Re: War For The Overworld
Ashlie Hagenson
An overworld or a hub world is, in a broad sense, an area within a video game that interconnects all its levels or locations. They are mostly common in role-playing games, though this does not exclude other video game genres, such as some platformers and strategy games.
An overworld or hub world is an area within a video game which connects its other levels or locations.[1] The term can also refer to a safer area which players frequently return to, like a town.[2] They are common in adventure games, role-playing games (RPGs), platformers, and dungeon crawlers.[1][3] Multiplayer games have hub worlds which serve as a centre for interaction with other players and non-player characters (NPCs).[1]
Hub worlds in single-player games are often used for worldbuilding, while hubs in multiplayer games are more purposed for storage for weapons and equipment, as well as restocking supplies. They serve as safe areas in between dangerous areas and quests where players can take on more passive actions. Wired and Kotaku described overworlds as a sort of "home" for the player in-game.[1][2] They have also been considered an essential element of RPGs.[1][3]
The 1981 arcade games Route-16[4] and 005 were among the earliest examples of a hub world.[1] In Route-16, a driving maze game, exiting a maze takes the player to a large overworld map showing the locations of the player, cars, mazes and treasures.[4] In 005, an early stealth game, players could enter buildings like ice rinks and warehouses from the main screen to avoid enemies, leading to different screens. The final scene tasks the players with controlling their getaway helicopter to escape and finish the level. Dubbed "a game in four screens",[1][5] 005 was then described as a "RasterScan Convert-a-Game" according to The Encyclopedia of Arcade Games.[1]
In Super Mario 64 (1996), Princess Peach's Castle serves as its hub world. Free of enemies, the castle serves as a safe area where players can experiment with its movement system and serves as an entrance to all other levels. Players are free to leave the castle whenever they wish.[1][6][7]
In terms of video game music, overworld themes are often orchestral in nature, and of greater length and complexity than other pieces in the same game, due to the amount of time spent travelling the overworld map.[citation needed] Because players will usually visit a single level or area a few times in a given play session, the music for any such section of the game will typically be shorter and/or less complex,[8] and thus less time-consuming for the designers to produce. The overworld theme frequently functions as the main theme of a game, often used as a motif for other tracks (e.g., a "romance" theme features the main melody of the overworld theme, orchestrated in a different key).[9]
When im in the End, villagers go to sleep around 10:00 am until 10:00 pm, then work from 12:00 to 7:00, and if somebody sleeps in the overworld they will only have a short amout of time to work before 7.
The Overworld is the vastest area that Link must explore in each game of the series.[1] The most common example of an Overworld location would be the land of Hyrule, but others include Termina, the Great Sea, and Koholint. It is through the Overworld that Link can access other areas such as caves and dungeons. The Overworld mostly consists of locations above ground, and it is separate from Dungeons. In contrast to Dungeons, which are isolated and explored from a beginning to an end point, the Overworld is much larger with more open-ended exploration. Since Ocarina of Time, it has been common for the Overworld of a title to include a type of hub most Overworld areas connect to, such as Hyrule Field. As mentioned, there are multiple Overworld settings to be explored with many ways to traverse their varying topography.
Hyrule has been shown to have alternate worlds beside it, which have often been fully explorable Overworlds. The first alternate dimension to appear in the series was the Dark World in A Link to the Past, a warped version of Hyrule with changed environments. Dungeons in this world were also different. A Dark World or Realm of Hyrule has been referred to in other titles; Four Swords Adventures also contains another Dark World to explore, though very different from the one shown in A Link to the Past. In Spirit Tracks, there is a portal to a Dark Realm, though it is not a full overworld. In Twilight Princess, Link could travel through the Twilight Realm, which has curtained over Hyrule. Aside from the colorful hues of the lighting, this realm does not very much change the appearance of the land. The Silent Realm in Skyward Sword is also very similar the original state of Hyrule but with all blue tones and slight changes to layout. Lorule can be accessed in A Link Between Worlds through various fissures after the attack on Hyrule Castle, what is an alternate universe similar to Hyrule and the Dark World, but covered in numerous cracks in the earth to prevent travel. Lorule also seems to have iconic locations to have opposite characteristics to Hyrule, for example Death Mountain is covered in snow with a constant blizzard, a clear contrast to the usual active volcano.
