Been working on this video for a little while, hopefully I explained it well enough 😂 Patreon: www.patreon.com/eradicati0n Join our Discord!: discord.gg/myexFkZ Get my first book FREE!: www.patreon.com/posts/89695302 X/Twitter: twitter.com/eradicati0nn ALL my Conan lore videos: czcams.com/play/PLb1BvY8uSBcc-H4sq5AqnBK4oRNkCcOOk.html
@@atenubi Weird way to say you didn't watch the video 😂 You've been rage-commenting on my channel for months now, clearly you have some larger issue at play. Maybe it's time you relaxed a bit
If the game didn't crash on me every hour on PS5, it would be my most played game. I like Conan because everything is a mystery. When you come across something your imagination and fascination runs wild. Makes ya wonder what's around the corner. Like a archeologist discovering ancient things.
Thanks for the video. I saw that Funcom can write a great story and create an amazing atmosphere in their previous games, Age of Conan and The Secret World. That's why I was sure that I would experience the same in Conan Exiles. But the beginnings were disappointing, no one led me through the story, there were no question marks on the map to discover. So I thought that this time the game's creators abandoned what was the best thing so far - an engaging story. Only with time it turned out that the story was there, but you had to keep your nose to the ground and look into every nook and cranny to find it. That's when I really fell in love with the game. You're right buddy, the story in Conan Exiles is hard to find, but discovering it is incredibly rewarding.
I really like the way the story of your Conan character is told. He doesn't force you to be a world savior, he doesn't even present you as a badass. On the contrary, he shows that the player is anyone in the middle of that vast world with the freedom to do whatever he wants. I wish there were more games like this.
Agreed, I do like that the player isn't on a set-in-stone path of becoming some great warrior or something like that. The option is there, but it's not necessary to partake in
It will be interesting to see how Funcom handles direct and indirect storytelling in its upcoming Dune game that clearly shows the Conan Exiles influence.
I get the impression, though I've not experienced it myself, the Secret World and Age of Conan had some form of indirect storytelling too. They'll probably take the exact same approach to telling the story in Dune as they have in Conan, it seems to be their preferred approach and tbh, they're quite good at it
@Eradicati0nn Anarchy Online had some great, hidden story as well. When I was a volunteer GM (called ARKs) for that game I got to meet the US based team and talk to the Norwegian devs. Got a few folks to sign the "Prophet Without Honor" novel that served as a prequel.
How great that a vid like this comes so late into the games lifecycle. I’m late to the party and therefore really enjoy this type of content. Coming from Darks Souls myself being tired of the roll-roll-attack type gameplay made CE a breath of fresh air. The freedom not only in story but also gameplay - and especially through the admin panel - gives an unprecedented lvl of freedom within the game itself. Nothing is perfect but for me CE is dawn close. Thanks for the vid 🙏
To be fair to Conan, I'd agree that the story is told extremely well, with intriguing lore and funny Easter eggs. The NPCs have interesting dialogue and it has something for everyone
Conan Exiles is a great sandbox. It gives the player a lot of freedom. I only know the games lore because of CZcams videos. I personally do not like the way that the story is told in game. I felt the same way about Ark Survival Evolved when I used to play that game. Fun sandbox, poor storytelling method.
I understand that tbh. I like it because I really enjoy digging into lore, but it's quite inaccessible if you just wanna peek in and get the general gist of things, plus the factor of some characters being at least somewhat unreliable narrators can really muddy the waters
"Poor" would be an apt description if it was trying to tell you a story. I don't really think this game is. The characters in game have little to no actual story, arcs, or even motivation beyond simple survival. What the game allows you to discover is the tales of the land itself. Viewed as a separate character in its own right, we can optionally uncover its history, secrets, and even peek in on its unsolved mysteries. The "story" such as it is, more accurately should be described as "lore". As such, I don't think a more overt method of narration or plot progression would even be fit for purpose. The lore of the land can inform your place within the world, but it can do nothing about an individual. All of that remains internal. That said, sometimes a style just isn't for everyone at every time. Sometimes I want Final Fantasy and sometimes I want Minecraft. They do different things for different reasons, and I would hate any game that tried to be both simultaneously.
