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WildStar chronicles closed beta metrics and milestones
Last night, WildStar's Jeremy Gaffney posted up a dev blog recapping the first days of the game's closed beta, which you are likely not in. We feel for you; we're not in either. Who is in? An Aurin by the name of Poptart, who became the first closed beta tester to make her way through character creation and set foot on Nexus. The first player-created UI mod, a friend-finding tool, was also whipped up within 24 hours. (Massively broke the news on how WildStar's modding system will work back in February.) And apparently, the Algoroc zone is a nasty place; it boasts four of the nine mobs most responsible for player death. Gaffney offers up these metrics for humor, but he's actually serious business about data parsing and player feedback even as he wants the early invitees to enjoy themselves: We're tracking almost everything that goes on in the game. Combat timings, level timings, movement, you name it. The players' actions matter to us. Betas aren't always fun per se (there's often a big difference between "playing" and "testing"), so we've tried hard to make sure the game is actually fun even in this, our very first round of external testing. Tester feedback, he says, is funneled to straight to a rapid response team to deal with on a daily and weekly basis. And if testers don't submit that feedback? "One player actually found that some taxi drivers in a fit of generosity would give you money for flying to your destination instead of taking it and spent four hours riding back and forth," Gaffney admits. "We left him with 50 copper of the 14 gold he farmed as thanks for making us laugh."
WildStar composer releases several new music tracks
If you're bummed because you haven't gotten one of the golden tickets to WildStar's beta yet, at least you can get an earful of what testers are experiencing. Composer Jeff Kurtenacker has posted 12 tunes from the upcoming MMO on SoundCloud for everyone to enjoy. While some of the tracks have already been heard, quite a few are new. Among these are the Dominion theme, a couple of combat loops, and the Deradune zone theme. Give the tracks a listen and let us know how you like the sound of WildStar is shaping up! While you're at it, check out Massively's interview with Kurtenacker regarding the creation and recording of this score.
Wildstar releases beta patch notes after NDA leak
Since the Non-Disclosure Agreement means pretty much nothing these days, when players (or gaming media...) violate that NDA, they usually get a slap on the wrist and a stern look from across the internet. Or in the case of Wildstar's recent beta NDA leak, everyone wins! And by win, I mean everyone gets to see the newest beta patch notes. As community manager Troy "Aether" Hewitt explains, "So with a mind towards fairness to those people who have maintained that trust, we're taking the leak public in an official capacity. No, we won't be doing this every time. Yes, we want to remove the person/s who leaked this information from beta. Yes, we want to avoid future leaks." You can read the complete M30 patch notes (in an official capacity) on Wildstar's site. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in.]
WildStar explains how MMO servers work
Welcome, class, to MMO Servers 101! Your professor today is Carbine Studios Lead Network & Database Engineer David Ray, and he's here to give a technical overview of how MMOs set up and run their servers. Please take notes. While Ray won't reveal all of Carbine's secrets, his explanation should be sufficient if you're curious as to how an average MMO sets up its backend. If you're expecting an article that reveals WildStar's server rulesets, specific regions, or other practical player concerns, then this is not for you. However, it is a frank and fascinating look at the guts of the ship that runs MMOs, and considering that Ray has worked on both the space shuttle and other MMOs, we suspect that there's a good chance he knows what he's talking about.
Some Assembly Required: Your guide to MMO sandboxes in 2013 and beyond
Welcome to Massively's guide to MMO sandboxes in 2013 and beyond. I've collected the essential details on all the major sandbox titles releasing this year and in the near future in one easy-to-reference article. If you're wondering whether ArcheAge forces you to PvP, or if you can't tell The Repopulation from Origins of Malu, this is your post. I'll be updating it as game features are added, removed, or revealed, so be sure to use the comments to let me know if I've overlooked a particularly noteworthy item. Finally, I want to point out that this isn't an exhaustive list because of the sheer number of sandbox projects ongoing. For now, I'm choosing to focus on the ones that will be playable in 2013/2014 as well as the projects that have a big-name developer attached.
