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Age of Wushu previews its winter content
Winter is coming. Literally. We're almost halfway through September. Age of Wushu is using the oncoming winter not as an ominous portent of doom but as a chance to introduce a bunch of new content to the game, starting with school instances. No matter how benevolent your school may be on the surface, there's always more going on underneath. Within the depths of these instances lie not only money and glory but perhaps ever more powerful techniques that have been lost to time. Both secret scripts and new ultimate scrolls will be added to the game, with the latter offering true mastery over a school. The secret scripts once threw the realm into chaos, but deciphering these arts will be the mark of a true master. And if you've had your fill of all that, you can always take advantage of the upcoming marriage system and settle down for in-game domestic bliss. It's a lot of new content for the game, and all players need to do is wait for the winter.
Choose My Adventure: Age of Wushu charms and confuses
So here we are in the second week of the Age of Wushu Choose My Adventure coverage. There's no way that even a dozen weeks would cover everything there is to know about this awesome MMO, but luckily the point of this column is to show what it's like to jump into game not only while I'm blind but also when a crowd is directing my every major decision. That means that I get to act like myself and enjoy getting lost in a game that is truly a living world. Age of Wushu is fantastic for certain newbies just as it seems it is for vets. Of course, it's not all that rosy. In almost every article I have read about the game, and even in the chat room while I streamed the game live (it's embedded after the cut), I saw players who expressed their disappointment in how confusing the game is. Massively's own Patrick Mackey has been helping me along the way, and he said on the stream that the best thing to do to alleviate confusion is to "join a guild." I agree, so that's going to be one of the questions I put up for a vote. Having access to Patrick, the readers and players, and the developers themselves does put me at an advantage over typical newbies. Click past the cut and lets get to what I thought about the choices that were made last time, and be sure to vote on this week's poll questions!
Choose My Adventure: And the winner is...
Choose My Adventure is a funny column to write. At some point, you as the author know which game will likely win, but you also know that at some point everything can go wonky. I've seen games that seemed to be the sure thing get knocked off by a lone wolf or underdog. I like to poke the developers who are running the games that are in the polls in the hopes that they let their community know about the column and get the polls heating up. There's nothing like a good vote to get people excited about MMO games, and that's the way things should be. Even though I watched the poll go a few different ways, it was relatively obvious what title was going to pull it off. I started to prepare by updating the top titles and reading up on some of their systems. Choose My Adventure is not a light undertaking; it's a real adventure -- hopefully -- through an unfamiliar world. I knew I would need the community's help in deciphering the winner. And what a winner!
Jukebox Heroes: Age of Wushu's soundtrack
You're probably not going to catch me in Age of Wushu any time soon. I mean, don't get me wrong, kidnapping and castration are definitely the innovative features we as an MMO community have been begging for, but "PvP sandbox" is like spraying a game with anti-Justin repellent. But I will gladly listen to Age of Wushu's soundtrack because it is simply wonderful. I was really just expecting very generic Chinese music -- you know, the kind you might hear as muzak in your local take-out restaurant. Instead, this is a score worthy of a movie adjacent to Jet Li's presence. Perhaps that's why he's shilling for this game. I couldn't track down the composer for this, so if any of you know, drop me a line and I'll make sure to give you credit. What I do know is that it was a great pleasure to listen through this entire score, and picking out just six tracks to highlight proved a challenging task.
Age of Wushu merging servers next week [Updated]
If you reside on the White Tiger or Black Tortoise servers in Age of Wushu, you'll see a change in your world next week soon. When the servers come back up after the scheduled weekly maintenance on August 28th September 4th, only one of those two servers will remain; in order to improve the player experience, everyone from Black Tortoise will be merged onto a freshly reset White Tiger. To answer questions and help prepare players for the merge, Snail Games has created a FAQ post, which includes such tidbits as all school positions and guild territories will be reset. To help prepare the servers, there will be an hour-long special maintenance for those two servers only on Monday, August 26th September 2nd starting at 1:01 a.m. EDT. The merge will then take place on Wednesday when maintenance begins at 4:00 a.m. EDT. [Update: According to an edit made to the original blog post, Age of Wushu's server merges have been delayed until September 4th.]
EQII gamer goes missing after cross-country trip [updated]
One of EverQuest II's players, Katherine Masson, was driving home from Las Vegas when apparently she vanished. According to The Raven-Mythic, she has been missing for over two days now after sending out a text message from a rest stop in New York. A police report has been filed, but there have been no announced leads concerning her disappearance. So what happens when one of our own gamers goes missing? The community mobilizes, of course. The folks at The Raven-Mythic, an EverQuest II roleplaying guild, are continually updating a thread about Katherine's disappearance, spreading the word, and doing some of their own detective work. Katherine is also known as Jia, Essie, and Willasye in-game. Her last known location was at a rest stop near Albany, NY off of I-90, heading toward Boston. Parties with any information should contact Dan at dmak205@gmail.com. [Update: It now appears that Katherine has chosen to disappear in Las Vegas and she has done something similar at least once in the past. The owner of The Raven-Mythic writes, "By all accounts, Kate's issues caused her to use Dan, and by extension, use a lot of us. And that's terrible on many levels. Please don't let that diminish the fact that, as a community, we proved our worth in spades."]
