Trove (video game)

Trove
Developer(s)	Trion Worlds
Publisher(s)	Trion Worlds
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows, Mac,[1] PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Release date(s)	July 9, 2015
Mode(s)	Multiplayer

Trove is a Sandbox massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed and published by Trion Worlds. Now moddable by Steam. The game was released on Microsoft Windows on July 9, 2015 and is scheduled to release on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in the fall of 2016.^[2][3]

Development

Trove was first revealed on November 13, 2013^[4] with players able to sign up to play the Alpha version of the game. Access to a closed Beta test was launched on September 25, 2014,^[5] a free week of Trove was out a month later on October 24–26, 2014.^[6] The game went in Open Beta on November 4, 2014.^[7][8]

Launch issues

On Launch Day, the game experienced issues with queue wait times. in response the admins had to restart the servers three times.^[9][10][11] Some players were also unable to join Club Worlds^[12] or login to the game.^[13]

Hotfixes were later announced on July 10–11, 2015.^[14][15] and again on July 15, 2015^[16] and July 17, 2015^[17]

Gameplay

Gameplay Screenshot

Players assume the role of one of multiple classes each with different play styles and abilities. After a brief tutorial players arrive in a central area called the 'Hub' In this area players can access Portals which act as access points to different in-game worlds each one tailored for a specific stage of progression. Each portal requires a minimum level to enter which gets higher per portal, allowing for progression from easier worlds to harder worlds as the player gains in level. Each world gets progressively harder but rewards higher levels of experience and better loot/resources. Each portal is of a specific color which is designed to indicate the quality of the 'loot' which can be most commonly located there, although there is a small chance that loot of a higher quality will be found. The exception to this is the higher level Red portals which predominantly drop Legendary (orange) quality loot but have a higher chance to drop loot of relic (red), resplendent (rainbow) or shadow (dark purple) quality as well. Higher Level Red portals have a better chance for to drop the rarer loot types.

Loot Quality progresses from (lowest to highest) Uncommon, Rare, Epic, Legendary, Relic, Resplendent, Shadow level 1-5, Radiant, and Stellar.

In Trove only three of the equipable slot items can be obtained from defeating hostile NPC's, unlike in other RPG games. The items which can be obtained in this way are the hat, weapon and mask slot items. These items form the 'loot drops' left behind either when some enemies are defeated or when a reward chest is opened following the defeat of a boss type NPC.

Players can obtain the other equipable items from crafting, the ingame store, trade NPC's, reaching certain levels of Mastery, or via ingame badges. These items include rings, alternative character costumes (which unlock as your character increases in level), tomes, allies (permanent pets that boost the player character's stats), wings, mounts, boats, sails, flasks (which are consumed to restore the player character's health), fishing rods, mag riders ( a form of quick travel mount limited to use on train-like mono-rails), and Emblems, which add to or alter the benefits provided by Flasks.

A notable feature of "Trove" is the Collection. With the exception of Rings, Hats, weapons and masks, each of the other none loot drop items, once activated is added to the players library of unlocked items. Any character on that account can then access their own copy of that item from the collection and can select it from the corresponding item slot in their character equipment screen. For example, once you obtain a fishing rod on one character, you can activate it (default left mouse click) which will add the rod to your library. You then only have to select the fishing rod slot on the character screen to be taken to the fishing rod area of the library. Select the rod from the list and the item will be equipped. This can be done on any character on that account without restriction.

Rings, masks, hats and weapons are not added to the library and so the player will only get one instance of the item unless more are found/crafted. If a player wishes to transfer the item between characters then they must first un-equip the item and change characters in order to equip it to the newly selected character.

Character Customization

Any Weapon, Hat or mask that is placed in the craft station known as the Loot collector, will be destroyed but the style of that item will be added to the players library allowing the player to choose to use that items image as a vanity, instead of the item currently equipped. This applies to masks, hats and weapons only. The new image only affects the appearance of the character and provides an altered visual appearance only. Additionally any item which is destroyed in the loot collector also provides the player with resources, useful in upgrading other items or in crafting.