WildStar begins beta testing [Updated]
Saying that "a picture is worth a thousand words," the WildStar team has posted a picture of the team with the caption of "IT HAS BEGUN" in obvious reference to beta testing. Yesterday, the team foreshadowed the onset of testing by tweeting, "We had Chinese food for lunch today, and our fortune cookie read: The person that keeps an eye on their spam filter will surely be rewarded." Players interested in participating in WildStar's beta can sign up on the official site. Update: A representative of Carbine Studios emailed us saying, "We have already seen a phenomenal response from our fans and are looking to continually add thousands of players throughout closed beta test 1 to come check out the great content we've been talking about for months. Our closed beta testing process is not a typical weekend event, but instead it will last for several weeks, giving players ample time to come in and check out the factions, races and classes they may choose to play when WildStar launches later this year."
WildStar explains gear modding
For those who love cracking open a good piece of gear to fiddle and fine-tune the insides, then WildStar is proud to present the so-called Circuit Board Crafting System. A new dev blog over at Carbine Studios explains how gear modding (and later, crafting) will take place on a special CBC interface that breaks down the item into connected components. Each piece of gear has several slots for microchips and a power budget that is used to limit what can be put into the item. These microchips come in different varieties, from power amplifiers to attribute boosters to special ability chips. Many, but not all, microchips can be extracted from the gear to put somewhere else or to mod directly. However, the team is preparing a number of random stat and locked microchips that will make creating the perfect item a challenging proposition. The team wants players to have to make "really interesting decisions" in their gear modding, promising more information later on as to how CBC will work with crafting.
WildStar dev diary dishes on arena PvP
Did you know that WildStar has PvP? I didn't, but then again I only started paying attention after the PAX East housing reveal. As it turns out, one of WildStar's "elder games" is arena PvP. The game's latest dev diary outlines 2v2, 3v3, and 5v5 matches, and it also mentions a unique wrinkle or two. For instance, WildStar arenas aren't single-elimination but rather a series of slugfests wherein each team tries to get the opponent to use up its allotment of respawns. There's more, of course, but you'll need to head to the WildStar website to read it.
PAX East 2013: A second hands-on with WildStar's Draken Stalker
Everyone at the completely fictional Massively office seems to have some kind of schoolgirl crush on Carbine Studios' quirky upcoming sci-fi title WildStar, and I can understand why. The setting is fresh, melding some aspects of our favorite sci-fi properties (cough Firefly cough) with a a healthy dose of fantasy and a not insignificant amount of witty comedy, and the list of features the game boasts is rather extensive. I mean, did you even see that housing trailer? Holy wow, guys. In spite of all of that, though, I was still a little cautious about giving in to the hype. After all, I'm sure there's not an MMO fan in existence who hasn't gotten super excited about a game and become a devoted fanboy only to have his hopes and expectations shattered when the game didn't live up to the hype. So I let myself be excited, but reservedly so, until I could get my hands on the game for myself to complement Eliot's earlier PAX hands-on with the game. As it so happens, on the last day of PAX East, I got to do just that. Though it was only a short 25-minute demo (thank goodness -- otherwise the lines would have circled the convention center), I think I was able to get a pretty solid idea of what we can expect from WildStar, and let me tell you right now, we can expect some great things.
PAX East 2013: Hands-on with WildStar's Spellslinger and Warrior
When you start following a game, you always worry that it won't live up to your expectations. It's inevitable, really. I didn't fall in love with WildStar after years of playing; I fell in love based upon a trailer and a design philosophy that appealed to me. The game itself could be far removed from my first impressions, or it could be a cocktail of half-finished systems and unsatisfying gameplay. Without some personal experience in Nexus, all I could to do was wait for the game and hope that it matched my hopes. Of course, WildStar hit the ground running at PAX East 2013. I wrote on Friday about my experiences with the new housing video and some of the game's zones, but that's no substitute for playing the game. So it was with a slight sense of apprehension that I found myself standing behind the demo station controls and jumping in for the first time at PAX. Would I be satisfied, or would this turn out to be a love affair that didn't survive contact with the game itself?
