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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.
Blade & Soul closed beta UI profiled
More news made its way out of the Blade & Soul Korean beta this weekend. Blade & Soul Dojo has a breakdown of the game's user interface complete with a large annotated screenshot and plenty of commentary. While nothing about the UI looks markedly different from long-running MMORPG conventions, there is an interesting hint at a mechanic that is unique to NCsoft's upcoming fantasy martial arts epic. The Qinggong meter (the green bar below the health and fuel meters) ties in to the game's travel system and looks to put a novel spin on both exploration and fast travel. If you're wondering, Qinggong is a Chinese martial art that has been heavily stylized in Wuxia fiction (see the wire-fu action sequences in films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, House of Flying Daggers, and The Matrix). Blade & Soul Dojo also confirms that the game will have an auction house as well as social features including mail, a news page, and a calendar (though these features were disabled in the beta). Check out the original article for more details.
Blade and Soul videos feature PvP, gliding
Blade & Soul's first Korean closed beta phase may be over, but apparently the video drops are just beginning. Hot on the heels of last week's YouTube class showcase come some new clips courtesy of MMO Culture. This time around, we get a good look at the game's PvP action as well as some unique mechanics that appear to take both PvE and PvP engagements off the beaten path. The first clip shows off an interesting glide mechanic that owes a debt to both DC Universe Online and Aion, as the player character leaps tall mountains in a single bound and subsequently power-glides over, around, and into various scenic peaks. The second clip features a 1v1 PvP scrum, while video number three shows us a frenetic group engagement and more gliding shenanigans. Check out the three clips after the cut, or head to MMO Culture for further details.
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).
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.
TERA interview translation hints at targeting and combat changes
Despite the recent rumors of a prolonged delay in the North American/European testing and release schedule, there are still plenty of interesting goings-on in the world of TERA. ThisisGame.com has once again published an interview with Bluehole Studio heavyweights (including TERA's executive developer, CEO, and lead graphic artist), and once again the Korean original has been translated by the folks at TERAfans. There are quite a few interesting nuggets to be found throughout the piece, none more curious than the apparent closed beta tweaks to the game's much-ballyhooed targeting system. We'd like to stress "apparent" here because in the absence of confirmation from North American publisher En Masse Entertainment, these translations fall squarely under the rumor sub-heading. That said, if the info is accurate, it represents a shift from what we've heard of the game's combat thus far. "TERA is an MMORPG with action elements, but the game itself is not an action game. If we call TERA a non-targeting game, many people expect an action game. Throughout the game's various tests, we tried to make TERA easier to get into, adding a lock-on system and many other improvements. After those changes we also decided to rename the non-targeting system to "free targeting system". Let's be honest free targeting rolls off the tongue better doesn't it? It doesn't sound so negative," the article says.
TERA Korean beta news rolls in, Knox talks translation and marketing
Yes, TERA news is coming in from overseas, lots of it in fact. That said, En Masse Entertainment's Brian Knox cautions us to take the translations and suppositions with a grain of salt. First up is TERAfans checking in with another translation of an article by Bluehole Studio's community manager Mr. Blue. This time around, Blue details TERA's advanced skill system and discusses item stats, the newly added glyph system, racial abilities, and PvP skills. There's a ton of info to sort through, including nifty screenshots direct from the Korean client. The only problem is that some of this stuff might not make it into the western client (or might look very different) according to Knox. In a blog post on the official TERA website, he warns against taking all of the translation news from the recent G-Star gaming convention at face value. "Our fans do a great job of translating articles very quickly but the fact is there will be differences -- in terminology, game play mechanics, and services provided by the publisher -- between the western release and NHN's release of TERA. With these translations there will certainly be some misinterpretation, and we will do our best to react and clarify to the community," he writes. Why all the secrecy? Knox chalks it up to the challenges of releasing a global product, and the need for local distributors to get their share of timed exclusive marketing information.
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.
ArcheAge closed beta announced
We'll forgive you if you haven't yet heard of ArcheAge, an in-development MMORPG from XLGames. You probably have heard of lead developer Jake Song, though, or at the very least, you've probably played one of his games. The native South Korean is the brains behind the original Lineage, and he worked with Richard Garriott on Tabula Rasa. Also while at NCsoft, Song lent his talents to the conceptualization and creation of an MMORPG called Lineage Forever, which subsequently morphed into Aion. These days, Song's XLGames is busily putting the CryENGINE 2 through its paces to bring you ArcheAge, and it is gearing up for the game's first closed beta test. The testing, scheduled for late July, looks to gather player feedback on some of the title's more unique features including destructible architecture. Unfortunately, you'll need to speak Korean (and probably know someone on the inside) to get an invite, but stay with Massively for more on this new game as it develops.
