News Update: Work And Progress. Week 48

[RedBaron_Johan 2,853]

Hello Fellow Wurmians!

 

Weekly news, fresh from the press and delivered straight to you all wherever it might find you.

How about it, you ready for some more info on our current hot topics?

Maybe even a surprise or two thrown into the mix?

I hope so because it is time to

 

Share some News!

 

 

Challenge

 

The Map

 

This week I wanted to bring you the initial draft of the Challenge Map to see what you think about it.

So check it out!

 

Click the Image for a Larger Version

 

This first map is 8x8 km large so it is not a very big map.

The thought here is to have a center where there will be an intimate struggle for the highly valuable resources that will spawn in the HOTA zone.

The other larger spawn points spawns more bulk materials but are also of high strategic value.

The far base is a good option to mass a larger army to strike back if enemies are pushing the forward base to hard.

The main setting for the scenario is the battle between Mol Rehan and Jenn-Kellon as they are situated on the mainland.

Horde of the Summoned is expected to act more like pirates fighting to gain ground and counteracting the others territorial control but what their final role looks like will be interesting to see.

 

On the topic of priests, Hots will have a slight advantage as they will have BL close to their far base whilst White light will be placed on an island of the coast which will hopefully add some further drama.

 

Ballista

So we talked a bit about the ballista last week but now we got this nice work in progress picture to show!

 

Click the Image for a Larger Version

 

The function is as following.

It is operated in much the same way as the catapults where you first winch them into a loaded state. Then secondly, take aim and fire.

It can be loaded on a cart and unloaded at a strategic point to lay down some high armor piercing fire upon the enemy.

 

Bridges

Click the Image for a Larger Version

 

This bridge right here is as you can see the wooden bridge.

It is both the version with the one tile width and the second with maximum width of two tiles.

We have found several new bugs which has been and is being addressed thanks to the test team who is doing a great job.

There is still some problems mainly with specific situational collisions between player and different geometry in relation to bridges.

There are lively debates about the topics daily now as the release draws near.

 

Trees, Grass and Planting.

Grass now grow under trees.

You can trim the grass under trees to a lawn to stop it from growing.

Animals can not however graze on the grass under trees.

When you plant a sprout it will now always be in the center of a tile.

The reason and thought behind this is that when planting, you can now do it neatly and organized way.

So if you for example want to create a nice alley of trees in a perfect row leading up to your deed, you can do that now.

Neat rows of grape bushes outside your winery? No problem.

All trees does still replant themselves in the same random fashion as now however.

Did I mention this is currently on the live servers? Well at least now I did.

 

Beauty of battle

Animation tweaking is going well and on the more general side we have now seen to it that the insta jumping between animations on creatures animations is solved.

This is currently live and implemented in the game.

It will however still require some further tweaking as this can be a bit misleading in the way that the creatures does more attacks than is shown with animations.

That takes me to the next topic which is the more in depth tweaking which is being done on a more individual level of the creatures which gives them a better variation and balance in their attack patterns.

There are now several creatures who has received this treatment on the test server and it is looking and feeling much better.

 

Masks

Click the Image for a Larger Version

 

So here is a bit of a surprise huh?

The masks will at least initially be a purely social item.

The first mask is a plain white mask which kinda gives me a bit of a mime/ emo vibe really.

Which if you ask me is pretty freaky on both accounts so lets just call it a creepy mask.

What you wear on your head decides the visibility of the masks as some already cower to much of your face.

So it will in other words be wearable with certain headgear which is pretty cool.

Probably it will be dyeable to provide further variations.

There will be more masks later with different themes.

 

 

So how about it Wurmians?

I would love to see you speculate on the challenge map and what type of tactics could be used.

What do you think the scenario will be when keeping in mind what I have told you about the mechanics from last weeks posts?

All of us from the dev team will be playing it from launch and I am suspecting you are going to be slapping us around quite a bit to be honest.

But that is a later issue, for now lets just

 

Keep on Wurming!

[silakka 2,360]

Would be very cool to have dye option on masks.

Those bridges are goin to whole new level, now I get to make rollercoasters too

[Firecat 864]

Im still not very keen on the idea of challenge.

[Zekezor 3,188]

Can we...

Can we wear other peoples faces...? xD

 

(pale white masks aint cray cray enough for me, I wanna go the full way on the mentally insane highway)

Edited November 27, 2014 by Zekezor

[Kegan 3,926]

Thank you so much for the tree changes

[HolyGoat 7]

Love that bridge <3

Edited November 27, 2014 by HolyGoat

[harald921 24]

Fantastic news!!

[Tilda 651]

love the trees and grass and sprout planting changes

[Othob Rithol 700]

Now if we can just get enchanted trees to stop growing at 'old' , it'll be ideal.

[Goldenflamer 7]

Remember my words: The map is too small.

