Fancy a bit of festive fun in your WildStar? Hot on the heels of Shade’s Eve and the Hoverboard ZPrix Invitational, Protostar’s Gala Winterfest Extravaganza is all about the real reason for the season – shopping! Running from December 16 to January 1, the holiday event packs in daily quests, public events, and even a brand new Expedition to the seasonal Skymall-in-the-Sky.
To get everyone in that magical gift-buying mood, Protostar have spared no expense in redecorating the capitals of Illium and Thayd into a winter wonderland, complete with artificial snowblowers and the latest in technological tree-ware. And, for helping spread the seasonal cheer to as many potential customers as possible, Protostar is offering a selection of rewards including costumes, toys, and an avalanche of new housing items.
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Want to get in on the merry-making? This guide will help to transform that thirst for adventure into a healthy stream of Winterfest-themed goodies, although bear in mind that it’s based on the PTR, and the experience may change once the event hits live servers. And if you want something a little more violent than simply throwing snowballs, the Tundradome Cryo Plex PvP Arena has just opened for business!
Festive Questing
Before you start your new life as a temporary cog in the Protostar machine, I’d recommend having a wander around the capital cities. Each one has been decked out to celebrate the holiday season, with new décor and new NPCs. And yes, most (if not all) of that décor can be obtained to add to your own housing plot. Adding to the atmosphere, music supermo Jeff Kurtenacker has whipped up some new seasonal tracks, some of which might sound familiar to a factional ear.
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When you’re ready, head on over to the Parade Grounds in Illium or Shindig Hollow in Thayd, where Protostar Corporation has set up shop to make sure everyone can purchase modest gifts in the spirit of mutually acceptable affection. Once there, you’ll find a number of Protostar clones working for dear ‘Papa Phineas’, all desperately seeking your aid. Three will have quests that send you around the capital in an attempt to persuade citizens to part with their money, from a pool of six that rotate daily.
Another daily mission will ask you to sing jolly jingles at a number of neighbourly housing plots. You and your friends can help each other out with this by placing down a Microphone (Caroling, Protostar), which is available free from the housing item vendor during the holiday event. There are six different jingles to be sung, which are indicated by the holograms surrounding each microphone.
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All of these daily quests earn Proto Coin, which is the currency for the holiday event. Keep reading for details of just what you can spend your hard-earned coin on.
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Events and Expeditions
If all that seems a little sedate, how about livening things up with a Snowtron Smash public event? At regular intervals, Papa Phineas will ask for help in testing the very latest in seasonal robotics – the Snowtron 9000. Head to either Shindig Hollow in Thayd, or the Luminous Gardens in Illium, to join in the action. You can either jump in one of a limited number of Snowtrons, or you can pummel them with snowballs using your ‘T’ ability key. Taking part earns Proto Points, which mean Proto Prizes once the event finishes. These include Proto Coin and even loot containers.
Personally, I’d recommend getting in one of the Snowtrons if you can manage it. Each has four abilities including a freezing snare, a reflective shield, a speed boost, and an escape hatch. Catch people in the snare, and you’ll rack up Proto Points quite quickly, shooting you to the top of the event leaderboard. If you can’t get into a Snowtron, I’d suggest standing outside the main group if possible. The snowball ability has limited range, travels slowly, and is only effective if your target doesn’t have the shield up, so you want to focus less on movement and more on getting successful hits in.
And then there’s the new Expedition: Skymall-in-the-Sky. This floating winter retail experience is an absolutely spectacular sight, and I’m slightly envious that it’s not available as a place to simply hang out. The Expedition randomly selects five retail-themed events from a set of 11, challenging us to grab floating plushies against the clock, or sneak through a guarded basement to obtain exotic merchandise. From what I encountered, most of them were about agility and dexterity rather than gritty combat, making it refreshingly different from regular dungeon runs. Again, there’s a daily quest to check out Skymall, but there’s nothing to stop you from being a frequent guest of Papa Phineas.
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Treat Yourself
What good is earning all that Proto Coin if you don’t have anything to spend it on? In the same location as the quest givers in each capital city, a designated retailbot will exchange your tokens for a range of festive gifts. There are a couple of toys including an everlasting snowball, a couple of different costumes (seriously, who can refuse Rowsdower slippers!), a set of festive mount flairs, and a whole catalogue of new décor items to get your housing plot brimming with cheer. There’s even a snowfield fabkit, which I’m just aching to try out.
For the achievement hunters out there, the holiday event is an ideal opportunity to put some scores on the board. There’s one for doing the six different daily quests, and another for participating in the public Snowtron Smash event. Further achievements are awarded for completing Skymall, getting Gold in Skymall, and taking on all 11 Skymall events. Alas, there’s no meta-achievement or title up for grabs, but that might change in the live version.
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With WildStar now free-to-play, only one question remains: will you be getting festive on Nexus this holiday season?
