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Hi guys here is a summary of today's Guild Chat incase you missed it. I was typing as they were talking so let me know if I missed something or misinterpreted something.
*WARNING! SPOILERS BELOW!*
- Assault of the Frost Citadel
- The northern half of map now accessible via Wolf's Crossing
- Must complete Episode 3 meta prior to starting episode 4 meta, which turns into one big meta. -Tweaked some numbers in episode 3 meta, it is essentially quicker to finish and faster to gain participation.
- We storm across Wolf's Crossing, split into different groups, and seize different sectors by defeating different Dominion Tribunes.
- Goals: Keep WvW feel but evolve it with a cinematic/climatic moment. (This is the climax for the story essentially.) Also want it to feel rewarding.
- Frost Citadel is heavily fortified, especially with the help of a certain elder dragon. Wanted to give players the feeling of seizing a Charr Legion Citadel.
- Claw of Jormag: This version is different with unique mechanics. Example: Players first interact within a 'roost' type area and the Claw is attacking from afar while sitting on spires. Players have to build cannons to blow the Claw off the spires.
- Development: This is the first "Moving Prop Boss", Drakarr was a bunch of different separate bosses with artwork/transitions in between each phase. (Props are considered types of assets with collision properties i.e. tents, walls, furniture, etc.)
- Phase 1: Roost area, Phase 2: Falls and gets half-buried and fight near a ravine/cliff edge. One of the signature moves is to knock players back with a 'wind' attack to knock players off. Players can hide behind boulders. Players get a 'grizzly fate' being blown into the ??Blood?? of Jormag below?? Seemed like this was a spoiler and they stumbled over it quickly.
- Devs describe it as a 'mini-dungeon' & want it to feel like your accomplishing something. It was challenging to make it rewarding without making it feel too time-consuming.
- This Claw is smarter than the original Claw. Described as 'cheeky'.
- Outside the Citadel is very much like WVW, inside the citadel is more like an instance-raid feel to it.
- Wanted players to have a feel of 'wrecking stuff up' inside the Citadel, lots of punching of baddies and their shiny toys.
- This took quite a few iterations: If the first phase of the Claw encounter lasted too long, players would get bored, but the devs didn't want it to be too short and lose the satisfaction of going to the next phase. Didn't want just ambient adds to fight or repeating the same actions over and over again.
- Map resets while also making sense, the end result is 'pretty damn cool' according to the devs.
- Devs described it as a lot of cool content and different from what they usually do, described it as difficult but fun to work on due to COVID/quarantine.
Images:
- Concept Art: https://i.imgur.com/40yZOlp.png
- Whiteboard Doodles: https://i.imgur.com/RvoXMsn.png
- Concept Map Art: https://i.imgur.com/pDFeodp.png
- 'Cool Kids" Temp Frost Legion: https://i.imgur.com/xHyw1N9.png
- Tank Concept Doodles: https://i.imgur.com/0TCwt5w.png
Devs:
- Rubi Bayer, Host (HAPPY BIRTHDAY!)
- Nick Hernandez, Game Designer
- Kirk Willford, Team Lead
- Bryan Yarrow, Senior Designer