Shards Online’s latest newsletter is out, and with it an update from project lead Derek Brinkmann. He says that the dev team is currently focused on game balance, the user interface, and general polish, which represent the “biggest barriers to fun” in the current pre-alpha build. Brinkmann also hints at a Fall release for phase three of pre-alpha testing.
Elsewhere in this month’s letter, Citadel’s Austin Fain talks about balancing the game’s economy and engaging players in the process. One way of this, he says, is by making sure that Shards‘ items are tangible. “When a player goes to buy an item from a vendor, they actually browse items that are placed in the physical world. Items are not just displayed in lists like most other games, they are physical objects within the world, filling up your backpack, chests, or house,” Fain explains. “You can place them anywhere in the world, trade them, use them for crafting, sell them, etc. Every item, whether it be an apple or a house, has a value and importance in Shards Online.”
The newsletter also includes a video look at pre-alpha player housing. You can view it after the break.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAv3Zga1OJA
