LEGO Uni News

PAX Screenshots and Videos for LEGO Universe!

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 02:03:09 +0000

Here are some neat screenshots of the Maelstrom and Forbidden Valley that were shown at PAX 2010! Also, a couple pictures I took from the convention of the booth along with the awesome shirt that I happened to snag! Best piece of swag yet!

There were also two videos that were shown! A customizing demo showing how many ways you can make your minifig look with the different faction specialty kits! There was also a demo of the different mini-games you can play and compete with your friends in while you play LU.

Customize Video

Mini-Game Video

LEGO Universe PAX Interview with Chris Sherland!

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 17:53:36 +0000

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At PAX 2010, I was able to interview Chris Sherland, a producer at NetDevil for LEGO Universe. Even though LU is already in the polishing stages, there are still a lot of questions that people have about the game and what it will be like. I took questions from my awesome members here on LegoUni.com to ask him about some of the final details we're all wondering about the game for its release. Here's what he had to say:

Q: Do you plan on opening any new worlds other than the current beta worlds after the release of the game?

A: Definitely. I can't say much about that but some will be themed to the LEGO Universe lore and some may be themed to LEGO playsets. It's definitely a possibility.

Q: A lot of players are curious about a banking system. Do you plan on opening a banking system in the game after the official release? Will it be in a main world or in the players' property?

A: Sort of like the mail system that's already in the game, we'll probably do something like an ATM metaphor but there will be a main bank in the Nexus Tower which is another content set that will be introduced in early 2011.

Q: Do you have any ideas or plans for factions other than the ones that are already released?

A: I think the factions will remain stable but underneath those factions there will be more specialty kits. Right now, each faction has two speciality kits and in the future there will be many many more of those.

The problem we're running into right now is that the character can only join one faction and the goal will be for the player to work for all of the kits. We don't want there to be more factions than there are character slots.

Q: Will there be any changes to the chat in the future?

A: It's going to stay the same for now. Initially, safety for us (LEGO) is pretty huge. There's not a lot of wiggle room on that because the stakes on that are really high. If we add more, once there's a predatory event, that's a bad deal. The risk and reward is not very good on that. We'll always air on the side of safety.

We will however enhance the White List and the Black List and make it easier as time goes by, but we still probably won't let people write numbers.

Q: What are your feelings toward direct player to player PvP? Will you be adding it into the game?

A: I love it. Definitely. Probably sometime during 2011 we'll be adding PvP into the game. It will be tied in a certain theme, but I can't really give you any more details on that right now.

Q: Will you be adding the bricks in LEGO Universe to the LDD?

A: Yes, they are synced at the moment and they will remain synced. The only difference will be that the LEGO Universe pallete will have more evergreen bricks and more bricks that are not available in the real world. Other than that, the idea is for total allignment.

Q: Do you plan on letting players use controllers to play LEGO Universe?

A: Yes, we have already tested hooking up the controllers up to the computer during testing. We have a basic control set for play in LEGO Universe and we also use it for development to control the camera, so it's possible. The only issue is having the keyset of the keyboard and mapping it to the controller. There are so many controls you wouldn't be able to map to the controller.

Q: Do you plan on releasing LEGO Universe on anything other than PC and Mac?

A: There are no specific plans for that right now.

Q: Some parents are still concerned about the safety risks with the game right now. Is there anything you'd like to say to give them reassurance that this is a safe environment to let their kids play in as opposed to normal MMOs?

A: Well as we mentioned with the chat, it's pretty locked down. Everything in the game is pre-modeled content, everything is moderated by hand, there are a certain amount of automated processes involved in the process but in the end, every single model is looked at by a human being to make sure it's safe.

Chat is probably a little too safe right now. The only thing that people need to know about the social layer is that we have three layers of chat. The normal level, where we use the black and the white list, friends, and best friends.

Greetings from PAX!

