Why Dungeons Shouldn't Define Conan's Endgame. My POV about CH

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1

In my view, dungeons shouldn’t be the primary focus of endgame content.

Dungeons are a core gameplay system, and their main goal should be to be fun, not just difficult. They should offer a reasonable challenge - enough that players who understand the game’s mechanics and have progressed into advanced gear can complete them without feeling like they’re banging their heads against a wall.

The truly brutal endgame challenges should exist separately: optional encounters with genuinely meaningful and long-lasting rewards.

The Arena Champion perfectly illustrates what I mean.

She’s tucked away inside a relatively straightforward dungeon. You can run that dungeon countless times, and she’s always there, waiting. Challenging you. But most players only engage her when they’re actually looking for a serious test of skill.

You prepare for that fight. You bring the right armor, weapons, food, potions, buffs - the whole package. Players rally their clanmates, call in friends, recruit that random exile who’s earned a reputation for wrecking bosses, bring their best thrall, stock up on supplies… and head in knowing they’re about to face one of the toughest fights in the game. It’s a challenge you choose to take on.

I’d love to see that philosophy expanded across the game. Every dungeon could have an optional chamber, hidden passage, sealed door, underground arena, or side boss designed specifically for players seeking a true endgame challenge.

The key word is optional.

Players who want to take the risk can step inside knowing there’s a very real chance they’ll die, lose a thrall, or fail outright. Meanwhile, the main dungeon remains challenging, rewarding, and, most importantly, fun. A place where players can casually group up, run content together, earn rewards, and enjoy the game without constantly hitting a difficulty wall.

It also preserves the natural flow of progression instead of turning dungeons into hardcore endurance tests.

And for the players who want every dungeon run to be a true hardcore challenge? Easy: just take on the optional path every single time you go in.

The presentation is just as important. Cover the entrance with piles of bones, bloodstains, abandoned gear, burning braziers… make it obvious that very few people ever make it back out. The environment itself should be warning players: “Turn back while you still can.”

And of course, reward those who do succeed with exclusive cosmetic trophies. Nothing game-breaking. Just unique decorations, trophies, or placeables that let players show off what they’ve accomplished.

After all, there should be a visible distinction between the players who skipped the toughest challenges… and the ones who earned the right to call themselves the true champions of the Exiled Lands.

What I don’t think should happen is locking core gameplay mechanics behind content that many players simply don’t enjoy because it’s frustratingly difficult.

Being able to repair legendary weapons is a fundamental game mechanic. In my opinion, it shouldn’t be gated behind a long, punishing dungeon that a lot of players will avoid. Not because they lack the skill, but because they just don’t find that kind of challenge enjoyable.

Save the toughest challenges for optional content with prestigious rewards. But core progression and essential mechanics should remain accessible to the broader player base.

2

I actually think the dungeon itself isn’t that difficult once you’ve reached the endgame. For example, two well-equipped Anjas or Corsairs using thrall-focused builds can clear the final boss without too much trouble.

I also believe some items and resources should be difficult to obtain. If everything is easily accessible, endgame progression loses a lot of its meaning. Having rare rewards gives players a reason to optimize their builds, gear up, and invest in powerful thralls.

To me, the challenge is part of what makes those rewards feel valuable.

That said, I play on official servers only, so my perspective may be influenced by that experience. The way people progress and prepare on officials can be quite different from private servers, so I understand that other players may have a different view.

3

The dungeon is intentionally difficult and unforgiving. If everything goes perfectly, you’ll clear it. That’s the ideal scenario.

The problem is that, in Conan Exiles, a failed run isn’t just about the intended challenge. There’s also the game’s reality: bugs, AI quirks, occasional instability, pathfinding issues… all of which can turn a good run into a disaster.

And if that disaster means losing a level 20 Dalinsia, Anja, or another fully geared thrall you’ve invested dozens of hours into, then the risk starts to outweigh the reward, especially when all you wanted to do was repair a legendary weapon.

I also think this comes down to different playstyles.

Players like me don’t play Conan primarily for its combat. We enjoy the roleplay, exploration, building, and world-building aspects of the game. Under the current design, players with that mindset may simply never repair a legendary weapon because the required content isn’t fun for them.

Likewise, the game doesn’t expect combat-focused players to become master builders, create lore-rich settlements, or spend hours decorating elaborate bases. So I don’t think casual or RP-oriented players should be required to master high-end combat just to experience the game’s lore, explore new areas, or access fundamental mechanics like repairing legendary weapons.

