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Albion Online's winter test begins January 26th
Backers of Albion Online have been sitting on their hands for a while now, waiting for the next alpha test of this isometric sandbox. The good news is that Sandbox Interactive has announced that the alpha winter test will begin in a little over a month on January 26th. There will be plenty of new and updated systems to check out during this testing cycle, including an extensive farming system, consumables, more weapons, more skills, and player and guild islands. Another significant change is that players can flag themselves as friendly or hostile in PvP areas, effectively adding consensual PvP into the game. Albion Online's winter test will be available to legendary ($100) and epic ($50) founders and will last for four weeks.
Ascent: The Space Game's Kickstarter will fund updated graphics
When we last checked in on Ascent: The Space Game, the indie sci-fi sandbox MMORPG was already eminently playable, having launched on Desura and angling for a Steam greenlight. Now Fluffy Kitten Studios has posted a Kickstarter intended to fund specific upgrades for the game -- specifically, improved graphics and UI. In fact, the complete budget breakdown is provided on the Kickstarter page. Backer rewards include premium access time, credits, Steam keys, and ships. You could even get a planet named after you. The Ascent sandbox emphasizes freedom, colonization, exploration, trade, combat, farming, mining, ship customization, starbases, and co-op play with fully consensual PvP. The Kickstarter boasts of the game's 270 billion star systems. Massively spoke to James Hicks, founder and CEO of Fluffy Kitten Studios, back in April, when he explained to us his business model, his target audience, and how he's come so far by himself. As he put it then, "Have a look at what we've done, with one developer, in one year, on a shoestring budget for art, music, and sound. Do you want to see what we can do in another year, with more?" The Kickstarter seeks $35,000 and is already at 51% of its goal with 25 days to go as of the time of this writing.
Shroud of the Avatar eyeing PvP balance while placating its 'large segment' of PvEers
The 63rd edition of Shroud of the Avatar's Update of the Avatar is a biggun. It covers topics ranging from upcoming events to the latest chapter of the Blade of the Avatar novel to current dev thinking on various game mechanics. One of those mechanics is PvP, and executive producer Starr Long's treatise touches on the fact that the team wants to a) have PvP, b) have PvP that isn't segregated via dedicated servers, and c) avoid forcing PvP on the "large segment of the community" that doesn't want it. Some of his proposals include PvP zones, duels, and guild warfare. Click through the links below to read more details.
Massively Exclusive: ArcheAge's Jake Song on consensual PvP, inflation, and more
ArcheAge news has been a bit sporadic of late, and it's also been quite some time since we talked to the devs or took a spin through one of the game's closed beta phases. Like many of you, we're dying to know more about XL Games' forthcoming fantasy sandpark, so we went straight to the source to see if we could drum up anything new. Lead designer Jake Song was kind enough to field a few of our burning questions, and we're pleased to present you with another Massively ArcheAge exclusive that touches on everything from localization and story to consensual PvP and item decay. Join us after the break for that and more.
The Daily Grind: The consequence of PvP
PvP has been an important part of the MMO genre right from the start, but it hasn't stayed the same in any way. The earliest implementation in Ultima Online made PvP completely non-consensual and wholly one-sided: you could be killed at any time, and the victor gets to take everything on your person with impunity. At this point, the "default" standard is closer to World of Warcraft, in which the victor is rewarded, the loser inconvenienced at worst, and no real lasting damage is done. Of course, there are players who prefer the older style, where PvP has lasting consequences, and games such as Darkfall are specifically designed to cater to the older style. But there are PvP focused games such as Warhammer Online which stilll follow the low-impact model, with goodies for the winner but no huge penalty to the defeated. So what are your thoughts on the gradual erosion of high-stakes PvP from the mainstream? Is it a good way to keep more casual players from being annhilated needlessly, or does it remove too much of the game's excitement and unpredictability? What do you think is a fair penalty for getting killed, if indeed there is one?
