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New Age of Wushu trailer highlights game's eight schools
One of the first major decisions a player comes to in the free-to-play martial arts sandbox Age of Wushu is which of the eight different schools to join. Have a penchant for panhandling? Perhaps you'd prefer the Beggars. Maybe the muses inspire you; then Scholars would be the best bet. Or if you prefer poisons, you'd fit in with the Tangmen. If none of those tickle your fancy, you can belong to the Wudang, Royal Guards, Wanderer's Valley, Emei, or Shaolin. Still undecided? Snail Games has released a trailer of the schools, giving players get a glimpse of each one. Take a peek after the cut.
Massively Interview: Dr. Lawrence Sanders on MMO loyalty
Beyond amazing character design, compelling narratives, and the presence of dragons, there is one thing that all MMOs depend upon for success: player loyalty. Without returning subscribers, a loving community, or folks dropping a few dimes in the cash shop now and again, MMOs simply wouldn't be a feasible way for a games studio to do business. Smart development teams have player retention departments tasked specifically with tracking and analyzing the rise and fall of player allegiances and finding ways to leverage loyalty is becoming an increasingly important aspect of the creation process. Even the non-gaming world is getting in on the fray. Back in November, researchers at the University at Buffalo School of Management published a study tracing the roots of player loyalties in a variety of MMO environments. The study outlined the mentalities of MMO gamers and the things that successfully encouraged them to keep coming back for more looting, more grinding, and more /hugging. Most importantly, the study declared that an MMO that increases loyalty by just 5% can increase profits by 25-95%. We sat down with Dr. Lawrence Sanders, co-author of the study, to dive a little deeper into the researchers' methods, results, and plans for future MMO investigation.
Age of Wushu early access beta extended
Age of Wushu fans, Snail has some good news for you. Originally the company planned to power down its servers on January 9th at the end of the game's second closed beta test. According to a new forum post, though, this is no longer the case. Snail's fantastical version of Ming Dynasty China will continue "until further notice." The beta test is essentially functioning as an early access period for pre-order customers since all game progress will carry over to the martial arts MMO's official launch. Age of Wushu was originally scheduled to launch on February 1st in North America.
The Daily Grind: What's your favorite non-combat feature?
Non-combat features don't get a lot of love in popular MMOs these days, but there have nonetheless been some interesting experiments in this department over the years. From RIFT's housing to Star Wars Galaxies' Entertainers to Lord of the Rings Online's music system, several genre titles have strayed from the straight and narrow of violence and character progression. Upcoming titles like Age of Wushu and ArcheAge are adding new wrinkles as well, so for today's Daily Grind we'd like to hear your thoughts on non-combat MMO features. Specifically, which one is your favorite? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Upcoming Age of Wushu wedding system detailed
Looking for something to do in Age of Wushu besides kung fu fighting, crafting, or PvP? You could always get married. MMO Culture has a brief look at the wedding system that just made its way onto the game's Taiwan server. The marriage mechanics include a proposal, some sort of engagement process, a dowry, and a wedding banquet. Apparently there's also an NPC who handles proposals and functions as the Ming Dynasty equivalent of a singles website. It's worth noting that Shaolin players can only propose after they've obtained the Secular Disciple title. Thus far there's no word on when the marriage system will show up on Age of Wushu's western servers.
The Perfect Ten: New MMOs to watch in 2013
Oh, I had a great Perfect Ten prepped as the first list of the year, but my meanie-face editor slammed on the veto button and told me, point-blank, that I was going to be counting down the best MMO prospects for the year. Then she drove a lawnmower through a Nordstroms while huffing paint thinner and throwing empty cans at the security personnel. Even so, her idea is probably more interesting than what I had. Let me give you a few notes on today's list because I sense that I'm going to tick more of you off than normal here. My goal was to sift through the possible releases for 2013 and pick the 10 most promising, both in "will it actually launch this year?" and in its potential for success. The combination makes it a tough call because some of these will undoubtedly be delayed to 2014 or beyond and some of these we still don't know as much as we'd like about them. But who cares? Let's have some fun and kick this year off right. Here are my picks for new MMOs to watch in 2013.
Leaderboard: Age of Wushu vs. ArcheAge vs. EQNext
Are sandbox games making a comeback in the MMO space? That remains to be seen, but there are a handful of major titles in development that self-identify as either sandboxes or sandparks, and all of them will be playable to one degree or another in 2013. First up is Age of Wushu, currently in a public beta and scheduled to officially debut in February. Next up is ArcheAge, which, while still in limbo for the western market, will certainly launch in Korea and probably China in 2013. Finally we have EverQuest Next, which SOE has said will be playable at its annual SOE Live event in the fall. Assuming you're a sandbox fan, which of these three titles do you see yourself playing the most? Vote after the break! Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!
The Daily Grind: What makes an MMO a sandbox?
