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Xsyon kicks off season of in-game events
Why settle for one measly event when you can have a whole host of them? That's the approach that sandbox MMO Xsyon is taking with its event season. The season, which begins today, will feature a slew of in-game events on different days. These include treasure hunts, timed battles, navigation competitions, capture the flag games, and a Valentine's Day event. The team is scheduling the events on different days and times "to accommodate players from every time zone." A calendar of upcoming events is on the official website. Xsyon is fresh from its debut on Steam's early access, which began earlier this month.
Xsyon enters early access on Steam
Want to play Xsyon but hate the mere concept of not being able to play it natively through Steam? Then we have good news! The game is now available on Steam as an early access title, so if you don't already own the game, you can start playing there. If you're wondering how the game could be considered early access when it's been launched and playable for some time, well... that's a good question. Sharp thinking! If you're already an Xsyon player and want to have the game on your Steam account, you can shoot off an email to a special account requesting a Steam key for no extra cost. Everyone else who's already playing will just want to look forward to the hopeful influx of new players enjoying the game for the first time. [Source: Notorious Games press release]
Xsyon opens guilds, housing to F2P players
Hardcore indie sandbox Xsyon introduced a free-to-play option almost two years ago, but the restrictions were brutal. Free players couldn't build in or terraform the world, and they couldn't lead guilds, which the game calls tribes. (Originally, they couldn't even join guilds at all!) But as of this week, Notorious Games has lifted some of those restrictions. In a press release issued today, the studio explained, Starting this week, new players can join the Xsyon community and start their own tribe for free. Creating their own homesteads, new free players can shape the land explore the game's extensive architecture system on their own, without the aid of other game citizens! If you're a free player chafing at ArcheAge's housing restrictions, well, here's a sandbox willing to accommodate you.
Xsyon now has cooking and farming
Did you know that you can cook and farm in Xsyon? Yep, you can, thanks to the latest patch which added the ability to combine ingredients and create recipes, food buffs and bonuses, and even signature dishes. If farming's more your style, Notorious Games says that you can now "raise a variety of different crops, watering, tending, and fertilizing them to obtain bountiful harvests." More details are available via the latest Xsyon patch notes.
Xsyon's terrain reversion adds decay, resets land
Notorious Games has released a terrain reversion update for its post-apocalyptic Xsyon sandbox. Xsyon allows players to sculpt terrain and "over the years, many unsightly mounds and ruins of abandoned sites have built up across the land." The reversion patch "gradually restores this neglected land to its original state," Notorious explains via press release. The update also allows tree stumps and logs to decay over time. Notorious says that the decay will be a constant process in order to provide "expansive areas of pristine terrain" for new players and existing players who want to branch out and build in new or bigger locations. [Source: Notorious Games press release]
Xsyon's Raccoon Roundup kicks off a summer of in-game events
Notorious Games is hosting a series of events this summer in Xsyon, its player-driven post-apocalyptic sandbox MMORPG. The festivities start Saturday, May 17th with the Raccoon Roundup, a combat event that sees players hunting wild raccoons in a "hectic competition to become the Raccoon Rajah." The latest Notorious press release says that the hunt will happen on Xsyon's PvE and PvP servers, as will upcoming races, obstacle courses, scavenger hunts, skill contests, combat arenas, architecture competitions, "and much more." [Source: Notorious Games press release]
Xsyon adds over 200 tutorial panels
Let it not be said that Xsyon is trying to discourage new players from learning how to play this sandbox. On the contrary, today's patch primarily focuses on including a detailed tutorial that includes "over 200 panels of instructions." The new tutorial serves to guide players through various in-game mechanics, such as building fires, foraging, and crafting. New players to the game now begin with several tools and items to aid in their survival. From the get-go, a player should be able to craft a set of grass armor and all of the basic tools. Because nothing says "survival" like pasting lawn clippings onto your torso! Other improvements with today's patch include interface refinements, tweaks to campfires (which also look better), and adjustments to energy, hunger, and thirst mechanics.
