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2012: The year of the MMO Kickstarter
Kickstarter is perhaps the biggest story in the world of gaming since the birth of the home video console or the integration of online components into consumer entertainment. No new product, innovation, or invention has carried with it such immense potential for shifting the way the industry plans, builds, and delivers its products. And with projects covering everything from hardware to companion apps, it's almost impossible now to imagine a gaming world without Kickstarter, even though it was our reality just a few short months ago. The legacy of Kickstarter is one that we're witnessing in real-time. Most of the major successful projects are slated for late 2013/early 2014 releases, giving us plenty of time to speculate on what may or may not go wrong with the crowd-funding model and the products it bears. Over the next year, games will either make it to market or they won't. Developers will squander their budgets or release on time. It's all up in the air. With that in mind, we thought now would be a good time to look back on some of the biggest MMO Kickstarter projects of 2012. The fate of some of these titles is inexorably tied to the fate of Kickstarter as a viable game-creating platform -- and maybe even crowd-sourcing as a whole.
The Repopulation beta coming this spring, launch near 'the end of the year'
Last year was a big one for indie sci-fi sandbox The Repopulation. Between alpha testing, a successful Kickstarter campaign, a GDC reveal, and a couple of engine updates, the game made plenty of progress in 2012. This year more players will get a chance to see that progress for themselves, as Above & Beyond Technologies will kick off The Repopulation's closed beta sometime in the spring. The team also plans to release more game information to the press as well as put in an appearance at PAX Prime over the Labor Day weekend. Finally, The Repopulation's official release is "tentatively scheduled for the end of the year," according to today's lengthy 2013 preview post.
Leaderboard: The Repopulation vs. Origins of Malu
So last week we asked which upcoming sandbox you'd most likely play, but as was correctly pointed out by an astute commenter, we inadvertently omitted a couple of promising indie projects. First up is The Repopulation, a game that features extensive city building, an entertainer skill set, and a bunch of other stuff that will probably remind you of Star Wars Galaxies. Next is Origins of Malu which boasts scary stalker AI, a gorgeous sci-fantasy aesthetic, and interesting takes on PvP and, gasp, possible permadeath! Today's Leaderboard asks which of these upcoming indie sandboxes you'll support. Cast your vote after the cut! Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!
The Repopulation upgrades to Hero Engine 2.0
The Repopulation isn't slowing down for the holidays, as Above & Beyond Technologies announced that it's upgraded the core of the game to Hero Engine 2.0. The more powerful engine offers the title a lot in terms of visual improvements and capability (HDR lighting is now supported, for example), and the devs are quite excited to have it up and running. The team broke the news in its December update post. Along with the improved engine, The Repopulation has seen a lot of progress in the areas of dens, crafting, and vehicles. Small additions, such as six action bars and the new Rhinoc species, are going a long way to fleshing out this game. The devs promised that a look at the team's 2013 plans will be coming soon.
Some Assembly Required: Six reasons to love sandboxes in 2013
What a difference a year makes, amirite? This time twelve months ago, I was licking the wounds brought on by Star Wars Galaxies' unceremonious and premature departure from the MMO scene. It was bad enough that a profitable title was sacrificed in order to clear a path for one of 2012's biggest disappointments, but it was worse that said title was the premier sandbox in the genre's history. Frankly, the last few years have been abysmal for fans of non-linear MMOs and player-generated content, but thankfully, 2012 righted the ship and gave us more than a bit of hope for 2013.
The Daily Grind: What obscure mechanic should become a standard MMO feature?
Over the weekend we learned that The Repopulation will be implementing some sort of Entertainer skill set that is at least partly inspired by similar mechanics in Star Wars Galaxies. SWG's signature non-combat profession is still unique in MMO annals, though, and we got to wondering if there are other nifty mechanics that should be revisited in newer games. What do you think? Is there a particular class, system, or MMO mechanic that you'd like to see become an MMORPG standard? 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!
The Repopulation adds entertainer skills, PvP tweaks
Did you hear that? It was the sound of cheering, as thousands of Star Wars Galaxies fans rejoiced at the news that another MMORPG is finally riffing on its one-of-a-kind Entertainer profession. The MMO in question is The Repopulation, a sci-fi sandbox that just released its end-of-the-month update. Chief among the interesting additions for November was the Entertainment skill line, which grants players the ability to be the life of the party via music, storytelling, dancing, crowd motivation, "and other means." The system grants long-term buffs to entertained players provided that said entertaining happens in social/resting areas (think pubs, inns, theaters, etc.). Players may also make temporary wilderness camps that act as social areas. There's quite a bit more to this month's update, including PvP tweaks and the usual beta balancing adjustments. Full details are available at The Repopulation's official website. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Get your Black Friday MMO deals here!
