2014

Saved Voxels and New Servers

stargrace February 6, 2014 No Comments

My time gaming lately has mostly been spent in Landmark, with some Wurm Online. I would love to get back to World of Warcraft but I just haven’t managed to find the time quite yet as I balance things. It’s not that unusual when a new game shows up on my radar, I was dividing my time between WoW and Wurm Online quite well, but throw a third steady game into the mix and suddenly things change.

There have been quite a few improvements over the last few days with the alpha. New servers and new continents were opened up, voxels on claims now save, a few new graphics are out. Of course for each thing in-game that now works, something else breaks, but it happens. I haven’t done a lot of building yet because I have to spend so much time harvesting. I’ve upgraded my pickaxe to Tungsten, and I’m working on the burled log requirement for viridium. I’ve got a marble forge and a work table, but there’s a tungsten saw and the paint tool still to go. I did craft the smooth tool and spent a good portion of last night learning that mechanic, which I really love. You can’t tell from the screenshot but I rounded the edges of the platform that I built (and then placed my craft machines on it). Since my deed was partially mountain and the bottom corner was ‘floating’ in the air, I built a platform and then smoothed the edges to make it look like a natural part of the hill. Added my vault and some torches, and I’ll call it home for now while I continue harvesting.

The forums are now open for anyone to browse, and for those who have bought into the game to reply / make posts. There are some amazing threads with screenshots being posted and I highly recommend people check it out to see what sort of creations are being made. Of course I’ve been posting pictures as well on google plus and sharing with my gamer friends there.

Everyone keeps mentioning how wonderfully transparent SOE has been with the entire alpha process, and I have to agree. They post exactly what is going on, whether or not they’ve messed up, and how they’re fixing the situation. It’s refreshing, to say the least. Whether this keeps up through alpha, into beta, and beyond, I’m not sure, but in the mean time it’s restoring peoples faith and that’s wondrous to behold.

As always, happy gaming, no matter where you find yourself!

Seeing Possibilities

stargrace February 4, 2014 1 Comment

Stargrace found herself standing by the Wizard spires with her bags packed full of goods. It had been a long trek, but she had made it. Now, it was just a matter of gaining their attention.

“Tungsten! Gold! Amethyst! Traveling peddler here on Drift, you want it, I’ve probably got it or can tell you where to get it. Step up and find me by the wizard spires! Bargaining is my middle name folks!” She smiled as the locals started to gather.

Meanwhile

Xartan was cackling maniacally. It was done. His creation was completed. Sweat and even a little blood had gone into his latest experiment. The monstrosity rose from the ground, jagged peaks and tall walls combined with confusing tunnels. At the end, a treasure chest filled with goods for the taking – if you could make it that far. He grabbed a piece of parchment paper and quickly started writing out his plans, then summoned a scribe to carry it far and wide. His laughter echoed over the rolling hills. They would come.

In another part of the same continent a new store was opening up. Blesse had cleared a great portion of land into a flat manageable space, and built display stands every few feet. On top of each display was one of her artistic pieces. From one display a hedge stood, carved into a beautiful horse rearing its head. One section of the sales area didn’t hold a display case but instead held a small cottage, draped in moss. Another held a selection of machinery.

“Oh, are you interested in purchasing the legendary pickaxe?” Blesse smiled at her latest customer. Business was good.

The point of this blog post was to show people that Landmark is indeed a sandbox game and that game is going to be limited only by your imagination. None of the scenarios I posted above are things you can’t already do right in this alpha aside from the final one because player studio isn’t in game yet (but we know it’s coming). None of them require any fancy mechanic and things that are not currently in game. Sure they require a stable game, but again that will come. When I talk about enjoying a sandbox game and the potential it’s not potential based on hype or features I think may be added later. It’s potential based on what I see, what I experience and then mold with my imagination. The game will be what you make of it.