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Funcom, CCP, Snail devs talk skill-based MMOs
Although the majority of MMOs are level-based, some games are bucking the trend. The Secret World, EVE Online, and Age of Wushu are three titles that eschew the standard system in favor of offering players a more open gaming experience. In a recent interview, GameSpot talked with developers from these games about level-free MMOs. Why should games forgo the popular trend and throw levels out? To give players freedom and allow them to play they way they want is the reason cited by both Funcom Lead designer Joel Bylos and Tyler Rawlins, Marketing Associate for Snail Games. Bylos sums up Funcom's design philosophy like so: "You should not be playing a game to get to the top level. You should be playing a game to have fun." He also admitted that The Secret World changed from level-based to skills mid-development when the team decided that the genre had grown stale in that sense. Kristoffer Touborg, lead game designer for CCP, noted how players get to participate in the gaming experience for EVE even without being in the actual game thanks to the title's far-reaching meta experience. Are skill-based systems on the rise? Watch the full video after the cut to find out.
gPotato reveals Age of Wulin sects
gPotato has released some more information about its upcoming Age of Wulin fantasy martial arts sandbox. The game will feature eight different sects, which are basically an analog for factions in other massively multiplayer titles. Each of the game's sects will be either good-, evil-, or neutral-aligned, and each will feature a unique fighting style "shaped by its identity and philosophy." Good-aligned sects typically boast strong melee combat abilities. Evil groups focus on "ruthless techniques" and blade weapons, while the neutral sects offer everything from absorption and debuff skills to a "dance-like" fighting style designed to combat multiple opponents simultaneously. Good-aligned groups include the Shaolin, Wudang, Emei, and Beggars' sects. The Blissful Valley and Royal Guards sects are evil-aligned. Finally, the Tang Clan and the Scholar's Academy are Age of Wulin's neutral sects. For more on the game, check out our impressions from last month's E3. [Source: gPotato press release]
Age of Wulin sandbox to feature accurate real-world locations
How would you like to know a bit more about the setting, landscapes, and historical background in Age of Wulin? Yeah, it sounded cool to us too, which is why we're bringing you the highlights of the latest press release from gPotato. The free-to-play firm is publishing Snail Games' upcoming martial arts MMO in Europe (it's also coming to North America as Age of Wushu), and it says that the game and its expansive world is inspired by over 2,000 years of Chinese legends. The Wuxia and kung-fu genres are major influences, of course, so AoW takes place during the early years of the Ming Dynasty, when China's martial arts culture was at its peak. If you missed our E3 preview, you should know that the game is a skill-based sandbox featuring eight distinct combat schools and plenty of novel non-combat mechanics. The game also boasts upwards of 40,000 NPCs inhabiting 27 regions that stretch across 130 square kilometers. This is a free-roaming open-world title, too, where explorers can visit real locations like Beijing or even the developers' hometown of Suzhou. Want to walk the Great Wall? You can, along with a Shaolin Monastery, the Wudang mountains, and dozens of other locations. gPotato says the devil is in the details, so the devs have "studied and analyzed old maps, plans, and blueprints in order to reconstruct real places in game with the greatest accuracy possible." If you missed the game's North American launch trailer, we've embedded it for you after the break. [Source: gPotato press release]
E3 2012: Age of Wushu dresses to impress
Sandboxers and Hollywood script writers, keep your eyes on Age of Wushu. If you've ever wanted to run up walls, align yourself with a game's boss mobs, kidnap and ransom off your fellow players, or write about it into a television script to include your gamer audience, then Snail Games has something that's sure to grab your attention. We got some hands-on time with the game at this year's E3, so follow along after the cut for our impressions.
E3 2012: Jet Li will be the face of Age of Wushu
Age of Wushu, an upcoming martial arts MMO, features wuxia-style combat with some impressive acrobatic moves, so it seems a perfect fit that Snail Games announced at this year's E3 that Jet Li will be the face of the MMO. The International action film star has signed a two-year deal to promote the game, and as spokesperson, he'll be featured in a TV commercial and make public appearances at events. Li began his training in Wushu at the age of eight and was a multiple champion in China before retiring at the age of 19 to begin his film career. His film titles include Lethal Weapon 4, Unleashed, The Forbidden Kingdom, and The Expendables. He's also wrapping up work on The Expendables II, which is due in theaters this August. Age of Wushu is an upcoming MMO by Snail Games set in the age of the Ming Dynasty in China. It features Wuxia-style combat and some interesting concepts such as no levels or classes and a boss sidekick system. Massively will be meeting the team at E3, so keep your eyes open for more news this week! [Source: Snail Games press release] Massively's on the ground in Los Angeles during the week of June 4-7, bringing you all the best news from E3 2012. We're covering everything from PlanetSide 2 and SWTOR and ArcheAge to RIFT's and LotRO's upcoming expansions, so stay tuned!
