A letter to the community Info - 2015-11-19 18:00

Hello everyone,
 
For a while now, we've been trying to come up with a better way of communicating with you about Krosmoz matters and projects. We'd like to find a way to let you brainstorm with us so we can get a better idea of your opinions and ideas. The main difference between today’s lay of the land and that of when we started out is that our ranks have swelled considerably, and trying to listen to every one of you would be a futile exercise.
 
This doesn't excuse us for everything, but it is a real obstacle for us. Whatever ideas and wishes we may have and however we try to communicate with you, we never, and never will, manage to please everyone, because there will always be some of you who feel "left out".
 
Since we're more than aware of this glaring issue, we've been trying to come up with a way of solving it for a few months now.
I'm not saying that we're going to find the ideal solution right away, but we're going to offer up various ideas in the hope of eventually finding the one that works.
  
As part of this, starting from 2016, we are going to send out a Krosmoz newsletter that will address all Krosmoz-related topics, games, projects, comic books etc. It'll be up to you whether you read everything or just concentrate on the projects that matter to you the most.
 
Please take this message as a preview of what we are hoping to put in place next year.
I'm also writing to you today to reiterate a crucial aspect of our vision. We've been trying to share it with you for a number of years now, and I don't think we can ever talk about it enough.
 
Our aim at Ankama is to create (through the Krosmoz) a constantly evolving universe. Many of you are only interested in playing the game, and don't want to hear about everything that goes on around it. I can understand this. However, our vision/desire/need is to develop a UNIVERSE, not just a game. The game is important, but we think that the wider project should take precedence.
 
We are the only ones in the entertainment industry, I think, who work like this. We are independent, which sometimes makes things extremely complicated, but it also gives us the advantage of being able to push our artistic vision to the limit, without having to compromise.
 
Think about how far our various teams have come in the last 10 years: DOFUS and WAKFU MMOs, despite their developments of varying popularity, have grown to be immense in terms of content. The teams in the animation department have delivered three seasons of cartoons that are today considered as some of the best material to come out of France. Not to mention the movie that is due to be released on the big screen in the coming months.
 
I know that deep down most of you are proud of our projects and support us in them, but I have to say that the recurring vicious attacks in the forums tend to dampen our enthusiasm somewhat.
 
Our Community Managers are there on the front line every day to talk to you and pass on your feedback. They will continue to do so on a daily basis because listening to you is our priority, whatever you may think. We have some huge flaws and the way we communicate sometimes leaves a lot to be desired. Of course, you are well within your rights to call us out on this. But please do it nicely.

The aim of this letter is to put things straight and to offer you a new way of operating for 2016, but we will only be able to do this if everyone (you and us) plays ball.
 
Therefore, the idea is to tell you everything, with no limits, and to let you participate as far as possible in choosing the next updates.
 
To help bring in this new format of communication, I've asked the different teams to summarize their respective projects. This means that you're going to get a flood of information, but please try to read it all to make sure that you’re as much in the loop as we are about everything we're working on.

I'll end this letter with a link to the various forums we’re going to use to gather your ideas and wishes, so we can exchange ideas in the best way possible.
  
You will find our Community Managers here, who, in turn, will be available to discuss our future plans with you and accompany you on a daily basis. Please feel free to chat to them.
 
Thanks for reading, and I look forward to sharing ideas with you,

Tot
 

KROSMASTER

 
Krosmaster is slowly coming out of beta, and has been invited onto Steam. The game is starting to find its community and we are looking forward to porting it to tablet, so you can play it in bed, or on the toilet. At the start of February, we’ll be revealing an extension with a connection to the film. Krosmaster Arena’s basic box will be replaced with a new box – take a look at the cover below. The characters will be integrated into the video game at the same time.

We are also currently thinking of doing a TV series with a few channels. We hope to give you more information about this project before the end of the year.
 

In Summary:
Steam release here: http://store.steampowered.com/app/329790
The game for tablets is scheduled for the first half of 2016.
 

WAKFU MMO

 
Just like DOFUS, WAKFU will be given a nice update soon.
 
The plan includes the new Huppermagic School, an account-to-account character transfer system, as well as Chapter 3 of the Nations Quest.
 
Here is a screenshot: 

 
 
The team is currently being restructured, and we will take advantage of our first big newsletter in January to introduce the different contributors to you.

   
In Summary:
Huppermagic School, character transfers and Chapter 3 of Nations mid-December

 

WAKFU S3

 
I can also confirm that there will indeed be a third season of WAKFU. I cannot talk about our collaborators for the moment, but it is with great pleasure that I rejoin the Brotherhood of Tofu for some new adventures. Fabrice Nzinzi is ensuring the production, and I have decided to take the writing on myself. I am particularly pleased to be working on this new season because for once, we will be able to create a real saga, from A to Z. Get ready – the preproduction portends something very very big.
 
