Incarnam Anew 2010-01-08 17:51

Hello dear Wakfu players!

First, let me introduce myself, my name is Tonio, I am a young Game Designer and have just recently joined the Wakfu team! I work on the various game mechanics and my ultimate goal is to make your Wakfu experience unique and like no other MMO.

So let’s get right to the point and to the heart of the matter, shall we? Today we’ll be talking about the new version of Incarnam - Wakfu’s new evolutionary learning area.

1. Starting over

The most observant among you might have noticed that there already is an Incarnam tutorial! So why are we reworking it? Simply because it does not quite fulfill the objective we had set for it. But then what are the objectives in question, you ask? For us, the introduction of the game must:

• Stun and amaze the player right off the bat! The first impression one gets of Wakfu is crucial. The graphics and sound must be immaculate - the player must be completely absorbed by the experience.
• Teach the gameplay basics. The player must learn how to play during this phase. It may sound obvious but it’s essential! The basis of a game is interactivity after all!
• Give you a taste of the overall gaming experience. The tutorial should give hints to most of its aspects, acting as a sort of trailer. It should give a feel of the experience and make new players want to continue playing.
• Finally, it should give you goals to attain - because there's nothing worse than moving forward without an objective in mind. The player must not feel overwhelmed, but always have at least one goal to accomplish, even if he later makes them up himself.

While analyzing Incarnam’s first version (the one now online) it is clear that these criteria have not fully been met ... Very good ideas punctuate the tutorial but there was still much to improve on.

The first major criticism made by you, the players, is the lack of information and explanations. In truth, other than the fighting system, Incarnam doesn’t really show you how to play Wakfu. And to say that Wakfu is a bit complex is an understatement! The first contact with the game can sometimes be ... “hum”... a bit rough - ecosystem dynamics, Wakfu/Stasis, possibly scarce resources, an in-depth crafting system, Clan Masters, and many other features. And to think that we haven’t even integrated everything yet!

We heard your complaints, dissected and discussed them and did something about it! We also kept in mind the things you enjoyed (the frescoes, the Incarnam feel) to refine them and add the finishing touches.

With that in mind, we’ve taken a step back to make this new tutorial, and really pondered how to make it the best it could be. So, without further ado, here is a two-point presentation of the new Incarnam which is no longer a simple tutorial but now a complete learning area.

2. Incarnam V2 – Tour Guide Intro

In this tour guide, we added everything included in the first minutes of play, from creating your avatar to discovering the game world. Our goal is now to meet the objectives previously stated.

So what we want at this stage is for your arrival into the Wakfu world to be spectacular, fast-paced, and to hit home right away! I won’t reveal too much about this part of the game, but you can expect a heavy introduction! Oh, and a tiny surprise awaits you just after creating your character. But hush!

Every character will start his existence in Incarnam right after incarnation (curiously enough!). This opens the first zone (we are of course talking about an actual area and not some excessively scripted and linear tutorial) a place where you can freely explore your surroundings and where you will begin to master the game’s first interactions; ecosystem and combat. And for the most tenacious of you, secrets await...

But careful, don’t go imagining that what we did is simply a light makeover of the actual tutorial, that would be far from the truth - no more endless dialogues, the feeling of moving on a set path, gone forever! You must now see this foray into Incarnam as the first real area of the game: the player is free to go as he pleases and to level up safely. Accessibility, simplicity, learning through action; those are the key words!

But this is only the tip of the iceberg: the new version of Incarnam is more than just a tutorial to start the game.

3. Incarnam V2 – Evolutionary learning

The real goal is to make Incarnam an evolving area, a place of learning all through the game, pushing players to return at regular intervals. Wonder how and why? Read what follows carefully...

Let’s start with explaining why - you already know that Wakfu has an insane amount of possibilities and that some features haven’t even been integrated yet. The developers believe that it’s difficult enough for players to master the ins and outs of the game, without adding the acute difficulty of explaining it to others.

Technically, we could easily make a tutorial that teaches you all the existing mechanisms early on in the game, but it would probably take you 5H to finish, you’d need 3 liters of coffee and the equivalent of a doctorate degree to get through it. Also, new features added during the Beta would cause quite a headache.

It was with the intent to resolve these issues in mind that we decided that Incarnam should be a temple of learning, where players could return at any time with the help of a Phoenix portal. Incarnam should be a rendezvous spot for players, for them to talk, yes, but mainly to participate in mini-tutorials to hone their knowledge of the game as levels and difficulties go up.

Incarnam has a very special structure, as you can see below:

(NB. This diagram was simplified - it’s not a map nor an artwork!)

Incarnam is formed of a central hub where players can meet without nationality restrictions (the area will be PVP off) marvel at frescoes and other elements recounting the legend of the world of 12.

From this central room, you can also access secondary rooms, each corresponding to one aspect of the game:

• The Combat Room offers tutorials and challenges to learn how to fight to the best of your ability; there you will be taught the different combat techniques - tackling, dodging, using elementary bonuses, etc. Although Iops aren’t usually the best students, you should find quite a few of them loitering about.
• The Ecosystem Chamber touches just about everything related to nature and to the word’s survival and exploitation. Here the budding environmentalists will hone their knowledge of weather or try to understand how the Clan Masters work.
• Last but not least, the Social Hub, where we see just about everything that links the inhabitants of the world of 12. From craftsmanship to advice on preparing your run for governor, that's enough to occupy many merchants and develop public figures.

As you can see, you're free to focus on, or specialize in the specific area of your choice. Incarnam’s doors will be open at all times for you to come back and fully master the information. You’re completely free to learn at your own rhythm and most importantly the experience will be fun and free of constraints!

I can already imagine what you’re thinking: Having access to so many tutorials, is it really a good idea? Isn’t there too much to see? And what’s so evolutionary about it anyway?

Well, that is exactly why the last feature of Incarnam is so interesting: individual tutorials need to be unlocked! True, at first only a few lessons will be available. As my Grandma always said "Knowledge is power, if you want it, you have to work for it!" and that’s true in so many ways.

And for an in-depth look at Incarnam, you need only play! Incarnam’s wonders will be revealed as you gain experience and discover your surroundings. For example, to access the Clan Masters’ Chamber, all you need to do, is to have one cross your path, that’s it, it's as simple as that!

The first chambers (weather impact on wild plants; how to use your haven bag) will be unlocked through fairly simple criteria (herbalism level 15; dropping a haven gem). Keep in mind that the last chambers’ requirements will be much more extreme and accessing them will be far from easy but the reward – not just in knowledge but also in game secrets - will definitely be worth it.

Oh, did I forget to mention that every mission comes with numerous rewards? To motivate the greedy Enutrofs and the studious we have added the most exquisite items! You’ll get them after doing challenges – a clever mix of theory and practice.

Getting through them will give you nice rewards, but beware some will be really difficult and only the toughest will be able to get their hands on the most beautiful prizes. The Gostofs talk of special equipment, decoration for the haven bags or even objects to customize your cutesy pe... oops! Think I've said too much

I leave you with this ‘small’ review - more will be revealed in an upcoming devblog! Here’s hoping I’ve given you a taste and feel for the new Incarnam.