I understand that Conan Exiles was originally envisioned as a hardcore survival game where overcoming difficult challenges was a core part of the experience.

But the game has evolved over the years. Today, it’s also sustained by players who are willing to spend the price of a full AAA game on a single Bathhouse set from the Bazaar. That naturally broadens the audience and brings in players with very different playstyles and expectations.

I think the game’s design should reflect that evolution while still preserving the optional hardcore challenges that long-time veterans enjoy.

4

To be honest, I don’t really see the level of difficulty you’re describing.

I’ve been playing Conan Exiles since the early preview days back in 2018, and in my experience there’s very little in the game that two properly leveled and geared thralls can’t handle.

As for the RP-oriented aspect, your experience sounds much more like what I’d expect from a private server. I could be wrong, but that’s the impression I get. I play on an official PvE-C server that averages around 20–35 players online, and from what I’ve seen, people are really enjoying the new dungeon.

I completely agree that bugs, AI issues, or server instability shouldn’t cost anyone a thrall. Those are technical problems that should absolutely be fixed. But when it comes to the intended challenge itself, I personally don’t think it’s overtuned.

5

Want to add something:

Bosses being “optional” requires a definition of that term. In MMO terms, a dungeon boss would be optional if you don’t need to kill it for reaching the final boss (or other final reward).
In that sense, pretty much all bosses in Conan Exiles are optional. The Sunken City, the Dregs, the Winecellar Dungeon - they all have several bosses, and in each one of them, you can go to the final boss without killing them.
The new dungeon also has optional bosses in that sense, i. e. the Foreman and the undead dragon.

What you are asking for may be better worded in making the repair option - the supposedly big reward of the dungeon - accessible without killing the boss, e. g. by removing the barrier behind him.
If we compare the Cyclopean Halls to the Warmaker’s Sanctuary: There, you can get the recipes and access the loot chests without killing the boss. Technically, only the four bosses with the keys are non-optional, and as you keep the keys, that’s ony for the first run.
So if one would apply that structure of the Warmaker’s Sanctuary to the Cyclopean Hall, there’d be no barrier in front of the loot chests and the repair altar.

I don’t have much of an opinion on the matter myself currently, but I hope that helps to sharpen the idea.

6

If there is no story mode to a game, I won’t buy it. Games that have story mode allow for another optional path. It saves on having to redo the whole character just to enjoy the money spent.

Yes. I think repairing is a good game addition that avoids the next bigger boss trend. Hmm?

7

THERE is NOT such thing as a serious challenge, i can kill her naked.

strongly disagree, you you relate easy to fun,. for me challenge is fun.

difficult? no, poeple not paying attention to the encounter mechanic? far more likely

but they DO.. there is a complete lack of skill if someone finds this dungeon hard, it is maybe if you do not undertand the encoutner, but it gets easier as the experience comes in.

8

When Al Merayah dropped I took 2 of my best Thralls clean the perimeter of the fortress and broke the main entrance. Of course i couldn’t make it to the second entrance with the constant spawn so i retreated. Unfortunately my Thralls for some reason stacked in there, they didn’t even teleport to me while i went far away so they died. I went so upset that i started venting. I went back home changed my attributes on warrior and returned alone this time. I was slaying relentlessly for about 30 minutes. I was upset for about a week. But after awhile I started to see things differently and i understood my mistake also in this content. Al Merayah was the best place to go in and waste some energy to get exited. After a month i wouldn’t want it easier anymore but harder with more enemies and more challenges.

All Conan is since the beginning is knowledge, not skills or at least not high skills. Rince repeat of everything ends up knowing it . Knowing it means no fear anymore and control. You win !

9

I disagree…and I think all dungeon except the new are easy even for a solo player.
I want more hard dungeons with complex bosses.

10

Yes it is a little difficult and all other dungeons are simply very easy once you’ve reached the endgame.
But somepeople want make it as easy as other dungeon… dungeon are optional if people don’t like one, he juste have to don’t do it…

11

Difficulty absolutely depends on the player’s skill level and how much time they’re willing to invest in mastering the game.

For example, I can beat Resident Evil 2 Remake on the hardest difficulty using nothing but the knife, and at this point I actually find it pretty easy. I love that game’s combat. Learning enemy patterns, mastering the dodge timings, optimizing strategies… that was fun for me, so investing the time felt worthwhile.

