Glorious Alpha Two Testers!
Alpha Two Realms are now unlocked for Phase II testing!
For our initial launch, testing will begin on Friday, December 20, 2024, at 10 AM Pacific and continue uninterrupted until Monday, January 6, 2025, at 10 AM Pacific. After January 6th, we’ll transition to a schedule of five-day-per-week access for the remainder of Phase II.
You can download the game launcher here and we encourage you to join us on our for the most up to date testing news.
Alpha Two Realms are now unlocked for Phase II testing!
For our initial launch, testing will begin on Friday, December 20, 2024, at 10 AM Pacific and continue uninterrupted until Monday, January 6, 2025, at 10 AM Pacific. After January 6th, we’ll transition to a schedule of five-day-per-week access for the remainder of Phase II.
You can download the game launcher here and we encourage you to join us on our for the most up to date testing news.
Comments
Some points of interest I would like to see in game:
Wind carved canyons as mentioned above, desert caves, water pools in remote areas, natural springs, underground rivers, maybe an area with giant Saguaro like cactus (these things can get huge like a tree out here and maybe you can gather from these). Desert birds actually make their home in these things carving out nests.
Some creatures could be based off of actual AZ desert animals but made more for a fantasy game of course:
Animals: Roadrunners (maybe this could be a mount just not cartoony of course), coyote, jack rabbits, desert owls, Javelina, pronghorn and elk, bats, porcupine.
Bugs/Insects/reptilians: HORNY TOAD!!! that would be freakin cool, centipedes, tarantula's, other desert toads, desert tortoise, rattle snake (who doesn't want a boss with horny toad head, rattle snake tail and centipede legs?) I understand that these are not necessarily exotic like other deserts in the world have but maybe some ideas.
As far as seasonal effects, I would like to see dust devils, the wind building up sand against objects, it would cool to see rain wetting the ground, then cracks as it heats and drys, then turns to sand ripples when the wind blows through. Believe it or not a desert rainbow!! A rainbow in the desert is a sight to behold for sure!!
Antelope Canyon:
https://images.app.goo.gl/kmu21rv8Zwq7Ltxd8
I have to respectfully disagree! I think (since I have never seen this anywhere) that this is creative. I am excited to see more unusual animal hybrid creations by the team. This is not Earth, after all!
One thing that struck me as odd was the relative lack of vegetation along the river. I live in the desert and I can tell you, as soon as the monsoons hits, we have 6' weeds! The life is there just waiting for some rain.
I liked the river through the desert but I think it would benefit from more vegetation along the banks.
Oh, and no snails in the desert please.
Silly mount choice for a desert biome preview. Muh immersion!
But if you are looking to really improve this biome and others, then invest some time in real-world consulting landscape architects.. someone capable of adapting real-world macro and micro planning to a virtural world and theortical landscapes..
Same goes for your city/town planning, architecture, urban plans.. the tools and tricks used to move / direct people, views, vistas, points of interest when boiled down are not so different from the professional but perhaps some of those tools good to know for the artist and planners.
As an example, while a lot of deserts ARE sandstone, oasis, dunesville, there are many more that are full of hardy vegetation and other types of exposed stone.
Events wise, how about a surprise flood-like event that can happen and is tied to events in nearby nodes? Mountain ranges experiencing wild storms that persist that have to melt sometime. Rare resources spawn in the desert whenever this happens. Could cause friction between node cities as people trigger these events on purpose.
Mob-Types I would like to see: Definitely some form of snakes and sandworms. Both can pop up from within the sand similar to the stone golems.
Weather: HUGE sandstorms. They could work similar like fog in swamps for example. Tornados would also be cool.
Important for all biomes: Atmosphere! Music, sounds of mobs and the wildlife in general. I really like the audio used in the desert biome trailer. Immersive audio is just as important as animations to me. Keep it up!
MOST IMPORTANT: The target audience of any kind of MMORPG are obviously mostly people who like fantasy stuff. People who wonder what life could be on another planet. So I beg you: Add a appealing night sky which is not always clearly visible (like in real life). I imagine myself walking with my character through the desert at night and watching a night sky similar to the one which is often visible in the northern hemisphere at a campfire. Please make it happen, if anybody can pull this of with high quality then it’s you guys! Also something similar to the aurora would be nice. In short: Utilize the day/night cycle and take inspirations from what we can observe in our beautiful environment in real life.
Finally, thank you for taking the community’s opinion into account. This studio is doing a fantastic job.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP31ixSBO7GHKLBefWVcJaA
The Weather:
Star Wars Galaxies (From 2003) had an incredible weather system on planets such as Tatooine where the desert windstorms literally hinder your ability to see as you traverse the planet and I feel a similar addition would work here too. This included the audio of the wind and sand decreasing your ability to see.
The Terrain:
From its art style and theme its nearly unfaultable, but I feel something as simple as footsteps from your mount and character player should be present here (I did notice the Snail mount had a slime trail, but no footprints as it stood up).
