AO Game Director, Means, has posted his weekly update in the official forum. In the latest update he talks about the productive conversations going on in the forum lately to help improve Anarchy Online. Also a Booster update, mention of an upcoming interview, a video and a picture!

Today we present the results for Re-Rolled: Paris Hilton and present you with a new challenge!

Re-Rolled: MMO Celebrity Look-a-Likes is the Vault Network feature that challenges you to get crazy and creative with the character creation tools in your favourite MMO! Each issue will bring a new celebrity to clone, and ocassionally prize rounds will occur.

The virtual Paris Hiltons are now on display, featuring Paris in Warhammer Online, World of Warcraft, Age of Conan, Pirates of the Burning Sea, Lord of the Rings Online and Utherverse. Be sure to have a look, and then check out the next challenge, which is Homer Simpson! Simply clone Homer in your favourite MMO and submit the image!

IGN Vault's Angie has some issues with Customer Service, which ultimately causes her to stop playing Warhammer Online and Age of Conan. Read all about her customer service woes and tell us about your horror stories in the latest Open Discussion!

Anarchy Online Game Director, Means, talks a bit about the release of the LOX booster and his need for sleep!

I am now looking forward to sleep. No matter how you plan and work for a release like the LOX booster there is always a great deal of pileup as you try to squeeze those little bits of soul into the end of a project. This always results in a great deal of extra hours and sleepless nights towards the "release". That being said, seeing you all cruising around in hoverchairs definitely made it all worth it. I'll do it all again Release days are always a special madhouse.

Thanks to all who have offered so much of their time and help to make this release one of the smoothest in Anarchy history. Today and last night I was pacing the office waiting for something terrible to explode...today when nothing did I started work on something terrible that IS meant to explode. It was a strange feeling...normally when we release something significant like this there are "issues"..despite the hard work and dedication of everyone involved. I guess I shouldn't complain.

It was disappointing to not be able to include the 12-man instance at release but we'll get it out (with the perk reset npc plus the tweaks and improvements to the unforseen small issues that have appeared so far) in the very near future. New experiences like this should be up to high standard...or not in until they are. In this case I felt it was better to wait..and to make it better. I'm looking forward to seeing the tactics employed by the community in this challenge.

I hope you are all enjoying the new content as much as we are enjoying watching it kill you. Thank you all again for the support we get from all of you to make this game the unique experience it is today.

INCOMING!
Macrosun is making Map Navigation resetable.
Right-Click-Ignore in chat is done and coming soon.
"Get over here!" reverse knockback is in the works.
Instanced Pande = very soon.
__________________
This "Means" Cake
Game Director

Soon IGN will roll out a number of changes to our boards. Along with some general improvements to the interface we are providing features previously locked behind subscription to all of our users, while providing new features to our subscribers. Keep a lookout for the following changes in the near future.

Features Now Available to All Users

• Registered users can read private messages from anyone and everyone.
  
• All users can read Insider-exclusive boards but only Insiders can post there.
  
• All users can use emoticons and mark-up code in their posts.
  
• Every registered user has access to icons (80x80 pixels).
  
• We have reduced posting time limit to 15 seconds between each post to speed things up.
  
• Private messages are open to everyone after 20 posts, but Insiders can use private messages immediately.
  
• Updated Quick Post feature with bug fixes, a new sliding interface, and new look for quick comments.

New Insider Only Features

• Insiders can have colored user names. This applies to the text but not the border.
  
• Insiders can now upload our new biggie-sized "MegIcons" (120x120 pixels)
  
• Insiders can upload a small signature picture which will appear at the bottom of their posts.
  
• Insiders, VIPs and above can give themselves catchy titles under their username.

General Upgrades

• The oft-requested Icon submission tool that allows users to bypass our old approval system.
  
• We've removed the "your message has been posted" page between messages to make posting faster.

There are a few things to note about the new changes. The larger MegIcons will only be available to the user who upload the icon themselves; they are not stored in a shared pool like the old icons.

You can find a feedback thread in the forum. Check back for more info soon and, in the meantime, here are a few images illustrating the new MegIcons.

The new image signature, MegIcon, Title, and User Colors in action:


An example of new MegIcons for Subscribers:

A new Anarchy Online game update brings the highly anticipated Legacy Of The Xan booster to the live dimensions.

Legacy Of The Xan - Booster Pack

• Explore two enormous new adventure areas, and discover a new central hub the hidden-away city of the Xan civilization.
• Throw yourself into three new team instanced encounters.
• Progress through hundreds of new solo and team missions and seek to uncover the truth in the complex Dust Brigade and Alien Invasion storylines.
• New powerful symbiants, spirits, and deck items - enabling you to boost your character to new heights.

