Huxley (video game)
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This article or section contains information about an unreleased video game. The content may change substantially as more information becomes available. Please do not add speculation to this article, and remember to cite a published source for details. |
| Huxley | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Webzen Games Inc. |
| Publisher(s) | Webzen Games Inc. NHN US and Europe |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 3.0 |
| Platform(s) | PC (Windows), Xbox 360 |
| Release date | Late 2008 |
| Genre(s) | MMOFPS |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer, Single-player campaign (Xbox 360 only) |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Rating Pending (RP) |
Huxley (Korean:헉슬리) is a massively multiplayer first-person shooter computer game published by Webzen Games Inc. to be released in 2008. It is being developed for both the PC and Xbox 360 with special content being made for each platform. Special content includes a campaign mode for the Xbox 360 only. The Xbox 360 version is planned for release six months after the PC. Huxley will be a cross-platform game, though little information has been given as to the extent to which PC and 360 players will be able to interact.[1] The contract to operate the game in China was sold to for $35 million USD on February 12, 2007, considered the largest export transaction to date for a Korean-developed game.
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[edit] Story
In the near future, Nuclearites bombard the world. Destructive earthquakes, massive tidal waves and dramatic climate changes wreak havoc around the globe, isolating continents and driving the human race into chaos. Those who survive the destruction dream of tranquility, but an eruption among the human race and the appearance of horrible mutants drives the world into further disorder. Racism and oppression cause rebellious uprisings and war that divide the landscape between two powers: Sapiens and Alternative. At the heart of the war emerges a powerful energy source called the Lunarites. The Lunarites were created by Huxley, a scientist and possible savior.
Both factions seek glory and victory, fighting mercilessly for the Lunarites and their very existence.
The story was thought to be based on the novel Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, hence the name, however Webzen has denied any tie to the book's story saying it was just an inspiration.[2]
[edit] Races
[edit] Sapiens
They are individualistic and liberal characters as a human being by overcoming difficult and dangerous environment. They attained the prudent and skillful mind, and a strong pride about themselves. They are skillful with every kind of equipment and have the ability to maximize 100% equipment potential and are able to shoot rockets.
Their existence and excessive pride as the superior class of the Earth had caused the war. They had ignored and insulted all the other species as an early power of the society construction. The suppression policy of 'Prime' over other species alienated 'Andro'. The other sapiens species after the war with Alternative, 'Prime' allied with 'Andro' again to rule over the world as a superior species.
Personal and to have a pure bloodline libertarian tendencies of human beings. After surviving the harsh environment in major disasters, won the `ethnic equipment capable of making efficient use of that, they pride themselves about sticking together.
[edit] Alternative
The Alternatives are, or were, humans who had contact with the Lunarites and underwent major mutations to their current state. They are generally taller than humans and more muscular, or at least larger in general body size, than humans. Much racism has arisen from their new mutations from the Humans (Sapiens) who treated them no better than slaves for the most part.
The Alternatives in the * Huxley trailer were equipped with unique weaponry. Vehicles included their large APCs, which had limited machine gun capability, against the Hybrids, and a mortar ability. A dropship was featured transferring six "jetbikes" into battle. The jetbikes were viewed as extremely fast, but not heavily armed, seen using only a machine gun but took down a large Hybrid easily.
Their armor was also unique, or at least much different from the Sapiens. The armor was large and bulky. Two small stubs protruded from the back, near the shoulder blades, and they glowed blue in various spots of the armor. The helmet is unusual, the entire front is made into sliding plates that pull back and become a form of neck brace when the helmet is deactivated. It is unclear how the other soldiers, aside from the one who opened his helmet, see out of them. Around the back of the rest are small capes (or skirts) that extend down to the ankles.
Only two weapons were seen being used, both of which will most likely be available to all races. First was a machine gun, which most of the Alternative soldiers used. This seems to be an early version of the primary assault rifle, it appeared to only do moderate damage to the Hybrids in the trailer. The 2nd weapon was some sort of grenade launcher, wielded by only one of the soldiers, who was mowed down by a charging line of Hybrids. It was held like a Chaingun or a Flamethrower.