The Daily Grind: Are you excited for WildStar's housing?
Yesterday was a big day for existing WildStar fans, as it was a chance to finally take a look at the game's housing system. It was also a big day for people who hadn't previously been fans of the game, as a lot of people sat up and realized that yep, this game will have quite a robust housing system at launch. It's one thing to be told that the game will have a housing system and quite another to be told exactly what it will do, how much it will benefit you, and how many different playstyles can take part in the fun. Of course, some people may still be unmoved. Maybe they still have a hangup about WildStar's graphics. Maybe they're not convinced that the housing video is anything more than a beautiful lie. Or perhaps they're just opposed to in-game housing. So today we ask you, dear readers. Are you excited for WildStar's housing system? Does it make you eager to play the game or just reinforce an existing eagerness? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
PAX East 2013: A first look at WildStar's housing and new zones
If you've been keeping up with activity here on Massively over the past couple of years, you know that I'm pretty excited about WildStar. So I was pretty happy to sit down and get a look at the game's high and low areas, not to mention the game's housing system. I was a bit less happy that said look didn't include a chance to play the whole thing myself, but if I had that opportunity I probably never would have let go of the demo station. While the demo was hands-off, it did give plenty of opportunity to see a sample of the game's starting areas, what the high-level regions look like, and what players can expect when they sit down to start building their homes. So let's start out at a region that's both high in level and high above the rest of the game... because it's in high orbit. (And don't forget the housing video past the break!)%Gallery-183604%
New video explains exactly what WildStar is
What is WildStar? A dance sensation that's sweeping the nation? The answer to life, the universe, and everything? An upcoming MMO from Carbine Studios? All right, you in the audience probably already knew that it's the last one on the list, but you probably still have questions about the game. The newest video won't answer all of those questions, but it will give you a full picture of what the game plans to be right from the ground up. It's all here in the trailer: Both factions, all four paths, player-built houses and PvP fortresses, active combat, and an evolving in-game story. But if you're not convinced that the game can pull off everything it promises, you're welcome to swing by PAX East this weekend to get your hands on the game on the show floor. So if you're already heading to the convention, you've got something else to put on your itinerary... and if not, you can just enjoy a characteristically narrated piece on the game.
Carbine unveils five-minute WildStar gameplay video featuring Deradune
In yesterday's WildStar Wednesday post, the kind folks over at Carbine took us on a textual tour of the savage wilds of Planet Nexus's Deradune zone. But while words are nice, we know that seeing is believing, so the studio has released a five-minute video showing off some Dominion gameplay across a number of Deradune's locales. Follow along with some Dominion adventurers as they explore the beautiful Deradune landscape and mercilessly slaughter its inhabitants. The video features some combat, some platforming, and even a showdown with fan-created monster Metal Maw. So what are you waiting for? Head on past the cut and feast your eyes, and be sure to look for more on Deradune in the future, since Carbine has announced that the zone will be playable at PAX East next week.
WildStar gives a briefing on Deradune, land of the Great Hunt
Deradune is a zone that's been one of WildStar's most-viewed zones during Carbine's press viewings (heck, we've seen it enough to call it a second home by now!). Today's WildStar Wednesday gives more attention to the area by focusing on the story, key players, and descriptive landmarks that players will encounter. While striking many as reminiscent of World of Warcraft's Barrens, WildStar's Deradune sets itself apart by populating the region with tribes focused on hunting. Er, hm. Anyway, players will embark upon a "Great Hunt" if they want to join the Drakens of Bloodfire Clan, and oh boy do you want to be a part of this exclusive club! The article references a terrifying creature known as Metal Maw, which may be the end goal of the hunt.
