Western themed MMORPG Wild West Online has shared its plans for game updates for the month. In a detailed Facebook post, the team shared their plans to revamp the game based on early access player feedback.

“Howdy users, first off, we would like to thank you for your ongoing patience with us. There has been delays and hiccups but want to reassure you that it will be worth the wait.

Back in fall 2017 it became clear to us based on your amazing feedback, that you do expect more from the game than we’ve shown you in Alpha. We wanted to integrate as many features as we could be based on what you guys wanted to see. We wanted to prioritize all those features in the order of importance and lost sight of hitting the promised deadlines. Bottom line is, the amount of work to bring the game to the new state and prioritize things our community wanted is taking longer than we initially planned.

But today we’re happy to announce that we’ve reached a state where we think our new version of the game is ready for you to try out. Today we’ll be taking the game down for a patch, and since we’ve pretty much overhauled all the game systems, it may take a week or so for us to prepare the new game backend, database and make sure that account data is intact, and you guys receive all the REWARDS for helping us test the Alpha version and being sooooo patient.

In a meantime, while the game will be down we’ll be regularly posting information about this new version of the game and what to expect. Thank you for your support and see you in a game after the new version of the game is live.”

While it is unclear how long the game will be down for during the week, players can track updates on the official forums here.

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Wild West Online turned on its 24/7 early access alpha earlier this month for founders. Any player that have bought a founders back is able to jump in and check out the new additions and improvements. Among the things added for the November alpha update were hundreds of new quests, public events and more guns. With that in mind, I jumped in to check these out and see if the state of the game is way better than it was in the technical alpha. Here’s what I’ve found.

#1 New ‘quests’ are terrible

Not wanting to just be a PvP game, WWO has taken feedback from players looking for PvE experiences. There was already activities in-game that caters to that play style. If you don’t want to get shot or be shot at, you can mine for gold and resources to make money or trade. Of course, that’s no guarantee that an Outlaw player will shoot you regardless. Therefore, to add more PvE content to the game, hundreds of quests are now available in-game. These can be found in major towns, and you’ll be able to pick em up from NPCs who have blue exclamation marks over their heads. They also offer quests and missions that scales with your level, to balance out the rewards which comes in the form of XP and cash.

The problem lies with the execution and quality of these quests. They’re incredibly dull, and can be anything from pick up 10x Sage Plants to fetching something halfway across the map, and then returning to the quest giver for paltry rewards. This isn’t fun, and quantity does not hide the game’s lack of quality in Wild West Online’s case.

#2 The best fun is still its sandbox good vs evil PvP

While quests and the PvE may be a disappointment right now in the alpha, the core game is definitely not. What is the core game? Wild West Online encourages sandbox PvP – players can take sides. Be a deputy sheriff and uphold the law or be a bandit and run riot. That’s still the most fun thing do to right now. It offers a lot of that familiarity that I’ve come to expect, and reminds of my time in Day Z.

One moment I could be stalking a known bandit on the map as a sheriff, and a gun fight ensues. Bandits or you could lose your stuff when you die, but that’s the risk you take. Admittedly, the core gameplay needs a lot of work. The kinks of the outlaw system isn’t really rewarding right now, because the developers are thinking of increasing the punishments for killing civilians. Whatever the outcome, this area of the game is what WWO needs to get absolutely right. In addition to that, animations for guns and shooting needs some major love right now.

#3 Environments look great, but towns are lifeless

Another key thing about the game – it’s presentation. The environments are crisp and clear this time around, and performance didn’t suffer unlike the last alpha. When you ride past canyons, hillsides and towns you definitely know you’re in the Wild West. But sadly, it doesn’t feel like the Wild West. In towns devoid of players, the feeling of being in a ghost town is hard to overcome. There’s just no life in areas where you expect things to be bustling. NPCs don’t move, there’s no wildlife in the game to make it feel alive, and saloons are so quiet, it’s jarring. Where’s the music, and dancing? Where’s the drunken slur of NPCs who’ve had too much to drink?

The current state of the world is so bland that it’s hard to spend any time in-game if your friends aren’t on. There’s just no attraction factor. With that said, remember the game is still in alpha, and all of these could be improved in time.

