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WildStar explores the nuance of sound
Sounds aren't often something you think about within a game. A one-second audio clip that plays when an ability activates isn't a major draw of your attention. But it's also more relevant than you might think in the long run -- that sound is what draws your attention, lets you know what's going on, and creates the illusion of the world around you. It's also a very complicated process to build sound effects for a game, as demonstrated by WildStar's Senior Sound Designer Greg Meader in this week's WildStar Wednesday. Meader uses a specific ability to walk through the process of making a sound to fit the on-screen action, in this case an ability deployed by the Skug Queen. The process starts by identifying individual sounds that fit the overall theme, then layering them together and adding additional effects as needed until the whole package sounds right. For all that it's easy to miss in the midst of the action, it's clear that the designers are paying a lot of attention to what you hear during battle and elsewhere.
WildStar Wednesday details the split between the Dominion and the Exiles
When you're not dealing with the chaos and madness of the planet Nexus in WildStar, odds are good you'll be dealing with the game's main factional conflict between the Dominion and the Exiles. But how did this split come to pass? What are the Exiles exiled from in the first place? The latest WildStar Wednesday tackles exactly this issue, explaining how one man led a rebellion against the largest military power in the galaxy and won -- or at least came close to winning. The Exiles, as it turns out, were originally citizens of the Dominion's capital planet, Cassus. Unpopular Dominion policies led to riots on Cassus, which culminated in the retired Admiral Serrick Brightland stealing his flagship from drydock and leading several other traitors on military raids against Dominion holdings. Brightland succeeded in hurting the Dominion, but without a home base to fall back on, his fleet was forced to flee, becoming the Exile fleet scouring the fringe of the galaxy for a new home. Take a look at the full article for details about Brightland's last stand and the core of the conflict between these two factions.
The Daily Grind: Do you like stylized visuals?
I really want to like WildStar. I mean come on, it's a sci-fi MMO and it'll have player housing at launch. What's not to love, right? Except for that whole cartoon aesthetic. Sci-fi to me is cold, dark, and grungy with a side of heavy metal, and while I don't know what the proper artistic label for WildStar's visual palette is -- maybe "stylized" -- I know it's not my first choice. If the gameplay and feature sets are solid, it will likely grow on me. As it stands now, though, it's uncomfortably close to World of Warcraft and the cringe-worthy look of those Star Wars' Clone Wars shorts. What about you, folks, do you like stylized MMO visuals or do you prefer a different approach? 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!
WildStar Wednesday - Shade's Eve
WildStar may be a ways off, but that's not stopping the team at Carbine Studios from participating in traditional end-of-October MMO festivities. The devs have released a spooky lore entry for this week's Halloween edition of WildStar Wednesday, and it seems the sci-fantasy title has its own spin on the holiday called Shade's Eve. As the story goes, the original settlers of the planet Cassus became infected with a virulent spacer's plague that decimated their population. The plague has since been personified as the sinister Jack Shade, and the young girl whose blood was used to make a vaccine became known as the Angel. Read the full story after the cut.
WildStar's Jeremy Gaffney discusses sandboxes and themeparks
While WildStar has been offering a lot of previews to eager fans, that hasn't stymied player questions. It's been known for some time that the game aims at being a sandpark-style game, midway between themepark and sandbox principles, but what does that mean in execution? Executive producer Jeremy Gaffney penned a piece today responding to player discussion on the topic and explaining how the team at Carbine Studios is trying to offer something for everyone. Gaffney explains that the team wants to ensure that players aren't lost or unsure of what to do next while at the same time not keeping the entire game on rails. The main method of doing this is by having coherent quests and missions coupled with more spontaneous content dependent on the state of the zone -- so while there might always be a quest hub to the north, more dynamic events are roaming to the south that you won't always encounter. Read the full article for more on the game's content layout and the importance of zone-by-zone player feedback.
