The preview goes over the following topics :
- Player Housing
- Victory Conditions
- PVE Instances
- Fractions
- U.S. Status (Release & Beta)
They also include (2) new videos displaying both the city and gameplay footage.
We encourage you to check out the full preview at 1UP!
It's been a long time coming, but Webzen's massively multiplayer online first-person shooter hybrid, Huxley, will soon be entering the open beta test phase in Korea. And the recent announcement of the game's U.S. publisher, NHN USA Inc., places the game's American release in late 2008. We have some new video clips for you to feast your eyes on, but as it's been a while since we last saw Huxley, we also asked Webzen producer Kijong "KJ" Kang for a status update on the game.
SCREENS: Click the image above to check out all Huxley screens.
 Click the image above to see some of Huxley's frenzied shooter action. |
Kijong Kang: The basic story has not been changed. The story takes place in the near future, when the moon has been destroyed by nuclearites and mankind has been transformed into two playable factions that fight against each other to protect their respective cities and to obtain resources. Another race, the monster Hybrids, adds additional threats to the factions.
The most emphasized part during the preparation for the open beta test in Korea is that the game has evolved beyond a multiplayer online game system that depends on a lobby system. Huxley offers game systems where cities exist and players team up to play co-op quests and enter into battle zones to fight against the opposing faction. Such gameplay design is geared toward encouraging users to enjoy the massively multiplayer online first-person-shooter system based on a persistent world.
For instance, there is a training center in Huxley where players receive training to prepare as a member of their respective faction and ultimately function as their city's guardian and citizen. Such basic training teaches players how to fight for their faction's victory by placing them through training quests and simulated PVP. This training system is much deeper than what you'll find in existing FPS games. Huxley's training quests and simulated PVP follow the narrative of the game scenario and lead users to understand why she or he has to -- and how to -- fight.
SCREENS: Click the image above to check out all Huxley screens.
1UP: Can players still buy housing?
KK: The residence area for the players in Huxley is divided into public areas and personal living areas within each city. A personal living area can be upgraded through economic activities based on in-game money and special items. The personal living area is not merely a simple visual inventory -- it's functional, with storage, tools for communication, and instruments used for tuning up items. Of course, all efforts to obtain, maintain, and upgrade the personal living area follow an economy system.
1UP: What are the victory conditions in PVP games these days? Is it simple deathmatch? What happened to the vehicles?
KK: Huxley's PVP system is largely divided into PVP zones and persistent battle zones. In the early stage of gameplay -- character growth -- players can fight it out with the other faction in deathmatch, team deathmatch, and capture the flag. As players grow and progress through Huxley, they can enter more sophisticated battle modes, such as acquiring resources, capturing crashed satellites, or obtaining huge mechs that have significant impacts in massive battles. There will also be various winning conditions in PVP, such as scoring more kills within a certain time limit or dominating and controlling a strongpoint within the level.
The vehicles range from single-seater to multiseater. Each vehicle is designed for use in various situations, such as ground combat, air combat, or transportation. They are placed within the respective map for players to capture and use. However, not all vehicles can be controlled by every player -- players have to acquire certain driving licenses to control and operate certain vehicles.
1UP: Are PVE instances more or less like those in Hellgate: London, where players go through dungeons and clear out randomly spawning monsters?
KK: PVE in Huxley is similar to other quests in online games, so although they will be exciting and challenging, they will feel familiar. Players might have to clear an area where mobs are randomly generated, for example. However, unique in Huxley, different players might enter the same instanced dungeon space for different purposes, depending on the specific quest that the player is in. Unlike Hellgate: London's instances that mostly have a one-way structure, Huxley's instances have a radial structure in which the instances can be entered and exited through the cities. In addition, depending on the objective, the quests lead to co-op play, rather than single-player play.
1UP: Are there still two major player factions? Can a player from one faction ever enter the city of another?
KK: There has been no change in the basic faction structure in Huxley, including the two playable factions, Sapiens and Alternatives, and the monster race, Hybrids. As for entering the other faction's city, well, we'd like to keep the details about that a little secret for now.
1UP: What's the status of the game's U.S. release and beta plans?
KK: This particular publishing and distribution license agreement for North America and Europe has recently been signed with NHN USA, which has established itself as a very reputable and respected publisher in the online game space. In terms of launching strategy for the aforementioned market, it obviously requires extensive discussion and mutual consent between the parties.
Both Webzen and NHN USA definitely hope to get Huxley out there as soon as possible while we make sure all of the game contents and network infrastructures are fully localized, culturalized, and tested thoroughly before its release. Along with this concept, the U.S. release would also depend on the milestones embedded for our domestic market -- South Korea -- as we're set to have the official open beta on June 27. The results we gather through this important open beta in South Korea will provide much more evidential data on product improvement and its work scope.
Any and all realistic assessment that we draw from this valuable learning experience will facilitate the organization of localization requirements for the U.S. market. Once this localization requirement for the U.S. is formed, we would then collectively decide the best launching strategy at that point. All in all, we'd like to have some form of beta going in U.S. by late this year, if at all possible, although no promises at the moment.
Source : 1up.com