If our gift ideas for MMO gamers wasn't enough to get you started with your holiday shopping, then how about a full-fledged roundup of the many, many great deals floating around on Black Friday? That's right: Without putting on your pants, you'll be able to get in on some incredible promotions for this busy shopping day. Even if you're just buying for the most special person in your life (yourself), we still give you permission to splurge. All of the big deals are past the cut, so what are you waiting for?
The Repopulation's monthly update details multiplayer vehicles
The Repopulation's end-of-the-month update is here, and October marked more forward progress in terms of feature completion. The team at Above & Beyond Technologies worked out a few kinks in the sci-fi sandbox title's complex vehicle system, and players should see them for the first time in next week's alpha patch. Vehicles can carry multiple players including a driver, gunners, and passengers. You'll be able to upgrade and customize your vehicles with regard to things like speed, steering, shields, armor, and weapons. The update also features blurbs on performance and world scalability issues, as well as the usual laundry list of bug fixes and tweaks. Check it out at the official Repopulation website. [Thanks to J.C. for the tip!]
The Repopulation goes in-depth on PvE mechanics
If you're a sandbox fan and The Repopulation has been pinging your radar, you'll be pleased to hear that the dev team at Above and Beyond Technologies has penned a lengthy articles detailing the features of the game's PvE mechanics. Previously, we've seen similar news for the game's housing, grouping, trade skills, engagements, and more. As a true sandbox, The Repopulation allows you to have several options. Missions are explained as similar to traditional MMO quests, but they're not necessary to the game. In fact, these missions are tailor-made for your character based on your skill level, faction, previously completed missions, personality traits, and more. The article also gives us extensive details on engagements, generated epic missions, rewards, exploration, branching dialogue options, and way more than you'd expect to hear on a game this early in development. Check out the full novel article for more information.
The Repopulation's September update discusses housing and grouping
If you're wondering what's been changing for The Repopulation through the month of September, look no further than the just-released September update from the developers. Last month saw the introduction of two major features for the game: instanced housing and a new auto-grouping system. The latter is fairly straightforward, allowing players to automatically group with others when entering an engagement area instead of competing with other solo players for content. Instanced housing, on the other hand, is meant to cater to solo players and those who aren't interested in open PvP via the nation wars system. While your own personal housing lot won't have as many options as the full city interface, it will provide an option for players who do still want to enjoy some of the fun of building up a settlement. The past month has also seen updates to the game's armor system, loot distribution mechanics, and missions. If you want to know all the particulars, take a gander at the full rundown.
The Repopulation's August update talks new models, engagements, and more
If you've a hankering for a heaping helping of patch notes -- or you're having trouble sleeping -- the latest end-of-the-month update for The Repopulation is here. OK, that was mean, but wow there's a lot to read about for August! The sci-fi sandbox from Above & Beyond Technologies has added some new character models, tweaked the emote system, and implemented medical scanners, aerosol, and particle weapons. There's also some verbiage about a new engagement system that scales to the number of players present, along with various tweaks to the world and UI. The Repopulation is still in closed alpha testing. Learn more about the game on its official website.
MMO Blender: Larry's roleplay sandbox
I can't say that I represent every roleplayer in the MMO space, but I have been a part of MMO roleplay communities going on eight years now. I think it's safe to say that I have a pretty good handle on what roleplayers want out of MMOs. Fortunately, there are existing game designs that can give us what we are looking for. When developers stop giving roleplayers new content, we -- unlike other gamers -- start to create our own. In fact, the vast majority of us don't rely on the game developers to give us any story content beyond the backdrop of the world our characters are living in, but that's not to say there aren't tools developers can give us that help with our level of immersion. Let's explore what makes a great sandbox for an MMO roleplayer.
Some Assembly Required: Four sandboxes we need right now
Hello folks, and welcome back to Some Assembly Required. I've been thinking about sandboxes quite a lot lately, and while this is nothing new, a couple of those I've been thinking about are flying pretty far under the radar. As much as I've been enjoying The Secret World in recent weeks, it can't quite scratch that open world, free-roaming, full-blown economy experience that I've been missing since the days of Star Wars Galaxies and Ultima Online. There are a couple of titles in the pipeline that may recapture those experiences, though. Join me after the break and see whether you agree.