[edit] Gameplay
Little is known about Huxley's gameplay at the moment. Action is directed to be fast-paced, on par with games such as Unreal Tournament 2004,[citation needed] applied to a Massively Multiplayer Online Game setting. In a recent interview, Huxley's main producer Kijong Kang said that the cities in Huxley will be able to accommodate up to 5000 (according to recent publications that number was increased to 10000 since summer 2006) people, and the individual battles will support over a hundred players. The battles can be as small as 1 VS 1 or as big as 60 VS 60 players (120) and 100 vs 100 in the PC version of the game, which is a modest improvement over the now 250 player maximum of Novalogic's Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising. Player vs. AI will allow up to 64 players of a given faction to play together.
Player vs. player battles will be available, as will be player vs. AI quests that the player can choose to take on. The 360 version of Huxley is said to include a single player campaign.
[edit] Leveling and experience
Although Webzen has not been specific, it can be derived from the released information that Huxley’s advancement system is actually separated into two. In the early part of the character advancement player system, players can shape their character in the style they like best. After that, players can then add depth to their characters. ‘Experiences’ and ‘Battle points’ are two elements of character advancement. ‘Experiences’ will affect the earlier part of character development and ‘Battle Points’ will affect the later part of a character’s development in a big way.
In the earlier part, by acquiring licenses, characters can have opportunities to use upgraded weapons and armor. In the later part of the game, players will concentrate on developing their characters to be more effective under any circumstance. One developer has stated, "We are planning to make the earlier part of character development relatively fast and the later part of development a bit slower but more abundant. This is because we decided that too much difference between characters abilities that affect combat result is not good for an FPS game."
Webzen has considered the fact that in most MMOGs the players at earlier levels have no chance of defeating those at the higher levels, and therefore they have adjusted the game to make skill more significant than long periods of playing the game and leveling up. Leveling up will give players advantages, such as more slots for upgrades and perhaps faster aiming, but a lower level player can still measure up to a higher one. This is much like the game PlanetSide for PC.
[edit] Vehicles
Huxley includes vehicles for both player-vs-player and player-vs-environment gameplay, as well as general transportation. Gameplay footage has shown several visually interesting SciFi vehicles, including an APC, an aircraft resembling UT2004's Raptor, a large energy based tank, and a small assault buggy. Vehicles are used in both combat and transportation.
Developer interviews have also stated that players can obtain motorcycles for personal transportation, and that they will mainly serve as status symbols for wealthy players.
[edit] Weapons
There are seven categories of weapons in Huxley: machine guns, shotguns, sniper rifles, optical rifles, rocket launchers, Inquisitors (guided rockets) and Regulators. One of the gameplay videos also shows a flamethrower, although it is unknown what category this weapon falls under.
At level 30, a player gains the ability to craft their own weapons. The overall quality of the weapon depends on the player's skill in the craft.
[edit] Abilities
Abilities, or skills, can be used in battle to give a player to a tactical advantage. As a player levels up, they are rewarded with new and more powerful skills. The type of skills available to the player differs based on their class. Skills are used by being "equipped" to armor. The number of skills that can be equipped depends on the players level and the rank of the armor. This system is very similar in concept to Call of Duty 4's perk system.
There are two types of skills, active and passive. Passive skills are skills that act as buffs, or ones that activate automatically when a certain condition, examples of this include health regeneration, and the ability to drop a flash grenade when low on health. Active skills are activated manually by hitting the assigned key.
Here are some samples of abilities, provided by Huxley Evolved[1]
Enforcer
Sprint : Provides a quick boost of speed.
Head Shot Defense : For a period of time, you have increased defense against headshots.
Invulnerability : Protected from all physical damage for a period of time.
Avenger
Entice Rocket : Allows you to attract all rockets to a certain location.
Increased Precision : You weapon has dramatically increased accuracy for amount of time.
Matched HP : You match the HP (Health Points) of your nearby enemy.
Phantom
Hologram : Creates a dummy image of your player to trick enemies.
Cloak : Become almost invisible to others, valuable to a snipers position
Powerful Sniper Shot : Increased damage with sniper rifles.
There are also miscellaneous abilities, such as health regeneration, sprint, "flashbang" which allows a player to drop a flashbang grenade when they are low on health, teleport, which allows a player to teleport, and double jump. It is currently unknown whether these skills will be available to all classes, or just certain ones.
[edit] Hosting
In June 2008, NHN USA announced that it had secured the rights to distribute Huxley via its ijji portal.[3]
