Since the official word is out, I figured I’d get a little discussion going. Our own Nicodemus and Spot are starting a project together (that has nothing to do with us here at KTR). The project is an MMORPG called “Immortal Destiny”. Also, Nicodemus recently released a book titled “MMO Evolution”. I purchased the first copy (so I was told) and am currently devouring the contents. Just to be clear, I had no prior knowledge about either of these events, I read the press release just like many others.
So the claim is to be “the first truly evolutionary massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) designed to empower players and provide extraordinary experiences and entertainment.” One can only hope. But what is “evolutionary”? Let’s dig in a little further.
Keep in mind, this is extremely early in the development stages, so how much of this is carved in stone remains to be seen. Some features listed:
* Stunning environments, vibrant special effects, and cutting-edge graphics.
Good start.
* The game economy is extremely robust, flexible, and player driven. Crafting, resource gathering, and trade routes are all key elements.
Noble goals, not really something achieved yet by an MMORPG.
* Magic, Combat, and Crafting are all highly customizable with nearly unlimited variation.
Sounds great, more details please.
* Innovative character advancement enables players at different power levels to adventure together without imbalance. Players that prefer to role-play, socialize, or spend their time doing activities other than hunting and collecting treasure can still easily advance in power.
Oh boy, the golden ticket in my chocolate bar. If they can achieve this, they will do wonders for the state of MMORPGs.
* Players battle for land and reputation, vying for control of resources and treasure. Unique social gaming features allow for high drama, politics, diplomacy, intrigue, subterfuge, alliances, treaties, wars, and trade agreements.
Good stuff again, lofty goals.
* No levels, no grind, no spawn camping.
Much love.
OK, let’s go deeper into the FAQ, looking at the items I find interesting:
Does Immortal Destinyâ„¢ have a storyline?
Yes. We have a very rich and detailed story and setting for Immortal Destinyâ„¢.
What about weather effects and day/night cycles?
Yes, there will be a variety of weather effects (and not just for looks) as well as defined day and night cycles. There are also seasons.
How can I travel long distances other than by foot?
You can walk, run, jump, ride, fly, swim, sail, drive, teleport, summon, or just hitchhike.
Is the game class or skill-based, or both?
Primarily skill based.
What are archetypes?
Every character starts as one of three archetypes: Warrior, Priest, or Mage. While each has some benefits, there are no restrictions on what specializations, professions, skills, magic, or items that an archetype can use. Archetypes are meant as a basic guideline, not as a restrictive template or traditional class.
How many levels are there?
No levels. Character advancement is primarily judged by skills and the amount of raw power they control.
How many skills and spells will Immortal Destinyâ„¢ have?
There will be a huge number of skills available to learn, and a vast number of spells. Many spells will be crafted by players.
How do I get new skills and spells?
Characters start out with basic skills and spells. New skills must be learned from a quest, NPC, or other player character. New spells must be acquired or crafted before they can be used. They can be acquired from loot drops, quests, shops, and other players.
Can you fight in cities?
Yes! Although there may be consequences depending on the city and the local laws. Player vs. Player combat (PvP) may occur anywhere. Players can also place bounties on each other, and pursue other means of revenge against those that attack them unwarranted. Griefers will not survive very long.
Can I advance in experience and skill without ever participating in combat?
Yes. There are multiple ways to advance, and only some of them rely on combat.
Can I loot the body of my enemy after I defeat him in combat?
Yes, absolutely! Be careful though…mobs can also loot bodies, or carry them off.
You know, there are so many interesting ones I should just list the whole thing, but go read it for yourself. Come on back and tell me what you think.
I’ve heard some of this before, so color me skeptical. However, after reading much of “MMO Evolution”, I think a lot of this could really happen. Of course, it is a long road from here to there so I’ll have to stand by and watch what develops.
– Ethic
“Stunning environments, vibrant special effects, and cutting-edge graphics.
Good start.”
urgh
cutting-edge graphics = I need to upgrade my PC just to play. No thanks.
Looks interesting, but then that’s true of most of these games when they are first announced. The trick is living up to claimed expectations.
Also, what’s with the webpage for the MMO Evolution book… Now I know what it looks like if I ever see it anywhere, but no information on buying it or what it is about. Seems a bit odd. Will I find it in stores, or do I have to rely on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/MMO-Evolution/dp/1847286798)?
You’ll have to buy it online. Lulu is a POD (Print on Demand) publisher and most (all?) bookstores don’t generally carry that kind of stuff because they can’t return unsold copies.
I changed the book link to Lulu which is where I purchased it. Since it is so new I assume the website is still being worked on so I removed that link. There is a preview of the book at that Lulu site.
As for cutting-edge graphics, I’ll wait and see what they mean by it. If they are going to go the Vanguard route it’s a bad plan. If they make it look good on a variety of systems, low end to high end, well that would be cutting-edge in my dream MMO book.
