The Dungeons of Wildstar: Dynamic Experiences and Compelling Bosses

"We want to have content for every player. But when we say something is for hardcore players, it's for hardcore players," said Wildstar Design Producer Stephen Frost, as we sat down to have a look at some of the game's dungeons. In this context, Frost points out that the dungeons and end-game content for Wildstar are not for the faint of heart, but the goal in this is not to prevent players from succeeding, rather it is to prevent burnout and keep hardcore players satisfied, one thing World of Warcraft failed to do when it nerfed its own end-game content. Frost points out that much of the PVE content within the game will help prepare players for the content found in dungeons, so it is very possible to successfully run them, even with little to no previous MMO experience. He also mentions that Wildstar will be using the holy trinity of tank, healer, and dps.   

Starting off, Frost gives us a tour through a level 17-22 five man dungeon called the Ruins of Kel Voreth. This dungeon was once home to the Eldan, the enigmatic race that inexplicably disappeared  from planet Nexus. Although the Eldan themselves vanished, they left remnants of their society behind, including the Osun, industrial soldiers who were initially created to protect the Eldan's cities but ended up growing too powerful to control.

In terms of environment, the detail of Kel Voreth is breathtaking in its juxtaposition of natural and mechanical elements. Rather than a closed-in claustrophobic cave (a typical trait of low level instances), the area more closely resembles end-game content from games like oldschool World of Warcraft. It is massive, open, and vibrant, reminding me much of Molten Core. 

"We wanted to combat zone fatigue," said Frost. "Basically when you travel into an area and you're just like 'Ugh, I have seen this for the past 20 hours'... this can happen especially in repeatable content, so we wanted to make sure the environment changed and felt massive and entertaining." Frost also explained that the dungeons will be far more dynamic, occasionally closing certain wings to make sure players experience the dungeons in a variety of ways. This, in my opinion, is a huge step forward in MMORPG content--taking away the wasteful feel of the daily grind and replacing it with unique experiences. 

While Kel Voreth contains many interesting boss fights, the one Frost focused on was the Forge Master, who wields a massive hammer along with the ability to draw enemies within his striking range via a tether-link attack. In order to avoid the attack the players must assist each other in escaping the tether.

The next dungeon we witnessed was Stormtalon's Lair, another level 17-22 five man that has been taken over by a race called the Pell, who are attempting to research lost Eldan technology. Where Kel Voreth's setting was more industrially based, Stormtalon's is slightly more mystifying, featuring a mixture of blue hues and technological elements. Our first boss is a High Priest who can buff up his armor and throw random attacks all over the room. Luckily these attacks can be predicted by indicators (or telegraphs) that appear on the ground. One of the priest's attacks is focused into a small circle that stalks a select player around the room before exploding for massive amounts of damage. If the player is quick enough they can actually lead the circle over the boss and cause a bit of good old fashioned friendly fire. After that fight Frost explains that that is it possible to actually CC bosses--though CCing is not an easy endeavor. In order to CC a boss the entire team must stack their own class-based CC on the boss until a threshold is reached. Is it worth CCing a boss to prevent massive attacks from wiping out the party? Considering the boss fights we have seen so far, it would seem so. 

The next boss we encounter is Aethros, a wind elemental boss who has an affinity for all things stormy. At one point in the boss fight, Aethros actually teleports the players to the opposite side of a chamber, forcing them to traverse a shifting and chaotic tornado-ridden path to make it back to the boss before he casts a spell that can wipe the entire party. Frost points out that each time this tornado mechanic occurs, it will occur on different paths--an intricate feature meant to keep players on their toes. In Wildstar, it is obvious that there will be no room for monotonous button-mashing. 

After the fight with Aethros we arrive at the final boss of Stormtalon; perhaps one of the most intriguing bosses yet. As we enter the a chamber we see yet another Pell High Priest, but rather than fighting the group he transfers his life force energy into a grisly-looking egg sack hanging from the ceiling. Transferring life force into an egg sack can normally only lead to bad things happening... and low and behold  they do. The sack opens, releasing a colossal baby (oxymoron, anyone?) dragon . And guess what? He's hungry. The detail in this boss is beautiful, his armored head and electrifying blue eyes make me feel a little uneasy at the fact that he was going to have to die. One of the dragon's  attacks features a field of electricity that covers the entirety of the room... aside from one lucky player. It is the job of the team to stack on that player to avoid damage.

At the end of the preview, Frost explained that each dungeon will also have a veteran version for those who are level 50 and up. A player who wishes to progress to the 20 and 40 man end-game content will have to run through the veteran versions of the dungeons in order to get the gear necessary to successfully run Wildstar's end game content. For lower levels, the dungeons begin at level 17, but Frost was quick to point out that around level 12 parties will be able to partake on adventures. What are adventures? We're still not entirely sure, but Frost said they are awesome. After seeing the content the dev team has created so far, I absolutely believe him. All in all, the dungeons of Wildstar feel huge, dynamic, and engaging. Combine that with the witty humor and lore we have come to know and love about Wildstar's style and I am left with a healthy appetite for more.