Letter to the Community #03

Before you go ahead and explore our letter, it is important to note that no dev have been harmed for this information ... well ... officially! Here are the details on what the different teams are working on in the KROZMOZ!

 

Hello all,
 
Here we are already at the 3rd letter to the community. I don't know about you, but I get the impression time's passing incredibly fast at the moment. Is it springtime? Or maybe the end of a few huge adventures like the film?

Whatever it is, with this new letter, you might see the opposite effect, and find that time is passing slowly, because it's big.
 
I've already said that the purpose of this letter to the community is to keep you informed of everything that we're currently working on here at Ankama. So there's a little bit of everything and it's going to seem very long if you read it all at once .
 
On the animation side of things, we've finished with the DOFUS film adventure, so you'll find a little recap later on, and we're currently getting organized for projects to come.

As for the games:

The KROSMAGA team is advancing quite well. Some among you in France even got to test the alpha in recent days. On a related note, here are some of the character designs created by Xavier Houssin, Kim Ettinoff and Romain Pergod :

What do you think if we went in this artistic direction with future content for our MMOs?

 

The DOFUS TOUCH team is reaching the end of their marathon and we're impatient to make it available to you. What's interesting is that, with tablets being 4:3, we have the impression that DOFUS was made for them. The game is enjoying a renewed youthfulness, and I think it will be (in terms of content) one of the most complete games on tablet.

In the background, and always centered around the Krosmoz universe, we have a grand plan of attack that we're impatient to share with you. There's still lots to consider, but once we're further along, we'll tell you more. 

As for DOFUS and WAKFU, we definitely noticed that the calendar didn't really inspire you, and I understand only too well. We agree that it looks rather empty.

But know that there's lots of content that hasn't yet been detailed, and that the teams are planning on adding that progressively. For example, for DOFUS, two enormous projects are in progress. The first concerns a complete revamp of the interfaces. The more keen among you will certainly have felt that something was coming, because we asked for your opinions on the forums. We'll tell you more about that in this letter. And the other big project is transforming DOFUS into 16:9... It's a big job and it's going to take us a lot of time, but we consider it indispensable, and a way to make DOFUS feel new again.

Internally, we've had some difficulties "promising" too much out of fear of exposing ourselves to your collective wrath if we are unable to deliver, and so from your side, what you've been offered seems very light, even if that's not really the case. It's doubtless our way of explaining that isn't working, and I hope that this letter will make things a little clearer. 
 
In conclusion, I'd like to thank the Swiss we met at Polymanga. 1,300 people were there to see the DOFUS film. Thank you for your patience, because I know some of you were there at 2 p.m. to catch the showing at 6 p.m. What's more, the projection was really low quality: the image was too dark, the sound was rotten, and I had a lot of trouble keeping my cool when I saw the conditions our baby was being shown in... But your reactions quickly lifted our spirits along with Jean-Jacques, and I thank you so very much for your welcome. We'd like very much to come back next year.
 
The week after, we were in Meknès, Morocco. The ambience was completely different. What a change of scene. Frankly it was magic. I was bawling during the first projection when I found out that a large part of the children in the room had never in their lives been to the cinema before. What a magnificent gift they gave us... I'd also like to take the opportunity to thank the 20 or so players that we met. Guys, I've only got one thing to tell you: I love your sense of humor.
 
To wrap up, we'll be at the NonStop Festival in Barcelona on May 19^th and 20^th. Don't hesitate to come by and see us if you're in the area!
 
I wish you all happy reading.

Tot

WAKFU MMO

A word from the team

Following the content published to the calendar, we'd like to reassure you of two things: first of all, we're working on lots of features and content this year which isn't yet on the calendar, and also, as the Community Managers have confirmed, we're updating it regularly.

We'd like to continue to communicate and converse with you even more, and the calendar, like the letter to the community, is one of the new ways that we can restore that link that we seem to have lost through the years. If there are other formats which would interest you, please let us know in the comments!
 
Now, let's move on to more serious things like the new features and content we've started working on. 
 

