[Column] WildStar: Layer Cake

SBFord

One of WildStar’s earliest promises was “layered content,” where different parts of the nascent MMO would work together to provide this rich gaming experience. But what does this actually mean, and has Carbine managed to deliver it? Gareth Harmer grabs a fork and tucks in.

Read more of Gareth Harmer's WildStar: Layer Cake.

Wicoa

Is it just me or is anyone else getting annoyed because I want to play this game, Im tired of watching video's and reading articles/press releases. Grr.

SmellyNanner

Originally posted by Wicoa
Is it just me or is anyone else getting annoyed because I want to play this game, Im tired of watching video's and reading articles/press releases. Grr.

I WANT TO PLAY SO FRIGGIN BAD OHMAGAWDD

Rockniss

Really? I was hoping for a 2016 release so I have some time to play some other games.

Lyrian

Cannot wait. Beyond excited for this game, seriously hoping for a beta key one day soon.

TheHavok

Nice read. It's refreshing to see Carbine focus so much on getting the core basics, the foundation, of gameplay to feel just right. How many games have you picked up and instantly upon firing it up, you get a feeling of 'sluggishness' or 'choppy' controls? I know it's happen to me a number of times.  So many devs (SWTOR is a perfect example) have run into this issue. You need to learn to walk before you can run!

evilastro

Originally posted by Wicoa
Is it just me or is anyone else getting annoyed because I want to play this game, Im tired of watching video's and reading articles/press releases. Grr.

Yep, I really want to get my hands on this.  The combat looks fun in the videos, but there's only one real way to find out

Kind of hoping this launches near or before ESO so I am not tempted to get that while I wait.

geel

I'm more and more turned off by these posts. I couldn't care less about the combat. I want all the other things just right. A cool world with cool mobs, cool loot and meaningful PvP. Seems like it will be just another A to B fetch grind to me with the occasional nonsense quest.

 

collekt

Originally posted by geel
I'm more and more turned off by these posts. I couldn't care less about the combat. I want all the other things just right. A cool world with cool mobs, cool loot and meaningful PvP. Seems like it will be just another A to B fetch grind to me with the occasional nonsense quest.

 

That's how it seems to me too, basically WoW 2.0 with some new features and such. I will hold off on judging it fully until I get to play it myself, but I feel like staring at telegraphs on the ground isn't much better than staring at nameplates. I mean yea, it might force you to move out of the colored shape on the ground, but you're still just staring at shapes rather than actually paying attention to the combat animations/effects. I hope I'm wrong, but that's the way it looks to me.

jazz.be

Originally posted by TheHavok
Nice read. It's refreshing to see Carbine focus so much on getting the core basics, the foundation, of gameplay to feel just right. How many games have you picked up and instantly upon firing it up, you get a feeling of 'sluggishness' or 'choppy' controls? I know it's happen to me a number of times.  So many devs (SWTOR is a perfect example) have run into this issue. You need to learn to walk before you can run!

This is so true.

We tend to overlook flaws in basic things like character control, but in reality those flaws do help create the overall bad impression.

CazNeerg

Did I read that correctly?  "Get a smattering of words in quest text."  Does that mean it's not even fully voiced?  What is this, 2004?

Atadis

I've participated in a lot of closed betas and this is one of the only ones I haven't gotten into yet. IDK who in the hell they are giving the keys too I've seen a lot of ripoff keys around and I know it's random but they seem to be giving the keys away to people who either aren't using them or are trying to sell them (This is from what i've seen) which is really bad luck on their part because the game looks great and it seems like they aren't getting as good as testers as they could to help improve the game further, but that's just a guess hopefully they have great people helping test the game . Then again there are a lot of people wanting in and it's random so it's just bad luck for all of us wanting in. The game still looks great and even though I don't like how they are dispersing their CBT invites I am looking forward to this one !

Kaladin

Originally posted by CazNeerg
Did I read that correctly?  "Get a smattering of words in quest text."  Does that mean it's not even fully voiced?  What is this, 2004?

You know, not every MMO that is coming out has a $200 million budget.  Voice overs are VERY expensive.  Having said that, I read somewhere that they planned on doing more voice overs when the bugs are minimal.

