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A tour of WildStar's upcoming Black Focus area
The next update for WildStar has some pretty big shoes to fill. Arriving on November 11th, it's the first update the game has seen since August, when the game abruptly peeled back from monthly updates to quarterly ones. It comes after a round of server merges. It needs to prove to fans who are still subscribed to the game that there's good reason to keep playing and that more content is on the way in the near future -- that there's a reason to hold out hope. Earlier this week, I toured the Black Focus, the five-person group content releasing in the new region of The Defile in the upcoming patch. Not all of my questions about the zone as a whole were answered since I didn't get to go through all of the quests leading into this particular encounter. However, I did get a chance to form at least some first impressions and see how well this bit of content holds up. And there's a new trailer past the cut if you just want to watch that.
WildStar shows off the Mystery of the Genesis Prime
The nature of the Genesis Prime is one of the major elements of WildStar's story as presented to players on the road to level 50. Even once you get there, though, you still have questions, ones that will hopefully be answered by the end of the game's next update. Lucky for you, a new trailer for the Mystery of the Genesis Prime update is now available, along with a look at the Defile region that should help bring much of this storytelling to a conclusion for the time being. Inside the Defile, players will be exploring solo content in the Sonic Plaza and the Strain Maw, taking on five-person tasks in the Black Focus, and fighting through large-group challenges with the Siege of the Lightspire. Carbine intends to have content in place for you no matter what your preference is. The update was originally scheduled to launch in November, but no formal date has been announced. Check out the trailer past the break, scope out the locations available, and get ready to find some answers to one of the game's biggest mysteries. [Source: Carbine Studios press release]
ArcheAge's Auroria launches today
ArcheAge is scheduled to launch a big new update today on its North American servers. How big? Well, you can get a pretty solid idea just from the patch notes. The game is adding four new zones to be conquered and claimed by players, complete with space to build castles and houses once the claims have been made. There's also a new dungeon being added to the game, giving players uninterested in the land rush something to do with their time. New recipes have also been added for high-end weapons requiring Gilda Dust to craft. Vehicle stats have seen a rebalancing in an effort to make sure that no single vehicle is the unquestioned best in every field at all times; the vehicles retain unique abilities, but their performance is identical. Check out the full patch notes on the official site and start downloading as soon as you can since this patch is a big one. [Thanks to Robert for the tip!]
LEGO Minifigures Online shows off the Space World
Space is big. Really big. You wouldn't believe how vastly, mind-bogglingly huge it is. I mean, you might think it's a long way from your bed to your computer, but that's just peanuts compared to space. So while labeling a single area in LEGO Minifigures Online as the "Space World" might seem like a bit of an oxymoron, just think of it as a sampling of the mind-boggling hugeness of what space has to offer. In this case, it's aliens and evil space marines. A new video is now available showing off the Space World and everything that players can do therein: fighting off alien invaders, huge robots, strange wildlife, and flying saucers. Yes, it's all a bit silly and strange, but when you're marching into battle with a team consisting of a pirate, a DJ, a guy in a chicken suit, and a knight, you kind of expect to be thrown into strange scenarios. Check out the video just past the break. [Source: Funcom press release]
Final Fantasy XIV announces its first expansion, Heavensward
The Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival is currently underway in Las Vegas, and the keynote speech brought with it the big announcement many people were waiting for: The game's first expansions has been announced for spring 2015. Heavensward will focus on the city-state of Ishgard, as seen in the trailer embedded just past the break. Gamer Escape's liveblog of the keynote notes that the expansion will feature a level cap increase to level 60, new jobs, a new race (albeit with an as-yet-unconfirmed identity), new primals, and new high-end content. More information will be available at the London fanfest taking place next week. For now, players will just have to speculate a bit on what the future holds. (The smart money, of course, is on dragons. Lots and lots of dragons. It's kind of an Ishgardian thing.) [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Age of Wushu shows off the Silver Hook and Delightful Island
How would you like to go somewhere delightful in Age of Wushu? Odds are good that Delightful Island will fulfill that goal. Or possibly not; Delightful Island is a locale where literally anything goes, with no criminal ratings or pesky laws to restrict your behavior. There are also plenty of missions to be done and treasures to be found on the lawless island, so if any of that sounds like a delight to you, well, you've found your destination. Of course, first you have to get to the island, and to do that you'll need to board the hidden boat the Silver Hook, a gambling ship replete with intrigue and conspiracy. This special Forbidden Instance will test player abilities to cut through schemes and conspiracies while hopefully avoiding becoming a pawn of those same schemers. Jump past the break for a trailer, and look forward to taking your own delightful trip very soon.