I am mainly a base-builder, but the Lore intrigues me. This was a really good video. Looking forward to your next one. I would put alot more time and $$$$ into this game were it now for all the bugs.
Thank you Khan! The lore is really impressive, I've already covered a fair amount but there's still plenty more. I'm currently working on a lore video about the desert 👀
"I am mainly a base-builder" I love the way the game accommodates these kind of play styles and focuses and still provides and enjoyable game experience.
I don't mind the indirect storytelling approach. However, I wish we could store all the scrolls we find like Razma's scrolls. It would also be nice if we could reread the ruin stones previously discovered. Usually when I find them, I have no recollection of what the others said. With the Lemurian stones, they're usually found out of story order which makes them hard to follow. Then you do have to look it up online.
Some books and scrolls are collectible but some are not and Audio informations like stones are not rereadable unless you visit the locations again in an order taking notes.
Hey man I just wanted to say thank you for this lore. I love this type of immersive story telling, but I have been struggling to progress through this game solo and the lack of explanations for things was starting to get frustrating and confusing. I came into this game knowing only the most basic, cursory knowledge about the Conan franchise. Your videos have sparked an interest in this mythos that I will never loose. The lore goes so deep and has so many hidden things its just fantastic. I hope someday you can grow your channel and start branching into the wider lore outside of Conan Exiles!
This is the amazing thing with CE. I have 6000 hours but I still find things I did not know or have not seen what gives anytime a "wow wait ... what???!!" ^^
I think I'm at about 4300 hours so far, and there's still plenty of story threads I've not tugged on yet, and that's just on TEL. I only really know the general framework of Siptah, I'll have to cover that at some point
This is absolutely spot on. Why? Because that's how Robert E Howard wrote the original Conan. Conan indirectly becomes the hero. He kinda stumbles into saving the day. He was usually out for himself and bumps into people that cause him to do the right thing. That theme was carried into the film. I'm not much of a Gamer. I only started playing because I was already a fan of Conan. As I got into it I realised that the Devs really were fans too. They created a world that I saw in my head from reading the books. Having Cabinet Entertainment on board is great because they own the Rights to all things Conan, giving Funcom direct access to everything Conan. I just wish they would hurry up and add more content actually from Conan. Characters, items etc from the books and movies. The Riddle of Steel DLC was a HUGE disappointment. I didn't even bother to buy it and I don't think I will. There is so much more content they could have added to the DLC. There are a few things in the base game but not nearly enough. Random weapons and armour pieces that have their own lore from the books and movies but no info in their description. The ties ins are right there but Funcom are not capitalising on them.
Very good point about Conan essentially stumbling into his stories, the same approach happens multiple times in game, most notably in the Age of Sorcery climax. Riddle of Steel is one of the weakest DLCs, it was one of the last I bought, mainly just because I wanted the statues. It's not great though, just a homage to the films, it feels like. There's quite a lot in the game that reference the source material. The Bane of Khosatral Khel always jumps to mind from when I was researching golems, but much like the storytelling, the item descriptions feel like they're nudging you towards understanding it yourself rather than dumping it all onto you. There are definitely some that don't nudge enough though
@@Eradicati0nn Riddle of Steel just seems like weak fan service to me. Full sets of Thulsa Doom and Rexor's armour would have been great because they are so beautifully designed, unlike the Beach Bundle Rags you showcased recently lol. I got the sword of Valeria and Thulsa Doom's helmet via the Battle Pass and the fact that they weren't Legendary level baffled me considering their significance. The Duelling Blade of The Hawk was a really nice touch though. I nerded out a bit with that one. Oh yes, there are few references here and there but then there's things like the Setite Dagger that don't tell you anything. It's The Tongues of the Serpent from Conan The Barbarian. I think things like that would attract fans of the books and movies would and a bigger fan base for the game. I talk to those sorts of Conan fans who have no idea about the game who then go out and get it. Nudging is fine, I really don't like being overloaded with stuff but there's a lot in Exiles that is just neglected. Great video as always.
