I love it because it is far FAR more challenging to duel a living and breathing opponent who most definitely has a lot of feelings and emotions. You know . . . when you win a pvp match, you really feel a bit more like you won. When you lose a pvp match, well, you can kind of feel like you suck . . . and usually the other person's victory dance over your corpse kind of emphasizes that reality.
Oh, and there's the pre-taunting to. I'll never forget hopping into the duel arena that's already there in Wizard 101 now and getting called out by a fellow RMT clothing wearer, "Thomas, prepare to be schooled." LOL. I don't respond well to that stuff. I am a friendly necromancer after all. And on that note, I guess I do like a friendly pvp match that ends with a "good game" though . . . and maybe a friend invite. That would be ok I suppose.
So, I give you this press release from Kingsisle to let you know that pvp is going to get a whole heck of a lot more interesting in this game. Here it is
KingsIsle Entertainment to Launch Enhanced Player vs. Player Spell Dueling Arena in Wizard101
Plano, TEXAS - December 15, 2008 - Online entertainment company KingsIsle Entertainment, Inc. today announced the pending launch of full featured wizard vs. wizard card duels in the highly immersive 3D virtual world Wizard101 (www.wizard101.com). The newly expanded Wizard Arena will enable players to participate in practice or ranked spell-casting duels against each other. All other aspects of the current worlds in Wizard101 are collaborative, and community members play spell cards that come to animated life in order to battle zany creatures like Ninja Pigs.
"If you prefer questing or mini-games, great... you never have to duel another player," said Todd Coleman, Director of Wizard101. "But families -- and a lot of core gamers that are playing Wizard101 too -- are going to have a great time competing against other players in the Wizard Arena."
KingsIsle will launch the enhanced player versus player (PvP) Wizard Arena this week. Players will be able to access the Wizard Arena from any of Wizard101's worlds. Upon entering, one of multiple Arena looks in the style of Wizard101 worlds such as Moo Shu, Marleybone and Krokotopia will be generated. All dueling in the game is turn-based so that victory is more about strategy and deck building, rather than button mashing or internet connection speed. The new launch will give players two ways to compete against each other using the characters they have developed in other areas of Wizard101:
Practice Duels (non-ranked)
* Two teams of up to four wizards compete against each other
* Players can either quick join a duel or set up their own team and chose opponents
* Free for all Wizard101 players
* Players may elect to place wagers of in-game gold on the outcome of their duel
* Any in-game gold winnings are split evenly between team members
Sanctioned Duels (ranked)
* A matchmaking service assigns duels based on Arena ranking and character level of individual players
* Players are ranked based on duel outcome
* Winners get Arena Tickets, redeemable for loot, some of which is unique to the Wizard Arena
* At the end of each quarterly Wizard Arena season, a top Duel Master will be crowned
* Free for Wizard101 subscribers or purchase by microtransaction for 80 Crowns (equivalent to 16 cents or less depending on quantity of Crown purchase)
Wizard101 contains no blood, and characters don't die if they are defeated in a duel of spells-they simply go to a safe area in the game to regain health. The game was recently awarded a 2008 Parent Tested Parent Approved Media Seal of Approval. The Entertainment Software Ratings Board has given Wizard101 a rating of E10+. Anybody with a Windows based PC can play the Free-to-Play areas of the game for as long as they like. KingsIsle lets players choose subscription or microtransaction methods for advanced content. Family plan subscriptions are $6.95 per month and general subscriptions are $9.95. Micropayment zones give permanent access to particular streets or areas within the game for as little as a $1.
Makes you wonder what that "pvp only" loot is going to be like, doesn't it?
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