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Cowboy western MMORPG Wild West Online will launch its Early Access Alpha on November 15th. Beginning next Wednesday, all players who own a founder’s pack will be able to check out the game again. During the early access alpha, players can expect the following:

1. There will be over a 100 quests for alpha players to pick up and complete in the world.
2. The game will include over 20 guns based on historical accuracy to find, purchase and use.
3. Players can participated in two exciting Public Events – the Artifact Hunt and Golden Road.

Alpha players will find a large game map filled with varied environments, NPCs and other players. They will hunt, mine for gold, embark on quests and missions given by NPCs and participate in server wide public PVP events.

Players will progress their character, unlocking new abilities and access to new and better gear. They can customize their character, upgrade their guns and trusty stead. In the future players will embark on claiming land for themselves to create their own homestead.

In addition, full release is also expected to happen later in 2017. Exciting times are definitely ahead for Wild West Online, and we’re looking forward to checking out more.

For more information, check out the official Facebook post here.

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Wild West Online had its closed technical alpha 1 last weekend, and we jumped in to check it out. The purpose for the first round of testing is to ensure the game’s technical side is up and running well. That meant server stability and basic gameplay functionality. That still didn’t stop us from having and making our own fun. From what we experienced in the alpha, WWO has a lot of potential to be a really fun game. Yes there are gripes, but we’re keeping in mind that this is still in development and will wait till the final release to review.

The world feels great

More than anything else, Wild West Online’s world feels excellent and oddly familiar. The last true great Western game was Red Dead Redemption, and the influence of that game rubs off a lot here. I love watching the dust-rails that your horse leaves behind when you’re riding around. The design of the various towns feel great, filled with saloons, gun shops, banks and outfitters. They look authentic which is really important for a game of this setting.

The animations don’t complement the graphics

Where I hope the developers take a closer look at is with the game’s animations. WWO is a first person/third person shooter, and gun-play is bread and butter here. But shooting just doesn’t feel all that great because it lacks weight or impact. There’s hardly any recoil when you fire, which I hope they add in the future. The same can be said about run and jump animations. It’s on par with previous early access titles that makes me cringe, stuff like World War Z, if anyone remembers that. The graphics of the environments and character models themselves looks good, so all it needs is the gun play and character animations to get better before it becomes a complete package.

It has the right gameplay systems

The alpha was void of all PvE, so players had to make their own fun with PvP (besides testing the game for bugs of course). Needless to say, what systems I encountered has left me feeling excited. The whole reputation system involving your character either becoming a bandit or on the side of law is fun – it’s sandbox. Choose how you play and other players will react to what you do. I killed a player who was mining ores out of town, getting myself a bandit tag. He and a few others chased me around the map and made me pay. We had a stand off too, roleplaying using the in-game voice chat, and that made things even better. I’ve not had that level of chaos and fun since Day Z.

But let’s not forget about other systems in play. Guns are a core feature for an MMO in this setting, and the developers look to have put in some major work in that department. Every gun has stats that you can customize and upgrade. There’s skins as well, which will feature in the final release. Meanwhile, there looks to be a housing system which is instanced, and there’s even mini-games in town like gambling on poker which you can physically play.

All in all, the tools are there for Wild West Online to be a hit. Keep your eyes on this one, folks.

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One of 2017’s most anticipated MMOs, Wild West Online, is getting ready for its closed alpha test. The alpha will begin on September 15th, and players who prepurchased the Collector tier will gain access to the test.

Besides the closed alpha, Collector Founders will also be able to enter the closed beta in mid-fall 2017. Collectors also get 7 days head start prior to full release in December. The Collector tier will cost $60. It also comes with plenty of in-game goodies. There’s account badges, treasury notes, storage pace slots, garment bags, gun cosmetics and land plot deeds to claim land. $60 sounds like a good deal, but until we see it in-action, we are holding judgement.

The WWO website also provides more information which you can check out here. The developers are including a fair refund policy as well. If you decide that the game is not worth your money, you have up until September 27th to apply for a refund. All refund requests will be handled by third-party payment solutions provider Xsolla.