That doesn’t mean I think it’s a bad thing that more casual players can beat the game on Easy with a full arsenal of pistols, shotguns, and rocket launchers. The challenge was my choice. But everyone deserves to experience the story.

That’s where Conan is different. For me, at least.

I don’t find Conan’s combat especially engaging. It feels stiff, repetitive, and eventually becomes more exhausting than enjoyable. Because of that, I don’t see much value in spending dozens of hours optimizing attributes, weapons, armor, consumables, and builds just to clear a dungeon consistently.

I completely respect the players who love that side of the game and dedicate themselves to becoming combat experts. In fact, I think Funcom should absolutely create content specifically for them.

I just don’t think mastering high-end combat should be a requirement for accessing core gameplay mechanics. Optional endgame challenges? Absolutely. Essential systems? Those should remain accessible to everyone, regardless of their preferred playstyle.

Exactly! You captured the core of what I’m trying to say.

And it’s not just about repairing legendary weapons. It’s about being able to complete the dungeon itself.

I don’t think it should be so easy that a brand-new exile can walk in and clear it. There absolutely should be a progression curve.

But once a player reaches the late game - with legendary armor, a fully leveled Authority build, basic food and potion buffs, and a solid crafted weapon (something like Star Metal should already be enough) - that should be sufficient for the average player to make it through the dungeon without too much frustration, at least along the standard path.

The truly brutal challenges should exist, but as optional encounters for players looking to push themselves further. That way, everyone gets to experience the dungeon, while the hardcore crowd still has meaningful content that tests their skills.

Fair enough, and congratulations! That clearly shows you’re a highly skilled player.

But just because you can do it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s easy. It simply means you’ve mastered that part of the game, and that’s something to be proud of.

The average player’s experience can be very different.

But that’s exactly my point: for you, difficulty is part of the fun.

Because of that, there absolutely should be a more challenging path through the dungeon for players like you. Ideally with better rewards to match the extra risk and effort.

But players who enjoy the game differently should also be able to experience it in the way they find fun. I’m not trying to take away your version of Conan. I’m arguing for balance, so different types of players can all have a good experience.

In fact, if there were an optional hardcore route, I’d probably try it myself. I’m not a big fan of Conan’s combat, but I still challenged the Arena Champion. It was frustrating, I died plenty of times, and eventually I beat her once… and never went back. But I’m glad that challenge existed as an option.

That’s another part of the issue, though.

Not everyone wants - or even has the time - to run the same dungeon over and over until they’ve memorized every mechanic and it eventually becomes easy.

Some players just want to repair their legendary weapons. Others simply want to clear the dungeon once or twice, experience the content, and move on. For them, that’s enough.

And whether we like it or not, Conan Exiles attracts those players too. The game has grown far beyond its original hardcore audience. Today it appeals to builders, roleplayers, explorers, collectors, casual players, and combat enthusiasts alike.

That’s why I think it’s important to design content that respects those different playstyles, instead of expecting everyone to enjoy the game for the exact same reasons.

I agree! But I think we’re back to the same point.

You’re a long-time Conan player who genuinely enjoys difficult combat. You’re willing to wipe, regroup, tweak your build, come back, fail again, and keep trying until you win. That’s fun for you.

I’m the same way, but with building. I can spend hours rebuilding a base, tearing it down, redesigning the roof, improving stability, experimenting with layouts… and I enjoy every minute of it.

And you actually brought up the perfect example: Al-Merayah.

There was nothing more optional than that. Nobody had to do it. Players went there because they wanted the challenge, and the rewards justified the effort. Taking down the fortress boss was a real achievement - the kind of fight that separated experienced players from everyone else.

That’s exactly the kind of design I’d love to see more of: optional, high-risk, high-reward content for players who actively seek that level of challenge, while leaving the core gameplay accessible to everyone else.

I don’t see them as truly optional when they gate core game mechanics.

Besides, dungeons are one of the coolest parts of Conan Exiles. Exploring unique environments, solving puzzles, discovering new enemies. That’s the kind of content I’d love to see remain accessible to a broader range of players. Personally, I think the main dungeon experience should lean more toward being approachable, while the truly hardcore challenges are offered as optional encounters within or alongside it.

Anyway, everyone, thanks for the discussion! I’ve really enjoyed reading the different perspectives. In the end, it’s Funcom’s call, and they’ll decide the direction they want to take.