Age of Wushu shows off a documentary from its Chinese testing tour
If you're a potential player in America, it's Age of Wushu. If you're in Europe or China, it's Age of Wulin. Wherever you're located, it's an upcoming free-to-play game focusing on wuxia-style combat in the same style as Chinese action films. And if you can't wait to see more of the game in action, you're in luck -- Snail Games USA has released a new documentary on the game focusing on its seven-city testing tour in China last year. The documentary mixes in developer presentations, player impressions, and some live gameplay footage from this large-scale beta event, all of which combine to paint a picture of the game as it continues development. The full documentary is 15 minutes long and embedded just after the cut, so if you can't wait to see more of the game, check it out and keep your eyes peeled for more updates as the game approaches localization and launch.
Betray your mates with Age of Wushu's boss sidekick system
How does becoming a boss mob in your favorite MMORPG sound? It certainly raised our eyebrows, and Snail Games' new Age of Wushu (also known as Age of Wulin in Europe and its native China) is apparently going to allow you to do just that. MMO Culture has the details, and the new boss sidekick system basically involves random boss mobs that ask players for help. If a player agrees, he will spawn next to the boss mob, essentially becoming one of its minions for an upcoming fight. The source article notes that Age of Wushu lacks grandiose fantasy elements, so the boss (and you as its minion) will still be human as opposed to a variation on the gargantuan crab/dragon/spider creature you may be expecting. Another point of note is that the minion player will temporarily relinquish control of his character, and the avatar will fight alongside the boss AI against player characters (and it will provide substantial rewards if the human party is defeated). Finally, MMO Culture says that player decisions relative to the boss sidekick system will affect the world storyline for every player on a given server. We don't know how just yet, but we'll certainly keep our eyes on this curious new mechanic.
This Week In MMO: Interrupting dance edition
It's time for yet another episode of This Week In MMO, and you'll never guess what the topic du jour is. Well, unless you guessed Star Wars: The Old Republic (again), in which case you would be correct. Much discussion is had about the hilarity that was SWTOR's /getdown exploit, which allowed players to interrupt enemy mobs by... dancing at them. Meanwhile, Final Fantasy XIV will resume charging subscription fees tomorrow, January 6th, so if you're still subscribed and don't want to pay, you'd better cancel now. And lastly, on a note of complete and utter excess, the gang reports that one gamer (who we imagine spends most of his time swimming in his money like Scrooge McDuck) has spent $16,000 US on an in-game sword for Snail Games' F2P (irony!) title, Age of Wulin. The kicker? The game isn't even out yet. For the full video, just click on past the cut and have a look.
Gamer drops $16,000 on Age of Wulin virtual sword
Quick, what's the most you've ever paid for an MMO microtransaction? If you said $16,000, you might be the guy in the photo above. The Escapist reports that this unnamed gamer dropped a huge chunk of change for a virtual sword exclusive to Age of Wulin, an upcoming free-to-play sandpark MMO from Snail Games. He wasn't alone in throwing large sums of money at an unreleased game, as the devs also auctioned off a spear sheath for $2,500 and something called a Hook of Departure for $1,600. Age of Wulin is currently undergoing a Chinese beta test, and gPotato has plans to bring the game to European audiences sometime in the future.
More Age of Wulin closed beta videos revealed
Another day, another set of videos from the Age of Wulin Chinese beta. MMO Culture has the game covered, and today's installment features a bit of commentary on the title's PvP-centric design as well as a brief look at weapon enhancement functionality. Age of Wulin eschews the traditional +1 system of gear upgrading and instead opts for an interesting mechanic that basically boils down to meeting whatever requirements are described when you mouse over a weapon. The stated example involves reaching level 10 in a particular life skill as well as possessing certain inventory items. While we're a bit dubious about the fact that your cooking prowess may relate to your ability to wield a sword, we're also cognizant of the fact that it's an early Chinese beta build, so we're looking forward to seeing the system develop. Head past the cut for a combat video and some clips of Wudang.