An example of great Desserts in games for me would be Star Wars Galaxies, Conan Exiles
- In Conan exiles there's not only footprints but your characters feet actually dig in to the sand itself and it has the occasional wind storm which carries dust and forces the unprepared to take shelter.
Formerly T-Elf
We may see this at a later date, but I would really like to see sand storms, of various intensities, added to this biome.
It would be great to see some of the creatures resting or not as active during the hotter portions of the day, followed by increases in activity as the extreme heat abates (day/night cycles). Additionally, you may consider more creatures out and about from dusk through dawn.
I would really like to see the creatures and, in some respects, the plants/trees engage in the circle of life. That is, you could have some creatures seeking out plants to consume, only to have the plants retaliate or take a more defensive posture to prevent from being eaten. The same goes for the creatures. It really is strange to have, for instance, a group of wolves in an area along with rabbits, deer, elk, other varmints, etc. seemingly living in harmony. It would be nice to see predator/prey dynamics - not all the time - but every now and again.
A desert that stood out to me in the past was from BDO. The lack of the mini-map functionality within the desert helped drive home the sense of feeling lost and looking for landmarks to guide yourself. This could be circumvented with a compass that could be bought (which would only last for 3 days L O L) or a compass that you could make yourself (which could be grinded out in 126 hours on avg... also a L O L). The fact that there would be a hypothermia debuff during the night and a heatstroke debuff during the day made it feel like a challenge to survive out there for quests or generic grinding. Points of interest didn't give you reprieve from these debuffs unless they were oases.
As for the creatures, I'd love to see some more of your innovative side here. Don't just take some random creatures from Africa and other random deserts in NA and just stick them in the game and call it a day. Take your time with some fun ecology testing. Add an ent to the desert. Make ents a variety type of monster found all throughout the world. idk. Like get fun and creative but also make something that makes sense.
Maybe I'll come back and edit this comment later to give a more in depth idea.
The second image may be more applicable to the grassier areas of the biome shown in the livestream, or perhaps what we've previously seen of the Savannah biome.
Ark: Survival has fantastic examples of desert biomes. The variety of landscapes are what make it work. You have sections of badlands, sections of Arizona/New Mexico like rock formations and sections of rolling dunes. Landscape variety makes the biome exciting, without it you start to get bored IMO. I suppose the same could be said of all biomes.
What deserts in games stand out for you?
Ark: Survival Evolved, for the reasons stated above.
Are there certain points of interest you would like to see in deserts?
1) Oasis/Watering holes where tamable creatures can be found. Both herbivores and carnivores hunting them.
2) Caves. Places where you can explore what's going on beneath the surface. A vast expanse hiding an underground opening adds to the sense of discovery and gives ambush points for PvP.
3) Half buried dungeon ruins. Pyramids/Fortresses/Monuments that are partially buried under the sand, ruined by the wind and weather, from the distant past.
Are there desert tropes you would like us to include or avoid?
Include: Wind/Sand eroded monuments and locations.
Avoid: Too much emptiness. SWG had good deserts or so did SWTOR but they were too universally empty. Or if it has to be empty, put something under the surface/hidden. Knowing that there is something unseen in the emptiness would add a sense of mystery to rolling dunes.
Which unique creatures do you think should be found in deserts?
1) Griffon
2) Slim and efficient desert style large cats and wolves (common in other biomes, but no one ever seems to make a version for the desert.
3) Elephants and Rhinos in the dry grasslands.
4) Sand worms. Not massive, like Dune, Crocodile sized that swim under the sand and burst out at you.
What kind of desert weather and seasonal effects do you wish were found in more games?
1) Sand storms with limited visibility. I remember the feeling of seeing one heading towards me in Saudi Arabia, perfectly clear weather with a wall of sand heading at you. It would be a nice effect in an MMO.
2) Rain storms with the accompanying flooding. Might be hard to do but would be cool if it could be added using UE5.
I would also like to see more done beneath the surface. Interlinking cave networks, underground fortresses and ruins. I feel like most creatures and cultures would mitigate the exposure that a desert biome would naturally bring and would build permanent/hidden structures underground if they could. They would also network them together if they could. This would add literal depth to a desert biome that you rarely see in other games.
Traveling nomads that move throughout the desert, could offer faster travel services and trade unique animal certificates for benefits to those who explore the biome
Maybe there are a few tribes in conflict over territory we need to choose whom to support with different quest lines
Hidden dungeons, catacombs and mazes under ancient relics or pyramids which their access is sealed and the key is written on the walls in an encrypted language to figure out
Genie type of mob or boss with illusive mechanics which can be trapped in a genie lamp with special requirements to activate later with limited amount of uses that grant special abilities (like decrypt a word from the ancient language that seals the hidden dungeons)
A bunch of Indiana Jones style traps and puzzles, light rays clues, utilization of moonlight
Nightime should make a difference on type of wildlife that comes out to play, certain cold blooded creatures could glow when there's a full moon as an event
Fatamorgana phenomenon, hallucinations and mind tricks of great fortune or enemy in the far horizon that vanishes in the visible heat waves
Sandstorms that limits the viewing distance and auditory orientation unless you poses a specific item that assists with the conditions
For example, in the snow biome will you have to be warmer?