Age of Wushu has been generating a lot of discussion in the Massively community as of late, and while the game isn't everyone's cup of tea, most everyone seems to have an opinion on it. Crazily enough, we've even heard from some folks who don't consider the martial arts title a sandbox, despite the fact that its developers call it one and despite the fact that it boasts many sandbox-style features. That brings us to today's Daily Grind question. What makes an MMO a sandbox in your view? Are there certain must-have features? Conversely, what prevents an MMO from being a sandbox? Let us know in the comments! Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Age of Wushu is probably the greatest sandbox you'll never play
MMOs are old hat at this point. I don't want to say they're boring, because then what are we all doing here? There's a certain sameness, though, and we know exactly what to expect, when and where to expect it, and in most cases we're firmly entrenched in a particular gameplay comfort zone. Imagine my surprise, then, when I sat down to play Age of Wushu last week and found something utterly unlike most of the genre in every way that matters. It's difficult to compare the sprawling martial arts saga to other titles, but if you're looking for AoW's closest MMO relative, it would have to be EVE Online.
Leaderboard: Good guys vs. bad guys in open PvP
Age of Wushu has an abundance of interesting MMO mechanics, chief among them a PK penalty system that puts players in virtual jail if they're caught murdering their fellows. The mechanic is a crucial part of the game's PvP system, and as Massively columnist Patrick Mackey explained in his beta preview, it's a novel approach for preventing an open PvP world from devolving into a gank-fest. The system also allows for player alignment to actually mean something beyond a number on a character sheet or a statement in a bio, and in Age of Wushu you really can be a bad guy or a good guy and use your powers to affect your fellow gamers. That brings us to today's Leaderboard question. Assuming you play open PvP games, or games with meaningful alignment systems, how do you generally present yourself? Do you play the good guy? The bad guy? Do you stay neutral if the option exists? Vote after the cut! Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!
Snail addresses Age of Wushu brouhaha, Elite mounts to stay
Yesterday we reported on a significant brouhaha in the Age of Wushu pre-release community. Snail Games has since posted a lengthy message on its forums in response. There were two major points of contention from a customer perspective. First was the removal of a permanent mount from AoW Elite packages. "We will be giving all Elite package members the permanent mount that we promised," the company says. "In fact, it should be sent to all Elite package accounts by the time you read this." The other major issue stemmed from the fact that Elite edition customers didn't know that their pre-order bonus items were only good for the first character on the account. Snail says that, as of now at least, that restriction will remain due to technical issues. Age of Wushu was never made for players to have more than one character or for players to delete the character they decided to make. We had brought it up before and did not (at the time) see the need in specifying that if you get the items on a character and delete that character, those items are gone. VIP status does stay but any items gained during the character's life or anything done with that character does not carry over. Many of you see this as an easy fix. However, the goods that were included in the packages are tangible items and not account-bound. Because of this, there is no easy fix. We are currently discussing what can be done, if anything. [Thanks to Adam for the tip!]
The Daily Grind: Can you overlook a bad UI?
So I've been playing Age of Wushu pretty heavily despite its not-ready-for-prime-time translation and its hackneyed interface. To be fair, it is still beta, and the martial arts sandbox isn't officially slated to launch in America until February. That said, character progression is carrying over and I'm paying for a VIP account, so I view it as more of a pre-release thing than a beta thing, personally. And I've heard a lot of players complaining about the UI. It's complicated, you can't move it around or customize it, and it's generally the antithesis of the streamlined interfaces we've seen in polished themeparks over the past few years. All of that hasn't put a damper on the novel game mechanics, though, and in spite of the fact that I wish the game would get a full UI makeover, I'll probably be playing it well past launch. What about you, Christmas Eve crew? Is a bad UI a dealbreaker when it comes to your MMO enjoyment, or can you overlook it as long as the rest of the game is good? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Age of Wushu removes Elite benefits unexpectedly
So, enjoying Age of Wushu? Enough to purchase the game's Elite package with all its attendant benefits before launch? That's great, but if you bought it on the premise of having a permanent mount, you're going to be sadly disappointed. Snail Games USA has announced that the unlimited mount previously announced for purchasers has been removed, replaced by an increased quantity of gold and a few temporary mounts. While it's an understandable balance concern, it's also somewhat upsetting for players who have already purchased the package partly on this basis. This comes in the wake of another announcement by the company clarifying that Elite/Deluxe edition rewards are only given to the first character you create. Deleting and remaking your character will not result in your rewards being resent. This has further angered several players, as this statement was not made until after many players had begun recreating characters without prior knowledge of this policy. The post announcing that these items are one-time-only explains the philosophy behind it, and encourages all players to do ample research before creating a first character for this exact reason. [Thanks to Adam for the tip!]
