As a longtime fan of the MMORPG genre I have to admit that I’ve been pretty disappointed with the direction it’s been going as of late. A genre that once seemed chalk-full of life with mystery and adventure now seems to be just another convoluted cash grab by most companies these days. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for game developers making money (they do need to eat after all) but initially that meant creating a believable world where player’s paths crossed from chance encounters. Where fear meant exploring an underground labyrinth with a rag-tag team of adventurers and encountering the most challenging creatures you’ve ever faced. Worlds that weren’t afraid to call you out on all of your boasting and bragging and throw you center stage with some of the most difficult challenges you’ve ever seen, but then turn around and reward you for succeeding through all of it.

Unfortunately, that no longer seems to be the case. Now we live in a time where paying money to skip the journey and see the end is deemed acceptable. Where monsters should not be too difficult, because everyone needs to get a turn at the epic loot they’re guarding. And where, in most cases, games are afraid to tell the player “No” and have them work for things from time to time.

And then there's WildStar.

As a player who thoroughly enjoys every part of the “MMORPG experience”--whether that is Raiding, PvP, Crafting, Questing, Exploring or Socializing--very rarely has a game come along that takes every one of those points and gets them “right” in my eyes. However, WildStar does just that. It takes all of the parts you’ve come to know and love about the MMO genre and gives them to you tenfold. While the game doesn’t do everything completely new and innovative, what it does do, it does extremely well. From its fun yet challenging combat systems, to its in-depth and relevant crafting, to having one of the best player housing iterations we’ve seen in the genre, WildStar is an enjoyable reminder to MMO fans why we play MMOs.

Now with the game having officially launched as of June 3rd, I want to take the time to dive into each of the pieces that make up this vibrant sci-fi MMO and why I think you should check out Planet Nexus for yourself.

Nexus Talk Episode 57 is here! Join Richie Procopio this week as he shares his thoughts on "the good" and "the bad" regarding WildStar's questing experience.

Are you ready for another epic drop? Today Carbine Studios released a teaser page for the first post-launch content update for its newly released MMORPG, WildStar, and this update is looking to be pretty deadly.

Be prepared, the Strain is coming!

Looking to transfer your character to a new WildStar realm? Well now you can do just that with a click of a button.

Another week is here, which means the latest Episode of Nexus Talk is upon us. This week, join Richie Procopio as he talks about WildStar and some of the minor issues he would like to see fixed with the game.

Hello and welcome to the sixteenth edition of the Eorzea Examiner, ZAM’s column on Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. For this week’s column, we're going to take a look at the recently released MMO from Carbine Studios, WildStar. This one's going to be different than when we looked at The Elder Scrolls Online earlier this year; I won't be trying to help anyone choose between the two. Instead, we're going to look at WildStar as inspiration for changes in FFXIV. While the games themselves are quite different, some systems could still be used or modified to improve things for everyone here in Eorzea.

Nexus Talk Episode 55 is here along with the long-awaited WildStar headstart week! Join Richie Procopio as he shares his experiences getting to be one of the first players to touch down on Nexus.

With WildStar’s early access weekend only a few days away, I thought now would be a good time to go over something that I’ve seen a lot of new players struggle with during beta—which stats you should be getting on your gear and how they affect your character.

To the veteran who’s been following WildStar from the get go and dissecting every bit of purposefully—and accidentally—leaked information floating around the internet, this may be something that you no longer struggle with. However, to the new player just jumping in, how stats affect your character isn’t always the most obvious thing in the game. In fact, in some cases there is almost no in-game explanation at all, hence why it’s been quite common for me to join a dungeon with a tank in full DPS gear, convinced that “it’s definitely the healers fault he keeps getting three-shotted by the boss.” Or the DPS who doesn’t realize that stacking support power is the reason why they aren’t getting the “Mad Deeps” they’d expect with their Assault abilities. If you’ve been running any dungeons in beta, I’m sure you’ve had similar experiences with any early dungeon PUG groups that have graced you with their presence.

While it’s quite possible that those players just didn’t take the time to open up their character sheet and hover over their individual stats, the convoluted nature of how abilities and character stats tie together in WildStar can make understanding the system a bit tricky at first. With that in mind, hopefully after you—or your buddy who swears Brutality is the main stat for Tanks—finishes reading this, you’ll be well on your way to kicking butt, taking names and collecting the gear you need on Nexus!

Let’s dive in!

Players have waited for months–years even–while Carbine Studios worked hard on its upcoming MMORPG, WildStar. Promising to have some of largest and most epic amount of content we've seen an MMO launch with to date, in just a few hours players will be diving into the game's early access and exploring the mysterious Planet Nexus while uncovering all of the fun activities and dangerous challenges the game has to offer. The time is almost upon us, so grab your friends, keep track of your enemies and bring your best gear.

Early access for WildStar begins tonight!

WildStar early access week is upon us and soon the denizens of space will all be blasting off to Planet Nexus in search of danger, ancient treasures and forbidden secrets. With players practically bursting at the seams to begin this new galactic adventure, Carbine Studios released its WildStar "Features Trailer" which highlights all of the epic content that this upcoming MMORPG has in store. Player Housing, Dungeons, PvP, Raids, and large-scale battles are only the tip of the iceberg.

Grab your gear, you're in for a wild ride!