I’ve played Wizard101 since the beginning, and it’s been a lot of fun seeing how things have changed and evolved over time. Specifically for this blog post, I was asked to answer the question, “What were my favorite highlights each year?” That’s actually not as easy a thing to answer as it seems! I’ll break my favorites down by year, and hope I can give a little explanation to all my choices
2008
Wizard101 was brand new in 2008 and we were all busy running around The Spiral – on foot . . . without a mount! For me, this year was a time of discovery and I couldn’t have been happier finishing off the original final boss of Wizard101, the Jade Oni in MooShu. The Spiral was so brand new that we saw Halloween decorations for the first time in October and a then a Yuletide Tree in December. I think these festive touches were my favorite updates in 2008. There’s nothing quite as fun as seeing the world you know suddenly transformed with spooky or festive cheer.
2009
This is where it starts to get hard to choose just one update as my favorite. 2009 gave us Dragonspyre, followed by housing, then Open Chat, then Grizzleheim, then mounts, and finally school housing! How do you choose! I suppose looking back if I just had to choose one, I’d pick Dragonspyre. The epic conclusion of the first story arc was amazing. There is nothing like a new world to explore, and Dragonspyre specifically still holds a special place in my heart. I couldn’t be happier crushing Malistaire in his Great Spyre, and feel like I know the place like the back of my hand. It was an awesome feeling to know you saved the Spiral!
2010
This is also a hard year to choose a winner, but I’m going to have to say the introduction of Advanced Pets really changed the face of the game. Building the perfect pet is still a huge craze and racing pets was a favorite pastime of mine – I still wear my 1st age pet warlord badge with pride! We all waited for Celestia for a long time, but Advanced Pets changed the game forever.
2011
While I liked Zafaria and leveling my wizard, I really fell in love with the world of Wysteria, which would be my favorite update of 2011. I really liked the idea of a magic school competition and unraveling the mystery of this new world was a lot of fun. Exploring the strange schools of magic and meeting the off-the-wall professors that taught in Wysteria was a particular highlight. Zafaria would definitely be a very, very close second however.
2012
My life changed in 2012 as I transitioned from Wizard101 fan site owner to employee at KingsIsle, and while you can’t technically say the release of Pirate101 was an expansion to Wizard101 . . . it was just as important to me. Pirate101 took a universe I loved and gave it new depth. With Pirate101, I was seeing the game from the outside in, and it added so much richness to the Wizard101 mythology. That’s not to say that Avalon wasn’t one of the most awesome expansions Wizard101 ever had in my opinion, and I suppose if I strictly had to choose a Wizard101 update, Avalon would be it. I still have nightmares about the creepy house with Spider Legs!
2013
For me, my favorite update in 2013 was the new Halloween Quest with possessed vegetables and the hilariously spooky Nosferabbit. The Halloween quests really hadn’t changed since 2008 and their addition was a really welcome treat. In fact, I can’t wait to see these quests resurface in 2014!
2014
I have to give it up for fishing this year . . . even though the end of Story Arc 2 is about the most amazing thing ever. I just love the new fishing update! I love all the new hilarious fish, the stackable aquariums, and the fun way to spend my energy when I’m not gardening. Fishing brought new depth to an already incredible game and it was something that players have wanted for a long, long time.
Thanks for taking this look back with me throughout the years! While my favorite choices certainly may not be yours, I’m happy I was able to share them with you. Happy Birthday Wizard101!
What were some of your favorite updates from the past six years?
Tom Purdue, our Community Communication and Public Relations Manager, was able to visit a group of professional gamers known as the Syndicate Guild to catch them up on all things KingsIsle. Read on for more information about his experience at Syndcon.
Two weeks ago it was my pleasure to meet with the Syndicate Guild for their annual Syndcon convention in Orlando, Florida. What’s the Syndicate Guild? Only the longest running Guild in existence! That’s right, they were there at the dawn of the term MMO, and they’re still going strong!
The Syndicate loves the games they play, whether it’s Ultima Online, World of Warcraft, or even Wizard101 and Pirate101. Members of the Syndicate understand what makes an MMO tick and provide valuable feedback to members of the gaming industry.