I would also think indirect storytelling of history of said world is much better for Sword&Sorcery settings - stories are about the characters ("You are the hero of your own story!"), history of bigger scope of world is just a "scenery" in which characters' personal stories take place. Unlike high fantasy (such as LOTR) where main focus of the story is some grand design about the fate of the world, Sword&Sorcery is much more personal and focus that way - in the end, Conan Exiles is about that one exile/ group of exiles (or castaways if it takes place on IoS), and ruins of Giant-Kings, Lemurians, Serpentmen, Elder Races, Acheronians etc. are just memories to immerse in.
In a way it's like in the original Robert E Howard stories. Conan stumbles upon many unexplainable mysteries and he just does what he does best. The rest is left to the reader's imagination.
I just wish Funcom would copy all the weapon and shield classes along with all the tactical combat and trade possibilities with NPCs from Elden Ring and implement them in Conan, then it would become the best game.
Honestly, I wouldn't really want Elden Ring's combat in CE. It works for ER, but I don't think Conan would gain any benefit from just copy pasting it. Combat certainly needs improvements though, and there are things to be learned from games like the Soulsborne franchise
Thanks Eradication! Way you delivered this was quite interesting and allowed me complete my goal of the day and was to learn something new .. I never thought about Conan or any other game this way .. well done and again Thank you
I have always loved the freedom the game gave me. I hate when games push the story into my face and when I have to watch short movies about the story every few minutes to be able to understand what is the game expecting of me to do next. I just like how you are thrown into a sandbox and left alone to figure out your path.
Yeah I've got a pretty low tolerance for "watch this cutscene" or "slow-walk through this area while an NPC talks to you" nowadays 😂 About the only game I'll put up with is Metal Gear Solid or Bioshock
Just a shame the player is never put into Dark or Savage instances. I fact when your level 30 you pretty much safe from everything. Not to mention that at level 60 your character is pretty much an indestructible god.
i like it, if you wnt the story, you have to explore for it. if your here for pvp or base building...and you dont care, the story not getting in your way
That is likely what they were going for, at least in part. People who aren't too interested in following a main quest can quite easily create their own
The problem with conan exiles is that someone of the army of "managers" they had, suggested that not being able to complete the game is profitable and engaging, instead of frustrating and stupid, and their voiceless devs that have given up years ago, go along with this moronic idea... IMHO.
i actually prefer indirect story telling. as much as i love skyrim and cyberpunk, there is this sense of urgency in their main quests that make you feel like you need to do this very important urgent task right now and it could cause one to fly through the main quest and ignore the side quests and the world around them. morrowinds main quest was excellent. after a few quests, the game would suggest to take a break from the main story, and to join a guild or just go out and explore. get some world experience, make some money, find some loot, then come back. this is a great way to tell a direct story with periods of intermission. you feel justified in going off the beaten trail and dont feel like youre putting a major event off to the side so you can get lost in the woods
I dont think there really is a story to it - almost none. There are some easter eggs from other conan material and the almost nonexistent bit about being an exiled prisoner...
As a friend playing with me for the first time said, there is no way to pay attention to the voice overs, while being murdered by 5 serpentmen, 3 wolves and a lot more... design had good ideas, but shit execution by management and "devs"... I always remember their lead on the last stream, not being able to find the "hidden" wild hunt boss. There are so many things fundamentally broken with the CE team.
@6:35 that is also why conan was unplayable without mods for its first 4 years... leaving aside, how shit it was before sorcery. I hazard to say, after war, it became again unplayable without mods, well unless you are PvP hack, then it is fine, you can leak all your personal info to kill kids around with latest exploit your dad purchased.