WildStar rocks out with the Granok
Stone is patient, stone is durable, and stone hurts a whole lot when applied to someone else's forehead. WildStar's Granok follow a philosophy they call the Way of Stone, and all of those principles apply to the race as a whole. The latest installment of WildStar Wednesday takes a look at the slate-skinned giants, explaining the race's culture and how they went from their isolated and primitive existence on the planet Gnox to being starfaring mercenaries. The Dominion originally approached the Granok hoping to use them as durable shock troops and laborers, but the Granok as a whole refused the offer, prompting a war with the superpower that the Granok quickly began losing. It was only when a leader emerged willing to fight dirty that the tide began to turn for the Granok, setting into motion their eventual exile from Gnox. Take a look at the full article for all the details on these stony soldiers of fortune and the war for their planet, one that ended with a victory almost as bad as defeat.
WildStar reveals the State of the Game in October
It's been anything but a quiet month for the development team behind WildStar. Sure, the game isn't out for you to play at the moment, but there's a lot that goes on behind the scenes. According to the latest WildStar Wednesday by executive producer Jeremy Gaffney, part of the trouble with an MMO is that you simultaneously have to deliver more content than a normal boxed game while being more flexible to player feedback. So what's been going on behind the scenes? The development team has been working on designing the game's mid-level zones, distinct from the low-level zones that have been previewed thus far. There's also more work being done on the game's second faction and the earliest implementations of raids, PvP matches, and instanced dungeons. If you're an avid fan of the game, you'll want to check out the latest dispatch for a few more teases of what you can expect from future Wednesday reveals and the game's eventual launch.
Looking at the wildlife of WildStar's Galeras region
If the pirates, bandits, ancient machines, and military forces in WildStar weren't bad enough, players are going to be contending with a lot of the native wildlife. Last week's WildStar Wednesday focused on the top-level overview of the Galeras region, but this week is focused on the local flora and fauna, which are just as dangerous as the invading armies with gunships. More so, in some ways, as a stemdragon doesn't care why you're on its land, just that you are. Stemdragons have been seen by fans before, having starred as the antagonist in the game's first trailer. Buzzbings and Scrabs are new, however -- the former is an insect the size of a small car that traps its enemies with honey, the latter is a cross between a beetle and a crab with thick armor and a propensity for burrowing. Read more on the tactics of these monsters and the lore surrounding them in the full article.
WildStar Wednesday introduces us to Galeras
Interested in setting up shop in the middle of a war zone? The latest zone preview from WildStar is all about Galeras, a set of windy plains that have become the focus of a military campaign by the Dominion's Crimson Legion. Led by Colonel Audras, the Crimson Legion is hard at work trying to cut off and annihilate Exile settlements all across the region, leaving players to turn the tide and prevent the valley from falling to the Dominion. Of course, there's more to the area than just fighting to save the settlements. There's also an Eldan ruin known as the Focus of Air tucked in a canyon surrounded by vicious whirlwinds. Scientists have moved into the area to try to study the ruins and the phenomena, but they've hit unpleasant resistance along the way. Take a gander at the full preview for more shots and details about the zone, which looks like a fine place to live if you like being shot at and bombed.
WildStar catalogues lore in its Galactic Archives
Senior Narrative Designer Cory Herndon is all about the lore of WildStar, which is why he's equally excited about the methods to relay it to the player. In the most recent WildStar Wednesday, Herndon unveils the game's Galactic Archives, which will do just that. The Galactic Archives will seem familiar to codices in other MMOs and RPGs. Entries are categorized into locations, creatures, sentient species, notable individuals, plants, minerals, technology, lore, enemies, and allies. Players will naturally unlock Archive sections as they play, expanding each individual article as more is discovered in-game. Herndon points out that while the Galactic Archives aren't the only method of relaying story, they are a crucial tool in gathering everything the player's experienced into one handy location. He also says that players pursuing the scientist path will enjoy expanded and additional selections beyond what others experience.
The Daily Grind: Do you like mobs telegraphing their moves?
