After a long absence (more than 5000 hours played), the UE5 update has finally brought me back to Conan. I honestly did not expect such an update, and it surprised me in a very positive way.
Visually, the game truly feels revitalized, and I sincerely hope this marks the beginning of a new and successful future for Conan Exiles.
I was fully aware that a perfect game would not suddenly emerge with the new update. However, as a former server administrator, I immediately noticed a few old problems that urgently need to be addressed before the game moves into what I hope will become a successful new era.
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Rubberbanding:
Large player populations, massive player-built structures, and placeables should no longer be a decisive issue under UE5. They should not bring servers and ping performance to their knees anymore — something other UE5 games, including Dune, already demonstrate impressively. The broken legacy code from the old UE4 era finally needs to be cleaned up. -
NPC and creature movement:
I still see gazelles walking through the air, and even more commonly NPCs sliding toward you backwards — standing, sitting, or even lying down. Honestly, I have never seen anything like that in any other game. Funcom has already proven with Dune that they can do better, and I have never experienced issues like this in Nightingale either. To me, this is a clear indication that the old broken systems are still deeply embedded in the game.
I remember the rubberbanding and terrible ping under heavy building/player load from the old days, just as I remember the poor pathfinding and behavior routines of NPCs, animals, and monsters. If those problems finally disappear, then you will have a stable foundation upon which the game can truly be rebuilt.
Because many systems still need major improvements and expansions.
First and foremost: the companion system. Thralls are one of the core elements of Conan Exiles. But when compared to companion systems from other games, such as Soulmask, Conan’s system still feels very limited and in need of substantial development.
What makes Conan unique are Religion and Sorcery — yet both systems currently contribute surprisingly little to gameplay. They are immersive, yes, but they offer too few meaningful gameplay advantages. Both systems could become true endgame mechanics if expanded properly.
And then there is the water:
Why no boats? Why no living waters, dangerous seas, or meaningful aquatic gameplay? It does not have to go as far as Ark, but exploration, danger, and conquest should also exist there. Right now, water gameplay barely exists at all.
You now have the opportunity to turn Conan Exiles into a truly successful brand and bring it out of its niche. A graphics update alone is not enough.
I sincerely hope you continue developing the game in meaningful ways — and if you succeed, then the success that follows will be well deserved.
Best regards