World Wide Game Watchers

WWGW is a blog run by Afkalmighty, from South Korea, and LIB53, from USA. Together, we share our interest in creative games from around the globe.

[worldwidegamewatchers]

KurtzPel Character Concept: Ethan Soulguard

“Only those who have something to protect can become truly powerful.”

Ethan Soulguard is a high-rank Chaser serving as Ensher’s bodyguard.

He is an expert at wielding a great-sword boasting the techniques passed down his lineage from the northern kingdom of Norbass once famed for its swordsmanship.

[worldwidegamewatchers]

KurtzPel Character Concept: Jin Kaien

“Who are you? This is the first time we’ve met but why are my eyes watering?”

Jin Kaien is one of the Ancient KurtzPel the Chase is searching for.

Despite going missing 400 years ago the Chase haven’t given up their search for the Ancient KurtzPel.

[worldwidegamewatchers]

KurtzPel Character Concept: Crim Plie

"Keep up retards, I’m not going to wait forever!”

Crim Plie is a high-rank chaser on the trail of the Ancient Kurtzpel, the Chase’s heroes who went missing during the calamity 400 years ago.

Crim’s path spans the continent under the guise of a star idol of a traveling carnival as she searches for clues as to the Ancient Kurtzpel’s whereabouts

[worldwidegamewatchers]

KurtzPel Character Concept: Ensher Renhart

“Greetings Chaser! Allow me to brief you on this mission.”

Ensher Renhart is the current leader of the Chase, an organization of KurtzPel. Though she may be a she girl who is accident-prone and almost devoid of any combat capability, her mastery over combat tactics and ability to connect with others has proven herself as a capable leader of KurtzPel.

[worldwidegamewatchers]

Mabinogi Heroes (Vindictus) 2018 Summer & Fall Update Plan

June- New competitive mode

The new competitive mode features a two teams competing to kill more monsters within the time limit.

There will also be elements of interaction between the two teams to spice things up.

July-The first new episode for this year’s summer season, Season 3 Chapter 3 Episode 2.

The story of Chapter 3 Episode 2 starts in northern Donegal on the pathway to the Tower of the Fomorian God.

The first challenge the heroes will meet is in front of a burning Royal Knight tent.

The story will be centered around the events that unfold as the heroes close in on the tower and of those the heroes meet on the way.

Chapter 3 Episode 2 will feature the end of Season 3.

August will bring forth a new male character for the hero roster

According to the development sketches, the new character is currently under testing with varied types of melee weapons.

Quick and composed, the new character is planned to be released on August.

Other updates are planned as well up to September including hell mode for Redeemers Battle. Other updates include Guild Houses, QoL improvements, new mates, new objects.

[worldwidegamewatchers]

Black Desert : Story of Fairies

(This isn’t working like it did with the Dark Knight story bit :/ if you’re using Chrome try opening the image in another tab)

If you are thinking the pacing of the text is all over the place then you probably have no idea how right you are. This was done very hastily with no double-checking and the original text was jumping from one topic to another as well. 

There’s a tad more that goes over the in-game functionality of Fairies (one of them being auto-potion..) but for now I’m just glad I’ve found the time to translate the story part with my hectic schedule until the Winter Olympics are over.

Reveal Trailer

[worldwidegamewatchers]

Vindictus Developer’s Note : Second Redeemers Battle - Balor, The Inner Side of the Moon

The boss of the second Redeemers Battle to come out for Vindictus is Balor, the god of destruction who was sealed away in the second moon. Balor is attempting escape the partially undone seal by creating a realm called the inner side of the moon.

The world will face utter annihilation if Balor’s seal is to be completely broken. Our heroes must fight Balor inside the inner side of the moon and destroy the crimson moon created by Balor.

Balor ontop his combat steed

Balor enters battle ontop of his favored combat steed which is capable of freely moving inside the realm created by Balor giving him an edge in mobility to ravage the battlefield.

The horse is like a shadow to Balor by not only sharing his teleportation ability but also sharing the same HP pool which means heroes will be able to damage Balor by hitting his horse.