Adjustable Level System

 
What's that?
It's the ability of a player to virtually reduce the level of their character in order to take part in certain activities, all while gaining rewards adapted to the character's real level.

For example, a level 120 character could do a level 60 dungeon by lowering themselves to level 60, and gain rewards adapted to level 120: experience, money allowing them to get equipment, etc.
 
What's the objective?
First of all, the Adjustable Level will let you create your own challenges, no matter the actual level of your character, using all of the game's content. The Adjustable Level system will intrinsically change the current perception of player progression: from now on, the more you increase your level, you simply have access to more content, instead of just the high-level content.

​The Adjustable Level System will also be a solid base for several future functionalities, revolving around three primary themes:
 

• Mutual assistance: play with your friends, no matter their level, while continuing to advance your character,
• Matchmaking: by welcoming more players into the system and grouping them naturally, the matchmaking systems will function much better,
• Competition: the Adjustable Level system will bring a competitive aspect to all of the games content while being fair to all players, irrespective of their levels.

 
In short, it's a new central functionality which will offer numerous perspectives for the future of the WAKFU MMO!
 

Tutorial 

 
In parallel with Adjustable Levels, we're also working on an enormous project for WAKFU: a complete revamp of the start of the game and its ergonomics.
 
Why?
Welcoming new players is something of prime importance, and it's been a long time since we've readapted the beginning of the game to our needs, and to the modifications which have taken place these last years. And Incarnam, which is the first area our new players discover, is a little lacking in ambiance, appeal, fun, Wakfu... and something to give a real "whoa" effect in the first few minutes of play.
 

 

In a few words:
That's why we're starting by updating the feel of Incarnam. Our objectives for this revamp are:

• Slowly and gently learn the game mechanics which can sometimes be complex.
• Introduce the game's ambiance and its unique graphical style.
• Anchor the game in the Krosmoz transmedia universe.
• Bring an epic touch, which was missing in the old Incarnam.

 
The plot of Incarnam will be handled by a transmedia character and will revolve around the notions of Wakfu and Stasis - the mysterious energies at the heart of the Krosmoz. In the same vein, we also want to reintroduce Ogrest fairly quickly, from the beginning of the game...

 

 

Don't worry if this content doesn't appear in the game in the coming days - it's going to take us some time to be able to deliver content in line with what we have in mind, but we hope that this first bit of information will help you wait.


 

WAKFU SEASON 3

 

  

DOFUS MMO

 

Inter-Server Kolossium Update

A word from Simsoft

Multiple tests carried out on the Beta client were fruitful for the Inter-Server Kolossium infrastructure. In particular, the most recent version (2.34) and the large number of players in the Beta allowed us to take stock of the general state of the project's development, and correct several critical bugs.
 
Considering our current advancement on the ISK, we're confident in saying it will be released some time in the month of July. We're staying cautious (you should know us by now!) and so we'd prefer a progressive roll-out: just one or maybe two servers at first, in order to let us study how it works in real conditions, and the rest of the servers will come later. Which means that not everyone will get access to the ISK at the same time. But rest assured, this project is a priority for our dev team. We'll do everything we can for an efficient deployment, as quickly as possible. 

 

Mysteries & Extensions

A word from Halden

If you've wandered around Sufokia's coast, you've surely seen it: a gigantic submarine has emerged from the waters of the bay. The town's inhabitants are talking about nothing else... The Sea Council has, of course, tried to learn more. A delegation went and met the occupants of the imposing submersible. Friends or enemies? Councilor Viktoria Punkhurst remains very discreet on the subject.

Since the authorities are remaining silent, the intrepid Polly Perkin, a journalist with the Sufokia Dispatch, led an investigation... She managed to meet the captain of the submarine. Despite the rumors, he's not one of Merkator's henchmen, but a dignified (and very attractive, according to Miss Perkin) representative of the Sea People, the ancestors of the Foggernauts. This proud officer claimed to be in the service of a monarch who was impatient to meet the people on the surface.

