On the eighth day of gaming Carbine gave to me; Eight Wild Races

With winter finally here it means the spring of WildStar’s launch is that much closer. In order to help celebrate ZAM’s eighth day of gaming, I thought it would be good for us to talk about these eight races and their involvement in the over-arching story of WildStar. And with me being a lore nerd, what better way to bring in the New Year than to share some WildStar history with you all.

You see, It all began with the mysterious and ancient hyper-advanced race known as the Eldan. Planet Nexus used to be their home until the entire race suddenly disappearaed without a trace. How does the most advanced group of people in the galaxy suddenly vanish you ask? Well, that'll be up for you to find out upon completing your descent to this legendary planet. However, what I can say is that whether you’re with the races of the Exiles or the Dominion, you’ll have a reason to fight for Planet Nexus. Let’s begin!

Hey WildStar fans! With the epic-six week class drop finally at an end and the press NDA lifting for levels 1-15, we’ve seen a lot of combat and action-packed info from the WildStar community. Today I want to take a step back and look at a different aspect of the game, one that can sometimes be overlooked in many MMOs. However, in the case of WildStar, our topic of discussion is actually one of the key systems that holds the entire game together and is also one that you might not think of right away. This is the game’s crafting system.

In some games, crafting is included as a “side-project” or something that isn’t given much attention compared to other design aspects. This can often make those dedicated crafters out there feel unimportant, especially once the majority of the player base has reached end-game and crafted gear becomes obsolete. However, In WildStar crafting serves a very important role and not only allows crafters to serve an important economic purpose in the game, but it also allows them to specialize in a specific crafting area and make crafted items that are generally better than other rewards given in various parts of the game.

Today I’ll walk you through the basics of the crafting system and touch on the individual parts that fit into the greater picture. And while this won’t cover every nook and cranny of each crafting skill--and there are a lot of them--it should get you started on the right road to becoming a master crafter at the very least. And one final note before we get started, keep in mind that while you will see some of the crafting UI that is currently in beta, all of the UI and even information we cover isn't final and may be subject to change; beta is beta remember. So without further ado, let’s jump into some crafting!

Those of you who have been reading my WildStar content here on ZAM have probably figured out that I’m a pretty big fan of the game. If the “See you on Nexus” closing to most of my WildStar articles wasn’t a big enough hint, I’m sure that you’ll be able to fit the pieces together once you’ve finished tuning in this time around.

After years of researching this upcoming Sci-fi MMO, which eventually lead to day-dreaming about bringing my guild to the surface of planet Nexus--hey don’t judge me--I finally got the opportunity to embark on an epic journey of my own.  Last week the awesome folks at Carbine Studios and NCSOFT invited members of the press, including myself, to fly to California and check out the game first hand. And, while trying to remain as professional as possible and resist the urge to jump up and down like a crazed Chua who had just been handed a new radioactive gatling laser, I gladly accepted the offer and headed out to San Francisco to hang with the Carbine team.

Hey WildStar fans. As many of you know, the game’s long-awaited “Winter Beta” is upon us and the beta servers are live and kicking with testers making their mark on Planet Nexus. Now, I know I know, not all of you are in the beta yet, but until that blessed day arrives I have some more news that may serve to quench your thirst for info about this upcoming sci-fi MMO.

While I was hanging in California to chat with some of the Carbine team and get some hands-on time with WildStar, I managed to snag an interview with the game’s Design Director, Mike Donatelli. He gave me the rundown on how Winter Beta is progressing, as well as a few tidbits on crafting and some of the social systems that are going into the game.

So while you’re patiently waiting for those beta keys sit back, relax and enjoy some Winter Beta news.

Wednesday is here and it's finally time to formally introduce the last of the six WildStar classes. This guy might be considered by some to be the "Iron Man" of the WildStar universe. He comes packed with Heavy armor, trusty bot companions, a launcher as well as a Mark IV Exo-suit. Introducing--The Engineer.

Calling all trigger-happy citizens of Planet Nexus! I bring you another WildStar class AMA recap this week talking about the re-reveal of the gun-blazing, ranged, damage dealer. With the help of sigils, a pair of Mag-pistols and void bullets, this dual-wielding marksman has a full arsenal that can set enemies ablaze, freeze them in place or even keep allies in tip-top fighting shape. Get ready to enter the void with--the Spellslinger!

Answering questions about the Spellslinger this week was Carbine’s Lead Combat Designer, Chris Lynch, its Class Lead, Hugh Shelton, Class Designer, Mark Matzenbacher and Global Community Manager, Loic Claveau. So without further delay, let’s dive in.

WildStar Wednesday is upon us and this week we have the teleporting gun-slinging assassin: the Spellslinger! This ranged class is a highly mobile mage-assassin that can also double as a healer, should you choose to go that route. No matter what path you choose to go down, the Spellslinger is sure to pack a punch--when you're not getting some R&R in the void that is.

If you've ever wanted to blow stuff up with your mind, Carbine has you covered. This week's WildStar Reddit Class AMA was all about the telekinetic mind-bending Esper. Join me as I break down this latest WildStar class re-reveal and touch on some of the key points that were talked about during the AMA regarding the Esper's two possible combat roles of DPS and Healer.

In this week's AMA we were joined by Carbine's Lead Combat Designer, Chris Lynch, WildStar Class Lead, Hugh Shelton, Esper Class Designer, Jade Martin and Global Community Manager Loïc Claveau, who all answered community questions regarding this ranged caster. While having been described as a mix of Professor X and the Green Lantern makes the Esper already sound more than awesome, let's take a look at how you can expect this class to play.

WildStar Wednesday is here, folks, and today we're kicking off with the re-reveal of the telekinetic master, the Esper. Wielding the power of deadly nightmares or helpful illusions, the Esper takes "mind games" to a whole new level with its vast damage potential and raw healing powers. Want to know where dreams and nightmares are made? The Esper will gladly show you.

For as long as most role-playing game fans can remember, there has been a handful of iconic classes that stood out as staples in the genre. The heavy armor-wearing, giant weapon-wielding Warrior class is among these genre defining archetypes, as one that is loved by most and feared by all.

In this week's WildStar Wednesday, Carbine gives us a closer look at the mighty Warrior and what it'll bring to the table in WildStar. If this Warrior isn't on your team, then run in zig-zags. Because if you somehow manage to out-range his giant sword--he still has an Arm Cannon.