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 21:26:50 +0000

Hello everyone! Here at PAX West 2010 I got to talk to Chris Sutherland, one of the lead developers of LEGO Universe. I got a few of your questions that were posted here answered and I feel that everyone will love the answers! The goal is to have them posted tonight with some of the special media from our press kit!

Saturday, the Curse team might get a chance to catch Scott Brown and Ryan Seabury for another chat about the game and hopefully get some good updates and sneak peaks of what's to come in LEGO Universe's future!

It's That Time Again!

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 18:15:19 +0000

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PAX is right around the corner and we've got another shot at sitting down with Ryan Seabury and the crew for an interview! This time, I hope to find out more detailed information about LEGO Universe and hopefully get some good sneak peaks and videos for everyone!

Just like with other conventions I've gone to, I'll be asking for interview questions from everyone to ask the devs! Feel free to post them here in this thread over the next couple weeks. Let's hope for a good turn out this time and some fantastic questions for the development team!

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I've been seeing several threads on the forums about in-game character names and factions and have also gotten a few requests to add fields to add this information to peoples' profiles. Well, now you can!

All you have to do is go to your profile and click edit at the top right of the profile area. There are two new fields at the bottom for your character name and faction that will show up on your profile as well as under your avatar and post count information on the forums!

LegoUni Tops 600 Members!

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 22:39:44 +0000

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Today, LegoUni.com has topped 600 members! In just a little over two weeks
LegoUni has remarkably gained 100 more members! Also, we are just a few
hundred post shy of reaching 4000 posts! This is an astonishing start for
any forum on the internet! So, take the time to give yourself a BIG pat
on the back.

-LegoUni

Beta Servers Open 24/7!

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 07:30:47 +0000

As most of you well know, it has been a hassle only being able to play Lego Universe for certain hours on certain days. I remember when they were so tight I could only play in the early morning and even then only for about a half hour. Over time the playing sessions have gotten longer and longer but there are still those times where I wish I could play but the game isnt on. Well, this will all change soon as Lego is currently preparing to make the beta servers accessible 24/7! That means that wherever you are in the world no matter what time of day you can alway log into Lego Universe.

Quote

Closed-Beta game servers soon open 24/7

Launch is coming closer and it won’t be long before the Closed-Beta game servers are open 24/7. To make sure the game is 110% ready to blow you out of your seat, you might experience temporary close downs on Tuesdays if maintenance is needed.

But for now, the opening hours will run from August 17, 2 PM EDT/20.00 CEST until August 22, 2 PM EDT/20.00 CEST.

Enjoy!

Lego Universe For Mac: Updated!

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 03:54:21 +0000

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As you well know, Lego stated a little while ago that there would be a Mac version of Lego Universe Beta. Well, here it is! On August 13th at 2:00 pm, you can download the updated, and now mac compatible version of the game. Here is the official quote.

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Beta for Mac is here!

The next test session begins on Friday the 13th of August at 2 PM EDT / 20.00 CEST, and with this session we proudly present the new LEGO Universe Beta for Mac!

If you are currently testing on your PC, but can’t hardly wait to play LEGO Universe on your Mac, come back Friday at 2 PM EDT / 20.00 CEST and get the golden download link!

See you in the Universe!

I can honestly say, when I first heard in the early developer videos that there were no plans for a Mac version of LU, I was quite disappointed, but now, Lego has given us both a Mac version of the game, and a Mac version of the Beta!

And the Winners Are...

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 07:31:17 +0000

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I'm happy to announce the winners of our Nexus Force contest! The first contest of many here on LegoUni.com! Due to the amount of entries we got, the amount of winners has been reduced.

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Grand Prize!

The grand prize goes to Lightman with his contest entry of the Paraflight 1.0 Jetpack! This innovative creation would help minifigs excel as they use their imagination to overcome obstacles!

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First Runner Up!

