Huxley Evolved :: Huxley Game

    Yet another IGN article, this one is for the cities and questing in Huxley.  On top of that we get another new video, and a few screenshots which should be noted that these are the first screenshots ever released; which have English text! 

Highlights :

- Huxley (PC) will support 5,000 players, but Xbox360's total is still unknown.
- There isn't any player vs. player (PvP) combat inside of the cities, though we are told there might be some player vs. enemy (PvE) events that deal with the game's story.
- You can also take ownership of a personal apartment.  Visitors can explore your area and you can also explore theirs.
- To make better equipment, you'll need a higher skill level which can only be obtained by gaining experience in the craft.
- Simulation Center and vault into a PvP instanced fight or the Restricted Area for instanced PvE fights.

View all Huxley images
Download Huxley Questing Video (HD)

We will keep you updated, as it has been stated there will be one more update for Huxley over at IGN, which will include more media.

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March 6, 2008 - The comparisons to Unreal Tournament are normal for a game like Huxley. It uses the Unreal Engine 3, follows a similar art style and has combat that, on the surface, looks just like its cousin. If there's one place that associations can't be made, it would be in the lobby. In the case of Huxley, persistent cities serve as the pre-match lobby and the number of things you can do there is quite extensive for a first-person shooter.

The two persistent cities in Huxley can support up to 5,000 players at once on PC (360 is still up in the air), so it shouldn't be too hard to run into anyone. And no, you won't be able to pop into a city and just start killing everyone. There isn't any player vs. player (PvP) combat inside of the cities, though we are told there might be some player vs. enemy (PvE) events that deal with the game's story. The focus of the cities, however, will be everything that happens outside of combat. There you can get quests, purchase items, talk and socialize with other players and trade.

"); You can also take ownership of a personal apartment, "if you can afford it." We weren't able to get clarification if that meant real-world money, but we can assume that since no pricing models have been determined yet it means in-game currency. Regardless, size, appearance, and location all play into the cost of personal space. Visitors can explore your area and you theirs, something that might be useful depending upon how the place has been decorated. We're told as an example that you can tune up weapons and armor without going to a shop if the room has the proper equipment for it.

Tuning weapons and armor can strengthen those item's abilities by using specific equipment and materials. There's also a traditional crafting system in the game that allows you to make weapons and armor that can't be found anywhere else by combining equipment and materials. The system is based on experience. To make better equipment, you'll need a higher skill level which can only be obtained by gaining experience in the craft.

Of course, you won't be required to go through extensive tuning and crafting to start playing Huxley. The game gives you some money right off of the bat to purchase weapons and armor so that you can get fighting as soon as possible. Webzen sees this as one of the strengths of the game. According to Producer Kijong "KJ" Kang, "The monotonous part of many MMORPG games, not to mention a lot of FPSs as well, is that there are not enough options for beginners, which promotes a uniform playing style. After all, limited choices in the very beginning steps of a game can be boring." Once you get going, you can obtain new weapons and armor as rewards for completing quests or hunting down monsters and by crafting or spending cash.

Even though things are made easy for an entry level player, there are carrots to reach for. Some weapons require licenses to equip as do vehicles and other equipment. Certain maps will also be locked to high level characters only, keeping those with less skill out of the equation.

When you're ready to get into a battle, you can head to the Simulation Center and vault into a PvP instanced fight or the Restricted Area for instanced PvE fights. The Restricted Areas are where you'll find quests and objectives that tell the story of Huxley.
"Objectives in the Restricted Area quests might include fetching something or killing someone/something in the middle of big PvE fights," Kang said. "But, there are other quests, the special requests where you must complete a search, reach a destination, destroy something tactical or protect or assassinate someone, etc."

Kang described "Dealing Site Raid," a typical quest in Huxley as an example.

You get information that Lucas, one of the intelligence officers in the headquarters of ESKA (the Alternatives' city), betrayed us and he is attempting to hand over an important weapon technology to the HLO. You need to punish him for his betrayal and get the technologies back before it fall into enemy hands.

Intelligence tells you where the deal is going down – so you go there. At the entrance to the 8th area of the underground city, face furious resistance from the HLO and their slayer Hybrids. You need to clear them all out, you head further inside – but you are blocked at a cylindrical corridor where a gigantic ventilation fan is running. An onsite manager NPC tells you that his co-worker who had the key for operating the fan has been devoured by a Hybrid, so you need to hunt the hybrid down to find the key.

When you find the key and stop the fan, you keep moving forward. The enemies' resistance becomes fiercer. In the end of a desperate fight you find Lucas and you can hunt him down. You spot a senior member of the HLO – this is your chance to take out a key opponent! However, he flees – so you grab the nearest vehicle and chase him. Finally, you hunt him down and get back the disk that has the critical weapon information on it and complete the quest.

Check back tomorrow for one more Huxley feature on combat and for even more updates to the media gallery

All information credited towards IGN.com - Erik Brudvig