In the desert biome it will have to be more careful because the deserts are known to be rough, difficult to cross and difficult.
That would be my only requirement to be able to have the sensation that I am really in a different biome and not only in a beautiful area but not different when it comes to feel it.
Exactly what i would expect from a desert zone, hidden tombs, weird creepy mobs and just so many hidden things to unveil as you explore.
• The feel i would like to have when exploring a desert is just that, a wast seemingly endless pit of doom, boiling hot sun, scary mobs and just a harsh enviroment to be in for the unexperienced.
Desert night time is a little different, still the feeling of desolation but with an incredibly open night sky with bright stars and different planets and colors to the contrast of the beige sand.
•More Regular Creatures/npc's that i expect/want to se: scorpions, snakes, camels, vultures, lizards.
•Fantasy creatures: skeletons, weird kraken things that drag you down under the sand, huge living statues that roam the dunes, fast ostrich looking things that you can tame and conquer the desert with.
•I really like the warhammer desert with the tomb kings and all the creatures they have.
here are some things that i think are the most iconic, fantastical landmarks and wildlife that come to mind when i hear desert:
A caravan setting up camp at an oasis
some kind of fata morgana or mirage
Structures like Temples or crypts built into the mountain side
Scarabs
Scorpions
I'd like to see more like random quick sand and sandstorm etc to make the PvX more unpredictable and maybe also make the mounts shine in different environments like some mounts know where the quick sand are or even can move pass through it.
Underground caves carved out by rain water, going to oasis. You can fall into
through quicksand, filled with fluorescent light, flowers and creatures that come out at night. Petra, an ancient city that was carved into red desert cliffs. Egyptian pyramids, maybe the Sphinx. Runes from old civilizations. Desert tiger head from disney's Aladdin. Mountain temple/city like: jericho, kailash or Betatakin Ruins. Roman Theater at Bosra. African trees Baobab and Acacia. Ship wrecks. American desert red rock formations
Are there desert tropes you would like us to include or avoid?
Dunes like Sahara. African plains. American southwest desert.
Which unique creatures do you think should be found in deserts?
Skulls from dead animals. Cactus humanoid NPC. Sand worms.
What kind of desert weather and seasonal effects do you wish were found in more games?
Huge dust storms. Night animals. Heat waves. Desert bloom - Heavy rainfall making a lot of flowers blossom.
I like very large areas. This is your excuse to make no man's land type areas with points of interest separated by large gaps to let players sneak around each other.
Are there certain points of interest you would like to see in deserts?
Would love to see areas with black sand. Maybe because Ash mixed with the sand.
Are there desert tropes you would like us to include or avoid?
Include: Large sprawling areas. Various sand colors (Who said desert sand has to be brown)
Avoid: Adding too many oasis. A desert should be dry, not a tropical paradise.
Which unique creatures do you think should be found in deserts?
Tunneling creatures large enough to make tunnels a player can explore.
For something more extreme a tortoise that is massive and has a mirror like shell to reflect the sun. Make it big enough that other creatures live under/near it to get out of the sun themselves.
What kind of desert weather and seasonal effects do you wish were found in more games?
Would love to see rains in other biomes increase river flow in the desert biome. Lightning making a rare glass but storms are extremely rare and lightning storms even more so. Not all deserts are hot. Huge bonus points if you could make it so sand storms change the layout of points of interest. Making some only visible after a bad sandstorm while others get covered.
-while deserts were never my favorite biome in MMOs, they tended to be very memorable due to their brutality. I enjoy the savage and harsh theme they tend to reflect with their quests and inhabitants. Diablo 2 and 3 had some of the more memorable desert designs as far as the types of creatures inhabiting the area. Tanaris in WoW had some of the most memorable quests and one of the most stand out dungeons in that game, but the whole wild west feel of a neutral town where wanton-PVP was more common than questing or farming
Are there certain points of interest you would like to see in deserts? Oasis, a single city/haven with more ancient themes with new inhabitants. Canyons and crags. Perhaps an ungrounded river from a certain underground zone surfaces at the oasis.
Are there desert tropes you would like us to include or avoid? Safe haven for lawlessness is a trope I love.
Which unique creatures do you think should be found in deserts? Monstrous things that can swim through the sand. Rocky/rough looking creatures. Sand/wind elementals. Djinn. Typical desert fauna with fantasy flair. Make the environment make sense in regards to how a desert ecosystem works, obviously make it your own but mKe it make sense.
What kind of desert weather and seasonal effects do you wish were found in more games? Sandstorms, high winds, low visibility, locust plague events, oasis monsoons, animal migration events (could make for fun animal husbandry progression