I’m genuinely happy to see so many people enjoying the new dungeon, and I wish the team the best.

Long live Conan Exiles!

12

I have to agree to that.

“Difficulty” in video games is a questionable metric. Depending on your computer, internet connection, living conditions and many, many other factors, the same feat that feels easy to somebody else becomes almost impossible for somebody else.
This is not an Olympia competition, where everybody more or less competes under the same conditions. One has to give some leeway for the variety of conditions players play in.
Not an issue here or in Conan Exiles in general, but my favorite example are color-coded puzzles. 8% of all males have some sort of color blindness. Friend of mine often doesn’t even recognize that there’s a puzzle, because he just doesn’t see the color code.
I’ve been raidlead for some years in this other Conan game for some years, and the part I did not enjoy (contrary to common belief) was to explain boss tactics for 10 minutes five times an evening, and then scolding people for not listening closely enough. I mean, it’s a video game, not a moon landing.
From an immersion perspective, bosses with complex mechanics usually are not price worthy, either. The Giant Kings were physically large and apparently quite strong despite their frail appearance, used some magic and probably were quite smart, though somehow naive at the same time. But they couldn’t shoot lasers out of their ■■■■■ or Red Create Circles of Immediate Doom ™. That’s quite well done in Conan Exiles imo: The bosses feel powerful, but not artificially complex.

That said, I don’t think that Conan Exiles is too difficult overall. Some bosses are challenging, but with practice and preparation, even a not very talented player like me can beat them. That is, of course, a single player’s experience, and my m@d sk1llz and rocket ship master race PC may very well influence my viewpoint.

The Cyplopean Halls are a bit weird in some aspects, and I suspect that the Dragon and the Giant King have something weird going on with their damage - the variety in their damage output seems suspicious. But that may resolve itself with practice and more refined tactics to beat them.

The thought of making bosses “optional” is still worthy of a discussion, though. The typical MMO dungeon with only one way through is kind of boring. Larger dungeons with stuff to explose, hidden chests, hidden and possibly even random bosses are more exciting.

13

With all do respect, why this new dungeon is not optional? From what i have read the loot sucks, it gives no recipes and the only thing that’s giving you is a chance to repair a legendary piece. The fact that world bosses are extremely easy and harmful, at least most of them, what’s stopping you to grind one more piece than repairing it ?

I am really sorry brother @donbzm I cannot play this dungeon so all my informations are coming from this forum. I don’t even watch videos, i want no spoilers.

Yet i don’t really believe it’s that difficult and not because i am suoer warrior, i am just another loud fart, i am not better than anyone, i just use what this game provides.

14

That’s precisely what donbzm is frustrated by - it is the only way in the game to repair a legendary weapon. For you or me, it might be easy to just get a replacement - I kill certain worldbosses just because I’m passing by and might as well get another key, so then when I go to dungeons I can always get a stock of new weapons. And there are dungeons I don’t mind going to multiple times to farm legendaries (I still wish they hadn’t combined the two loops into one, but that’s a different rant).

But other players might not want to do the same fight/same dungeon over and over to try to get a replacement for their favourite legendary. And that is fair enough - they should be able to have access to being able to repair them. (Again, the whole thing would be solved if Dennis hadn’t decided to remove the ability to repair legendaries, but again, that’s a different rant…) Locking the ability to repair behind the toughest dungeon/toughest boss fight is the problem. I like the suggestion of an easier route (not necessarily easy, just easier) to be able to repair them, and then have the harder stuff (the ‘challenge’) be there for the players that want it.

I have no direct opinion yet on the dungeon itself - I haven’t had the chance to try it yet (because I’m just barely getting in to the endgame and still have a lot to sort out before I’ll be ready). If I find it to hard/not fun, that doesn’t worry me too much - because I no longer really care about repairing legendaries (though I would still prefer if we just had the old repair system back…). But I can understand how players that do not enjoy the elements of the game that I do might want to still have access to the ability to repair them. It’s a sandbox game - it should support multiple play styles. (The day they enforce having to use Sorcery as the only way to do something important in the game is the day I uninstall and never look back, because that is an example of a playstyle I never want forced on me.)

15

Yes , i definitely got that brother and make no mistake i really respect my fellow exile. But please for a minute just take me you or anybody else from this situation and go on Devs place.

Does Conan exiles has an outstanding battle mechanism yes or no ? Isn’t it about time for players who spend hundreds or even thousands of hours trying to learn the combat mechanics to get a reward also ?

