paths
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WildStar gets a new website
Carbine's sci-fantasy WildStar MMO has a new website. It's still the same URL, mind you, but the layout has changed dramatically while preserving the game's zany space western aesthetic. The front page is subdivided into sections covering each of the game's major features, including info on paths, housing, and more! WildStar pre-orders begin tomorrow, March 19th. [Thanks Siphaed!]
Dark Age of Camelot trims up paths, docks, and portals with a new patch
Are you looking to take a trip to scenic Agramon in Dark Age of Camelot? Then you'll definitely want to check out the latest patch notes. Agramon has been somewhat revamped with new docks and new paths into the center of the land, both from these new docks and from the milegates of each realm. And those aren't the only dock-based changes in the patch, at that; merchant docks have been moved further inland and renamed mainland docks, center keep docks are gone, and the rules for capturing mainland docks are different. Strength Relic Towns have also seen the addition of a new portal ceremony as well as various protections to keep the towns from being too easily captured. Players can also pick up new quests from the Agramon dockmasters involving killing players within Agramon... assuming, of course, that your realm controls one of the docks in Agramon. For the full details, read up on the official patch notes.
The Nexus Telegraph: Talking a bit about WildStar's beta
As you probably saw last Thursday, the 1-15 beta experience in WildStar had its NDA lifted for us schlubs in the press, allowing us to chatter on quite a bit about the game. We've seen articles discussing the early levels, we've seen streams, and we've been treated to a surfeit of information on the game in its current beta state. I talked about all of that, and I want to talk about it some more because I am really excited about it. After playing the game through to 15, I've got a lot of stuff to look forward to as well as some definite criticisms. So above and beyond what I've already said, I want to talk some more about WildStar's beta.
Neverwinter shows off Paragon Paths for more classes
The Paragon Paths in Neverwinter aren't just about making your character more powerful; they're about customizing your character to your playstyle. That's part of the reason why both Great Weapon Fighters and Guardian Fighters wind up sharing some potential paths. Yes, the Guardian Fighter is a tank and the Great Weapon Fighter isn't, but the added features of these paths make for very different characters. A Guardian Fighter on the Swordmaster path sacrifices some defense for more damage, producing a tank capable of hitting much harder than your average meat shield. Great Weapon Fighters who choose to be Iron Vanguards, meanwhile, pick up more control-based effects and wind up being more of a support archetype in the process. The latest development blog also shows off the new Control Wizard path, the Master of Flame, allowing this class to do some more serious damage over time by juggling flame and ice abilities. Check out more details on these new paths in the aforementioned development blog.
The Nexus Telegraph: Inspirational paths for WildStar
I've gone on record as frequently saying that I think WildStar's paths are pretty awesome in concept. The idea that you can have two characters with identical classes and races but two separate paths who explore totally different sections of the game is really compelling to me, especially when I expect that I'll have approximately nine million alts anyhow. Unfortunately, it's also a concept that winds up feeling kind of amorphous. American readers who try to convert to the metric system know that sense. You grow up with a certain basis of comparison, and trying to wrap your head around a completely new one without any foundation is a bit tricky. But I want to help. See, I come from video games. I play a lot of video games. And I think there are parallels to be drawn between existing games with certain mechanical structures and what each of the paths is trying to accomplish. So let's see if we can't fit WildStar's paths into more familiar frameworks before smashing them all into one game.
PAX Prime 2013: A first-timer's impressions of WildStar
Sometimes you just know that an upcoming game is going to be perfect for you. You know this because the art style sends shivers of delight down your spine, the video previews send you salivating for more, and the news that it's adopting a sub-only model doesn't quite faze you as much as you would've expected. Still, even though you know it'll be right for you, you don't really know until you get your hands on it for the first time. And even then, you don't really know until you've played it for a good, long while to see whether it sticks or not. While my total playtime with WildStar is a few sessions spread over two days at PAX Prime, I have seen nothing that makes me regret being interested in this title as both a super-professional video game press dude and as a humble player. I can recall letting out my breath in relief in the first zone once I saw and felt how it handled. WildStar may not be for everyone -- and that's fine -- but it left me happy, satisfied, and smiling. That's what the Chua said.
The Nexus Telegraph: WildStar forges a path
The latest news out of WildStar's new previews isn't going to quiet people who dislike the concept of the game's path system, nor will it stanch the flow of complaints about the game's art style. Those of us simply waiting at attention, however, found ourselves rewarded this week with a wealth of new information, not to mention the best look we've yet seen at how the paths will work together in action instead of concept. And that's only the tip of the iceberg; Jeremy Gaffney has said so many things that merit unpacking that it's almost impossible to swallow some of the implications. There is, in fact, far too much to unpack in a single week. So I'm going to look at paths and start figuring out everything else next week. I may also gush about the Mechari at some point. It's like GLaDOS, Hal, and Starscream had a kid.
