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[Preview] Age of Wushu: Going Beyond Pretty Visuals
SBFord
Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
During last weekend's New York Comic Con, Snail Games developers showed off Age of Wushu, its upcoming martial-arts inspired MMO. We had the opportunity for a great firsthand look at Age of Wushu so keep reading and then let us know what you think in the comments!
Age of Wushu is inspired by and loosely based on the historic Ming Dynasty period as well as movies and tales featuring the practice of wuxia. So the game world takes place across the entirety of China of the era and is more or less grounded in reality with a few fantastical elements. To borrow a literary term, it’s a kind of magical realism. You won’t be hunting down dragons or goblin mobs, but you will dance upon the water, jump, twirl, and even fly a little bit. But the world itself is rich in detail and resources. One of the first things I noticed, aside from the environments, was a school of fish. This was the introduction to the sort of old school meets modern feel you get from this game. You can indeed go fishing, and lots more. The thread that kept running through my preview of the game was an emphasis on people and their impact upon the world and greater community.
Read more of Christina Gonzalez's Age of Wushu: Going Beyond Pretty Visuals.
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Comments
Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.
George Washington
If in 1982 we played with the current mentality, we would have burned down all the pac man games since the red ghost was clearly OP. Instead we just got better at the game.
I dont remember the whole deal now but Farlan was the developer i guess and Snail games did the engine or something like that. I actually loved D&L and would play it right now given the chance. Only SWG came close for me. I guess Snail bought the rights to D&L and its now being worked on and called Savage Horizon. I think after Wushu launched there going to work on Savage Horizon.
Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.
George Washington
Yeah, you've made this point multiple times and just laugh. I'd love to know why this is impossible.
If in 1982 we played with the current mentality, we would have burned down all the pac man games since the red ghost was clearly OP. Instead we just got better at the game.
This is one of the more offensive statements I've heard in a while. Would you care to explain how this game won't require skill or work to excel?
If in 1982 we played with the current mentality, we would have burned down all the pac man games since the red ghost was clearly OP. Instead we just got better at the game.
It's not impossible. You have this game here - it is about to be released. There were also others f2p sandboxes also. So it is possible.
It is just not working for me, cause it goes directly against sandbox concept for me.
HOW does it work against the sandbox concept? The cash shop pays for the game. I'm surprised that a person that is such a die-hard sandbox fan wouldn't support this game. No AAA studio is going to fund a full sandbox game, so it's up to smaller studios to do it. These small studios need a lower barrier of entry into their games - no box price. But they still need to pay for the game. Cash shops are the easiest way to pay the bills. Just my thoughts.
If in 1982 we played with the current mentality, we would have burned down all the pac man games since the red ghost was clearly OP. Instead we just got better at the game.
Sandbox concept is to have separate world that have it's own rules and player populating it and creatining elements of this world. Cash shop bring direct link to real world thus making game world much less separate. Additionaly it influence gameplay with things that are not made by players in game, but just bought.
It is perfectly fine if you think otherwise. It is your right to have difftent opinion than mine. For other things - yes in current market and current crisis in real world economy it makes more sense to make microtransaction based mmoprg than in example 5-8 years ago.
Still cash shop (rmah or too much bots would do same thing) violate sandbox for me, so I don't know why you are surprised? Game world is infuenced by cash shop and microtransactions business model and that's why it is not gameplay I want to participate in. Business model is game feature as important as combat, game world, graphics, gameplay features, game difficulty and similar fundamental things.
So I just take it into consideration when deciding if I support game or not.
For mmoprg's and especially sandbox mmorpg's cash shop is deal breaker for me. Hope that explain things definately.
sub fee can pay the bills, and in a sandbox cash shop is an horrible idea, even if its just cosmetics.
The idea of sandbox is to play in a world and influence it by building, crafting, fighting and having a player driven economic.
You want a new suit to look better? well craft it or find someone in the game who can do it for you, but buying the suit in the cash shop with real money just destroy the purpose of having to find a way in the game itself to get what you want.
Your're overstating the impact of cash shop items in a sandbox game. You're assuming that cash shop will be so intrusive as to hinder the dependence upon other players in the economy. If you look closer at how the game actually works, you'd see that this is impossible. Keep in mind: just beause something hasn't been successful in the past doesn't mean it can't be done - it's just hasn't been done right yet. I agree, that it has the risk of breaking the game if don't wrong, but let's not call doom quite yet.
My statement remains: If sandbox players insist only upon sub based sandbox games, their selection of games will remain small. Large developers won't be making any big named sanbox mmo's and indies/small companies can't afford the barriers of boxes or subs.
If in 1982 we played with the current mentality, we would have burned down all the pac man games since the red ghost was clearly OP. Instead we just got better at the game.
I dont think im overstating the impact, a cash shop is a cash shp no matter what. Y
ou can have a cash shop where you items improve your progression or character like xp potion, gears or else, you can have a cash shop where you can unlock things like inventory slot or class (like lotro) or simply cosmetics thing. In any case this has an impact on the game, even the cosmetic things. Like i said before if someone can just buy a cool hat instead of having to find it in the game, its destroy the purpose of finding it in the first place.
For me a cash shop is a bad idea in a mmo and even worse on a sandbox, you will not convince me there.
Yes indie devs can afford box and sub since we already saw some successful sandbox made by indie devs. Eve online is one of them, Darkfall too. Now if the devs decide to put a cash shop this is there right but dont count on me to play there sandbox where people can buy thing with real money.
Yes the same game but he is not talking about that game. Snail Games is now as we speak making a whole new game, sort of like FFXIV Reborn.
