political-system
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Wakfu open beta starts April 27th
If you haven't managed to snag a closed beta key to Square-Enix and Ankama's new Wakfu free-to-play opus, don't sweat it. The companies have just announced that open beta is coming in late April (the 27th to be precise), which, given the fact that it's already almost mid-March, will be here before you know it. Wakfu, which many are referring to as Dofus 2.0, is a turn-based tactical MMO that boasts 14 character classes and three nations that can either work together or go to war, depending on how players choose to proceed. Wakfu also features an in-depth political system complete with a player-occupied governor position as well as the ability to set laws and taxes. Check out some spiffy new beta screenshots in our gallery below, and head to the official website for more info. %Gallery-116491%
GDC 2011: Massively takes on TERA's Smuggler Hideout, and Brian Knox teases the political system
Ah TERA, you're such a tease. And we're not just talking about your skimpy outfits, oh no. Your political system, your endgame, your Westernized (whatever that means) makeover... all of these have conspired to leave us breathless with anticipation. Fortunately, we were able to take TERA for a spin at this week's GDC 2011. Along with help from a PUG comprised of En Masse Entertainment staffers, we ventured deep inside the game's Smuggler's Hideout, battling BAMS (En Masse shorthand for big-ass monsters) and checking out the title's streamlined UI and spiffy combat mechanics. Join us after the cut for a brief recap of the demo as well as an interview with producer Brian Knox during which we (politely) demanded a definition for the much-discussed concept of Westernization.
Wakfu celebrates President's Day by detailing its political system
Unless you're a school kid or a federal employee, you might not have known that today is a U.S. national holiday. Yep, it's President's Day, and aside from being a spectacularly silly reason for taking a day off from work, it also marks an opportunity for the developers of Wakfu to hype the game's political system. The upcoming MMO from the makers of DOFUS allows for players to run for the governorship of their nation, accessing privileged information on zone status, weather forecasts, and the number of mobs roaming the wilds. All of this info comes via interaction with Clan Member NPCs, and these select members of Wakfu's elite ruling class have been "granted special powers by the ancient gods," according to a new press release. Potential player governors will need to declare their candidacy and gather votes, and if they're lucky enough to secure a victory, they will then have two weeks with which to "regulate laws and sales taxes." There's no word on whether Wakfu politicians can indulge in fiscal irresponsibility or illicit affairs, but player governors can declare war and attempt to conquer the territories of neighboring nations. Head to the official website for more info, and check out four new screens of the political system in action courtesy of our Wakfu gallery. %Gallery-116491%
G-Star 2010: TERA G-Star reveals outlined
Curious about the TERA-centric G-Star revelations the week has in store? We are too, and even though we've got Editor-in-Chief Shawn Schuster as our man in Korea, we're still combing the intarwebs for the very latest about the fantasy title from Bluehole Studio and En Masse Entertainment. En Masse has provided a helpful scorecard for the G-Star event in the form of a forum post that outlines what fans can expect to learn over the course of the convention. Bluehole representatives will be revealing information about the game's skill system, equipment system, PvP mechanics, guild systems, and the mysterious political system. Check out all the details at the official TERA website, and also have a look at the various translations available via TERAfans.
G-Star 2010: Bluehole devs talk TERA payment model, launch date
If you're a TERA fan, chances are you're anxiously awaiting the smorgasbord of news sure to come out of this week's G-Star convention in Korea. Bluehole Studio has a large presence there of course, and thanks to the TERAfans website, we have an interesting translation of an interview with Bluehole CEO Kang-Suk Kim and developer Hyung-Kyu Park. The duo discusses everything from TERA's pending stress test (happening soon after G-Star) and upcoming open beta, to the decision to steer clear of the free-to-play payment model. "We can't say that TERA was made specifically for a subscription-based model, but we thought a lot about what the game was worth to players. We came to the conclusion that a monthly subscription would allow players to enjoy the game most easily. We are not interested in cash shops or partially making the game a pay model like some MMORPGs out there," Kim said. The interview also sheds a tiny bit of light on the game's political system, a feature that has been hinted at over the past several months but has, so far, lacked any definitive explanation. "The political system will be added in the [open beta test]. The political system is actually end game content so it won't really be active until the game's launch," Park said. Check out the full interview at TERAfans, and also bear in mind that this is a fan-made translation.
