Anthem [PC/PS4/Xbox One] - Page 19

Hey Everyone,

It’s been a little while! I’m excited to finally share some of what the team has been hard at work on. This morning we are releasing update 1.2.0 - FULL NOTES HERE. This update contains some under the hood content you won’t see right away, but is setting things up for a future update, the Cataclysm.

Speaking of the Cataclysm, you’re probably wondering when it is going to release. Rather than rush it out the door, we want to take time and get feedback from you and make changes based on what we hear. In order to do that we are releasing a Public Test Server (PTS) on PC, which will allow you to see the content as it is being developed and gives you the ability to provide feedback. While this won’t immediately solve all of the current issues, we want to continue to hear from you as we make improvements to Anthem – and the PTS is a great way to do that.

We’ll be diving deeper into these topics (and others) as well as giving a first look at the Cataclysm tomorrow on a livestream at 3pm Central Time over on TWITCH or MIXER. We do hope you’ll join us as we take this step towards a better Anthem.

Following the much-delayed release of Anthem's Cataclysm update last month, BioWare says it will be ditching its originally announced post-launch content plans, and will now be delivering "seasonal updates" in place of its planned regular "Acts" in order to focus on "core issues".

When BioWare initially revealed its post-launch content plans for Anthem back in February, just ahead of what transpired to be the game's less-than-stellar release, it teased three different upcoming Acts. Each would consist of several updates, expanding the world and the activities available to players, and would culminate in a limited-time Cataclysm event, designed to shake up the core experience.

Act One was originally due to go live in March, but many of its features were delayed as BioWare struggled to remedy the numerous technical issues plaguing Anthem following release. It took six months to get the game's first Cataclysm event out the door, and ne'er a word was spoken about the other two planned Acts in the interim - and now we know why.

According to a new blog post from BioWare's head of live services Chad Robertson, the developer will be abandoning its multi-part Acts in favour of what it calls "seasonal updates". "These events will deliver challenges and chases similar to what you've seen," explained Robertson, "and are built around some fun themes we're bringing to the game."

In what's become something of a mantra for BioWare since Anthem's launch, Robertson told players that "We hear your concerns on core issues in Anthem and are acting on it." Addressing these concerns would, he said, require "a more thorough review and re-working [of systems] versus quick fixes", which in turn would necessitate moving development away from Acts.

Robertson did not elaborate on any of the long-term changes being brought to Anthem in order to alleviate fan concerns. "What I can say," he concluded," is that we will continue to engage with you, our community, through PTS when we can show you what is coming."

Last month, Ben Irving, Anthem's lead producer (and frequent spokesperson for the game) announced his departure from BioWare after eight years with the company.

On September 18 2019 19:40 PoulsenB wrote:

Mass Effect died for this

On September 18 2019 19:45 Gorsameth wrote:
Mass effect killed itself, both with the ending of 3 and Andromeda.
It didn't need Anthem's help.

On November 16 2019 05:23 {CC}StealthBlue wrote:
Pretty big news considering.

https://twitter.com/jasonschreier/status/1195394013131608066

On November 18 2019 21:24 Latham wrote:
I can't cite my source, but I've read somewhere that moving from the blizzard launcher to Steam also gave Destiny 2 a big resurge in popularity after the initial launch. It's even still in the top 5 of most played games on Steam currently. https://steamcharts.com/top

So not only making amends gameplay-wise helps, but also trying to shake off the dingleberries known as ActiBlizz and EA could also have a big impact on your game, and maybe making it available to a bigger number of players on multiple storefronts.

One year ago, we were preparing to launch Anthem – a game that represented a big leap into new territory for us as a studio. It was an exhilarating and terrifying experience to go out to the world with something new and different, and we are grateful to all the players who have come along with us on the journey. It has been a thrill for us to see the creativity of our players in designing customized Javelins, and watching them master Anthem’s flying and fighting gameplay. I am so proud of the work the team has put into this game, and at the same time there’s so much more that we – and you – would have wanted from it.

Over the last year, the team has worked hard to improve stability, performance and general quality of life while delivering three seasons of new content and features. We have also heard your feedback that Anthem needs a more satisfying loot experience, better long-term progression and a more fulfilling end game. So we recognize that there’s still more fundamental work to be done to bring out the full potential of the experience, and it will require a more substantial reinvention than an update or expansion. Over the coming months we will be focusing on a longer-term redesign of the experience, specifically working to reinvent the core gameplay loop with clear goals, motivating challenges and progression with meaningful rewards – while preserving the fun of flying and fighting in a vast science-fantasy setting. And to do that properly we’ll be doing something we’d like to have done more of the first time around – giving a focused team the time to test and iterate, focusing on gameplay first.

In the meantime, we will continue to run the current version of Anthem, but move away from full seasons as the team works towards the future of Anthem. We’ll keep the game going with events, store refreshes, and revisiting past seasonal and cataclysm content – starting with our anniversary towards the end of the month.

Creating new worlds is central to our studio mission, but it’s not easy. Sometimes we get it right, sometimes we miss. What keeps us going is the support from players like you. Your feedback gives us guidance on how we can improve, and your passion inspires us with the courage to create. I look forward to working together with your involvement and feedback towards the best possible future for Anthem.

Casey

After confirming it would be giving its beleaguered online shooter Anthem a thorough retooling earlier this year, BioWare has finally resurfaced to reveal more of its plans.

Announcing Anthem's "substantial reinvention" in February, BioWare's general manager Casey Hudson explained the goal was deliver to a "more satisfying loot experience, better long-term progression, and a more fulfilling end game", with a focus on improving the core gameplay loop with "clear goals, motivating challenges and progression with meaningful rewards".

And now, three months on, studio director Christian Dailey has offered a progress report on that ambitious overhaul, revealing the team (said to total around 30 people) is currently at the incubation stage of development and "starting to validate [its] design hypotheses".

"Incubation...essentially means we are going back and experimenting/prototyping to improve on the areas where we believe we fell short," explained Bailey, "and to leverage everything that [players] love currently about Anthem." Those hoping to see a radically new-look Anthem any time soon may be in for disappointment, however. "This is going to be a longer process," warned Bailey, "the whole point of this is to take our time and go back to the drawing board."

Bailey acknowledged there were "tough challenges to tackle" in overhauling Anthem's much-maligned systems, but said the team wanted to be "open and honest with where we are at and what the expectations are with where we are going". To that end, BioWare intends to begin communicating more regularly again in order to keep players informed of its progress, whether that be through blog post, livestream, or social media.

"The reality is you will see things that look awesome but end up on the cutting room floor," he continued, "or things that you might think suck that you feel we are spending too much time on - but in the spirit of experimentation this is all OK. We really want to provide you all the transparency we can because of your passion and interest in Anthem. But, with that comes seeing how the sausage is made - which is not always pretty by the way."

Bailey said the studio will share more of its plans soon.