Last week, I had the opportunity to spend about thirty minutes with three people in charge of Fractured Online:
- Westley Connor, Executive Producer, gamigo
- Ashton Thorsen, Associate Producer, gamigo
- Jacopo Gallelli, Co-Founder and CEO at Dynamight Studios.
They introduced me to the game, which I hadn't followed in a while. Last time it was still an alpha, with a lot of missing features. In the meantime, Sodzounet had had a few adventures in May 2020 (article here), before returning a year later with a second article.
But soon, players will be able to enjoy three different planets, each hosting specific races and their unique gameplay. Humans take advantage of new continents with Aerhen, forming a huge game space. Arboreus is home to the peaceful people of the Wildfolk, an area that will be PvE-only. Finally, this fall, demons will be able to roam the PvP-oriented planet Tartaros. You should know that traveling from one planet to another is possible (so a human will be able to visit Arboreus or Tartaros), but this is not easy... and potentially dangerous, especially on Tartaros, a very inhospitable place .
Another style of zone will be offered with the asteroids, temporary maps for a single season (competitive), or even less, from 3 to 4 kms². Control points are spread across the area, inviting players to either attack them or fortify them to hold onto them. At the end of the season, points and rewards will be given to guilds based on the number of points checked. The objective is to maintain a certain competition between the guilds, especially since this will be the only opportunity to obtain a relic. Of course, very oriented PvP, the asteroids nevertheless have an interest for PvE, because it allows to unlock the capacities and the specific resources of the biome of a planet, without having to go to the planet in question. It will be dangerous, of course, but perhaps a little less!
Another major addition concerns weather and temperatures, including during the day/night cycle with an impact on the game. Thus, in the demo, we were walking in the tundra, an area where, unsurprisingly, the temperature drops drastically During the night. Each character evolves in an area in which he feels comfortable, depending on his race, the clothes he wears and his abilities (protection against fire or cold). As soon as the alchemy is there, there will also be special potions. The weather is more advanced than in many games, with clouds that appear randomly and that can trigger events: rain, snow, storm...
Changes are going to be made to siege mechanics because currently it's a bit too easy for players to win with a single attack. The goal is to make everything more complex. Territory management remains central to many game mechanics, allowing guilds to control cities, and impose taxes on local residents, including those living on the outskirts. Crafting is not forgotten with the addition of alchemy, in order to create more consumables (something that was missing in game at the moment, with only bandages and poisons). Potions will offer immediate or long-term effects, and drugs provide originality, presenting bonuses and penalties at the same time. Various other improvements are on the program: the chat, the addition of moderators and game masters, more options for settings, server improvements in the background...
You should know that if you want to get involved, the closed beta will not impose a reset (the only planned wipe will be just before the release). You don't necessarily need to buy a founder's pack, you can take advantage of specific events, such as the free week currently underway: you have until May 31 to take advantage of it!