Some Assembly Required: Six reasons to love sandboxes in 2013
What a difference a year makes, amirite? This time twelve months ago, I was licking the wounds brought on by Star Wars Galaxies' unceremonious and premature departure from the MMO scene. It was bad enough that a profitable title was sacrificed in order to clear a path for one of 2012's biggest disappointments, but it was worse that said title was the premier sandbox in the genre's history. Frankly, the last few years have been abysmal for fans of non-linear MMOs and player-generated content, but thankfully, 2012 righted the ship and gave us more than a bit of hope for 2013.
Age of Wushu's Scholar school teaches the art of death
If you've hopped into Age of Wushu's open closed beta, which started yesterday, you've probably noticed a new school available, one distinct from the previous reveals of beggars, monks, assassins, guards, and such. Folks who prefer a more cultured outlook can join the Scholars, a sect that focuses on the arts. In fact, before joining this school, players must acquire one of the four Cultural professions: Musician, Painter, Calligrapher, or Weiqi. This school is also one of only two neutral sects. With an elegant combat style rooted in dance, scholars use flourishing, theatrical moves in swordplay. They also use musical frequencies to cause internal damage; one legend tells of an ultimate song that can deal fatal damage to a foe without spilling a single drop of blood. You can check out the Scholars moves in Massively TV's Age of Wushu stream.
Age of Wushu kicks off second closed beta
Have a hankering for an ancient Chinese holiday gift? Age of Wushu is dropping a lovely sandbox down some of your chimneys, as the title has just started its second closed beta test. Snail Games said that pre-purchased players will receive the benefits from their elite and deluxe versions of the game shortly after logging in. If you're interested in giving it a whirl without pre-purchasing, all you need to do is register for a limited trial. Trial players get 10 hours of game time with an additional hour per day after that. For Massively's look at this title, definitely check out Patrick's hands-on with the title and MJ's livestream tonight!
First impressions from the Age of Wushu beta
When I first started playing the Age of Wushu beta, I had a lot of expectations. As I first started playing, the game felt ho-hum. It was clumsy, the translation wasn't very good, and the combat felt clunky. My friends saved an infamous IM conversation during which I expressed how the game was a let-down. I had heard a lot about the skill-based martial arts battles, but the combat and movement felt so clumsy. There were some interesting features for sure, but my expectations soon faded, and I mostly kept playing out of a sense of obligation, to see whether there was anything hidden beyond the awkward translation and uninspired gameplay. Three days later, I was a believer. Age of Wushu's combat, while awkward at first, proved to be incredibly deep and allowed for endless variations of personal expression. Mastery of battle wasn't just about abusing a broken mechanic, and the foundations of the game's economy soon proved to threaten the hold that EVE Online currently has on the sandbox market. Open PVP with real consequences, horizontal character progression, a player-driven economy, and the best combat system in any MMO ever -- you'll find it all in Age of Wushu.
Age of Wushu opens next closed beta to all
Is it possible to have an open closed beta? Yup, and Snail Games is doing just that for Age of Wushu's next round of beta testing. Due to the overwhelming response of folks wanting to participate, the game is adding a special trial version for the upcoming CBT. How it will work is that any and everyone who wants to get a taste of the game will have 10 hours of unrestricted access when the next CBT starts on December 20th. After exhausting those 10 trial hours, players who have not purchased the deluxe edition will be capped at one hour of play per day throughout the rest of the beta test, which closes in early 2013. Folks who own the deluxe edition will get more perks besides just unlimited playtime throughout the entire closed beta period. All customization, progression, and skills of all characters will be saved when this beta closes and will be available when the next play period opens. Players who already own Elite, E3, or New York Comic Con editions of the game will have the same unrestricted access as the deluxe owners.
Age of Wushu fans can find balance in the Wudang School
You've seen the ninjas, the show-offs, and even the panhandlers, but nothing really fit with your ideals of inner harmony. If that's the case, then Age of Wushu's fourth school, the Wudang, may be more your style when the martial arts sandbox opens its doors! Known universally as Shaolin Monks, this school focuses on balance of the mind and body and redirects energy used against them to throw enemies off balance. The Wudang favor swords, using them as an extension of themselves in battle. If you want to see the breeze sword, the yin yang sword, and the taiji sword skill sets in action, check out the three videos after the break.
Age of Wushu highlights a third school: Wanderer's Valley
Just as players would expect of a sandbox, Age of Wushu is offering a variety of classes for folks to play the game how they want. Previous spotlights introduced fans to the Beggars and the Tangmen. Now Snail Games is showing off the evil side of life in ancient China; Wanderer's Valley is a darker school that welcomes notoriety for its nefarious actions. Created by a man embittered by his own short life-span and led by fallen members of other sects, the sect is full of adherents who practice a live-in-the-moment attitude with little care for the consequences of their actions. Skills available to this school include the use of pressure points to poison energy and dual blades to slice through opponents. You can even use insects to slowly eat away at enemies. If the prevailing motto of "eat, drink, and torture others, for tomorrow we die" sounds right up your dark alley, then Wanderer's Valley is the school for you!
