Earthrise
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Earthrise offers new insights into weaponry
Weapons are useful. Nearly any MMO player will be happy to expound on the virtues of them, and so it's no surprise that Earthrise will be featuring its own selection. The development team recently released information and a few renders of the weapons that will be coming out for the post-apocalyptic game, detailing shotguns, assault rifles, and precision rifles. the forum post also details that each skill line is tied to a specific item -- meaning that shotguns don't simply encompass firing shells, but an entire suite of abilities based around using a shotgun. Assault rifles are flexible, with both burst fire and sustained fire possible, as well as grenade launchers to give them area-of-effect attacks. Shotguns, meanwhile, specialize in close-range brutality, allowing for crowd control and quick dispatching of targets. Precision rifles take the "sniper" role, allowing players to hit single targets with extreme force over long distances. The full rundown can be found on the post on the official forums, which should be welcome news for players eager to hear more on the slightly-delayed science fiction MMO.
Earthrise delayed by robot assassin
MMO delays are as unsurprising as they are unwelcome, as it takes a superhuman feat of effort, scheduling and testing to get these mighty virtual behemoths out the door. So while it is sad news to Earthrise fans that this post-apocalyptic sci-fi MMO won't be seeing a Q2 2010 release date, delays like this are becoming more typical than not with big-budget titles. What is unexpected, however, is how Masthead made the announcement, eschewing the front page of the website in favor for an odd and decidedly quirky forum post. In it, the Earthrise team puts the blame for the launch delay, as well as the delay of an anticipated combat video, on a robot assassin named Jaberwokie: "This message is coming to you from the safety of our remote emergency office, as the few survivors have fled the main premises and are in safe, unknown locations in deep seclusion recovering from the recent accidental attack of evil robot assassin 'Jaberwokie.' Due to the demolition of key figures in Masthead development, it has unavoidably slowed down progress, delaying development and quite possibly resulting in a later than originally envisioned launch schedule. (Oops.) The good news is that we still have forums, and therefore an outside link to all of our caring and concerned community where will we continue to provide updates regarding development progress as we rebuild and repair operations so we may continue bringing the world of Enterra to life. As proof of our commitment to you, we have provided a picture of our sys admin who will keep the forums alive at all costs.
Earthrise's Atanas Atanasov on grinding and more
German fan site Onlinewelten.com managed to snag an interview with Masthead Studios boss Atanas Atanasov regarding the forthcoming science fiction MMORPG known as Earthrise. Information on Masthead's post-apocalyptic sci-fi title is hard to come by, and we're always happy to see additional details come to light. The lengthy interview touches on everything from the player-controlled economy, to combat and exploration modes, to grinding. "Grinding has its advantages and disadvantages," says Atanasov. "Its disadvantages are well known and boil down to repetitiveness that can dumb down a game when left out of control. In Earthrise grinding will be possible, as collecting resources and components from mobs will bring organic material needed for many technologies. Still, it will not dictate that the players must spend time grinding if they don't want to." Hit the link to read the full interview.
Earthrise developers on the beauty of speed
Masthead Studios CEO Atanas Atanasov recently dropped some info about the company's upcoming sci-fi MMO Earthrise, briefly mentioning the advantages and disadvantages of Exploration and Battle Modes in an interview. The Masthead Studio developers are following up with more on this topic in their latest installment of Question of the Week, "The Beauty of Speed". Players who aren't wielding weapons will be able to move faster, potentially evading combat situations. Entering this "Exploration Mode" in combat can also impart some benefits, namely that enhanced speed couples with shield regeneration. That speed could allow a player to minimize the damage inflicted upon them by attacks but also leaves them open to greater risk of harm, should they take a direct hit. The tradeoff for that speed is lowered damage resistance. Earthrise will offer certain abilities that affect battlefield movement as well. Have a look at "The Beauty of Speed" for more on Earthrise's combat system, and the related discussion taking place among the game's community members.
Earthrise interview focuses on game's progress
We're always on the lookout for more info about Earthrise, an upcoming sandbox MMO with a far future, post-apocalyptic setting. The latest interview updating on the game's status is a Ten Ton Hammer Q&A with Masthead Studios CEO Atanas Atanasov. The studio head explains a bit about the combat system revamp, aimed at keeping Earthrise's combat dynamic and fast-paced, with a more intuitive interface as well. The interview also hits upon how they're fine tuning the game's economic systems as well as balancing rewards as players progress, plus Atanasov talks a bit about Earthrise's "exploration mode" (which imparts faster movement but greater vulnerability to damage) and specialized crafting. Check out Ten Ton Hammer's Q&A with Atanas Atanasov for an update on the state of Earthrise.