Players can also alter their characters' face, skin and hair styles using The Barbershop without limit, penalty or cost, which can be crafted or found at the Hub zone.

This allows for great variety as each player can customize their characters appearance to a high degree.

Game Environment

The Hub zone is the central Zone in Trove and acts as a meeting place for all players as well as a way of accessing the lower level worlds until players are able to craft their own world portals.

The Hub also includes a selection of crafting stations and an NPC who sells items used for fishing, an in game semi-profession, and sailing.

Each world zone contains various biomes that focuse on a specific theme. These include Neon City, a world with structures designed to resemble a fictionalised image of the insides of a computer, Highlands, designed to resemble fields and forests, The Fae Forest, a dark fairy tale like zone and many, many others.

Each biome is connected seamlessly to each other and each world zone is open world in its construction allowing players to travel from biome to biome seamlessly within each world zone.

The biomes themselves each have their own unique NPC enemies which will attack the player if they get too close, as well as their own unique flora. One of the main features of each biome is their themed dungeons. For example, the Candoria biome, a theme based on sweets, chocolate and other such items can have dungeon's shaped like giant cakes, gumball machines or a myriad of other themed objects related to the biome.

Each dungeon contains a single 'mini-boss' who upon defeat rewards the player with a large amount of experience, and causes the spawning of a reward chest. The chest contains 1-3 items which are usually the matching quality of the zone but have a small chance to be of higher quality as well as various other resources useful to the player.

There are also large dungeons which appear less frequently than normal dungeons and can have 2 'mini-boss' encounters each with their own reward chest and one main boss encounter who is significantly harder but has significantly better rewards.

Cornerstones

One of the more popular and unusual features is the ability for players to build their own homes, called cornerstones. Each World has pre-built locations where a cornerstone can be activated. When activated the players home will appear at that location and will remain there until that player leaves the World or summons their cornerstones in a different place. Players other than the owner of the home may freely enter the structure but cannot add to or destroy the building in any way. They may also access the players crafting stations and portals but when entering the players storage chest, they will only be able to see their own storage list and cannot see or affect the owning players storage. This means that players can summon their homes without any fear that other players will damage, alter or steal from them or their structures.^[18]

Player homes start with a novice crafting station which can be used to make other crafting stations, which in turn can be used to make a multitude of other advanced crafting stations or items of use to the player. These can range from decorations for their home, portals to allow quick access to the other worlds (without needing to visit the Hub first) and various utility equipment like bombs etc.

Players can also use the crafting stations to build a 'club' card which is the games equivalent to guilds as found in other such MMO style games. Upon creation the player receives a 'one use' token which when activated prompts the player to name their Club. Once named the player will become the leader of the club and can travel to the Club World.

Club World

The Club world is a zone without dungeons or enemies and is meant to be a central meeting area for members of the club. The Club leader and any other member of sufficient rank can freely build within the zone and can place items normally only placeable within player built homes. Additionally there are some items which can only be placed in Club Worlds.

Players can instantly travel from anywhere within the game straight to their club world.

Club chats allow members within a club to chat to each other. The club chat is accessed through typing "/c#" in chat, with "#" being the club number.

Initially the Club world consists of a small island complete with grass and trees. The Island is surrounded on all sides by a unique biome called the Sea of Deep Regret which, when entered, is harmful to the players. However, players can build and deploy devices like terraformers which, when activated, can convert areas of the sea into additional land mass. This allows players to increase the size of the Club World as desired.

Players may use their molten roar up to a maximum of 5 roars at any one time.

