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WildStar will reduce grind, focus on 'a multitude of playstyles' in 2015
Where does WildStar go from here? That's the question that director Mike Donatelli seeks to answer with his latest address to the community. Donatelli says this morning that while he's thankful for the praise the game received toward the end of 2014, there are several areas where the game needs to improve, and thus the team is working on making a better game experience for everyone moving forward. He lays out three chief foci for the team over the next year: listen to feedback to make the game more fun and "less grindy"; support "a multitude of playstyles," group sizes, and levels; and invest, expand, and improve the existing game. Donatelli targets for these plans the first half of 2015, which will contain better-tuned endgame reward systems to fight fatigue along with a wider breadth of content for solo and small-group players. Over the rest of the year, the team plans to introduce a new Contract system to support different playstyles, continue tuning the rewards, and greatly expand the game's customization options. It's a lot of changes, but the Carbine team seems dedicated to making them work.
NCsoft 'sees a future' for WildStar
Eurogamer recently spoke to WildStar Creative Director Chad Moore and Product Director Mike Donatelli to counter concerns that WildStar is a "sinking ship." Fortunately for players, NCsoft, which controls Carbine, apparently doesn't think so. "They specialise in MMOs, that's what they do. And they see a future for WildStar," Donatelli explained. "And as far as NCsoft is concerned, they're going to support us, and I take them at their word for that when they've made a commitment to us for the future, so I feel very comfortable making that statement." Moore noted that Carbine still has "hundreds" of employees in spite of recent layoffs, and while he wouldn't outright condemn negative Glassdoor reviews, he did recommend they be taken "with a grain of salt." Regarding sales, Donatelli told Eurogamer the game sold "many, many, many times" the hoped-for 250,000 boxes, but he doesn't mention current subs. Back in October, he told Massively that the game had "hundreds of thousands of active players." NCsoft declined to clarify that ambiguous phrasing when asked. WildStar's Mystery of the Genesis Prime patch launched yesterday.
Carbine's Donatelli and Moore on WildStar's population and philosophy
Two weeks ago, Carbine Studios offered us the opportunity to interview product director Mike Donatelli and creative director Chad Moore regarding the state of WildStar and what future updates would bring to the game. We have their thorough answers in their entirety for you today; Carbine assures us that there was no animosity or conspiracy in the delay, and we thank the studio for that. So let's get to it: Read on as the duo discuss WildStar's current population, business model, development strategy, and plans for the near future.
WildStar elaborates on change to update cadence
Today, Carbine Studios posted a follow-up to the breaking news that WildStar would be dropping its monthly update pace for more of a "when it's done" approach. Product Director Mike Donatelli elaborated on the decision: The plan was to roll out a zone next month, and a pretty badass one at that. The new zone and its contents not only sets up the epic ongoing world story of WildStar, but provides more group and solo content along with costumes, items, etc. What we hadn't planned for was the mountain of feedback. You guys have been vocal about everything from bugs, early level content, attunement, PvP, and Elder Game. And we were listening. Because of that, we decided to make a change. We are adding a month's worth of feedback and bugfixes to the mix based on player feedback and user experiences. These are changes to core systems such as economy, classes, PvP, crafting -- you name it. We're knocking out bugs and making changes to improve your gameplay experience. We want to roll these issues into the patch with the new zone content and that's going to take some more time. How much time you ask? That's an excellent question! We're going to take the time to make sure that this next patch is not only badass but bug free. I'll update you again shortly with the list of details on what's being addressed in the game and the timeframe.
WildStar's elder gem system to get post-launch love
What you see is only half of what you get, at least in regard to the elder gem system in WildStar. Carbine Studios Product Director Mike Donatelli churned out a good-sized post on the forums this morning concerning WildStar's elder gem system and what the studio has planned for it after the game's launch. He said that what's currently in-game is "only half of the intended final system," and while the team can't get in the full deal by release, the rest will be included in the first major post-launch patch. Elder gems are a type of currency that players will earn with XP once they hit the level cap. There's a weekly limit to the number of gems that can earned, and players can use these gems to buy gear and items from special vendors. Future plans for the system include the ability to buy amp and ability tier points that haven't been procured elsewhere and weekly and daily quests to earn more gems.
WildStar discusses the state of the beta and big changes to come
Beta testing is like reviewing the first draft of a story. You read, offer suggestions, and then the writer gets a chance to make the story better for another draft. With WildStar's latest phase of testing at a conclusion, creative director Mike Donatelli sat down to explain some areas where WildStar will be changing mechanics based on feedback from both players and the community. Some of these might be a little more familiar, and some are more unique. Donatelli explains that the team hasn't been happy with either incarnation of the Milestone system and has assembled a new system for future testing. Players in testing had complained that neither of the previous incarnations was successful at giving players control over the development of their characters. Kill quests are also going to be changed with the removal of a set count and implementing a sliding progression scale based on overall experience earned. For a more thorough breakdown and a deeper look at beta feedback, take a look at the full community address in this WildStar Wednesday.
WildStar team hosting panel and gathering at SDCC
Heading out to California for San Diego Comic Con? As long as you're out there, would you like a nice dose of WildStar entertainment? The team at Carbine Studios is hosting a panel on Friday discussing how story and narrative are developed in the game, featuring lead narrative designer Chad Moore, content director Mike Donatelli, creative director Matt Mocarski, and design producer Stephen Frost. Anyone attending the convention will want to be at the panel if you've got even the vaguest interest in the game. But what if you're in San Diego and aren't attending the con? You can still get some special face time with WildStar at the fan gathering on Friday in the Hotel Palomar. More to the point, this gathering promises to allow players a look at two new races -- in all likelihood the last two playable races that have been teased for some time. So Friday should be a good time for fans of the game in San Diego, and anyone else watching from afar. [Source: Carbine Studios press release]
PAX 2011: WildStar panel discusses playing with paths the Bartle way
Before Gamescom, WildStar was nothing more than a title without a hint of what the game would actually promise. But now that the game is being shown off, the combination of a unique aesthetic with a promise of uniquely focal gameplay has gotten a lot of people interested. The visuals, of course, have already been well-displayed by the trailers and preview shots, so this year's panel at PAX 2011 focused instead on the other half of the equation: the paths. The panel began with a brief viewing of the game's cinematic trailer to kick things off, followed by an explanation of the game's core design philosophy. As the team from Carbine Studios (Jeremy Gaffney, Eric DeMilt, and Mike Donatelli) put it, most games are built with a basic set of design assumptions that push players in a fixed direction determined by the designers. WildStar was built from the ground up to let players enjoy the game when they want to, with whomever they want, and most importantly however they want. The paths are the key to that system -- multiple overlaid playstyles that ensure you have your own play experience no matter what class or race you pick.