WildStar brought up an interesting topic last week with the revelation that the MMO would feature mobs telegraphing their moves so as to allow players the chance to dodge out of the way or otherwise react. This isn't a new concept, of course; both The Secret World and Guild Wars 2 feature both special attack warnings and the ability to dodge. So it makes me wonder if this is a growing trend in MMO combat. For so long, we've mostly stood in place when fighting an enemy without the need to move around or be aware of mobs telegraphing their most powerful attacks. For some, this shift to a more mobile and reactive combat experience might be a breath of fresh air, but for others, I can see it as being more annoying than engaging. What say you? Is this the type of combat you'd like to see a lot more often? Do these telegraphed moves give you an additional advantage in a fight or prove to be a liability? 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!
WildStar Wednesday shows off the telegraphs of combat
It makes sense that in the space western atmosphere of WildStar you'll have to worry about telegraphs. But these aren't the sort of telegraphs that communicate a message over long distances. No, these are combat telegraphs, the red areas that show up on the battlefield to let you know that something is about to happen. In this week's WildStar Wednesday, executive producer Jeremy Gaffney narrates a video showing off the telegraphs in the wild. While the telegraph system is universal in notifying players that something is about to happen, every warning requires a different response. Some are attacks that can be dodged by a quick sidestep, some require fast movement, and some require unorthodox movement by jumping behind the monster. Gaffney also shows off how environmental triggers can be used against enemies by luring them into one another's attacks or into unsafe areas, creating a dynamic combat environment. Take a look at the full video just past the break to see just how the telegraph system gets the message across to players in the game.
PAX Prime 2012: WildStar presentation and Q&A
Carbine Studios' premiere foray into the MMO field, the deliciously sci-fi WildStar, has been high on my to-watch list since PAX Prime 2011 when I got my first look at the game (over Rubi's shoulder, admittedly). So I was delighted to have the opportunity to sit down with a few members of WildStar's development team for a short presentation and Q&A session at this year's PAX Prime. The developers, led by Lead Narrative Designer Chad Moore, set the tone of the presentation by leading off with the recently released housing preview video (which you should go watch if you haven't already), followed by a short explanation of the game's backstory. For the uninitiated: The game takes place on the planet Nexus. Nexus was once inhabited by a race of hyper-technological beings known as the Eldan before they mysteriously disappeared, causing the location of the planet to be lost to the annals of time. Until now, that is. Now everyone wants a piece of that sweet, technologically advanced pie, and players arrive from all over the universe to explore this mysterious planet and the secrets within. Admit it: You wanna know what those secrets are, right?%Gallery-130867%
WildStar Wednesday details crafting and economy
Here we are at yet another hump day, but there's no need to moan and groan. Carbine Studios is here to relieve the midweek slump with a new WildStar Wednesday, this time focusing on the upcoming sci-fi title's economic and crafting systems. If you're the type of player who would rather be a trade magnate than a fierce warrior, then this WildStar Wednesday is for you. According to the devs, player crafting "will play an integral role" in WildStar because of the game's item modification system, and they stress that "modifying your gear [is] about choice and customization, rather than following a blueprint for the 'best' choices." The developers also reveal that dye and costume systems will be in the game, allowing players to perfect their outfits so they can explore the universe in style without sacrificing function. For the full interview, which includes a few more juicy tidbits on the costume and crafting systems, head on over to WildStar Central and check it out.
WildStar Wednesday discusses the importance of items
WildStar's developer dispatches all have a theme: "Play the way you enjoy playing." That's borne out in the latest installment of WildStar Wednesday, in which Economy team leader Jeremy Wood discusses the ins and outs of the game's reward system. Wood explains that his team is responsible for making sure that players have the rewards needed to keep them playing, and in a game focused so heavily on differing player paths, that can be a tall order. WildStar will allow players a hefty amount of customization for items, including a dye system and modifications to existing equipment. Players can also expect to receive rewards of attractive and useful gear through every path rather than to be limited to one or two endgame pursuits. Even once you reach the top tier of items, there won't be a single "best" piece; the game will offer several different items for different playstyles. Take a look at the full article to get a broader picture of what the game will offer players to keep them invested to the endgame and beyond.
