Behind the Scenes
To Boost or Not To Boost
One topic you have all been asking about is how the booster pack will change the game for those buying it – compared to those not buying. To fully explain this I need to go into more detail about the booster pack.
Building and placing of towers and controllers
Everyone will be able to buy, find or use trade skills to create tower-construction items. However, only those with the booster pack can use these items and place towers through a special tower interface. Basically - to boost is to build :p
See towers for attack and defense
It is important that everyone is able to see every tower type, each controller and all the related effects. Also, everyone can participate in fights - attacking and defending the towers. We think this makes sense because not everyone in an organization will upgrade to the booster pack. So, you should still be able to participate and help your group without it!
Get skill buffs from the towers and controllers
There are three types of skill buffs (friendly skill bonuses) applied to a character through this booster pack. 1. "Advantages" granted to the whole organization because of the controller. 2. The "area effect buffs" from the towers. 3. "Ownership buffs" given to the actual owner of the tower. 1 and 3 will only be available to booster pack owners. However everyone will be affected by 2, as long as they are within range.
Service towers
Service towers are small, stationary towers usable only outdoors. These are available for solo or team play alternatives away from the controller towers. They don't last too long, but they add some bonuses here and there. It's possible to use these as a way to make an outdoor temporary camp you can pull mobs to. Only owners of the booster pack can get these though. Everyone in the team of the owner will be protected by it, if they are close enough.
Use of the controller grid-in point
Everyone in a guild that has a tower will be able to go from the grid to that controller.
In addition to these aspects of the land control itself, we also have music, sound and visual improvements available only to the booster pack owners. We'll give more detail about these features next month.
Basically we want everyone to participate in the fun of fighting – but not necessarily gain all the benefits of the towers. It will be a lot of balancing and tweaks before we are done, but I am convinced this will knit the organizations much closer together and make PvP relate much more to the meaning of the game.
Of course, everyone at Funcom will share in today's remembrance of last year's tragedy in the U.S. Our thoughts are with all those who were affected.
Yours truly,
Gaute Godager,
Anarchy-Online Game Director