I really hope you guys still remember me. It's been a shamefully long time since I've done an Onlife column, and rather than bore you with excuses, I'll just jump to it (you probably already know what I would say anyway). E3 has come and gone. Like, really gone -- it's been almost a month, though try telling that to the sandbags under my eyes. While it was kind of difficult to realize this when I was in the thick of things, it was sort of a disappointing show as far as MMOs go. Sure, all the big players were present, and they showed just what you would have expected them to show. But as far as things new and exciting go, there simply wasn't a lot happening.

Anyway, I did manage to get excited about some of the stuff there despite the overall lack of novelty. The time that's passed since the show closed has only solidified what would have otherwise been hazy, half-wrought impressions. So, without further ado, I present to you my personal favorite MMOs of E3 2006. Please forgive the list format.

Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures

I have to admit, I have a soft spot in my heart for Funcom, and an even softer one for Conan. As such, it's pretty difficult for me to be objective about this game at this juncture, but I'll do my best. Now, I've never read any of Robert E. Howard's novels. I've only seen the Conan films. Hell, when I was little, I even thought that Conan the Destroyer was a good movie. But even given that shallow level of familiarity with the lore behind it, I really dig the world. I think I "get" it. And from where I'm standing, it's clear that Funcom gets it too. Conan's world is rife with brutality, and judging from the demo that I saw at E3, this MMO's gameworld will reflect that. The villages are populated by crude buildings and even cruder inhabitants, and the combat system is probably the most savage I've ever seen in an MMO.

Hyboria isn't known for its handsome inhabitants.

I'm not completely sold on the combat, mind you; in its current state, there seems to be a bit of heft lacking. When a heavy iron sword collides with flesh and bone, you expect a certain physical reaction, and that was absent in Age of Conan. I truly hope they get this right. They have the animations down pat, if that's any consolation. There were no shortages of grizzly beheadings. But seriously, when my axe cuts into the back of a fleeing brigand, I want to feel it. Please, Funcom, help me feel it.

Another thing that impressed me was the siege battles. If you've experienced the Alien Invasion content in Anarchy Online, then you'll be in familiar turf: just replace hordes of aliens descending from space with armies of bandits issuing forth from camps. Guilds will be able to found settlements, outfit them with all sorts of craft-specific gear, and fortify them with walls and siege weapons. It was definitely the most interesting aspect of the game, in my view, and Funcom has something of a proven competency with this sort of thing. I'm most definitely excited.