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WildStar's third beta test is all right for fighting
The Dominion and the Exiles cannot just get along, they cannot be friends, and they cannot give peace a chance. So the testing for WildStar thus far has kept them separated, with both sides testing on different weekend. But according to patch notes released today by Carbine Studios, the upcoming test is starting a riot, letting both factions loose in the same playground. The notes include a request that testers look into the game's setup for potential griefing hotspots to ensure that they're fixed before launch rather than remain a spot of constant sorrow. So is this patch just sporting the one change? Oh, you ain't seen nothing yet. Even if we disregard the ability and build changes outlined, the patch introduces rated battlegrounds and arenas for the game's universal soldiers. There are also improvements to the housing interface, the introduction of the not-yet-functional tradeskill talent UI, and an expansion of quickslot abilities. And even if you're not in the testing and can't go your own way, there's plenty to make you wonder.
The Nexus Telegraph: Who's afraid of the WildStar Dominion?
From where we are now, it's hard to see a whole lot of good about the Dominion. Everything we've heard about WildStar's other faction thus far has been that it's made up of pure evil, absolutely the antithesis of everything you would ever want to stand for. These are not good people, to the best of our knowledge, and it comes as a bit of a surprise that they make up a playable faction in the game rather than a helpful organization of mooks in need of a good face-punching. Those familiar with my past work will know that I love rooting for the team that looks like the transparent bad guys. Unfortunately, right now we plain don't know enough about the Dominion to be sure of exactly what its deal is. Could be that it's as evil as it looks; could be that we only have half of the picture. So I'm going to go ahead and look at both possibilities.
A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Two City of Heroes factions played as one
At launch, City of Heroes didn't have factions at all. You were a hero. That's just what you were. Once City of Villains went live, however, the game had its second faction, one that existed in contrast to the original option. Now you could be a villain, a super-powered bastard of the first order, stealing and destroying and doing generally villainous things. And yet people don't really think of the game, on a whole, as a two-faction game. Oh, the game has two factions -- everyone acknowledges that. But it's not lumped into the same category as the many games that have a direct split between two opposing player factions largely because the game has two factions only in the most high-level sense. Let it be known that this article isn't meant to discuss whether or not two factions are a good size for a game or not; that's a Soapbox topic right there, and it's not one I have a very strong feeling about anyway. No, this is entirely about why it is that City of Heroes has two factions but you never really see them as such. Being a hero or villain is almost a afterthought when it comes down to it.
Leaderboard: Two factions vs. three factions
Two vs. three: It should be a cut-and-dry affair. After all, three is always better than two? Maybe... but maybe not. When it comes to factions in MMOs, the line seems to be split between two and three, and I think a good case can be made for both. Two factions is the majority approach for MMOs that have them, and it's easy to understand why. We can comprehend an "us vs. them" mentality in almost every walk of life. If you're not with us, you're against us -- that sort of thing. Two factions draws a line in the sand and requires little explanation for people to understand that one side is naturally better than the other. Three factions, on the other hand, is a godsend for PvP in particular. By having a third faction, it's much less likely that one side can dominate the battlefield eternally, as the other two sides can team up to put an end to that nonsense. Three factions also offers more variety and arguably stronger factional identities. So what say you? Two or three? Cast your vote after the jump!