Age of Wushu's Legends of Mount Hua expansion launches
Have you been eagerly awaiting the day you could dive into the new systems and features of Age of Wushu's first expansion, Legends of Mount Hua? Well, today's the day! Players are now able to get in and try their hands at the Youyun Sixteen Area Prefectures Battle Arena, a 40 vs 40 PvP battleground, and Yanmen Pass, an 18-man instance. Those with the urge to help out newer players will find the Martial Brothers system for mentoring helpful, while those who seek revenge on others will no doubt get use out of the Jianghu Gratitude and Revenge System. And the truly competitive of spirit can take part in the Mount Hua Competition. The new faction system and the Jianghu Heroic Playstyle and Treasure System will offer a variety of rewards. For a look at what's in store, check out the LoMH images in the gallery below and the official launch trailer after the break. [Source: Snail Games press release]%Gallery-195681%
Six new Age of Wushu faction trailers sighted in the wild
Age of Wushu's expansion is hitting the game's Chinese servers in a couple of days, bringing with it six new factions. MMO Culture has posted teaser trailers for all six, including one for the infamous Rootless Clan that features in-game castration as an entry requirement. There's also a seventh trailer for players who opt to remain faction-less. Click past the cut to see the new videos.
Age of Wushu Changing Skies trailer features new weather systems, lots of kung fu
Age of Wushu's Chinese server is getting a content update on August 8th. You don't have to wait that long to see it, though, thanks to a new trailer posted at MMO Culture. The patch, loosely translated as Changing Skies, will add new weather and day/night cycle systems. There will also be sandstorms that reveal secret locations, changing environmental sounds, and the new character selection screen shown above. Thus far Snail Games has not indicated when the new content will be exported to Age of Wushu's American or European servers. Click past the cut to watch the trailer.
Age of Wushu to feature castration mechanic
Want to join the new Rootless Clan that's coming to the Chinese version of Age of Wushu? You'll need to lose your virtual junk first, as the evil-aligned sect is basically an order of eunuchs that forcibly castrate initiates. And yes, it's in the game. MMO Culture has all the details, including a gameplay video if you're so inclined. In a nutshell, prospective Rootless monks must obtain a special daily quest and then undergo the castration process, which features a dedicated health bar. "After around two minutes, the process will end," the site says. "However, the success rate of castration is still considered low at this time. If it is unsuccessful, the victim will still sustain significant damage." Click past the cut to see a snippet of castration gameplay for yourself.
Snail announces Age of Wushu mobile and console titles, feature film
Snail Games has huge plans for its successful Age of Wushu IP. The firm has already announced an expansion for its wuxia-powered MMORPG, but now it's aiming at a console port, a mobile port, and a feature film set in the same universe. The company's press release offers no details on any of the new projects aside from promising more details "at a later date." As for the big-screen treatment, Snail founder and chairman Shi Hai says it's only natural. "The Age of Wushu game looks and plays like a major martial arts motion picture, so bringing the property to movie screens is a logical evolution," he explained. "Our goal has always been for the property to reach the widest audience so evolving to a feature film and expanding the experience to consoles and mobile devices continues our plan." [Source: Snail press release]
Age of Wushu's first expansion coming August 8th
If you were just thinking that all your summer needed to be perfect was to lose yourself in Age of Wushu's first expansion, you're in luck! Snail Games has announced that Legends of Mount Hua will be released in just a little over a month on August 8th. This expansion brings a number of new features to the martial arts sandbox, including a battle arena, a new story and instance, and the PvP Mount Hua Competition. Players will also have access to a new gratitude and revenge system, a treasure system, the Martial Brother System, and a Jianghu Status System to enhance their gameplay. The Martial Brother System allows lower-level players to increase their power quickly and offers discounts on skills. Using the Jianghu Status System, players can measure their standing with the world's NPCs and various factions, and improving or worsening their relationship with NPCs and successfully completing faction challenges will build Jianghu experience, which in turn can earn various rewards like items, titles, even quests and special battlefields. [Source: Snail Games press release]
Age of Wushu releases full feature list for first expansion
While Snail Games showed off a bit of Age of Wushu's new content at E3 this year, the studio has just released a detailed full feature list for its martial arts MMO's first major expansion. Age of Wushu: Legends of Mount Hua will introduce a special competition for the top players of each server, a new instance with five different stoylines, a MOBA-style battle arena, quicker training for low-level characters, the Jianghu faction system, and more. You can check out more on this new content and browse today's item shop additions at the official website.