This new season will appear next year, and we’ll be working on its connections to WAKFU MMO.
Likewise, we will take advantage of our next newsletter to introduce our team to you. For now, I’ll give you a few visuals that I find pretty impressive. The team leveled up while working on the film and is coming back in force for Season 3. I think there are still a few surprises in store.

 
Overview
Launch of Season 3 in 2016.
It will consist of only 13 episodes, each 26 minutes long, and will be extended if successful.  
     

DOFUS MMO => December 8, 2015 Update

 

Haven Bags

Tuesday, we announced the release of Haven Bags. A devblog was put online that goes into more detail about this new functionality. While reading your comments on the forums, I’ve noticed a majority of players who are satisfied, and others who are asking some questions.
 
To sum up what I’ve read, it seems you’re mostly wondering about the background in relation to Wakfu, and their usefulness when compared with houses. Still others would have preferred PVM content or class revamps.
 
The BACKGROUND in relation to WAKFU: the God Enutrof is the creator of the Haven Bags. He made them available in the Dofus era, but were all destroyed much later by Ogrest’s Chaos. They were then recreated by the God in the era of WAKFU to help the inhabitants of the World of Twelve survive various catastrophes. Go in game to find out more details about their presence.
 
I’ll also address a handful of messages pointing a finger at Eliotropes as a major break from canon. I’ve already announced to a few that it’s not just an about-face, and you’ll have the proof soon. I can’t give out spoilers, but I’d like to remind you that sometimes we work on projects over several years. We know where we’re going in terms of narration, but putting it into practice may take a considerable amount of time. The Eliotropes were created as part of major events to come. You’ll have all the answers in 2016.  

Inter-Server Kolossium

You’ve been waiting for it for quite a while now, and it was supposed to be the biggest feature of December. Nothing says that won’t be the case, but even still, we have some doubts. And that’s why we haven’t announced it. The Inter-Server Kolossium is currently in alpha and an improvement patch is expected this week. Depending on its effectiveness, we’ll make it available (or not) during the December update. We must remain vigilant and ensure that all the functionalities work as well as in the classic Kolossium. In any case, please believe that we’ll do everything possible to make it available as soon as possible. 

 

The Huppermage Class

The class is finished and was created in relation to the DOFUS film. This is very important for the care of our animation studio, and we’ve naturally centered coming updates on the release of the film. That means the new class, but also new PVM areas that will appear at the beginning of the year. December strikes you as a bit languid because we’ve moved some releases to the end of January / start of February to be more synchronized with the film’s release.
 
This class will be given away at advanced screenings of the DOFUS film (in France only), and will be accessible to all the players some months afterward. 


 

In Summary:

 

• Haven Bags will be available in the December 8 Update 2.32.
• Haven Bags have a storage chest, a Zaap, and a lottery system letting you win prizes every day

 

• Class available on the beta server starting November 27.
• Class accessible in advance starting January 9.
• Discover the Huppermage video!

 

DOFUS TOUCH

 
DOFUS TOUCH is the tablet port of DOFUS.
 
However, there are some differences from the desktop version:
 

• There’s no synchronization with the current servers.
• The game will use an older version (2.14).
• UIs will be optimized for the tablet format.
• There will only be 15 classes (which won’t include Eliotrope or Huppermage).
• A new economic model has been created, exclusive to the tablet. There will be a no subscription system, and instead there will be a new currency: Goultines. Whether it’s items in the marketplaces, or in the shop, everything will be buyable with kamas or Goultines (so long as Apple approves the economic model). We will soon give you more details regarding the system and its balance in-game.

 
The game will come out the first semester of 2016, and our objective afterward is to create as many links as possible with the current MMO.
 
DOFUS TOUCH will unfortunately not be playable on mobile. The current game design prohibits it.
 

DOFUS, BOOK I : JULITH

 
We’ve been working for more than two years on a feature-length DOFUS film which will be released in theaters in France February 3, 2016. This ambitious project is close to our hearts and tells the story of important characters in the Krosmoz universe. We’re currently talking with our partners to find ways to release the film internationally. We’ll let you know as soon as details are available. We’ve been very happy with the reactions we’ve gotten during the recent advance screenings. It’s heart-warming. 

   
 

KROSMAGA

 
A while ago, we spoke to you about the youngest member of the family, in which you play as the 12 Gods of the Krosmoz: KROSMAGA.
 
Its development is progressing rapidly, and after its recent presentation at an exhibition in Essen, Germany, we feel ready to present an Alpha of our new baby to French-speaking players some time in December. For the occasion, we will choose around 1,000 players to give us their first bits of feedback.
 
Krosmaga is also planned for PC/Mac/Tablet, and like Krosmaster, will feature the various monsters and heroes of the Krosmoz.

But a little video is worth a thousand words, so here are two battles for you to give you an idea:

 

   

CONCLUSION

Thank you to all you brave people for having taken the time to read this tome up to the end. Once more, regarding what I meant above, this is only the start. Our objective in 2016 is to offer you something far more flexible and accomplished.

While waiting, please join us on our respective forums to debate and talk about the different topics.
 
Warmest wishes,

Tot