Classes

There are numerous classes within Trove. Currently, these are the Dino Tamer, the Chloromancer, the Revenant, Lunar Lancer, Tomb Raiser, Boomeranger, Pirate Captain, Shadow Hunter, Ice Sage, Candy Barbarian, Neon Ninja, Dracolyte, Fae Trickster, Gunslinger, and the Knight.^[19] Each Character has their own strengths and weaknesses making the play style for each varied.

Most classes are designed to resemble a particular Biome whilst others are said to be 'roamer' classes which do not originate from any particular biome, according to in game lore.^[20]

Each Character has a selection of unique abilities which unlock within the first few levels of play. Each Character has a main attack, secondary attack, unique passive ability, and 2 extra skills which can be triggered when desired and have in built cooldowns, limiting their use. The Unique passive ability allows the class to utilize their class mechanics, for example the Tomb Raiser class obtains charges called 'souls' either when a set period of time has passed or when an enemy is defeated. The Tomb Raiser can store up to 3 of these charges at any one time and can expend them using their secondary attack ability to summon NPC character minions to help him in combat.^[19] Each class's mechanic is unique and allows for a variety of play styles.

Professions

There are three Crafting professions, each with their own particular crafting stations. With each craft the level of the profession increases which in turn allows the player access to higher quality recipes for each increase of 50 levels, until the profession level reaches the maximum of 250.^[21]

The professions are:

• Gardening: which can be used to obtain various useful items including animal feed which is necessary to craft certain mounts.
• Ring crafting, which produces rings of various types. It is noted that rings can only be obtained from crafting as they are not received as rewards from defeated NPC enemies.
• Rune crafting, which provides the crafter with various tomes or emblems which also benefit the player. Emblems alter the effect of the players 'flask' or heal potion allowing them to provide added time limited bonuses when a flask is consumed.^[21]

Players can also participate in Fishing, which can provide them with resources, items and trophies^[22] that are not obtainable via other means. However Fishing does not improve with levels and does not require a crafting station, unless the player is attempting to create more advanced fishing rods than the basic type purchasable from the Hub NPC, Saltwater Sam.

Battle Arena

The Battle Arena (a.k.a. Battleverse) is a newly released multiplayer PvP (Player versus Player) mode that allows players, or teams of players, to fight each other. PvP will only be allowed when entering a Battle Portal, taking players into a battle type arena. Ten players will be able to battle it out in a test of skill and team based cooperation.

Currently there is two types of gamemodes, Capture the Flag and Team Deathmatch. Other gamemodes will be released in future patches/updates.

Capture the Flag (CTF)

Capture the Flag is a game mode where two teams of trovians (five players for each team) battle against each other while having the main objective of capturing flags for each team. Each team must capture flags for their team in order, and the team with the most flags captured wins the game. In this game mode, you can’t use your mount and your wings. Everyone will get stats boosts and can pick a power ups to boost their stats further temporarily.

There two types of flags, the Flag of Strife and the Team Flag. The Flag of Strife can usually be found in the middle of the arena with a purple coloring. These flags are worth one point each once captured. Team Flags however are located in the team's "base" with its corresponding team color. These flags are more difficult to capture than the Flag of Strife but is worth three points each. Both flags can be dropped by the player either by performing an ability that makes them drop the flag, performing a dodge, and/or being killed/defeated in battle.

Notes:

• There will be two teams, red team and blue team.
• Once both teams have five players, the match begins.
• Each player must retrieve the other team's flag and return it to their base.
• Flag can be dropped using certain abilities or after being defeated in battle.
• The team with the most points wins the game.
• Use the new Battle Arena portal in the updated Hub to be transported to the arena.
• Each match has a 5 minute timer.
• The flag will be marked on your compass.
• Capture the enemy flag as many times as possible before time runs out.

Team Deathmatch (TDM)

Team Deathmatch is a gamemode where two teams of trovians (Matches consist of 5v5 or 3v3) battle against each other with the main objective of killing each other's team members. Each team must must kill off the enemy team, and the team with the most kills wins the game.

References