Overkill

If you dont see the difference between avoiding/using ground area effectsand focusing on name plates I dont know what to tell you. When focusing on name plates you are actually missing out on graphics/effects and gameplay. Avoiding ground effects forces you to pay attention to these things.

 

As far as WoW 2.0, most mmo's I play dont work for me for two main reasons. The combat is terrible, with boring animations and limited combat options. If I have to get through 50 or so levels I want the combat to look good and force me to make some choices now and then. The other reason is I end up not caring for anything in the world. I guess that is a story/ lore problem. Its nice every few levels to get some story motivation for why I should care im leveling in the game or at least make the quests entertaining/funny.

 

WoW gets a bad rap for its questing but it has some of the best quest lines in MMO's IMO. The whole rambo questline is a fun one. How about the CSI Miami questline? Those are just a couple off the top of my head. They had me smiling while doing them and motivated me to keep leveling to see what else the devs had in store for me. Not all the quests are going to be winners but sprinkle a few around that make you interested in whats going on, like the horde questline in Stonetalon Mtns and im happy. The quests work because they get you involved. 

 

I dont play WoW anymore, I recently tried it again to try the panda's and it just didnt hold my interest but I played it for several years on and off and would love to find another game that can keep me interested for more that a couple months. SWTOR and TSW have good story elements but bad combat. Tera and DCUO have good combat but I couldnt care less for the game world.

raskull789

Originally posted by Wicoa
Is it just me or is anyone else getting annoyed because I want to play this game, Im tired of watching video's and reading articles/press releases. Grr.

Ya it's pretty annoying that they keep trying to sell it to the people who aren't in Beta. It's been in a beta for a while now and they don't seem to be inviting anyone new. Just a group of people so when they have their videos, players are running around.

I was all about this game for years, then they started this nonsense. I already chose EverQuest Next over this game now. $100 for EQNL, $0 for Wildstar.

Kaladin

Originally posted by Atadis
I've participated in a lot of closed betas and this is one of the only ones I haven't gotten into yet. IDK who in the hell they are giving the keys too I've seen a lot of ripoff keys around and I know it's random but they seem to be giving the keys away to people who either aren't using them or are trying to sell them (This is from what i've seen) which is really bad luck on their part because the game looks great and it seems like they aren't getting as good as testers as they could to help improve the game further, but that's just a guess hopefully they have great people helping test the game . Then again there are a lot of people wanting in and it's random so it's just bad luck for all of us wanting in. The game still looks great and even though I don't like how they are dispersing their CBT invites I am looking forward to this one !

 

They originally opened it up to only a couple thousand, maybe even a single thousand, i don't remember.  It would seem to me that they are treating the closed Beta test with an NDA as an old school Beta.  Where only a relative few get in, I would only hope those that are in are reporting everything they see.

The problem with too many people in a Beta is that you run the risk of getting flooded with issues (and non-issues) and it could be overwhelming for a new company.

CazNeerg

Originally posted by Kaladin

Originally posted by CazNeerg
Did I read that correctly?  "Get a smattering of words in quest text."  Does that mean it's not even fully voiced?  What is this, 2004?

You know, not every MMO that is coming out has a $200 million budget.  Voice overs are VERY expensive.  Having said that, I read somewhere that they planned on doing more voice overs when the bugs are minimal.

As long as they plan on doing it at some point.  I'm excited for this game, but I've gotten spoiled.  Having to go back in time and read text boxes when "talking" to NPCs is far more of a drag now than it used to be, and it was never that pleasant, it just used to be the case that we didn't know any better.

collekt

I do see the different between them, but it's just diverting my eyes to a different kind of artificial notifier. Maybe it's just me but this style of combat seems extremely boring to me. You're really just dodging shapes all day, and then what happens when you have several people engaging in combat at the same time? Wouldn't it just spiral into a chaotic mixture of colors all over the ground? It just seems like too much of a casual hand-holding type of feature, similar to WoW PvE encounters where you move out of area effects, fire is bad, etc. I prefer combat that requires you to think as opposed to just diving aside any time you see a shape at your feet.

