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Life is Feudal unveils its 2015 roadmap
So what will the next year bring for Life is Feudal? Lots of things, since the game is still in its early access phase. But you don't have to take our vague and noncommittal words for it; you can just take a look at the game's official 2015 roadmap. The page outlines what will be coming to the game each month from here until September, along with progress bars to give hopeful players an idea of how far along the team has gotten on these features. The team is going to be taking a break on all of this during their first trip to a convention, though; the staff from Bitbox will be in-person at PAX South, displaying at Booth 1261 for fans and those who have never heard of the game before. In other words, it should be a pretty busy 2015 for the game. [Thanks to Saxxon for the tip!]
Pathfinder Online outlines its update and test patterns
The early enrollment stage of Pathfinder Online has started, and that means it's time to start setting a regular update schedule. A new development blog establishes that the game is currently slated to put out a new major build every other week, with the acknowledgement that the first few weeks will be something less than reliable due to the growing pains of turning the servers on. Players can look forward to the War of Towers kicking off tomorrow, January 14th, at 1:00 p.m. EST. A bunch of the game's moving pieces are being either reopened or renamed. The alpha accounts are being renamed platinum accounts, since the game is no longer in its alpha testing phase. The test server is coming back online as a way to double-check all of the new adjustments to the game before they go live. Worth noting is that account perks used on the test server will still count as consumed on the live server, meaning that an account entitlement you use on a test will be gone as surely if you used it in the core game. Check out the full update for more specifics and the mechanics of taking part in update testing.
Camelot Unchained's fourth newsletter covers the state of the game
The build for Camelot Unchained is constantly improving in functionality. Dual-targeting is now implemented, allowing players to have separate friendly and hostile targets for various effects. The hotbar UI is improving. Auto-run is in the game. How do we know all of this? It's all in the latest newsletter from the development team, which discusses every aspect of the title from the stability and performance of the current build to future plans and technology integration. Aside from the current state of the alpha testing build, the newsletter answers several community questions about possible new races and weaponry, shows off some of the armor designs that are being explored for mages, and talks about the game's reward structure. And even that isn't a full rundown of everything in the dispatch. If you're a fan of what's going on with Camelot Unchained, it might be best to just curl up with some holiday leftovers and read the full newsletter.
Albion Online kicks off its summer alpha event
You could be forgiven for thinking it's a bit too late for "summer" events to take place right now, but Albion Online is forging ahead with its summer alpha event. The closed alpha client is now available for players to log in and explore all of the available systems, from gathering and trading resources to engaging in large-scale PvP battles. If you're not at one of the game's higher Founder tiers, of course, the alpha test is closed to you; all you can do is look on with interest and wish you were playing. Streams and reports will be coming out of this test, including one planned by our own MJ Guthrie at 2 p.m. EDT this afternoon. If you like what you see, you can pick up one of the Founder Packs, or you can just keep watching and waiting as the alpha test rolls on. [Source: Sandbox Interactive press release]
Gloria Victis rebuilds animations and database as alpha approaches
Updates on Gloria Victis have been sparse recently, but according to the development team, that's because a lot of behind-the-scenes work has been getting done. The team has just finished polishing off two major projects, starting with a complete rework of the game's database structure to allow for easier updates and improvements. The downside is that it doesn't make much difference in play; the upside is that it will allow the team to easily change and update the game with less futzing about. Black Eye Games has also reworked the animations for combat as well as the mechanics, and different sorts of weapon will now interact with armor in a more realistic fashion. The team is working on a video to show off the improvements, though it's not quite ready yet. It's a bit of an invisible update, but it means that development is still continuing, and when the game finally launches into alpha testing it should be that much more engaging. [Source: Black Eye Games press release]
DayZ griefers force victims to sing
It may be the most genial stick-em-up of all time. A group of DayZ bandits are ambushing players in game for a truly sinister purpose: to make them sing. In the following video, you can see and hear players sneak up on unprepared foes, force them to their knees at gunpoint, and then offer them a choice. Either they sing their national anthem or they get shot. The bandits don't make their victims sing the entire thing and are recorded saying that they'll help them out with in-game supplies if they go along with it. You can preview the spectacle after the jump.
DayZ won't be released in 2014
If all of the reminders from Bohemia Interactive weren't enough to convey the message already, DayZ is still very early in its testing process. A recent post summing up the game's third week in early access mentions that the team is not expecting to be further than beta testing by the end of 2014, stating once again that the only people who should purchase the game's early access are those who want to be a part of the development process. Aside from that, the development team is looking toward future features including customizable vehicles, structures, and in-depth mechanics for hunting and cooking animals in the wild. At 875,000 copies sold, it seems that the game is carving a niche for itself among zombie survival enthusiasts even if it is still very early in its development. Take a look at the full list of planned improvements to the game in the post.
DayZ sells 400,000 copies in its first week of early access
The holiday season makes zombies of us all, as we lurch hither and yon through a combination of exhaustion and overeating. So it's totally understandable that you may have forgotten to really check in on the activities of DayZ's early access during the holidays. But now we're all back up and running, and it turns out the game did quite well for itself, with 400,000 copies sold during its first week of early access on Steam. The official update stresses once again that the game is still very much in an early state, and the people who purchase it should be ready to take part in the ongoing development progress rather than expecting to get a finished game. While the team has understandably been taking a bit of a break over the holiday season, the game has its immediate future already mapped out. Despite the delays, the game seems very much alive in its current state.
WildStar Wednesday talks turkey about core testers
What is a core tester? Despite what you might think, it's not someone who tests your central muscles for overall wear and endurance. No, it's an elite group of testers that WildStar is employing to check out features that aren't ready for more public consumption, things lacking little bits of polish like "textures" or "fully functional mechanics." It's a group that Carbine Studios freely admits to copying from ArenaNet, and it's also the subject of the most recent WildStar Wednesday penned by community director Troy Hewitt. Hewitt explains that core testers are meant to be people clearly passionate about the game who are willing to sit through long lists of known issues to test features very early in the development process. The goal is to get outside feedback from an early point to see if some major idea needs a major overhaul now instead of after much of development has been finished. For more information on the testing process and some information about getting noticed by the WildStar team for this elite group, check out the full article.
SteelWar Online kicks off alpha testing
Are there enough robots in your life? If your answer is "yes," you're most likely not concerned about the alpha testing of SteelWar Online. For those of us who instead welcome our new mechanical overlords, the kickoff of the alpha test is good news, as it means that the game is drawing ever closer to release. And seeing as it's a browser-based game available directly via Facebook, you'll have an easy time if you feel the urge to take part in said testing. Not a big fan of testing free-to-play games? Well, developer PopPace is trying to sweeten the pot slightly. During the alpha test, players will be given the equivalent of $2000 to blow in the game's cash shop, unlocking every option at will. While that's only good for the alpha test, players will receive an extra stash of microtransaction currency once the game goes live, and an extra stipend will be granted to players who find and report bugs. It's just the thing to fill that robot-shaped void in your life. [Source: PopPace press release]
