D2O – Heavy Water’s First Public Space
by Burbie52, HSM team writer
I went to this space as soon as possible today, and all I can say is WOW! When Heavy Water decides to do something they really do it! When I arrived I felt like I had been transported through a time warp to the distant future. You spawn in the middle of a huge central hub, but unlike the core Hub, it is filled with sound and buildings made of neon signs, metal grating and steel beams. There is a deep area beneath you and above and all around you that looks like more of a huge city suspended in mid air. This is their first release for a public space, and it is one of the most amazing areas I have ever seen in Home.
This place is absolutely huge, it has to be one of the largest – if not the largest – public area in Home. It has multiple levels and buildings to explore, each of which represent one of their product lines, including the Avalon Keep universe and their future game, Emo Ray Vs. The Intergalactic Teddy Bears represented here as well. If you haven’t heard about Emo Ray, look it up; it is going to be epic.
A Teddy Bear Awaits!
The space is very well done, it is very unique, like all of Heavy Waters products, and also has a good deal of humor involved. There are a lot of NPC guards walking around and one of the first ones you encounter asks if you “have seen these droids?” There are other Star Wars references in their language as well, if you listen. They ask things like, “have you seen any suspicious behavior” or tell you that shoplifting will be prosecuted. To get the full experience, you have to talk to each of them a few times to get all of it. This space has been very well thought out, there will be a lot of people coming here to hang out.
With so much to explore, you can get lost in here. With servers only allowing sixty-four people per space, this place will never feel full; it is simply too spaced apart and that means people will be able to go to a public space and still have a bit of privacy for them to talk to their friends. There are lots of nooks and crannies to congregate here.
There are a lot of ramps leading everywhere. You really need skates or some other fast moving locomotion just to get around this space as it takes awhile to get to each building, which has its own product displayed in it. Instead of keeping it all together, they have spread it out, thereby making you look for things, and many are only accessible by going to a different one and passing through. This is a very smart marketing strategy, because it makes us look at all of their products as we pass through these diverse areas.
Helicopter game = Fun
This place was made for locomotion items to be used in. I loved skating up and down the ramps and the four extremely tall towers that dominate the corners of the central plaza area here. These towers give you a completely different view of the space and look really great. It makes me wonder if they will eventually lead somewhere else.
There are a wide variety of different vehicles floating about the space, taxis, barges with goods, and helicopters. There is a built in helicopter like the one that you can buy in Heavy Water’s store that allows you to fly all over the space and even take pictures, like its active item counterpart. All of these little touches will be a big hit with people and set this space apart from anything else in Home so far.
Another thing I liked right away was the way the stores each have their own kiosks. Rather than looking through a lot of different symbols, each store has its own separate place, making shopping a much easier proposition.
Dance your cares away
There is one building hidden away that has a dance floor in it, I liked that it was set apart from the bustle of the center hub and the stores. There is techno music playing there. As the whole space is very tech oriented, it is a perfect fit. There are also a lot of sounds that are generated throughout the space. The hub area has a snappy song that plays in it, and there are sounds of steam and a slight hum that underlies all of it. You get a real sense of life here, the place is very much alive with all of the activity here, even if you are alone you don’t feel like you are.
It amazes me that it has taken this long for Heavy Water to produce a public space under their own banner. As one of the premier developers in Home who have had a steady influx of new material since Homes inception, it is surprising they have waited this long to bring us such a fantastical world as this one is. I am waiting with bated breath for what they have in store for us in the future. Avalon Keeps town is coming soon, and perhaps another public space as well.
Keep it up Heavy Water; you really knocked it out of the park with this one!
- Awesome graphics
- Well thought out
- Great ambiance
- Loved the snide remarks from NPC's
- Great organization
- Nada
November 22nd, 2012 by Burbie52 | 1 comment
Burbie52 is a 62 year-old published author and founder of the Grey Gamers group within Home. Born and raised in Michigan, she has lived there her entire life, with the exception of a twelve-year residency on the Big Island of Hawaii. She enjoys reading and writing, as well as video games, especially RPG's. She has one son in his twenties.
It’s certainly a big space. In fact it’s the first time I’ve acctually felt the NEED for a loco in Home, but it’d need to be faster than ava-jog to be much use in this space. Aesthetically, I like it. But then, I’ve always had a thing about grimy futuristic type stuff. You’re right when you say there’s plenty of places to hide away in for some privacy, and by using the built-in choppers you can spy out a quiet spot for yourself easily, rather than running around its vastness until you do find that quiet spot. Well done Heavy Water!