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Some Assembly Required: Six reasons to love sandboxes in 2013
What a difference a year makes, amirite? This time twelve months ago, I was licking the wounds brought on by Star Wars Galaxies' unceremonious and premature departure from the MMO scene. It was bad enough that a profitable title was sacrificed in order to clear a path for one of 2012's biggest disappointments, but it was worse that said title was the premier sandbox in the genre's history. Frankly, the last few years have been abysmal for fans of non-linear MMOs and player-generated content, but thankfully, 2012 righted the ship and gave us more than a bit of hope for 2013.
Jake Song: 'We're working on the English version' of ArcheAge
Last summer XLGAMES COO Suk Woo Choi told Massively in no uncertain terms that the firm was "definitely going to service ArcheAge in Europe and America." He didn't know the details at the time, though, and XL has been completely silent on the matter of localization since. Yesterday company founder and ArcheAge creator Jake Song took to Twitter to reassure fans that a western version of the game is still cooking. "OBT [open beta test] will be in Korean only," Song wrote. "We're working on the English version." While there are no dates involved, it's more confirmation that western sandbox fans will indeed be getting their hands on ArcheAge at some point.
New ArcheAge game guide videos abound
XLGAMES has a revealed a new teaser website for ArcheAge in advance of the Korean open beta which starts on January 2nd. The firm has also released a number of new game guide videos detailing various aspects of the fantasy sandbox. Highlights include siege warfare, ship building, tracking player thieves, and the jail and jury system. Sadly, MMO Culture reports that the open beta requires authentication in the form of a Korean mobile phone number. Finally, XL has released an extended version of the cinematic trailer we glimpsed last week. Head past the cut to check it out.
ArcheAge's Korean open beta starts January 2
After six years of development and nearly two years of closed testing, ArcheAge's Korean open beta is nearly upon us. XLGAMES has revealed that the final tuneup phase prior to launch will begin on January 2nd, 2013. Korean players will be able to download the client on December 17th, and there's also an early bird character creation phase that runs from December 19th through December 30th. Steparu has posted a brief CG trailer for the open beta as well as a collection of gameplay videos to whet your appetite. Check out a couple of them after the cut. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Extensive ArcheAge housing guide released
Ready for some more ArcheAge-related torture? Nope, we still have no idea when the game is headed West, but we do have a better idea about the game's extensive housing system thanks to a new guide at ArcheAge Source. Houses are placed in the open world as opposed to the instances found in many MMOs, and XLGAMES has designated certain build areas on AA's northern and southern continents as well as several islands. Depending on placement, houses may be taxed or even destroyed. ArcheAge features several architectural styles including various Asian and Western influences along with the ability to build stilt homes on the water. The guide touches on the game's castle system too, and apparently players will need to plan the entire layout since the location of walls, towers, and farms are not predetermined. Have a look at a 10-minute CBT4 housing construction video after the break, then head to ArcheAge Source for dozens of housing-related screenshots. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]
Over 20 minutes of ArcheAge gameplay on display in new vids
Looking to change the world? You can in ArcheAge according to a couple of new videos released this week for China's Tencent Games Festival 2012. Both clips are in Chinese, but you can still get a good sense of the diverse gameplay on offer in XLGAMES' fantasy sandbox. The first video is an eight-minute affair that shows off everything from housing to farming to rearing cattle and sieging castles. The second clip was taken from a Tencent demo station and features nearly 15 minutes of random gameplay. See them both in their entirety after the break.
The Daily Grind: Would you play an MMO where you might go to jail?
While plenty of sandbox titles give players total freedom, ArcheAge is taking the concept a step further by offering actual in-game consequences for choosing a life of crime. We're very interested to see if XLGAMES can manage to keep griefers in check while providing fun gameplay for both criminals and victims, but we're also interested to see your responses to the system so far. If you're a law-abiding type, does ArcheAge's system sound like a good idea? If you're prone to playing criminal characters, would you roll in a game where you might spend some of your fun time in virtual jail? 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!