We have sooo many weapons…

Sooo many armor pieces…

Sooo many buffs …

Sooo many builds for them…

These are not only decorative, they have a meaning in this game. And now Devs also gave a reason, a good one.

I love you brothers and sisters, have no doubt. And i am extremely bittered with Funcom that made no official announcement yet for Playstation. But on this i am on their side, because they made an outstanding job in this part and somehow people must spend some time on battle also. I am one of the skillless players with low reflexes because i hit 50 and still managed to fight decent just because i gave it a chance.

It ain’t that difficult, wear a light armor or go naked , take a star metal weapon, build warrior and go out and start slaying. You’ll die sometimes, yes but what you’ll gain is very satisfying. Every weapon is unique and it worths some of our gaming hours, only fun awaits, trust me.

16

Yes. And that is absolutely a part of the suggestion. Those that want the challenge should be able to have it. And, as donbzm said, there should be rewards for those that do take the challenge and succeed. The issue is that an ‘essential game feature’ - the only way to repair legendary weapons - should not be locked behind that challenge. The reward should be something that is rewarding to those that want the challenge and not punishing to those that don’t.

The sorts of players that will enjoy this dungeon are also the sorts of players who find it easiest to get legendary weapons and have many spares. The players who most want the ability to repair legendary weapons are the sorts of players that find getting them harder (or less fun) and therefore want to keep the few they do have. Those players are the people who will least enjoy such a dungeon. The whole development of this concept is upside down.

17

How is it essential when for the past 3 years you couldn’t repair them anyway :laughing: . What people do all these years can continue doing it since they don’t want to wait for their turn to hit and dodge while they get attacked.

And don’t forget that everyone can train on their own single player session . We can be gods , ghosts, whatever we wish.

Anyway, you know what, you are correct. I shouldn’t be speaking anyway because i won’t see this update ever. If people who actually play this session want it easy , so be it , it doesn’t bother me anyway!

18

I actually don’t mind dungeons being brutally difficult, as long as the rewards match the effort.

A great example of this design working well is the Sacred Hunt. It’s definitely a heavy grind, but players still do it because the reward—the Bestial Regalia—is 100% worth the effort.

As long as high difficulty is paired with truly high-value rewards, I think tough dungeons have a great place in the endgame.

19

The Sacred Hunt is not an example of things being brutally difficult, but of being a long grind.

Hard content = requires skill
Grind content = requires time

The Sacred Hunt was an absolute horror show imho. For the first time in any event, I admin pannelled the rewards because I don’t want to spend a year of time on waiting for Hyenas to spawn.

20

Again, the point you are missing is not whether people can practise to become good at combat, it is whether they want to. Some people do not enjoy combat - it is not fun for them. So they should not be forced to do more of it. That’s like forcing people to spend their time doing purges over and over again. Some people enjoy purges, but others don’t enjoy them. This is a sandbox game so people should be free to play it in the ways they enjoy.

And for you or me it is not essential. But I still want it back (the old way). But for other people it is more essential - they have been calling for it ever since Dennis removed it for no reason (like most of the other decisions he made that have made the game worse than before he started working on it). And the announcement of the dungeon made a big thing about ‘We have heard all the calls wanting a way to repair Legendary weapons’ - if they did not consider it important, then they would not make a big thing about it - they recognise that for some people it is important.

As I explained, the approach taken here is upside down - the people who get the most enjoyment from this dungeon and can most likely get the repairs are the people that least need the repairs and least care about them - so for them the reward is nothing. Meanwhile for the people who most need/want the repairs (because they find it hard/not fun to grind for lots of extra legendary weapons) they have to do more of what they don’t enjoy.

You absolutely should be speaking. Opinions should always be welcome. (And we can still hope that one day consoles will get the update).

Again - it isn’t about that. It’s about people wanting access to the ability to repair legendary items without having to do more of what they don’t enjoy. The dungeon can be as hard as the devs like, there will always be players that enjoy that challenge, but the rewards should be thought about - so the rewards for the people that want the challenge are rewards they might actually want, and the people that want to repair legendary items should not be punished by having to do more of what they don’t enjoy. No one (in this thread) has said the dungeon should be easy - they have said that the way to get to the repairs should not need to do the whole challenge of the dungeon - the challenge of the dungeon should still be there for those that want it, and should give them an actually appropriate reward.