 

You will soon be able to imagine why.

[Wurmhole 3,650]

I am very excited about the tree changes. Can't wait to log in and see how my deed looks today. Will it look nice or be too uniform? I suspect the age variations will help keep it from looking too uniform.

The reason for grass under the tree is just for lawn, right? Can it be planted with flowers?

[Jibberish 409]

That mask will haunt my nightmares(and yet I want it), but I'm SO excited about the new customizations happening and bridges. Wonderful update!

[Kegan 3,926]

I am very excited about the tree changes. Can't wait to log in and see how my deed looks today. Will it look nice or be too uniform? I suspect the age variations will help keep it from looking too uniform.

The reason for grass under the tree is just for lawn, right? Can it be planted with flowers?

You have to replant them to make them centered and i second the flowers on tree tiles if it is not in it should be

Edited November 27, 2014 by Kegan

[Alyeska 2,621]

Love the tree and grass changes! All Im hoping for now is a "plant random" option and an enchanted version of lawn/flowers (for a neatly looking pasture/a non destroyable flowerpatch)

[Redd 4,281]

Even though i couldnt care less about Challenge, here is the map i would do (I have edited and replaced the resources to be more fair - There are 3 concentrated around the BL forward base where there is only 1 near the MR one).

 

[flinty 77]

OCD-friendly tree farms.. finally! Thank you very much 

[KanePT 699]

1) You should have added battle masks that offer face and eye protection so people can use open helms in PvP.

2) I think it would be cool if Freedom was a factor in Challenge (as in a kingdom fighting there).

3) The option you took with trees is flawed. The same reason for which people wanted them in the center also might mean people want the trees in a corner. The player should have the freedom to pick, instead of either option being forced upon them.

[Balmore 261]

All good changes, but the map for "Challenge" is as bad as the idea itself.

 

It's obvious that HOTS is at a disadvantage right from the start by simply looking at that map.

[Touchmee 380]

I was extremely excited for Challange and I honestly feel let down now....

 

something that before felt like a new original different idea now feels like you have made a new map and basically added a few bases and resource spawns.... what really does that improve?

 

Remove Kingdoms

Remove HotA

Have VILLAGES or ALLIANCES fight for control over resource spots...

 

Make it worth it or scrap the idea because what you have just posted is disappointing

 

Only decent thing is the map is cool

[cmiddlebrook 182]

I think I'm in the minority here but I don't like the neatly centered trees! I actually like my deed to try and blend in with the surroundings as naturally as possible and like the randomness of the trees.

 

Could we have two options so:

 

-> Plant Random

-> Plant Center

 

To keep everyone happy?

[Jaz 2,663]

Love the tree and grass changes! All Im hoping for now is a "plant random" option and an enchanted version of lawn/flowers (for a neatly looking pasture/a non destroyable flowerpatch)

Usually I'm not a whiner but I can't fully like the new planting method. This will cause artificial looking forests when planting. I do really dislike that forests in real life as well.

Please, please let us have the "Plant random" method - +1 from me on the idea

[Brash_Endeavors 4,735]

I also like random planted trees not to be a pain in the butt but I hate the "squared order" of many settlements and prefer things more natural. When I chop up pavement and replant trees to reclaim a deserted dead village, I don't want it looking like someone's idea of Perfect Suburbia all over again. Same when I plant trees around my rustic homesteads. 

 

If I could only have ONE choice, either all trees are random (as now) or all planted ones are centered, please leave things as they are now, they are fine outside a couple of people who need everything lined up like a ruler. It is going to look silly otherwise.

 

ICK.

Edited November 27, 2014 by Brash_Endeavors

[SotG_is_OP 357]

Just saying, HotA in forests and lakes is terrible. The steppe is much better (less annoying finding pillars).

[McGarnicle 1,463]

At first I loved the tree changes, but after reading some of the posts about the topic I am tending to agree with most of them. I do hope that it gets changed so that we have the option. There are places on my deed that I would love to have the trees all centred. However, at the same time I have also, in the past, replanted forested areas to regain the natural look (in fact, I think we did a factional fight video about it). It would be a shame to lose the ability to do that.

 

I love the idea of being able to chose the exact location on the tile if that were possible. If not, it would be awesome to have the Plant-->centre and Plant-->random options.

[Annyil 189]

 At least we should have known the change before it gone live - we have a forest where we wanted to replace the current wood type to another, this is impossible now as would make it real ugly.

If someone wants to recover the natural state of an area it is no more possible.

One big advantage of Wurm is the great natural look of wilderness.

From now on if a forest is planted centered it will stay as such as usually the new trees spawn on the trunks. There really should be an option to plant random or centered.

On the Challenge server I would also like to see kingdoms removed, let players form alliances on the fly, it would add much to the excitement.

Edited November 27, 2014 by Annyil