Post-apocalyptic sandbox Xsyon adds a PvE server
Who says MMO sandboxes are all about PvP? Not Notorious Games, which has announced the formation of a new PvE server for its post-apocalyptic Xsyon title. "Data from the original main world has been duplicated to both servers, allowing players the choice to play on either or both servers. New players can maintain a character on both servers as well," Notorious says in its latest press release. Xsyon is a player-driven MMO focused on building towns, forming tribes, and the shaping the environment. Players may "create quests, hunt, gather, and develop a new world." [Source: Notorious Games press release]
Some Assembly Required: Virtual world roundup for 2014 and beyond
Just over two years ago there was a great disturbance, as if millions (or so) of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. Yes, something terrible had happened: a beloved virtual world was destroyed. And that left a number of sandbox refugees looking for a new place to call home. At that time, Some Assembly Required offered a roundup of the then available virtual worlds that could possibly offer accommodation, depending on what qualities players most desired in their games. But as things are wont to, they changed; a lot can happen in the MMOverse in 24 months, from additional features in existing games to new games to the loss of more worlds. So it's time to update this list of virtual worlds to reflect 2014 and beyond. Take a look and see what titles or titles-to-be have the sandbox features that best make a game a home for you.
Perfect Ten: Why we need more post-apocalyptic MMOs
With the recent re-release of the 1988 classic RPG Wasteland and the development progress of Wasteland 2, my mind's swimming in post-apocalyptic wonderment these days. Aside from those titles and the insanely popular Fallout series, post-apoc hasn't proven to be as popular a setting for games as it is in, say, film, TV, and novels. And when it comes to MMOs, the only major effort that's been made to produce a similar title has been limited to Fallen Earth (and in a lesser sense, Defiance and Xsyon). Now, I love me some Fallen Earth, especially as of late, but every time I log in it makes me think of just how rich and fertile this setting is for MMO studios. Considering just how rampant fantasy titles are, I feel strongly that devs need to be exploring outside this well-trod path to other genres, and the post-apocalypse is a perfect place to start. Here are my reasons that we need more post-apoc MMOs, and no, I'm not going to list "rampant prostitution and drug use" because that would also apply to a Los Angeles MMO.
Xsyon gets Steam Greenlight, plans PvE server
Xsyon has been Greenlit! After pitching its post-apocalyptic world to the Steam community, Notorious Games got the thumbs up for launching the game on that online platform. And in preparation of that launch, the game is planning some new updates, not the least of which is a PvE server! That's right, if you ever said to yourself you'd love to play Xsyon if only there was a PvE server, now you'll have the chance. A PvP server will still be an option for the more risk-oriented. Other plans in development include resetting abandoned terraformed land back to its original form, allowing players to farm by planting and tending crops, and adding cooking abilities where players can combine ingredients to create all-new recipes for dishes that provide buffs. There's no launch date set yet for Steam, but tell us: Would you play Xsyon on a PvE server, or would you prefer to remain on a PvP one? Tell us your thoughts! [Source: Notorious Games press release]%Poll-85422%
Xsyon reaches the top 100 in Steam Greenlight
It's not surprising that a title as odd as Xsyon has had a hard time receiving much funding. The game has a dedicated community, but it launched a Kickstarter campaign last year that failed rather thoroughly. But the team at Notorious Games is still swinging for the fences, this time by putting together a pitch for Steam Greenlight in the hopes of getting on Valve's popular digital retail client. And as of this writing, that's going pretty well. Greenlight is Steam's process for vetting smaller games in the community, allowing new developers to submit a game and the community as a whole to vote it up or down based on whether or not they want to play it. Xsyon has made it into the top 100, ranked at #83 of over 1,000 games currently looking for approval. Players and fans who want to see the game succeed can head over to Steam and vote for the game now.
Part one of Xsyon's resource patch released
Indie sandbox MMO Xsyon is still alive and kicking, and it's even getting an updated resource distribution system. Developer Notorious Games has localized scavenged materials, increased rares in high danger areas, and even added new crafting materials to the post-apocalyptic game world. Xyson is free-to-play, and the game is also looking for your support on Steam's Greenlight initiative. You can see the game's latest update notes via the official website links below.