Also included in this update:

• New PVP Fear nanos added to the OFAB PVP vendors.
• MP pets and Carlo Pinnetti pet durations should now be increased to 2 hours.
• Orbital Strike Mechanics updated - Orbital Strikes will no longer kill players at full health caught in the the strike. Players caught in the affected area will now be knocked away to a significant distance, damaged, and snared for a short amount of time to disperse the crowd...rather than kill it outright.
• Bow has been added to the Champion of Light Artillery perk line. The two associated perk specials (Collapser + Implode) can now be used with a bow equipped.
• Cool-Down timers will now display visually on icons on the shortcut bar for nanos and perks. This can be enabled/disabled in the options window.
• Agents have now been granted FP access to some previously unusable nanos.
• QL 300 MP-spawned Unpolluted Crytals should now be fillable on QL 255 towers.
• Form Of Risan should now correctly require SI/PM and no longer has an associated runspeed debuff.
• Fixed several significant exploits.

Not included in this update

A serious issue with the booster final 12-man raid was discovered too close to the downtime to release it safely without delaying the update. It will be included in the next available update.

 

With the Legacy Of The Xan booster going live next Thursday it has been a very busy week (and exciting) week for Funcom. This week Anarchy Online Game Director, Colin "Means" Cragg, points us to new video footage from the booster, along with an interview over at MMORPG.com.

Durham, USA � February 13th, 2009 � Funcom is proud to unveil `Legacy of the Xan' � the new booster pack for the massively multiplayer online game `Anarchy Online'. The new booster pack features end-game content tailored specifically for seasoned `Anarchy Online' veterans, opening up new areas of the world, introducing new items and bringing hundreds of new missions to challenge players. This content upgrade is the latest in a series of expansions and booster packs that have been released for the classic sci-fi MMO that launched 7 years ago.

"The `Legacy of the Xan' booster pack introduces new content for those who have reached the `Anarchy Online' end-game, by introducing areas, items, enemies and missions relating to the mysterious civilization of the Xan and their history on planet Rubi-ka," says game director Colin Cragg. "We are thrilled by the fact that `Anarchy Online' continues to capture the imagination of gamers even after seven years of operation, and we greatly look forward to be bringing players even more challenges, content and improvements to the game in the time ahead!"

The booster pack will be available on February 19th, but pre-order has already started. The booster is available for 19.99 US dollars or for a combined purchase using paid points and currency. Included in the purchase is an in-game virtual item known as The Phasefront Hoverchair � a unique, time-limited launch offering that allows you to cruise around on Rubi-ka in style! For those new to `Anarchy Online' it is also possible to purchase a complete package that contains the core game as well as all expansions and boosters previously released. `Legacy of the Xan' pre-order and the Phasefront Hoverchair is included in this complete package.

For more information on the booster and how to get it, visit www.anarchy-online.com/Xan

Launching back in 2001, `Anarchy Online' has enjoyed over seven years of operation and two million explorers have set foot on Rubi-ka in that time. Over six million avatars have been created, and over 200 million hours of entertainment has been served, or more than eight million days of playtime. `Anarchy Online' features a unique science fiction setting on the planet Rubi-ka almost thirty thousand years into the future, where players must complete dangerous missions and explore a strange, mysterious world as they master an arsenal of futuristic weaponry. Players can partake in the dramatic story-line that unfolds as they reach deeper into the mysteries of Rubi-Ka. Anarchy Online is also available in a fully free to play version.

Monsieur AoC Game Director, Craig 'Silirrion' Morrison, has posted some job ads in the official forums. Want to be part of team Conan?

Flash / UI Designer

Funcom is seeking an experienced and motivated UI artist to join the 'Age of Conan� team. The UI artist will assist in the design, improvement and implementation of the games interface, and will work closely with the design and programming teams, producers and art directors to prototype and iterate new interface functionality.

Expert experience with Adobe Flash and Adobe Photoshop are required. The ideal candidate will possess sound aesthetic design fundamentals, including illustration and animation skills and preferably have good working understanding of intuitive human interface principles.

[Full details and how to apply]

Environment Artist

Want to be a part of the team that builds and shapes the world itself in Age of Conan? Funcom is looking for talented artists to join our team in Oslo responsible for Environment and World-building.

[Full details and how to apply]

AI Designer

Funcom is seeking a talented designer and scripter to work on the content creation process. Working as part of the design team this individual will be responsible for the scripting of game-play actions and encounters.

[Full details and how to apply]

Hook up with IGN Vault on all of your favourite social networks! You can now find the Vault on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and Digg. Snag the links and add us to your friends list today!

Friday With Means hit the webwaves yesterday, featuring words from AO's Game Director, Colin "Means" Cragg. The Anarchy Online Funcom folks are hard at work polishing the booster based on all of the feedback they have been receiving. Tests of the Mitaar Hero instance have gone well and some mild tweaks will be in for the version in the middle of next week. There's also a decent sized Q&A; available for your information reading pleasure.

Vault Video #2 is now hot off the digital presses! This edition of Vault Video features a report on free-to-play MMOs that will have you wanting to jump right in and start playing! Also featured is "The Hyborian Report", and little bit of in-game action from Age of Conan.

In the latest installment of Open Discussion, Angelina Rayne brings up the hot topic of the week: bots and copyright infringement. Are bots taking the fun out of gaming? Should companies such as MDY (Glider bot for WoW) be held responsible? Discuss it here!