For the last few months we've been talking about our upcoming booster pack and the new game-play feature we're introducing with it, land control. To go along with that, we now have a name for the booster pack: The Notum Wars. Because the controllers are actually notum mines that give individual and organisational benefits, we expect fighting over these areas will be fierce.
In the time between now and release, I'll be posting articles on our website that focus on each land control feature in much more detail. The first article will be about the controllers. For now though, I wanted to give you some more details about other stuff you will see in the booster.
One of the most obvious additions will be new Yalmahas. Take a look at the artwork! I'm impressed with what our artists have come up with and I think you will be too. These cool Yalms, along with the ground-based fighting vehicles we'll be introducing, can be purchased in special shops accessible with The Notum Wars.
If you've ever wondered what the chaos of battle would be like if you could hear the frantic and excited shouts of your team-mates, you'll now have the chance to find out. With The Notum Wars you'll gain access to pre-recorded voice commands personalised for each breed and gender. You will also be able to make your own voice commands if you like.
Some great stuff will be available to all players, not just owners of The Notum Wars. In patch 14.6 we are adding what we call the "new player experience", but we know that even veteran players will want to check it out. The entire character creation system has been redone and players are now introduced to Rubi-Ka and get a much better feeling of what kind of world they are entering. After going through the new character creation system, you'll enter our Arrival Hall. Here you can chat with helpful colonists, learn about Rubi-Ka's history, and get valuable information about the sides of the conflict before making your final choice. Our coders and artists have done an amazing job and I recommend that you all create a new character just to check it out.
Even if you're not creating a new character, you'll still feel the effects of some other environmental changes. We want to keep some details a surprise, but I will say that everyone will be able to feel that Rubi-Ka is a more active planet, especially within bustling cities. Along with new sounds for the land control features, everyone will be able to see the notum-pumping controllers and other cool visual effects for the towers.
There’s a lot to look forward to in the coming months, so stay tuned!
Gaute Godager
Anarchy Online Game Director.