But beware, the movement speed of Balor when mounted makes it difficult to properly land a blow so it will be best to take your chance when Balor needs to change direction. 

Balor dismounted

Once Balor unmounts from his horse the battle starts proper with Balor brandishing his halberd.

Balor’s attacks will cause shock-waves which will pressure the heroes throughout battle regardless of their distance.

Heroes will have to be cautious even when they believe they’ve seized the opportunity to attack for if Balor manages to retaliate and the hero is knocked down as a result, Balor will attempt to execute the hero downed hero.

There is a brief opportunity to escape execution but the hero will suffer massive damage from Balor’s halberd if they’re not quick.

Finale 

During the final phase of the battle, Balor will bombard the heroes with attacks alongside his horse and also start gathering power from the crimson moon to create a scorching field of flame.

A single mistake during this onslaught will result in certain death.

This final phase will be revealed on the live server.

[worldwidegamewatchers]

So,about Gstar 2017

Hey guys, look at me pretend to know how to do commentary

[worldwidegamewatchers]

Kurtzpel : INVEN interview with director Gwon

Directer Gwon, who has been working with KOG from 2008 has been the head planner and later director for Elsword. He is now directing Kurtzpel.

INVEN was surprised and happy to see that KurtzPel turned out to be a PC action game despite being amidst a market that is aggressively migrating to mobile. Gwon answered that although there were some concerns both internally and externally, the decision to ultimately stick to PC was based on the will to uphold KOG’s name in action games and the belief that quick and concise controls were essential to do so. They also chose to work with an engine suitable for multiple platforms and to design their system to work with controllers so that they won’t limit themselves to a single platform.

When asked what kind of game KurtzPel is, Gwon explained that their new title took KOG’s proven action formula and improved upon it. He goes to further explain that their previous titles, Grand Chase and Elsword, were based on each ‘turn’ that occurs when there’s a hit and that any player can easily execute their practiced pattern with ease as long as they can get a ‘turn’.

These patterns, more commonly referred to as combos, are systematic, diverse, and requires practice. And the developers had to run countless tests and fine tuning since various elements such as the timing of a hit, the strength of the hit, position, and many more creates diverse scenarios which needed to be put under consideration.

As KOG decided they needed to perfect this area they have experienced in with the belief that action games needs to be based on situational awareness, quick reflexes, and skill.

In that light, they wanted to avoid Pay-2-Win or Time-2-Win systems. Which is why KOG decided to aggressively cut out any system they believed would get in the way of the ever important action.

For example, they’ve implemented an endurance system that requires players to manage their resource carefully due to each action costing an action point (AFK: I’m not 100% sure this is what they meant here) and eliminated leveling systems along with stat growth systems. As the dependency on stats and the gap between player stats are low this in turn lead to the creation of items that are slightly different in concept from other games, which also in turn meant that an enhancing system wasn’t needed.

KurtzPel is introduced as a ‘Dual Action Battle Game’ where two players make a team playing in a third-person-view to either PvE or PvP where each hits counts as a ‘proactive turn’ for a true action packed experience.

The players in KurtzPel inherits and hones the eternal experience that is passed down generations called ‘Karma’. While Karma is similar to what classes are in other games, Karma isn’t limited to individual skills but the overall powers a being posses.

For example, if the power of Elsword is to be passed down in the form of Karma then it will not only pass on the swordsmanship of Elsword but also the inherent power of fire as well. And it is the player’s power to inherit and uphold this ability.

Players can choose 2 of the Karmas they have at their disposal to engage in battle. Setting up the right 4 Karmas will be an important strategic decision for premade teams. Karmas and Karma Shards(for skills) which can be attached to weapons can be obtained  through relationship with NPCs and then further improved.

Karma Shards are akin to skills in other games where Karma is like a character class. Farming for Karma, Karma Shards, weapons, and costumes are done through improving your relationship with NPCs who own them. The demo available for 2017 Gstar only provides a brief experience of the combat.  Karma, Karma Shards, weapons, and costumes will be shown in the future.