Xsyon hosts two months of GM-run events
The post-apocalyptic world of Xsyon may be harsh and unrelenting, but it also has its moments of fun and frivolity. And those moments are often found in the various GM-run events. Luckily for players, the next couple of months are chock full of them! Most events will run several times, affording those in different time zones the chance to participate and nab some prizes. Here's a run-down: Aug 17, Handy-Man Provider Challenge: An orienteering-style event utilizing navigation, crafting, and organization. Aug 24, Haunted House: Find hidden treasure with a partner in a haunted house filled with frights. Aug 31, Ironman Race: Run, swim, and pull a cart all the way around founder's island. Sep 7, Gladiator Event: A PvE event involving the dreaded Shadow Bear. Sep 14: For the time-pressed, a weekend full of mini-events. Sep 21, Crazy Basket Hunt: Search for the treasure cart to find prizes galore. Sep 28, Mega Cross Country Challenge: A race across multiple zones with Guides (GMs) waiting at various checkpoints. [Source: Notorious Games press release]
Xsyon sees wildlife population explosion
If you've ever been killed by a rabid squirrel or a mutant chicken in Xsyon, expect those little critters to be even more menacing the next time you happen across your assailant. With the post-apocalyptic game's newest update, the wildlife population has both grown and grown smarter. With a revamped creature migration system and breeding system, the creatures will be more balanced across the land and dwindling species can see a resurgence. On top of that, the populations have been increased overall. Although the strength of creatures has also been balanced to encourage new players to get in on the hunt, creatures that live to fight another day through by winning their battles for survival or simply aging will gain in power. So if you happen upon a pack of honey badgers, we suggest you run -- just run. [Source: Notorious Games press release]
Xsyon update focuses on in-game economy
Although it's been a while since the post-apocalyptic sandbox Xsyon has seen a patch, today's update looks to make up for that. With a focus on developing the in-game economy, this update introduces a number of new features, including new resources and materials, new Artisan and Master armor sets, a tribal upkeep system that offers bonuses, special trade totems, alliance and family group formation, and more. Trade will be bolstered through the new totems; the new trade and quest versions allow tribes to place additional totems that will serve as a marketplace and quest hub. Even better, besides the ones placed in the tribe's own land, additional quest and trade totems can be placed on allied land. For more details on this and the other new systems, check out the full patch notes. [Source: Notorious Games press release]
Some Assembly Required: Kick(start)ing the sandbox genre
Sandbox aficionados are known to reminisce about the "good old days." You know, that time long lost in the past when the greats of open-world play like Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies (pre-NGE of course) enjoyed their heyday. Many a lamentation has also been heard about how things have never been the same, or how nothing has filled that void. Of course, the sandbox never died. In 2012 we started the year off with a guide to games sporting sandbox features to scratch a variety of virtual world itches and we ended with a look at some promising upcoming titles for 2013. With plenty of choices abounding, why are sandbox fans still decrying the lack of a home? It could be because they want one home for everyone to settle in together, basically one game to rule them all. But how realistic is that? Even with the plethora of offerings now, many folks want to play their ideal sandbox, and everyone has their own idea of what the perfect one would be (and conversely, what would kill it). Perhaps the answer, then, is to forget about a single universal home that accommodates the masses and actually create a number of niche games where people find exactly what they are looking for. Wait, that's already happening? Enter Kickstarter.
Xsyon aiming for wider audience on Steam's Greenlight
Notorious Games needs your help to bring its Xsyon sandbox MMO to a wider audience. The title has a new Greenlight page on Valve's Steam digital download service and the post-apocalyptic survival MMO is seeking enough "yes" votes from the community to make it available to Steam's 40 million-plus users. Xsyon is "an entirely player driven online game with a living and changing environment." Gameplay involves the formation of tribes, the shaping of landscapes, and the construction of towns, not to mention variations on typical MMO questing, gathering, and hunting. [Source: Notorious press release]
Some Assembly Required: How do you define player-generated content?
During a recent conversation with my fellow Some Assembly Required columnist, it became apparent that we had slightly differing opinions on the definition of player-generated content. We both agreed that it was content generated by players (obviously), but when it came to the type of content, our opinions diverged. Seeing as PGC is one of the founding premise behind SAR, I thought it would be a good idea to start the new year out by defining the term more precisely to give us a stable foundation to build on. After all, we want to be on the same page, don't we? Of course, that gives you the chance to weigh in with your opinions as well! What is the first thing you think of when you hear the term? Let's see whether your ideas about player-generated content mesh with mine, more closely resemble Jef's, or embody something totally different.
Xsyon architecture contest runs through January 13
It's been nine months since Xsyon's last architecture contest, and Notorious Games has kicked off a new competition to recognize the most creative tribes in the post-apocalyptic sandbox title. Submissions will be judged on originality, uniqueness, design, layout, and beautification. The contest also features two sections, one for small tribes (one to five active members) and one for large tribes (six or more actives). Submissions will be accepted through January 13th, and you can see some of the competition (and get a few ideas) via the video after the break. [Source: Notorious Games press release]
