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ArcheAge parkour video shows off city architecture
It's been a while since we've seen an ArcheAge video, and AAportal has come through with an interesting clip that was recorded during the closed beta test at the end of May. The three-minute jaunt is heavy on urban exploration -- or what passes for urban in a fantasy context -- and the protagonist engages in a bit of free-running to see the sights in and around one of the fantasy title's huge cities. There's a bit of lag on display, as well as a lack of real danger given that the player character walks away from several high falls, but the clip is worth watching due to ArcheAge's gorgeous architecture. Check it out after the cut, then head to AAportal to join the discussion.
ArcheAge Lillet Meadows location previewed
It's been a few weeks since we've heard tell of any ArcheAge news, but fortunately our friends from AAportal have come through with a new article on XL Games' upcoming sandpark title. Ordinarily we'd describe this sort of piece as a zone preview, but given that ArcheAge is an open world the phrase "location preview" seems more appropriate. The location in question is the Lillet Meadows, an area designed for players between levels 10 and 15 and situated near the Elven and Nuian starting areas. The meadows lie in a lush, fertile valley far from the hustle and bustle of the nearest city, and AAportal spends a good bit of virtual ink describing the natural surroundings. Despite the tranquil setting, enemies abound in the area, most of them variations on undead that include wraiths, ghosts, and a new type of zombie that apparently features broken weapon fragments instead of limbs. Head to AAportal for all the details, and don't forget to click the image links to see all the Lillet Meadows screenshots.
ArcheAge caster class detailed
AAportal has published another review of the recently concluded ArcheAge CBT3 event, this time focusing on the game's Mage class. The reviewer leveled his Mage to 21 and came away with a better understanding of the pre-defined spell schools (in this case illusion, death, and magic) as well as the corresponding special abilities. While most MMO mages are on the squishy side, we suspect that ArcheAge will buck that trend a bit, given the reviewer's observations that his Mage had a lot of hitpoints as well as a significant shield buff. Offense is, of course, the Mage's raison d'etre, and ArcheAge casters apparently pack a wallop (as well as two- to three- second cast times). It's not all wham-spam-thank-you-ma'am, though, as there is some strategy involved. Read all about it at AAportal, and check out the gameplay video after the cut.
ArcheAge CBT3 review talks crafting, labor points, and nautical exploration
If you've been curious about the crafting and gathering systems in XL Games' forthcoming ArcheAge sandbox, you'll want to check out the third and final part of ArcheAge-Online's extensive CBT3 review. The piece has a detailed breakdown on the game's labor point system (a third point pool, if you will, much like more traditional health and mana pools). Labor points are somewhat scarce despite regenerating over time, and most of the game's non-combat activities require them (harvesting apples from apple trees, chopping down said trees, building furniture and boats, etc.). It's a unique system, and ArcheAge-Online goes into the nitty gritty of the mechanics and offers up plenty of opinion as well. The review also features commentary and video footage on sailing and nautical exploration, with interesting tidbits about boat construction and the discovery of player settlements on uncharted islands off the beaten path. Head to ArcheAge-Online for more.
ArcheAge PvP, dungeoneering discussed
Ready for some more ArcheAge CBT3 impressions? If so, AAportal has your hookup in the form of a new article that examines the recently concluded beta event. While Massively poked around the world of ArcheAge in wide-eyed newb wonder last week, AAportal had been there before, and its new posting compares the team's impressions of CBT3 with the earlier CBT2 event. In addition to investigating interface, character customization, and world changes, AAportal notes that it was able to send a full team of level 20 characters delving into the deeps of one of ArcheAge's dungeons. Explorers will be pleased to know that the dungeon was a labyrinthine experience that left the adventurers unsure as to whether or not they'd managed to see it all. Also on the discussion table is world PvP, and here AAportal reports that player skill trumps zergs quite handily. The game's physics apparently play a big role as well, and the article illustrates the differences between a knock-back ability in World of Warcraft (which happens the same way every time regardless of terrain) and an ArcheAge knock-back that is affected by the character's surroundings. Finally, the article concludes that ArcheAge is not a very solo-friendly game as it currently stands, with coordinated groups required for premium content like ship battles and dungeons runs. Check out all the details at AAportal.net.
