divergence
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New version of Divergence Online is live
Divergence Online devs Stainglass Llama published a playable alpha earlier this week. Lead developer Ethan Casner says that anyone can download the game and have a look-see, but most of the gameplay functionality is reserved for those who helped crowdfund the sci-fi sandbox. Casner details how he and two programmers worked to release the first new version of Divergence in over a year, and he says that the long hours have ultimately been worth it. "This is not an MMO that exists in a series of dozens if not hundreds of servers," he explains. "The game world you're going to be entering is the only one in existence. If you know anyone else on planet Earth who plays this game, they're in the same server. It's because of this feature that anything we do in this game is exponentially more difficult to accomplish than it would be in (what passes for) an MMO of today." [Thanks Jon!]
Make My MMO: Crowdfunding February 9 - 22, 2014
In the world of MMOs, no news is not necessarily good news -- especially when it comes to crowdfunding. Silence often denotes a lack of progress on a game, and that can certainly make investors nervous. Thankfully, many games provide players with updates that we, in turn, provide for you here. If no news is bad, then news is good, right? Unfortunately, this doesn't hold true. In the case of Star Rider and Hot Rod Hustle, the news is that neither met its funding goals. So we say farewell to these two games from Make My MMO. And Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen's campaign was chock-full of news, but in the end, its Kickstarter didn't succeed either; Pantheon, however, is continuing the fundraising effort on its official site. At least some news is good! War of Omens also leaves this round up, but for different reasons: Players can hop in and play the game! Likewise, HEX: Shards of Fate and StarCraft Universe move on now that both have moved into testing. Another sandbox, Terrayn, also joins the Kickstarter ranks. To hear other good news, keep reading.
Make My MMO: Crowdfunding November 3 - 16, 2013
A quiet fortnight in the land of crowdfunding these past two weeks have not been. In fact, with the popularity of this funding model, it may never be quiet again. The past two weeks have had their share of campaigns starting, campaigns closing, and campaigns obliterating goals and funding records alike. Three new prospective games have popped on the radar (including one for those with impeccable manners!), and one has disappeared. But even that game isn't gone for good; although pledges had climbed to over $86K, Trials of Ascension canceled its campaign in order to "regroup, rework, and return." Another title, City of Titans, is taking its place among the fully funded crowd. And there there is Star Citizen, which proved that a single fortnight can't go by without the game's gathering another million or two. All that information and more can be found here in Make My MMO!
Make My MMO: Crowdfunding October 20 - November 2, 2013
The news meter for crowdfunding keeps right on ticking. The last two weeks have seen a score of changes in the realm of community funding initiatives, with some titles experiencing success, others not meeting their goals, and even more joining the ranks. One big name in gaming, Brad McQuaid, is even planning on launching a campaign in the near future. The zombie-centric The Living was unsuccessful, and Story Quest Online failed for a second time. Mixmaster Online removed itself from the field and canceled its campaign. On the other hand, 8BitMMO met its first stretch goal, ensuring that a Mac edition of that game will be available for players. And then there's City of Titans, which is climbing closer to doubling its goal with only two days left. Finally, there are all the progress updates for those already-funded campaigns, conveniently rounded up right here for you in Make My MMO.
Make My MMO: Crowdfunding September 22 - October 5, 2013
Not all games that turn to crowdfunding need a boost to get off the ground. In fact, one new addition to our column this week -- 8BitMMO -- is utilizing this avenue to help accommodate the exponential growth it has experienced over the last couple of years. The other newcomer, however, is actually trying to build from the ground up; City of Titans wants to give displaced City of Heroes fans a new home. In other news, Star Citizen was the news! Videos, interviews, new goals, and more poured forth from this crowdfunding giant this week. We also heard from Embers of Caerus (which has been pretty quite for a long while). Even Neo's Land chimed in with a new demo. And you can get the whole scoop here!
Divergence: Online aims to Kickstart 'true player freedom' with a new sandbox
If the name Divergence: Online looks familiar, then the summer sun hasn't melted all your memories. Last February, the hard-core sandbox hopeful resurfaced with an IndieGoGo campaign to get started and create a working demo. Having met that goal, creator Ethan Casner is back with another crowdfunding campaign to spur development even farther. What does Divergence bring to the table? It claims "Maximum. Player. Freedom." with features like a skill-based system, a virtually limitless gaming word for exploration, and terrain that can be modified by either redistributing the ground itself or planting and harvesting resources. And if those features don't spell freedom for you, how about this one: Dancer, architect, tailor, and bio engineer are among the non-combat professions offered. The project is pretty close to its modest goal, but the end is swiftly approaching; those wanting to lend their support will need to do so before the campaign closes this weekend. Check out some pre-alpha footage of player-generated content in the video clip after the cut. [Thanks to Lewis for the tip!]
Hardcore sci-fi sandbox Divergence Online returns, seeks crowdfunding
Several years ago we posted about an up-and-coming sci-fi sandbox MMO called Divergence. At the time, the game promised a hybrid interface that allowed players to toggle between an action mode with crosshairs and a more traditional MMO targeting and auto-attack setup. The game subsequently dropped off the grid, but now developer Stainglass Llama and Divergence universe creator Ethan Casner are back with an IndieGogo crowdfunding project and a $50,000 goal. Divergence promises a seamless, non-linear, and modifiable world with skill-based progression and plenty of non-combat advancement opportunities. It also styles itself as a hardcore enterprise with open PvP, lootable corpses, "limited permanent death," and unique races and breeds. Of note, the game will have neither tab-targetting nor auto-attack. You can view Casner's intro video after the cut.
