Carbine shows off Player Housing and so much more at PAX East

Player Paths: Playing WildStar the way YOU want

While we wouldn't blame gamers for spending copius amounts of time and effort on having the coolest house on the block, there are certainly plenty of other things to do on Nexus. But that's part of what makes us so excited about WildStar, you can play it the way YOU want to. One of the ways Carbine is ensuring that players see it that way is the Player Path system.

Player Paths provide players with a unique way of interacting with the planet of Nexus, helping to define your character beyond the simple race and class choices of most MMOs. And just to be sure, this is not just a simple "choose a back story" option. Not only does this relate to your character’s motivation for coming to Nexus and the choices he/she will make after arrival, it actually unlocks unique game play mechanics and content experiences.

Among the details that Carbine released to the press at PAX is a closer look at two of the four Player Paths, the Explorer and the Soldier:

"You just landed on an alien planet. Majestic mountains in one direction,ancient overgrown ruins in the other. And unimaginable wonders waiting just beyond the horizon for those willing to take the risk… Lace up those boots, explorer. You’ve got a lot of work to do."

Explorers have journeyed across the stars to a legendary planet at the edge of the known universe. You know what? They’re just getting started. Someone has to trek into the dark and terrifying corners of this planet, climbing higher, digging deeper and going farther than anyone else. That someone is the explorer."

• Gain rewards from seeking out high vistas and exploring hidden caverns
• Follow your locator; solve geographic challenges
• For you if:  You just have to find out what’s over that next hill.

Explorer Mission Types
• Claim Territory
• Vista
• Power Map
• Scavenger Hunt
• Path Switches
• Explorer Door"

"The day you landed on Nexus you joined the service. It’s a big, bad planet out there, full of vicious beasts, hostile natives, and alien invaders itching for a fight. Sounds like your kind of party. Lock and load, soldier. Time to report for duty.

Demolition. Destruction. War. Soldiers are hard-charging wrecking machines, throwing themselves into the heart of the battle, and claiming victory against impossible odds. Need someone to plant the flag and start cracking some skulls? Time to call a soldier."

• Initiate big public quest battles.
• Gain rank – and get new weapons to blow more stuff up.
• For you if:  You are coming to Nexus to kick some butt.

Soldier Mission Types
• SWAT
• Rescue Op
• Demolition
• Assassination
• Conquer
• Protect
• Security
• First Strike

Elder-game aside, when you consider that the leveling experiences of a Granok Warrior-Explorer will play out very differently than a Granok Warrior-Soldier (or any other race/class pair that chooses a different path for that matter), you're looking at a high degree of replayability. Hopefully they give us enough character slots...

Of course this is just a taste of things to come, but it whets the appetite, and has us at ZAM eagerly awaiting more details. Of particular interest will be some of the rewards and mission types for the remaining two paths, the Scientist and the Settler.

More PAX East Coverage: New Zones on Page 3->