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The Daily Grind: Do you partake of MMORPG politics?
With this being an election week in the States, we figured it was time to talk about political systems and getting out the MMORPG vote. In-game politicking has gained traction in recent years thanks to titles like EVE Online, TERA, the newly announced Icarus Online, and others. While more titles are transforming the nebulous concept of player politics into hard-coded systems, most of said systems are aimed at endgame players rather than the proletariat. For today's Daily Grind, we'd love to hear about your experience with MMO political systems. Do you use them, or are they just another feature on the back of the metaphorical box? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Icarus Online's new website and teaser videos show off classes
Itching to dive-bomb a rival guild's castle from dragon-back? It will be possible in the upcoming fantasy game Icarus Online. And WeMade Entertainment just launched a new website filled with teaser trailers and screenshots to show off the new title and its five playable races: Beserker; Guardian; Priest; Assassin; and Wizard. Icarus Online will also have a political system that allows for guilds to become their own factions as well as own land and castles. Players can capture mobs out in the wilds and train them as fighting companions as well as mounts, then take those pets into battle against their foes during siege warfare. Get a glimpse of what's to come in the teaser trailer after the break, then head to Steparu.com for a look at the gameplay of each of the classes.
Dragon Knights launches website, introduces the Sorceress
Aeria Games' latest contender in the MMO ring now has a few more details to flesh it out. Dragon Knights (also known as DK Online) launched its official website and released a spotlight on the game's first class, the Sorceress. The website is packed full of information about this quirky title, including guides, details on the game's unique morphing system, and descriptions of how Dragon Knight's castle siege system will play out. Players can sign up for the upcoming closed beta on the site as well. The Sorceress is strong in the ways of elemental magic and wields both fire and ice spells to great effect against foes. You can get a glimpse of this class in a new video after the jump! [Source: Aeria Games press release]
TERA Vanarchy candidate Oloh on the political game within the game
For some time now, meaningful in-game politics have been the domain of sandbox golden-children like EVE Online, but En Masse Entertainment's action-oriented TERA aims to break that monopoly. The studio recently introduced its much-touted Vanarchy system, which allows players to run for political office and has resulted in a rush of guilds vying for the coveted positions. The Basilisk Crag server's Nagafen is one such guild. The guild, headed by founder and Vanarchy candidate Don Shelkey (in-game alias Oloh), is in the midst of a large campaign for control of the province of Ostgarath, and the group means business. Shelkey even went so far as to rent ad-space on the front page of TERA's ZAM network database site, TeraTome, bringing the in-game campaign into the real-world of hundreds of TERA players. We had the chance to have a little tête-à-tête with Shelkey himself to talk a bit about the socio-political climate of TERA and its implications on the real world. OK, not really. But we did talk to him about the joys of playing politics in a virtual world and what it takes to run for a Vanarchy in TERA, so head on past the cut and check it out!
Aeria Games announces Dragon Knights
Dragons. Knights. Why hasn't anyone ever thought of putting these two together before? Well, leave it to Aeria Games to create a bold blend of action fantasy and PvP conflict. The publisher has done just this with the announcement of the latest member of its roster, the upcoming Dragon Knights. Dragon Knights is a free-to-play, PvP-centric title that challenges players to save the world by filling out the roster of the titular order. Castle sieges will be one of the centerpieces of the game, with guilds fighting guilds to take and retain these fortresses for their bonuses. Aeria Games says that Dragon Knights will also feature an elaborate political system and the option to transform into combat-ready enemy creatures. The title is currently accepting beta signups, and you can watch the trailer after the jump! [Source: Aeria Games press release]
Pimp your Vanarch candidate with TERA's campaign poster contest
Want to get your Vanarch's mug on the front page of the TERA website? Now you can, thanks to a new campaign poster contest sponsored by En Masse Entertainment. What the heck is a Vanarch? It's the player politician who oversees various provinces in the world of Arborea. Vanarchs can open shops, enable or disable open PvP, raise taxes, and basically affect the game world (and other players) in ways that are off-limits in your average themepark MMO. The contest rules are pretty simple. You'll need to include your campaign poster, along with a short paragraph extolling the virtues of your candidate, in an email to En Masse. You'll want to be quick about it too, as the submission period ends tomorrow. This week's election cycle ends the day after, and you can view the election calendar at the official TERA website.
