot of work in designing Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures' female members. According to Funcom, they created 2,500 female exclusive animations, new emotes, and specific clothing and armor for these deadly ladies.

Everyone in Funcom is delighted and humbled with the historical pre-order numbers for Age of Conan. If the information we have is correct, they represent the highest pre-order number for any global launch of an original PC game, ever, including the original World of Warcraft launch.

Does a secondhand account based on hearsay mean the game is coming to the console? Answer: No. But it certainly raises the tantalizing possibility that it might. Currently, the only MMORPG currently slated for Microsoft's console is Final Fantasy XI. Besides being merely a souped-up version of a game that's been available on the PS2 and PC for years, FFXI doesn't have much appeal beyond the Japanese RPG crowd.

We concluded our tour of the world of Hyboria with an example of the game's large-scale "massive combat" system, which will include elements of real-time strategy. Apparently, one of the more-advanced character classes that players can aspire to will be the "commander" class, which can lead large-scale battles against enemy armies and even enemy towns.

Earlier this month, GameSpot editors named Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures the best massively multiplayer game of E3 2006. Today, its developer, Funcom, announced that it has struck a deal to make sure the game will be the only massively multiplayer online role-playing game based on the legendary fantasy figure Conan.

Having many abilities which hit multiple targets, become more effective when more enemies are around, and also having the ability to become empowered by being at low health means that Barbarians will always be a really useful class for any group to have around in a pinch-in addition to being fast-paced and enjoyable to play.

So it looks like gamers will have to wait a bit to fully explore the lands of Hyboria. Hopefully, this delay will be enough for Funcom to provide us with a good if not the best MMORPG experience. Keep checking back here for more updates on Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures.

Crafting is one of the "must have" features in MMORPGs today as it allows players to further customize their gear even further and create gear that compliments their build. Needless to say, crafting is in Funcom's upcoming Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures.

"We have worked hard on 'Age of Conan' for more than two years, and it's great to see that our collective effort has led us to this point", said Trond Arne Aas, CEO of Funcom. "The game already looks stunning and it's a lot of fun to play. We are looking forward to include our community, partners and press once we move into the later stages of the Beta."