KurtzPel is subtitled ‘Bringer of Chaos’ which holds significant meaning within the game’s story. KurtzPel is a distinct noun within the game world which means bringer of chaos. Chaos is the disaster that has been wrought upon the world of Esteria and the player characters are referred to as KurtzPels being highly feared and hated by the eyes of society.

When questioned if KurtzPel is the successor of Grand Chase Gwon answered that as a spiritual successor of KOG’s expertise in action which started with Grand Chase KurtzPel may fit the bill but if asked if it is a direct sequel then the answer would be no. Gwon stated his desire for KurtzPel to have it’s own unique narrative and world which players who have enjoyed Grand Chase may enjoy as well.

When commented on the artstyle of KurtzPel Gwon mentioned that there was some concern with showing off the game in Gstar while it was still early in development. He wanted KurtzPel to be a unique game in every aspect and the art direction was no exception. Gwon pointed out that recent games are showing concept art and illustration with more and more designs and details with which he decided to go with a more simple and clean form of art starting from their concept art. The in-game graphics also reflects this with clean and clear visual while the details are within how the art is expressed.

Which is why they decided to express their art with cell shading. A decision not for nostalgia chasing but because it is what was deemed to be the best method for expressing KurtzPel’s artistic direction.

The push towards creating KurtzPel’s visuals is an on-going task. Gwon mentioned that while Unreal4 is an excellent engine, it wasn’t best suited for the artstyle he wanted for KurtzPel which required a lot of trail and errors to perfect.

KurtzPel is still in early development where Gwon mentions as being in the ‘starting phase’ but added that the basic system for the action is shaping up nicely. He also stressed that KurtzPel is an action PvP game at the core and that PvP content will be developed first and foremost while other content will not be allowed to get in the way of KOG’s progress with PVP content. He is planning to provide players a chance to experience KurtzPel in any form possible within 2018.  

That is not to say KurtzPel won’t have PvE although it will not be in the form of dungeons like KOG’s past titles but in ‘battle’ format. The story will not be centered around a single heroes’ journey like a film or novel but something more suited for a game narrative. There are going to be multiple missions based on various fragments of story elements on top of an overarching world story and having the necessary requirements will proc events with NPCs which will expand on the story of the NPC and the game world.

Player characters are part of an organization called ‘Chase’ where they can accept higher mission as they go up the ranks. High rank missions have deeper involvement with the story with important objectives. Ranks can be achieved through competition with other players.

The overarching narrative of KurtzPel will change continuously with each update with the addition of core NPCs and new missions while old missions are changed or removed.

The player characters in KurtzPel are customizable avatars. Players will create their own characters and their own story.

A lot of games these days have very in-depth customization options that many find overwhelming and spend a lot of time to make the best-looking character or to find the best preset only to find that they ended up with a character they don’t like. Which is why KurtzPel aims to provide an easy to use customization system that is also capable of expressing each player’s individuality.

When creating characters for Elsword, the starting point was never on the appearance. Design always operated on the rule of ‘function dictates form’. And character customization also works on this principle. So the character customization of KurtzPel will be based on character personality and background.

Players are to choose a character type which will affect the general direction of the character’s appearance, certain actions, voice, and other elements. The Gstar 2017 demo showcases customization for human males and females. Other races will be available on launch.

Gwon went on to explain more on Karma and also introduce the Karmas which were shown for the Gstar 2017 demo.

Karma is something that can be shared with other users. Thus, this means it is possible to possess all existing Karmas which can be further trained then shared with others. The four Karmas introduces are Sword of Talaimh, Dance of Wind, Diabolic Witch, and Dual Soul.

Sword of Talaimh is the only defensive Karma introduced for Gstar 2017. It is sturdy and is capable for disrupting enemy action for a long period of time.

Sword of Talaimh is the only offensive melee Karma introduced for Gstar 2017. It can be easily interrupted and is not capable in disrupting others but has good mobility and can deal a large amount of damage quickly.

Dance of wind is a ranged offensive Karma with long range and Diabolic Wind is the only magic based Karma introduced for Gstar 2017 and can deal massive damage against the other three revealed Karmas which have weak magical defense.