Massively Exclusive: The sweet and sour of ArcheAge's third closed beta
Forgive me for getting this out of the way up front: I frickin' hate betas. Loathe them. Avoid them like the plague, usually. Why then, did I find myself foregoing sleep for the better part of last week to log into XL Games' third closed beta test for ArcheAge? Curiosity, for sure, and maybe just a hint of desperation. As the MMORPG genre moves farther and farther away from the types of games worlds that drew me in a decade ago, the chance to get a preview of what some fans are hoping is the next great AAA sandbox was enough to overwhelm my betaphobia. It's been quite some time since I've glanced out my window to see the sun rise while playing an MMORPG through the night, and ArcheAge definitely has its claws in me at this point. Is it the next great sandbox, though? Is it even a sandbox at all? Can XL successfully meld two design philosophies (sandbox and themepark) that are, in many ways, polar opposites? Those questions are difficult to answer, but join me after the cut and I'll give it a shot.
ArcheAge closed beta three kicks off, gameplay videos abound
ArcheAge's third Korean closed beta phase officially kicked off last night (or was that this morning -- it's all running together), and as a result, a couple of interesting new videos are floating around the interwebs. First up is a lengthy look at the game's character creation options followed by a 15-minute romp through the sandpark title's expansive world courtesy of an unedited play session video. While the character creation clip is pretty spiffy in its own right, it pales in comparison to the nifty swimming animations and underwater effects on display in the second clip. Exploration is the order of the day here, as we don't get to see any combat or crafting. There's plenty of eye candy though, and you check out both clips after the cut. [Thanks to Shawn for the tip!]
New ArcheAge video shows off skills and combos
Ready for a closer look at ArcheAge's combat? Look no further than a new video recently uploaded to YouTube that shows off a number of skills and combos. The video features Korean subtitles, and as with all material that hasn't been officially released to the western market, it comes with quite a few caveats regarding final builds and suchlike. It also comes with quite a bit of ambiguity, as we're not sure how exactly these abilities work in the context of ArcheAge's sandpark skill system. One thing we do know is that they all look mighty interesting, and the two-minute clip is an exercise in spot-the-MMO-archetype for long-time genre fans. There's the caster, a ranger type, some melee DPS (but not a tank, obviously), and some sort of Bard analog. See for yourself after the break.
ArcheAge producer talks tanking, adventure system, and closed beta
AAportal has translated a new interview with XL Games lead designer Kim Kyung-Tae, and the piece sheds a bit of light on what players can expect in ArcheAge's third Korean closed beta test later this month. The event is designed for 5,000 players and will feature newly enabled game systems including adventures, battlefields, and instanced dungeons. The interview boasts several interesting nuggets, chief among them a brief description of ArcheAge's adventure content. "Adventure content works by a system of hints: the player can randomly find a clue or hint how to find a special place. If you collect enough hints to find it, you will see a special item or monster. These can't be found in normal ways, only through the adventure contents, so it is not related to leveling up," Kim explains. Adventure system rewards won't replace quest or crafted items and instead exist "just for fun." Kim also has some intriguing things to say about the MMO trinity, more specifically the fact that gameplay in ArcheAge doesn't require a tank. "The overall gameplay will be around using various devices and cooperating with other players in the party. In real life, no one should be able to tank a big monster, and instead take it down with trickery. We want it to be the same in the game." The interview also features discussion on siege mechanics, housing, and travel systems, and you can read the full text at AAportal.
New ArcheAge fly-through video released, planting system profiled
Yesterday we learned a bit more about the labor system in XL Games' ArcheAge as well as some juicy tidbits on ship and housing construction. Today, AAportal.net has some more non-combat discussion to whet our sandbox appetites, and this time the subject is plants. While plants are an unlikely MMORPG topic (unless you're talking about a gathering quest), they play a unique role in ArcheAge thanks to the game's gardening and harvesting systems. Whether your interest lies in cultivating grapes or in seeding a grove of apple trees and (eventually) selling the harvest to expand your farm, it's all doable. Trees are also a source of timber, which is required for the aforementioned ship-building as well as house and furniture construction. In other ArcheAge news, a brief fly-through video has surfaced on YouTube. While the clip clocks in at a paltry 43 seconds, it offers a number of external looks at player housing as well as the game's gorgeous scenery. Check it out after the cut, then head to AAportal for more.