Termina is the setting of Majora's Mask, and it is believed to be in a dimension parallel to Hyrule. The most notable property of this Overworld is the ominous moon slowly falling down upon it. In the very center of this land is Clock Town, and around the lies a Termina Field, which connects to four varying environments in Termina. To the south is a swamp, in the north are mountains, the ocean is in the west, and the canyon is in the east. These four area are mostly inhabited by Deku Scrubs, Gorons, Zoras, and undead respectively, and it can be said that they are mostly traveled by their primary denizens.
The main Overworld of Oracle of Seasons is Holodrum, a land wracked by constantly changing seasons. The layout of certain areas of Holodrum can change drastically from season to season, with mounds of snow blocking paths in winter or high waters flooding the way in summer. The nature of these seasons can be an advantage or disadvantage depending on how they affect the Overworld. The Natzu region mysteriously changes according to whose Strange Flute Link possesses.Underneath Holodrum is a subterranean, volcanic underworld called Subrosia. Despite being unground, it has an Overworld map and layout, so it is much a part of it. The biggest obstacle here is the prominent amount of lava, and the currency is even different.
In Phantom Hourglass, the world of the Ocean King, as it is referred to by the servant Spirits, is much like the Great Sea, as it consists of ocean and many islands. It is not known where this world takes place, but it is implied that it exists in a dimension separate from the Great Sea. It is much smaller than the Great Sea of The Wind Waker, and its islands are fewer and spaced more closely together. Again, exploration requires the use of a boat. Many of the islands are reminiscent of returning elements in the Legend of Zelda series; many of the islands have villages or a prominent theme like fire or ice.
This Sky is where the story of Skyward Sword begins. The goddess Hylia suspended many floating islands in the sky above ancient Hyrule to protect the people living on them from a great war. Below these floating islands is a cloud barrier that separates them from the surface below. Only a few of the islands in the Sky are inhabited, with Skyloft having the only town. A thunderhead covers a large portion of the explorable Sky. To travel across the Sky, the people are blessed with Loftwings, large birds said to be gifts from Hylia. Large pillars of light designate opening in the cloud barriers through which locations on the surface can be entered.
The Overworld is often the only place that Link can use certain modes of transportation, some of which are crucial to traversing the lands. While Epona, a horse that appears in numerous titles, is not required to venture across Hyrule Field, she does allow for much quicker travel. On the other hand, the King of Red Lions, a small boat, is the only way Link can travel from one island to another in the Great Sea. Also, if the option is available, Link can warp to many locations of the Overworld through many different means.
I've seen rumors that virtuoso has a strong overworld build right now, tanky and decent damage. Anyone that can point me in the right direction for that?
I leveled up a mesmer prior to EoD and tried out virtuoso when it launched, but it felt really weak at the time.
In OW take advantage of Jade Core for extra vitality and Jade Offensive and Defensive boons to pump up your build. These buffs help any OW player especially when solo, far more than any other buff in the game.
I already have a rifle mechanist =P
But I like to play different classes from time to time, and mesmer is one of my lesser-played characters (also have a reaper, soulbeast, untamed, scrapper, weaver, firebrand, and revenant I play off and on).
Rifle mechanist is great, and has become one of my favorites, but sometimes you want a change of scenery.
In open world most builds will end up being viable, if you want something simple use a power virtu dps build and use marauder stats instead of berserk (i think it was marauder), those stats main power and prec and minor vit and feroc, as virtus already convert vit to feroc, although you still loose stast, you dont loose that much dmg and you do get pretty decent health, you also can go gs, dagger/focus or maybe gs sword focus, etc etc, weapons and skill are a bit secondary in open world, use what you feel more confortable with
03c5feb9e7