On hand at the convention were a few industry professionals, including myself, to present the state of their games and discuss the futures of their companies. I was truly honored to be among such a wealth of videogame history and knowledge. KingsIsle was there to do two things, 1- Provide awesome Pirate101 and Wizard101 posters and Crowns Codes for the Syndicate’s annual charity raffle and 2- Catch the Syndicate up on the state of KingsIsle.
Outside of casual conversation with the guild members throughout the conference, I gave a presentation that talked about the past two years of Wizard101 and Pirate101 and even gave a live demonstration of Fishing in Wizard101! (I’m happy to demonstrate my fishing skills of catching Frost Dekoi whenever I have a captive audience ;).) I also mentioned some of our other games that are still in development – but not by name and not with specifics – as we’re not quite ready to reveal too much about these projects just yet. The good news for us is that members of The Syndicate are interested in helping us test our new projects when the time comes! (When it comes time to test new games, we rely heavily on our friends, family, professional gamers like the Syndicate, and our stalwart fans.)
The Syndicate Guild has been a valuable partner with KingsIsle for testing Wizard101 and Pirate101 in the past, and we’re excited to have them numbered among our players. Speaking of which, it was great to see so many people enjoying Wizard101 and Pirate101 alongside other games in their Alienware-filled game room that was constantly running videogames all day long, every day of the convention. (Now that’s my kind of convention!)
A good time was had by all, and thanks to the Syndicate for inviting us to Syndcon 2014! LLTS!
Yarrr, Pirates! Have you ever wondered about the makings of the Pirate101 puppet shows? They’re one of our favorite aspects of the game, and today artist and animator Robert Lovelett is here to share the makings of puppet shows.
My name is Robert Lovelett (Donkey Hotay in the forums) and I am the lead artist and animator for the puppet shows in Pirate101. I am thrilled when fans tell me that the puppet shows are one of their favorite things about the game. I hope that they inspire people to use animation to tell their own stories.
The first stage is called pre-production. Writers create a script, and I meet with them to offer my input. After we agree on a script, the puppet show goes to sound to record the rough audio, which I then put in the animatic. An animatic is an animated storyboard. It helps me figure out what works visually for the puppet shows, from scene composition to the rhythm and timing of the animation. I use a program called Adobe Flash to create the puppet shows.
After I get feedback and approval on the animatic from the writers and art director, I move on to the production stage. Production involves cleaning up my initial sketches with final lines and adding color. The production stage can be very tedious, but it pays off in the end. It is very rewarding to see an idea go from script to a refined, moving illustration.
The last stage is polish. By this point, I get the final audio from sound with the official voice actor combined with sound effects and music. If necessary, I tweak the animation’s timing to match the final audio and make minor visual changes. The key thing about the polish stage is that it is optional, but can really add to the quality of the animation. One of the biggest examples where polish paid off is the Armada puppet show. Initially, it had a saturated color palette, but after consideration, it was changed to a palette that shifted to grey and monochromatic, to match with the shift in tone from humorous to grim.
I hope this gives you a glimpse into how the puppet shows for Pirate101 are made. You would be amazed how many resources are available on the Internet to learn animation. If you have an interest, I urge you to explore these resources to learn as much as possible about animation!
Wizard101 has been around for nearly six years now, with over 40 million Wizards having visited the Spiral. Though many players have been here consistently since the beginning, others may have taken a break from the game. As a returning player, you may have been away for months or even years… but now there are so many new and exciting things to explore that you should definitely hop back in!
If you’ve been away for a while, you might be a little rusty when you return. Here are 5 tips to help make returning to Wizard101 easy and fun!
1) Read the update notes
Even if you’ve been away for a while, the Spiral keeps turning. The Wizard101 update notes are a great resource to keep you up-to-date on what’s been happening since you’ve been gone. There may be new worlds to explore, or entirely new systems to learn, like the recent Magical Fishing update. Just have a peek, and you’ll be ready to explore in no time!