WildStar Wednesday sheds light on the game's social design
WildStar, like every other MMO, wants players to enjoy the company of other players. The team behind the game wants players invested in the community and in participating with one another. Victoria Dollbaum, the Social Systems Designer for the game and the writer of this week's WildStar Wednesday, explains that the team wants to create the sort of community feel of older games without including the same sort of brutal systems that made constant community involvement a necessity. Dollbaum explains that the main goal of social design is creating incentives for players to group up rather than punishing them for playing solo. Housing is a prime example, as the game's housing system rewards players of all types: raiders can collect raid trophies, crafters can grow and harvest resources, and roleplayers can run events in their houses along a set theme. Or players can completely ignore the system if they'd prefer. It's a design all about letting the players do what they want and offering the appropriate carrots, and housing is just the tip of a carrot-flavored iceberg.
The Road to Mordor: Six smashing ideas for LotRO's player housing
Some days I wonder whether Turbine truly regrets creating housing for Lord of the Rings Online. It's one of those game systems that you really can't do halfway; it's all or nothing, and once you begin, players are going to want more and better things for it. Except for the admittedly steady stream of housing items that enter the game and the occasional promise that a housing revamp (or whatever you call it) is on the team's radar, housing in the game has more or less been the same since it first came into being. It's not a system that all players use possibly because there isn't much use to it, which makes for a strange catch-22, and Turbine has to be constantly evaluating how to spend its limited resources to impact the greatest number of people. Still, a Hobbit can dream, can't he? After hearing the wonderful news this week that WildStar will ship with a robust housing system, I couldn't help but think back on LotRO's current setup. Ideas formed in my head, ideas to make housing in Middle-earth not only relevant but downright engaging. What could get us to go "home" a little more often? Just hear me out.
The Perfect Ten: Goosebump trailers
I love trailers. Man, I love trailers. I'm almost embarrassed to admit it, but sometimes I'll spend a shameful hour just flipping through all of my favorite movie and game trailers. When the editing is tight and the music spot-on, my spine becomes infused with epicness and I feel a heady buzz that comes from seeing so much awesome crammed into such a short clip. Just as in the movie industry, MMO studios are hit or miss with their trailers. There have been so many generic, forgettable videos that I pad the lining of my imaginary dog's crate with them. They're very absorbent and release the fresh scent of pine. But once in a while, there comes along a trailer that acts like the Dark Crystal, sucking my soul right into it before shaking it around and then releasing it. Trailers like that give me goosebumps, and here are 10 of them, all in a row.
WildStar shows off its housing system
Carbine Studios' WildStar has yet to leave the starting gate, but already this filly looks to have legs. The studio announced that not only will the sci-fi fantasy title have a housing system, but it will be a major component of a player's experience in the game. According to Carbine, WildStar's housing is "more than a house and a plot of land, it is a destination within the game that they can make their own and use to their advantage." Housing will be available for all classes and paths. We have both a video and a FAQ concerning this exciting system after the jump! [Source: NCsoft press release]
WildStar's holidays on display
With real-world summer festivities like Canada Day and the 4th of July fresh on the minds of many gamers, it seems like the right time for the folks at Carbine Studios to talk about WildStar's celebrations. CM David Bass lays out two such holidays for our perusal: Starfall and Foundation Day. Starfall is an Exile holiday that remembers the day that the wandering fleet crossed the galaxy to discover the Eldan planet. For the Exiles, Starfall marks the end of their journey and the beginning of a new home. It's a weeklong celebration that includes plenty of games, including Kiss the Matria (chances are that's a lot less sexy than it sounds). The festival is capped by an enormous fireworks display put on by the Alchemist's Guild. Foundation Day, on the other hand, remembers both the foundation of the Dominion Empire and the establishment of Nexus as its new homeworld. Contrasted with the rough-and-tumble celebration of Starfall, Foundation Day is far more regal and official. After all, speeches are way better than kissing Matrias, right? Both Starfall and Foundation Day come around about the same time each year, and depending on a player's allegiance, she might find herself engaging in a different celebration than her friends.