Massively surveys WildStar's Scientist and Settler paths, the Esper class, and the crazy things Jeremy Gaffney says
So who wants to hear some cool stuff about WildStar? Thought so! Massively's Gavin Townsley recently attended a WildStar media event in San Francisco, at which he was treated to a hands-on look at the upcoming sci-fantasy MMORPG's Scientist path and Esper class. He also chatted with Carbine Studios executive producer Jeremy Gaffney, who pulls a Gaffney (I'm coining that) and can't resist leaking a bit of new info about tradeskills while filling Gavin in on how endgame will work, why we should play the Settler path, and whether talent trees are passé. If you think making 10 pairs of cotton space pants sounds boring, then yeah -- you're going to like what he's got to say. Enjoy all three articles plus the brand-new path videos we've embedded past the cut! Hands-on with WildStar's Scientist path and Esper class There is something exciting about taking your first steps into the mysteries of a new planet. I was anxious to mingle with the locals, analyze artifacts, and even pick a few plants -- that is, until I saw a flower burst from the ground as a giant vine-like beast. WildStar's Jeremy Gaffney on the Settler path WildStar's Settlers don't just build bonfires for sappy Explorers to sing around; these titans of construction will save you time in dungeons, establish bigger outposts, and open up new realms of quests for everyone. WildStar's Jeremy Gaffney on progression, tradeskills, and endgame Jeremy Gaffney divulges the beautiful details on essential parts of the game: character progression, tradeskills that don't suck, and life in the elder game.
The Nexus Telegraph: Walking the WildStar path
If you look at the path system in WildStar the right way, it's a pretty limiting system. After all, if path content makes up 25% of your content in any given zone, it stands to reason that there are three paths worth of content you'll never see on any given character. Any zone in the game is made up of 43% stuff you don't get to explore. For those of us who are fond of alts, this is not exactly a drawback. The idea that a zone I've done three times before can still hold new secrets on the fourth playthrough is endlessly appealing. But it can also feel very limiting from the right perspective simply because it does build in some hard limitations. You will never be able to completely clear an area out on one character. If you only want to play one character, you're just out of luck. At the same time, I think this system will grow to be one of WildStar's strengths. So even if you want to just play one character and you wind up playing a single path, there are reasons to be happy about the way that paths work.
Swordsman Online video demonstrates combat variety
Perfect World's upcoming Swordsman Online is all about combat, combat, and more combat, which means that combat needs to be divine. Today we've been treated to a video demonstrating six of the game's 10 "clans," the fighting styles that players can adopt in their war against high health bars. Within each of those clans are three paths that may be chosen by players at will. While the video doesn't clearly state which clan is on display, it still provides a useful look at Swordsman Online's fights. There is everything from hand-to-hand melee to whirling chains to giant cannons. Because in a game called Swordsman Online, it'd be silly not to have giant cannons firing quarter-ton balls, yes? Check out the video after the break and let us know which style suits you the best!
WildStar's Bartle-inspired paths offer players unique and shared content [Updated]
Jeremy Gaffney recently opened up on the connection between WildStar's Paths and Richard Bartle's famous breakdown of playstyles. While Gaffney admits that WildStar drew inspiration from Bartle's categories, the team has tuned the four paths -- Explorer, Soldier, Achiever and Builder -- to fit the devs' vision for the game. No matter which path you pick, Gaffney promises that there will be something meaningful for you to be doing at all times. The important part is that the game has a deliberate balance between path-specific activities and universal ones: "What we do is we take 70% of the world, and that's a mix of all the styles, and then about 30%, depending on the zone, swaps over and that's about you and about your path. So, as an Explorer you have your normal mix of stuff, but then an extra chunk on top of it that's all about exploring." People from different paths have many ways, reasons, and incentive to interact as they progress through the zones. Gaffney says that WildStar will "pile on the layers" to keep players involved and active. He also assured fans that all paths will have plenty to do in the endgame so that the journey doesn't come to a crashing halt. [Update: Carbine also released another WildStar Wednesday this afternoon; it features some community discussion all about events in MMOs.]
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.
Nibuca's route for picking up candy
Unfortunately, even though I really want "The Hallowed" on my Paladin, he's not quite 80, so going to face the Headless Horseman will be a problem for me. But I may still run around and pick up all of the candy quests, now that they're up and running during Hallow's End. They're only a part of the big meta-achievement, but it might be worth getting them out of the way anyway, and the XP is supposed to be pretty good (especially if you're getting the Heirloom bonuses, which I am).If I do go, I'll be using Nibuca's handy route to all of the candy buckets -- she went through for you and figured out the quickest and easiest (or at least a quicker and easier -- it may not be perfect, as she says, but it works) way around to all of the candy quests in old Azeroth and Outland. You'll have to do Northrend on your own, but you may want to wait on that anyway, as it's supposed to be slightly bugged. If you are planning on getting all of your just desserts this year, Nibuca's route should be extremely helpful.
Finding paths with Chuck the Ball and Super Fruitfall
I've tried out two different "path" games this past week from the App Store. Both Chuck the Ball and Super Fruitfall have you navigating paths on the iPhone, both using the touchscreen a little differently to send items you don't directly control around the screen.Super Fruitfall is made by a developer called Universomo and published by our friends at THQ Wireless. It's a relatively simple game -- there is some fruit sitting on a rotateable field, and your job is to match the fruit up with others of its type. It's amusing, in the way the old Labyrinth games were, but it's frustrating in the same way, too. Extra frustration enters the scene when too-sensitive controls cause you to flip the screen an extra turn, losing any patterns you had going. A "juice mode" makes the game a little more interesting by keeping the fruit flowing as you match it out, but at $3, the game's a little too boring, unless you really love tilt puzzles. Personally, my outcome at the end of each level was brought about just as much by my randomly flipping the board around as it was any strategy I tried.Chuck the Ball is a little more promising.