Age of Wushu getting new factions and character trading in China
While you can't be certain about the future of a game in your country based on what happens in its native country, that's certainly the way to bet. So the good news is that Age of Wushu players can look forward to some neat stuff in the future, including new factions and schools. A recent preview highlights the Villa of the Beasts, a school deep in the wilds that focuses on hand-to-hand combat in nature. There are even rumors that the school will eventually allow for pet companions. The game is experimenting with a character trading service, allowing you to directly list characters for sale without having to sell your entire account and risk hacking. Whether or not the service on a whole is a good thing for the health of the game is an exercise for the reader. There's no timetable for any of this coming over to the game in the West, but in all likelihood it's just a matter of time. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]
EU's Age of Wulin offers FAQ and early character creation for closed beta
The European cousin to Age of Wushu, the martial arts sandbox already released in North America, is finally cracking open its beta doors to let in select players next week. That's right: Age of Wulin starts closed beta on Monday, June 17th. But eligible testers needn't wait until then to make their characters; gPotato has enabled access to the launcher until the evening of the 15th to let players create their avatars and reserve their names. Players should note that CBT characters will be wiped for when beta opens to all. Got other questions about Age of Wulin's upcoming closed beta? If so, gPotato has some answers via its new FAQ. For instance, this closed beta will be short but all players will enjoy full VIP status. Another important item to note is that AoW will not have an NDA; players are welcome to talk about, review, livestream, and share their in-game experiences with others. And for those who haven't yet received a closed beta key, don't worry -- more were sent out today. While checking your email, catch the closed beta trailer after the break. [Thanks to mad283 for the tip!]
E3 2013: Snail Games' Black Gold and Age of Wushu
Snail Games showcased two new MMOs today at E3: Black Gold and Age of Wushu. The two games have more than their parent in common; Black Gold utilizes the Age of Wushu engine. Set in a fantastical steampunk world, Black Gold is a mish-mash of colorful fantasy elements and grunge-ridden steampunk inventions, as we found in our hands-on with the game earlier today. Each faction within Black Gold (fantasy or steam faction) has three races of its own. The steam faction holds humans, dwarves, and vampires (what steampunk MMO would be without vampires?), and on the fantasy side you'll find more humans, a cat-like race, and a shape-shifting barbarian race. It might be a little limited in race selection, but maybe character creation will be just as interesting for the players as it is in Age of Wushu.
Age of Wushu forecasts weather system
What's life without a little weather to keep things interesting and give socially awkward people something to talk about around the water cooler? While many MMOs have given up on including weather systems, Age of Wushu kindly disagrees. The title is preparing to roll out dynamic weather in a forthcoming update, and a new teaser trailer hints at the possibilities that it could present. The trailer shows a character running through a storm at night. Sheets of rain come down as the occasional bolt of lightning illuminates the surroundings for a few seconds. Check out the video after the break, and don't forget your poncho if you're heading into this title!
Snail confirms Age of Wushu dev layoffs
Earlier this morning Massively received multiple tips regarding layoffs at Age of Wushu publisher Snail Games. We contacted the company and were provided with an official statement by Director of Game Development David Baker. Yes, there were a handful of layoffs at Snail Games USA yesterday. After the launch of Age of Wushu the team size was corrected to meet the size of the game and the community. The Age of Wushu team was expanded before launch and the necessary contractions were needed post-launch. Snail Games USA values all the employees that worked on Age of Wushu and continue to work on the Age of Wushu upcoming expansion for July. Layoffs are a hard part of working in the game industry and are necessary when team size becomes larger than what the development team needs. [Thanks to everyone who tipped us.]
Snail Games to show off Black Gold, Age of Wushu expansion at E3
Snail Games has a busy lineup in store for next month's E3. The studio will use the expo for several reveals, including a steampunk MMO, a dance-off MMO, and an expansion for Age of Wushu. The steampunk title is Black Gold, which is set in a fantasy universe where industrial technology and magic are at war (yes, it has giant mechs vs. dragons). It will have six races and six classes, although the classes will also have subclasses to allow for interesting combinations. Black Gold is set to begin closed beta testing tomorrow in China and Taiwan. Age of Wushu: Legends of Mount Hua promises to deliver new content starting in July, although Snail Games has yet to go into specifics as to what that content might be. The dance MMO is called Music Soul and features nine game modes that pit boogieing players against each other. [Source: Snail Games press release]
Age of Wushu says 'I do!' to marriage, ultimate scrolls
If you haven't had enough to do in Age of Wushu yet, then you are one easily bored cookie. But never fear, Snail Games is here! The team has been frantically adding more systems to the game to flesh out the martial arts title, and now players can get married, gain ultimate scrolls, and try out a couple of new PvP modes. The marriage system in Age of Wushu is more complicated than in other MMOs. A dowry must be given, a wedding package purchased, and a special team task performed. The benefits for the happy couple are several, however, including rings that teleport each of them to their spouse. Players can now attempt to obtain the most powerful skills for their respective schools through ultimate scrolls. Unlike other skills, players are restricted to getting an ultimate scroll only from their dedicated combat school. These skills are good to take into the PvP battlefield, where death modes and faction modes await.
