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Wakfu announces plans for crafting revamp
Ankama Games' quirky, cel-shaded, turn-based title Wakfu is tearing down its old crafting system and rebuilding it into something totally new. While the dev blog on the topic makes it clear that the final version of the crafting revamp is still subject to many changes, the basic idea behind it is to recreate crafting as a time-based system in which players assign crafting tasks to their (NPC) workers, with each task taking a variable amount of time to complete. Players can continue their adventures as usual while their workers complete a task, so there's no need to park your character and go make a sandwich while he crafts. Each crafting task occupies a craft slot, with each character beginning their crafting career with a single slot. Players can unlock additional task slots (allowing more crafting tasks to be completed simultaneously) by completing crafting achievements, up to a maximum of nine slots. In addition to this new crafting system, the revamp will also introduce a contract system that will allow buyers to place orders with their crafters of choice, complete with the tools for price negotiation and the ability for buyers to supply the required materials to the crafters. When a contract is completed, the item is delivered directly to the buyer's inventory upon its completion, making for a hassle-free shopping experience. All the finer details on Wakfu's proposed crafting revamp can be found in the full dev blog on the game's official site. [Thanks to Avaera for the tip!]
Rise and Shiny revisit: Wakfu
One of the great benefits of this job comes from revisiting worlds that have gone unchecked for a while. These are games that I already know I enjoy but want to check back on in an "official" manner, every year at least. Honestly I visit many of them several times a year, but not in the same way I would if I were working. Wakfu is on the same list as Ryzom, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, Champions Online and many, many others. This time around I wanted to get out more and explore the surrounding areas, and I found that Ankama has made many improvements to the game that help make exploration possible. Granted, the changes that I noticed were not significant but notable, and overall the game appeared to be just as smooth, interesting, and original as before. The only problem is that many of the same issues I had with the game are still there, and I doubt they'll disappear any time soon.
Wakfu changes North American publishing away from Square Enix
North American fans of the sandbox MMO Wakfu may be interested to hear that the game will be switching publishers in the West as announced in a press release earlier today. Square Enix will be handing full responsibility and control of the game in North American markets over to the game's developer, Ankama Games, starting March 1, 2013. This control includes community management, customer support, promotion, sales, marketing, and all other live operation duties. All characters and progress will not be affected by the transition. Our own Beau Hindman gave Wakfu his "The Bestest Ever" award for 2012 and the game has earned respect among many sandbox fans for its unique gameplay and mechanics. But recent layoffs at Square Enix had us all wondering how its MMO division would be affected. Despite claims to to the contrary less than a month ago, this is now a thing that is happening. Be sure to read through the updated FAQ on Wakfu's website for more information. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Free for All: How I'm preparing for the release of Wakfu
I'm not your typical fanboy. I get excited about an upcoming game, but generally I will not believe in its greatness until I play it. Usually I can get my hands on the game before it comes out so I can see what the fuss is about, but I never find myself that ramped up until release day. Then, and only then, will I really pay attention. Wakfu is one of those games I know is going to at least be different from its rivals. I have already played a bit in all of the betas and now know that it is far from your typical MMO. The classes are different and fun; the lore and artwork is amazing. It runs on almost any PC. The game doesn't insult the player with hand-holding and non-stop popups. It really does walk that fine line between a sandbox and a more linear game. So how am I preparing for the release of this unique game?
Rise and Shiny recap: Wakfu
In June, I drove down to Austin, Texas, to once again participate in GDC Online. I do it every year if I can, and I love it. It's a smaller event when compared to the larger E3s and other conventions, but it is more personal and up-close. My favorite speaker at this last event had to be David Calvo from Ankama Games. When he first came out barefoot, I was honestly worried that the chat would be all about goofy, "deep" design techniques that had no real use in practice. In the end, his talk was deep but was really just asking developers to have fun and try new things. Yes, I know: new things. Crazy, huh? If Wakfu is any proof, those design theories are put to practice every day at Ankama. Wakfu, for me, is a breath of fresh air in so many ways. Even though I am somewhat used to the design and art style, thanks in large part to playing the previous title Dofus, I still find myself loving how simply complex much of Wakfu is. There are issues that come with complexity, however.
New WAKFU dev diary highlights player freedom, sandbox features
If it's true that MMORPGs have become more linear as the genre has grown, it's also true that Ankama is setting out to do something different with WAKFU. The French development firm has released a new video dev diary titled Power to the Player, and it outlines how the free-to-play game is tackling some of the challenges inherent in sandbox design. "We really wanted to make WAKFU a game based on freedom, a game which puts the player in control," says Ankama designer Azael. "Most current MMOs create a game and then insert the player. With WAKFU we aimed to create the game around the players." WAKFU features very few NPCs (and no traditional vendor NPCs at all), and it also boasts mobs that don't drop money. Players create the game's currency themselves by harvesting ores and making use of minting machines, and players are also responsible for seeding the world with monsters since they don't respawn on their own. You can learn more about WAKFU by viewing the video after the break.
