The survival MMO Conan Exiles received a new paid map, Isle of Siptah, on September 15. After not even a week, the rating on Steam is at 51%, which is very low. Players criticize the PvP focus and the lack of NPC villages.
This is what’s happening: On September 15, Funcom released its largest expansion so far for the survival MMO Conan Exiles. However, Isle of Siptah is not a map extension as it has been in the past, but a completely new map. Isle of Siptah is approximately 75% the size of the old map, Exiled Lands. So there is plenty of room to explore.
Nonetheless, the Early Access version on Steam is receiving criticism. Only 51% of the reviews are positive, and players especially point out two issues.
This is the reason for the poor rating: The two main points that players criticize on Steam are the obvious PvP focus of the map and the lack of NPC villages. Both are directly related:
- Isle of Siptah has a PvP focus due to its special features. The important and sought-after thralls, that is, enslaved NPCs, are summoned through a large portal from the Exiled Lands. Every player on the map can see this, and everyone rushes to the portal. Anyone wanting a thrall must prevent other players from taking them. This creates conflicts between players.
- The lack of NPC villages is a result of the PvP focus. Thralls can only be summoned through the portals. There are no NPC villages on the Isle of Siptah where they would otherwise live.
This particularly bothers PvE players. They do not want to fight other players and thus have to manage without thralls. But solo players also have issues with this. Since thralls come in larger groups through the portals, they can be difficult or impossible to pull out individually. Additionally, the thralls are chosen at random, making targeted hunting impossible.
This is part of the features that Isle of Siptah is said to have that make it special according to the head of Conan Exiles.
Another point concerns the map directly, as despite its size, it feels rather boring. It may be beautifully designed, but besides the beach and the redwood forests, there are only the barren plains around the dark tower in the center. Diversity looks different, and Isle of Siptah could have been better suited as a map extension of the Exiled Lands.
Whether Funcom will address the criticism and make significant changes remains to be seen. Currently, Isle of Siptah is in an Early Access version on Steam and is set to release in Spring 2021. It will also be available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One then. So Funcom still has plenty of time.