LEGO Minifigures Online rolls out a mythological update
With a month or so to go before LEGO Minifigures Online fully launches, the game has brought forth its biggest update yet. So what does it contain? Nothing less than the new Mythology World, which also brings an increase in the level cap to 25 along with its new areas and monsters. The area also continues the main story if that's more of your thing. Aside from the new area, the Series 11 minifigures have been added to the game, along with the first batch of cash shop figures that includes the Yeti, the Mountain Climber, and the Pretzel Girl. Players can also find their friends more easily with the addition of a friend code, and the loot system has been overhauled to allow players a chance to build minifigures from loot. Check out the full set of update notes for more detail and get building in the game if it's just what you've been waiting for.
Previewing LotRO's Dead Marshes patch on the test server
The next major update for Lord of the Rings Online is up on the test server now. If you want to explore Update 14.2, you can. But what if you aren't in the mood for going through the process of a beta install just to wander around in the new area? Wouldn't it be easier if you could just get a quick look at the zone without having to roam about yourself? Good news, then, as a new video from LOTRO Players highlights the Dead Marshes and what players can expect in the new zone. The patch is quite large for a small update addition, and it contains some new enemy arrangements, some new pets, and plenty of new activities for players. Check out the full video just past the cut if you'd like to take a tour without going yourself. [Thanks to Andang for the tip!]
The Repopulation looks back at its July test updates
The end of the month means a new update for those on the outside looking in at The Repopulation, and July brought with it some sizable changes. For example, the game introduced 27 new areas, with several existing areas seeing new improvements and a lot of extra paths opening up. Any explorer has plenty of new stuff to see throughout the game, from new ways to see old regions to old regions just filled with new things. July also saw the inclusion of the training mechanic, which allows players to spend training points to improve various abilities. Pharmaceuticals, equipment fittings, and music also saw large-scale overhauls for players, and the development team launched a survey to get a better idea of the player types watching the game closely. You can see the full list of patch changes with the official update, along with more details on the overhauls and plans moving forward.
The Nexus Telegraph: WildStar's first dose of Strain
The funny thing about launches is that they're like every other aspect of the game industry: They're based on momentum. Create the feel that you're coming out with new content on a quick basis and you get points from players, even if it's inevitable that some of this content is stuff that was almost-but-not-quite ready for launch and just had to be trimmed back a little before we first got to dip our toes in the official swimming pool. You can see the zones on your map in WildStar right now, even. Does it matter to me? Nope. I have to admit it doesn't. I'm satisfied. The bulk of the news this month has been about the game's first major patch, which is due for "early July" without a harder date. I have not yet gotten to go hands-on in this content; I've been too busy focusing on the live game and advancing there (up to 50 on one character, at least!), but let's talk a little bit about what's being added in the patch. Fair warning: Spoilers may ensue.
