Upcoming mobile MMORPG Warhammer: Odyssey, being developed by Virtual Realms, has been in closed beta for some time now. With the end of 2020 quickly approaching we thought it was a good idea to check in with team and see how development on the game is progressing.
Developer Interview
MMORPG: Since the last developer interview was in April, can you provide readers with a quick overview of what they will be dealing with during the start of their adventures in Warhammer: Odyssey and the city of Marienburg?
James York: Morrslieb the chaos moon has been particularly prominent gaining the attention of certain powerful individuals who feel the need to take action, the player is part of one of their retinues, however things take an unexpected turn!
MMORPG: When starting a new character can players expect to all start in the same area/starting zone or will there be a separate starting area/experience for each class?
James York: There will be a short linear instanced tutorial area where the players will be introduced to the basics of the story and core controls for the game. Once this is completed the world opens up for them to interact with other players and the ongoing story.
MMORPG: You have now completed the 6 meet the class articles, ending with the Archmage in October, and noted two specializations for each class. At what level will players have to pick their specialization?
James York: Players can expect to begin to specialize in a particular skillset at level 10 after learning some core class abilities.
MMORPG: Do you mind providing a couple of character ability/skill examples from one or more of the classes for players who are curious about the various core skills?
James York: I’d rather not go into specifics right now but classes will follow the “holy trinity” so tanks for example will have skills around mitigation of damage and gaining threat, along with some that we feel add flavour to the class. A warrior priest may find their healing a lot more effective if in the mix of a fight rather than standing off for example…I mean why have that big hammer if you’re not going to use it?
MMORPG: Has the standard party size for dungeons been locked in?
James York: Tuning is ongoing, not 100% settled yet as we want a balance of what feels good and what plays well.
MMORPG: Is there a party size for raiding or will be more open world raiding experience?
James York: We have plans for both open world bosses as well as instanced group raids that require several parties to complete.
MMORPG: Will end game gear come from drops or can players earn it in other ways?
James York: Gear is primarily obtained from mob drops.
MMORPG: Can you talk about how the player death mechanics work and is there a penalty when you die in Warhammer: Odyssey?
James York: If you’re not lucky enough to be buddied up with a friend that has the ability to resurrect you, or have a rare item that can help, you’ll have to resurrect at a nearby fast travel point and manage a small temporary debuff.
MMORPG: Overall, how has development been progressing into the second half of 2020?
James York: I’m really proud of the team, it’s been a tough year with all that’s been going on in the world. We’ve had to adapt and rethink a few things but everyone’s stayed focused on getting Odyssey launched in a way that we feel is going to give us a solid foundation to build on it over the coming years.
MMORPG: Any unexpected challenges or pleasant surprises since April?
James York: Roll on 2021.
MMORPG: What phase of beta is the game currently in and how is it progressing?
James York: We’re a few rounds into our Closed Beta, and we’ve been receiving some valuable feedback (both good and bad) that’s helping us refine things.
MMORPG: Are the number of beta phases remaining locked in at this point or still flexible?
James York: We intend to keep our closed beta group active (and expand upon it) even post launch, given the nature of this genre we’re going to be in ongoing development, adding new features and content, for years to come so it’s invaluable for us to have a sounding board with players where we can test.
MMORPG: Will there be an Open Beta?
James York: Our intent is to have a rolling soft launch that will serve as an open beta, this will start in specific territories and on specific platforms and gradually expand leading up to a full launch. There will be more information on this is in the coming days but it will commence shortly.
MMORPG: Is the game still on track to release in 2020?
James York: Yes, absolutely. We currently anticipate all territories will have full access by January 2021.
Thanks to James and the team at Virtual Realms for answering another round of questions. If you would like to find out more about the game make sure to check out the Warhammer: Odyssey website.
