We’re less than 24 hours from the launch of 2014’s biggest MMORPG: WildStar. It’s been a long road to release, but it’s all about to pay off.
WildStar is a big game, there’s no doubt about it. You have several important choices to make when creating a character which will impact your experience. There is a healthy amount of PvE and PvP content, as well as day one player housing. So let’s break all this down so you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into when you step foot in Nexus.
Below you can learn everything you need to know about WildStar.
WildStar - Everything You Need to Know
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Technically you can play for free
WildStar will launch with a C.R.E.D.D. system that allows you to continue your subscription without the $14.99/month fee. Essentially, there will be an in-game item that, when used, extends your subscription by 30 days. As you can imagine, there will be a lot of demand for it driving up the price.
Similar to EVE Online, it will have a gold value attached to it depending on supply and demand in the market. In a nutshell, if you can farm a lot of money each month, you can keep playing by trading that in for some C.R.E.D.D. Or, if you like stockpiling cash, you can forego the entire system and pay with a credit card. It's up to you.
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A game for MMO players, by MMO players
Developer Carbine Studios was formed in 2005. Several of its founders were former members of the vanilla World of Warcraft team. Since then, they have hired some of the best MMO programmers, artists, and designers in the world.
Based out of Aliso Viejo, California, they are a group that knows what MMO gamers want... because they are MMO gamers. Despite having this advantage, they have made a huge effort to incorporate player feedback and interaction over the course of development whether it be through streams, a lenthy beta, or events like PAX East.
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Nine years of development, and it shows
MMOs are known for being the hardest games to develop. Not only do you have to make a huge, detailed world, but you have to make it interesting to exist in that world.
WildStar was conceived in 2005, roughly nine years ago. This lengthy development cycle can be seen in how polished the game is as well as how much content it has. You'll be hard-pressed to find another MMO that launches with as much value as WildStar, and there are already post-release updates in the works.
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Skill-based, action combat
Perhaps the greatest thing about WildStar is that it's an action-oriented game. There is no tab-targeting here, you have to aim all of your abilities. Where you aim will be highlighted with what Carbine Studios call a "telegraph". Not only do you see where you're aiming, but where others are as well. This makes PvP encounters particularly intense because you don't have to eat up the damage enemies throw at you, you have the opportunity to avoid taking hits and retaliate with some precisely aimed damage of your own.
Coupled together with double-jumping, this next-gen combat formula makes every type of content fun in the game, whether you're in a dungeon with friends, or just exploring the game world.
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Player housing on day one
It's rare for an MMO to launch with player housing. Heck, World of Warcraft won't have a solution until its next expansion, a full 10 years after launch. Despite this, WildStar arrives tomorrow straight out of the box with player housing ready to go.
Player housing in WildStar is feature rich even at launch. You'll be able to acquire a plot of land early in your adventure, and customize the area to your liking. If you're into designing things, there are plenty of options for making your home the bests place to hang out. Friends can visit, and there's such a powerful editor that some players have even turned their land into a hoverboard park. How radical is that?
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Raiding is hard, mmk?
If you're a veteran MMO player, you're well aware of how raiding has been watered down during the last decade. However, WildStar isn't taking any cues from this recent trend that has upset a lot of hardcore players.
Carbine Studios has emphasized from the beginning that raiding will be hard... VERY hard. But it's not that the bosses are tuned just do to insane damage and tick you off. Each encounter is complex with platforming elements and lots of damage evasion, requiring plenty of practice and solid teamwork. The result? Once you down a boss it feels great.
If you aren't up for the challenge, there is plenty of other content. However, raiders may be very surprised about how the new style of gameplay in WildStar mixes with the old school design philosophies of the MMORPG golden years.
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There are two factions
This is not a single faction game like The Elder Scrolls Online. You have an eternal enemy in the game world, and a cause to live for.
The two factions are called Exile and Dominion. It isn't as simple as good versus evil, but rather a division in origin and mindset. The Exile are outcasts looking to forge a new home. The Dominion, on the other hand, are a powerful empire that is set in its ways.
You can't go wrong with either choice, but you definitely want to make sure you and your friends are playing on the same faction—and server, for that matter.
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Customize your questing experience
WildStar features a unique system called Paths, which offers you a choice at the beginning of your adventure between four options: Soldier, Settler, Scientist, or Explorer. Depending on which you pick you'll be exposed to hundreds of quests exclusive to your path choice. Basically, you're able to a sizeable portion of your questing experience to your play style.
It breaks down like this:
- Explorer - Brave the wilderness and discover the unknown.
- Soldier - Slaughter your enemies and conquer territory.
- Settler - Tame the land and expand your influence.
- Scientist - Study the world and unlock secrets.
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Six classes, six personalities
Each of WildStar's six classes aren't quite like anything on the market. The Stalker might look like a Rogue, but it's capable of tanking bosses. The Medic might sound like a fragile healer, but it's actually a medium-armored beast capable of dishing out great damage with resonators and well-placed fields.
Made better, every class is a hybrid of sorts. Tired of playing a pure DPS class and having to hop on an alt to to mix things up? WildStar remedies that by making sure every single class has two roles it's formidable at.
The classes and their role options are the following:
- Warrior - Tank / DPS
- Engineer - Tank / DPS
- Spellslinger - DPS / Healer
- Stalker - Tank / DPS
- Esper - DPS / Healer
- Medic - DPS / Healer
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40 v 40 PvP with player-constructed bases
Carbine Studios recently unveiled their large-scale PvP mode. Called Warplots, it pits 40 players against another 40 players in pre-made matches that are not only big in scale, but have deep strategic elements.
Instead of playing on pre-constructred maps that are probably even imbalanced (i.e. Alterac Valley in WoW), the map allows each team to construct their fortress where the opposing team must invade. Armored walls and traps can be placed in an attempt to thwart the enemy's invasion. Sound cool? It is.