Masthead Studios discusses Earthrise economy
It's an immutable law: create an online game where virtual currency is used and it'll inevitably give rise to a black market for that currency, not to mention for the various items in the MMO. Earthrise will be no different, but developer Masthead Studios aims to be proactive about the problem of gold sellers, rather than reactive. They also feel that their game will be difficult to bot. "Most of Earthrise design has followed the paradigm of requiring player interaction and skill through every aspect of combat, crafting and logistic movement so we firmly believe the game will be, by design, very difficult to automate via known methods," Masthead explains in their latest Question of the Week. Another factor that Masthead Studios feels will curb black market activities in Earthrise, at least in respect to items, is that every use of gear slowly degrades the item in question. Of course, where there's a will there's a way. So when Earthrise enters open beta Masthead Studios will keep a close eye on the various ways players find to exploit the economy.
Masthead Studios addresses player questions about Earthrise
Ah Earthrise, you keep dropping tiny breadcrumbs of game info for us each week. We hoard these little morsels and keep them in a jar, slowly trying to piece it all together. This week is no different and Earthrise developers Masthead Studios addressed questions from the playerbase on a few different topics. The main thing they discussed is how the game's tutorial will allow players to experiment with skills. In RP-terms, players in the tutorial will make use of "mnemonic adaptation kits" which imprint memories. The Masthead devs state, "Simply put, it lets you test drive certain skills - such as using weapons, crafting, etc. - before you dedicate yourself to development of those skills." Those kits, however, can't be used outside of the cloning facility and won't make their way into the game beyond the tutorial zone.
Leading a life of crime in Earthrise
Today's post-holiday Question of the Week for Earthrise concerns the game mechanics of being (and killing) criminals in the post-apocalyptic MMO. Players who opt to become felons will build up "Criminal Karma", what seems to be a sort of quantified notoriety. From what the developers are saying, it seems that going outlaw won't be a trivial choice, given such characters will be kill-on-sight in the more secure regions of Enterra island. Also, it may be difficult to wipe the slate clean if a character has a shady past. According to Moll, the Earthrise Community Manager: "Criminals cannot clear their records, nor do they generate additional Karma by killing other criminals in safe zones." She adds that criminals who hunt down other criminals won't do so to repair their faction standings, rather there may be a good chance of obtaining loot by taking out a fellow wrongdoer. However, beyond such scenarios where 'evil fights evil', Earthrise's law-abiding citizens will have incentives for killing the criminals of Enterra; successfully knocking off criminal players will garner them extra Contribution rewards (faction standing).
Earthrise launch Q2 2010, studio visit reveals
When we cover the news surrounding the post-apocalyptic MMO Earthrise, a question often asked in the comments is, "When will it launch?". It's been a question we've been hard pressed to answer with any degree of certainty considering it's still in an early phase of testing, and the game was originally slated for a late 2009 launch. Now it seems we're looking at a Q2 2010 launch for Earthrise, according to Klassa (Bulgarian newspaper) reporter Mihail Rangelov. Closed beta testing will take place in February and March of 2010, and the game's developer Masthead Studios is expecting between 70-80,000 initial subscribers. In an article that's a follow-up to his Masthead Studios visit one year prior, Rangelov notes that the game's setting is very open -- there's a feeling of having a great deal of terrain and open space around you. Still, he notes, "The game goes at almost 60-70 frames per second on the huge terrain for mass combats. Moreover, it is played on a two-year old computer."
Character creation in Earthrise an open system
The latest Earthrise Question of the Week from the Masthead Studios developers -- "The Blank Slate" -- gives us another glimpse at the underlying game mechanics of this post-apocalyptic MMO. When you begin as a newly cloned character, reborn in a sense, all knowledge and skills gained in your life before the apocalypse are gone. (On the bright side, you're one of the old world's elite chosen to carry on humanity's legacy.) In this respect, you are essentially a blank slate and must quickly learn how to survive in a radically changed society through initiation training. These initial training missions let a new player get a feel for their options in Earthrise, checking out the various skills available to them. Initiation training is a time when players can determine what they like, what they don't, and how they'd like their character to develop over time. This approach means that Earthrise's character creation system will be a relatively open system, emphasizing freedom for players.