The first runner up is Hunther with his submission of his Paradox ship, the Time Paradox! This ship would be fantastic for the progress of all minifigs in the fight against the Maelstrom!

hunther said:

My contest entry would be a ship called the Time Paradox for, you guessed it, Paradox. It would be a lot like the Venture Explorer, except bigger. It would be divided into four sections. The biggest would be a Maelstrom refinery, like in Avant and FV. The second part would be a Paradox training facility, teaching Sorcerors and Space Marauders the ways of Paradox, fighting dragons, Stromlings, and Dark Ronin. Third, Research facilities, conducting tests on Stromlings and the Maelstrom, plus imagination. Last is the testing facilities. there they test new technology.

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Second Runner Up!

The second runner up is Lorise and the 1963 Corvette! All minifigs deserve to ride in style!

Lorise said:

Below is a 1963 Corvette. Only the best of the Assembly would battle the Maelstrom in style! Driving from place to place, painting the car in purple, melted plastic. Is there any other better way to enjoy Lego Universe?

This specially made 1963 Corvette is made of the best plastic in Lego Universe. Able to go from 0-60 in 4.2 seconds with a cubically calibrated V8 engine while sitting comfortably in the softest plastic imaginable. The dual exhaust caps allow for optimal fuel efficiency. To add a brilliant sheen look, there's a split rear window and sleek hood. When you enter Lego Universe, be sure to travel in luxury and be the top block!

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Honorable Mentions!

Honorable mentions go to Lego-Master's Camoflauge Suit and Koopz's Magic Rock. Both useful (and possibly quite fun) creations!

Thanks to everyone who participated in the contest! The grand prize and runner up winners will all receive special forum titles, so keep an eye out for them! I hope every one had fun and I look forward to all of the fun and exciting contest entries to come in the future!

Lego Uni Tops 500 Members!

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 01:36:59 +0000

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I am very pleased to announce that today, Lego Uni, now has over half a thousand members! Since the merging of LegoUniverseForums with Lego Uni we have seen a huge growth in the community here. Whether its having fun contests or just hanging out, this site has now become the ultimate fan site for Lego Universe. And don't for get about the contest, you still have a chance to enter and win a free beta key!

Help the Nexus Force!

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 23:05:36 +0000

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The Nexus Force Needs Your Help!

With the Maelstrom still sending out corrupted minifigs to destroy imagination, the Nexus Force is always in need of more minifigs to help stop them! The Sentinels, Assembly, Paradox, and Venture League factions are all looking for creative recruits with strong imaginations to come up with new and creative ways to stop the Maelstrom before they destroy more LEGO Universe worlds. Do you think you have what it takes?

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Welcome to the first LegoUni.com creativity contest! Our contests will test your creativity and imagination, just like in LEGO Universe! Hopefully there will be many more to come in the future!

In this contest, you will need to choose one of the four LEGO Universe factions: Sentinels, Assembly, Paradox or Venture League. Once you've chosen your favorite faction, you will need to think of a creative and useful object or building that you think would help your specific faction in the battle against the Maelstrom. Be sure to keep to your faction's theme! If you need a description of what a certain faction is all about, feel free to make a post in this thread to ask!

All contest entries should be posted here in this thread. They can include pictures (preferably made by you!) of real LEGO creations, drawings, or pictures from the LEGO Digital Designer. Entries can also be text descriptions of you're not able to post a picture! The contest will run until Wednesday, August 4th - Please have entries in before midnight Pacific time!

The most creative and unique item from each faction will be given the grand prize of a LEGO Universe Beta Key and a special forum title relating to your faction! Under the circumstance that the grand prize winner already has a Beta invite, the runner up will be given the key! In addition, three runner-ups from each faction will also get a special forum title!

I'd like to encourage everyone to participate in the contest to flex those creativity muscles! What are you waiting for?

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If you need help posting pictures to our gallery, check out this guide!
http://www.legouni.com/topic/266-how-to-post-pictures-to-legounicom/
Special thanks to Lightman for setting that up!