TERA's senior producer looks at the game's past, present, and future
Saying that it "feels as though a giant weight has been lifted off [his team's] shoulders" now that TERA has launched, En Masse Senior Producer Brian Knox has turned his attention to the immediate and far future of the game. He says that the team is hard at work ironing out "pain points" for players, but his big passion is working to make the PvP experience even better and to roll out the battlegrounds this summer. "I want to continue to slowly iterate our PvP-server rules," Knox said in an interview published yesterday. "I think TERA's skill-based system is a natural fit for PvP players, and I want to develop a system that encourages and rewards PvP participants." Knox addressed the pace of the leveling experience (he says it should be a "smooth and even ride" if players follow the story and do all the quests), the price of teleportation scrolls (expensive for lowbies, affordable for veterans), and what to do at the endgame (answer: a lot). As more players reach the high levels, En Masse is preparing to juice up its nexuses and political system, both of which require a decent amount of participants to work.
GDC 2012: Bigpoint discusses the Game of Thrones MMO
The Game is coming. It had to be said. And for fans of George R.R. Martin's epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, that one little phrase elicits some powerful and mixed emotions: excitement (to actually wander about Westeros) and dread (will it actually be Westeros?). There was even a collective cringe among some Massively staff when the announcement was made that Game of Thrones was becoming an MMORPG. Could such a complex world translate well into the virtual realm? It made the transition to television pretty well in HBO's series, but a free-to-play browser-based MMO is a whole other beast. We're pleased to say that fans of the books and the series can breathe a little easier and even look forward to the upcoming title becuse it's going to be gritty, it's going to be gory, and power will shift like the winds across the Dothraki Sea. Massively was able to sit down with Jorgen Tharaldsen (Producer at Artplant), Alan Dunton (Public Relations Director at Bigpoint), and Rob Ollett (Executive Producer at Bigpoint) to discuss details about what's coming.
This Week in MMO: Fable edition
What new this week in MMOs? You'll have to watch This Week in MMO to find out. Funny how that works, huh? Host Gary Gannon is joined by Mike Schaffnit and Jasmine Hruschak for the traditional news roundtable, and boy is there a lot to talk about. Topics include Star Wars: The Old Republic's launch and post-launch reactions, Cryptic's SWTOR ripoffs homages, and TERA's endgame political system. The heretofore single-player Fable franchise gets a mention as well, due to Microsoft's curious job posting that seeks an experienced MMO programmer. Join the trio for all this and more at the Gamebreaker website.
New video highlights the political system of TERA
News about TERA has been somewhat sparse of late, but the game continues along the road to a release on US shores. Until then, you can get your excitement up a bit more with the latest preview video of the game showing off the nuances of the game's political system. It might not seem like the sort of engrossing gameplay that would fit with a more action-oriented MMO, but the process of players getting into office and enacting changes looks fascinating. As the video outlines, players can win their office through direct battle with other candidates or via popular vote, depending on which method suits each individual. Once in office, players will have a variety of powers -- taxes can be raised or lowered, important NPCs can be added or removed, town features can be edited, and a player can make a lasting impact on the game world for good or bad. Check out the video embedded just after the break, especially if you've already got your campaign pins ready to go.
TERA producer confident that game offers something new
"If we had simply cloned a successful MMO, I think we'd have a battle on our hands, but we didn't," says TERA Europe producer Stephan Krippendorf. He's talking, of course, about the inevitable World of Warcraft comparisons that dog every new fantasy MMO (comparisons that seem particularly irrelevant given TERA's impressive visuals and divergent combat). "When you dive into the game for the first time, swing a sword, cast a spell, dodge and weave in combat, you'll be hooked," Krippendorf explains in an interview at Videogamer.com. The sit-down covers a bit about the game's action combat mechanics as well as the story elements and the endgame political system, but most of the juicy tidbits center around the title's potential success in a crowded MMO market. "I think TERA has what it takes to be a huge success though, regardless of WoW numbers," Krippendorf concludes.
