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Albion Online dishes out details on the game's mechanics
Albion Online has some pretty ambitious design goals as a top-down multi-platform MMORPG with free-for-all PvP. A few players have gotten a chance to try the earliest testing build out, and there were some obvious questions, enough for the development team to post several answers. While the game is still early in alpha testing, it's an interesting look at the design philosophy and how harsh the environment really will be. The core of Albion Online is that characters don't have specific levels or stats raised via levels; instead, everything comes down to what you can craft, which is increased as you gain more fame. According to the answers, unarmored characters will all have about 1000 life points. Items constantly degrade and can be looted by other players in combat, which means that there's always a drive to get more items, but finding more valuable materials will require a trek to more dangerous parts of the world. Check out the full list of answers for more details on how the designers look to keep the game lively and interesting. [Source: Sandbox Interactive press release]
WildStar shows off footage from friends and family testing
Has your enthusiasm wavered at all for WildStar? The game has been a no-show at the most recent conventions, and with not much new to see, it's easy to start wondering if anything's been happening with the game. Fear not; the newest installment of WildStar Wednesday produces quite a bit for fans to watch and speculate upon -- it's four minutes of a guided tour of the content and mechanics currently in friends and family testing. One of the bigger elements being shown off is the evolving action mechanics of the game. The video explains how the more freeform targeting system is working and how players can interact with the environment to change up the battlefield. The Scientist and Settler paths are also displayed in working order, adding on to the previously seen Soldier and Explorer paths. And there are new areas, new monsters, and hints of more footage to come. So by all means, jump on past the break and watch the game strut its stuff for a while.