ArcheAge criminal system features jail time, player juries, and more
Bad behavior in free-form sandbox games is inevitable, but ArcheAge is adding an interesting wrinkle in the form of a criminal system which includes trials, prison time, and pirate status for repeat offenders. When you steal from protected property or kill a faction member, you leave behind clues in the form of blood or footprints. When a certain amount of said clues are turned in as evidence against you, you'll be faced with a choice of either a trial or immediate jail time upon your next death or login. Trials may increase or decrease your jail time depending on what the jurors (level 30 players who accept an invite) decide. If you end up doing time, you can kill rats, play soccer, or try to escape. While incarcerated, you lose access to your hotbars, and the penalty remains in effect for an unspecified time should you make a successful escape. While there are still several aspects of the criminal system that remain unclear, you can get a glimpse of it via the German-language video after the cut. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]
ArcheAge Chinese beta begins May 2013
Yesterday, we brought you the new ArcheAge trailer that XLGAMES originally planned to debut at the Tencent Games Carnival 2012; lucky for us, it released early. Today, we can see the entire live stage presentation the studio put on at the carnival. In addition to the trailer, attendees were treated to costumed actors representing four different classes and at least two different races plus live music and additional gameplay footage. Next, XLGAMES devs took the stage, and using the names of registered fans in China for the countdown, they announced that the Chinese beta will begin in May 2013. Sadly, there are no subtitles for those of us not fluent in Chinese, but feel free to share if you can translate, and check out the full presentation after the break.
ArcheAge trailer offers a look at locales, mounts, and more
While the big Thanksgiving meal may be over (except for the leftovers, of course!), ArcheAge fans get to feast their eyes on a new trailer filled with plenty of eye candy. From locales to mounts to combat, the video, which was created for Chinese publisher Tencent, depicts a variety of gameplay features. There are even clips of a storm on the high seas and what appears to be a wedding! Want to see more of what this world has to offer? Fill up on the new ArcheAge visuals in the trailer after the cut.
XLGAMES developing Civilization Online for Asia
ArcheAge may be foremost on the minds of MMO fans when they hear about XLGAMES, but as we reported last summer, the company is also working with Take-Two Interactive to bring Civilization Online to fruition. Unfortunately there's no word yet on when (or if) the title will be available in the West. Take-Two's latest press blurb says that Civilization Online is being built exclusively as a connected experience and exclusively for Asia. XL CEO and Lineage/ArcheAge guru Jake Song is overseeing a team of "more than 100" developers working on the project.
The Daily Grind: What 2013 MMO are you anticipating the most?
It'll probably be hard to top 2012 when it comes to MMORPG hype. Several big-name games came out this year, and another launched so late in 2011 that it might as well have been a 2012 release. Next year looks much calmer, though the impending arrival of The Elder Scrolls Online and possibly ArcheAge will no doubt register on everyone's hype meter. So how about it, dear readers. What 2013 MMORPG release are you anticipating the most? 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!