Have the founders of Sufokia returned to the city they themselves built several centuries ago? If this information is true, it will mark the beginning of a new era for the city. Who knows what the Ancients' technomagic will help accomplish? Those that dream of exploring the last vestiges of mystery lying deep beneath the surface may soon see their dream realized... but the creatures that live in the abysses may not appreciate the intrusion into their domain.
 

Interfaces

A word from Furylaxx

You've certainly noticed that recently we've been frequently asking your opinion of the interfaces. To this end, we've created The Dofus Lab: a place for discussions around projects currently under consideration as ways of improving your gaming experience.

After several reports and multiple discussions with the team, we're happy to announce that we're breaking ground on a huge project: a total interface revision.
 
Our goal is to breath some new life into them, and more! We're going to work on the general ergonomics in order to make them more accessible and efficient. All while keeping the game's spirit - we won't be turning Dofus into anything that it's not currently.

We'll be reworking ALL the interfaces which, as you might imagine, will take lots of time! We're planning to release this revamp along with the release of the 16:9 version in the second trimester of 2016.
 
In order to do this, and to impact current production flow as little as possible, the DOFUS team has been joined by 2 ergonomists: myself and a graphic designer specializing in interfaces. And since this is the letter to the community (and we can't resist), here are the first concepts we're working on as a free and fresh gift! However, I must insist on the word "concept" because they will certainly change over time, so don't take them to be definitive.

 

 

 

Don't hesitate to let us know what you think about all this in The Dofus Lab! We'll use that space to show you how the project is coming along. Because yes, we'll keep asking for your opinions! We really want to work together with you on this project: know your desires, the problems you've faced, etc. We want to know everything!

 

 

DOFUS TOUCH

A word from Jonquille

It's been about 6 months now that  DOFUS Touch  has been accessible as a closed beta, and the game is almost ready to hatch! You can play it from anywhere, anytime, and with whoever you want!
 
Although this closed beta took place in France, we plan to release the game in Canada at the end of May. Why Canada first? Simply because it's the country that allows us to launch two versions at once (French and English) and what's more, it will allow us to entice a lot of new players, who have never touched DOFUS, to wander the rich and fertile lands of the World of Twelve. Then, if the game functions well there, it will be available in other countries shortly. For the moment, although we're not announcing an official release date, we're still aiming for the first quarter for the release in France.

Once launched in Canada, the beta will be closed. We know it will be hard - you'll have to be strong and courageous. If it becomes too difficult for you, we suggest you hide your tablet in a corner, and don't look it in the eyes. We're sure it will understand. But be sure to tell it that this will only last a few weeks and that you'll be back very soon.
 
Nearly 4,000 invitations were sent out for the closed beta, and we'd really like to thank the beta testers for their kindness and their involvement: the ambiance in the game was excellent, and it was thanks to you! Together, for example, we established the welcome guild system.
                      
The leader of the beta's welcome guild, Cait Sith, can tell you more:
"When Nyom contacted me to talk to me about the welcome guild project, I was immediately interested, given that it's already a bit what I was doing when the beta started. Then throughout the discussions, tests, and observing the system in game, I really saw the potential of the welcome guilds in terms of communicating our passion to newcomers in the universe of Dofus. Thanks to various exchanges with the devs through the Community Management team, and their strong interest in creating a successful game,  we've managed to create some features exclusive to DOFUS Touch which will permit, I'm sure, seasoned players to play alongside newcomers. The principle of a welcome guild will fully make sense once the official release comes, and I'm more motivated than ever to take part in this adventure! "
 
Don't think that DOFUS Touch is simply a port of DOFUS to the tablet! Numerous features are exclusive to this version of the game: for example, the NPC Joris, who will accompany new players all throughout their adventures in Incarnam, the new marketplace which is accessible from anywhere thanks to a simple shortcut button, and even the character creation screen. Your tablet will shiver with pleasure, you can take our word.
   

 

KROSMAGA

A word from Tot

In terms of scheduling, we'd like to have KROSMAGA finished in 3 months, then follow with 2-3 months of open beta and start the pc, mac and tablet versions right after. Put simply, Krosmaga will be released soon!

