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The Nexus Telegraph: Examining the Mechari of WildStar
Who's afraid of the big bad Mechari? As it turns out, a lot of people. Possibly for good reason. Of all the races in WildStar, the Mechari represent the biggest question mark. Part of that is by design; when you have a race of sapient machines controlling the information flow of an entire empire, you aren't supposed to know everything there is to be known about them. But there are a lot of questions that pose themselves based on what we do know. Starting with the fact that they don't exactly make sense. I've touched on this briefly before, but the fact is that the stated purpose of the Mechari is at odds with what we know of their creation and behavior. They're intelligence gatherers that don't actually have obvious tools for that role. They're left in the dark in ways that don't make sense, and they are altogether a race of contradictions if you accept everything at face value.
Get some Defiance DLC with a side of free updates
Now that Defiance is live and has gone through the usual slew of launch-day messes, it's time for the developers to start thinking about the future. That means DLC. The latest development blog explains both what the team is doing to address the game's issues and how DLC will be released in a tiered system, with every major DLC update containing upgrades to the cash shop, a paid DLC component, and a free update for everyone. The first DLC is already en route, and its $10 paid component allows players to make a Castithan character, access a unique storyline, and gain some special vehicles and outfits. Even if you don't pay for the DLC, you'll have access to new Castithan Blades, and a new open world game mode called Siege, and can earn new Charge Weapons. The game's store, meanwhile, will allow you to tint your Castithan Blades, buy new lockboxes or vehicles, and re-customize your character. There's a little something for everyone playing the game, and that's the ultimate goal.
WildStar discusses the exotic and alien human race
Humans are the standard basis for comparison in games that feature non-human races, almost as if said games were being made by humans for other humans. But there's still a distinct flavor to the human race depending on the setting. Case in point, the latest WildStar "interview" with one of the three lore characters from the cinematic trailer gives players a peek at a typical human, and he's a bit different than what you might have been expecting. While the other major characters identify a specific world as "home," humans are portrayed as being a bit more free-forming, having roamed out in space for so long that they're really not bound to a location. The entry also discusses some of the lore behind being an Explorer and some of the perils associated with intentionally venturing into the unknown (it involves lots of things that try to eat you, if you need the short version). If you've been enjoying the flavor of the world Carbine Studios is slowly building, you'll probably enjoy this latest look as well.
A look at the Norn events of Guild Wars 2
Norn Week continues for Guild Wars 2, and while that may sound a bit like Shark Week, it's not quite the same deal. The Norn are a bit more personable, for one. They're also the center of a new piece on designing and redesigning events on the official blog, penned by Jeffrey Vaughn. Focusing on the event design of the Wayfarer Hills (the starting area for Norn characters), the article covers both the general design procedure as well as the specifics for new Norn. As Vaughn puts it, one of the centerpieces of the area's design is the four shrines to the Norn totem animals -- Bear, Raven, Wolf, and Snow Leopard. Originally all four were slated to be attacked by the Dragon-worshipping Sons of Svanir, but those events felt mechanically identical, resulting in changes being made to each shrine's event. Guild Wars 2 players can enjoy a slice of the Norn's Nordic flavor and lore with the latest installment of the week.
Destiny of Velious details announced for EverQuest II
This year's Fan Faire has been kind to fans of EverQuest II and EverQuest, with the announcement of new expansions and a mysterious further project for the franchise. The fine team at The EQ2 Wire sat in on a discussion of all of the new features and details of the upcoming expansion, Destiny of Velious, and they transcribed their notes from the event. While the notes are a bit disjointed, they should give players quite a bit to look forward to and a number of tidbits to munch on. If there has to be a downside, it's likely the fact that the Othmir will not be added as a playable race -- in fact, no race will be added to the playable roster. But there's a lot for fans to mull over even with the questions that the team declined to answer. Most interesting is that the expansion's release will be split into two parts, with part two possibly coming via update rather than a separate release. There are also plans for flying mounts in every overland zone of the game, rather than the "some" that was announced earlier. EverQuest II players should promptly take a look at the latest news, as it's going to be an interesting ride.
Breakfast Topic: Player race desires
Since the beginning of The Burning Crusade, I've wanted playable Ethereals. I don't care which faction or what classes, I just want to play an Ethereal. Heck, if all you could do with an ethereal character is walk around and emote, I would still roll one. I don't know why I'm so infatuated with them, but I pretty much like most things about them. Their design, their towns, the Consortium's debonaire way of operations.The other Burning Crusade race I want to play is an Arakkoa. Specifically an Arakkoa Priest or Paladin. I don't like the birdmen as much as the blinkymen, but I found myself incredibly intrigued by the few Light-following arakkoa scattered around. I wanted to learn more about them, but there wasn't anymore to learn, unfortunately.Now that I'm in the Wrath of the Lich King Beta, my new fascination is the Vrykul. Aesthetically, they are by far the most awesome race in WoW, and they're steeped in Norse lore which is just awesome. Their women look like they could destroy me with their bare hands, and the men seem like they have enough hair customization options to put a player race to shame. If these became a player race, I would reroll so fast.Do you guys have any races you would just love to see playable? I have a lot of friends that would adore the chance to play a Goblin but I couldn't do that personally. Not a fan of Goblins. Are you after something a little more 'out there' like Nerubians? Are you a fan of a race from another setting that you'd love to be added to WoW?