New ArcheAge China videos profile Hariharan race
ArcheAge is preparing for a sixth closed beta phase in China, apparently because of challenges inherent in localizing the Korean sandbox for a foreign market. To gear up for the testing, publisher Tencent has put together a "racial week" highlighted by a trio of new gameplay trailers. The first is a very brief intro clip, followed by two longer videos that offer extensive looks at the game's Hariharan (i.e., human) race and its native territory. All three videos are viewable after the cut. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]
ArcheAge underwater treasure hunting guide released
ArcheAge may be a distant dream to those of us here in the West, but a few of the folks who have been playing the game's extensive Korean beta tests are at least keeping us informed about the sandbox title's niftiest features. Case in point is a new underwater treasure hunting guide on the ArcheAge Source forums. The info has been translated from a Russian fan site, and it's accompanied by plenty of screens and video (including a map, since this is a proper treasure hunt). The process is pretty involved, and requires a ship, scuba gear, and plenty of air bags to lift chests to the ocean surface. The guide posits that treasure hunting is more profitable than traditional gathering based on preliminary beta testing, but it also cautions that resource prices may vary quite a bit. Head past the cut for a couple of underwater exploration videos, then head to ArcheAge Source to check out the guide. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]
ArcheAge's pet system turns cute baby wolves into fearsome battle wargs
Did you know that ArcheAge features a battle pet system? As of the recently completed CBT5, XLGAMES added a wolf pet that's different from the title's normal mount critters. While all ArcheAge mounts may be used in combat, battle pets are significantly stronger. Both pet types have their own character screens and equipment, but battle pets feature more active skills. You'll also need to be level 25 to obtain the battle pet quest (as opposed to level 5 for basic mounts). Also like mounts, battle pets have their own levels which are advanced through hunting mobs (gathering, crafting, and quest turn-in XP does not affect either pet type). Finally, battle pets can die and will lose XP when they do. Head to ArcheAge Source for a lengthy system breakdown, and check out the baby wolf video after the cut. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]
ArcheAge Korean open beta slated for December
XLGAMES has pushed back the open beta period for the Korean version of ArcheAge. According to a rough translation on the ArcheAge Source forums, the company originally intended to kick off the testing in November after G-star 2012. The open beta has since been "postponed to December because of internal affairs." A post on Gamtoon.com cites an XL insider as its source, but offers no details on the causes for the delay. ArcheAge recently completed its fifth closed beta phase. ArcheAge Source reports that the testing drew 130,000 users and was well-received by gamers around the world. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]
ArcheAge flagging system, piracy options explained
So you wanna be a pirate in ArcheAge? It's doable according to a translated post on the ArcheAge Source fan forum. The game's PvP implementation features a familiar "red" flagging system for outlaw players. Killing (or stealing from) your fellow players will result in bad karma. When your meter gets to 3,000, you're a red, and you can do things like form a pirate expedition force (we have no idea either, but it sounds cool). Pirate factions can only be joined by other pirate players, and you won't be able to interact with NPCs on the game's starter continents (you'll also aggro the guards). Fear not, though, as pirate players do have access to their own island filled with friendly NPCs and quests. Click past the cut to see some booty-plundering gameplay courtesy of a twelve-minute video. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]
XLGAMES releases ArcheAge CBT5 highlight trailer
Yesterday we got a glimpse of ArcheAge's character creation process in the recently completed fifth closed beta test. XLGAMES has also released a highlight video showing off many aspects of the sandbox title's gameplay. The voiceover and in-game text are Korean, but there's nonetheless a lot to take in (and get excited about) if you're a fan of huge feature sets. The five-minute clip features siege PvP, underwater environments, ship combat, PvE boss combat, weather effects, gardening, and what looks like an in-game legal system. See for yourself after the cut.
ArcheAge CBT5 videos detail character creation
ArcheAge's fifth Korean closed beta test recently concluded, but you can still get a peek inside XL's upcoming sandbox title courtesy of a new video series at Steparu.com. The site took a long look at character creation and captured it all on camera courtesy of eight clips that show off a particular race/gender combination. Each video is well over seven minutes in length, so grab a cup of your favorite beverage and get ready for a high-def glimpse of ArcheAge's beautiful avatars.
ArcheAge's fifth closed beta to feature XP loss, trial system, and more
ArcheAge's fifth, yes fifth, closed beta test kicks off this week. XLGAMES recently released the latest patch notes, which have been helpfully translated from the original Korean via Google. ArcheAge Source has the full list, and perusing them brings a few interesting points to the fore. For one, there seems to be a form of XP loss on death (though not for avatars below level 10). CBT5 also marks the introduction of the game's trial system, so all you naughty-by-nature folks will likely find out what sort of crime and punishment await you in XL's fantasy sandbox. Finally, there are bits about crop growth and how climate affects it as well as some verbiage about certain regional tradeskill specialties. Massively's got a couple of folks patching up CBT5 as we speak, so look for some up-to-the-minute ArcheAge impressions in the coming weeks. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]
