Age of Conan is taking a smaller but faster approach to content gating by releasing its major 2.1 update in staggered phases, with the initial content landing this December. AoC developer Funcom said this will provide better pacing than dumping all the content  in “one mega update.”

The first leg of the 2.1 update will bring a new PvP mini-game called “The Call of Jhebbal Sag”. Funcom said adjustments have been made to the new PvP mini-game to prevent abuse and facilitate fun. These include tweaking the amount of capture points, the duration of the mini-game and the scoring mechanics in general.

Age of Conan will also see a new Winter festival filled with quests that “help the Aesir celebrate the winter solstice.” And like previous seasonal events, there will be rewards for successful completion of these quests when you help the guard the festivities from disruption by the troublesome Vanir.

By early 2011, raiders will see more action-packed content in the form of new six-man instances in Pai-Kaing, new encounters in the Jade Citadel, and even low-level auto-content dungeons that scale in difficulty depending on the level range of a character.

The Paikang storyline revolves around the machinations of Emperor Yah-Chieng as he tries to crush the Insurrection against his terrorizing regime. Meanwhile, the Jade Citadel storyline delves into the epic assault on the Emperor himself and his cadre of minions, including a living Zodiac.

Finally, class changes are underfoot to ensure questing and raiding are enjoyable for all players. The focus is on balancing class damage and other core abilities, but the most interesting change seems to be the possible use of PvP specific stats. Nothing is final yet, according to Funcom, but the inclusion of separate stats for PvP could bring a whole new dimension to builds in the 2.1 update.

Blood flowed freely in Age of Conan as German players gathered in the ring for some Roman-style gladiator fights. Assisted by an enthusiastic and creepy AoC Community Manager (who claims to have taken “pictures where none of the players could safely venture”), the event seems to have satisfied the killing urge of PvPers and the purses of Hyboria’s underground economy.

“Besides the tournaments, players found a city sprawling with life. The traders offered their goods: flesh and wine! The courtesans did their best to distract the attention of the crowd and earn some coin and the local thieves were sneaking through the crowd looking for a loose purse. Outside of the city, raiders attacked innocent bystanders and the organized city watch came to their help quickly and with full force, driving them off into the sunset with the tail between their legs!”

Glad to see AoC tries to stick to its barbaric roots even in impromptu role-playing. Now, to get those blood stains off our monitors before they dry off…

Pre-orders have begun for Age of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer expansion, and adventurers can settle for bare bones content or spend more cash for expansion perks like bonus XP and combat items. With the actual expansion costing $24.99, the three bonus upgrades are a shoo-in for hardcore fans who want to progress fast when the new content goes live this month. (Sneak peek beta starts this week!)

At the cost of $9.99, the Collectors Edition Upgrade bestows The Loyal Kappa and Ravager of Jhil pets,  a Ring of Dreaming Demons, and a Tattoo Kit that can ink 3 unique character tattoos. This upgrade also fills your backpack with 10 Pack Experience potions (for 100% regular xp for 12 hours) and 10 Pack 10% AAXP potions (for 10% Alternate Advancement XP for 12 hours).

The Tortage Survival Pack, named after the starting zone off the coast of Hyboria, has a higher $24.99 tag. It unlocks beginner weapons that speed up your expansion leveling especially when paired with 10 Pack Experience Potions. Other items included are a Huge Mammoth Mount, a month of game time, a Totem of Origins, an Enshrined Kosalan ring, a Bag of Holding and 2 Festive Fireworks–all of which ups your safety and comfort in Khitai.

Those who’d rather dominate than merely survive should purchase the Might of the Crom Item Pack worth $59.99. Hardcore warriors will receive the same items contained a mix of bonus loot from the Collectors Edition Upgrade and Tortage Survival Pack. Unique items available via Might of the Crom are the Killer Rhino and War Mammoth mounts, and a special Hyrkanian Headguard that gives its wearer 10% bonus xp instead of the usual 2%.

The full item list for all three upgrades can be seen here, and can each be purchased by new and existing customers.

If you’ve decided to go guildless in the Age of Conan, then it might be time to rethink that plan since participating in a guild has brought new challenges—and rewards—with the new Guild Renown system implemented in Patch 1.06.

Actions of guild members will now contribute to the leveling of guilds, meaning quests, PvP and crafting all reap renown points for the guild. These points increase the level of guilds and unlock rewards such as horses, buildings and dueling grounds in your city. New quests and items will also be available at corresponding guild renown levels. The catch though is that a cap exists for renown earned in a week. Competitive guilds won’t aim for this bare minimum however because of available rankings, which are tallied based on contributions from the top fifty members in each guild.

It’s better than ever to join a guild now so sign up and start earning those renown points!