We have already covered some of the game’s features in the past, and there’s more to see when the tests arrive. Are you excited for Wild West Online?

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Wild West Online is showing a lot more about their MMO. In a recently uploaded YouTube vid, the dev team goes over the outfit system, shows off the world and combat with a bounty system.

First up, the environments and atmosphere looks spot on. You can tell that a lot of inspiration comes from Red Dead Redemption. The outfits are accurate to the time of the setting, and the player hubs are really well designed. The camp system is also a fun mechanic. You can set up camp on the outskirts as a rest point for you and your group, and can change outfits there.

When it comes to animations, the game does not disappoint either. The riding looks decent and combat with rifles feels like a decent shooter game, but it is an MMO.

Another feature that really intrigues me is the bounty system. Players can pick up “Wanted” posters in town that requires you to hunt down bandits in the world for rewards. These can be cash or equipment. The fun part is, you can go solo or bring a friend or two. The video then shows us a glimpse of how planning an ambush looks like, and it’s actually really impressive. The environment plays a part, as shadows emerge from the light of a campfire by the tent reveals that there’s more bandits then anticipated.

All in all, what the team has shown in six minutes is incredibly promising. This will be the first Western MMORPG and from the looks of it, it is heading in the right direction. Check out the full six minute gameplay trailer below.

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Much have been said about Wild West Online in recent times. In the game’s latest rounds of Q&A, much has been revealed.

For starters, WWO will be entering its first alpha test stage sometime this summer. Players who pre-purchase the game will have guaranteed access to the alpha. However, don’t fret if you can’t afford to the buy in. According to the devs, some 5000 keys will be given away through various channels.

In the full questions and answers segment which you can read here, the game also shed more details. The game world is massive and expansive, with a lot of interesting MMO mechanics. Guns for instance, will require ammunition for reloads. Therefore, skills and abilities are all tied to the amount of ammo you have left.

Guns are obviously going to be key in this game. But how does one go about acquiring one? Players can purchase guns from a gunsmith NPC. However, there are rarer and better ones out in the world that you can find. Mission rewards will also reward you with better guns. No word on a crafting system and player economy yet, so keep your eyes peeled for more news.

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Newly revealed MMORPG Wild West Online is not going to run a Kickstarter or Early Access campaign. According to their official website, the game has already secured sufficient funds to bypass crowd funding.

Due to the initial hype, the WWO website received over 200k hits which helped the team secure new funding. Therefore, all the draft Kickstarter stretch goals will ship when the game launches. More interestingly, the game is indeed going to be released in full later this year.

It’s not often that an MMO has the luxury to bypass fan funding. But in this case, it’s positive to see that there is a demand for a cowboy/western MMO.

Here’s a snippet from the official website:

Wild West Online is an open-world action-based, online multiplayer game in which players are free to explore and interact within a thrilling Wild West setting. Based on their decisions and actions, players can become a lawman, an outlaw or a pioneer exploring the Western Frontier. The game features a bevy of content, including world exploration, resource gathering, PvP combat, PvE game missions, treasure hunts and much more.

Personally, I like the premise of the game and will be looking forward to the beta test stages.

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If you’re a fan of the wild west, cowboys and revolvers, then you probably know about Wild West Online.

For those who don’t, it’s a brand new open world MMORPG in development. Developers 612 Games aim to get a Kickstarter project going in two weeks, with the goal of getting $250k funded for added features.

As of right now, WWO gives us some insight into what we can expect from this cowboy MMO. For starters, there will be player gangs running around and can be on either side of the law. Expect to see outlaws and sheriffs out and about.

The game will have player driven economy, and players can pick from professions such as gatherers and farmers. When it comes to content, it will be story and character driven which makes this more interesting. The game is intentionally made to look like Red Dead Redemption. If the story is anything like RDR, then it’s going to break.

I also like that the game is seamlessly open world, consisting of multiple shards. This means that a lot more players can be online in the same space at once. What is really intriguing is that there are no NPC combat, and it will be more PVP centric.

And finally, bank robberies, heists and raids are all part of the in-game activities that will involve player versus player. I have to admit that it sounds good at the moment, but let’s wait to see some actual footage. For more on Wild West Online, check out their teaser site here.

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