As I wait for my rig bits to arrive, I have been contemplating the current rigging trends. The mot recent detail to attract my curiosity is the jib pivot. Where other classes and earlier IOM fashion called for a balled race pivot, the current trend is to use a cord to attach the jib boom to the deck ring. From my experiences with DF95 this method is prone to wear out and is hard to adjust for a consistent jib luff/rig tension. Why is it the current hot thing for IOM rigs?
Thanks!
We were offered a look at PVE and PVP gameplay footage, and thankfully for fans, it looks like the same iconic combat system as its predecessor. How BnS NEO Divine Gems combat system has players managing cooldowns between combo abilities feels like a mix of traditional fighting game and tab-target MMORPG, and the improved graphics and animations add intensity to the over-the-top spectacle of Blade & Soul's combat. Footage of a small 3v3 faction PVP bout was a chaotic display, but the free-for-all PVP was even more so. Players were seen desperately competing for a Scavenger's Treasure Chest, using crowd control abilities on each other for a chance to grab the coveted loot.
The footage also revealed the revamped Tomb of the Exiles dungeon, which looks excellent under the new lighting and its surprising verticality leverages the game's freeform movement system. We caught a glimpse of the Infernal Lord boss fight as well, which was kicked off with an impressive cutscene before the party got busy dodging his varied moveset. Frontal swipes, AoE knockdowns, fire breath, and a devastating grab attack might knock a few players down, but at least they'll look good in the process.
Speaking of looking good, Blade & Soul NEO retains its predecessor's rich slider-based character customization system. Every bodily feature can be adjusted with immense freedom, with examples ranging from hideous to hilarious to beautiful. While some games limit the values of such sliders to keep players somewhat visually consistent, characters in Blade & Soul NEO can be modified to the extreme. Even the animal-like Lyn race has tremendous variety: an assortment of tails and ears were recolored and resized for unique results. There's a granularity to the customization system that could keep virtual fashionistas occupied for hours.
As always, fashion is a crucial component of MMORPGs, and cheap BnS Classic Divine Gems showed off a wide variety of diverse outfits spanning modern and fantasy aesthetics. Martial arts outfits, cute dresses ornamented with bows and ribbons, formal attire, and one standout armor set where the player's joints are replaced with fireballs should give every player cosmetic options to their taste. For players interested in apparel that suits their class fantasy, we saw plenty of options that should help express their character's fighting style.