You got a foundation of it wrong. First of all - CE does NOT have a set story. Lizardmens and giant kings, Talith and Kingscourge, all the stuff you discover, it LORE, NOT STORY. I have no idea about Dark Souls, but other games you mentioned as ones with "direct storyteling", like Cyberpunk or CoD, are story driven. The main point of the game is going through the story created by the devs. Some are total railroad, some are less liniar, but ultimatelly, you discover and live through the story presented to you, start to finish. In CE (and other non story driven games) story is whatever you decide to do. You want to tell a story of desperate exile who figure out all the ancient mysteries and break out of Exile Lands, go for it. You want to tell the story of a dominant monster who took over the entire Exile Lands and live in this prison as a king? Sure why not. You may or may not discover all of the lore about the map and it's past. But you cannot discover the story - you can only write it.
CE definitely does have a set story, the main quest, which is to escape TEL. It is, IMO, one of the least intriguing stories in the game, at least to me anyway. It does weave the lore of the world into it very heavily, and the player character is hardly ever even nudged in the direction of following the main quest, but it's there. The only real story guide is the Staff of the Triumvirate, which serves as a far more nebulous and aloof version of a quest tracker The game most definitely encourages you to make your own story though, I would agree with that. That doesn't mean a core story experience doesn't exist, it's just made very unintusively, to the point that some might not even realize its there
Been working on this video for a little while, hopefully I explained it well enough 😂
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@@atenubi Weird way to say you didn't watch the video 😂 You've been rage-commenting on my channel for months now, clearly you have some larger issue at play. Maybe it's time you relaxed a bit
If the game didn't crash on me every hour on PS5, it would be my most played game.
I like Conan because everything is a mystery. When you come across something your imagination and fascination runs wild. Makes ya wonder what's around the corner. Like a archeologist discovering ancient things.
If Conan sorted the bugs and crashes, I genuinely think (with mods) it could be the greatest game made. It's just a shame it's let down
Thanks for the video.
I saw that Funcom can write a great story and create an amazing atmosphere in their previous games, Age of Conan and The Secret World. That's why I was sure that I would experience the same in Conan Exiles. But the beginnings were disappointing, no one led me through the story, there were no question marks on the map to discover. So I thought that this time the game's creators abandoned what was the best thing so far - an engaging story. Only with time it turned out that the story was there, but you had to keep your nose to the ground and look into every nook and cranny to find it. That's when I really fell in love with the game. You're right buddy, the story in Conan Exiles is hard to find, but discovering it is incredibly rewarding.
I really like the way the story of your Conan character is told. He doesn't force you to be a world savior, he doesn't even present you as a badass. On the contrary, he shows that the player is anyone in the middle of that vast world with the freedom to do whatever he wants.
I wish there were more games like this.
Agreed, I do like that the player isn't on a set-in-stone path of becoming some great warrior or something like that. The option is there, but it's not necessary to partake in
I haven't even logged into CE for months. That said this is why I still watch all your content. Very well done. Thank You.
Thank you Seamus, I appreciate it!
It will be interesting to see how Funcom handles direct and indirect storytelling in its upcoming Dune game that clearly shows the Conan Exiles influence.
I get the impression, though I've not experienced it myself, the Secret World and Age of Conan had some form of indirect storytelling too. They'll probably take the exact same approach to telling the story in Dune as they have in Conan, it seems to be their preferred approach and tbh, they're quite good at it
@Eradicati0nn Anarchy Online had some great, hidden story as well. When I was a volunteer GM (called ARKs) for that game I got to meet the US based team and talk to the Norwegian devs. Got a few folks to sign the "Prophet Without Honor" novel that served as a prequel.
