Funcom's MMORPG Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures sees its 5.6 patch debut today; titled "Nights of Lost Souls", this one brings with it fresh in-game seasonal content, quests, rewards, a high-level dungeon, and something many players have been looking forward to: the Veteran Points system. And perhaps due to its recent financial straits, the company is also offering major discounts on long-term subscriptions.

"It being that time of year, we employed a few tricks to provide our players with some special treats," says Craig Morrison, Game Director and Executive Producer on `Age of Conan'. "In this update we have added new seasonal in-game content where players will have to progress through three brand new quest lines and get to challenge the dark and mysterious ghosts of Hyboria's fallen warriors in order to collect the seasonal rewards. We are also very excited about introducing the Veteran Points system, which allows us to reward those players who have been sticking with the game for longer periods of time."

Funcom are showing their sense of humour with this one, making available Halloween-themed weapons like the Unholy Backscratcher, not to mention pet demons. Two new locations are in store, too: a villa where "dark and gruesome" events are going on, and the Iron Tower, a massive structure in Tarantia's slums intended for veteran players. Both areas will offer new loot and encounters, as one would expect, and also bring the story of the district to its final end.

Next is the Veteran Points system, which rewards players who've subscribed for one month or more with mounts, experience potions, teleportation abilities, special equipment, or a host of other bonuses. More, the longer you stay subscribed, the more points you get, which can then be used with in-game vendors. Really going the extra mile here, Funcom notes the points apply to players who've already been subscribed, so if you've been with the game since launch, you'll want to find a whole lot of room for the gobs of loot you're about to uncover.

Lastly we have the new subscription model. For gamers who sign up for three months of playtime, this will give you a 20% discount (~$34 total); six months brings 30% (~$55 total); one year brings 45%.

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