Anyway, i have or had five beta keys for this game which is called Age Of Wulin in europe, many americans are moving over to the european set up.
As for Dark&Light well it's now called Darkness And Light and shares nothing in common with the latter except some gaming concepts. The world and lore are all different from the original Dark&Light, you can still log into the old Dark&Light forums, people still post.
Age Of Wulin http://en.wulin.gpotato.eu/
Darkness And Light http://www.mmoculture.com/2011/03/darkness-and-light-an-epic-mmo-in-the-making/
Rare Vid of new Darkness & Light http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T7bsUNEP64
We can agree that you don't like cash shops. We are all entitled to our own preferences.
Let's talk about the two 'successful' sandbox MMO's you've mentioned.
1. EvE. CCP actually has a cash shop (which they mosdtly did take out because players freaked- except PLEX). They allow a player to purchase in-game currency for real money (PLEX). How does this NOT have game impact??? Item that is sold for real money that is exchangable for in-game currency (isn't that a cash shop?) The reality is that CCP (you know, the people that invented EVE) didn't feel that a cash shop would be a bad thing - in fact, they felt they needed it because revenue isn't where it needs to be. Yeah, we all know the story - the people freaked out about it because they charged 90 bucks for a monocle. Players are a finicky bunch.
2. Darkfall. This game has been so successful that it's about to be nuked and characters wiped.
You've proven my point. My point stands that you will not see more good sandbox games if the community will not support better ways ot paying for the game. The box and sub are too big of barrers to people anymore. They need the lower barrier of a free box and a way to play the game witout committing to paying every month if they don't want to. They have to pay for the game somehow - cash shops just make sense. Like I said, you don't have to like it but there are plenty of truths we don't like.
If in 1982 we played with the current mentality, we would have burned down all the pac man games since the red ghost was clearly OP. Instead we just got better at the game.
Yeah, this is part of my concern. With all of the extensive motion capture and animations, I'm not sure how this can avoid feeling a bit clunky. The 2005 comment is a bit strange because most of the 2005 MMO's were point-and click. If becoming an NPC is the only distinguishing feature that "dev" made, they did a terrible job of explaining AoW. I would have LOL'd too.
If in 1982 we played with the current mentality, we would have burned down all the pac man games since the red ghost was clearly OP. Instead we just got better at the game.
Was not an answer for me, but I just want to add my 2 cents.
Yeah EVE is selling game currency for $, of course it is not direct, bla bla, but still practically it just is. It is not ok with me. One of reasons why I don't play EVE. For first few years when EVE growed fastest it did not have PLEX thing. Does not change a simple fact that it does have now.
As for your second paragraph. It is possible that we won't see sandbox mmoprg for any foresable future for loong years if 'communiuty' won't agree to play sandboxes with cash shops. It is hard to say, but there is big possiblity that you're right.
I know that. Still I won't play any sandbox with any kind of cash shop, currency selling, etc I prefer not to play sandbox mmoprg at all than to play one with those things. Because it is integral fundamental thing that sandbox is separate from cash shop and similar influcences.
There is more things to do in the world than to play sandboxes. Even if I loved to play UO and generally like games that are not directed and tunneled much (also in single player games) - I will just do something else. I already don't play an mmpprg atm and I just concetrate more on single player games and non-video games activities than in the years I was playing mmoprg's.
I underdstand game companies perspective I really do. Still it does not change my own reasons. For me things like this is just much more than simply 'payment option'.
As I've said, some people don't like cash shops and that is perfectly OK in my opinion. I can honestly say that I felt the same way for a very long time. We've all seen abusive and P2W cash shops and for an unproven company to promise a Non-P2W cash shop, it must be looked at closely when more info is available. Plus, there's still the whole discussion about what is actually P2W and what isn't. That's a whole different ball of wax :P
If in 1982 we played with the current mentality, we would have burned down all the pac man games since the red ghost was clearly OP. Instead we just got better at the game.
as do western companies. and the people providing the service are American! maybe that will cool your xephonbic nature.
EVE was a succesful indie sandbox before they add the plex, again they did that to do more money. I never said plex doesnt have an impact, of course it has an impact. I dont play it either, i use it to prove that a indie game can make profit and be succesfull without a cash shop has EVE did before they add the plex.
Darfall is a success, the proof is they are making Darkfall: Unholy Wars. If Darkfall was a failure financially. they coulnd work on this new one. You dont need to have millions of player to be a success.
So no i didnt prove your point, i prove mine, a compagny can make enough money with box and sub, of course if they want to make more they will add cash shop.
You quote "The box and sub are too big of barrers to people anymore" wich is simply not true. Sandbox gamer is for a niche crowd and they are willing to pay the box and the sub for a good sandbox. Just go read the thread about it in darfall and other sandbox forum, there are plenty. There is a thread here too about wich payment model people prefer, and yes so far sub with no cash shop is winning.
Well if it is the most popular game in China, it might be worth taking a look at especially because of the lack of classes. Not all cash shops are bad, just depends what is in it.
To the guy above, I do not regard plex in Eve to be a cash shop. If you are a heavy pvper selling plex to keep you in ship supply you will soon be broke. If you don't establish income in Eve, you will soon leave it. Plex has zero effect on skills or the learning of such which is the most important thing in Eve.
As to Darkfall, the developers realized they had zero choice in the matter, they had to make a new game as they had broken the old game beyond repair. Took guts to make that decision, but it was really the only one available to them. From what I have seen, the new game will be what the old one should have been. At least they had the time and resources to realize it and address it.
If a game is worth a sub, people will subscribe. Problem lately has been that a lot of the big box titles were really not worth a sub, like SWTOR for example.