The Repopulation recaps July alpha testing, updates
Above & Beyond Technologies has released its end-of-the-month progress report for The Repopulation. It's a massive information dump, and the tl;dr version is that the sci-fi sandbox is doing quite well after a solid month of alpha testing. Highlights include new double-tap movement abilities, various improvements to the game's action mode, and extensive polish passes on "every skill line and ability." While the changes seem to lean heavily on combat-related gameplay at first glance, the title "isn't just a game about combat," according to the devs. "Crafting and harvesting types also have many new toys to play with," the say.
The Repopulation recaps a successful June
Well, it's a day ending in "y," so it must be time for another indie sandbox update (though thankfully this one has little to do with Kickstarter). In all seriousness, Above & Beyond Technologies has released its June summary for The Repopulation, a sci-fi title that's heavy on nods to genre classics. As you can see if you read the lengthy new post, the devs have been busy little bees. Alpha has officially started, a successful Kickstarter campaign is in the books, and the last four weeks saw the release of three gameplay videos as well as a ton of progress updates to the actual game client. Head to the official Repopulation site for the full scoop.
Alpha begins for The Repopulation, first day captured on video
Many sandbox fans have been eagerly anticipating The Repopulation for a chance to take a personal look at the sci-fi game. For a lucky number of testers, that chance is now: The gates have opened and the first wave of alpha testers have ventured in to experience the world first-hand and help test the game as it moves ever closer to launch. In celebration, Above and Beyond Technologies released a short video highlighting footage from the first day of alpha. What activities do sandbox-hungry players do once they get in? Quite a few dive into structure building, while others light up their screens with firefights as they test combat out on various creatures. At least one decides to take a load off and relax by taking advantage of the ability to sit in chairs. For a taste of the alpha action, check out the video after the cut. And for a chance to participate in the alpha, sign up via the application form. [Source: Above and Beyond Technologies press release]
Repopulation devs: Crafting system is similar to UO and SWG
Most modern-day MMORPG crafting mechanics are, shall we say, uninspired. With the marginalization of the sandbox and the rise of the combat lobby, crafting and meaningful economic gameplay has taken a back seat in all but a handful of titles. The Repopulation is one such title, and the dev team has released a new video that shows off the sci-fi sandbox's crafting mechanics. Fortunately for starving tradeskill fans everywhere, the game hearkens back to the days of Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies. In those titles, "players were able to exist completely as a crafter, harvesting their own materials and then using them to create things," according to the game's website. "We have designed our system in a mold similar to those games. If players do not wish to partake in combat, they can still be a successful crafter," the devs explain. The new Repopulation tradeskills video gives us a good look at recipes and recipe customization via ingredient filters. There's also a brief bit about creature resource extraction, so check out the full nine-minute clip after the break. [Thanks to J.C. for the tip!]
The Repopulation publishes nation, city, and combat gameplay details
Above & Beyond Technologies has updated its website for The Repopulation this week. The forthcoming sci-fi sandbox MMO has some interesting systems on offer, none moreso than its nations mechanic. Nations are basically an extended form of traditional MMO guilds. They function as social structures and encourage cooperation in terms of raiding, crafting, sieging, and the like. Where they differ from genre norms is in their ability to control land and cities throughout the game world. Cities are a big deal too, and much of the nation gameplay is seemingly focused around city management. Combat in The Repopulation also departs from MMO convention, and while we've written about it on occasion before, this is the first time that all of the nuts and bolts have been collected in a single easy-to-reference article. Head to the game's official website for all the details. [Thanks to J.C. for the tip!]
Crafting in The Repopulation unveiled as a viable playstyle
Few gaming features can claim such vastly different implementations as crafting. To the disappointment of dedicated MMO crafters, few games offer in-depth systems. Even worse, when trade skill systems are present, they are often near pointless as mass-produced generic goods or superior loot drops destroy the market. Not so for The Repopulation -- Above and Beyond Technologies just unveiled details of the game's in-depth crafting system mentioned in the End of May report. First and foremost, crafting will be a primary game type; crafters can succeed in their trade without combat. The system will also be very in-depth, involving tools and commanding players' attention in order to succeed. One of the more unique features is the crafting board: Instead of crafters tossing their wares into an auction house, customers post their order, including specifications and price, for crafters to fill. Also, due to the grade system, recipes gathered on the first day will still be valuable years later. Although not unique, harvesting is another interesting feature as necessary ingredients can be gained by manually gathering nodes, placing a structure, or extracting from kills. For more information, check out the full announcement. [Source: Above and Beyond Technologies press release]