Music on the frontier: An interview with WildStar composer Jeff Kurtenacker
A great soundtrack has the ability to raise the mundane to memorable and the wonderful to epic. It's hard to imagine films like Star Wars or Back to the Future without their iconic scores or video games like Super Mario Bros. and Final Fantasy without their catchy tunes. So I'm always keen to hear the soundtracks of up-and-coming MMOs because they give me an indication of how much care is being given to the overall quality of the project. I'm doubly excited for WildStar's score because it's being composed by Jeff Kurtenacker. Kurtenacker produced one of my all-time favorite MMO soundtracks, Pirates of the Burning Sea, which is a playful, exuberant romp through the nautical soundscape. And so far from what we've heard of WildStar's score, we can expect much of the same when we make planetfall on Nexus. On one drizzly afternoon in a country that you've never heard of, Kurtenacker met with us in a small pub to talk about the joys of creating the music that will soon be infecting the brains of thousands (millions?) of gamers worldwide. Read on, space-man or space-woman, and be astounded!
Massively Exclusive: WildStar's character creation music
Get ready to hear the theme that will be burned into your subconscious as you fine-tune your dozens of future WildStar avatars. Carbine Studios sent us a first look, er, listen to the character creation theme for the game. The seven-minute tune is was composed by Jeff Kurtenacker (Pirates of the Burning Sea) and gives you a thematic feel for your first minutes in WildStar. It's a little regal, a little sparkly sci-fi, and all yours to hear after the jump!
Massively Exclusive: A closer look at WildStar's Mechari
The Mechari want information. They want to protect the Dominion. They want to ensure that the center of the empire remains whole and unmolested. In WildStar, they serve as the omnipresent arm of the Dominion, the inscrutable Eldan-built enforcers of the government's will. And since they're cool-looking robots, they're naturally the sort of race that pretty much everyone will have plenty of questions about beyond what was revealed in the recent post giving players a chance to meet them. We had a chance to speak with lead narrative designer Chad Moore regarding all three of the Dominion races announced thus far, and the Mechari are the last on deck. This does not mean that they're the least interesting, as you probably guessed. So if you're interested in playing the role of a robot living in an organic world, it would behoove you to find out a few more tidbits about them. And the bright side is that you don't have to ask the Mechari any questions. They like to be the ones asking the questions, after all.
Massively Exclusive: A closer look at WildStar's Draken
The Draken of WildStar are not inclined to talk about themselves. It's a simple matter of practicality; there's a hunt to be undertaken, and talking doesn't actually help with that. So today's opportunity for fans to meet the Draken doesn't have a whole lot about the bigger picture but does have a lengthy recounting of the individual Draken's major achievements, which include hunting and killing an astonishing number of things. That's all that there is to them, right? Otherwise we would have heard more. As it turned out in our interview with lead narrative designer Chad Moore, there's quite a bit more to the Draken as a whole; they're just disinclined to discuss it in any real detail. Thankfully, Moore is more concerned with lore than chasing down something and killing it, so he was able to shed more light on the Draken as a whole when you get past their love of the hunt.
Massively Exclusive: A closer look at WildStar's Cassians
WildStar doesn't shy away from giving its races plenty of personality. The introduction to the Dominion as a whole is given by character Malvolio Portius, and just a few moments of dialogue makes it very clear what sort of person he is. The latest entry on the original site features a mock-interview with the character that at once sheds more light on the character and provides more handy reference points about how Cassian humans think of themselves. Of course, there's more going on behind the scenes, and Malvolio's perspective on things is rather one-sided. (Not to mention smarmy.) To get a little more detail on the Cassian humans from a more neutral perspective, we had a chance to ask lead narrative designer Chad Moore a few questions about the Cassians and the Dominion as a whole. You'll have to wait a little while to learn more about the Draken and the Mechari, but the Cassians alone certainly feature elements that Malvolio won't discuss.