I profiled Immortal Destiny on my blog on tuesday. Here is a link to the entry:
http://cyndre.blogspot.com/2006/09/mmo-watch-list-immortal-destiny.html
Oh, one more thing.. Is anyone else having trouble registering for their newsletter? I have tried on 3 different machines, 2 different browser types and I still get a page error every time I try to submit…
here’s the clincher: “What is the Advancement System? pure combat or mixed with things like exploration, diplomacy, etc.” That’s important because otherwise I don’t know how they can make their social and faction things relevant. Which I hope they do.
I subscribed to the newsletter just fine, with Firefox, but it was about a week ago.
Tide, the same question could be asked of Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. They have invested a lot of resourses into developing cutting edge and extremely robust non-hack and slash advancement systems, but to what degree will those activities produce real avatar power. In most games, other activities, such as crafting, diplomacy, exploration, are used as a form of escape from repetition and boredom, rather than as a stand-alone advancement path. As in WoW, I craft, gather and so on, but it is to suppliment my raiding consumables or to twink an alt or make some coin. Blizzard also went so far as to cap crafter progression until certail xp levels are met, further pushing the crafting element of the game below the adventuring/ questing/ raiding element.
The moment that a company can deliver on that principle will be truly revolutionary in the industry. To give crafters the ability to scale in power without fighting a single monster, or with lesser focus on the mob grind, and ultimatly to balance the advancement paths to somehow avoid the fanboi fireing squad from tearing the MMO apart or quitting.
Is it Vanguard that has the fabled system under which you group to cut down trees and NPCs effectively have a conversation “hp bar”? Or am I thinking of another game?
Zubon,
I think you may be right… There is something about grouping to harvest resourses and group crafting to construct ships and wagons and houses etc…
With regards to the conversation bar, they have the diplomacy system, and according to the current public information, it is like a little mini-card game within the game. So you get cards like in magic the gathering, except your card might be Funny Joke or Aggressive Posture or something, and you use your skill combined with your available action cards to best opponants in a battle of diplomacy called a Parley. You have the ability to con an npc before you begin to detirmine what approach will work best.
These systems are all entertaining from a theoretical prospective, but i the end if I spend 5 hours Parleying in Big City, am I going to find out a few morsels of information that I could have spent 45 seconds researching on spoiler fan sites, or will I get access to exclusive rewards that adventurers can not attain. If it is just a fluff mechanic with no real avatar enhancement potential, then Brad & Co. have wasted a lot of manpower building a system that will be a hoppy instead of a game element.
**Hobby
The Vanguard diplomacy system sounds like what they have in Oblivion. Interesting at first, but I tired quickly of it. Also, it ruins the immersion for me.
Hey guys!
* The book is published by LuLu, and is distributed by Ingram. It is available now on Amazon and probably Borders/Barnes&Nobles soon. I get a much better royalty if you order it directly through LuLu though : ) Yes, Ethic, you DID get the first one sold hehe. Thank you by the way.
* Cutting Edge Graphics… That means I expect the game to look *good* not “omgwtf, lets make people buy the nvidia 50k duo quad processor with integrated lawn mower”. If you play MMORPGs now and are happy with your video card, you won’t have to upgrade. Of course, some of the pretty bells and whistles might be worth a new video card, but I’ve never liked the idea of having to buy a new card just to play a game. Cutting edge in this context also means that we are going to have some pretty high standards as far as our artists are concerned. Simply put, I want a game we can be proud of that draws people in…not one that makes them complain about graphics lag, blinking avatars, slow camera movement, crappy particle effects, and so forth.
* If you have a problem signing up for the newsletter (which we need to let you know when we put up screenshots and some other interesting info about the game) make sure you are filling out all of the fields. A few people have ignored the country field and that nerfs the signup.
* Tide… I hate grind. Like totally. I also hate the fact that the only role-playing in today’s MMORPGs is the “RP” in the description. Combat is fun, and we don’t plan on getting rid of it (although we have some nifty mechanics that should make it a lot more interesting)…but there is SO much that could be done in an MMORPG as far as alternative methods of character advancement, as well as social aspects (reputation, status, faction, fame, politics, diplomacy, etc. etc.). While we can’t promise everything to everyone (what a shitty game that would be), we do have very specific ideas of what a MMORPG should be, what it should offer, and how it should all work. Most of the things that we are designing for aren’t new or groundbreaking….they just haven’t been done in an MMORPG, or they have in the past but in a very poor or broken fashion. We just want to make a MMORPG *right*. Anyway, it will be possible to advance without ever taking a swing at a monster, NPC, or other player.
I will post more later….
Robert / Nicodemus
I am having trouble signing up to your newsletter. I have tried all of my browsers and filled out every field. I think there’s something wrong with your site.
Also, you keep saying everywhere you’re going to update your site ‘soon’, but it’s been a year since your last update. Please, put up some forums at least. :)