World Blue



World Blue is the flagship project of Icewind Studios, and is marketed as a Steampunk Fairytale.

In 2010, Icewind Studios was founded by two young games designers and World Blue - A Steampunk Fairytale - was announced. The game is still in production, although the developers have hinted that the game is very nearly ready for public release.

Synopsis


World Blue is set in a world where humans and faeries lived side by side in uneasy peace, and where steam-powered technology had never been replaced by electricity.

In 1853, at the height of its industrial and political power, two major events rocked Britain to its core. The first was the sudden succumbing of its ruler, Queen Victoria, to a sleeping sickness from which no doctor could revive her. The second was the Great Cataclysm, a global event that shattered the Earth and covered its skies with a toxic Miasma.

Cityships were hastily constructed by the governments of the world, and took to the skies - Britain first placing their still-sleeping Queen in a Stasis Chamber and establishing her on board their flagship, Cityship London. Because of the space restrictions, only the best of each country were allowed onto the Cityships, and the Fey-folk were all left behind.

World Blue takes place centuries later. Society aboard the Cityships has stagnated, and virtually no advancements have been made. Paranoia of the world outside the ships has become all-consuming, and nobody is allowed in or out of the Cityship where they were born, save for a handful of scouting and trading vessels.

One day, one of these vessels returns with reports of floating islands in the sky - news which sends the paranoid, repressed citizens of the Cityships into mass panic. Amidst this hysteria, some brave (or foolhardy) adventurers set forth to discover what this new wonder may portend...

Gameplay
World Blue is a 2D browser-based Role Playing Game. It requires no downloads, no extra software, and is designed to be played from any computer, anywhere in the world.

Players have full control over their character, from physical appearance to skills and personality - each of which has a different impact on the game. Moving around the game world is done in real time, with the keyboard (WSAD or the arrow keys) controlling movement). Combat is turn-based, and strategic, with players having to either advance on their opponent, or maintain distance, depending on their style of combat.

A large emphasis is placed on community, with players being encouraged at every turn to work together either to help rebuild the various community areas throughout the game, or guiding one another to rare resource deposits.

There is also a great deal of emphasis on story, with players being made to feel that they are a part of a living world, and as time progresses becoming more and more involved in events which may be much larger than they first appear.

Development
Talking about the inspiration for World Blue, Wildspark (one of the founders of Icewind Studios, along with Snailian) said "Victorian literature and culture has always fascinated me, and the chance to write something that featured both their massive industrial strides of the time, along with their oddly-juxtaposed fascination with faeries and the spiritual was too good to pass up."

New Features
Icewind Studios has confirmed that World Blue will have many unique features, including:
 * Dynamic Avatar System. Players will be able to fully customise their character's appearance, and any items equipped will show up on their avatar as they move around the game map.
 * Pixel-Perfect movement. A unique take on the standard "grid-based" movement system, that allows players to move right up nest to objects rather than being kept a few feet away.
 * Quartermasters. Players will work together to repair and upgrade towns, villages, outposts and other community areas. These changes will affect the entire game world, and even alter the development of the story.
 * Pets. Find unique Schematica to hatch rare Crystal Eggs, ad raise your pet. Typed commands such as "fetch" and "attack" can be taught to your pet through a reward and punishment system. Pets can be brought into combat with you and, if properly trained, help you in your battles.

For a list of more features, visit the Features page.