World of Warcraft previews the Tanaan Jungle
The first two zone previews for World of Warcraft's next expansion focused on the areas that will lie at the heart of each faction, but Warlords of Draenor doesn't start in either of those areas. No, players will begin by setting foot (or hoof) into the Tanaan Jungle, a lush land filled with warriors of the Iron Horde as well as no shortage of vicious beasts. Yes, it's dangerous even without the orcs, that's kind of a running theme here. Players using characters boosted to level 90 will be learning their classes for the first time in the jungle, meeting orc luminaries such as Grom Hellscream and Khadgar Bladefist. (They're with the Iron Horde; they won't be happy to see you.) Players are also teased that they might need to make a deal with the warlock Gul'dan to get out in one piece, which is an activity that has never worked out well for anyone. Check out the full preview and all the lore it implies on the official site.
WildStar previews the zones of the Strain drop
The first major update for WildStar is due out in early July, and it's bringing plenty of content along with it including two zones for players to explore. Blighthaven and the Northern Wastes are being unveiled in more detail today, both of which contain plenty of opportunities for adventurers to take on all sorts of new challenges. Blighthaven is a landscape dominated by the Strain's mutated minions along with uncontrolled Eldan machinery, featuring such comfortable-sounding regions as the Cankertube Swamps, the Globellum, the Sanctuary of the Keepers, and the Genesis Chamber. It's prime territory for new content to explore what happened to the Eldan as well as understand the virulent opponent that is the Strain. The Northern Wastes, meanwhile, brings players back to the Northern Wilds after the events in the early game, with both Dominion and Exiles struggling to claim the territory... until a new threat emerges from the Eldan bio-labs in the area. New events, challenges, missions, and path content awaits players in the zone. It's all adding up to plenty of content for a first update; you can check out the official reveal page for a few extra details. [Source: Carbine Studios press release]
Guild Wars 2's Zadorojny clarifies that Cantha and Elona are still possible
There's a lot of space covered in Guild Wars that doesn't exist in Guild Wars 2 at this time, the sort of space that would seem to be tailor-made for expansion content. Yet earlier this week Mike Zadorojny, the game's lead content designer, told reporters that expansions are off the table at least for the moment. But if you're worried that the regions of Cantha and Elona are equally inaccessible, fear not: Zadorojny has clarified that he will not rule out either area for inclusion. Zadorojny explained that these regions still have stories to tell and that the living world setup allows the Guild Wars 2 devs to explore these regions in the future and add permanent content down the road if they so choose. He further stressed that the game has added what he considers to be an entire region's worth of content since its launch, with more coming as part of the game's current update schedule. [Thanks to Andy for the tip!]
Fallen Earth is opening up in June
While the pace of its updates is a little slower than it used to be, Fallen Earth is still the same basic game -- a post-apocalyptic wasteland with plenty of ways for players to kill or maim one another in a harsh landscape. And the June State of the Game address takes a moment to mention that, reminding players that traveling through PvP areas is supposed to be a dangerous venture. The developers are also adding in The Dome and another open PvP area in the near future, so there will be new places for players to experience that danger. Not interested? That's all right because there are also plans to add a new area to the game's PvE side, which will offer players a chance to explore some of the game's biggest lore mysteries. Ever wondered if anything else is intact outside of the Grand Canyon area? That's something for players to look forward to in the future, and the developers are promising it'll allow you to explore the wasteland in a new fashion. So that's something to look forward to.
The Nexus Telegraph: Still moving in WildStar
The downside to writing about WildStar in this stage of the game's lifecycle is that because of the very nature of beta tests, I'm going to be spending a lot of time speculating instead of talking about certainties. Last week, I speculated. I was wrong on some points, as I found out when I got a letter from Carbine clarifying some things that had previously been ambiguous enough for speculation. The upside to writing about WildStar in this stage of the game's lifecycle is that sometimes I get letters from development staff letting me in on valuable inside information. Aside from being able to clarify my previous incorrect speculation, I also have for you a number of other important bits of information regarding the game this week, including a brief discussion of whether or not the game will allow for flight on a regular basis. So since that's well worth discussing, let's go ahead and just make this column another dialogue about movement.