How great that a vid like this comes so late into the games lifecycle. I’m late to the party and therefore really enjoy this type of content. Coming from Darks Souls myself being tired of the roll-roll-attack type gameplay made CE a breath of fresh air. The freedom not only in story but also gameplay - and especially through the admin panel - gives an unprecedented lvl of freedom within the game itself. Nothing is perfect but for me CE is dawn close. Thanks for the vid 🙏
To be fair to Conan, I'd agree that the story is told extremely well, with intriguing lore and funny Easter eggs. The NPCs have interesting dialogue and it has something for everyone
Conan Exiles is a great sandbox. It gives the player a lot of freedom. I only know the games lore because of CZcams videos. I personally do not like the way that the story is told in game. I felt the same way about Ark Survival Evolved when I used to play that game. Fun sandbox, poor storytelling method.
I understand that tbh. I like it because I really enjoy digging into lore, but it's quite inaccessible if you just wanna peek in and get the general gist of things, plus the factor of some characters being at least somewhat unreliable narrators can really muddy the waters
"Poor" would be an apt description if it was trying to tell you a story. I don't really think this game is. The characters in game have little to no actual story, arcs, or even motivation beyond simple survival. What the game allows you to discover is the tales of the land itself.
Viewed as a separate character in its own right, we can optionally uncover its history, secrets, and even peek in on its unsolved mysteries. The "story" such as it is, more accurately should be described as "lore". As such, I don't think a more overt method of narration or plot progression would even be fit for purpose. The lore of the land can inform your place within the world, but it can do nothing about an individual. All of that remains internal.
That said, sometimes a style just isn't for everyone at every time. Sometimes I want Final Fantasy and sometimes I want Minecraft. They do different things for different reasons, and I would hate any game that tried to be both simultaneously.
I am mainly a base-builder, but the Lore intrigues me. This was a really good video. Looking forward to your next one. I would put alot more time and $$$$ into this game were it now for all the bugs.
Thank you Khan! The lore is really impressive, I've already covered a fair amount but there's still plenty more. I'm currently working on a lore video about the desert 👀
"I am mainly a base-builder" I love the way the game accommodates these kind of play styles and focuses and still provides and enjoyable game experience.
I don't mind the indirect storytelling approach. However, I wish we could store all the scrolls we find like Razma's scrolls. It would also be nice if we could reread the ruin stones previously discovered. Usually when I find them, I have no recollection of what the others said. With the Lemurian stones, they're usually found out of story order which makes them hard to follow. Then you do have to look it up online.
I agree, that's why I love collecting books in some elder scrolls game. I take some of the lore to my home.
Some books and scrolls are collectible but some are not and Audio informations like stones are not rereadable unless you visit the locations again in an order taking notes.
Hey man I just wanted to say thank you for this lore. I love this type of immersive story telling, but I have been struggling to progress through this game solo and the lack of explanations for things was starting to get frustrating and confusing.
I came into this game knowing only the most basic, cursory knowledge about the Conan franchise.
Your videos have sparked an interest in this mythos that I will never loose. The lore goes so deep and has so many hidden things its just fantastic.
I hope someday you can grow your channel and start branching into the wider lore outside of Conan Exiles!
I do love exploring and finding the lore. I wish we could collect it and put it in a bookcase or something.
This is the amazing thing with CE. I have 6000 hours but I still find things I did not know or have not seen what gives anytime a "wow wait ... what???!!" ^^
I think I'm at about 4300 hours so far, and there's still plenty of story threads I've not tugged on yet, and that's just on TEL. I only really know the general framework of Siptah, I'll have to cover that at some point
Wonderful video eradication! One of your best for sure.
This is absolutely spot on. Why? Because that's how Robert E Howard wrote the original Conan. Conan indirectly becomes the hero. He kinda stumbles into saving the day. He was usually out for himself and bumps into people that cause him to do the right thing. That theme was carried into the film. I'm not much of a Gamer. I only started playing because I was already a fan of Conan. As I got into it I realised that the Devs really were fans too. They created a world that I saw in my head from reading the books. Having Cabinet Entertainment on board is great because they own the Rights to all things Conan, giving Funcom direct access to everything Conan. I just wish they would hurry up and add more content actually from Conan. Characters, items etc from the books and movies. The Riddle of Steel DLC was a HUGE disappointment. I didn't even bother to buy it and I don't think I will. There is so much more content they could have added to the DLC. There are a few things in the base game but not nearly enough. Random weapons and armour pieces that have their own lore from the books and movies but no info in their description. The ties ins are right there but Funcom are not capitalising on them.