ArcheAge housing, ship construction, labor system detailed
New details regarding ArcheAge's extensive non-combat gameplay have emerged, and AAportal.net has a three-part breakdown of the game's labor system, ship-building, and house construction mechanics. The labor system ties ArcheAge's various crafting, gathering, and construction sub-systems together under one umbrella and provides the player with a pool of labor points that power most of the activities. The points accrue at fixed intervals (whether you're online or not). There also appears to be some delineation in the point possibilities afforded to high-level users and their low-level counterparts (AAportal cites "more luxurious activities" like dance parties as possible labor point expenditures for more advanced players). Ship construction will necessitate a group effort due to the considerable resource requirements. Hull plans are purchased from NPCs and activated at the shipyard, at which point the player will see a basic frame in drydock. After players deposit the requisite resources and set the payment for their NPC workers, enterprising ship captains will be able to view the construction process. Sailing a ship involves factors ranging from tidal currents, to wind strength, to the angle of the mast, as well as managing your player crew (each member of which has a distinct job on the ship). Housing is similarly involved, with yards, farms, and furniture crafting available. Houses can also be built anywhere in the world and come in various types, sizes, and architectural styles. Head to AAportal.net for all the details.
The Daily Grind: Do you want directed content in a sandbox MMO?
XL Games' ArcheAge has been generating a fair amount of buzz lately, in no small part due to the fact that some starving sandbox fans are pinning their hopes on the upcoming Korean import. One thing worth noting, however, is that XL is positioning ArcheAge as a third-generation MMORPG that combines the best of the previous generations as opposed to a throw-back to the days of Asheron's Call or Ultima Online. To borrow a phrase, ArcheAge will be a "sandpark." What this means isn't completely clear, but we do know that the title will feature quests, lootable gear, and a class system of sorts (albeit one designed to provide a much larger range of player options than your typical themepark). ArcheAge's "sandboxiness" seems to stem from its deep crafting, housing, and farming/gathering systems, plus its flexible progression options. For today's Daily Grind, we're curious as to your thoughts on such an amalgamation. Are you looking forward to ArcheAge and other potential third-gen games like it? Put another way, do you want directed content in your sandbox? 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!
XL Games teases new ArcheAge trailer
The ArcheAge publicity machine is starting to make a bit of noise (and it's about time too, the title's been in development since 2006). XL Games has just released a brief video preview -- which is itself a teaser for a full-length trailer that will debut shortly. The game is also gearing up for its third Korean closed beta, with testing scheduled to kick off on May 24th. The video crams a ton of new footage into its one-minute running time, and we're unabashedly salivating for the full-length trailer as well as the game. ArcheAge is the brainchild of noted Korean developer Jake Song, and looks to fuse sandbox and themepark elements to create the first "third generation" MMORPG experience. ArcheAge also features music from renowned Korean composers Yoon Sang and Shin Hae Chul, and fantasy novelist Jun Min Hee is involved in the conceptualization of what XL calls "game scenarios." ArcheAge is being developed using both CryEngine 2 and 3, and aims to set the standard for both graphical performance and varied gameplay options. Feast your eyes on the teaser after the cut.
ArcheAge's Jake Song says balance doesn't mean equality
ArcheAge lead developer Jake Song has answered a round of fan-generated questions at OutpostGamez. The interview starts out with some interesting nuggets on world size and fast travel before moving on to a variety of topics including player content, crafting and the economy, and class balance. "Those balance issues concern us as well. We will test and balance classes constantly. However, we don't think that all the combinations should be equivalent. There will be a class that is far more difficult than others," Song says. ArcheAge is also setting the hearts of sandbox fans aflame courtesy of its deep non-combat gameplay, which purportedly includes an extensive crafting and economic system. Song cautions that while XL Games intends for the player economy to take precedence, the devs are not omitting loot drops and their associated mechanics altogether. Instead, XL is limiting the usefulness of mob drops in relation to their player-made counterparts. "Crafted items will be allowed continuous enhancements and improvements whereas such obtainable items wouldn't," Song explains.
New ArcheAge trailer released, Jake Song talks player content [Updated]
If you're as starved for news about ArcheAge as we are, the new video accompanying XL Games' announcement of ArcheAge China is akin to a desert oasis. The clip features a good amount of new in-game footage as well a bit of narration from lead designer Jake Song. What's the occasion? It seems that XL has partnered with Tencent Games to bring the sprawling fantasy sandbox MMO to the Chinese market, and the new trailer was created to show the game at Tencent's recent annual press conference. If you're an English-speaker, Song's comments (which appear in the video from approximately 1:30 to 2:20) have been translated at MMO Culture, and they illustrate how ArcheAge is being positioned as a third-generation MMORPG that refines the best of all that has come before. "The third generation online games use the previous two generations as the basics, further improving content and visuals. More importantly, players themselves can now create content and playing styles themselves, permanently reshaping the in-game world. When players log into the same place after some time, the place might look totally different," Song says. Click past the cut to watch the video and also note that the video repeats itself around the 7-minute mark. We'll post a higher quality embed as soon as one becomes available. [Update: We've embedded a subtitled 720p version of the video behind the cut. Thanks to ArcheAge-Online.com for sharing the upload!]