The Game Archaeologist spins A Tale in the Desert: The highlights
Readers of the ever-so-humble Game Archaeologist will recall that earlier this year I had the opportunity to exchange informative words with Dr. Richard Bartle, the creator of MUD. Since he was -- and is -- a highly opinionated designer, I asked him what he thought was the most innovative MMO from the last decade. The answer was short and succinct. "A Tale in the Desert, he replied, then added: "Note that 'innovative' doesn't necessarily mean 'successful.'" Right there is the crux of ATITD's unique position in the MMO industry. Instead of storming down a path well-traveled, it took a machete and made its own trail -- a trail down which few have followed. As Jef recently noted in Some Assembly Required, it is an "odd duck" of a game, skewing as far away from combat as possible to focus on two often-neglected aspects of MMOs: crafting and politics. Even though its population has pegged it as an eternally niche game, it's proven that constant fighting isn't the only thing that can draw an online community together. This week we're going to look at some of the more unique features of this innovative yet diminutive MMO, which began telling its tale back in 2003.
The Game Archaeologist uncovers Shadowbane: The battle-scarred blogger
I've long since enjoyed doing this column because, to me, it feels like the next best thing to having been there back in the day, playing these games. No one MMO player can occupy all titles at once, so experiences are bound to pass us by. Fortunately, the gamers who were there have long memories and are often more than willing to share a story or two if given half the chance. After last week's initial foray into our Shadowbane retrospective, I fished around for a hearty veteran of the minotaur wars who was willing to step up and answer a few questions without succumbing to post-traumatic stress disorder. Within a minute, my good friend Grimnir bit into the topic, and I reeled him in as he flopped and gasped for air. At some point, this metaphor got away from me, but no worries. Hit that jump and let's cast our nets down memory river and see what we can dredge up!
The Game Archaeologist uncovers Shadowbane: The highlights
Way back when I used to haunt the corridors of Gamestop and not shun the place due to its stinky evil, I remember being enticed with these fancy-pantsy "MMORPG" boxes when I'd see them on the shelf. I must have picked up Shadowbane a dozen or so times to check out the blurbs on the back, mentally weighing whether or not this would be the one to introduce me to online gaming, but ultimately it was not to be. It's probably for the best, considering that Shadowbane was primarily PvP and I'm a PvE guy at heart. Plus, the title never really took off the way that publisher Ubisoft had hoped, spending most of its six years of operation lurking in the background of the MMO industry instead of sharing the spotlight. But still, six years! That's far longer than any of the titles we've been talking about these past couple months, and considering that Shadowbane won last week's poll to become this month's topic, there are obviously strong feelings lurking among you. What did Shadowbane try to do differently, how did it stay alive as long as it did, and what was its downfall? Hit the jump to find out!
The Daily Grind: What's your favorite MMO political system?
Politics is a nebulous word when it comes to MMORPGs. Relatively few companies market the "political" aspects of their games, mainly because these aspects are player-driven. There are a few exceptions, and though En Masse is getting a lot of press for the TERA political system that it unveiled at this year's E3, it's not a new idea. Games as diverse as ArchLord, RF Online, and Aika have toyed around with the idea, and Star Wars Galaxies even offered a Politician profession and light-duty mayoral tasks related to the game's player cities. For today's Daily Grind, we'd like to know your take on MMORPG political gameplay. Do you prefer completely free-form player-created content such as that found in Darkfall, EVE Online, and Perpetuum, or would you rather see a mixture of hard-coded mechanics and player interaction similar to what En Masse is hyping for TERA? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
TERA E3 recap video explains political system
E3 2011 is a distant memory, but En Masse is still getting a bit of mileage out of the event thanks to a newly released TERA video compilation. The trailer shows off portions of the closed-doors media presentation from this month's trade show, and the footage is heavy on action combat and lush sequences featuring the game's gorgeous visuals. The clip also devotes a good portion of its running time to the recently announced political system, and producers Chris Hager and Stefan Ramirez fire off some pretty tantalizing soundbytes relating to player interaction and the possibility of affecting the game world. "That means getting votes, buying votes, smearing your opponent, taking out your competition, raising taxes, making tons of cash money, controlling your province, putting players in prison, running your own events, managing your own towns, and just doing whatever you want," Ramirez says. Staying in power to continue doing whatever you want is the trick, of course, and the video spends a good amount of time detailing ways to maintain control over your province. While it all sounds pretty spectacular, it also raises plenty of questions (like, how is all of that going to matter in an MMO that lacks serious consequences in terms of a death penalty or gear/stat loss?). Whatever the answers, we can't wait to learn more. Check out the full video after the cut.