Wakfu unveils release date trailer
Wakfu, Ankama Games' upcoming tactical MMORPG, has been in beta for quite some time now, and people were beginning to wonder if it would ever get a release date. Well, wonder no more. Ankama has released a rather stylish trailer in order to announce the game's prospective launch window. You can find the trailer after the cut, but just in case you're terribly impatient, the game is slated to release in February, 2012. Now what are you waiting for? Go watch the trailer. It's adorable.
Wakfu unveils the nation of Sufokia
Players of the upcoming tactical MMORPG Wakfu will be able to visit all sorts of interesting, exotic places. One such location is the freshly announced Sufokia. The paradisiacal archipelago is not all sunshine and shining seas; it holds its fair share of dangers, like the irritable Albatrocious and the deadly Zordfish. Sufokia will be available for players to experience in the next beta patch. If you're not in the closed beta and would like to jump in and see what the big deal about this uniquely strategic MMO is, just head on over to the official site and register for an account. [Source: Ankama Games press release]
Square Enix to host Wakfu panel at Anime Expo 2011
Do you like a little tactical strategy in your MMORPG? Are you planning on attending Anime Expo 2011 in Los Angeles? Then boy howdy do we ever have an announcement for you. Square Enix, publisher of the upcoming turn-based tactical MMO Wakfu, is slated to host a panel at the massive California anime convention. Producer Franko Fonseca will be present at the panel to discuss the upcoming title and reveal new information on the game's development. To top it off, panel attendees will have a chance to win some adorable Wakfu plushies. So if you're looking to attend Anime Expo 2011, be sure to swing by the panel and let us know how it goes (and win us a plushie while you're at it!).
Massively's first impressions of Wakfu
If you are a fan of Dofus, you might be familiar with my current mania. I was asked to take an early look at Wakfu, the game that could be called "Dofus 2.0," and I was given permission to talk about it. That's right, if it were a horrible menace to my free time, I would be able to tell you. If it didn't run, or if it were nothing but a mess of bugs, I could tell you that as well. Of course, I wasn't forbidden from telling you how much I might have liked it or how confident I was that the game truly felt like a "2.0," so I might just do some of that. Remember, this is a closed beta I am about to talk about. Let's keep that in mind. OK, OK, I just have to say that -- sort of like an article disclaimer to do away with any responsibility I might have for my opinion. Now, I don't want to give you any spoilers, and I want you to promise to read to the end of the article, but let's just say that, closed beta or not, this game is really tight. But let's go ahead and click past the cut, mkay? I want to tell you more. %Gallery-116491%
Rise and Shiny recap: Dofus
Years ago I had to find a job in my new home state of Texas. Luckily for me, my wife hooked me up with a friend who helped me get hired at Starbucks. At first, I hung my head in shame. Later, though, I enjoyed dealing with customers and the free coffee. I had a co-worker, a real chin-scratching, coffee house wanna-be intellectual who would often spend more time dreaming about some game than about getting people on their breaks. He even brought his Macbook to work to sneak in time in the game. I glanced over his shoulder one day and was delighted to see an odd-looking, cartoony, turn-based game on his screen. It turned out that the game was Dofus. I tried it immediately and fell in love with it, but that was years ago. I still found time to revisit the game, but once I started working at Massively, most of my time became dedicated to every other game in the world. Well, it's time to visit it again. During the first part of this week, though, I thought this was going to be a disaster. I stayed strong and battled my way through bot after bot, spam message after spam message, and eventually found the great game I remember. Click past the cut to see exactly what I found!
Free for All: Four games I'm dying to play in 2011
The year 2010 was a great year in gaming. If anyone tells you any different, look him in the eye -- you've just met a madman. In fact, 2010 did so much for me, personally, that it might be hard to top it for a while. I actually started getting paid to write my blog entries this year, discovered so many wonderful new developers this year, and played more hours than in all of the previous years combined. As luck would have it, there are already several new games being announced that are making 2011 look like an even bigger year for me. Browser-based technology is only growing more robust and rich, indie gaming is finally starting to get a lot of the respect it deserves, and I now have the ability to contact almost any developer I want for use in my columns. All of this adds up to some exciting times ahead, for sure. All thanks to Massively, of course. There are four games in particular that I am very excited about. More will come, I'm positive, but these four have already cast huge spells on me. Click past the cut to see what you should be excited about, too!
DOFUS brings the holidays to players, then blows them up
The colorful world of DOFUS seems well-suited to a holiday celebration, especially with the amount of character embedded in the game's graphics. And one is taking place on Kwismas Island, beyond a shadow of a doubt. But there's still something else for players to look for, something that's far less merry than the dungeons of the island (whose merriness is already a rather dubious quality). It's the newest class of the game, the Rogue, a class focused on guns, explosives, and the use of both in tandem. Capable of summoning a variety of elemental bombs as well as making elementally charged pistol attacks, Rogues are the 13th class in the game, available as a premium feature now. All DOFUS players can enjoy Kwismas Island, however, previewed in our gallery just below. Take a look at the Rogue teaser video past the cut, and consider the possible combination of holiday dungeons and heavy explosives. (It beats fruitcake and caroling.) %Gallery-111466%
Chill out in Frigost with a DOFUS beta key from Massively
Ankama Games has just updated their DOFUS servers, and are introducing an all new area, Frigost, for players to check out. This chilly area is for those adventurers who have attained level 100 or higher, and offers lots of new challenges in the form of frozen lake dungeons and icy fields of enemies to battle through. There's also shiny new equipment, all new quests, and a new ice DOFUS (or dragon egg for those not familiar) for players to be found among the riches of this new land. For those readers who have been playing DOFUS for some time, or are just looking for a fun new free-to-play game to check out, we've managed to snag 200 beta keys to get you into the frosty lands of Frigost early. All you have to do to snag one is to head over to our beta code giveaway page, grab a key, then follow the directions there to get signed up!
