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Massively Exclusive: World of Darkness interview
The 2011 Grand Masquerade in New Orleans is over, and the monsters have all gone home. In their wake, we're left with a series of exciting revelations relating to the upcoming World of Darkness by CCP Games. While it's only in pre-production, it has already sent fans of the World of Darkness setting into a frenzy of anticipation. The new details only give rise to more questions, however, and speculation has run rampant, especially given how radically CCP's new game departs from the standard MMO model. Thankfully, Massively has some answers. Shane Defreest, the Community Developer for CCP North America and White Wolf Publishing, was kind enough to take the time out of his hectic schedule to answer a few of our questions relating to the game. He sheds a bit of light on World of Darkness, discussing the choice of setting, player factions and playable clans, the business model, and how he views the experience of the game. Enjoy!
CCP reveals World of Darkness details to bloodthirsty fans
Details about CCP's World of Darkness are popping out of White Wolf's The Grand Masquerade in New Orleans this weekend, and they're definitely worth draining for every last sweet drop of... information. While the game is still in pre-production -- and as such, nothing is set in stone -- the devs weren't hesitant to dish out a lot of the ideas and features that they hope will make this the best vampire MMO to date. It's CCP's desire to emulate LARPing (live-action roleplaying) as much as possible with World of Darkness, with plenty of metaplots running inside the game and without. Players will begin as a mortal human who can make the choice to become a kindred (vampire) or stay mortal for the duration of their characters' lives. There's a very real danger that characters might experience "final death" -- permadeath -- if they take too many risks. If you get in over your head, you can retreat to your character's Haven for safety. The entire game will take place at night and on one server, and CCP is definitely aiming it toward the hardcore set. Nudity, gore, and insanity effects are all par for the course. If players push outside of the acceptable boundaries too often, they'll lose "humanity" points and could become flagged for constant attack by other players and NPCs. Play your cards right and you may become the prince of the city. The game will change over time with dynamic events, and CCP promises that there will be real consequences for player decisions. Look for our World of Darkness interview with CCP coming later this week. [Thanks Pilgrim for the tip!]
Going to The Grand Masquerade in New Orleans? We want you!
If you're attending The Grand Masquerade on September 15th through the 18th this year and you're interested in meeting up with CCP and White Wolf for an interview, we want to give you some money. No seriously, we want to pay you to meet some game devs, and you can even be dressed like a vampire while you do it. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal, huh? The Grand Masquerade is the annual event held by White Wolf in New Orleans, Louisiana as a fan gathering for World of Darkness. Since White Wolf and CCP are working on a World of Darkness MMO, we're especially interested in getting some first-hand information out of the event. This year, they've confirmed that more details on the MMO will be revealed, so we're especially excited to be a part of it. Read on after the jump for details on how you can apply to represent Massively at The Grand Masquerade.
CCP and White Wolf celebrating Vampire's 20th anniversary with new rulebook, fan gala
Vampire: The Masquerade is gearing up to celebrate its 20th birthday (20 years!?), and while two decades may be a drop in the proverbial bucket to your average vampire, it's quite a chunk of time for mere mortals. White Wolf (which MMO aficionados probably know as a subsidiary of CCP) is celebrating the milestone with a limited-run anniversary edition of the RPG's core rulebook. The tome is available via pre-order and will set you back a hefty $99.99. The book's release will coincide with The Grand Masquerade 2011, a fan event scheduled for September 15th to 18th in New Orleans that will feature, among other things, "the next look at the future of the World of Darkness MMO."
World of Darkness by CCP revealed at The Grand Masquerade
Descending from the rafters and morphing from a bat into an exciting reveal trailer, CCP Games unveiled forthcoming Vampire: The Masquerade-based MMO World of Darkness this past week at the Grand Masquerade convention in New Orleans. Ardwulf's Lair reports that the game will "focus on player politics and social interaction," but we won't see that in action until the game launches at some point in 2012. A shaky-cam video of the teaser trailer reveals a modern-day setting for the game. Interestingly, CCP Games' White Wolf studio in Atlanta, Georgia is handling development (and consequently hiring) rather than the company's Iceland studios.
World of Darkness confirmed, based on Vampire: The Masquerade
reddit_url = "http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/24/world-of-darkness-confirmed-based-on-vampire-the-masquerade/"; Tweet "Some secrets are best taken to the grave..." While it wasn't that closely guarded, we were waiting on the edge of our seats to hear the official word of CCP's World of Darkness this weekend. At The Grand Masquerade convention in New Orleans, the developers not only confirmed the project, but revealed that it is set in White Wolf's Vampire: The Masquerade setting. Vampire: The Masquerade was indeed the old World of Darkness RPG, so this MMO should send fans into paroxysms of joy. Ardwulf's Lair reports that the MMO will come out in 2012 at the earliest, and that it "will have a focus on player politics and social interaction." The two-minute video reveal sets a gothic tone as a woman narrates the secret world of the vampires: "They're all around us, they control everything, they've always been here, waging their secret wars, devouring everything that gets in their way... It all begins after you die." We'll bring you more details as they pour in, but in the meanwhile, check out the video reveal (NSFW, this is World of Darkness after all) after the break.
CCP to take the mask off of World of Darkness at The Grand Masquerade
We've been biting our nails waiting for CCP to fully unwrap its promised World of Darkness MMO, but so far the company is playing its dark cards close to the chest. However, if you happen to be in New Orleans later this month, you may be among the first to pry substantial information from the slavering jaws of the developers. Last month, CCP community developer Shane DeFreest strongly hinted that the upcoming White Wolf convention, The Grand Masquerade, would be the company's first big step to show the game to the anxious public. The convention website has since posted a list of event panels for the weekend, which includes a session entitled "Tell the World of Darkness Development team what you want to see in the MMO" as well as several other MMO-specific panels. The Grand Masquerade will run from September 23-26, 2010, at the Roosevelt Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New Orleans. As the future of the World of Darkness is revealed, Massively will be sure to bring you the news. Just... not until we make our own dark pacts first. [Thanks Cliff!]
[Rumor] World of Darkness MMO may emerge from the shadows soon
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/Rumor_World_of_Darkness_MMO_may_be_revealed_this_year'; What's that just out of sight... that darkness that flits maddeningly at the very edge of vision? Well, if you're a fan of the long-running World of Darkness series, that unsettling presence that makes your blood run cold could be a vampire, werewolf, or perhaps the rarest monster of all -- CCP's World of Darkness MMO. While we know the game has been under development for some time, trying to find out anything more about it from CCP employees is about as pointless as attempting to convince Marilyn Manson that khakis are the new black. Well, according to some, a recent interview with Shane DeFreest, Community Developer on World of Darkness, offers a nugget of hope that many MMO fiends have been looking for. According to the post on Flames Rising, DeFreest notes that the upcoming White Wolf convention in September will play host to something important: "The big news that I can't really give to (sic) many details on is that we've got something really big we want to show our fans first. Friday at sundown is where we give everyone the first look at the future of the World of Darkness. If you have been a fan of our games for two months or two decades you won't want to miss what we have to say." Now as to whether this reveal will be the long awaited World of Darkness MMO, or if people are seeing monsters where there is only smoke and mirrors, we can't say. In the meantime, we'll have to content ourselves with rolling dice and dreaming of a murderously delicious future. [Thanks, Option!]