2) Clean out your backpack and check your spell deck
If you’ve been away for a while, you may have left your backpack in disarray. Visit a vendor and sell any of those extra items. You’ll want the space for new items once you start questing again. It also might be a good time to check on your bank and shared bank to make sure you have space available. Before you head into battle, open up your spell deck, take a look of what spells you have equipped and re-familiarize yourself with them. You can even name your deck, by clicking the icon in the top left corner! This can be very helpful when keeping multiple decks for questing or PVP.
3) Get back on track with your quests
Remembering where things are and what quest you left off with may be a challenge. You can randomly choose to continue with any quest in your log, but if you’d like to make sure you are focusing on your main storyline quest, the wiki at Wizard101 Central can be a big help. Just choose a quest that you have in your quest log, visit the wiki and search by that quest name. Once you’ve found it, the page with information about that quest will tell you if it is a storyline quest or a side quest. You can also visit the Quests page of the wiki and explore all available quests for an area. There is a wealth of information available to help you there.
The Quest Finder is another wonderful tool to help you find a new quest to pursue in game. Just click the Quest Finder button on the last page of your quest log and it will direct you to the nearest available quest.
Your fellow players are another amazing resource when you need help with quests. Just ask around in game or on our forums and they may be able to help point you in the right direction.
If you are still stuck, unable to progress or find your proper quest, a quick email to support@wizard101.com will connect you with our customer service team and they will help you get back on track.
4) Try something new
There is such a great variety of activities to master in Wizard101 that returning to the game is a good time to try something new. Maybe you’d like to try out pet training for the first time, or level up a new pet. Head over to the Pet Pavilion and choose a game to play. You could even match your pet up with others to race in a Pet Derby.
If you’d like to test your Wizard’s green thumb, try out Gardening. Your Wizard must be level 12, and then you will be given a quest from Moolinda Wu who will teach you the art of growing and caring for plants on your home.
Magical Fishing is new to the Spiral, so if you are returning, you might try your hand at casting a line. If your Wizard is level 7 or higher, Lucky Hookline will call you with a quest to teach you how.
Want an intense challenge, why not try out PVP? Tournaments now provide a shorter match experience with a ladder mechanic.
5) Catch up with old friends and meet new ones
One of the best things about the Spiral is the friends that we make in game. When you return to Wizard101, catch up with your old friends or make new ones by grouping up to complete quests. If you are going to take on a dungeon, try the new Team Up feature to find players who want to try the same dungeon. It’s a great way to get help, and meet new Wizards!
No matter how short or how long you’ve been away, returning to Wizard101 can be just as fun as the first time you played. Hop in and see what’s new in the Spiral! There may be a lot to learn, but remember to have fun and play at your own pace. You’ll catch up and soon be on the path to becoming an Exalted Wizard!
What tips do you have for players who are returning to Wizard101?
There’s been a lot of talk about FreeKI Games trivia lately, and with the ability to earn up to 100 Crowns per day… why wouldn’t there be? Even though we love the trivia system and creating more quizzes for you, there is more to FreeKI Games than just answering quizzes for Crowns!
Have you spent any time looking at the great selection of free games online at FreeKI Games? We definitely have some of your old favorites like Sorcery Stones and Dueling Diego, where you can play for Wizard101 and Pirate101 free game codes. In addition to that, there are tons of other free games to play!
These online mini games range from quick, addicting puzzles like Factory Balls 3 or Sweety Mahjong to epic adventures with tons of game levels like Mr Bree Returning Home and Drake and the Wizards 2. There’s something for everyone with a huge variety of different gaming categories!
Each time we add a new mini game to FreeKI Games, we take time to make sure these additions hold up to our standards of quality and content. Just like any KingsIsle games, FreeKI Games are family friendly and we fun to play for all ages.
We truly want FreeKI Games to be a fun and safe portal for you to play mini games at, earn Crowns through trivia or game codes through KingsIsle Games… or just hang out! So we ask you players – what mini games are you currently enjoying on FreeKI Games? Are there certain types of games you’d like to see in the future?
Share your voice and tell us what you think in the comments. We’d love to hear your feedback!
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