ArcheAge upgrading to CryEngine 3
Development on XL Games' ArcheAge continues apace, and several fan sites are reporting that the fantasy sandbox MMORPG will be adding a spiffy new graphics engine to its lengthy list of features. Prior to this year's GDC, ArcheAge was being marketed as a CryEngine 2 title -- and was already somewhat renowned for its lush visuals and hyper-detailed environments. Apparently XL and lead developer Jake Song saw room for improvement, though, since ArcheAge will be transitioning to CryEngine 3 according to a reputable South Korean gaming news website. There is also some fan speculation regarding when the new engine will see the light of day. ArcheAge will be kicking off its third Korean closed beta phase in April (still using CryEngine 2), with deployment on the newer technology coming later this year (and possibly coinciding with open beta). Head past the cut for a CryEngine 3 demo video from this year's GDC (the ArcheAge footage begins at the two-minute mark).
ArcheAge dev diary talks housing, questing, and spreading diseases
XL Games' ArcheAge is starting to pick up a bit of a following here in the West, and that can only be a good thing for starving fans of the sandbox subgenre. Jake Song's fantasy opus is currently undergoing closed beta testing in its native Korea, and as XL's devs post Q&A features on the game's website, dutiful fans translate them into English. The latest set comes to our attention courtesy of ArchAge Online.com, and covers a wide range of topics including questing (both local and regional variants), player housing, the game's achievement system, and player and NPC illnesses. "If you wander into a town that's full of infected characters, you'll probably catch something yourself! Then again, you could get sick on purpose and then pay a visit to someone you don't really like, but that's risky in it's own way," the dev diary explains.
New ArcheAge Q&A translated on official site
Here at Massively, we've been obsessing over ArcheAge for many months (see our exclusive interview with lead dev Jake Song from last fall). The upcoming sandbox title from XL Games almost sounds too good to be true for virtual world enthusiasts due to its focus on non-combat activities (cultivating, crafting, and sailing, to name a few) as well as its territorial control and PvP aspects. While ArcheAge news is scarce in America and Europe, the game is undergoing extensive beta testing in its native Korea, and a recent developer Q&A has popped up on the title's official website. Though brief, the blurb contains a couple of nifty insights, chief among them the existence of 10 skill trees as well as confirmation of the game's seamless open-world design. You can check out the source article (in Korean) or the translation for more details.
The Soapbox: Sandboxes and the fear of FFA PvP
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column. Guess what! Sandbox games are for roleplayers. I don't mean that in an off-putting or elitist way, but rather I mean to say that people who enjoy and seek out sandbox MMORPGs are roleplayers whether their testosterone levels allow them to self-identify that way or not. The corporate thieves, spies, and meta-gamers in EVE Online? They're roleplaying. The gankers and hyper-competitive PvPers in Darkfall? Yep, they're roleplaying too, even when their names are variations on Loves2spooge. The other day I was talking to one of my closest friends about MMORPGs, roleplaying, and PvP. The discussion rolled around to Darkfall, as most of my discussions these days do, and his ears perked up when I waxed on about the freedom, the skill system, and the huge world that invites you to go your own way and is remarkably unlike traditional themepark games in terms of immersive potential. Eventually I had to break the news that yes, Darkfall does feature FFA PvP, and if that wasn't bad enough, corpse looting. The horror!
Massively Exclusive: Jake Song talks ArcheAge
Last weekend we hinted at an XL Games interview during our coverage of the newest ArcheAge video. Today we're happy to bring you an exclusive chat with lead developer Jake Song. Song is the man behind the original Lineage, and he also worked at NCsoft on Tabula Rasa and a Lineage sequel that eventually became Aion. Several years ago he started his own development house, XL Games, and the studio's first project is a sprawling sandbox called ArcheAge, which is currently undergoing a closed beta test in the Korean market. Join us after the cut as Song talks about the game's unique skill system, castle sieges, multiplayer mounts (and mounted combat), and more.