TERA fan video uncovers political system info
TERA's political system has been shrouded in mystery for some time now, despite allusions to it in various producer and community manager interviews that En Masse Entertainment has given out over the past few months. Thanks to a video interview captured at Gamescom by a member of the Glimpse Dog fan website, we now have a bit more of an idea as to how the feature will play out. The video is part four of a five-part series, and features live TERA gameplay interspersed with commentary by the reporter and an unnamed TERA employee who drops several nuggets of information about the political system. Among them are the fact that the system currently features lordships and kingships. TERA's world is divided into regions that will be able to elect a lord via citizen vote and also via an unspecified PvP mechanic. Details on citizenship and voting privileges were sketchy, and it seems the system is still under heavy development. Once a lordship is obtained, players may then apply for kingship, which also features an election mechanic and grants sovereignty over a particular city. Kings also control taxes and have an unspecified level of control over how monsters spawn in their part of the world. Check out the video after the cut or the full series at Glimpse Dog.
TERA's Jason Mical teases politics, group balancing
TERA's political system continues to be shrouded in mystery, and whether it's a proper MacGuffin or some sort of public-relations red herring designed to simultaneously titillate and obfuscate is unclear. One thing that is clear is the fact that En Masse Entertainment representatives are reluctant to do much beyond tease the fact that the system exists. The latest example comes via an interview with community director Jason "BrotherMagneto" Mical over at World of TERA. Mical talks briefly about the level of player freedom inherent in the system. "I suppose the level of freedom will in some part depend on who gets elected. Some leaders might be benevolent, while others might become outright tyrants. Some who start with the best of intentions will probably end up tyrants. In other words, it's going to be a bit like real politics," he says. He goes on to state that PvP will influence TERA's political system quite a bit, referencing Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton "on a much larger and more common scale."
TERA's Mical talks political system, endgame PvP
Want to know more about TERA's political system, as well as juicy details on the forthcoming action MMORPG's endgame PvP? Yeah so do we, but at the moment the best we can do is an interview with En Masse Entertainment's Jason "BrotherMagneto" Mical. The German fansite Onlinewelten managed to snag a few moments of the community manager's time, and while he steadfastly avoids revealing much beyond the title's talking points, at least the talking points are moving away from Westernization and in the general direction of actual game information. Perhaps the most interesting comment to come out of the interview is a remark tying together the title's PvP and political systems. "Valkyon points are part of the political system, and yes they are associated with PvP as well. Political clout can be gained by defeating enemies-especially very skilled ones-or enemies with clout of their own," Mical says.
TERA dev talks political system, westernization
Amira over at Terafans.com points us toward a nifty developer interview with En Masse Entertainment's Jason 'BrotherMagneto' Mical, Community Director for the publisher's forthcoming TERA action MMORPG. The piece touches on everything from languages and localization to the political system, which remains shrouded in a bit of mystery. "We're still putting the finishing touches on the system, and we don't want to leak too much, too early. However, I can share that it will be heavily dependent on guilds and groups, so PvP players will probably find something very much to their liking in the system," said Mical. The interview also features a couple of noteworthy bits about developing TERA for the western market. The game is the brainchild of Korean MMO heavyweight Bluehole Studio, an outfit composed of Lineage II veterans. "The Western version of TERA will differ distinctly from the Korean version. There will be additional lore and quests, location and NPC names will differ, and there will be other cosmetic changes, too. We're still determining how much the two versions will differ in terms of game mechanics. Our input is helping to influence the game's development in Korea, and mechanics will likely be very similar, but not identical," Mical said.