Kaladin

Originally posted by raskull789

Originally posted by Wicoa
Is it just me or is anyone else getting annoyed because I want to play this game, Im tired of watching video's and reading articles/press releases. Grr.

Ya it's pretty annoying that they keep trying to sell it to the people who aren't in Beta. It's been in a beta for a while now and they don't seem to be inviting anyone new. Just a group of people so when they have their videos, players are running around.

I was all about this game for years, then they started this nonsense. I already chose EverQuest Next over this game now. $100 for EQNL, $0 for Wildstar.

One sentence at a time.

"Ya it's pretty annoying that they keep trying to sell it to the people who aren't in Beta"

Yeah, why would anybody advertise for a product to people who aren't already using it. /sarcasmoff

 

"It's been in a beta for a while now and they don't seem to be inviting anyone new"

Is this solely based on the fact that you have not received a Beta invite?

 

"I was all about this game for years, then they started this nonsense. I already chose EverQuest Next over this game now. $100 for EQNL, $0 for Wildstar."

The nonsense of advertising and not inviting you to the Beta?  So, your money is going to a game based upon them trying to sell their game and you not being invited to test it.

Tell me I am reading this wrong.

Beatnik59

"Layer Cake"?  Hmmph...for a moment, I thought they were bringing back CoH (inside joke).

Warlyx

by the time Wild star gets released im going to be bored of it.....

 

elocke

As much as I like the mechanics and features the game offers, the control style and aesthetics leave me wanting and this game just doesn't have that "magic" it needs to draw me in.  It's like it wants to be WoW but be different yet doesn't catch that certain "magic" that WoW had that kept me playing for so many years.  Come to think of it, no game since WoW really has.  Someone should do a study on what is the same in post WoW mmos and what is truly different and see where and what the missing "piece" is. 

MamasGun

You are so not alone.  I signed up for Beta access the moment it was announced, as at the time I was mainly playing Aion, so I was always around the area.  I still don't have a Beta key, after signing up with multiple emails and such.

Add to the fact that some people that were lucky enough to get in Beta are bit¢hing about trivial things like the Breast Reduction, and I'm even more annoyed!

I just want to play WildStar!  The only thing getting me through this llloooonnnnggg wait is Phantasy Star Online 2 and Smite.  Which, in case anyone is wondering, is in NO WAY a good substitute for what WildStar seems to offer.

I shall continue to wait, and when the time is right, will be in WildStar as soon as I can- through a Beta invite, or by flat out paying when it is released.  This game has me so captured that I have yet to give up on it- and won't, given the lack of other decent MMO's to play a the moment.

MamasGun

Originally posted by Kaladin

Originally posted by CazNeerg
Did I read that correctly?  "Get a smattering of words in quest text."  Does that mean it's not even fully voiced?  What is this, 2004?

You know, not every MMO that is coming out has a $200 million budget.  Voice overs are VERY expensive.  Having said that, I read somewhere that they planned on doing more voice overs when the bugs are minimal.

 

I hope Cree Summer, the chick in the trailer, comes back!  She is SO talented!  Definitely worth the money!  Foxxy Love for Life!

Isoman

Originally posted by elocke
As much as I like the mechanics and features the game offers, the control style and aesthetics leave me wanting and this game just doesn't have that "magic" it needs to draw me in.  It's like it wants to be WoW but be different yet doesn't catch that certain "magic" that WoW had that kept me playing for so many years.  Come to think of it, no game since WoW really has.  Someone should do a study on what is the same in post WoW mmos and what is truly different and see where and what the missing "piece" is. 

 

For many people, the "magic" of WoW was simply their first mmo. For others, it was the polished and well combined features of previous titles into one game. Post WoW, there is no mystery or originality anymore. It's been said time and again; been there, done that. The magic is gone. As long as Carbine makes a game that is fun, entertaining, and keeps me coming back for more, that's all that matters. 

Xirik

Originally posted by CazNeerg
Did I read that correctly?  "Get a smattering of words in quest text."  Does that mean it's not even fully voiced?  What is this, 2004?

So because one game is fully voiced it makes it the norm for all mmo's?