Gwon hopes that KurtzPel will become a game where any combination of two people can easily get together and have a good time. He has no idea how far in to development they will be one year from now but wishes to be able to present a well structured variety of Karmas like a deck of cards by then.

KurtzPel Teaser Page

[worldwidegamewatchers]

Fire Emblem Warriors : Lyndis Gameplay

So one thing I've assumed before about musuo games was that individual combat only encased mashing combos and falling back whenever a serious opponent blocks and turn around right away once they start moving but FE Warriors once again proved me wrong by adding a bit of layer to combat to make it possible to perform better if you mean to, but just smashing combos can can the job of course. Hell, in 3:11 the game very briefly pretends to be an action game with an evasive counter and air-combo.

Oh right, and can someone tell me if Lyndis is a particularly popular  character of the FE series? She's just bonkers in this game.

[worldwidegamewatchers]

Lost Ark : 2nd CBT Gameplay Stream

Linking part 3 because the action gets more entertaining after reaching level 20.

[worldwidegamewatchers]

Hyper Universe : Trying out Sonya

After hearing that Hyper Universe is starting service in Steam I tried playing around a bit on the KR server to see what has changed since last time I played. Quite a lot actually. I notice 5 heroes I'm completely unfamiliar with and 2 which were around during closed beta but wasn't on the live server by the time I quit. Hero balance seems to be better. Overall damage feels reduced too with how team battles don't have a tenancy to become a 2 second gank-fest.

The first rank season also started June 15th this year and will end in September 14th. There's a participation reward given for players who play at least 50 ranked matches and reach gold rank, which is the third rank you progress in to out of seven which shouldn't be too difficult. The reward is a TS skin for one of the newer character, Sonya. Interestingly enough, it's not only the first TS skin but also a female to male TS(shown on the thumbnail of the vid). Oh, and while the topic is on skins, there's of course several new skins on the shop and I actually bought one for Athena. For a game I barely play. Which demonstrates my excellent judgement on how to spend my money.

Playing in Hyper Universe after a long time had me remembering how much fun I had with this game... and also how much MOBA's are just not for me. It's a shame really because this would probably be my go-to game if I was a MOBA person.

---Music--- Epidemic Sound - Thrilling Chase

[worldwidegamewatchers]

Vindictus : Practicing Lynn's Blute

I just realized after turning the game off for today that I should be utilizing her LLRR by jumping backwards into the boss. That's what I get for not watching other people's gameplay and try to figure things out by myself. I also should be using her Tab key skill more for 'oh shi-' situations rather than trying to block.

Let's see how much I can improve within 50 raid runs. Since that's the number of times I need to do a raid with Lynn to get the event reward.

[worldwidegamewatchers]

Black Desert : lv56 Mystic hunting in Gahaz

If only primary weapon gameplay is reflective of awakened weapon gameplay. But I know that will never be the case :P

-Music- Splatoon2 BGM : Spicky Calamari Inkantation

[worldwidegamewatchers]

Black Desert GM note: Rabam’s Insight, skill advancement preview 

Skill advancement which has been teased as the second awakening system is implemented as a system called Rabam’s Insight.

Rabam’s Insight combines two primary weapon skills designated as a main skill and secondary skill to make a second awakened skill called Advanced Skill and can be accessed starting from level 56.

The example given in the note is Warrior’s Ground Smash and Ground Roar combined to create Roaring Smash.

Each class will be assigned one main skill and two secondary skills to combine which results in two types of Advanced Skills which differ depending on which secondary skill has been used.

Additional Advanced Skill combinations besides the ones shown in the video are planned to be added in the future.

[worldwidegamewatchers]

Black Desert : Mystic Character Creation

"Yes we said no female-Stryker but this is the Mystic therefore totally different."

I'm kicking myself for not trying LEGS.

[worldwidegamewatchers]

Splatoon 2 : Splatfest World Premiere Montage

The magic of video editing used to cut out the painful to watch scenes.

Getting used to the motion aiming is going to take me forever.