Age of Wulin videos show life skills, combat
More Age of Wulin beta news is on tap courtesy of MMO Culture, and more video footage is available as well. The free-to-play fantasy sandbox just opened its initial closed beta phase to the Chinese market, and as a result we're getting a first look at some of the game's unique features and skills. While most MMOs focus completely on combat, Age of Wulin features some very intriguing non-combat aspects, many of which are found in the life skills tree. In addition to traditional gathering and crafting disciplines, there are also sewing, musician, artist, chess, fortune teller, and beggar skills, just to name a few. Combat isn't forgotten, course, and you can view a basic combat tutorial video and some life skill clips after the break.
Age of Wulin closed beta begins
Age of Wulin's Chinese closed beta kicked off this weekend and according to a report at MMO Culture, it's been a "less than enjoyable" experience. The free-to-play fantasy sandbox has an ambitious feature list, and Snail Games has attracted a lot of players anxious to get their hands on the upcoming title. Said gamers flooded the beta shard, which occasionally buckled under the onslaught and served up disconnects, stuck characters, and more byproducts of the early testing phase. The good news is that MMO Culture's coverage features a ton of embedded video, and you can get a look at the title's character creation process, some beginner areas, and the accessory training interface after the break. [Thanks to Chris for the tip!]
Age of Wulin interview translation hints at user-created martial arts
Curious about Age of Wulin, the free-to-play martial arts sandpark that's been in the news a bit lately? We were too, and as such we read with interest the translation of an interview with Snail Games CEO Shi Hai that recently went down on Weibo. What's Weibo? It's basically a Chinese Twitter analog, and the interview touches on game basics including character slots (one per account), PKing opportunities, and brief blurbs on the game's unique auto-pathing and user-created martial arts systems. These last two didn't merit more than a mention in this particular interview, but rest assured that we'll be bringing you all the latest Age of Wulin news as it happens.
Pre-registrations open for Age of Wulin closed beta
Age of Wulin's English-language beta test is quite a ways off, but that hasn't stopped gPotato and Gala Networks Europe from allowing interested players to pre-register. The martial arts MMORPG's Chinese closed beta starts next month, but European and American players won't get to toodle around in the game's version of ancient China until sometime in 2012. Signing up at the official site will enter you into a closed beta lottery, with the main prize being a European CBT key. Players who register prior to October 1st will also be eligible to win one of five Age of Wulin t-shirts. The game itself is something of a departure from conventional themepark titles, and we've told you previously about its interesting skill setup and non-combat gameplay options. Age of Wulin also features more than 130 square kilometers of explorable space, eight combat schools, 17 life professions, and upwards of 20,000 quests and NPCs. Head to the official site to learn more and pre-register for next year's closed beta, and check out the latest game trailer after the cut.
Massively's guide to Gamescom 2011
If you've never been to Gamescom before, let's simply put it this way: It's big. Really, really big. Forget most any convention you've attended; this is likely to be even bigger. Billing itself as the world's largest games event, Gamescom sees well over a quarter-million fans, journalists and exhibitors crowd into the Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany to check out hundreds of games and companies. Due to its size and worldwide prominence, Gamescom is a significant event for anyone following the MMO genre (and video games in general). There are plenty of MMO studios gearing up to share first looks, exclusive reveals, detailed Q&A sessions, and exciting hands-on demos for attendees. Naturally, Massively will be paying close attention to all of the news coming out of Gamescom this week. For those attending the convention or merely looking to keep abreast of all of the games, studios, and information forthcoming, we've compiled a guide to the hottest tickets at Gamescom as well as a comprehensive exhibitor list of MMO studios after the break.
Age of Wulin videos reveal interesting skills, non-combat gameplay
Age of Wulin hasn't gotten a lot of press in western markets as of yet, but the free-to-play martial arts title is one that bears watching. Aside from its appealing visuals, ancient Chinese setting, and Wuxia-style story elements, the game boasts quite a few departures from the standard MMORPG formula. The most obvious is a progression system that lacks traditional levels, but according to a preview at MMO Culture, that's not Age of Wulin's most interesting feature. The title reportedly makes use of a life skills system which includes gathering, fortune-telling, crafting, fishing, and begging (as well as 12 other skills that have yet to be revealed). Yes, we said begging, and the mechanic apparently involves a degree of anonymity when dealing with fellow players. Age of Wulin also features epic quests tied in to something called the miracle system, as well what looks to be a fairly deep guild and territory control minigame. Click past the cut to view a few gameplay videos including footage of combat, training, miracle, begging, and guild systems, and keep an eye out for players involved in unusual MMO activities including drawing and Chinese chess.