We've tried to simplify the game while adding even more depth. The gods and their spells have been reworked in order to accelerate matches and to offer more variety. There's now around 3 game principles per god: 
 

• Iop: charge mechanisms/initiative/armor and attack buffs

 

• Ecaflip: heads or tails/six-sided die (random damage)/combos linked to Bow Meows

 

• Cra: long-range shooting/blast spells/direct attacks on the Dofus

   

• Eniripsa: heals/control/characteristic changes

   

• Sacrier: sacrifice/placement/fury

   

• Sram: Traps/+2 mechanics linked to discard

 

• Sadida: Everything depends on the management of seeds which will allow the creation of dolls or bushes. The bushes, once placed on the field, will allow you to summon your Sadidas directly on them rather than onto the starting cell. 

 

• Xelor: Dial/reducing and increasing card costs 

 
The advantages of the game in its current version:
 

• We've gained quite a lot in terms of comprehension and readability, all while allowing more interesting and, above all, varied tactical decisions. Now, we once again need to examine it in the context of real matches, and to refine and perfect the balance before opening wide the doors. 

 

• We've added a special concept concerning around 30 cards. It concerns the most rare type: "infinite". They represent the heros of the Krosmoz at different points in their lives (you could, for example, see the same character at different ages).

 
These cards have 9 levels which develop in accordance with the actions taken during the match. With each new level reached, you'll receive a "gift". 
   

• We've also added an extensive collection system. Between ourselves, we call it the "Panini album" and now that we think about it, we're not quite sure what other name could describe it better. There are, throughout this collection, around 300 rewards which are divided into 5 categories.

 

• We're also re-examining the character designs and class animations to make them even greater. 

 
Here are some examples of the new characters. The idea here is that these designs serve as references for DOFUS and WAKFU, whether that's for their upcoming content or their next zone or class revamps. 
 
   

• Our tests on tablets are progressing well and the first results are pretty promising.

 

• In comparison with what we tested in the first alpha, we're also revising all of the interfaces. What do you think?

 

 

 
The disadvantages of the game in its current version:
 

• Currently, the game progresses quite well while the players have numerous cards and create their decks, but is rather troublesome when one's just starting out with very few cards. The matches drag on... We need to work on this part in order to make the entire game more interesting, from start to finish.

 

• The gods and their grand death animations cause freezes on tablets. We might have to replace the gods with just a simple medallion or icon. It breaks our hearts, but we'll see - maybe the devs will be able to manage a miracle! 

 
Here's what you'll have when the game is released:
 

• 8 gods planned at the start 

 

• 450 cards to play and collect spread across 5 levels of rarity: common/uncommon/rare/Krosmic/Infinite
   
• A chat system and a friends list to let you launch direct challenges
   
• 300 rewards for the album spread across 5 different categories:
  • "Puzzle" cards: they let you complete a poster. When you complete the entire illustration, you win a reward.
  • "BG" cards: they'll let you get little texts that describe the universe and its characters.
  • "Video" cards: these offer excerpts of our animated series.
  • "Treasure" cards: rarer and harder to obtain, they'll offer numerous surprises (boosters, kamas, exp...)
  • "Character" cards: these are the rarest cards. These will offer new exclusive cards to play. 

 
And then?

Because we're still going to keep a few things for the end of the year, after the release of the game, we're planning to... you'll see! ;)

KROSMASTER

 

About Duel Pack 3

Since its announcement, some of you are waiting eagerly for Duel Pack 3, containing both Anathar and the Justice Knight. However, its release has been delayed time and time again. How come? This pack was the last one produced in our old factory, and due to production troubles, we have been unable to getting our hands on it. The situation could resolve itself in a couple of days or a couple of months…
 
We cannot give you a definite date of release yet: it will insert itself into our planning whenever it will be ready. But as soon as we catch a glimpse of Duel Pack 3, you will be the first one to know! 

Krosmaster Arena 2.0 and Season 4