Dragon's Prophet shows off screenshots of Wynnadia
Despite the name of the game, Dragon's Prophet does not exclusively feature dragons and prophets thereof. It also has lands for all of that to occupy. The Wynnadia zone even has houses and people living there, providing a rich background for all prophet- and dragon-related antics. It's a pleasant zone filled with rolling hills, farming communities, undead monstrosities clawing their way up from the depths, and charming beaches. Wait, do we need to go back to that middle one? Once in game, players will be tasked with exploring the Accursed Tower and the Nameless Keep, full of dark secrets and alluring treasure. But it's not all monster-stomping day, as the zone is also home to the cities of Zarland and Lilia, with the former composed mainly of outcasts and refugees and the latter serving as an impressive naval stronghold. While we're assured that there's danger in the zone, all of the pictures in the gallery below look more inviting than deadly. [Source: Sony Online Entertainment press release] %Gallery-169367%
Looking at the wildlife of WildStar's Galeras region
If the pirates, bandits, ancient machines, and military forces in WildStar weren't bad enough, players are going to be contending with a lot of the native wildlife. Last week's WildStar Wednesday focused on the top-level overview of the Galeras region, but this week is focused on the local flora and fauna, which are just as dangerous as the invading armies with gunships. More so, in some ways, as a stemdragon doesn't care why you're on its land, just that you are. Stemdragons have been seen by fans before, having starred as the antagonist in the game's first trailer. Buzzbings and Scrabs are new, however -- the former is an insect the size of a small car that traps its enemies with honey, the latter is a cross between a beetle and a crab with thick armor and a propensity for burrowing. Read more on the tactics of these monsters and the lore surrounding them in the full article.
RaiderZ shows off the Broken Mast
Every character needs to start somewhere. In RaiderZ, "somewhere" is the Broken Mast. It's a coastal zone filled with marauding pirates, malicious sea creatures, and plenty of magical ruins. It's also the first zone to receive a video preview showing off these highlights as well as some of the action combat that defines RaiderZ's gameplay. The video gives an overview of the major threats to adventurers in the area, showing off some visually appealing locations as well as what appears to be the option for environmental destruction. There's also a preview of the magical constructs guarding the heart of the area's ruins. While there's only so much to be seen in a minute-long video preview, it's enough to get a feel for how diverse the zone is. So if you're eager for a look at what you'll be able to smack around once you get in in the game, take a look past the break for the full preview.
The Mog Log: The zone design of Final Fantasy XIV
I love Final Fantasy XIV, something that comes as no surprise to regular readers of this column. But the game's zone design is not its highlight. This is one of those design aspects that really bothered everyone in the world when the game launched, and it was for good cause, but I think there's more to it than simply condemning the whole thing out of hand. There are several places where the zone design isn't actually bad and in fact is downright brilliant. You could say that it's a variation on Final Fantasy XIV's theme right there: brilliance mixed in with average and awfulness. Obviously, zone design will be changing in a big way when version 2.0 launches, something that gets closer with each passing day. Still, it's worth examining where we are now if for no other reason than to hopefully identify what a good revision would look like. This is not a horrible mess; this is a few great elements mixed in with several elements that just aren't well thought out.
The Mog Log: The zone design of Final Fantasy XI
Gustaberg is one of the ugliest zones in Final Fantasy XI. For better or worse, it's a bunch of bland plateaus swarming with vultures, worms, and bees. It wasn't a visual treat when I first saw it, and the years have certainly not been kind. But the fact of the matter is that even after several years, I still get a little smile on my lips when I walk into that dessicated husk of a land. From the waterfall near the Wadi to the narrow pass to the Highlands, Gustaberg is painfully nostalgic. Final Fantasy XI created a lot of magnificent regions for players to explore right from the moment it launched, and every subsequent expansion has added new areas without making them feel redundant. Considering that the game's next expansion is on the way, I thought it was apropos to look at what makes the zones so wonderful as well as what mistakes the designers might try to avoid when making the new areas in the west.
