Create new level 50 in Age of Conan

The next update for Funcom's Age of Conan MMO will allow players to create one brand-new character of any class at level 50, over halfway through the game's levelling curve.

That's according to the latest letter from game director Craig Morrison. Morrison says the new option is intended to give players a chance to experiment with other classes and the new RPG system that is the focus of the 1.05 update.

The feature will be available to any player who already has a character at level 50 or above (and a free character slot, naturally), but it's a one-time-only deal.

Morrison says Funcom will be "offering something else in relation to these changes" during the game's first anniversary celebrations this May, but he can't say what it is yet.

The 1.05 update to Age of Conan will completely overhaul the game's itemisation and the way character stats work, making equipment more important and bringing its system closer in line with the MMORPG standard. Many players have complained that Age of Conan's loot seems lacklustre compared to rival games' and makes little difference to their characters' performance.

Since he took over from original director Gaute Godager last year, Morrison has overahauled every aspect of Age of Conan, from the questing to the crafting and player-versus-player systems. The RPG system is the last piece of the puzzle.

We recently revisited the game and found it vastly improved, especially in the middle levels. We also have plenty of free trial keys if you'd like to see for yourself.