Very good point about Conan essentially stumbling into his stories, the same approach happens multiple times in game, most notably in the Age of Sorcery climax.
Riddle of Steel is one of the weakest DLCs, it was one of the last I bought, mainly just because I wanted the statues. It's not great though, just a homage to the films, it feels like.
There's quite a lot in the game that reference the source material. The Bane of Khosatral Khel always jumps to mind from when I was researching golems, but much like the storytelling, the item descriptions feel like they're nudging you towards understanding it yourself rather than dumping it all onto you. There are definitely some that don't nudge enough though
@@Eradicati0nn Riddle of Steel just seems like weak fan service to me. Full sets of Thulsa Doom and Rexor's armour would have been great because they are so beautifully designed, unlike the Beach Bundle Rags you showcased recently lol. I got the sword of Valeria and Thulsa Doom's helmet via the Battle Pass and the fact that they weren't Legendary level baffled me considering their significance. The Duelling Blade of The Hawk was a really nice touch though. I nerded out a bit with that one. Oh yes, there are few references here and there but then there's things like the Setite Dagger that don't tell you anything. It's The Tongues of the Serpent from Conan The Barbarian. I think things like that would attract fans of the books and movies would and a bigger fan base for the game. I talk to those sorts of Conan fans who have no idea about the game who then go out and get it. Nudging is fine, I really don't like being overloaded with stuff but there's a lot in Exiles that is just neglected. Great video as always.
I would also think indirect storytelling of history of said world is much better for Sword&Sorcery settings - stories are about the characters ("You are the hero of your own story!"), history of bigger scope of world is just a "scenery" in which characters' personal stories take place. Unlike high fantasy (such as LOTR) where main focus of the story is some grand design about the fate of the world, Sword&Sorcery is much more personal and focus that way - in the end, Conan Exiles is about that one exile/ group of exiles (or castaways if it takes place on IoS), and ruins of Giant-Kings, Lemurians, Serpentmen, Elder Races, Acheronians etc. are just memories to immerse in.
In a way it's like in the original Robert E Howard stories. Conan stumbles upon many unexplainable mysteries and he just does what he does best. The rest is left to the reader's imagination.
I just wish Funcom would copy all the weapon and shield classes along with all the tactical combat and trade possibilities with NPCs from Elden Ring and implement them in Conan, then it would become the best game.
Elden ring's combat is decades and several games worth of trial and errors to get to this state
Honestly, I wouldn't really want Elden Ring's combat in CE. It works for ER, but I don't think Conan would gain any benefit from just copy pasting it. Combat certainly needs improvements though, and there are things to be learned from games like the Soulsborne franchise
Tactical combat possibilities? My guy its Elden Ring not Splintercell conviction. The only tactic ia "hit that guy really hard"
Thanks Eradication!
Way you delivered this was quite interesting and allowed me complete my goal of the day and was to learn something new .. I never thought about Conan or any other game this way .. well done and again Thank you
I have always loved the freedom the game gave me. I hate when games push the story into my face and when I have to watch short movies about the story every few minutes to be able to understand what is the game expecting of me to do next. I just like how you are thrown into a sandbox and left alone to figure out your path.
Yeah I've got a pretty low tolerance for "watch this cutscene" or "slow-walk through this area while an NPC talks to you" nowadays 😂 About the only game I'll put up with is Metal Gear Solid or Bioshock
Very well done. An interesting change from your usual, excellent offerings.
Thanks Michael! I got some more lore videos planned too, I'm working on one right now about the desert 👀
Just a shame the player is never put into Dark or Savage instances.
