Multiplayer is coming to AVWW through the support of servers. The plan is for mainly co-op play, but there's room for pvp content if the server administrator wants to allow it. You'll be able to launch the game server on any computer, and then other players can connect to it (including the computer running the server, if you wish). At the moment there's no explicit limits on the number of players per server, but a game should run smoothly with up to 16 players depending on the players' and admin's hardware and connections.
Also introduced this week is the World Map. Each tile on the map represents a "region" consisting of one big outdoors area with a variety of buildings, caves, tunnels, and so on leading down into the earth or up into the sky. Windstorm events occur occasionally as you make your way across the map, sweeping you into the region you're standing on, and forcing you to deal with inclement weather and more, stronger monsters than typically dealt with until all characters have escaped from that region. This result brings more risk to traveling, particularly in parts of the world map with levels higher than yours.
The development of new regions are on display as well. Currently seven different regions have been created and there will be many, many types in the game as it moves toward version 1.0, with hopes of having around 20+ in place by the start of alpha. Arcen's own Chris Park goes into full detail on everything mentioned above and more in the game's latest dev diary: http://christophermpark.blogspot.com/2011/02/multiplayer-world-map-regions-and.html
A whopping 16 new screenshots of the latest build are now available on the game's feature page: http://www.arcengames.com/w/
And our latest gameplay video shows it all in action (HD link): http://www.youtube.com/watch?
We'll be back next week with the latest progress report containing all the new reveals, footage and screens. A Valley Without Wind is targeted for official release on PC and Mac late this year with a playable Alpha build available to all pre-order customers in spring.
About Arcen Games
Arcen Games entered the PC indie scene in 2009 with their cult classic AI War: Fleet Command, which was named the 40th best-reviewed PC game of the year by MetaCritic. Their second year was a busy one, seeing the release of The Zenith Remnant, the first full expansion for AI War; Tidalis, an innovative block-based puzzle with casual appeal and hardcore depth; and Children of Neinzul, a micro-expansion for AI War with all profits benefiting the Child's Play charity, of which Arcen is a platinum sponsor.
AI War's third and largest expansion Light of the Spire marked Arcen's first release of 2011, and now the company has shifted its focus and excitement to the development of A Valley Without Wind. Originally a one-man shop, Arcen Games has grown to have half a dozen part-time or fulltime contributors to its various titles.