Massively's tour of Dofus 2.0
Dofus is a game that's been around for a while now, first in its 1.0 form, and now as Dofus 2.0. It's a tactics-based game (many players have pointed out that it has a Final Fantasy feel about it), and while it's not as flashy as many of the graphics-heavy games on the market today, it's got a fair amount of substance to it. Dofus 2.0 offers a nice variety of combat areas, diverse and specialized classes, even crafting if that's your thing. Recently we were lucky enough to take a tour of Dofus 2.0 with Ankama's own Elissa Dukes. Follow along after the jump to see what we found.
Dofus opens their new version, Dofus 2.0, to simultaneous praise and worry
If you're a gamer looking for a tactical approach to MMOs, then you're pretty much going to want to play Dofus. Dofus is the MMO that takes a real-time strategy approach to combat, letting characters move in cells and conduct attacks in turns, very similar to the classic combat system of Final Fantasy Tactics. Recently, the Dofus team has ripped open the packaging on Dofus 2.0, a huge update that gives the game improved graphics, new areas, gameplay, and much more. However, the update hasn't been released without a fair share of criticism. Ankama Games had made the decision to launch Dofus 2.0 while simultaneously keeping Dofus 1.26, the prior version, online on separate servers.
Move over BlizzCon, here comes AnkamaCon
If you thought Blizzard had the only MMO convention in town, think again. Ankama Games, the creators of Dofus and Wakfu, have announced their 4th annual convention -- AnkamaCon!This year AnkamaCon will be in Paris and the theme is Gobbowl, a crazy sport introduced in Wakfu the animated series. Convention goers can expect to enjoy rooms that will be screening the Wakfu series, playable demonstrations of Ankama's games, a first look at Dofus-pocket for mobile phones, a chance to play the Wakfu trading card game before it releases, and much much more.AnkamaCon will be June 27th and 28th, with weekend passes going for 29 euros in advance or 35 euros at the door. Families also have the option of family passes, which are 37 euros in advance or 45 at the door.
Microsoft partners with Ankama Games to bring Wakfu to Xbox Live Arcade
If you have heard of Dofus or Wakfu, then you've heard of Ankama Games, the people Microsoft has just turned to for a new Xbox MMO-esque game. In their partnership announced today, Ankama will be bringing a new title, Islands of Wakfu, to Xbox Live Arcade late next year. Islands of Wakfu will keep the current cartoon style of Dofus and Wakfu, but utilize a more adventure/beat-'em-up style instead of the top down tactical style. Also, it's going to be more of a team play game, where two players work cooperatively together, rather than a full on MMO. The game promises to be set in the same universe as Ankama's other games and reveal new information about the world itself.So it's not a full on MMO, but the offer certainly does open the doors of hope. Having a known MMO developer working on Xbox Live Arcade titles with their unique IP may herald other game developers to do the same. Who knows, we might end up with a Wakfu MMO on the arcade anyway![via TenTonHammer]
New Wakfu trailer spotlights cross-media push
For those of us not fortunate enough to be part of the Wakfu closed beta, the game has remained something of a mystery. A beautiful, sexily-rendered 2D turn-based mystery, but a mystery nonetheless. We've seen a few screenshots, we know its release is going to be accompanied by an animated series, and we know the game is going to be in the same general vein as sister series Dofus, but beyond that it's still a little vague.The marketing team over at French developer Ankama Games has passed a trailer our way that really highlights the synergy between the animated series and the game proper. It also puts the game engine into motion, giving us a better idea of what the gameplay might be like, including some glimpses of player-to-player interaction, albeit in French. Check out the video after the jump if this sounds like it might possibly be your cup of tea.
First North American Dofus server opens Tuesday
Ankama Games' Dofus is something of a cult hit. Since its release in 2005, it has spawned two spin-offs. It's done things a bit differently than other MMOs, with turn-based combat and even hardcore permadeath servers. But the French company behind it is about to journey into a new frontier.No, we're not talking about Wakfu. It turns out that the first North American Dofus server will be opening Tuesday the 24th of June. It'll be called "SOLAR," and new players on the server will get all sorts of bonus perks for the first week, including daily events, double experience points, and a few in-game gifts. The top ranked players at the end of the week will get even more gifts.The new server is open only to subscribers, so if you're only playing in a free-to-play capacity, you're out of luck. Oh well. There's so little free content in Dofus now, we've come to think of it as pay-to-play anyway.
