The world of Anthem™ is full of heroes, but none so great as Executive Producer Mark Darrah. Mark took to Twitter this week to deliver truckloads of info about Anthem that the community wanted to know.
And while your average AMA (or in this case, AMAAAA – Ask Me Almost Anything About Anthem) may contain a few dozen answers, Mark’s been going strong through hundreds of answer-tweets. As Mark clarified, you could technically ask anything, he just might not answer. And yet, his 500+ tweets suggest that very few topics were off the table.
It’s become such a massive undertaking that we've rounded up some of the biggest answers and left them here in one handy spot. We’ve brought in Mark’s answers in quotes below.
Check out Mark Darrah’s Twitter for the full compendium of answers, and be sure to thank him for his incredible work!
The Javelins
“From left to right -- Ranger, Colossus, Interceptor, Storm.”
These are the four helmet icons representing each Javelin. Please notify your local tattoo artist with your preference now.
“You can all use the same Javelin if you want”
In Anthem, the different Javelin models are not dependent on one another in terms of role. A team of four identical Ranger Javelins may find themselves at a disadvantage sometimes, but it is still a viable option for a team.
“You have more than one suit, unlocked through the story You are not forced into a specific suit when playing with others”
Expand your arsenal of Javelins as you progress and adapt to whatever the untamed wilds can throw at you! You'll start with the Ranger, then gain the whole set as you play the story.
“The difference in sizes mean that some weapon types cannot be used by some suits”
One of the big differentiating factors of the suits will be the gear you can put on them. The Colossus for instance, which is built like an oil derrick, can use a variety of heavy weapons the smaller suits cannot.
“Personalization: making the Javelin LOOK the way you want Customization: making the Javelin PLAY the way you want…”
Red is nature’s way of signifying danger, so why not make it your way of signifying “I have a large machine gun?”
“We will have purchase-able vanity but you will see what you get before you buy No loot boxes No pay for power You can also earn your vanity items”
Another big question was around microtransactions in Anthem. The only microtransactions that will be available at launch are cosmetic personalization options, and you’ll know exactly what you’re getting. All upgrades that affect your gameplay will be earned by in-game progression, and you’ll also be able to get personalization options through progression as well.
“You will have character customization for your Freelancer. However, we’ve put most of our effort into Javelin personalization.”
“You’ll also have progression on your pilot too!” — Executive Producer Michael Gamble
You’ll be able to customize the look of your human pilot and upgrade their abilities, but you won’t be able to attach a mortar launcher to them. That’s just for Javelins.
“Your jets generate heat, you need to land to dissipate it OR find another way to cool off. You will be able to upgrade your Freelancer (pilot) to make you able to fly farther.”
From the EA PLAY gameplay footage, we’ve seen that your jets slowly overheat, as shown by a bar on-screen. We also saw a Javelin fly under a waterfall in order to reset that bar for sustained flight. So keep an eye out for waterfalls on long journeys.
“There is a breath meter when underwater.”
A little water is good for your jets, but too much can cause problems.
The World
“The game is designed around having a co-op experience in combat etc... and then having a more personal story in your hub.”
The Anthem team has spoken a lot about the “Our World, My Story” concept behind the game’s single- and multiplayer content. Basically you’ll follow the story of the game through single-player interactions in Fort Tarsis and on your Strider, then play and roam with a team in the shared world outside.
“You have a Cypher. A human who interacts with you while you are in the suit. Details in game... “
Your Cypher is an in-game NPC, there to assist you while you’re on a mission. In the gameplay footage we saw at EA PLAY 2018, the player’s Cypher tells you how to silence a Shaper relic to continue your mission, and helpfully points out when giant Swarm Tyrants are trying to eat you.
“There are absolutely important characters that you interact with during the main story and beyond”
You heard it here, folks. BioWare’s new game will be full of great characters!
The Gameplay
“No PvP at Launch”
“We MAY look at it later”
This was a big one. For purposes of weapon and gear balance, Anthem will have no PvP content at launch. The door remains open, but let’s say it loud for everyone in the back: no PvP at launch.
“One of the great thing about a world that was left unfinished by its gods is that it opens the door to us changing things that affect the fundamental way you play the game”
The ever-changing world of Anthem allows for a couple of unique elements. First is the opportunity for new stories and areas to open up while existing ones are reshaped for new surprises. Second is the opportunity to create bigger and better challenges at the end-game for Anthem’s most ardent Freelancers to tackle.
“Strongholds will be HARD”
Lest you think that Anthem will be all flying and leisurely tossing frost grenades at angry Scars, Mark is here to inform you that Anthem won't hold your hand through some of its more difficult missions, Strongholds. Helpfully, he also tweeted that you can revive downed teammates in battle.
“No season pass. We will have content after launch”
That’s right! The evolving world will not be locked behind a season pass. You and your friends will get to share the new discoveries that arise together with no worry of someone being left on the wrong side of a content wall.
“Dedicated servers for everything outside of the single player hubs”
The shared world of Anthem is powered by the use of dedicated servers. Those servers allow for a reliable connection to the rest of Anthem’s players, so you’ll get to experience the same day/night cycle, weather, and events. These dedicated servers also necessitate Anthem being an “Always online” experience.
We're looking to share more about Anthem as we get closer and closer to release, but now you know where to send any burning questions you may have that just can't wait. Just don't ask Mark about those damage numbers.
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Anthem launches February 22, 2019 for Xbox One, PlayStation® 4, and PC. Early Access begins on February 15 for Origin Access and EA Access members.**
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