City building in Earthrise to allow autonomy for guilds
One of the games we're looking forward to playing next year is Earthrise, a post-apocalyptic MMO currently in development at Masthead Studios. At launch, Earthrise will offer guilds a wide selection of buildings and facilities that can be built within their controlled territory. Masthead Studios has bigger plans for city building and Territorial Conquest game mechanics post-launch, though. Long term goals for this aspect of guild-level gameplay include expanding options for guilds to become less beholden to the major NPC factions (and the cities of Continoma and Noir). Specifically, Masthead Studios would like for players to establish administrative buildings, which will provide some of the conveniences and features generally found only in NPC-held cities. According to the Earthrise devs, "Administrative buildings will remove the requirement to visit cities even further by providing access to Market, Warehouses and more from inside the Guild owned territories."
Niche roles for small guilds in Earthrise
Earthrise is an upcoming post-apocalyptic/sci-fi MMO from Masthead Studios that we've been keeping an eye on. As a sandbox MMO, Earthrise takes place on a single but vast island called Enterra. This means finite territory and ultimately a trigger for conflict between guilds. Given there's strength in numbers, it stands to reason that collective action taken by large guilds could allow them to become political and economic powerhouses in the game. But what about smaller guilds? Will Earthrise have niches for small to medium-sized guilds or will they always be in the shadow of the larger player entities? This won't be a game where only the largest guilds can succeed, according to Moll, the Earthrise Community Manager. She explains that while territorial conquest will not be an endeavor best suited to small guilds, much less solo players, these smaller groups will be able to tap into a steady stream of resources and income. One way is to provide services to the playerbase and even the larger guilds.
The rewards of faction loyalty in Earthrise
The latest Earthrise Question of the Week is all about quests in the upcoming post-apocalyptic MMO. "Central to the PvE experience, quests in Earthrise are designed to help introduce the players to the tense cultural and political scene that shapes the two conflicting factions fighting for control over the island of Enterra," explains Moll, the game's Community Manager. There are faction-specific quests unique to either Continoma or Noir, but Earthrise's game mechanics will let players defect to a rival faction to experience another walk of life on Enterra island. Switching allegiances will not be a trivial matter, however, and the consequences a player assumes for doing so will limit how often most characters defect.
Masthead Studios CEO updates on Earthrise progress
Earthrise fans will still have a bit of a wait ahead of them in terms of getting into open beta, but development and improvements are ongoing through the current closed beta. Masthead Studios CEO Atanas Atanasov was recently interviewed by MMORPG.com's Garrett Fuller, updating Earthrise fans on the game's current status and details of some of the game mechanics of skills and tactics. Noteworthy -- Atanasov discusses why Masthead Studios chose to develop a sandbox MMO and foster a player-driven setting, rather than a more typical game where players move quickly through the content and then wait for the next expansion to release. "The sense of involvement and power to create and change can invigorate and keep players glued to the game for years to come," says Atanasov. On that topic of sandboxes, the interview also discusses how MMO titles like Ultima Online and EVE Online have been part of the inspiration for Earthrise.
Masthead Studios wraps up Earthrise crafting series
MMO fans who enjoy the crafting aspect of their games might be interested in what Earthrise will have to offer. The post-apocalyptic game's creators at Masthead Studios have been dropping quite a bit of info about how crafting will work, culminating in a two-part overview of Earthrise's crafting system. Masthead explained how gathered materials can be used to craft an item tailored for a specific purpose in last week's installment. They continue this week with the second half of "The Crafting Process" which walks us through the creation of a finished product. Masthead's overview explains how players will manufacture the various modules which are assembled into the final product in factories. In this case, the example is of an assault rifle customized for the specific goal of taking down the Burzun mutants that prowl Enterra island. The second part of The Crafting Process also looks at how that weapon a player manufactures can be disassembled and upgraded to higher tiers of technology further down the line. Check out the latest installment of Masthead's Question of the Week series, The Crafting Process Part 2, for the best look we've had thus far at the game mechanics surrounding crafting in Earthrise.