I fact when your level 30 you pretty much safe from everything.
Not to mention that at level 60 your character is pretty much an indestructible god.
i like it, if you wnt the story, you have to explore for it. if your here for pvp or base building...and you dont care, the story not getting in your way
“Conan! What is best in life?”
I always felt that my toon was the story, I'd just pick a race and RP that.
That is likely what they were going for, at least in part. People who aren't too interested in following a main quest can quite easily create their own
Adventure and mystery
The problem with conan exiles is that someone of the army of "managers" they had, suggested that not being able to complete the game is profitable and engaging, instead of frustrating and stupid, and their voiceless devs that have given up years ago, go along with this moronic idea... IMHO.
i actually prefer indirect story telling. as much as i love skyrim and cyberpunk, there is this sense of urgency in their main quests that make you feel like you need to do this very important urgent task right now and it could cause one to fly through the main quest and ignore the side quests and the world around them.
morrowinds main quest was excellent. after a few quests, the game would suggest to take a break from the main story, and to join a guild or just go out and explore. get some world experience, make some money, find some loot, then come back. this is a great way to tell a direct story with periods of intermission. you feel justified in going off the beaten trail and dont feel like youre putting a major event off to the side so you can get lost in the woods
I dont think there really is a story to it - almost none. There are some easter eggs from other conan material and the almost nonexistent bit about being an exiled prisoner...
Love this clip. Very well presented and if you aim was to get people feeling curious about the hidden law, then it totally worked on me. :-)
Thank you! I'm glad to hear it worked 😂
i love the game i have tryed to follow the lore, i really dont like the lore they made to the game,
something i miss in the is a quest line you can get frome npc as a lore quest
Well said. This is one of the reasons why I still play this game despite some of it's game breaking bugs
Agreed. For all its faults, Conan's storytelling and lore is top tier
They wanna be cool like Dark Souls
As a friend playing with me for the first time said, there is no way to pay attention to the voice overs, while being murdered by 5 serpentmen, 3 wolves and a lot more... design had good ideas, but shit execution by management and "devs"... I always remember their lead on the last stream, not being able to find the "hidden" wild hunt boss. There are so many things fundamentally broken with the CE team.
@6:35 that is also why conan was unplayable without mods for its first 4 years... leaving aside, how shit it was before sorcery. I hazard to say, after war, it became again unplayable without mods, well unless you are PvP hack, then it is fine, you can leak all your personal info to kill kids around with latest exploit your dad purchased.
Age of Conan was a better game in every regard, and it was an MMO to boot.
You got a foundation of it wrong. First of all - CE does NOT have a set story. Lizardmens and giant kings, Talith and Kingscourge, all the stuff you discover, it LORE, NOT STORY.
I have no idea about Dark Souls, but other games you mentioned as ones with "direct storyteling", like Cyberpunk or CoD, are story driven. The main point of the game is going through the story created by the devs. Some are total railroad, some are less liniar, but ultimatelly, you discover and live through the story presented to you, start to finish.
In CE (and other non story driven games) story is whatever you decide to do. You want to tell a story of desperate exile who figure out all the ancient mysteries and break out of Exile Lands, go for it. You want to tell the story of a dominant monster who took over the entire Exile Lands and live in this prison as a king? Sure why not.
You may or may not discover all of the lore about the map and it's past. But you cannot discover the story - you can only write it.
CE definitely does have a set story, the main quest, which is to escape TEL. It is, IMO, one of the least intriguing stories in the game, at least to me anyway. It does weave the lore of the world into it very heavily, and the player character is hardly ever even nudged in the direction of following the main quest, but it's there. The only real story guide is the Staff of the Triumvirate, which serves as a far more nebulous and aloof version of a quest tracker
The game most definitely encourages you to make your own story though, I would agree with that. That doesn't mean a core story experience doesn't exist, it's just made very unintusively, to the point that some might not even realize its there