LEGO Worlds Now in Early Access
In a complete and utter surprise, Warner Bros., having partnered with longtime LEGO game developer Traveller's Tales and the Lego Group announced LEGO Worlds, a direct competitor to Minecraft, on Steam Early Access today. The press release accompanying the game's announcement touts the Early Access portion as “[a way for] the gaming community to provide feedback for continual improvements and the integration of additional content over time,” much like many other Early Access titles.
So then, what features does Tt Games have planned for the coming months? Here is the complete list, taken from the Steam page:
- Like/Dislike system for tailoring World Generation
- Procedurally Generated Underground Cave Networks
- LEGO ID integration to allow for sharing and uploading of in-game builds
- Additional Biomes
- Painting Themes
- Pre-Generated Towns/Villages/Settlements relevant to the Biome
- Updated AI Behaviors to provide organic feeling to free-roaming creatures and characters
- Red Brick Extras
- Full liquid behaviors
- Additional Minifigure Characters and Creatures
- Additional Vehicles and Pre-Built Models
- Additional Weapons
- Cut/Copy/Paste chunks of landscape
- Underwater Gameplay (including Vehicles, Creatures and additional sea life)
- Character Customizer
- Online Multiplayer
Though it's quite the expansive list, it's sure to grow and change in the coming months as well. As it stands now, LEGO Worlds offers procedurally generated worlds, terraforming tools, rideable creatures and vehicles, and a day/night cycle, along with basic building functions, whether it's brick-by-brick, or in large sprays.
Some other news of the early access includes the information that it will be cheaper now, while it's still effectively in an “alpha” stage along with the fact that there is no plan for an official release anytime this year, and possibly not even next year, if the community decides that more time is needed. Tt Games also promises a series of development diaries to accompany the ongoing development of the game, as part of their plan for greater community interaction.
This, of course, isn't The LEGO Group's first try at a large-scale community-focused title, with Lego Universe coming out a full year before Minecraft hit its own alpha stage. The game, of course, didn't last, but it's entirely likely that there are some ideas being implemented from Lego Universe in LEGO Worlds. For now, if the thought of a “not-quite-Minecraft” game set in the LEGO universe excites you, you can enter in the Early Access for 14.99 USD (£11.99 - Ed) on Steam.
Posted 03-06-2015, 08:11
Both of your answers can be found here: http://steamcommunity.com/app/332310/discussions/0/615085406675832629/
In short, no official mod support right now, as the game is going to change quite a bit in the few months. That's not to say that you can't make them, but there's no guarantee that it won't completely break the game.
No microtransactions planned whatsoever. DLC will not be considered until the game is likely out of Early Access.
Posted 03-06-2015, 04:25
I definitely welcome this, a quality alternative to minecraft, that doesn't use voxels but does have its own theme.
However two questions still concern me here
1. Will there be good mod support ?
2. Will they drown us in DLC ?