Masthead Studios delves into Earthrise crafting process
Earthrise creators Masthead Studios have already made clear that their forthcoming title will be a far future sandbox MMO, a post-apocalyptic setting where PvP will be a major aspect of gameplay. What hasn't been as clear is exactly how the extensive crafting process they've discussed in the past will actually work out in normal gameplay. Certainly we've heard a great deal about customization of crafted goods and the potential to become well-known for your own variations on items, but we never had a real overview of those game mechanics. That is, until now. Masthead aims to dispel any confusion surrounding Earthrise's crafting system in a two-part series of blog posts that kicked off today as part of their Question of the Week offering to the community. "The Crafting Process", part one of two, poses the theoretical example of a player -- let's call him "Tim" -- who clearly hates Burzun mutants. Enough so that Tim wishes to craft an assault rifle specifically tailored for killing this particular type of mutant. Masthead Studios walks the reader through the skills required to create such a weapon, the components that must be gathered, and how Tim will be able to extract needed resources from those materials.
Earthrise crafting process explored further
Earthrise developers Masthead Studios revealed more about the title's in-depth crafting system in the latest Question of the Week on the official game site. One of the game's strengths is its degree of item customization. Earthrise fans have wanted to know how they'll actually be able to customize items or manipulate the crafting process for better results, and Masthead provided some of the answers this week. They've stated that the game will allow crafters to combine resources in various ways, creating new synthetic materials that can positively influence the outcome of the manufacturing process. If you've been following along with the Masthead Studios announcements about crafting in Earthrise, you'll want to see "Crafting: Product Manipulation, Combines" for more on how the system will work.
Masthead Studios explains crafting and mass production in Earthrise
Earthrise is an upcoming sandbox MMO that will have strong emphasis on guild-vs.-guild conflicts and PvP. The game will also have a deep crafting system, something that may interest players looking for more than PvP in a sci-fi MMO. Earthrise developer Masthead Studios has stated in the past that it'll be possible for players to craft unique, customized items and perhaps even establish a reputation for producing certain wares. The latest Question of the Week answered by the Earthrise developers sheds a little more light on how crafting and mass production will work in the game. Specifically, Masthead Studios explains how mass production will apply to some of the game's rarest craftable items. Moll, Earthrise's Community Manager, explains how a blueprinting process creates Designs which are used by crafters; these are essentially templates combined with ingredients/materials to create items. Each Design will have a finite property called Edge which gets burned off over time through the manufacturing process. The limited use of Design Edges mean that the game's rarest or most elite items can't be created in large production runs, in other words keeping them rare and elite in a game where mass production is possible.
Earthrise developers seeking community input on alts
Earthrise is an indy-developed science fiction MMO on the way from Masthead Studios in Bulgaria. The developers have stated that Earthrise will be a sandbox game, with a large part of the player experience based on what guilds try to accomplish in the post-apocalyptic setting of Enterra. Given this emphasis on player-driven content, Masthead Studios has been running a Community Consensus over the past few weeks where the devs seek input from Earthrise fans on various aspects of the game's design. Today Masthead Studios wants to hear what the community thinks about alts. In most MMOs having extra character slots is expected, but alt play in a sandbox game where players will engage in espionage could get out of hand. Would the ability to easily for any player to create a cell of spy alts unbalance the game, or should there be a tight limit on character slots per account?
Listen to new tracks from the Earthrise soundtrack
Masthead Studios, the creators of post-apocalyptic MMO Earthrise, just reached out to Massively and gave us access to two tracks from the upcoming game's soundtrack. The tracks are titled Flooid and Shiv Out, composed by Pavel Benov who we've mentioned in the past for creating a blend of ambient and industrial music for the game. Both tracks are electronica, which seems fitting for this sci-fi MMO. When you're creating the music that sets the tone for a futuristic game where the old world is dead and gone, lost to nuclear and biological warfare, something orchestral as heard in a fantasy MMO might not really work. Earthrise is a game about a cloned society of technocratic elite reborn in the far future -- a time where advanced technology dominates and defines the lives of all of the world's remaining inhabitants -- so going electronic with the game's music was probably the right choice. Give the Flooid and Shiv Out tracks linked above a listen and let us know what you think. If you like these tracks, you might also want to check out Benov's Dystopia Sunrise and Lay Waste as well.