Let's get physical, physical: Brian Knox fields dozens of TERA questions
With that newfangled Twitter that's all the rage these days, TERA proves that developer chats can be even more accessible -- and within a 140-character limit! Recently, Senior Producer Brian Knox fielded a grab bag of questions about this upcoming action MMO, although he put a kibosh on queries related to the release date and events. PvP, obviously, was a huge topic of discussion, with questions ranging from death penalties (same as PvE) to open world conflict (starts at level 12 and requires the purchase of special items) to guild vs. guild battles (still in the works). TERA's famed political system was another subject for inquiry -- would it be in the game at the start or will we have to wait for it? "Day 1. It is up and working now and will be available at launch," Knox assured fans. Raids are something else that future players has been asking for, and apparently the TERA team is at least exploring the possibility of implementing them: "We know how badly the community wants raids! We are looking very hard at this and is one of the reasons we have focused on five-man content." You can read the full dev diary over at TERA's official site.
E3 2011: En Masse interview delves into TERA's political system
Let's get political! Today at E3, our very own Shawn Schuster got the chance to talk to the fine folks at En Masse and about their upcoming action MMORPG TERA and its groundbreaking new political system. En Masse's Associate Producer Stefan Ramirez said of the political system, "If TERA's action makes the combat fun and engaging, then the political system brings a whole new depth to player engagement." How exactly are the folks at En Masse going to accomplish this new level of engagement? Well, follow along with us and we'll tell you. First and foremost, it's important to note that TERA's political system is entirely player-driven. There is no script and no plan, and it's entirely up to the game's populace to decide how the politics on each server will play out. The player's overarching goal within the political system is to become a Vanarch, the leader of a province. The benefits of becoming a Vanarch are many, and in the words of Mr. Ramirez, Vanarchs "have a shit-ton of power, a shit-ton of money, and a shit-ton of fame."
TERA European community test kicks off, political system detailed
Blue Hole Studio's TERA has officially kicked off its European testing phase, according to this morning's press release from Frogster. The German gaming company is publishing TERA in Europe, and has sent out 1,500 invites to "the most dedicated and hardcore fans from the TERA community." The special testing event will run for four days, and Frogster says similar events are scheduled for the "very near future." Frogster also drops a few hints regarding the game's political system, noting that it's intended to be endgame content and that elected rulers will access exclusive mounts, impose taxes, and manipulate NPC villagers. The system involves something called policy points which are acquired via questing, and Vanarchs (the term for players that ascend to the position of regional ruler) must determine how and where to spend them.
New F2P fantasy MMO DragonSoul announced
While many of you are no doubt playing a certain dragon-themed BioWare title that hit American shores today, the MMORPG world is being graced with a new dragon-centric title of its own in the form of Neonga AG's just-announced DragonSoul. DragonSoul is a free-to-play fantasy title sporting a political system that is "a main feature of the game" according to a Neonga press release. Players can choose to side with one of eight unique kingdoms, cast votes to determine a ruler, and take the field of battle in said ruler's name. DragonSoul isn't entirely about PvP, though, as the title also boasts various non-combat activities including "the cultivation of crops, the mining of resources, the upbringing of pets, and a versatile crafting and upgrade system." Interested players may register for the closed beta test at the game's official website and prepare for DragonSoul's open beta which is currently schedule for the second quarter of 2011.
